Completed [Sakel City Event] Good Friend, Bad Request

[Martini Elwood]

"Others." - "Common." - "Tukant."

24th of Summer, 517 AV
12th Bell, 22nd Chime

Martini had been awoken with a start at the sound of her door slamming shut. She didn't hear any footsteps leading away or coming closer, so she was a bit confused. Rationally, she knew the only person with her key was Kayli, but she thought it strange that the girl would slam the door and leave without a word. So she hurriedly dressed and inspected her apartment for any signs of robbery and breaking and entering.

There was none.

She didn't bother checking the table until a glimpse of parchment caught her eye. Now she knew something was wrong, because she never, ever worked on her dinning table, it was all done at her desk. So she was surprised - and relieved - when the letter was signed by Kayli. Maybe the other woman had gotten her tattoo and something went wrong?

Martini, Please meet me at Lapis park. Kayli Evers

When something went wrong, Martini liked to assume that she was the first person Kayli to. The blond had many friends and was quite the social butterfly so Martini knew she probably wasn't. Either way, she washed and left her home as she had assumed the door slam had been Kayli as well.

What id she was upset about something? Had she gotten hurt in some way? Martini began to move faster as her thoughts began to swirl. Once at the park, she searched hurriedly for the girl. She asked around after a couple chimes, just to be sure, but now one had seen the tall blond. She then recalled the Tattoo design she did for the woman and asked if anyone had seen a tall blond with a snake tattoo. The last person she asked, looked at her in confusion, but when she turned around, Kayli was right there. She nearly popped a vein.

"If you didn't want to be bothered all you had to do was say so!" She responded in annoyance. The man, confused asked her what she was talking about.

"I just asked you if you'd seen a tall blond with a snake tattoo on her arm and you said no. She's right there, how could you not have seen her?" Martini exploded when the man persisted to play dumb. Kayli just stood behind her watching the seen unfold, and unseen mischievous expression on her face as she absorbed the Brunettes irritation.

Martini hadn't realized that she was creating a scene.

[Grim Ravenwood]

¤

Every word of it was true, though Grim would listen to his fathers stories with a healthy dose of skepticism, not a silver of lie stained his descriptions of the city. Not even his strong disdain towards the heat Summer would bring with itself, could ruin his first impressions. And judging by it's start, this particular day was bound to be a hot one. No matter how much Sunberth was close to his heart, being the city the Eiyon grew up and spent most of his life in, Riverfall had one thing that no good riot, no matter how large it may be, could replace.

Truly, some of the most beautiful parks and grooves were located exactly there, in Riverfall. Grim knew well that they were all made, and were maintained by human (or Akalak) hand. Yet, if not for the stone and hardwood benches that lay scattered over the grass, one could easily conclude that it was a scenery, somewhere up in the tranquil forests.

It had became somewhat of a habit of his, visiting the parks in the morning, before heading off to do whatever he had planned for the rest of his day. Though laziness was quite frowned upon in Riverfall, the little time he had before venturing out Grim cherished.

And today was no different. Dressed in his usual clothes, minus the long robes, ones that would on a day like this be nothing than a nuisance, Grim sat in a cross-legged position on one of the benches. The sleeves of his thin black shirt were rolled up to his forearm, making him appear quite relaxed. Likewise, he couldn't help but notice that even though some of the seats were made out of stone, they were noticeably more comfortable than the stools one could find in tavern back in Sunberth.

Usually, the Eiyon he occupied a small section of the park, one closest to the great walls itself. Thus, he couldn't quite help but not notice a fair human girl, chestnut haired as she approached him. She appeared to be looking for something, or someone. This turned out to be true, as she asked the whereabouts of what was probably a friend of hers. Grim replied that he did not see anyone that remotely matched the description. Seeing as females were somewhat of a rarity in Riverfall, he was bound to notice one that fit the description he was provided with.

Then, much to his surprise, the look on her face turned to that of annoyance. Grim could not quite understand what the fuss was about. "Pardon, but i really don't know what you are talking about." Grim said, an innocent smile on his lips.

