Damn, You Let Him Get Away!

[Avrae Kyric]

Zi’da 70, Arc 716
Ne’haer

Just a little closer... Avrae willed himself forward. His eyes were locked on a young male with long black hair, casually walking through the crowd. That morning, Avrae had heard about a most enticing bounty for a lurker named Gorgolas. A bounty he wanted. You see, he had been down on his luck lately and very low on coin. Given that he was staying in an inn, and he also had Ailluin to think about, he needed to make some cash. The bounty’s reward was enough to make Avrae’s mouth water. It would keep him afloat for the rest of Zi’da and possibly through most of Cylus, until Ashan came around with fresh opportunity for coin. Of course, the people he had spoken to about the bounty had laughed at him, had told him to pray to Faldrun- because they thought he would perish. It pissed Avrae off just remembering their amusement. He hadn’t been going to take that bounty until they laughed at him. Now he had something to prove.

The thing was, he didn’t know where to start looking. But the man he was following now had been boasting in the local tavern about how he saw Gorgolas- and Avrae planned to interrogate him on where the beast was. It’d be faster than trekking around in the woods, trying to pinpoint his general location. Avrae was trying to look as casual as he could- though his red hair made him stand out. Luckily, because of the prejudice most had for Aukari, that meant most people in the crowd parted for him, giving him plenty of room to follow his target. Smirking, Avrae’s eyes narrowed in determination when the male slipped out of the crowded streets and into an alley. It was a sunny, pleasant day after all the strife that had happened to Ne’haer over Vhalar and Zi’da, so many people were out and about. Avrae was glad for more seclusion as he took a glance around before slipping down the alley after him.

Hands in his pockets, he had a grip on a small throwing dagger. In fact, he had left Ailluin at the inn specifically so he could hold his daggers in his pockets rather than being openly armed. Taking a deep breath, Avrae tried to keep his pace steady. As his target turned another corner, Avrae couldn’t stop his grin, speeding up just slightly.

He had no time to acknowledge the sudden orange glow coming from that alley, or the sound of something ripping, like fabric being torn in two. He didn’t even think about it as he turned- not until he ran face-first into a tall, sturdy male. His forehead smashed right into the forehead of the man, who was only an inch taller, their noses hitting. Avrae, in surprise, barely managed to stumble back. Behind the mystery man was a large, glowing golden-orange portal, flickering like flames almost. Unfortunately, behind that, Avrae glimpsed his target slipping around another corner, back into a crowd that Avrae would surely lose him in.

“What the f-” Avrae started, taking another step back to peer at the stranger in his way. Only, his foot hit a barrel that was sat on the side of the alley, and with a yell, Avrae lost his balance. His hands yanked out of his pocket- tossing his dagger out onto the ground in the process- and flailed as he reached to grab onto something to keep him steady. Unfortunately, since he’d stepped back from the stranger, he had no one and nothing to grab onto, instead ending up toppling backwards onto the hard cobblestone.

Avrae winced as his ass hit the stones, groaning at the fall. His eyes were bright, almost reflective off the lights of the portal, as he looked back up at the strange man before him. His brows furrowed, rendered speechless as he absently reached for his fallen dagger, a little baffled by the sudden appearance of the man.

[Alistair]

"Yeah," the man started, "I'll see you later, Raphael."

It was a busy morning in the Coven lodgings. Vincent had received a directive from Ellasin, who had been staying in Ne'haer for quite some time, to seek out a higher quota of Seeker acolytes to exact the Coven's wrath upon. Naturally, this order went from the top to the bottom, and individuals such as Raphael, Eliza and Alistair were tasked with uncovering hidden or even open members of the mystical organization.

Naturally, the Sotrosei banded together in their investigation of the Seekers and their whereabouts, and Raphael had approached Alistair seeking his agreement for a particular directive: the buying of ether-seeking animals from the Fields of Gauthrel. Interested in the idea, the nobleman determined that he would search the markets for them, as well as the libraries for any information.

As soon as he stepped through the portal and out from the Coven's base, however, he immediately came head-to-head with a red haired man... literally.

"Ow," he said, though with relative calm in his demeanor. Alistair stepped through the portal quite forcefully, and with his particularly burly physique, practically ran over the man who'd come running in the direction he'd ripped through. The impact surely hurt the young... Aukari, presumably, more than it'd harmed Alistair - but he didn't really care. This had happened before, and it was nothing more than an inconvenience. He looked down at the young male and shrugged.

