Closed When asking favours... (Chari)

[Brandon Blackwing]

The 16th of Fall 513 AV ~ 9th bell With his eyes scanning the environment, the bat strolled through Lhavit’s crowded streets. This would’ve been a great day for pick pocketing, but the thief was not in the mood. Unlike usual, he wasn’t wearing his trademark mischievous grin. Instead, his expression was troubled and serious. Searching the crowd for the person he was looking for, he waded through the masses, clearly annoyed with the racket the people made. For an ordinary person the ‘racket’ was nothing more than a pleasant humming. A cacophony of voices, randomly intertwined with a scream of someone not happy with whatever he wasn’t happy with. To him, a bat Kelvic with insane hearing abilities, the humming was more like an assault on his nerves. Pretty much like someone talking in your ear all the time. He could hear them loud and clear. Some guy was talking about how he forgot to wear his shoes the other day and a woman was gossiping about Sam Oakly and how he broke up with his girlfriend. The bat heard a lot of things, except the voice of the girl he wanted to hear. He growled in frustration. It seemed he wouldn’t find her like this. Not that he’d had any expectations of finding her in the crowd anyway. There was but one method he could think of that would save him some time: observing from above. The roofs were perfect for that. And from high places he could see more people at once. Also, the characteristic hair of Chari would be easier to spot too. There weren’t too many red-heads in the city. Not that he knew, that is. Being content with this plan of action, the thief squeezed his way through the crowd, aiming for an alley on the right. His boots stomped quite a few toes flat, his shoulder hit other shoulders and his elbow found some stomachs, but he didn’t turn around even once to apologize. He could feel their angry stares burning in the back of his head, but he shrugged the feeling off like a snake sheds its skin. Finally he reached the alleyway, knocking over a youngster carrying a pile of baskets. They cluttered down on the ground. The thief walked on, he didn’t care. “Hey, you! Yeah, you! Watch out will-!” The bat shot him a menacing leer that immediately silenced the lad. He opened his mouth, but no sound escaped. The thief fixed his gaze in front of him again while growling in approval. He had no time to deal with idiots like this guy. * * * Even when standing on the rooftops he could not find her. He had been everywhere, the Azure, all the streets around it, the outskirts,… It seemed as if the girl knew where he was and avoided him at all costs. He gritted his teeth in frustration. How was this possible? He’d checked everywhere, but she was nowhere to be found. He’d been looking for a bell or two now and he hadn’t even caught a glimpse of her russet-coloured hair. He’d seen a girl with that sort of hair though. He’d thought he’d finally found her, but when he called her name and grabbed her shoulder, she turned out to be someone else. Hiding his embarrassment behind some quick and soft spoken apologies he’d turned tail and walked away. Rubbing his forehead with the palm of his hand, Brandon decided he’d give up. The Gods did not favour him today. Maybe he’d have more luck when he didn’t try to find her. Maybe he’d bump into her by coincidence. He clambered down the building, misplacing his foot in his haste and fell two meters down. His back hitting the street, the air was knocked out of his lungs, leaving him gasping for air while groaning in pain. Getting up with trembling knees and aching back, he cursed multiple times, each curse more offending and rude than the one before. When he calmed down, he leaned against the wall, shaking his head slowly. The Gods really didn’t favour him today. He let himself slide down, until he was sitting, back against the wall. He craned his neck backwards, allowing his head to rest against the cold stones, closing his eyes.

[Chari]

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The Kelvic hummed happily to herself as she walked through the city. She'd only just gotten off work for the noon rest having been working since after dawn and she was glad for the break. She'd had to deal with a particularly disgruntled customer earlier and she was glad to be free of the restaurant. 

Chari didn't have anywhere in particular that she needed to go so she wandered the streets aimlessly, enjoying the hustle and bustle of Lhavit but not some of the odours that hung in the air. It hadn't been that long since she'd last changed so her senses were more acute than normal and normally they were better than an ordinary person's senses. There was a prevailing smell of blood that seemed to cross cross everywhere, literally everywhere she went but not only was the trail old, so was the blood. It had obviously dried in before the person had come out in the street and she wondered what the person had been doing.

