Closed Where it all began (Cardian)

[Viridian]

The word 'magnificent' was never one used when referring to Vi. The girl was surprised, take aback by its sudden use and the reaction that Caridan gave her at her revelation. Joy was it, or happiness? When had anyone looked at her that way? As if they were pleased with her, like she had done something good. It was so new and unexpected that the Symenestra could not speak for several ticks, could not think as she tried to comprehend what it was he found so admirable about her. Most would be resulted at her feeding habits, and afraid of what would happen if they were bitten next. But Caridan wasn't.

The man would not know it, but Vi felt relieved, and appreciative toward Caridan for his lack of fear, of terror or hatred. She came a bit closer as he was tearing the cloth, and she leaned forward curiously to see what he was doing. He was tying a knot over the puncture wounds. For a moment she wondered if her venom would begin to eat through the cloth as well, but if the flat was close by then surely it would't be a problem right? They could get the body there and quickly dispose of it, removing all evidence of the crime entirely. Then she would be free, and if any were to ask after the man they would not know to connect her to him. After all she was a Symenestra slave. While rare, she was not the only one, and if she were to alter her style somewhat, wear new clothes and be rid of the chains. Change her mannerisms, walk straighter, speak with more confidence. NO one would ever know she was a slave, let alone the slave to the man who died. And if they body is never found then they would never know how he died, or if he was dead at all. He simply would have disappeared, most likely taking his slave with him.

Vi was startled by how easily she slipped into the mind of a murderer. She did not focus on her act, but merely how she could survive. How to hide and conceal with little concern to the morals of it. But then... was it wrong? He had not been a terrible master, but he had not been a good one either. He only beat her every so often. He fed her at least twice every several days. In all the time she was with him she could not say she had grown to hate him. Rather she had never had time to feel ANYTHING toward him. So at his death, maybe it wasn't wrong that she did not feel conviction for her actions. Maybe it was normal to be worried more about being caught than the fact that you were a killer. She was a Symenestra. Were they not hunters? Did they not take humans like this one for their own quite often...? IF she thought too long on it her mind would spin.

She glanced at Caridan as he began to heft the body onto his shoulder. It was all because of him. He acted like all of this was so ordinary, and maybe she was blindly following because she desperately wanted it to be.

So caught up was Vi that she did not even question the orders given. She simply nodded, with a very quick, "Alright." before she turned toward the wall. As easily as a man walked down the street she began climbing up the walls surface, grasping the lip of the roof and pulling herself up and over. She looked down at Caridan, waving to him to start moving as she began to follow.

This was new. Freedom. It brought a smile, no, a large grin to her face as she walked along the edge of the building, her arms extended out to either side. She looked down at Caridan as he made his way down the wooden planks of the 'streets'. He was moving slow, but then he was carrying another man on his shoulders. Giggling half from relief and half from exhilaration, Vi started at a light jog which quickly evolved into a run, and then a sprint across the edge on which she balanced. As she neared the gap between this roof and the next she pressed off on the toes of her right foot, pushing her light frame into the air as she turned her body, arms still extended as she flipped heels over head, feet pointed upward as she sailed over the gap before she handed and rolled on the next roof, finding her feet once more as she kept going. She laughed, feeling the wind in her hair as she moved, but all the while she kept her eyes alert. She ran ahead of Caridan, checking to see if anyone was coming, and then she would run back. Where she could she lept across gaps to reach the roofs of other nearby buildings. At one point she landed and rolled onto a building that was only one story, and there she walked to the edge where she could see Caridan. With a wave she tilted forward, letting her hands take on her weight as she raised her feet in the air to walk several feet in a handstand simply to do it because she could. She wanted to see that approval again. She wanted Caridan to say those nice things to her. Wanted him to think she was good, or useful. Maybe he would if he could see what she could do.

