Closed You Stole from the Wrong Girl! (Jay)

[Winona]

50, Spring 516 AV
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helloThe desire for interaction was unbearable to the point where Winona was sweating profusely, unable to sleep. The chaktawe knew what would happen if she went outside, but she couldn't take it anymore. She rolled around in the sheets restlessly before giving into temptation, kicking the covers off her bed in feverish withdrawal. That weird respiratory sickness was gone now right? They found some sort of cure... So even if she caught it from being stupid, she'd be fine... Right? Winona wrestled on her leather threads and painfully tangled her fingers through her nest of hair in attempt to tame it. She prayed for Yahal to help her through this strange craving but she had not received an answer... She hadn't received an answer for a long time... Was he ignoring her? Was he busy? Winona grabbed the door handle but paused and waited a few moments, letting her mind settle in case his words would come through her thoughts. More nothing... Winona's hands began to tremble, hurt stabbing her chest ruthlessly. The deaf chaktawe broke away from her thoughts and yanked the door open, ducking out of her tiny apartment in a rush so her tears wouldn't have a chance to break free.

helloWhenever Rasha was upset, she'd go shopping. It sounds like such a wasteful thing to do but the way Rasha did things, it really wasn't. She mostly window shopped. Rasha would try on many beautiful garments, jewelry, and cosmetics. However, she would only purchase something if she could haggle until the price was to her satisfaction. It was a little hobby of hers, but she usually didn't win. However, that was alright. Rasha didn't go shopping to win, she went shopping to take her mind off whatever was ailing her. Haggling took a lot of energy and even if she didn't get the price she wanted, she'd move onto the next shop and try again.

helloWinona absolutely detested it. However, she still somehow found herself within the busy market. It was a very strange name Winona had to read off the map when she searched for a good bazaar to spend her time. "The Zongi-jee Warren." She would whisper over and over as she buried her face in the map, wandering around the colorful tents. Why did she come here? Perhaps it was a temporary comfort, a memory of Rasha that Winona now cherished despite her hate for shopping. It took up so much time, and Winona didn't understand why. Why couldn't Rasha just pick something so they could leave?

helloWinona folded up the map and stuck it between her pant loop and waist, her dark eyes surveying the tents. What was she looking for exactly? The curious chaktawe meandered towards a bright yellow tent that had many blue and purple akalaks surrounding it. It was mostly on impulse but the girl knew what she was doing when she shimmied through the small crowd of men, triggering a web of tingling across her torso and down her legs. One akalak shot a dirty look when she pushed through, but Winona didn't see, only focusing on the goods were laid out before her. Weapons, there were lots of weapons made of all kinds of material. However, the weapons didn't capture her attention for very long, the merchant that owned the tent did. It wasn't a pale akalak, right? Those were called humans. Some looked a lot like benshira but it always varied...

helloOnce again, a pretty male with blue eyes sucked her in and Winona couldn't look away. One would think she'd learn from what happened last time, but the girl wouldn't move. "Well, hello young lady! What can I help you with today?" The human's lips moved quite fast and it took a moment for Winona to process his words. "I'm sure a lovely lady like yourself might love a good quarterstaff. A weapon that requires grace that women like you naturally have..." The man grasped a quarterstaff from the rack and handed it to her. The staff felt strange in her hands, the wood cool and glossy. The deaf chaktawe must have held it strangely because the man rubbed his golden beard as he observed her stance. "Here—" The pretty human circled around her and adjusted her stance. His giant arms curled around her and cupped her hands, shifting them in the proper place along the staff. Winona's eyes widened, her heart taking too many leaps for her body to handle. "That's how you hold it," He said, his breath tickling her ear. Winona twisted her neck to look back at him in attempt to catch what he said but all she managed to see was a big, charming smile. "Did I catch your fancy?" Oh gods.

helloIt didn't take much effort for this man to sweep Winona off her feet (or more like mizas off her hand). Before long, Winona walked away from the tent with a wooden quarterstaff-1gm in her hands. At first, she continued to hold it the way the human showed her, but the ends were jutted out sideways and hit a few people she passed. Winona twisted it around, almost dropping it in the process, and held it like a walking stick instead. The deaf chaktawe smiled at this and randomly began pretending to be a shepherd, herding the crowds of people like Rasha did many times with her goats, unaware of a pair of eyes that watched her and followed her.

hello

[Jay Darkcrest]

The sailors had warned Jay that Rivarians treated Kelvics differently. While he didn’t understand their reasoning, even when it was explained to him, he realized that keeping a low profile would only work in his favor. More often than not, survival was all about adjusting to, rather than understanding the unfamiliar environment. If he started asking questions to satisfy his curiosity, that’d only draw unwanted attention to the fact that he didn’t understand, that he was different. Ignorance could be interpreted as weakness. So Jay pretended to be human.

It was easier than expected too, he thought as he swam with the crowd. He’d never hidden the fact that he was a Kelvic, nevertheless people naturally assumed he was what he appeared to be. As he’d lived in settlements rather than in the wild over the last few seasons, it had gotten even easier to blend in. He only had to make a conscious effort in certain situations, most of which had to do with nudity, hunting, his diet and similar things.