It took her awhile to notice that she was following the trail, trying to pick it up fresher somewhere. However when she did find what she'd been unconsciously searching for, the girl met a dead end. That puzzled her a little because the scent didn't go into a building but rather up a building. There was only one person that she'd come across in the city who was found of climbing: Brandon. Surely there were others because he wouldn't have blood on him. But then she didn't really know him so she couldn't know for certain that he wouldn't be... She shouldn't think about it.

The dog found herself circling buildings hoping to pick up the scent anew. As she searched she heard the sound of something, or someone, hitting the ground followed by a string of curses. Drawn to the sound, she moved towards it. The smell of dried blood grew stronger as she rounded the corner to find someone sitting against the wall. She recognised the figure instantly and the stench that hung about him.

"Brandon!" she cried, wrinkling her nose at the stench as she approached him. "Why do you smell of old blood?"

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[Brandon Blackwing]

Resting his head against the cold stones of the wall, the bat felt defeated. He’d never thought the dog would be that hard to track down. Sighing deeply, the corners of his mouth dipped a bit. The usual gleefulness had disappeared when he’d seen the body of the old man, and the rage he’d felt was gone as well, leaving a deflated shell of a man behind, filled with sadness. Upon hearing the familiar voice calling his name, his eyelids opened immediately. Slowly, imagining she would disappear if he’d look to fast, he turned his heads towards the girl standing near him. A flickering of triumph appeared in his dark orbs as he ascertained the person next to him was indeed the red-head he’d been looking for. Not that there were many other women with that kind of fiery hair that knew him by name, or knew his face. He gave the girl a weak smile and nodded in greeting. “Chari.” The orange-haired Kelvic seemed to be worried about him, but also disgusted, wrinkling her nose as she closed the distance between them. Groaning when his back protested, the thief got to his feet, wiping his long gray manes out of his eyes. He dusted his bum off, cleaning up his untended appearance, making himself a little more presentable for the girl. The question she posed left him somewhat dumbstruck. He smelled like old blood? That’s new. He sniffed his shirt a few times trying to find out why the girl had asked. He smelled nothing like old blood. Just his own scent. Not exactly what one would call fresh, but not noisome enough to make someone wrinkle their nose in aversion. He frowned. He looked down sheepishly, and saw the splatters of dried-up blood on his boots. Then he remembered he’d absentmindedly placed the lower section in the puddle of blood. It had absorbed enough of the red liquid to satiate the black fabric enough to make it smell like rusty old blood. He hadn’t had the time yet to wash it thoroughly and had completely forgotten about it, quickly getting used to the new fragrance clinging to his back. He commented her for her sharp nose. “Your sense of smell is quite remarkable I must say, it might be even better than mine.” Looking up, he stared into Chari’s liquid brown puppy eyes. “Don’t worry”, he said “It isn’t my blood.” Somehow that sounded wrong. As if he’d just admitted he’d killed someone. “And before you ask, I didn’t kill anyone, thank you very much.” His tone was serious, just like his expression. His words were honest and true, intended to assure the girl he really didn’t do it. “I’m not someone who kills. No wait, that’s a lie. As a matter of fact I kill almost every night. Multiple times. My ‘victims’ are not persons, however, and I solely kill in order to survive. I have no remorse about this fact, as it is just what I have to do to stay alive. Their deaths are the fuel for my life, and when I die, they will eat me. It’s one big cycle really.” He paused to gasp some air. “Does that define my being? Does that make me a murderer? I didn’t think so.” He mused on this matter for a moment longer, only to remember a tick later he was trailing off quite a bit. “Anyways, that was not really why I was looking for you. I’ll explain the blood in a bit. Be patient for now okay?” He shot nervous glances around him, suddenly getting paranoid. Someone might be eavesdropping on them. He wasn’t sure why one would do that, but he had no idea why the old man had been murdered, so taking precautions was a sensible thing to do. “We’re changing locations. Walk with me.” the thief ordered. He hoped the red-head would come along with him. He didn’t care for her motives, as long as she came and heard him out. She seemed curious enough though, so maybe she’d just do as he said in order to satiate her curiosity. Before explaining his situation he wanted to create the illusion they were only going to talk about pointless chit-chat. The possible eavesdroppers might get disinterested and go away. This could become dangerous if they didn’t. He frowned. If something happened, if the situation became dangerous, what would he do? Run? Leave Chari behind to escape? He couldn’t do that. He had taken a liking to this woman. The red-head had showed some signs affection towards him. Concern for example. There was also the possibility of her having feelings for him. There was no way he could just betray her by leaving her behind. No, he’d stand and fight. Giving her a chance to escape. He laughed internally at this weird thought. What did he think he was? An honourable knight? Clearly he’d forgotten about his profession at the other side of the law. He was a petching criminal for Yshul’s sake! Still, he could not shrug off this feeling of having to protect the female Kelvic in times of danger. By now, he’d started to walk. Dismissing the strange thoughts occupying his mind, he decided he’d ask the woman something normal. Something to get a conversation going. “So, how have you been since I last saw you?” he inquired “Good, I hope? Not been daydreaming about a certain handsome thief playing tag with you? I do recall he was the God’s gift to all women. Did you miss him?” His playful, teasing attitude had emerged to the surface of his persona again. Just being with this girl improved his mood. For the first time in bells, his usual grin lay solidly on his lips.

