Tea after Twilight (Tock)

[Ignotus Everto]

21st of Summer, 512AV Shortly after midnight There was something otherworldly about Zeltiva after nightfall. The salty ports were devoid of sailors and seagulls, and there was little sound save for the creak of rocking of ships at anchor, and the gentle wash of the tides to replace them. The city itself was similarly silent, the usual hustle and bustle of the daylight hours replaced with an almost total silence that seems to press upon the ears. The usually crowded streets were completely empty, and seemed bleached of color under the moons light, except for where a chance torch or lantern would throw a circle of red or orange onto the walls or winding paths. Occasionally, an indistinct silhouette, faint skittering or the shatter of a falling shingle revealed that the city was not entirely bereft of life. Tonight, there was another sign. A small, slight man clad in a mud specked black cloak was strolling down the thin streets. His hands were clasped behind his back, and his footsteps echoed through the deserted lanes as he walked. He was whistling a well worn nursery rhyme as he surveyed the empty alleys and darkened windows with an appraising eye. Ignotus rarely practiced inside Zeltiva; he usually kept his late night excursions restricted to the woods outside his and Levi's camp, but he had felt like a change of scenery tonight. He did the same here as he did there. He would whistle or hum, and those who heard his tune would be seized with the desire to find the source of the sound. Of course, "seized" wasn't quite the right word. "Pushed" was more appropriate. The urge was far from irresistible, but it was still there. In the woods, the only souls to lure were animals. In Zeltiva, Ignotus expected most of them to be the same. The curious cat, the nosy raccoon, a couple rats. Perhaps another Nuit, but that wasn't extremely likely. It was true that his kind never slept, but they couldn't all wander at night. At any rate, tonight was a rotten night for him so far. The only living thing he had seen was a rather alarmed stray dog that had barked at him a couple times before fleeing at the scent of death that came from the young undead. Well, young was a relative term. Either way, Ignotus was beginning to grow weary of wandering blindly. There was, after all, a nocturnal Zith waiting for him back at camp. He turned on his heel and started striding back towards the gates of the city, before promptly pausing in front of a slightly run down and decidedly colorful wall, still whistling the whole time. The wall belonged to a slightly run down and decidedly un-colorful house. A colorful wall would have been perfectly mundane. An un-colorful house would be outright typical. But a colorful wall on an un-colorful house? That warranted at least a couple seconds of his time. The old cadaver looked up at the window to see if it was lit.

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

Tock had been out drinking with her coworkers. Heavily drinking. A decision which she was going to regret when she got an early morning visitor in just over eight bells' time. But for now, she was blissfully drunk, and not thinking at all about the consequences or how much she would later regret this night. She stumbled towards her home, half singing half muttering a tune they'd been playing before she left the bar. One of her favorite songs. Her slurred, thickly accented voice echoed off the walls of the buildings around her, "... But oy, ya surely wanna ask... If it ain't jus' boobs an' ass..." she stumbled about, swinging her hand around as if it still held a mug of ale. "Then whatever could it be... That makes a girl a real lady?" She snorted and snickered as she got to her favorite part, which always made the men cheer, "Well, boys, jus' raise yer glass... Fer I 'ave got far too much class... Ta show ya which part o' me... Is the one 'at makes me a lady!" By the end she was practically shouting the words into the empty street, which promoted an annoyed neighbor to shout out his window for her to shut up and go home. Home. This was her home now. Zeltiva. She neared her home, which had a mural painted on one wall since yesterday. She almost didn't recognize her own house now that it had this one colorful wall among all the other bland ones. She was about to head inside and pass out, when she heard a whistling from the other side of her house. She frowned, wondering what it was, and feeling a strong urge to go investigate. She started whistling along with the unknown tune, circling around the house, searching for the source...

