Foxy Lady? No? Wait a minute... (Larina)

[Darren]

Location: The Menagerie Date: 27th of Spring Year 511 A heavy thumping sound went on in the early morning of the the Menagerie. It's source was seen to be a somewhat burly man throwing knifes at a nearby tree. The man was fervently tried to throw them in quick succession, his hands moving back and forth quickly as a knife was thrown with each wide movement. Upon closer inspection one would be able to tell that he was actually waiting near the shops, wanting to meet up with the shop keepers there. At best he found himself going to the place at least two or three times a month to entertain and be entertained by the animals in the stores during his rest day. Not only the animals but he liked talking to the storekeepers as well, his natural curiosity and know how about animals usually led to wild tangents about the creatures, he also found some of the lady vendors quite cute. In any case it was an another routine day for him as he jogged his way to the market. However, today was different as this wasn't actually a rest day for Darren. He still had to train his martial form and finish his training routine as set by his father. Except he felt the pull the animals had on him today couldn't be ignored as he picked up his throwing knifes from his room before he left. If he couldn't train his techniques today he at the very least would be able to practice his skill with the knifes and possibly teach the animals at the stores how to fetch. Heh, that would be a great trick he thought as the stores finally opened up. He smiled and waved to the storekeepers as they looked to him. Retrieving his knifes from the tree he went over to pick up the rest of his belongings. He set up a small fire not too far away from him, a hot thing of stew already warm and waiting for him. He grinned as the sweet aroma of the stew reached him.

[Larina]

The pale blush of the sun began to creep over the mountain ranges beyond Avanthal. While the almost constant cloud coverage above the city largely blocked out the warm rays, the brightness of the snow reflected every stray beam, making it easy to see even before dawn. Larina had always felt peaceful just before the sunrise and was often found awake long before others. Today was no different. Rising early, the girl had already made a small tour of the snowy city and had begun to crave the warmth of her bed and the comfort of a tasty breakfast back in the Warrens. But not just yet. She still had one more stop to visit before heading back: The Menagerie. Larina had an intrinsic kinship to animals, and her walk around the snowy city would be remiss if she did not take a peek in at beasts. The shopkeepers had grown accustomed to her short morning visits, even though the girl did not much speak with the Vantha merchants. Their animals responded well to the girl, and a couple of them even seemed rather taken with Larina, though she never had any desire to purchase any of them, but instead to merely chat with them. And so the vendors viewed her as somewhat of an oddity, but a harmless one who was daily welcomed to their shops. Giving a slight bow to each of the merchants, Larina ambled through the stalls and pens of the animals that were just waking up to start their day. The air was thick with the smell of fur, feathers, and musk which would have been repugnant to many. But the smell told of warm bodies and soft coats, which was an endless comfort for the Kelvic. She stepped up to one of the older elks, who was pressed against his wooden stall, and said, “Good morning, Sir Elk. It’s a pretty morning, is it not?” In reply, the elk pressed his velvet nose against her shoulder and snorted. A gust of hot, humid breath tickled Larina’s exposed neck, making her giggle and flinch in reflex. Grinning, she pat the wet nose of the elk and chortled, “I agree! It’s not every day that the sun creates such a deep orange.” Her hand stilled. There was something different about today. A faint smell floated lazily through the air and almost went unnoticed by the Kelvic. But now, it was a miracle that she could have overlooked it. The joyous scent of a hearty stew! Her stomach answered this realization with a happy rumble. Ah, who could argue with that? Larina left the elk and followed the tantalizing smell of the soup to its source. Her nose led her beyond the stables of her horses to a small clearing where a strange man stood guard over a bubbling pot of savory stew. Larina leaned against a wooden post of the last stall and observed the scene before her. Stew: check. Vantha man protecting the stew: Not so check…And, wait. What’s that? A pile of knives! Oh, goddess. But it was too late for her to back out now; she was close enough to the man that he wouldn’t be able to miss her…Especially if his throwing arm with those knives was any good. Great. Alright, hang in there. Try to be charming and amiable. Make a joke. That’s disarming, right? Larina held out her hand in a wave and called, “Hello there, kind sir! The old elk in the stables told me to wish you a happy morning.” And, now he just thinks you’re crazy.

