Wings and poisons in the street (Whisper)

[Irriari]

Season of Summer, Day 35, 511 AV
(Whisper, please. Closed.)

OOCSorry, this is going to be short, but I don't think there's a lot I can do in this intro post.

Irriari knew she would have to craft more poisons soon. The thought had occurred to her many times in the past week, but her dwindling supply of poison reagents had made the process difficult. She wanted to make potent poisons with hallucinogenics and variable rates of effect, but without a plethora of herbs, oozes and fungi such endeavors were only dreams.

Irriari extracted a vial from the top of her poison crafting kit while she observed the flurry of people as they moved around the docks. The poison was still potent even though she had made it when she had entered Zeltiva in the late spring. She held the bottle with her right hand and tilted it slightly, watching as a small pool of the poison gathered on a claw, pooled outward and the spread to the edges. This poison took a few chimes to dry, but Irriari was content to watch it as it did, and she made sure every claw was coated evenly and thoroughly. The annoyance it produced early on was quickly replaced when used in combat, as it would leave victims weak and dizzy within seconds of hitting their blood stream.

Finally, a few chimes later, every other claw on either hand was coated in the silvery liquid. Irriari lounged against the dark brick wall of Black Tar's Alchemical Services and watched the merchants around the docks as they tried to sell their wares to anyone who passed, though few had much success. Her head moved every few seconds to take in the city that was so different from her home colony. Her wings were tight against her skin, but she moved unfurled them to her back for a few seconds. Every zith needed to feel their wings- they needed to know that they could fly up at any moment. While she had taken it for granted in the wild, the glares and gasps of the Ravokians made sure that her wings rarely saw open air in the city proper. She breathed in and sighed, resigning herself to going into the alchemical store after a few more minutes of leisure time. Her miza pouch could hardly stand it, but she could go to the store one more time during the season to get more ingredients.

[Whisper]

The falcon rested uneasy on her shoulder, but none more than usual. He was just getting used to the rough leather patch his master had sewn into her cloak so he didn't have to rest on her gauntlet all the time. Ryek leaned over next to her cheek, beak open in protest to the rough step she had taken, and cried quietly. "Oh shush." the woman said lovingly and scratched behind his head. That seemed to settle his argument, but he still shifted a little on her shoulder. That bird was probably the only being she has showed compassion to in her whole life other than her mother. A different woman spoke to the falcon, a woman with soft and gentle green eyes. Those eyes, when turned upon others, were only the cold pale green that they were and a crossbow pointed at them from under her cloak. She was growing tired of trying to find moss and she hadn't been out of the city to find roots in a while so today she was going to the Black Tar. She had no need to buy a poison other than to learn more about it since her dagger was already coated with Bloodroot a month or two back. That was the last of her poisons though; she wasn't very proficient so what poisons she tried to make hardly ever produced a useful amount. A quiet, alerting cry came near her ear as they approached the shop. She could guess what Ryek was trying to show her, a zith was leaned against the shop. She continued her pace as normal, but she watched the female all the while. Her appearance sung of poisons and other various underhanded things, and strangely enough, she admired that a little. She was going to continue past her and into the shop, which was the best thing to do in a city like Ravok, but Ryek seemed to have different plans in mind. The bird had indeed fallen quiet since he made an alert about the zith, obviously watching her and her movements. But Ryek felt the urge to talk to the zith when they passed within a few feet and he called a few times, loud enough for the two to clearly see what he was doing. Ryek just carried on this conversation he seemed to be having, or rather just telling Irriari something. Whisper closed her eyes in slight embarrassment and shielded her eyes for a quick moment before trying to calm Ryek with a gentle hand.

[Irriari]

OOCSorry, this is going to be another semi short post, but until they start talking I doubt I'll have much to say. Thanks for the quick posting in both threads!