[Ignotus Everto]

Ignotus' head perked up, and he turned around a couple times when he heard the indistinct sound of Tock's reverie. He strained his ears, trying to discern what was being said, and where the noise was coming from. After a few seconds, he finally managed to make out a few words. "If it ain't jus' boobs an' ass... Then whatever could it be, 'at makes a girl a real lady?" Ignotus raised an eyebrow and peered down the seemingly endless street. "First a mural, now boobs and asses... What next?" He thought to himself whimsically. This was certainly more amusing than startling squirrels. As Tock continued her song, Ignotus's whistling gave way to sputtering, then laughter. He hung his head and slowly shook it, chuckling still. "Drunks... How could I forget drunks? If I'd known there were this many, I wouldn't have bothered with woods. And to think I was about to leave..." Indeed, he was already making a mental note to pop by the next night. Perhaps even pass through the same part of town, if there was a bar nearby... "Where is the bar, anyways?" Despite being in the city for over twenty days, he'd never quite managed to find anywhere that served alcohol. Of course, he didn't really have much use for such a place, and as such didn't put much effort into locating one, seeing as he couldn't get drunk. Come to think of it, there were quite a few things he couldn't do any more ever since he became a Nuit... His face fell slightly for a moment, before he forced the thought out of his mind. He may not be able to drink with his friends any more, but he would never have to worry about death or old age either, and he had a full eight hours extra in his day. All in all, definitely worth losing a couple pleasures. Besides, why depress himself thinking about what could be, when fortune was being so kind to him right now? He straightened up again, dusted his cloak off at the knee and resumed his merry tune, picking the volume up slightly when he heard it answered, though he still couldn't quite pinpoint where Tock was, exactly. His foul mood before was all but gone now, and he would have grinned if he could have without falling silent. He backed up along the wall, squinting at the darkened street, waiting for something to come into view. Nothing... Meanwhile the sound of Tock's whistling was getting louder. He was vaguely aware that she had to be awfully close as he turned to round the corner of the house, casting a final momentary glance down the alley as he did so. Not quite aware enough to check his speed, unfortunately...

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

Too drunk to have any idea there was something more mystical about the whistling, Tock just followed the sound, giggling joyfully. She turned around the corner, and ran face first into a dark stranger. "Oof!" she muttered, stumbling back. She laughed and said, "Oy, sorry, mate! Ya done better watch 'ow yer lurkin' 'bout... inna... alley..." She frowned, staring him down, her drunken mind slowly churning. Her reflexes had been dulled by her time in this city. There had been a time in her life when meeting a stranger in a dark alley, even when it was right next to her own house, would have sent her running, or else prompted her to swing a fist or a send a knee to the groin. Zeltiva was too... safe, most times. Sure, there were dangers. There were dangers everywhere. But people didn't get knifed in alleys as often here as they did in Sunberth. Still in somewhat of a good mood, Tock grinned, and casually pulled out the dagger on her belt. "Aye," she told the stranger, pointing it at him casually. "Ain't so good what fer ta be lurkin', aye? So ya better done watch it!" She laughed, unable to take herself seriously. Of course, if the stranger became violent or aggressive, it would be another story entirely. Tock was quite dangerous in her own way. But right then, she wasn't in a 'dangerous' mood. She was in a giddy, happy mood, and wanted to keep it. So she started humming, letting the dagger drop to her side, and brushing her right hand through her hair. Handy, her wooden hand Automaton, was strapped to her wrist, and gave her hair a second touching up. "Wotcher, mate?" she asked the stranger, pointing at him. Handy pointed as well, wagging his wooden finger at the man. "Aye? Wotcher...?" She stared at him, swaying to the side a little, still pointing at him with both her flesh finger and the wooden one coming from the second hand strapped to her wrist.

[Ignotus Everto]