[Darren]

Sure the stew would look good to anyone who was hungry enough, but that was the thing. Darren looked dishearted at the hearty stew as he mixed the contents of his meal. The catch about this delicious looking stew was that Darren usually felt bloated after eating it so early in the morning, since he usually had to eat most of it as to not put it to waste. He readily disregarded most things and people, easily giving them up if he were to get ahead but food on the other hand he didn't go to waste. There were no great pros to wasting good food and he understood sighing at it. He was just about to just drink his meal in one hearty gulp as he heard a soft voice calling to him. The huge bowel tipped as he moved the bowl down to a quick stop, lightly scalding him in warm broth. He muttered a soft curse as he turned around to see who was addressing him, his eyes looking somewhat bored and annoyed, wondering if it was one of the annoying Snowsongs wanting to bother him for some food or coin or whatever those bards want. Darren was happy to see however that whoever this girl was didn't have an instrument on him. She's off to a great start he thought as then recalled what she said earlier in the first place. Something about an elk? Ah, right he thought. Darren did a short bow of his head as he regarded the woman, "Hello. To Rufallo and you" he replied putting the bowl back down. His eyes took in the stranger quickly, noting that this was another foreigner that managed to slip in unnoticed. He sighed as he whipped his arms ridding himself of the stew that burned him not too long ago. He found that the woman for some reason was standing still rather then continuing along her way. His mind lazily picked out the words in common that he knew while he hid his knifes away from the stranger's view. "Hungary?" he asked, his eyes giving a solid stare daring the stranger to make fun of his limited language. He sat down in a huff as he beckoned her to sit next to him as he produced another boat of the sweet smelling stew. "Name is Darnen Whit Fine." he finally said as he poured a bowl and set it aside him. Darren found that it was rather trying for him to be nice to the foreigners in Avanthal but his pride wouldn't let him besmirch the Vantha name. He looked at his backpack to see what spices he had left, only to see most if not all of the stuff that made the stew smell sweet was mostly gone. All that was left was the special spicy blend that was native to the area. Trying to be the face of cordiality he offered to put some of the blend into Larina's bowl after putting some into his own. "Your hot" he asked almost shouting, with a rather mischievous grin.

[Larina]

The knives. He had tucked them away. Larina duly noted their exact location and position of each individual knife, keeping a wary eye on the stash. Either the man’s gesture was to conceal the weapons and relax his company, or keep them hidden to be drawn in a surprise attack later. She could not tell which was true. But the Kelvic felt pleased that if the latter scenario were the correct one, that she would have the advantage of not being caught unaware. A mess of counterattacks and defensive stances flooded her mind were the Vantha to make any sudden movements towards the hidden pile of daggers. But, these measures were dispelled from her mind as the Vantha spoke to her in botched Common. Though she may have wanted her giggle at some of his pronunciations, Larina remained polite so that she would not madden the armed Vantha. Her yellow gaze closely followed the movements of the stew as it traveled to a second bowl, procured by the man. It was for her? Now she was at odds. Her stomach groaned at the thought of delicious stew, eager to be satiated. However, the mesh of powders the man threw into her cup did not go unnoticed. Larina had enough brushes with various poisons to ever trust a meal which had been prepared differently than the chef’s. This Vantha was a stranger to her. Who had a secret cache of daggers. And looked as though he could punch through the trunk of a tree. And had just added a mysterious powder to the food he just offered to her. Goodie. But not one to incite conflict, Larina swept away a patch of snow from the ground and seated herself in the cold. With a tiny smile, she accepted the bowl of soup and murmured in Vani, “Thank you many times, Sir Darren. I am called Larina, by the way.” The glorious smell of the stew now hit the girl with full force. It was a tribute to her self-control that Larina did not immediately plunge her face into the sweet broth. Well, you certainly don’t smell terribly poisonous, Sir Stew. I-Is that paprika? And rosemary? Tearing her eyes away from the stew, Larina looked back up at Darren with a heartbreaking glance. She then tilted her head to the side as he shouted at her in Common. “I-I’m what? Hot?” she wrinkled her nose and gave him a puzzled look. “No. I am cold. Or, did you mean the soup? You’re Common is not…I did not hear you properly, I think. The stew is nice and warm. Yes! Very nice.” The Kelvic stirred the stew lightly and shift its contents to give off the impression that she was consuming it, though the soup never touched her lips.