As the brunette gestured to a spot on the grass not too far away, grim could only swing to one side, struggling to see what she was pointing at. This at itself raised a few red flags in his mind, though he did nothing to betray his discomfort with the rather odd situation.

"Are you sure that she is tall? I really can't see anyone there." The Eiyon joked in attempt to calm the woman."

[Martini Elwood]

"Why you little --" Was he mocking her? Was Martini being mocked? Or was... was this some sort of joke? Had Kayli set this up? Then again, she had no reason too... Martini growled and whirled around, the mischievous smile on Kayli's face her sign.

"Kayli! You know I don't have time for games like these. What if I had been busy? Imagine if the next time you were really in trouble I didn't show up because of this!" Martini whined, turning back to the stranger she had been yelling at. She'd been had. The man joked like she wasn't there, and she probably had multiple people in on it.

"Sorry. This was a bad joke." Martini bowed and grabbed Kayli's arm to walk away. She wondered how she had gotten so many people to agree to the joke and why she had pulled it in the first place.

"You never come out anymore." Kayli muttered, her brow furrowed in and her lips upturned. She looked genuinely sad and it made Martini feel horrible.

"I'm sorry, it's just... you know. Between work and school it's hard to find time for myself."

"And me apparently." Now Martini was frowning. Kayli was right of course, but she had never said it outright before. She always hinted at getting her brunette companion to go to plays or concerts, but Martini always put her off.

What she had yet to see is that no one else could see or hear Kayli, so people stared at her as she talked to herself. Martini knew people were staring, but she assumed it was because of Kayli. The woman had a nice figure and was always the center of attention.

[Grim Ravenwood]

¤

The girl apparently didn't quite find Grim's joke quite as funny as he did. What more, she only got more angry. The Eiyon took one glance to his skull crow, who stood petched on top of one of the statues adorning the park. Dusk cawed once, seemingly as confused as his owner. Was it something he did? Though Grim was one that had a habit of putting his head in the clouds, he was quite sure he didn't see anyone matching the description.

Not then, and definitely not now...

Even so, the girl appeared to be conversing with what was probably her imaginary friend. While spending his childhood among the tombstones of the Dust Bed, he had one likewise. Though, that was a long time ago, and one would think that she was old enough to grow out of them. Did she expect of him to be able to see this Kayli?

What was stranger, was the fact the the girl just gestured with her hand, as if she was dragging someone with her. His eyes stood on her back as she left. The Eiyon's lips pulled together in a grim line, his eyebrows knitting together. This was no good. This was one of the reasons he hated summer, as it would appear that some were more susceptible to the heat. Still, he couldn't quite allow himself to let a person like that go. It was obvious that she was feeling ill, though whether it was from the sun, or some other force, he didn't know.

Raising up from his his stone bench, the raven haired man closed the distance between the strange girl and himself, adding a bit of spring to his step. His hand landed on her shoulder, lightly attempting to pull her into he shade provided by a tall tree. "By Dira woman, you shouldn't spend so much time under the sun." Grim said, offering an uneasy smile. "Let's rest a little, then we can take a short stroll to the healers."

[Martini Elwood]

Martini flinched when someone put a hand on her shoulder, startled. She thundered to face the man from earlier. He easily towered over her now that she was paying attention. He had a lean build with some muscle mass. His black hair prevented her from seeing one of his grey eyes.

She noticed after a few ticks that he was speaking about a stroll to the healers. Was he injured somewhere? Why did he need them? Couldn't he just go to the healers himself? She attempted to shrugged of his hand by rolling her shoulders before speaking.

"Why the healers?" The brunette inquired, but paused as she noticed his arm had a bluish tint to it. That... was not normal. She would have considered him Akalak, but she had always thought their whole body blue. Kayli seemed to be looking at the same thing.

The shared a glance before they made a silent agreement. That could be an infection, and infections couldn't wait.

"On second thought, we should hurry. That doesn't look to good." Martini noted. She had never seen a condition like it, but then again she wasn't a doctor. The only sickens she knew of were colds and that time when her body just... crashed. She wasn't supposed to pull all nighters anymore, no matter what the deadline was. That was neither here nor there.