[Chari]

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His eyes snapped open immediately. It was a little unnerving the way he turned slowly to look at her, a strange light in his eyes. What was that? she wondered. Triumph? Chari wasn't sure but the hair was standing up on the back of her neck, if she'd been in her other form she would have been growling. Perhaps it was the blood that was making her like this, making her...edgy. She didn't like it anyway.

Her question about blood seemed to confuse him. He actually sniffed himself as if he expected to pick up the scent with his dull senses. He had no idea what she was talking about. The Kelvic wasn't sure if that made the situation worse or better. 

She followed the direction of his gaze as he looked down on himself. She could see them then, the splatters of blood. What on earth had he been doing to come into contact with all that blood? He reeked of it! Raising an eyebrow at his comment on her sense of smell, she retorted, "Of course my sense of smell is good. I'm a dog. Well at least some of the time I am." It was amazing how wary her voice sounded as well as being tinged with suspicion.

The girl stared at him in horror when he said the blood wasn't his. "Why do you say that like it's a good thing? If it was your blood at least that's make sense," she blurted out, taking an uncertain step backwards. He was covered in someone else's blood. But he claimed he hadn't murdered anyone. He was babbling now and she knew she was giving him an odd look. She couldn't help it, he was talking about killing but not murdering. Brandon was talking absolute nonsense. Though something about what he was saying seemed important. She had no idea why but she felt like it was.

"You were looking for me?" she asked, surprised as they began to walk. Her companion seemed very edgy but also looked as if he was trying to appear nonchalant at the same time. Strange, very strange. "I've been fine. Nothing too exciting has happened. Though I have a feeling my life is going to become more exciting now that you're here," Chari replied, smiling faintly as she looked at him. "Allow me to reiterate my previous point: you aren't the gods' gift to women. But that isn't why you want to talk to me. Why are you so edgy? Are you  in trouble or something?"

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[Brandon Blackwing]