"This is why you shouldn't run on city roads," he said, an empty expression accompanying his words. Dusting himself off, he continued forward, not wasting a moment guaranteeing the wellbeing of the man he'd just skull-bashed. He was on a mission, after all. Couldn't waste Ellasin's precious time with the common street rabble. Plus, he was sure the little ginger would be alright.

[Avrae Kyric]

Avrae found it was easier to get an immediate bad impression of someone than it was to get a good impression. Mostly because he just didn’t like people. Well, most people. He liked Ailluin. And Mal. And that one really hot bartender he’d met… But for the most part, he seriously found most people to be insufferable. At first, as he looked up at the blonde male, he thought he might end up liking him. The man was… well… quite pleasant to look at. Avrae found his gaze going from his head to his feet and back, observing the strong looking male. He would have licked his lips openly, had he not had more self control. Avrae liked beautiful people, and he’d be a fool to say this male was anything less than that. And then…

He talked. The second the stranger opened his mouth, right after shrugging in an uncaring way, Avrae felt any attraction he might have had seep out. The only thing stronger to an Aukari than passion was rage, and this man knew just how to tick him off. Grabbing his dagger, Avrae pushed himself up, his amber eyes narrowing. “Excuse you? I wasn’t running. I was turning a corner! I was trailing someone- who I would have gotten if it hadn’t been for you!”

His fierce emotional state was certainly an indicator of that famed Aukari temper. Crossing his arms, Avrae scowled. How annoying. He ruins my work and then he acts like it’s my fault? Why, the nerve… “Don’t you think you should apologize when you pop up in front of people like that? Or at the least try not to make an ass of yourself.” The more he observed Alistair, the more frustrated he got. He could tell this man was extraordinary- or at least, that the man thought he was. From the way he acted, to the way he dressed, Avrae could tell Alistair must think he’s better than most people. He wondered if there was a humble bone in his body, and if there was, he would have been surprised. Must be a merchant, or some son of an old, rich family. Ready to throw around daddy’s money and laugh while others struggle to feed their families. If there was one thing Avrae hated, it was people who thought they were more entitled than anyone else.

Not only that, but Avrae, now that he stood and was fairly close to the male once more, was feeling that attraction once more. He found himself watching the rise and fall of the man’s chest with every breath, studying the collar of his shirt and the strong line of his jaw. He almost felt like leaning a little closer, his own breath just barely hitching. It made his skin warmer to be in the presence of someone so… enticing. Though at the same time, it made him even more furious, because this was the kind of man Avrae would usually dislike.

[Alistair]

He could almost have ignored the fiery, wroth demeanor of the Aukari before him. If he was a little more patient - a little less proud - Alistair would've surely summed up the will to ignore him entirely. Walk forward. Disregard his pleas and wails. But, unfortunately, wisdom wasn't with him in this moment. Instead, the fury Syroa imbued in him rung a lot more clearly. All he could ask himself was: who is this tyke yapping in my peripheral?

"Shut up," he said, scowling. Already, he felt the instinct to inflate the situation. A parting gift, etched into the mark on his back. A desire that compelled him to act as much of a bloody arse as he could, in situations like this. "Who the hell asked what you were doing, carrot top? I made a comment in jest and shrugged it off. Is common not your first language?"

He locked his arms together against his chest, and dedicated his full intention to this man. This... person. The hair was the most noticeable thing, of course, especially given the rarity of Aukari in Rynmere, where Alistair usually resided. Aside from that, he was dressed like a lowborn punk - and he acted like one too. The man's scowl only grew worse. Sometimes, he had to remind himself why his grandmother the Duchess told him to limit his interactions with peasants.

"Who's making an ass out of themselves, anyway? The guy who's playing espionage like some child in a street alley, perhaps? The guy who got knocked over like some elderly woman at a mere step forward, perhaps? Or... the guy who couldn't take a passing remark and get over it, determining he'd lash out against some random stranger for accidentally bumping into him? I think we know who the ass is - hon, you're a donkey." Alistair's scowl changed amidst his words . . . into a smirk. As if he was enjoying demeaning the other. Because he was.

God, he noted. I've become a sadistic ass this season.

Accepting that the red-head likely wouldn't just let him pass after all that, and noting he had a weapon, the man stood firm and stared quietly. If the Aukari wanted to contend with him, he'd gladly engage. It'd been a while since he'd blasted someone through a wall.

[Avrae Kyric]

Rage was the worst thing for an Aukari. It was the brightest moment of their life, the moment where they were what nature intended… but it was usually the last emotion they felt. Avrae didn’t want that to be his last emotion. He wanted his final moments to be filled with love, and be content with his death. Not turn into a fireball like most of his people. It was why he stubbornly refused to let this asshole make him lose control.

