A Predator's Lessons to the Prey [Finished]

[Sairque]

33, Fall 510 AV

"I'm going to grab some breakfast, want to come?" Addy called from where she was braiding her hair in the bathing room.

"Nah, I already ate," Sai answered from her spot sprawled out on the couch with a book held above her face. She had eaten shortly after sunrise, as usual, which was almost two bells past now. Oh man, their couch was divine. Soft but firm, it had perfectly even cushioning, it was long and wide..it was exactly where Sai was going to spend her morning.

"Okay, I'll be back this evening, I've got friends to visit!" Addy was still in the bathroom, but Sai could tell from her voice that she was thinking of her romantic 'friends'. Did the girl ever take a break? Sai was pretty sure that two different people had left from her twin's room while their chambers were still shrouded in pre-dawn gloom.

"Okay, be safe. Make good choices," Sai intoned blandly, the farewell advice the same as it always was. She didn't bother looking up as her twin floofed past in a flurry of bright scarves. Maybe Addy needed help breaking her routine life. Er, breaking the routine content of her life. Yes. Spot on! The door had just clicked just clicked shut when Sai burst into action. The book was thrown across the room wildly as she rolled to her feet. Boots were grabbed and pulled on as she hopped over to retrieve her own green silk scarf and sontav bracers from their temporary resting spot on the shelf in her room. The bedroom door was gracelessly fallen into, which did open it for the rushed woman, so, acceptable. The cloth and leather held bundled in her arms, she dashed out of the rooms after her sister.

She was heading for the kitchens, so there was really only one route to take. Ah, yes! Sai spotted the whirlwind of color and smiles that was her identical twin just ahead in the corridor. She had stopped shortly to say hello to an older glassblower they both new, but was heading on her way again. Sai kept pace just out of attentions distance. This would be fun! She wasn't quite sure why she was stalking her sister, or what exactly she was going to do to her sister when she deemed the moment appropriate to spring on her...but those were minor details. The green scarf was tied around her hips, the ends trailing and swaying in the motion of her deliberately casual gait. She put the sontav on, splitting her attention between making sure they were comfortable and watching Addy. A few people tried to get Sai's attention but she gave them a tight smile and shook her head, telling them she would swing back by later.

She mustn't let her prey get too far away, or do anything unexpected. And she must come up with a course of action should an opportunity present itself. Aha! Addy was comfortable in the city, and outside nothing bad ever happened. Sai would just have to fix that. One serving of Sai-pounce coming right up!

[Aidara]

She was going to wear her hair curly today. It wasn't a very tough decision, but an important one. Aidara wasn't completely caught up on her looks, for there were more important things after all, but they did matter on days like this. Turning her head this way and that, she silently critiqued herself in the mirror that hung in the bathroom. Since her hair was loose, hanging to about mid-back, it lacked the usual scarf and bead additions. Reaching over her shoulder, Addy pucked a scarf at random from where she hung them and wrapped it around her neck. Ah, much better. "I'm going to get something eat, do you want to come?" She called to her sister in the neck room while she added finishing adjustments to her appearance. A satisfied smile warmed her face as she flounced from the bathroom. She wore a simple cream colored vinati and brown brayda. A string of glass beads was slung around her slender waist as a belt clinking softly as she moved, the ends tied together over one hip, their swaying as she walked only accentuating her strut. It was intentional. "Nah, I already ate." came the crisp response as Addy gathered her things, pausing only to sit on the sofa and pull on her boots. To her, Sai's response sounded more like "No, I'm antisocial, sorry." But Addy had learned long ago that a peaceful life with her sister meant keeping such quips to herself, even if they were the truth. Giving up on her sister as a lost cause, Addy called a final farewell over her shoulder, wasting no more time getting out and on her way. Letting the door to their place swing closed behind her, the woman took a sharp left and headed down out of the aeries towards the kitchens for a quick bite to eat before beginning her day of leisure. Val didn't expect her to help with the falcons today, so....It was her day. Sighing contentedly, taking deep, satisfying breaths of the fresh morning air, Addy started out. Maybe she would visit the baths first. No, she'd just done up her hair, it would be a shame to ruin it first thing. Perhaps a trip through the market, or the common quarters...Yes, that is where she would go first. Drop in to see some friends before making any definite plans. Humming to herself, as she usually did when completely contented, Addy almost bounced as she walked her way down to the kitchens. It was a path she had traversed many times before, and she hardly had to pay any attention at all to where her feet were taking her. Waves and smiles were offered to all, friends and strangers alike. To those she did know, she stopped and offered some kind words or questions regarding their wellbeing. To those she didn't, a warm handshake and a smile, or a friendly hand on an arm or shoulder and a wink. Friends she spotted further away didn't go unnoticed, as she usually shouted their name and waved. Aidara liked for everyone to feel appreciated. Sometimes a smile and a hello went a long way. Hugs and kisses were dispensed freely as she wound her way slowly towards her goal. Just as she reached her destination, her stomach started growling. Grabbing whatever looked tastiest, Addy slipped through the crowd, found an empty seat and began to chow down without further ado.

