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Post by nova on May 28, 2012 16:09:41 GMT -5
And that was it. It had seemed like they had been walking to pretty shaky ground, and, in all honesty, they had. Nova knew it. This whole place made her uncomfortable altogether. She really didn't want to spend too much time hanging about, but at least, near the stove, they could be somewhat out of sight and dragger-like stares from everyone else currently in the place. Not to mention that creepy guy who'd 'welcomed' them here. That Chief of theirs. Nova would like to give him a wide berth, but something told her he was the same way inclined somehow.
Nova couldn't do or say anything, standing there with nothing to say. She didn't even know what anyone was saying here. Bloody foreign languages. That made her feel a little more out of place than she would if no one could speak much English. So, as usual, she'd hide behind Theron. She didn't really do it a lot but this situation didn't really let her do anything but that. Coming in here had been literally out of the frying pan and into the fire sort of thing. But hey, she'd chosen to jump out here with him considering she'd never let him go alone. As a weapon it was just what she did, and as a friend.
When the noises started again Nova felt a weight lift off of her shoulders somewhat, but still relatively uncomfortable. She wasn't going to lead that way, that was for sure. Even if Theron hadn't spent an awful lot of time trudging around these streets, he knew better than she did, and she had a creeping feeling that somehow, some of these people around them knew who Theron really was, as unsettling as it was.
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Post by theron on May 30, 2012 10:22:53 GMT -5
This time, Theron let the surprise show on his face as the man's much larger hand closed around his own... and placed something there. When he switched over to English it became apparent that the barkeep was not some uneducated brute; the young prince's mind whirled, trying to figure out where in these filthy cast-off "towns" anyone, except those with a modicum of authority, could've been taught any language that wasn't local. To say nothing of his now fairly obvious cunning. It both humbled, and troubled, Theron to realize he had completely misjudged the man not once, but twice. 'Pocket it now. Give the man at the stables it, but say nothing.' Those words rattled around his brain, trying to find purchase, to fix into a slot of meaning that would make sense of it all. Hiding the motion behind picking up the torch bundle, Theron deposited the token securely into his pocket and, accompanied by the man's feigned disdain, stepped away from the bar. "Mergem, mergem." ("We're going, we're going.") The Meister muttered loudly, playing at annoyance himself. He didn't fail to catch the man's neutral gaze as he and Nova headed out of the main tavern and towards the welcoming (and sorely needed) fire. His gaze turned towards Nova, voice at a whisper. "Things have just become... interesting. When we're alone we need to talk."--------------------------------------------- The warmth of an open flame was a relief; even though the tavern's kitchen was just as old, ramshackle, and drafty as the rest of the building it was significantly warmer. Even the odd lingering smells from the last cooked meal weren't enough to detract from the simple pleasure of a little heat. "We have to be careful." Theron stated, holding his hands open near the blaze. He spoke in hushed tones, like he was expecting someone to listen in. "The village chief, Vali, probably has his people watching us -- I think it was one of them who ran out earlier when I made a scene." He gave Nova a brief, apologetic-looking smile. "And sorry about making you transform; even the best of these people are trouble, and when I started talking money with the barkeep I was concerned someone might try to slit our throats if we looked too meek. I think that particular bit of trouble has been scared off, though."
"How are you holding up? Feeling any warmer?"
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Post by nova on Jun 3, 2012 17:43:50 GMT -5
Often enough Theron would do something that did lean to the side of plausibly human emotion. It struck her, now and again, noticing how he was with everyone else. And then how he was with her. Vastly different in subtle ways that she'd picked up on, spending so much time around him, after all, couldn't be helped. Sometimes she thought it might mean something. Other times not. Often enough she'd tell herself she was looking into things to much, otherwise oblivious to how she was feeling. It just didn't seem worth the hassle. Even if he was her partner, she didn't ever think he'd go through the trouble of pestering and getting into somewhat of an argument just so she could get warm.
Once again, he alluded her.
Not that she wasn't grateful for it. It just seemed a little unnecessary, out of place even. The warmth was nice in the cold, and she was happier, also, away from the crowd of people that had been staring them down. Her skin warmed and the colour started to return, but it would only be for so long. With the blanket still wrapped around her, her blue eyes glowed in the light of the flame.
"How are you holding up? Feeling any warmer?" Nova turned to look at Theron and left a pause without saying anything, still shaking slightly. She tried to laugh, in nature to lighten the tension, but ultimately failed miserably in her attempt. "Any warmer? Yes, thank you. How am I holding up? Terribly. Never thought I'd say this, but I'd rather be out there, actually getting somewhere. 98 souls won't just walk up to us and do a dance y'know." Some part of those last word were meant to be more of a light-hearted joke, but she was in no condition to soliloquies it properly. She attempted to smile, but that didn't work either.
This was just magical.