"You're name? I'm Martini. This is Kayli." She then pointed to the blonde beside her. She had never known the woman to be shy, but Kayli just nodded and stayed quiet. Perhaps Kayli felt the odd atmosphere? The man seemed to be regarding her with a smile, but it didn't quite reach his ears. She just assumed it was because he was in pain.

[Grim Ravenwood]

¤

At first, the girl appeared to protest his suggestion. However, just as Grim thought that this would get much harder, she appeared to consent. Hopefully the healers will be able to treat her, if it shows to be something more than a simple sunstroke. The thought of asking her what doesn't look too good crossed his mind, although the Eiyon dismissed it quickly. After all, isn't she the one with the imaginary friends? Even so, she appeared quite convinced that there in fact was a person named Kayli next to them.

She introduced herself as as Martini, and then introduced... who? She pointed besides her, as if there were truly someone walking besides them. Grim knit his eyebrows together, his eyes searching for a sign of dishonesty, or maybe the birth of what would be a laughter within the features of her face. Much to his terror, there were none, and she seemed dead serious.

"My name is Grim, just Grim." He introduced himself, realizing that he had stared a moment too long. "And that there is Dusk." The Eiyon would add, pointing at the skullcrow that descended towards their position. As it neared, the bird flapped it'w wings, sending raven feathers all around it, before nesting itself on his shoulder. Dust turned his head to the side, a tiny black eye observing the new person that walked besides it's owner.

"The medical center shouldn't be far now, we will get help for you and your..." He paused, uncertain where to look at. "...friend." Was she supposed to be to her right? Or was she walking next to him now? Though, somewhere in the back of his mind, Grimhalf expected them to arrive near the building, only to have her burst out in laughter. If that was the case, Martini was a damn good actor.

[Martini Elwood]

Martini felt something was wrong. Though Kayli seemed to agree that the man should be escorted to a healer. Martini nodded at his introduction, looking cautiously at the bird that had flown to his side. It was strange, and man dressed in black with a skull crow.

She had begun to grow uncomfortable when Grim moved his gaze from her face. She relaxed until he said something strange. She couldn't have heard him correctly right?

The feeling of unease crept into Martini's system, but Kayli grabbed her arm and she looked at her. She stopped and looked at the girl. She got close to her ear and whispered to her.

"This guy gives me the creeps." Martini leaned in closer so she could hear her, but nodded slowly when she did. She couldn't think of what was putting her off about him though. She laughed awkwardly and whispered back.

"It's probably your imagination, just put up with it." Martini was sure she could feel an odd stare on her as she spoke, and the hairs on her neck began to rise. She shook her head before speaking aloud. She didn't want Grim to get suspicious after all.

"Um, uh, Kayli says your pretty cute!" Martini lied, looking away nervously. She had never been a good liar so she hoped Kayli would play along. The girl seemed to blush before looking away and blurting nonsense. In her mind she knew Kayli would be at her throat later.

"But enough of that, let's uh, get going?" Martini chuckled sheepishly, trying to divert the attention back to the task at hand. She then remembered her initial question and spoke.

"Oh, what did you mean about getting me and Kayli help? I'm pretty sure that arm is infected if you think it's us who need help, so we should hurry." Martini said stiffly, averting her gaze from the man. She was seriously concerned now. What did he think was wrong with him and Kayli? Was he delirious and confusing his pain for theirs?

[Grim Ravenwood]

¤

Grim took note of how the woman next to him uncomfortably shifted, even more so once Dusk landed on his shoulder. He glanced at his friend, only to see that there was a skull of a bird he could not quite identify resting on top of his head, adorned as a soldier would a helmet, with only a pair of black eyes peering from the darkness of the eye cavities. Though he did not see anything wrong with his behavior though he never quite succeeded in understanding it, Grim found that others tend to exercise caution around him.

Though, the bird petched on his shoulder was not the only one that warranted this sort of response. From the moment he was marked by Dira, people began seeing him as somewhat of a mystery. Men could never really understand death, and the same would apply, if only partially, to those that share a bond with it.