Zhongjie Warren was only the second bazaar he’d been to, the first being the Bizarre in Alvadas, but Jay was beginning to realize that he could even get used to the hustle and bustle. At first the noise pricked his sensitive ears and the scents were dizzying in his nose, but after some time, all of it had faded a little. Piercing calls and sharp laughter was turning into background noise.

He still turned his head at everything that glittered or shone in the light: colorful fabrics, jewelry, mirrors, the edge of a blade. Like a child, the Kelvic was drawn to the broadest swords, although he knew that clever daggers suited him better. Easier to palm and conceal beneath his tunic or tuck inside his belt. He had enough common sense not to take weapons or precious stones though, merchants with valuable goods hardly ever let down their guard. Walking on, Jay glimpsed some coins, probably old, dark bottles, feathers and marbles. A stall of trinkets, mostly useless, but pretty things he had a penchant for. Hiding his slim form behind a tall Akalak, Jay approached the stall, looked at the wares, casually extended a hand to stroke a feather, pick up a small green bottle and put it back again.

When he walked away, three marbles of pretty green and blue stained clay had joined the single gold miza in his pocket. With a slight grin, he went on through the crowd, observing faces, meeting gazes for just a tick, inspecting and judging. Taking the marbles had been simple, like plucking an apple from its tree, now he wanted more.

After some time, he came to a sort of crossroads and paused to look into each direction. A little to the right, a slender woman with the darkest hair was fingering a quarterstaff. He inched closer to watch the purchase. When she looked up at the merchant, Jay saw her tanned skin and black eyes. So, so black, he’d never seen such a thing before. Despite its slightly eerie quality, the sight was more than intriguing. Because of that, and because the woman had parted with her money all too willingly, he made his decision. When she left the stall with her purchase, Jay followed.

[Winona]

50, Spring 516 AV
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helloIt must have been an interesting sight... To witness a foreign woman using a glorified stick as an oar to swim through the great throng of giants. Maybe stress shopping wasn't so bad... The anxiety that ailed her was distracted by the bustling excitement of the bazaar. Yes indeed, it wasn't so bad... but it certainly wasn't so smart either. That merchant had some sort of magical power over Winona, causing her to buy a cool staff thing that she had no idea how to use. Unfortunately, it didn't take long for Winona to lose interest in the new staff either. It got her some attention at first (mainly because of her sex) when she waded through the people with her staff, but the crowd quickly learned to shift around her. Refusing to leave for home so soon, Winona attempted to scout out the other tents to entertain herself. However, her attention couldn't help but keep fluttering back toward the surroundings of men. Curse this curse! What else could she do here without causing mischief?

helloMischief... Winona snorted at the thought. She still hasn't found the blue-haired woman that Kesser told her to befriend. Why did he ask her to do that of all things? He could have asked for so much more since she was caught under his thumb. Then again, Winona appreciated the fact that it was a very simple request. How hard could it be to find a blue-haired woman in Riverfall? Well, very hard actually. In fact, the young chaktawe feared that the woman possibly left the city entirely. What would happen if Winona failed to find her? Before her mind could dwell on the possibilities, the deaf chaktawe was plucked out of her chasm of thoughts, bouncing off the back of a unsuspecting blue akalak. The impact sent Winona sprawling on the ground while the akalak barely budged, a few miza scattering from her pocket and littered the stone path. The chaktawe muttered cursings from her mouth as she gathered up her coins, shoving them back into her shallow pockets before a pair of feet entered her vision. Startled by the overwhelmingly large shadow that the giant cast over, Winona grabbed for her staff that rolled a few ticks away and pointed it at the akalak in attempt to look threatening.

hello"Or not, that's fine too." The akalak's lips curled into a smile after the puzzling words left his lips. Wait, what was this "or not" that he speaks of? What did he say before that? He held up his hands slightly and took a step back to show peace. Before Winona could question him, the akalak waded back into the crowds and disappeared, leaving her with a few curious stares. Whatever the man said couldn't have been that important... But her curiosity nagged at her. Winona immediately straightened herself and let her eyes wander as if she didn't notice the attention, browsing the tent nearest to her to distract herself. The merchant had a colorful display of jewelry in all kinds of silver and gold. Much too expensive. She could barely afford her own living space! Winona let her fingers run along the edge of the table that held the merchandise. Still nice to look at... The akalak merchant eyed her warily, causing Winona to draw away her hand from the table. Did he think she would steal something? How rude! She wasn't a thief and never would be!

oocHad been traveling quite a bit but now I'll be home for the rest of the summer. Thank you for being so patient with me! If there's anything I should add or edit, please let me know. I wasn't sure what else to mention before their interaction!hello

[Jay Darkcrest]

OOCMy turn to apologize for the delay! I hope you're still interested in our little thread. It's taking me a while to get back into writing Jay, hence the short post...


Following the woman was harder than expected as Jay still lacked the art of weaving through crowds. He hovered too long before moving, not wanting to bump into strangers, avoiding direct contact whenever possible. After the noise and multitude of sensations, that was the most irritating about bazaars. All those bodies and nowhere to go!