[Darren]

The woman spoke in a somewhat sporadic accent the young Vantha had difficulty understanding. Many thanks? Sir? Larina? he merely shrugged before he closed his eyes and drank his fill of the stew. "Ugh, bleh ...Delicious" he said to no one in particular. He grinned at himself proud of the family recipe that his mother taught him. It was simple enough but the salty taste meshed well with most people's tastes. He greedily drank his fill in one pass before he looked at back at Larina, much to his dismay. She was just shifting the contents around and looking like she was having some obviously. Darren, who learned that trick when he was around eleven, rolled his eyes giving an exasperated sigh. "Come on now it is good, I may not look like I do but I know how to cook my family's cooking" he explained in rapid Vani as he tipped the bowl a bit closer to her face. "Yesh, yesh, excuzi mi." He replied back in common, standing walking a few paces away. While Larina was dealing with the bowl and it's frothy hot contents he looked back to where he holstered his throwing knives. With a quick turn he resumed his earlier practice, throwing two knifes in quick succession at a tree near Larina. He smiled mischievously as he realized he might have startled her, an idea suddenly forming into his head. "You next" he said politely throwing a knife in the air a short distance before catching it. He had it so that the handle was facing her, which was relatively nonthreatening. But the smile on his face curling up would have told Larina otherwise as he raised his left hand over his head, the muscles in his arms flexing and flexing getting ready to throw the last of his knifes. oocSorry for the craptacular post. I really wasn't feeling it atm (Had some annoying peeps in chat) But anyways I hope it will suffice

[Larina]

Muscles in Larina’s shoulders tensed up as Darren noticed that she was neglecting her stew. She barely had time to translate his Vani before he reached over and tipped the soup closer to her mouth. Her nails dug into the wooden sides of the bowl and left small trenches in their wake. Automatically, Larina leaned her entire body back away from the bowl as it was thrust under her nose. Luminous eyes shot a look of alarm up at the Vantha. Larina had to consciously tell her body to sit still and not bolt from its seat. She tried to remain composed, hoping that Darren was just a little pushy, and attempted to give him a polite smile. But the strain of that action was too much for her, and her lips merely twitched in reply. “I’m sure your cooking is l-lovely,” she muttered in slurred Vani. While Larina cradled the poisoned stew in her hands, she watched with rapt attention as Darren walked over to his- Shyke. The knives. He had unveiled their hiding place, and with a flourish threw them against a nearby birch tree. Goosebumps. And not the good kind either. Larina clutched the wooden bowl for support, as though it would save her from this dagger throwing mad man. Darren caught sight of her saucer-like eyes and an impish grin spread over his face. The two words which he uttered next could have been any in the dictionary, yet none of them would have convinced Larina of the man's good intentions. The second that Darren began to raise his final knife, Larina sprang to life. In one fluid movement, she hurled the steaming bowl of soup over at her oppressor and simultaneously flung her body to the right. This put her out of Darren’s direct line of fire, and if she were lucky, that scalding stew would hinder his retaliation. Larina landed on all fours in the snow. She snapped her head up towards her foe, a hollow look etched on her face. Her torso dropped low to the ground, and her limbs drew back like springs. The spikes of her gauntlets dug into the hard soil below and would act as a springboard to propel her next movement. His throat. A small nip of her teeth was all it would take. Force enough to sever his skin. Clip his artery. Have him bleed out in the snow. If she acted now, the suddenness of her attack would give her the advantage. Darren would not be able to react in time to counter both the flying contents of the soup and the fury of a red-furred beast. She could almost feel the warmth of his skin as her teeth dug into it. Yet in that imperative moment, Larina’s muscles seized up. And for a split second, she hesitated. Faltered. Paused. But, why? From somewhere outside of the present time, a stray voice rippled through her memory and gently whispered into her ear: Wait.