Ignotus wasn't so much aware of bumping into Tock as he was of jumping a good foot or two out of surprise afterwards. If he was physically capable of blushing, he would have turned beet red for letting himself get startled by someone who he was leading. An older Nuit probably would have hugged her for surprising them. Ignotus simply laughed amicably, partially out of amusement, mostly to cover up how badly she'd startled him. He scratched the back of his head sheepishly as he said "S-sorry, I was on a walk, and couldn't help but notice your wall..." he stuttered, motioning towards the mural with a sideways tilt of his head. He had intended to flatter her. Apparently, this thickly accented woman's reaction was still, appropriately, he had to acknowledge, to pull a knife on him. His brow furrowed slightly, and he took a step back, the fingers of his left hand curling around a nonexistent ball. Daggers weren't particularly fatal for him: At worst, he'd have to spend a few weeks or so patching himself back together, or he'd have to visit the local undertaker for a new body... Either way, getting cut wasn't on his wish list, and if he had to scorch a face off to avoid that knife... So be it.Still, fighting was the last thing he wanted, so he focused on making himself look as diminutive and harmless as he could as he stared back at her, biting his lip. His shoulders slumped in relief when Tock lowered her weapon. Ignotus' hand slowly relaxed, his easy smile started to return to his face. His eyes lit up when he saw Handy, and he opened his mouth to ask about it... Before being struck dumb by her impenetrable Sunberth slang. "Wotcher?" He repeated flatly, blinking a couple times in confusion. When she pointed at him though, he shook his head and tapped himself on the forehead. "Right... My name... And she's the one with impaired judgement." The Nuit bowed to her, twisting his arm in an exaggerated flourish. "Ignotus Everto, at your service, Madame..." He said in the silkiest voice he could muster. He held that poise for about a half second before bursting into laughter himself. He adjusted his cloak a little as he straightened up, grinning. "Sorry again for bumping into you and your little helper," he said, gesturing languidly in Handy's direction. "You make it yourself?" The Nuit asked eagerly. With his shorter than average height, big green eyes, and animated features, he looked almost childlike. Of course, a little magic didn't hurt appearances either.

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

"I's bloody fine, thank ya!" Tock replied, grinning. "Is you ever... ever been... ever 'ad... brandy?" she asked with a hiccup. "Izzome pretty fine stuff, aye? Aye..." "Oy, Iggy, niceta, aye?" she muttered, looking around the dark alley, having somewhat forgotten what she was doing here. Wasn't this her house? She leaned against the wall, feeling a bit dizzy. Her stomach was a bit upset. She held her hand to her face, and Handy stroked her hair gently. "Hmm?" she asked, looking up when he asked about Handy. "Course I did, whazza question izzat?" Handy waved himself dismissively. "An's I ain't no 'madame', aye? Ain'tcha done been gonna 'as none o' 'at 'round 'ere, aye? So cuts 'at..." she aimed her dagger at him, having forgotten it was in her hand. She clumsily sheathed it, managing to nick herself in the process. "Gah..." she muttered, dabbing her fingers against the small cut across her stomach. She grumbled under her breath, holding the minor wound, and staring without focus at the stranger who, to the best of her drunken comprehension, still hadn't explained why he was lurking around her house. Raising her voice she said, "I asked, 'WOTCHER,' mate?" She scowled at him, starting to lose her good mood. "'Is's my 'ouse, aye? Dun' need no dang fool lurkers slinkin' 'bout, aye?" Handy was shaking a fist at him again, picking up on his Mommy's drunken ire. "Dun go thinkin' jus' cause I's a wee girl what ain't means fer ya can 'as yer way wit' me, aye? So piss off..." She leaned her head against the wall, closing her eyes. She wasn't feeling well. She wasn't in her right mind. If she had been, she wouldn't be exposing herself to such vulnerability in front of a stranger, especially one whose motives hadn't yet been explained.

[Ignotus Everto]

"Iggy? Did she seriously just call me Iggy? This woman's lucky she's drunk..." he thought irritably to himself as he forced himself to keep a smile on his face. "Brandy? About thirty years ago or so, yeah..." he said absently, not paying nearly enough attention to how odd that would sound. When she pointed her dagger at him again, his eyes widened and he took another step back, and he was much slower to calm down this time. "This idiot will put a hole in me just holding a conversation..." He chuckled softly and nodded. "Of course, it was a joke in the first place..." The Nuit's brow furrowed at the sight of blood, and he took a couple steps toward her in spite of himself. "Are you all-" he started to say, before his attempts to be a good Samaritan were cut off by Tock's drunken yelling. He sighed, grinding his teeth angrily. "Okay, one, I don't even have a gender, let alone any drive. Two, what the petch does 'wotcher' mean?" The Nuit rubbed his temples, trying to calm himself down. It wouldn't do to lose his temper, especially because of such a petty thing. When he spoke again, it was with a certain reserved air, and his words were just the slightest bit over-enunciated. "I already told you, miss, I was on a walk, I noticed a blooming mural on the side of a house, I pause to look at it, then you bump into me. Are you with me so far? Not 'slinkin'' anywhere, thank you very much. Not much a fellow like me can do at this hour other than walk." If Ignotus hadn't been so wound up, perhaps he would have avoided letting drop the fact he didn't sleep, even if it wasn't too blatant, nor the information particularly dangerous to him. As it was, he continued in an exasperated tone. "Miss, you're drunk... Bleeding too, by the looks of it. I really think you ought to calm down..." The likelihood that Ignotus' voice could placate her was low, and Ignotus knew this, but it wouldn't stop him from trying. One can't run if they don't walk, after all."Just... Take a deep breath, okay? Do you want some bandages?"