When the sea of people spit him out again, he only saw the woman on the ground and an Akalak towering over her. Narrowing his eyes, Jay moved to the side and slowed his step. He didn’t know how she’d ended up on the ground, yet hesitation only lasted for a tick. Then he moved swiftly to her side and crouched, picking up some of her coins that had rolled farther away. The woman, even darker and exotic than from afar, seemed to focus completely on the Akalak. Had she even noticed him?

After getting up, she turned towards the next stall and looked at some jewelry. Momentarily distracted, Jay stared at the glittering stones and pretty colors, then he remembered the coins in his fist. With a silent chuckle, he slipped some of them into his pouch before turning towards the woman and holding out his hand (with slightly fewer coins than before). “Hey, I think these are yours. You dropped them earlier.”

To his surprise, she didn’t look up, didn’t even act any different. Had the loud bickering and laughter swallowed his voice? Jay cleared his throat and reached up to pat the woman on the shoulder before repeating his words. “If you don’t want them, that’s fine too…” He grinned, his words thick with the accent of sailors and pirates. Since she’d seen his face, the Kelvic was covering his tracks. If she thought him harmless, other opportunities might arise. He wasn’t tired of the game yet, far from it!

[Winona]

50, Spring 516 AV
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helloWinona gave the merchant a hard stare before a hand reached out and caught her constant, fluttering attention. At first, she was startled, believing that it was Kesser that had come to check on her and her progress. How could he find her so easily in such a crowd? Then again, he had great power... However, relief had calmed the bubbling fear in her throat once she caught sight of who had touched her. It was another man. A human to be exact, like the merchant that had sold her the staff. He wasn't as gigantic as the akalak that resided here, and it was refreshing... A small glimmer in his hand enticed her dark eyes, finally realizing his intention for patting her shoulder. He was trying to return some of the mizas she had overlooked! How kind... He could have run off with them without a guilty thought. "—that's fine too..." Wait, he was talking? Oh gods, not again! Once again, she was left with very few words to put together.

helloSomewhat fearful that this human would walk off like the akalak had done, Winona swallowed her pride and gripped his elbow awkwardly. "I am sorry, I missed what you said—" She replied, somewhat flustered now that she looked him in the eye. She then let go and pulled back her unruly hair to reveal her ear, pointing to it. "I... cannot hear." Winona pressed her lips together, afraid of the reaction she might get and quickly pointed to the mizas in his hand. "But I read can lips. Uh, l-lips, I can read them—Sorry... Were you trying to return these to me?" Winona gritted her teeth, embarrassed, and fiddled with the staff in her hand. She certainly wasn't gifted with first impressions, but hopefully it wouldn't turn him away too quickly. Winona just wanted one kind person to talk to. Just one! Yahal hadn't been answering her, she hadn't seen Skyward for a while, and Kesser... Well, something about him was... Absolutely terrifying... She was all by herself.

helloOf course, he is trying to return them to you! Her thoughts scolded her. Winona winced, shielding her dark eyes from the strange glances she got from passing customers. "Sorry, I am not used to... Never mind. Thank you for your kindness..." Should she ask for his name? Probably not. When would she ever see this stranger again?

oocHey! I haven't lost interest, but I have drifted away from the site for quite a bit, unfortunately. I don't want to abandon the thread though just because I haven't been posting for a while and got behind in my writing. You deserve to get the grade and experience! I still read stuff off the site, and just realized you replied! Sorry for taking so long! I'll try to reply longer as well, lol, thank you for being so patient with me!hello

[Jay Darkcrest]

Jay watched as understanding slowly filled the woman’s face. In fact he’d been surprised at the bottomless black pit of her eyes, so unlike anything he’d seen before. On his travels he’d never seen a human with completely black eyes, so he assumed she had to be something else. Not Kelvic though, the way she acted was too humanoid.

A flicker of panic rose as she grabbed his elbow, trapped! He pressed his lips together, tried to suppress the urge to run and instead focused on the words. She spoke them with a strange accent, choppy, but different from the Fratava color Jay knew. When she let go, he breathed a sigh of relief, the corners of his mouth were twitching. Watching her all flustered was somewhat amusing, although he’d never tell that to her face. Once again, he held out the coins, jabbing them into her direction. “Aye, returning them! I didn’t know you can’t hear, that’s awful! But if you see my lips, that’s fine, right?”

His brow furrowed slightly, the Kelvic had never met a truly deaf person before. Still, he wasn’t particularly concerned. Fratava was expressive – if he spoke too fast or his lips moved funny for her, Jay figured he could make signs with his hands. It’d be fun to try and communicate that way. Then again, she seemed to understand what he’d just said.

He waved his hand. “It’s no problem. Markets are very big, very confusing. I get it. Many different people too.” Jay cast a meaningful glance at her, glossy dark hair, bronze tan and all. “Hey, are you new here? This place is pretty overwhelming, no? At least some parts of it. Oh, by the way, I’m Jay. I just arrived this season.” He spread his arms in a mock bow, simply because he was in a good mood and the stranger seemed nice, and interesting. Perhaps she had other interesting things in her pockets, things worth taking…