There was a pause. Then Nova turned to him, rather suddenly, and simply said; "Why did you do this? You really didn't have to. We could be on our way by now. So...I don't understand why?"
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Post by theron on Jun 5, 2012 16:34:20 GMT -5
"W-well..."
The question completely threw him, even though it shouldn't have. It had just... seemed natural to take care of her. It wasn't often Theron acted without thinking, and what's more this time it had just seemed to emerge spontaneously. Naturally, even. She was cold, suffering. At the time it hadn't seemed there was any higher reason than that, and some part of his mind had accepted it without question.
Maybe it wasn't so much what he'd done... but the fact that it surprised her that caught him off guard. For one of those rare moments Theron got a glimpse of how someone else really saw him.
And he didn't know what to make of it.
" . . . It's a Meister's responsibility to be there for his partner." He rationalized, trying just as much to convince himself as he was her. "You're not used to these kind of climates, and..." He looked away, not quite understanding the blush of heat in his cheeks and, wrongly, assuming it was just the heat of the cooking fire effecting him. "I wasn't just going to let you get hypothermia and freeze to death. We look out for and protect each other, right?"
"A-anyway," He cleared his throat, trying to regain the bit of composure that had slipped. "I think we have two choices now."
He pulled out the coin-like object the barkeep had given him, rolling it around in his hands without actually looking at it. "That scumbag Vali will give us a horse but only once we've done his favor, whatever that entails. We may have a way around that, though. I'm not quite sure on the details, but I think the barkeep may be with some group that's opposed to Vali. When I asked for information he gave me some kind of token for the man at the stables." He stopped playing with the object and held it still, palm closed around it. "But that's risky, and not just for us. Vali must be watching to see what we'll do; if suddenly we're gone with a horse he's going to want to know how and why. I can't imagine someone like him being very lax on those who undermine his authority, so if word gets around then our 'friend' the barkeep could be in a lot of trouble."
That wasn't the only calculation running through his head. Much as he detested the chief and his ilk the young d'Metreon was aware that they were enforcers of his family's order... which could only mean that the barkeep represented some kind of dissident group, maybe a budding underground resistance to the d'Metreon rule. From the standpoint of immediate convenience the token, and the ride it offered, presented the easiest path... but it could end with Vali's men chasing them down after wringing the information from the stableman or barkeep. And then he considered it as a future Lord Baron. Exploiting a resistance group was all well and good now, but if they thrived and took root it could easily come back to bite him; Vali, on the other hand -- while slimy, ruthless, cruel, and scoundrelous -- was a reliable, established authority figure whose leash was tied firmly to the throne. Which would he rather have to greet him one day: a band of virtuous malcontents or a gang of loyal mongrels?
He shook his head, frustrated. "What are your thoughts? I hate to say it, but it seems like the least complicated option is to just steal a horse and let Vali stew in his own petard."
Theron then opened his palm to look down at what the barkeep had been so keen to secretly give him...
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Post by nova on Jul 13, 2012 16:50:49 GMT -5
The question she'd asked her partner seemed to have thrown him off a little. Like he didn't quite know why he'd done it, or hadn't really thought about it. Which, to her, was very out of character for the slightly pompous Prince. He always thoughts about what he did, even if it seemed stupid and a little over the top. Didn't he? The fact he'd done something for her, with no real reason that would benefit himself, left Nova a little...uncertain. This wasn't like him. Even if he was arrogant and narcissistic at the best of times. Nova narrowed her eyes, puzzled, at him.
"I wasn't just going to let you get hypothermia and freeze to death. We look out for and protect each other, right?" It seemed Theron was loosing his composure. Was that a blush? How odd. Maybe the time in the desert heat was weakening his hold against the cold. Nova nodded slightly. Reassuring herself against his own self-doubt. She listened to him. warming up by the fire. It was in her best interests not to get preoccupied by the little things that he'd do to make her question what he was doing. It was bad for them as a team and could ruin something further down the line. She wasn't going to risk a soul of petty things, not in this weather and not in this abysmal mood.
Now, she knew they had to get out and on with the Mission. Walking wouldn't be an option, so they couldn't just take off without the offer they'd been given. Unless the offer by the bartender hadn't been made. "What are your thoughts? I hate to say it, but it seems like the least complicated option is to just steal a horse and let Vali stew in his own petard." He was right, Nova knew he was. At the same time, however, she didn't want Vali to ran whatever fury he had down upon when he found out. That man was creepy, and made her uncomfortable enough. Though, that on it's own was a reason to run off behind his back. "I agree. I, personally, don't want to deal with that man any more than you do. Possibly less. I trust you, you and your judgement. I think it would be in our best interests to take off while we have the chance. I'm hungry, after all" After that, she managed to crack a mischievous grin at Theron. There were souls that needed eating.
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