Assassins and Groceries [Leiwinn]

[Cheska Mallina]

Fall 57 Cheska walked down the street, an empty wicker basket tucked in the crook of her arm, and an almost empty purse hidden within the holds of her skirts. Money was going to become a problem, and she hoped that they could find some performers soon. Sunberth didn't seem like a very good place to find circus performers, but who was she to judge. She was simply a girl, someone to help out backstage. Her task was to get ingredients for the afternoon and evening meals, not wonder about the wisdom of stopping at this town. The young human girl quickened her pace, the winding and filthy streets of the city confused her. She was supposed to find the market... but where was it? Had she taken a wrong turn somewhere? Cheska's eyes widened, and her expression became that of a trapped animal. She was meant to stay in the shadows, to keep accounts, to cook! She wasn't made for finding her way through a hostile city! Terrified now, she spun, trying to run back to the circus. Perhaps she could find someone there to help her out. Not looking where she was going, the girl ran straight into someone. She let out a cry and fell to the ground. As she pushed her raven hair out of her eyes, Cheska tried to see who she had bumped into, to apologize... or start running for her life.

[Leiwinn]

Leiwinn had no particular destination in mind as she wandered through the streets of Sunberth, lost in her own musings. Work was slow, and while she had plenty of mizas to get by for now she knew eventually she would run out. Sooner or later she was going to have to find some kind of job, a prospect that humiliated her just thinking about it. She had never pictured herself working a normal job. Even as a child she knew she was destined to be something different, though she never would have pictured herself an assassin either. Lost in her own thoughts Leiwinn was not paying heed to her surroundings, something that usually would get yourself killed or robbed on the streets of Sunberth. As luck would have it, neither of those things happened that day, but she was on a collision course with her future... literally. So lost was she in her thoughts that she didn't notice the girl running straight for her until they crashed into each other, knocking both to the ground. Leiwinn was so caught off guard by the collision it took her a moment to even realize what had happened, but as soon as her senses came back she was on her feet in an instant, ready to fight. To her surprise she found an innocent looking woman on the ground in front of her, and not some terrible assailant. Had Leiwinn been in an other mood that day, running for her life might have been a good idea, but luckily for Cheska, Leiwinn was not herself. "Oh my! Are you alright? You scared me half to death!" Leiwinn reached down to help the girl up, helping her to her feet. "Why were you running like that? Is somebody chasing you?" Leiwinn glanced down the empty street seeing no pursuers, though in a city like Sunberth that didn't mean much. "Do you need help?" OOCI'm going to be out of town the 19th - 22nd, so wont be able to post again till after.

[Cheska Mallina]

OOCOkay, have fun! Thanks for letting me know "S-sorry," Cheska managed to say, before she realized that the stranger actually seemed kindly. Almost letting out a sigh of relief, the girl smiled as Leiwinn helped her up. "Thank you, I'm really sorry for running into you. I can be quite clumsy at times." "C-Chasing me?" she asked, looking frightened at the very thought. "No, I was just trying to get out of here. I was supposed to get some ingredients for the circus' dinner, from the market. But I can't seem to find my way. I guess I got scared," Cheska's voice faded off at the end, and she blushed that she had actually admitted her fear. "You wouldn't happen to know the way to the Market, would you?" she asked, her eyes shining with hope.

[Leiwinn]

Leiwinn knew her way well around Sunberth, though she rarely had need to actually go to the market. She wasn't a thief, and her line of work generally took her to the darker portions of town, but she could certainly lead the woman there. Feeling strangely generous Leiwinn nodded her head and motioned for Cheska to come with her. "Sure, I can show you to the market. Are you new around here." Something Cheska said earlier popped back into her mind as Leiwinn led her down the road. The woman had mentioned something about a circus dinner.. "..by the way. If you don't mind my asking. You said you were getting ingredients for a circus dinner? I wasn't aware there was a circus in town." Leiwinn had never been to the circus before, but she could recall stories from her childhood of wild performances and beasts from all across the world. If there really was a circus in town, she would definitely have to go visit it.

[Cheska Mallina]

"Oh thank you so much!" smiled Cheska gratefully, letting out a breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Yes, I just arrived." She walked alongside Leiwinn, not straying too close from the other woman. Though her guide walked with a fighter's grace, it was still not enough to make Cheska feel really secure. Dangerous things prowled the streets of Sunberth, and it never occurred to her that Leiwinn was one of them. "Yes, I'm just getting the ingredients for the evening meal. We've not performing yet, just gathering people who are interested, that's probably why a lot of people don't know about it." She sighed. Despite her best efforts, recruits were hard to come by. "My name's Cheska by the way," she said, blushing that she hadn't introduced herself before. Only a short time out of the Master's house, and she had already forgotten her manners!