Irriari continued watching the streets even though the 3 chimes she had promised herself were up. She did want to go into Black Tar's Alchemical Services, and she really wanted to brew more poisons, but she also wanted to relax. The city, and the day to day interaction was taxing, mentally. Things in the colony were cut and dry and interactions were simple, truthful and not at all sugar coated. In Ravok, things were completely different. People lied, snarled at her and tried to swindle her out of her mizas. The merchant who had tried to charge her double had thrown up after she threatened him thoroughly, and pointed an arrow to his chest. He was lucky she hadn't killed him out right, but he had deserved the treatment.

Some time after her musings on Ravok and her home, a lithe red headed human walked by, but the woman hardly attracted any more attention than the other humans, beautiful as she was. The brown falcon that was perched on the girls shoulder had taken an interest in her. Irriari smiled, though it was rare to do so around the humans in Ravok, greedy thieves that they were. The bird called to her, though she had no idea what it meant to say, or whether it thought she understood. It was cute, and endearing.

“Wing brother.” she called out in Zithanese.

Doubtless, the bird would not understand her either, but she held out an open palm as a sign of peace to the bird before addressing the human that owned him.

“That's a beautiful falcon, and a talkative one, it seems.”

Few humans cared for their birds properly. Time and time again, the urge to gut humans that inhumanely caged or clipped the wings of birds rose up in her stomach. They were wounds and injustices that struck too close to home. She moved her own wings slightly at the thought of it. Irriari wondered if this human took care of her bird as she should. The signs she had saw so far were promising, but hardly indicative of a perfect owner. Why did the girl have the bird? Questions pounded through her head, but patience would serve her better than haste. For now, the girl intrigued her. Birds were special to her, even if few other zith held such sentiments.

[Whisper]

OOCI get excited with a character I really like so I post quicker. Atyvn's boring sometimes. And I was reading through your post and thought "She read my CS. ;-;" It feels good when I don't have to write my description out every time and someone still addresses my appearance. I also just tried to close off ooc with /hug -.-;; The woman at first only held curiosity for the zith as far as Ryek's conversation, but now there was a void where the "daggers-coming-from-their-eyes" feeling should be. She did not know how to take the words of an unknown language, but they did not seem to be directed at her. The zith seemed, towards the situation at least, calm and there was actually smile upon her face. That alone confused herself, it just wasn't a natural thing here in Ravok especially from a zith, and that drew her curiosity more. No more than she allowed though because she knew curiosity was a dangerous thing. "Thank you. And he... normally isn't that bold." She hoped she did not take it the wrong way, that it was towards her being a zith, but it was just because Ryek was just as cautious as herself most of the time. The bird cocked a head at his master and held its beak open to her in a quiet protest. "Shush..." she whispered softly with feigned sternness. Ryek saw through the old ruse and looked to Irriari once more. He had spirit, more than other bird owners would give their pets, but he wasn't just a pet. He was her best friend who was always by her side and would never leave until he died. He was a trusted companion who always listened when she had a problem and never held negative feelings towards her. Whether you call it friendship or loyalty, it was all the same to her and her beloved pet. "I do apologize for the interruption; we did not mean to disturb your thoughts." She knew she had sugar-coated her words a bit, but she really did not wish to get in a fight with a person of this particular race. She didn't fancy fights too much to begin with.

[Irriari]

OOCI'm glad you like Whisper, I do too! I hope the mention in the other thread was okay. Tell me if I went too far in it though, okay? Alright, onward. Now I just get to steal that awesome falcon. Just kidding. But I like Ryek. A lottttt. *hugs*

Irriari chuckled at the girls response. It probably was true- few birds in the sky had ever attempted to have candid conversations with her in mid flight.

“I bet.”

She examined the bird and the girl as they interacted. The exchange between the two was a simple dance of wills, with give and take from both sides. The girl tried to quiet the bird, but her voice didn't hold the bite required to silence the bird, nor did the red head truly seem to want to. Irriari appreciated the small gesture. While there was a time and place to control animals, for their own safety and that of their owners, more often than not, they did better when allowed to act on their own. Animals, especially tamed ones, were interesting creatures. They were never wild, but also never completely docile. They stood on a line and walked it beautifully, in a way that benefited both sides. It was almost like owning a slave.

“My thoughts? Can you think with all this noise?”