He couldn’t help but feeling as if Chari wasn’t quite comfortable being around him this time. The thief had noticed her strange, suspicious glances in his direction, and she also seemed edgy. Cautious. Wary of his presence. Distrustful. He sighed. The smell of blood no doubt. If only the fragrance of the liquid made her like this, he wondered how she’d react on the body. He was pleased to see she came along with him. She could’ve been freaked out enough to turn tail and run, but she hadn’t. He was grateful for that. She sounded surprised when she heard he’d been looking for him. The bat couldn’t blame her. It didn’t happen too often a thief strolled the town looking for her, it seemed. Fortunately she went along with his plan, blabbing about how she’d been since they’d first met. He didn’t really pay attention. More important matters occupied his focus. Determining whether they were being followed or not for one. Even though he put every ounce of effort he could manage into focussing his hearing, he couldn’t hear a thing. That could be good or bad, which was, in itself, a bad thing. It could be good because it would mean no-one was playing their shadow. Bad because they could be so good the bat couldn’t even hear them with his superhuman hearing. All in all it was a bad thing because he didn’t know much more than when he started listening. He scowled and kept his ears open. For a few ticks, nothing but the sound of the pair’s boots could be heard in the streets. It was only then that the thief understood the girl had posed a question and expected an answer. He dug into his recent memories, plucking the knowledge from the memory-tree in his mind. It took his a couple of chimes to decipher what the red-head actually had asked. “Hm? Yes, I’ve been looking all over for you. You’re pretty hard to find you know that?” But there was something else. That had only been the start of her curiosity. It didn’t surprise Brandon. He’d figured she’d be curious. He’d even expected that her curiosity would force her to hear him out. He smirked. “Why are you so edgy? Are you in trouble or something?” He sighed deeply. That was faster than he’d taken into account. Oh well, it couldn’t be helped. He had to tell her sooner or later anyway. This would be sooner. He ran his hand through his long hair. “Straight to the point, eh? Can’t say I don’t like that, but you’ll have to bear with the pointless chit-chat a bit longer.” Afraid she’d lose her interest, he quickly added: “I’ll explain everything, just be patient. I know women and dogs – especially female dogs – have a hard time being patient, but try, ‘kay?” The thief just hoped she wouldn’t punch him in the face for that snidely remark. In hindsight it sounded pretty rude. He could have put it into words a bit better. Walking still, he focused again on foreign sounds. His attention was entirely focussed on that task. Chary could’ve easily snuck away and he wouldn’t have heard it. Fortunately, he still had eyes. When he saw a really small and dark back alley, he decided this was a great place to hide for a couple of chimes, so he could check if they were being followed. He pulled Chari closer, bringing his face closer to hers. As quiet as possible, he whispered while his lips almost touched her ear: “I’m tense because there is a real possibility we’re being followed. No, don’t look around. See that alley? We’re going to hide there for a bit. Then I’ll check whether we’re being followed or not. Got that? So yeah, I might be in trouble.” He stopped his pace when they reached a certain point in the alley. Careful not to hurt his -still sore – back, he crouched down. With a fast gesture he urged the female Kelvic to do the same. He turned his face at the girl, expecting a spitfire of questions rolling from her lips. He just hoped they would be asked while whispering, he couldn’t have her starting to yell at a crucial time like this.

[Chari]

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The man didn't say anything at all for a few minutes. The silence seemed like an ominous sign. He hadn't answered any of her questions, hadn't even reacted to the fact that she was speaking. His focus was elsewhere, that much was obvious but she couldn't understand why he'd apparently been looking for her only to remain silent. It made no sense.

When Brandon finally spoke, the girl jumped a little. She let out a short laugh at his words. "I'm not hard to find, I was at work. I've been working since dawn rest," she explained. He still looked kind of edgy and she wasn't comfortable around him at all. The thief hadn't been like this the last time. At the mention of pointless chitchat, Chari opened her mouth to protest but he cut her off.

Her mouth shut with an audible snap. She glared at him for a moment then looked away, crossing her arms across her chest. Well if he was going to be like that then she wasn't going to talk to him. She'd prove to him that she could be very patient, maybe she wouldn't say anything. Brandon apparently didn't want to talk either. 

When he grabbed her and pulled her close, she gasped in surprise. The Kelvic hadn't expected to end up that close to him so suddenly and she wondered what his game was as her heart beat wildly in her chest. It was just because she'd had a fright, not because she was anticipating something. Though when he whispered in her ear, she was surprised by his words. Followed? She fought the urge to look around. Why would anyone be following them?

Chari kept close behind him as they headed for the alley, crouching when he crouched. She had lots of questions and she wondered if now was the time to ask them or not. The woman couldn't see any other time so she started firing queries at him in a whisper.

"Why are you in trouble? Why are you being followed? Why have you got blood on you that isn't yours? Why were you looking for me?" Her words came out in a rush and she wondered if the thief could keep up. A last minute question occurred to her and though now might not be the time to ask it, it came out as soon as she thought it.

"Did you say before that you kill your own food?!"

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[Brandon Blackwing]