[Leiwinn]

"A pleasure to meet you, Cheska, my name's Leiwinn." Those were the only words Leiwinn spoke for some time as they made their way toward the market, her mind pondering over matters. She needed to leave Sunberth eventually, but she had little knowledge of the outside world, and money was hard to come by to purchase a guide. A circus might provide her with the means to travel where she needed to go... and entertainment along the way. Leiwinn wasn't entirely sure what she might do for a circus, but it was certainly an idea worth considering if it would get her to where she needed to go. After a while she did speak up, trying to casually find out more information about the girl and the circus. "So.. this circus must be new. To be honest, I don't think I've ever actually heard of one being in these parts. Is it going to be a travelling circus, or are you planning to stay here in Sunberth. ...any chance you might be visiting Yahebah? I uh... have family there. They would love to see a circus." Leiwinn did not have family in Yahebah, not anymore anyway, but she intend to return home one day, if only so she could avenge her family's death. oocSorry for short posts.. just trying to move things along I guess.

[Cheska Mallina]

"Well met, Leiwinn!" smiled Cheska. The two were silent for a while, Cheska couldn't think of anything that would spark a conversation, while her companion seemed deep in thought. "Yes, it's very new, actually. We're still in the midst of recruiting people... it's hard to find those who are interested." Cheska sighed. "Yes, it's supposed to be a traveling circus. We'll be traveling to Zeltiva soon. Hopefully by then we'll have enough performers." "Well, I honestly don't know if we'll make our way towards Yahebah. I've never been there before, I suppose we'd need someone to guide us. I guess it all depends on if we get enough people, and if one of them has enough experience with the city to know if a circus would be welcome there."

[Leiwinn]

So the circus was recruiting? It was no big deal if they didn't actually make it to Yahebah. If they even got close to Yahebah she could always leave for a while. As they approached the market Leiwinn thought more on the subject, wondering if she should pursue the idea or not. Finally, she decided she might as well, she wasn't doing anything productive with her life at the moment anyway. "So, here we are," she said as they entered the market area. "Mind if I walk with you some more. It can be dangerous here and its good to have someone with you. Plus I want to talk to you more about this circus." Leiwinn paused to glance at a clothing stand, admiring a silk dress but resisting the urge to buy it right way. "Any idea how much someone might get paid working for the circus," she asked as they continued, her eyes lingering on the expensive piece of clothing.

[Cheska Mallina]

Cheska let out a sigh of relief when they entered the market. It wasn't that she had been scared of the streets, she'd been terrified! The relief was that once she bought the food, she could be off on her merry way. Of course, the idea of walking back to the circus, alone didn't exactly appeal to her. "Oh course, I don't mind at all!" Cheska just managed not to squeak, and failed to hide the relief from her face. At least no one would mess with her while she bought the groceries. Leiwinn was definitely not someone you'd want to mess with. Though the Benshira was friendly, there was this confident and predatory air about her. The poise of someone who knew exactly what they were doing. "Well," Cheska flushed, she'd been left with all these decisions once Verduth had disappeared. He hadn't told her about the pay. "I was thinking that we'd need to see how much money we can make first, then divvy it up after. I mean, we haven't even performed yet, so I don't know what a reasonable amount would be, taking the number of audience members into consideration. Our Ringmaster disappeared, he didn't tell me about any of this information," she apologized meekly, expecting Leiwinn to storm off.

[Leiwinn]

Leiwinn nodded as Cheska explained the monetary situation. It made perfect sense, really. Of course she wouldn't know how much to pay her performers, they had never even performed. Still, a little more information ahead of time would have been nice, but Leiwinn was in no position to complain. Walking on she followed Cheska as she picked out whatever groceries were needed, making idle small talk to fill the silence. After they were done, Leiwinn stopped and turned to the woman. "So... I've been thinking. I would like to sign up for your circus. I've been out of work lately, and I'd like to get out of the city. It sounds like a perfect opportunity for me. I'm sure I could find some way to be useful. I have... skills." Leiwinn wasn't going to go into detail or put on a demonstration in a public place, but if Cheska wanted an audition she would be willing to perform in a more private place. "If you'll have me, I'd love to meet the rest of you. I could come back with you tonight, if you like." Leiwinn hadn't missed Cheska's discomfort with the city either. She figured the woman would jump at a chance for an escort back through the dangerous streets, and Leiwinn could carry some of the groceries too. All in all, it seemed like a good idea to her. She needed to get out of the city anyway, and what better way to leave unnoticed than surrounded by a bunch of wild circus performers.