[Darren]

He wasn't expecting her to freak out THAT much. The amused grin he had on his face was quickly turned into a look of shock as he was hit by the steaming hot mixture. His body cringing as the stews contents hit the front side of his body, causing him to drop the knife that he was offering to Larina. The knife on his left already thrown, it's aim off the mark. It was meant to be just a cheap attempt to startle Larina the knife raised up threateningly then thrown without looking at the tree. However the last few seconds blotched the process entirely and instead of hitting the tree it just landed in the snow next to the it, unknown to Larina. In any case, the hot liquid was what was the biggest concern to Darren, his eyes watered as the fumes from the spicy stew overcame his senses. Darren doubled over trying to regain his back his senses, he looked up to where he saw Larina last. She's not there! Wait, where is she? his eyes grew wide while he stood there gaping at the empty space for a few moments, once again surprised by the articulate stranger. He looked to his left then to his right where he saw Larina hunched over on all fours looking at him with sunken expression. He eye'd the capricious woman with a mixture of emotions running through his mind, first dumbfounded surprise, then anger, then he finally talked himself down looking sheepishly at Larina. "A bit extreme I admit, but I might have deserved all that" he said helplessly gesturing to his clothing. The leather he was wearing was stained by the stew and he knew he could probably have to get it cleaned rather vigorously or have a constant smell of spice around him. Darren shook his head fervently as he mentally kicked himself for being such a jerk. "Alright, alright I'm sorry. I shouldn't have tried to startle you like that. No need to get into a fighting stance" he said scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. He looked at her position looking a bit confused, she was wearing gauntlets all this time? Darren thought he as gave yet her another wary look, options running through his head on what to do. He was curious enough about the stance she took "You fight like a wild animal?" he asked, not familiar with the style. He shook his head as the idea of a spar was creeping into his mind, No she is hungry. I can't ask something like that after all that he thought to himself. He approached her slowly, squatting lower and lower until he was at eye level with her before he spoke again "I am ...truly sorry for trying to startle you ...Lady Larina." he shifted around uncomfortably, he wasn't used to talking so formal. "Perhaps you can give me another chance so I can make it up to you." he said uneasily, he didn't like the way he worded it but gave a reassuring look nonetheless.

[Larina]

He did not strike back. In reality, Darren actually began apologizing and trying to placate the scared Kelvic. Or at least that’s what she thought he was doing. Her mind was so focused on calculating defensive positions that it had little room to translate Vani. But either way, it was plain that the Vantha took no hostile stance. His posture only spoke of appeasement and temperance. This was wholly unexpected. Just moments ago he was preparing ways to skewer her with those daggers. And poison her with stew. And grind her bones to make his bread. Right? Had she really judged his character so poorly? If so, Larina might as well be branded a fool forever. Still rather wary, Larina leaned her body away from Darren’s as he stooped down to speak with her. Tipping her head to the side, she locked eyes with his and read flickers of honesty in their changing colors. No malice. No anger. There could be worse things than being branded a fool forever…Not that I can think of them right now. Gradually, the Kelvic loosened her stance. She relaxed her legs and tucked them beneath her. The spikes of her gauntlets were drawn from the ground, and Larina folded her hands in her lap. She actively repressed her animalistic nature, clinging to the civility and humanity she had been taught. Larina still held the gaze of the man in front of her, worried that Darren may be luring her into a false sense of security. But to show that she was somewhat contrite about her actions, she muttered, “I hope the stew was not too hot.” Was that the best apology she could come up with? Try harder! “I-It is a good color on you…?” Well, that didn’t help. Larina fidgeted with her fingers, her mind growing more and more muddled tried to work through what to do next. Give her would-be murderer a second chance to take her life? No, don’t think of it that way. He’s just a Vantha. More muscley one than most, but she could not hold him accountable for intimidating her based on his appearance. He can’t help that. Larina was just startled by him. That’s all. Darren did nothing wrong. Heck, he had given her food and was going to let her practice her arm with his very own set of daggers. That didn’t exactly inspire trust in Larina’s mind, but it was something. With a piteous smile, she said in her most courteous Vani, “Yes. Maybe we can just start over.” “And I just fight on…instinct.” Larina scratched behind her ear, hoping to explain herself and to come up with the Vani equivalent for that last word. Yet she found none. “Like an animal,” she unconsciously twitched at the word, “But different. I have trained as well.”