OOC her heart beat wildly in her chest. It was just because she'd had a fright, not because she was anticipating something. Darn. Almost. Why don't you love Bran? As expected, the thief was assaulted with a barrage of questions taking off from her tongue. The bat shook his head pityingly as she just accentuated his previous statement. Much to his expectations the girl really had trouble with patience. He’d almost thought he had been wrong when she, obviously offended, refused to look his way and sealed her lips. He sighed and opened his mouth. Not to answer her inquiries, but just to repeat himself once more. “I’m going to explain everything. Be patient. I told you I think I’m being followed. This doesn’t mean I am being followed. And if we were indeed being followed and eavesdropped, please explain why I would tell you everything, endangering your safety? The red-head’s final question made him pull up an eyebrow in surprise. “Did I say that?” He smacked himself on the forehead with the palm of his hand. “Petching moron!” Again, Brandon sighed. He felt as if he’d sighed more today than all other times he’d sighed in his life together. “Yes, I kill my own food. When did you figure that out?” The bat frowned. Weren’t there more important things going on right now? He was wasting valuable time. True, they were safe in the alley. For now. But the Brandon suspected that they were acting pretty darn suspicious. If he was the one following them, then this would’ve been the time to sneak up on them. He made a swiping gesture with his hands, as to underline the words he spoke: “No, never mind. It’s not important right now.” Indeed. He had to focus on what was of importance. Getting some info on their possible pursuers for example. He nodded, agreeing with himself. He knew what to do. The problem however, was that he was reluctant to execute his plan. Sure, shifting and gathering intelligence on the position of their trackers, if there were people following them, was the sensible thing to do. They would never notice a lone bat circling above their heads. Although, the sun might give him some trouble. Syna’s light was way too bright for his nocturnal eyes. Not that he needed them. He had his echolocation, but still… Maybe they’d adapt after a few chimes? He didn’t know. He’d never flown by day. He limited his flights to flying solely under Leth’s dim glow. And the twilight of dusk and dawn. Oh well, there was a first time for everything, right? That wasn’t the only issue he had with his own plan. There was another. Namely the presence of another person. He didn’t really want to let people in on his secret. No-one in Lhavit knew he was a Kelvic, and he wanted to keep it this way. Not because he was afraid of not fitting in, but because it was one of his precautions. If he were to be caught red-handed on a job, and there was no way he could escape in human form, he could shift and flee while the guards were gawking in surprise. He’d have to leave his stuff behind though, so it was his last resort. It made a difference that this girl was a Kelvic herself. Maybe he could have her promise not to tell anyone. Maybe. But regarding the fact that this particular Kelvic also was a female, and due to being Kelvic partly human, a promise might not suffice. Female humans had the annoying tendency to not being able to keep a secret. Shrugging of the thoughts, he stored them in an imaginary vault he’d open when he’d checked the environment. Untying his cloak, the bat faced Chari. “Okay, so I’m off to check if we’re safe. If we are, I’ll tell you everything. If not…well I’ll think of something.” He carefully folded the cape, placing it on the cold stones that made up the road. Then, he unwrapped the scarf from his neck, placing it on top of the folded cloak lovingly. OOCThis post contains 666 words!!!! >:)

[Chari]

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OOCYou want her to love him far too badly for me to actually give you that

[quote="Brandon Blackwing]Female humans had the annoying tendency to not being able to keep a secret.[/quote]

I resent that statement :/

The Kelvic found herself huffing at the thief's very unhelpful statement. He'd told her that already and surely he was just being paranoid, right? He could just tell her everything but no he was going to act all mysterious again. She crossed her arms across her chest and glared at the opposite wall.

When he reacted to her question about him killing his own food, she felt a surge of triumph. Finally, a reaction! It wasn't the one she'd wanted but it was still something for her mind to work on. So he did kill his own food, how strange. Chari wondered what that was about, puzzling over different explanations. 

She opened her mouth to answer his question but he cut her off. She pouted, disappointed that she couldn't get anymore answers on that question but she eyed him expectantly, wondering when Brandon would tell her what was going on. It was annoying her, his edginess, his paranoia. What possibly could have happened that would make someone follow him?

The girl waited somewhat impatiently for the thief to say anything at all. She wasn't sure if he was just being melodramatic or being serious, it was hard to tell with Brandon and it didn't help that she didn't know him that well. Actually she didn't know him at all. She knew his name (which might be an alias) and she'd seen some very undesirable traits in a companion. He was a thief for gods' sake, had stolen from her in fact, so why was she even sitting here talking to him? Because he'd had a change of heart. He deserved another chance and she wasn't being fair to him.

Sighing, she rested her chin on her hand, waiting glumly for him to do something. When he began undoing his cloak, she found herself genuinely worrying. He was very attached to his cloak and so if he was taking it off he was clearly seriously going off to check for pursuers. It was strange to see him take it off willingly for a second time, seeing as he was so attached to it.

"Why are you leaving that here?" she asked quietly.