After shortly conversing with herself, Martini turned around, only to deliver a compliment from her friend, Kayli. Grim sported a wide smile, only to attempt to return the compliment.However,he did not see anyone besides the brunette,and thus was at a loss of words. Darn, this was beginning to get hard...

It is only when Martini inquired about his own question, that the Eiyon met a dead end. On top of that, she had mentioned an infection of his arm.Infection, she couldn't possibly mean...

"Oh, that..." Grim said, dragging his words.His left hand moved to pinch the rim of his dark sleeves, rolling them as far up as he could. Up, just above his bicep, the blue sheen that painted his skin a chilly blue ended in a sharp line. He raised his exposed hand, at the same time showing the skin of his palm, where a dark marking in the form of a scythe stood, signalizing that he belonged to the Eiyons. "My mother was an Isur, so naturally, my hand is blue-ish. However, i'd like you to explain why you are thinking that there is someone besides you..."

[Martini Elwood]

Grim seemed less... odd? When he smiled that is. He looked as if he was about to say something but stared at nothing as the smile left his face for a frown. Afterwards he showed her his arm. It was tinted blue all the way up to the shoulder, were it stopped abruptly. So it was a racial thing?

Well, considering the Akalak had all blue skin, perhaps... Isur was a surface? She wanted to ask about his scythe tattoo, though he continued and the feeling of unease returned doubly so.

"Grim, the joke was made. Isn't it an out time to admit it?" Martini laughed with discomfort. He was really starting to creep her out. Kayli seemed to notice her unease and spoke.

"It was nice meeting you and all Grim, but I think Martini and I should go."

"Yeah, we're sorry for mistaking your arm for an infection but Kayli is right. It's time for us to leave." Martini nodded in agreement with an awkward smile. Something was off about Grim, and it seemed to amplify as he played out the joke. It was making her feel uncomfortable. She tried to hide it though, but it probably looked even more so.

Linking her Fingers with Kayli's, she began to feel dizzy as she got anxious. She supposed the adrenaline from the earlier scare at her home had worn off, and the nervous energy was getting to her causing her fatigue. She and Kayli turned to leave.

"It was, uh, nice meeting you Grim."

[Grim Ravenwood]

¤

Though during this whole time Grim believed that the joke was being puled on him, it appeared that so did Martini, having mistaked the color of his arm for an infection. On the other hand... was he going crazy? What if there really was a Kayli next to them? No, that couldn't be the case. The Eiyon's eyebrow twitched in light irritation, even more so when the girl turned to leave.

Her fingers bent halfway towards her pal, as if she was holding hands with someone else. Though, one thing was for certain, and that was that no city on Mizahar was completely safe. He couldn't let someone who is clearly delusional roam around the city free, someone was bound to take advantage of her situation. Yet, he couldn't either force her to go to the healer. Or maybe he could? Sure, he was larger and stronger than her, however, few are those that didn't carry any weapons with them, and having a dagger stuck in his gut wasn't Grim's idea of fun.

Then what if... what if he could create a reason for visiting the healers?

She was already unwell, but he was in perfect health. Some distance ahead, the medical facility could be seen, with several dozens of people exiting and entering. It wasn't that far really, he just had to...

"This is going to hurt..." Grim noted while he was still faced towards Martini, his eyes narrowing as he spoke. He made a single step towards her, before snapping to the other side. His left foot extended forwards, only to pivot his right leg as it kicked outwards. The edge of a low fence, made out of large pieces of stone, met the Eiyon's ankle. As expected, it hurt like hell, especially given that he didn't hold back with his kick. After all, the injury needed to be real.

"Not quite..." He said trough clenched teeth, before stepping away from the fence, a very slight limp in his dominant foot. A moment later, he repeated the action, his already injured foot striking the same spot it did before.This time, however, the pain was much greater, and he let out a grunt trough clenched teeth.

"This will do the trick..." He said as he fell on one knee, his ankle no longer being able to support his weight. "Mind giving me a hand...?"