When they arrived at the Flat Vi would once more descend down the side of the building as she had before, remaining on the wall until Caridan indicated they were entering here. She would hang over the door the flat, looking down at Caridan, and the body, from where she clung to the wall. She smiled, showing her fangs, for the moment forgetting the dire circumstances and reveling in her new freedom.

[Caridan]

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His body wasn't quite used to such strenuous work but somehow they managed. There weren't many instances where he'd have to change the course of his journey but the few that occurred were swiftly avoided thank to his new comrade. The rest of the time was filled with acrobatic performance at which he'd look up with a bright smile. A smile that beheld her person as if she was a work of art or a fine architectural achievement. She was special. And ah, how Caridan loved to watch her knowing well that he would never be able to accomplish such things. It was enchanting.

Alas they had made it to his door and indeed he was quite thankful for the late hour that had been bestowed upon them. The neighbourhood was quiet. Curtains covered almost every window and those uncovered he knew were vacant. No one would be peeking though to intrude upon their no to lawful business.

Caridan leaned against the wall, balancing the man's weight against it in a terribly awkward way due to the blubberyness of the body. His other hand darted into his pocket, producing a set of keys, one of which without hesitation found it's way into the lock. Thank Rhysol it was indeed locked for this meant the owners were gone already as they usually are by this time. Leading the way Caridan gestured the girl to follow him, depositing the body inside between a menagerie of books all cramped into a small space. Alas his shoulder had the occasion to rest for a moment, aching somewhat. A deep breath inflated his lungs which grew tiered from the strain.

"Where do you live, Viridian?" he asked casually. His voice was embellished by the rusty crack of old locks being locked from the inside. Three of them. Then once again he listed the body onto his skinny frame and proceeded tot he other side of the dark shop and up the stair case.

After three flights of stairs which seemed like the most difficult part of the journey to complete for Caridan's knees started to ache and his back began threatening to snap, they finally made it to his roof top flat. There the body was dumped on the floor somewhat unceremoniously on the floor among plants and dried spices, the scent of which filled the room with a pleasant musky cacophony.



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[Viridian]

As the door was opened Vi was quick to follow in after, though she entered from her position above the door, crawling over the doorframe and clinging to the wall inside. Vi's eyes took in the space, adjusting to the dim light faster than Caridan's, but her attention quickly came back to the man as he made his way through the. Up the wall, and in order to follow after the man Vi continued her exploration across the ceiling itself. Her hands grasped banisters as she hung down and swung from beam to beam, and at times she simply crawled along the ceiling itself. Somehow being up high felt... safe to the Symenestra. She could see everything from her vantage, and nothing could sneak up on her. When they reached the stairway, however, she did drop to the ground and follow quickly on foot.

"I... I don't live anywhere now. With the master's death I do not think I will be allowed to return to that house, and I don't want to sleep in a cage any more." She had always hated the cages the most. Bars enclosed her on every side, pressing in on her, keeping her locked up and unable to move. Sometimes they even made her wear chains and manacles, further restricting her movements. Vi wanted to be free. She wanted to move, and bend and twist. She didn't want to be enclosed any longer. Just the thought of it made her heart beat a little faster and her throat constrict.

Coming out on the top floor Vi quickly stepped over the body as it was laid on the floor, her mind already seeming to forget the situation as she looked around and finally back at Caridan, "You live here? What is it that you actually do?"

[Caridan]

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There were embers of brief conversation lighting up the way up the dark stairway to his flat. A conversation during which he had found out she was a slave by his side and the man weighing heavily on his shoulder, the fat bastard beneath whom Caridan's knees began giving out, was her owner. He had made a comment tot he good riddance of this man. A comment which he didn't entirely mean for if one do-gooder was to wipe out every slave owner in the city; half of Ravok would be knocking on Dira's door.

It wasn't a habit of Caridan's to interact with slaves... ever. Even if they were ex slaves. He simply wasn't one to care much for other people's prosperity, unless they were somehow useful to him and wasn't one to simply dirty his hands and blemish his reputation with such distasteful affiliations.