[Sairque]

da-dum da-dum

Sneak Pea Attack!

Sai popped her head up behind a burly Dek that was sitting at a table just behind Addy and flicked the spoon. Three deadly green missiles released. Sai ducked back down. Being only about 15% the size of her shield, the risk of discovery was low.

Her little white face, sans freckles, peeked through the crook of his elbow to watch the explosions on the back of Addy's head. Two were direct hits, one missed by approximately two inches. It flew right past her ear as the other two pinged and bounced off those red locks. Recalibrating the launch pattern.

Her shield belched and smacked his lips, slowly swinging his great maw side to side. Sai waited until Addy had stopped looking for the culprit.

Launch is a go.

du-dum da-dum

Popping up, stance calibrated to absorb the kick from the pea launcher, she fired. One! Two! Three peas away! Almost as though her legs had been swept out from under her, she dropped back into hiding, whirling around to assume her reconnaissance position in the crook of the Dek's elbow. Success! All three peas bounced off! Calibration correct, moving to higher powered ammunition-mashed tubers.

[Aidara]

Aidara positioned herself on an empty bench, gazing hungrily at the pastries in front of her for a minute before falling on them. Not the healthiest breakfast, to be sure, but delicious. The first of the missals went unnoticed, clinging to her curls. It was when the peas bounced off her lip, nose and eyebrow in rapid succession that the woman looked up, a half eaten pastry held mid-bite. Unable to tell where the flying vegetables had come from, Addy swept her gaze around the room once, twice, before shrugging and going back to her food. It was when the mashed tubers smacked her in the side of the face that she jumped to her feet, gaze locking on a dek five feet to the left of where Sai sat crouched and hidden. Addy stood there for a second, fuming and pointing imperiously at him. She tried to avoid sounding like her sister whenever she could...but Addy put on her "Sai shoes". How dare he throw something at her, when all she was doing was minding her own business and shoving her face full of pastry. Can't a girl gorge in peice? Apparently not. Her mouth working, her face a thundercloud of anger, Addy stood there for a few minutes looking like she was talking to herself, but no words were coming out. Finally, she managed to speak, but it came out in a loud, rather high pitched voice. "WHY ARE YOU EATING TUBERS FOR BREAKFAST ANYWAY!" She shouted at the poor, unsuspecting and innocent man.Yes, that would show him. Question his breakfast choices! He blinked back at her, leaning back in his seat as if trying to get as far away from the crazy woman as he could with out even moving. This riled the woman up even more. He threw food at her, unprovoked, and now he had the nerve to sit there and look all innocent and shocked? In a rather childish fit of rage, Addy took her half eaten pastry and threw it at his head. Her aim was horrible, however, and it connected with a squish on his chest. Brows furrowed, face bright red and all signs of good humor gone from her face, Addy swiped the mushed mess off her cheek, flinging it to the ground and storming from the cafeteria. As she stalked back out into the sunlight, a hand was flung up to shield her eyes from the bright morning sun. Squinting, the Inarta scanned her surroundings. She really needed to find something fun to to if she was going to have any hopes of saving this day. Making up her mind, and without further ado, she moved off towards the common area, in search of some fun.