Irriari waved at the streets of Ravok before continuing,

“So, why are you here? Did you mean to go into the Black Tar?”

The Black Tar contained a plethora of different items- not just the poisons she favored. While Irriari hoped the girl was a poison crafter like herself, the odds were beyond slim, so she didn't allow herself to hope. Maybe she was an alchemist, or a spy. Those seemed more probable, though Irriari truly knew nothing about her. She was interested in the girls answer, though she tried to hide her excitement by cooing gently at the falcon.

[Whisper]

Whisper threw a questionable look at the zith's question. "What's it to you?" she said quickly without thinking about neither which words to choose nor the tone to use. She closed her eyes for a moment to steady her mind. Having privacy was one thing, but being polite to people to keep one's life was something else. She continued to rephrase the answer and possibly negate the feelings from the first. Not to mention she probably gave away what her intentions were for any goods bought here. "Yes. But just to pick up a few supplies if in stock." She even added a soft smirk to her new answer, content that it was nice enough. Ryek flapped his wings twice to stretch and reposition himself on Whisper's shoulder. Habitually, Whisper reached over her chest and scratched behind the falcon's head with a soft touch. The bird enjoyed it thoroughly for a few moments until his master stopped and his gaze snapped back to Irriari. The woman noted that her friend had been observing the zith for some time, but she couldn't figure out to what ends. "And what brings you to this place?"

[Irriari]

The girl had fire. Her response was feisty, direct and filled with emotion. Maybe she had secrets to guard, after all, the Black Tar wasn't a place most Ravokians wanted to be seen in for any length of time. Irriari could respect the fire more than any sweet fake smile. The dark windows, and closed off look kept most of the simply curious patrons away, which Irriari was sure the odd shop keeper preferred. In truth, she did too, though she wanted to eliminate nearly all the other clientele. The shop of poisons had become a haven when she left Sahova's poison crafting lab after the massive attack. While it was nowhere near as big or impressive as Sahova's grand lab, the proprietor stocked reagents and poisons that she had never seen before.

Irriari opened her wings to their full length, assured that on this side of the docks, she could stand comfortably for at least a minute before the stares from the passerby made her feel like she was going to be attacked or kidnapped. She looked at the falcon, and it's steely gaze for a few seconds before answering the girl.

"I'm going to buy more ingredients for my poisons."

While it was no secret that Irriari spent most of her time crafting poisons- the gate guards when she entered the city had known after all, but if the girl was a spy, she would probably be highly perturbed by being in her presence. She had no patience to hide such things. If people asked questions, they should be able to stomach the answer, no matter how jarring.

"Are you coming in?"

Irriari walked the short distance to the shop door and entered it. Would the girl follow? Irriari hoped so, but she also hoped the girl wouldn't be carrying a blade when she did.

[Whisper]

In truth, Whisper always had her hands ready to snap for her gauntlet's darts, her handheld crossbow on her hip, or her dagger on the other hip, but now she felt she could trust the zith enough to be assured Irriari wouldn't kill her. Ryek was more than likely the cause of this, but even he was a weapon ready to react at her word. At the mention of the word "zith" harbored ill-feelings, hate, and a trace of fear, but this zith seemed civil enough in a city where few were and these thoughts made her feel less civil than her new acquaintance. Her pale green eyes searched the ground for a brief moment, being ashamed of the thoughts within her head, before nodding and followed Irriari inward. Everyone was different and generalities only ruined things. Ryek's gaze never left Irriari now, but he had fallen silent since his master's light-hearted command. He had only seen a zith a handful of times and those were male, so he was naturally curious on this new look of this race. "Two kinds of people come in here." she said after a long moment. "And I would like to meet the person to say I look like an alchemist." She didn't know how to act around this person. Normally anyone, that wasn't giving her information or bartering with her, would have already stopped the conversation. She did not mind her short vigils, but she did long for friendship sometimes and when she did she turned to Ryek. It was odd to her that that of the few people she had had an extended conversation with was a zith. Fate was just funny like that. "Since all that is established... What poison families do you know?" She knew no guards hung about in here, maybe their ears were but she didn't know of them. When one talks of lower subjects, such as poison, people know those individuals are often armed and are not afraid to kill them. She could only see a couple people in the building and none seemed too intent on the two new arrivals, glancing only to see what they were.