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[Brandon Blackwing]

OOCI deny wanting to have Chari love Bran. And I don't think Bran's interested either. The girl was staring at him with those puppy eyes of her. Quietly asking him why he left his cape here. He smiled at her. “Because it would get in my way. Sadly. But I trust you, I think, so I can leave my stuff with you without the fear of them being stolen.” The irony in his words was obvious. He was a thief who was worried his own stuff might get stolen. Either way, he was now at a point of no return. He would execute his own plan. He wouldn’t back out now. It was time to unveil the his secret. Giving the red-head a playful grin, he continued undressing himself. He started with his boots. While his hands were occupied with this task, he decided to add some more drama to the scene. “Rejoice, Chari! For you are the first person in Lhavit to have gazed upon the true nature of this very thief!” He paused, allowing her fantasies to run wild inside her mind. Or, that was what he wanted to achieve. He placed this boots next to his cloak and scarf, and exposed his chest by pulling his shirt over his head. He sighed and folded the piece of clothing into a small package, placing it on top of the cape and scarf. He frowned and lifted the shirt up as soon as he’d put it down. Holding the gray shirt with his left, he grabbed the scarf with his right hand and rearranged the order of the pile of clothes, placing the scarf on top. After unbuckling his belt, he took off his pants. He laid his belt, the various pouches- one for coin, one for his tools-, his small hammer and wedge on top of the pants, which was also folded properly. Then, placing all that underneath the scarf, the bat gave a sigh and turned to the girl. Both being Kelvic, neither of them should’ve had a problem with his nakedness. He didn’t anyway. Still, he couldn’t help but feeling quite uneasy to show a semi-stranger his animal form. But he would shift. If he turned back now, not only would he reveal himself as a coward, but also as a fool. He didn’t want to be either of them. Before he was going to shift, he needed to give the girl some instructions. “So, I’m about to reveal something I’ve never shown to anyone I didn’t really know before. You’ve probably figured it out already, so I don’t think I’ve to tell you.” He swallowed. Was he really going to do this? Yes I am! Determination gleamed in his dark orbs. “Okay, here are some instructions: First and for all, guard my stuff will you? There are some things amongst it I deeply care about. Second, keep quiet. And third, gently throw me up. That’s all. I won’t answer any questions, so don’t ask.” That sounded pretty bold. Again, the thief didn’t like the poor choice of words. Taking a deep breath in, the thief hardened his willpower and opened the lock he’d placed on shifting while having company. A cocoon of bright sparks enveloped the thief, snuggling against his naked body. Hiding his figure from sight, the cocoon grew smaller and smaller. On the place a man had crouched, the small figure of a five centimetres long Grey Long-Eared Bat was visible. He’d done it. He’d shifted. Closing his eyes for Syna’s bright rays, the bat hoped Chari would do as he’d told her.

[Chari]

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OOCSure

The Kelvic laughed at the irony. Surely he must have realised it to. It was also interesting that he trusted her of all people when she'd be likely to seek revenge for his earlier theft of her stuff. Brandon really was an oddity.

Chari cocked her head to the side as he pulled off his boots. What was he doing? The man just got stranger and stranger. Then of course he had to make a dramatic comment. He seemed very into his drama but she wasn't sure what he was talking about. As he undressed, Chari tried to put the pieces together in her head. He'd said "nature" so somehow him stripping was going to reveal something about him. He'd said that his cloak would get in the way so did that go for the rest of his clothes as well? If she went to investigate something then her clothes would get in the way because she'd change...

The girl gasped as it clicked in her head. Brandon was a Kelvic. She doubted her conclusion for one moment before recalling his comment about killing his own food. As he began to speak she found herself nodding.

"Oh I'd say I can make a guess, yeah,"she mumbled, annoyed at herself for not seeing it sooner but then how could she have? It wasn't something obvious. She rolled her eyes at his instructions but froze at the third one, staring at the thief in confusion. Throw him up? What?! 

Before she had a chance to say anything about it, he was changing. His form rapidly became smaller and smaller, transforming into...a bat? The girl moved closer and picked the bat up. The throwing instruction made more sense now but she wondered how he could bear to do this in the day. Bats were nocturnal and presumably for good reason. They were sensitive to light or something.

Shrugging she got to her feet, took a deep breath and flung him into the air.

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