This girl however was useful. She was very useful indeed. Aside from the poison in her body which Caridan was itching to grab a hold of and the pure beauty of her being she did also seem quite stupid. And as logic goes, those with the least wisdom are the easiest to manipulate. Truthfully did he wish to manipulate those magnificent abilities of hers. The athleticism and her incredible ability to walk on the ceiling and... There was the fact she already provided him with an exciting new toy which took the greatest amount of effort to drag home - yes Caridan already had a plan for what to do with the corpse and it wouldn't involve any fire.

"Stay here for a couple nights Viridian." he spoke, almost pleading with the girl as his shoulders finally relinquished their heavy burden. Grasping one with the opposite hand, he rotated it firmly backwards, stretching his neck with a sharp crack before doing the same with the other. His ocean crafted eyes glistened majestically in the moonlit aura from the singular window. He deemed it enough light for now.

"You could even stay longer if you wish, though that would mean an investment in another bed on my behalf." he chuckled, amused at the notion of sharing his bed with his newest fanatical perversion.

Many others he had experienced in his life had never spoken or breathed or walked. He had fallen in love with concepts but never with people and for the first time he could admit to falling in love with the concept of Veridian. Not with her person but with her physical capability. His very capacity for romance had been unexplored for the almost 26 years of his life, Caridan had remained a virgin though lack of interest.

"And in the morning I shall take you down to the registration office my self. In no time you'll have papers deeming you a citizen of Ravok and then no one shall ever dare to cage you again." taking a step towards the girl, his ivory hand tucked a strand of her silver hair behind her ear and he bend down a little so that his jubilant blue eyes looked straight into her's. A comforting smile that, this time was honest in it's entirety, spread across his face. He did mean what he said for once. "And If they ever try to mess with you again, I'll make sure they don't see sunrise."

For a few moments Caridan watched his guest inspecting his flat before the question was posed. "You live here? What is it that you actually do?"

"I'm a doctor;" he answered nonchalantly. "specialising in herbal medicine and antitoxins." Or at least that was the official statement. And with those words he finally scraped a flame to the singular candle in the room, lighting it with warm-toned flickering light.

Alas Caridan situated himself by the table, opening the coffer on his desk and producing a pouch of brownish-black herb. Truthfully he didn't really understand why people preferred to smoke this stuff in wooden pipes. His personal taste lay in far simpler a design into which he now rolled the stuff. Along cone with writing paper enveloping it, tapered at one end where a tiny hole awaited inhalation. He'd roll two of those, but just before completion, he dropped a few clumps of badly separated, dry temper into the mix. A well deserved treat for all that effort.

Inching the candle closer, he threw one cone to Viridian, instructing her. "Smoke this. It's temper. It'll help you sleep tonight." It seemed that temper was something of an universal cure. He used it for any ailment: cuts, muscle ache, colds and bad mood.

Nearing his face tot he flame Caridan had found himself in a world of his own for a moment. A blacked out world, where the warmth of a flame gently caressed his slender nose and the apples of his cheeks and he heard the muffled spark of his joint lighting. The first few putts of smoke filling his mouth with the familiar taste, leaving though the gaps in his lips before his lungs heaved deeply, sucking grey smoke into them with haste.

Caridan's eyes reopened once more, remembering some minor detail of their previous conversation. The Symenestra's poison becomes more potent when they're hungry and the corpse on his floor hardly bore the signs of great feasting. Assuming she had nothing else in her mouth from the moment they met, it would be wide to take caution, he thought to himself, and not allow a hungry Symenestra become high as the sky itself.

"Perhaps you should eat something first." he nodded tot he corpse on the floor, clearly assuming that human flesh was something she'd be in the mood for. Slightly awkwardly he spoke for this is not something he'd grown used to yet. "I'll turn my back if it makes you uncomfortable. The last thing I want is for you to go to sleep hungry, my friend."


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