[Darren]

His eyebrows raised as she looked at Larina with a glare. But to no avail she kept a straight face after she commented on his appearance. "It's was hot pretty hot actually" he started, the features on his face furrowing into a frown. It seemed that the woman didn't realize he just tried to amuse himself by trying to scare her, Darren noticed as she fidgeted about. She looked nervous even though she gave a snide comment about the color on his clothing. "Oh right. Right. Well that makes everything alright," he muttered low enough for her to hear. He took a deep breathe as he wondered what to make of the newcomer, in any case this one Darren noticed, was actually pretty manageable to deal with. He nodded sagely as Larina finally went on to explain her stance. "I would like that," he said softly, finally throwing the last of his daggers away. The resulting thud on the tree was rather sudden as he was venting his anger in his throw. He gave her a accusing glare at the mention of her fighting style, wondering all the while where such instincts and predispositions can come from. "Trained you say? Hmm yes. Perhaps you can show me a thing or two? I sorta know what I'm doing," he quipped, an amused light back in his eye. He raised both of his hands open with a confused look before assuming a fighting posture. "Ah right this seems to be the right stance," he said jokingly, silently urging Larina to get in a stance. Darren's breathing calmed as his body tensed ready until well... he noticed he was being outrageous with his sudden request. "Ah right, I doubt you'd want to do something so suddenly after we ...erm. Startled each other?" he explained, speaking the last part slowly as to not antagonize her any longer. "If you want you can try out the pointy little objects I keep throwing" he offered, pointing at the tree stump. Perhaps this looking at his skill with the things would offer her some comfort he thought. If Larina were to look she would notice that only the final dagger hit anywhere near his mark, one was in the snow while the other two were off the mark by nearly a foot. He stole a glance back at Larina, he looked as if this was the only compromise he can offer. Darren showed very little restraint in hiding his yearning for a physical activity, if any, as he looked back at Larina wondering what she wanted to do now.

[Larina]

What is he playing at? The hollow noise from the knife’s collision with the tree made Larina’s skin crawl. Her hands tightened to fists in her lap. After her reaction from his last dagger toss, why would he throw another? To unnerve her? Well, if that was the case then it was certainly working. But as if that wasn’t enough, the man then raised his hands to guard his face and bent his knees in a combat stance. It took every ounce of concentration for Larina to listen in on the Vantha’s words instead of react to his actions. However, what he said completely stunned her. “You want me to…what? Fight? You want me to fight you?” She stared slack jawed as Darren encouraged her to rise and prepare herself. The Kelvic could not quite believe what she was hearing. After practically scalding him with piping hot soup, the Vantha thought it would be a good idea to agitate her further? The training Larinia had received was rough, brutish, and geared to her animal side. Not one usually used in a genteel sparring match. In fact, she could not remember the last time she pitted herself against another living being for sheer sport. If ever. She was unsure of how to proceed. But at the mention of the knives coming back into play, Larina adamantly shook her head. No, no. They were out of reach now, and there they would stay. He was really serious about this, wasn’t he? If she had the option of a hand-to-hand boxing match or being fileted by those deadly daggers, Larina would choose the former. But still, she had to object. Merging the Vani she knew with flustered Common she sputtered, “I don’t really think that I would make a good teacher. I mean, you are a Vantha! I wouldn’t even know w-where to begin. We are quite different. You have less teeth. Teeth are important. And fighting? You look like you can defend yourself. But, then what? Do you want me to teach you how to kill a man? Is this, ah, what you want to know? Because I’m not so sure…That is a good idea.” Larina stared up at him, her brow furrowed. Giving a heavy sigh, she understood that Darren would not be so easily dissuaded from physical exercise even by her protests. And if she were perfectly honest with herself, the pent up beast stirring in her heart would be all too happy to oblige him. Though not to the death. Or so she hoped. “I think I could teach. A little.” Larina steeled her insides. And while she did not rise from her seat in the snow, the tension in her muscles were evidence of her readiness. “If that is what you really want. Then make your move.”