Clenching his fists, Avrae took sharp, deep breaths as he tried to calm down, his nails digging into his palms. Why was this guy so… rage invoking? And lust invoking, for that matter, as Avrae could feel his cheeks turning pink under the male’s pompous gaze. Carrot top? Why that arrogant, self centered, foul mouthed little… Grr… He was internally growling, and if he wasn’t trying so very hard to keep calm, steam probably would have started coming out his ears.

“Oh, I’m sorry- I don’t get everything handed to me on a golden plate. I actually have to work for it, when a Skich like you isn’t bothering me.” Avrae retorted, the venom in his voice practically dripping off his tongue. “If I were a donkey, you’d be getting a hard kid to the gonads right about now.” He grumbled.

Remembering his bounty, Avrae reluctantly sighed. As much as he wanted to pummel this infuriating male into the alley’s dirty ground, he had to think of that coin. Moving, he pushed past Alistair, letting their shoulders roughly hit. “Forget it. I have a Lurker to catch, I’m not about to waste my time with someone like you.” The way he said someone like you was clearly an insult, as if Alistair were the last person Avrae would associate with.

Avrae reached the end of the alley, his sharp gaze scanning the crowd. But there was no sign of the black haired male, just as Avrae had suspected there wouldn’t be. Sighing again, this time in frustration, Avrae ran a hot hand through his ginger locks, tugging at them in irritation. “For Faldrun’s fucking sake, that was my one lead…” He muttered under his breath, thinking of the night before. They’d been so low on coin that Avrae, in the interest of saving emergency money, had paid for Ailluin to have dinner but not eaten anything himself. Of course, she was a tunawa, she didn’t eat much, but he still put her first. His stomach felt hollow just thinking about it.

Frustrated enough to be resisting the urge to punch a wall, Avrae instead whirled around to glare at Alistair. “Because of you, I’m back to where I started. Are you happy now, asshat?”

[Alistair]

He couldn't believe his ears. Alistair had never worked for his due, apparently? The man chuckled; he made sure that the hot-headed ape knew that his words were humorous, rather than anything otherwise. "I have everything handed to me, do I? Let's see..." started, tapping under his chin. "Legendary medical professional... I even own my own hospital, which I paid for with my own money. Mage of exceptional skill, as your fragile frame just encountered. General and strategist in the Rynmeren Civil War, as well as... ah yes, counselor and management professional of House Venora. Daddy doesn't give me his money, sweetheart. I make my own." And again, that scowl returned; Avrae had seen more of it than not, at this rate.

It only worsened when the Aukari bumped into the nobleman, Alistair grabbing his shoulder and stopping him in his place, applying force to his clutch around his skin.

"What, afraid to hit me?" he jeered, looking at him with an intimidating guise. Finally, though, he decided he wouldn't quite provoke the reaction he wanted - the messy kind. The kind likely to result in a few blood stains on the cobble. Alistair would reduce his . . . inflammatory tone.

"You shouldn't get your pantaloons in a bunch, Aukari," he said, changing his tone. "I saved your life if anything," he said, turning his head away in irritation. A Lurker of the Cliffs? What was this man thinking? "Having a foul mouth won't save you against a legitimate threat, darling. Even I'm quite intimidated to challenge a Lurker, and I'm one of the best magedom has to offer." He didn't mean to sound arrogant, but... well, he sort of was, so it just came out naturally. Humility wasn't Alistair's strong point, and especially not when encountered with a man he sought to take down a peg. Or ten.

Still, he did grow curious. Especially considering this whole thing involved a Lurker, of all things. One of the most curious specimens in the Willow Woods - the sort of being Alistair would have liked to get his hands upon, whether for experimentation or reanimation. "Why were you pursuing that man anyhow?" he asked, raising a brow. "Surely if you seek to kill a Lurker, you can just... go out and kill one. No need to play hide and seek with some raven-haired street thug. Were you seeking some giant-taming aphrodisiac? A recreational drug? A staunch incense?" He teased the Aukari relentlessly, though notably the nobleman had shifted to be... far less of an arse.

He wondered, too, if the Lurker he sought was Gorgolas. Ali had heard of many of the more impoverished community seeking to pursue that bounty, in the hopes of turning their life around upon achieving success. Hundreds of dead bodies followed their quest, and yet more continued. He wondered if this temperamental individual was one such man. Suicidal; ready to throw his life away for a thousand nels.