[Sairque]

It was fortunate for Sai that Addy left when she did. Why are you eating mashed tubers for breakfast anyway? Addy had said. Why are you eating mashed tubers for breakfast anyway? The floor was cold and hard, and from this angle her shield had gross butt hairs peeking over the top of his bryda, but the laughter wouldn't stop. The tubers had splatted right on the side of her face! The peas practically went up her nose! And then she threw her breakfast at that guy over there! Splat! A little splat here, a little splat there, everywhere a splatty splat!

On her knees, one hand clamped tightly over her mouth to unsuccessfully stifle the sobs of laughter, she watched through tear blurred eyes as her sister stomped grumpily out of the dining area. The blob of mashed tubers had smacked straight into her cheek and exploded all over her face! Lurching forward, having to push off the stone floor with one hand to keep from pitching over, she stumbled after her sister...right into the Dek that had taken the pastry for the team. New chortles erupted and she patted him affectionately on the shoulder while scooting by. It had been a circlesweetberry pastry. As she went by, Sai snagged an untouched one off a plate that the Avora owner wasn't paying attention to. Mmn, lunch.

Now, wiping at the tear tracks with one hand and using the other to stuff her face, Sai followed along behind the moody Addy. Her step was significantly lighter, the flight leader flowing between and around hustling worker people while her lovely sister stomped straight down the corridor. Oh, where oh where would her sister stop next? Having such a successful first campaign, being stealthy in her tailing was much easier this time. Not that Addy was looking back much.

[Aidara]

Aidara strode through the stone corridors that made up the common rooms. It was still rather early in the morning, so she encountered very few people. Her sandaled feet slapped against the cobbles, echoing off the walls and ceilings but she studiously ignored this. Various doors were stopped at and knocked upon. Multiple tousle headed men answered said doors, eying the redhead top to toe before making obvious "Come on in!" gestures. Addy, however, was not satisfied. A kiss on the cheek each time, and she begged off, excusing herself for just stopping by to say hello. Continuing on her search, Addy reached the door at the very end of the hall. A knock, and no answer. Perfect. Noah wasn't home. and the door was unlocked. She could surprise him when he came back from...where ever he was. The door swung inwards as Addy admitted herself into the room, a click behind her as the door swung closed. Addy took in the rather familiar room, with its squishy chairs and the couch. She knew the bedroom was to the left and the bathroom to the right. Quick decisions, and Addy let herself in to the bathroom. She still had mashed tubers to extract from her hair.

[Sairque]

Leaning nonchalantly against a door down the hall, the pastry long gone, Sai watched a fellow walk up to the door that Addy had disappeared through. At the last moment he turned and hurried away, as though he had forgotten something urgent.

Why are you eating mashed tubers for breakfast anyway?! What kind of a retort was that? Her sister was further from being able to take care of herself than she had thought. Hmn...hmn...now what to do. Waiting for the man to get back or for Addy to come out again seemed the most likely. She could get a drudge and order them into the room to be disruptive. She could light the room on fire. She could put a disguise on and run in to beat the crap out of them. Hmn.

Those actions were just too...plain. Too mundane. Not enough flare or style. She didn't want to be known as a boring person, here, that just wasn't an option. The short redhead sighed and cast her gaze up and down the corridor. If going into the room didn't yield many opportunities, Sai would just have to set up something in the hallway. Hmmm. Throwing more food at her wasn't an option, too redundant. Hmn. Her eyes lit on a gimpy Dek shuffling up the corridor, dirty and disheveled, but carrying a bundle of raw sheep's wool. That was it.

Sliding her arm around the waist of a passing glassblower, if his garb was anything to judge him by, in just a few minutes his morning plans were changed.

After just a few minutes in the room, Addy heard the door open and close from her place in the washroom. Someone sat on the bed and the thunks from two boots hitting the floor resounded through the chamber. The rustling of clothes being pulled off and tossed into the laundry bag, a sound that Addy should be very familiar with. And when Addy came out..the naked man was most certainly not her Noah-man.

