Closed Coupled Shopping(Vayl)

[Dolce]

Dolce elbowed Vayl in the ribs, showing that she did not find humor in Azure's 'fitting' death. It wasn't hard enough to cause any lasting effects but enough to get the message across that she didn't share his humor in this matter. She turned to face him, "He just is! I'd been accompanying my former master to that store for, I don't know around three years? I've known Azure longer than I've known you. No he's not the brightest, but he was someone I could talk to on occasions, we had a lot in common. As for Redd I worry of her being taken advantage of! She's not smart to Ravok's ways. She could end up in the pits! or the whorehouse! She could be beaten and abused, hidden away from daylight!" Dolce rarely got angry, but every so often something did rub her the wrong way. "You mean to tell me that if word of Kalinor's collapse came, you wouldn't mourn for anyone? Not your father or any siblings? What about those who hadn't even seen a year of life. Would you honestly not care at all? Not even for the children who knew nothing of what their race entailed?" Dolce continued walking, leaving Vayl no doubt in shock. He'd catch up and did. She didn't pay much attention to what Vayl was saying about what money should be spent on. Really she didn't care right now.

[Vayl]

x

Vayl coughed a little and looked at Dolce in a slightly hurt voice, not understanding why she "overreacted" to his joke. He sighed and slumped a little as they walked. He had hoped that he would like it and laugh, he missed hearing her laugh. Maybe one day... His shoulder hunched even more when he heard Dolce's opinion of Redd. He turned harshly to Dolce.

"Redd took advantage of me!" he shouted, lifting his arms into the air.

"She took my shelter, my food, I even nursed her wounds for her. I got NOTHING in return!"

Vayl paused and a finger rose to his lip as his eyes wandered in thought.

"But she did pay in excess of a couple hundred Gold for my katana... maybe she didn't understand how useful money was?" his voice trailed off as he theorised to himself.

When Dolce mentioned Kalinor Vayl's face darkened further. Why was she bringing this all up, in public nonetheless! With a few easy strides Vayl caught up with Dolce, overtaking her and grabbing her by the arm. Silently he dragged her into a nearby alleyway. Looking down at her, he hissed with mixed fear, anger and stealthiness.

"Alright. First thing, don't mention Kalinor in the street unless you want the Ebonstryfe knocking at our door,

And much more importantly, you wonder why I don't give a single petch about my race? We are all born murderers, we are an entire race of people who have killed our mothers. I don't think anyone who has committed such an act deserves to live. I left Kalinor for two reasons."

Vayl's face suddenly turned sad. Not the kind of open sadness you normally see, but the kind of long lost sadness of a far off past, which the owner tries to keep hidden.

"One, admittedly was just to get away from the wretched place, but the second was so that I might find our race a cure of this curse. As I said, we are all born with our sin. If I can find a way to birth us without our mothers dying, then I've solved the issue, and we can live in peace, without other races persecuting us for our depraved, yet necessary kidnappings."

Vayl sighed, looking at the floor and mopped his hair back.

"That's the way of us Symenestra I guess, always looking for the answers."

x

But one day
you will stand before death's decrepit gate,
without really knowing why

[Dolce]

"Is it always about getting something in return?" She made a sad face, "I thought you got me out of everything, but I guess I'm nothing... I'll mention what I want when I want. As for your mother, I think you're just feeling sorry for yourself. I spent less than a season before I was pulled from my mother's arms. You should honor your mother with the life you live as she gave so much to give it to you." Dolce pushed Vayl from in front of her, and began to walk again. She kept up a fast pace and didn't care if Vayl caught up with her. She finally ducked down a different alley way. She slid down to the ground and began to sniffle. What did anything matter? Certainly not her. She was tempted to double back to the store and hiding out behind the counter with Azure. Or she could stay tucked away in this alley... Crying had made her sleepy and she slowly drifted off.