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

Still leaning heavily against the wall, her speech becoming ever more slurred, Tock waved her hands wide, all three of them, and said, "Oy, people in... in 'is dang city, ain't speakin' no common..." She looked the man up and down, and raised her right hand, finger in the air, Handy mimicking the motion. "Wotcher... As in, Wot'cher up ta? Ain't ya done never 'eard a girl what speaks a common, 'fore? Wotcher up ta 'round my 'ouse, aye?" She vaguely realized he had just answered the question, but she didn't care. That was what he got for giving her lip. She took a deep breath, feeling really, really not good. When Iggy offered her bandages, she waved him away and said, "Nah, I don't done care what if'n ya says ya ain't got no petchin' cock o' not." She wasn't real clear on that one, but he had just said he didn't have a gender, hadn't he? "I still ain't lettin' ya touch me... I's jus' gonna go inside, an' go ssssssleep..." She stepped away from the wall, stumbling a bit, then held her stomach and felt a lurch. "Oy..." she muttered, glancing up at the strange man. She opened her mouth to speak, and, well... Suffice to say, what came out wasn't words. After an extensive period of retching, Tock was leaning shakily against the wall, bracing against it with all three hands. Brandy... why had she drank the brandy? She was going to be regretting this tomorrow... Unable to remain focused, she stumbled towards her door, hoping she could make it inside and into bed without falling flat on her face. OOCSorry! I hope she didn't get any on your shoes...

[Ignotus Everto]

Ignotus shook his head to himself, trying to surpress the urge to laugh at Tock's demands that he speak common. "Here she is, halfway to unconsciousness, dropping every other consonant, and she has the nerve to tell me to speak common!" The indignation he felt from that particular slight, however, was nothing compared to what came next. "I don't done care what if'n ya says ya ain't got no petchin' cock o' not." It might have been true that he could technically become a woman within the hour if he felt like it, but he hadn't occupied a female body yet, and his sense of masculinity still felt more than a little insulted by this drunken mad girl's insinuation that he was a eunuch. He didn't give a damn if he was about to get hauled in for arson and attempted murder, this lurching fiend was going to pay. He strode towards Tock, ready to set her hair on fire, or at least give her an earful, before the fires of his rage were quenched by the rivers of Sunberthian vomit. Ignotus just stared in shock as the drunk emptied her bowels all over his new shoes. He was wet. He was wet, he had bits of Tock's dinner clinging to his cloak, and he just wanted to go get some peace now. He briefly considered waiting for her to pass out, then hauling her to Levi's camp, but he quickly dismissed it when he remembered his skill with heavy lifting. Or rather, his total lack of it. He muttered a couple of colorful curses under his breath and strode off, shaking his leg every now and again to get the puke off his shoes. "Perhaps a spot of tea would do..." he thought morosely to himself. "It can't be healthy to be this stressed..." The thought of tea did little to lift his spirits, however, and he was sullen the whole walk back.

[Paragon]

Adventurer's Loot Ignotus's Loot : Ignotus Skill XP Reward Persuasion +2 Lore: Pros and Cons of Being Nuit, Vomited On, Empty Promise of Tea Items or Consequences: Nil Minerva's Loot : Minerva Skill XP Reward Intimidation +1 Singing +1 Lore: Drunk and Disorderly, Drinking Consequences, Vomiting on Another Items or Consequences: A headache the following morning Fun short. Wouldn't "Vomiting on a Nuit" be a fun thread goal - if you have ANY questions or concerns about this grading, don't hesitate to PM me.