[Irriari]

Irriari loved the Black Tar. Simply put, it was a wonderful shop that catered to all of her interests, and some that she didn't know she had until she had wandered inside. The shop keeper was odd, and stories circulated around Ravok about what happened to those that opposed him... none of which had happy endings. Irriari had laughed when she heard them. Who would be stupid enough to try to steal from a shopkeeper that stocked so many deadly wares? Apparently, multiple people had through out the years, for the entertainment of the masses.

The stock rarely changed, and Irriari eyed the complicated poisons that cost upwards of a thousand mizas again, like she had many times in weeks prior. The tiny vials, and the mixtures inside of them were works of art ,and even on her best day Irriari knew she couldn't come anywhere close to making one.

Whisper entered the shop and didn't seem to be intent on killing or maiming her for the time being. Surprisingly, the girl even asked her a question as Irriari examined the glassware on the tall wooden shelves.

“I know of arboreal, fungus, roots, moss and serepente poisons. My specialities like in fungus and root based poisons. Why do you ask?”

Irriari's second question was left unspoken, though she truly wanted to know the answer. How did she know about poison families? Was the girl simply well informed of the dangers in the world, or was she a poison crafter herself? The second of the two posibilies put Irriari on edge, though she tried not to show in in her movements. Other poisoners scared her more than any blade. Poisons were more versatile, and at higher levels, death came quickly, painfully and sometimes, without a way to prevent it. Such knowledge excited her, and shook her to her core. Such weapons could easily be used against her at any time.

Irriari reached up to the shelf, and carefully extracted four different glass vials to replace ones that had broken in her kit. The first was a long thin tube with markings up the sides for measurement purposes. The second and the third were each bigger and had a square base that tapered to a cone top. The fourth, and most expensive of the three, at six gms, was made of very thick glass and more precise markings. In flames, the thin vial would not melt, or warp. The vial came with a cork stopper so it could be used as a container. All in all, her purchases totaled sixteen gold mizas, and she placed the coins inside the bowl provided at the front of the store.

When she finished purchasing her items, Irriari placed them on the floor carefully and bent down to pack them into her kit.

[Whisper]

"I- ...just curious." That was all she could think of without letting her uneasiness get past her throat. She knows five poison families? she thought, which was the base of her cautious feelings. She only knew three but only one she could even work with barely at all. But that was because she liked making bloodroot when her mother taught her about poisons years ago, though most of the teaching was wearing off. Whisper looked about the shop from her spot near Irriari, hoping to see some ingredients she could practice with, but like always there were only the completed products. She didn't like going out of the city alone, she didn't even like being inside the city alone, but she had to for materials. She hardly ever found anyone to go out with her that she could trust enough and that alone worked out only a few times. Ryek had stayed silent once they had entered the building and kept his vigil looking whichever way Whisper was not. The red haired woman looked back to Irriari and watched her pack away her newly bought things. She did not lie about her curiosity earlier, it was true and it overwhelmed her thoughts, and she wanted to be for certain now. Ryek's behavior towards the zith was the only thing that changed her initial opinion of Irriari, because her's was a bias one from past pain where his was one of judging character. She crouched next to Irriari and reached her slender hand to pick up the thin tube. "I only know three." she started softly in a whisper. "Root, moss, and vine... with a favor for root." She paused to consider her next words and chose them carefully. "You know more than I in poisons." Ryek interrupted her thought for the next sentence with a quiet, as quiet as a falcon's call can be, caw. But she smiled slightly, truly, at his interruption. "And Ryek seems to like you." She would not know if the other would pick up on was she was leaning towards saying, but it was a bit awkward for her to ask anyone to teach her anything. Her first and last teacher was her mother and it seemed almost taboo to ask a zith, of all things, to teach her more in her mother's favored subject. OOCOh and if you are wondering why I would use a word like taboo to describe that, I'm not telling yet. :3