But he was muscular and had his bedroom eyes on. "Aidara, falconer renown and healer soft?" his voice was warm and enveloping, possessing an attentive and gentle timbre. "I've come to ask you to join me," the swells of his muscled arms danced as he rubbed the bed next to him. His strong featured face, the face of a man, was turned toward her, his lips moist and soft, slightly parted as though in utter rapture. And he was. His green eyes saw only Aidara, the being that touched the soul of every man or woman she came into contact with. Oh, to only have her, just once, he could die happily. And he was ready to join with her. Tall and straight, with a girth that could please anyone.

[Aidara]

Addy had indeed heard the door open and close, and had quickly removed herself from the washroom, heading towards the footsteps. They lead to the bedroom. Clearly, Noah didn't notice she was here. Or else he would have come straight too her, unable to change his bandage for himself. To his defense, it was between his shoulder blades and no normal persons arms could bend that way. "Noah, come back out here. Your ointments are in your washroom, I saw them...Noah...?" Addy had stopped in the common room, calling to her friend so she didn't have to walk all the way over to where his room was. I mean, it was so far, after all. But when he didn't respond, the healer became concerned. Quick steps rang a staccato against the stone floor as she marched towards the bedroom door, pushing it open. "Aidara, falconer renown and healer soft?...I've come to ask you to join me.." And one of the massive arms moved, muscles rippling in disgusting, disturbing ways, as he patted the edge of Noah's bed, inviting her to sit. "Wait....what?!" Addy sputtered, fuming at the suggestion in this strangers voice. Okay, she didn't sleep with just anyone. This was getting out of control. "You're not Noah!" She shouted, oblivious to the obviousness of her statement. "Get out!..." And then she realized it wasn't her house. "..Well. Fine!" Whirling on her heel, and for the second time that morning, Addy stormed out of the room and the house, fuming.

[Sairque]

I am...Aiden, the man devo-" his smooth voice, like perfectly whipped chocolate, faltered as her face distorted from shock to disgust.

Aidara's harsh rejection tore straight through the poor man's heart, he watched her, stricken, as she screamed for his immediate departure. Face crumpling, eyes staring through the floor, body bowing in defeat, the gentle souled giant stood. Unable to take the beauty and pureness of her, he kept his eyes averted when he rushed from the room. His body, a perfect example of human musculature, bumped into hers and he fell back, shuddering.

"I'm sorry, Aidara, please excuse me, I didn't mean-I-" he apologized, voice cracking from behind his raised arm. He remained near the wall, letting her tear from the room, from his life, from his heart.

Sai, meanwhile, waited just down the hall, eyes peeled to the door, a small smirk hidden behind her knuckles. The door opened, and out popped a blushing Aidara. Her rigid gait carried her away down the hall, and Sai followed, amused at the rage making every line of her body tremble. A quick peek into the room affirmed her pawn wasn't hurt, she didn't know why he was crying though. What had Addy done to the poor man?! Disturbed, the flight leader hurried from the doorway and picked up her sisters trail.

She couldn't let it bother her until after Addy had told her about her day. Maybe the kitten had some claws, after all. She would follow her to her next destination, and if no antics became readily apparent, she would go abort the mission and go find something productive to do until dinner time.

[Aidara]

There was her clearly some very large prank being played on her. Did she accidentally stand someone up? Was one of the gentlemen she allowed into her room already taken, and now she was feeling the backlash of a disgruntled girlfriend or wife? With a sigh, Addy commiserated about how tough her life could be. Wrapping her arms around her torso, the healer stood motionless in the hallway. It was as if she was trying to escape an invisible hunter with mysterious motives. But how to throw them off her tracks? There apparently wasn't anywhere to hide that who-ever-it-was couldn't go. But what would offer her protection? And then it came to her. Just in case anyone was watching, Addy casually bent down and removed her sandals, wiggling her toes as if they had pained her feet. However, she was just preparing herself. Aidara broke into a dead run, pelting down the corridor and skidding around corners. At some points, she slid far enough that she had to use her hands and the momentum of her skid to propel herself back to her feet. Arms and legs pumped, dark red hair whipping behind her with the force of her passage. Hardly ever did Aidara exert herself in this fashion, but when she did...Shew, she was fast. The caverns that lead to the gatehouse echoed loudly with her footfalls mixed with her labored breathing as she flung herself in the the darkness.