In honesty, it wouldn't be quite a surprise to the pompous mage. The Aukari was, after all, a donkey by Alistair's words. Whether that meant a kick in the "gonads" or not.

[Avrae Kyric]

If Alistair thought listing his many accomplishments would intimidate or impress Avrae, he’d be wrong. Instead, it just managed to make the Aukari grind his teeth a little more. When he felt Alistair’s hand grip onto his shoulder, Avrae’s glare turned even hotter, turning to the man and reaching out to clutch the front of his shirt in one hand with an equally tight- and very hot- grip. “You think you’d have gotten all that if you weren’t born the way you were?” He asked, his voice a low hiss. Forcefully- though he wasn’t about to start a fight- he pushed back until Alistair had his back to the wall, gazing at him. The noble was only an inch taller, and Avrae made a point to gaze at him right in the eyes. Someone had once told him that most people- and prey- didn’t like that. It was a sign of assertion. A sign he wouldn’t back down. “If you had been born the son of a whore, without a penny to your name, you think you’d be a big time doctor? You think you’d have the money and fame to be taught magic? Or be noticed by House Venora, if you weren’t one of their blood?” Avrae had heard of the Venora family. There were very few who hadn’t, even in Ne’haer. Somehow, it didn’t surprise him that this man, the most pompous man he had ever met, was a part of a noble house.

Taking another deep breath, Avrae felt himself calm down a notch. But only one notch. This guy still made him want to hit something. “Not afraid. I just know better. Hit a nobleman, end up in the stocks somewhere, scheduled for execution.” He paused, eyes scanning Alistair’s chiseled face. “Besides. I don’t like to hit pretty faces. And you have a hard head- I’d rather hit where it’d hurt.”

Scoffing as the male- whose name he still didn’t know and wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to- claimed he was saving his life, Avrae pushed off him and took a step back, dragging his shoulder free from his grip. It actually kind of ached where Alistair had been holding it. He is strong… for a pompous throne-sitter. Avrae reflected, rubbing his shoulder. Absently, he looked away with a frown.

“He knows where Gorgolas is. That’s who I’m looking for.” He declared, before taking another breath. His tone was softer this time, “Listen. I don’t care if you’ve beaten a hundred Lurkers before. That’s great for you. But I only need to beat one. Feel good about saving my life for now or whatever- but I still plan on going after that big lurker. Any beast can die, and any man can kill a beast. You can heal, and play with magic- and I know how to fight. Besides, what would you care if a lowborn dies at the hands of a beast? Wouldn’t change your life any.”

Avrae knew he was being stupid. He knew he didn’t stand a chance. But all he heard was the bounty giver’s laughter in his ears, so loud and outrageous, as if it was the funniest thing in the world. It made his blood boil, and Avrae needed the coin anyway. He wasn’t going to become a laughing stock… he was going to prove that an Aukari was more than just something to despise and laugh at. He couldn’t let it go without trying. It just… wasn’t in his nature to back away from a challenge. Even an impossible one. And that much was clear in the sudden softness of his gaze, the way he avoided Alistair’s eyes. He was ready to die, if it was a death without regrets.

[Alistair]

He shrugged. It was true that he probably wouldn't have obtained the same success as now if he weren't born into such a prominent family. But, it was just as likely for a noble to take advantage of their birthright as for their birthright to destroy them. Many of Alistair's family - not to mention his own siblings, for a long time - had suffered at the hands of something far more dangerous than poverty: wealth without labor. Fortune and glory without deserving. He was one of the few modern descendants of House Venora to embody the ways of old - of diligence, prestige, and nobility. Although lately, the 'nobility' aspect of his personality had been more than compromised, noted quite clearly by this brutish street encounter.

"I probably wouldn't be the man I am now," he acknowledged, nodding his head. "The upbringing and circumstances of an individual provide for a great deal of their development, and success. I acknowledge this. But that does not mean that all of my accomplishments are for naught merely because of my status as a highborn. It's far more complicated than that, my friend," he explained. Maybe Avrae meant it only as an insult, to claim that he had gained what he had solely due to his inherent wealth. Maybe he didn't mean to place logic behind it, or bear the statement out to a test. However, the statement caught his interest, as it was something that none would ever say in Rynmere. To accuse the nobility of being where they are simply by abusing who they were . . . was not an accusation one could make easily in the Northern Kingdom.

He supposed that was the interesting thing about foreigners . . . the rarity of their perspectives in the land he hailed from. Halfway through this conversation in Andaris, Avrae would have likely been detained by his fellow commoners and put to trial. Disrespecting the heir to a Duchy was about as prudent as sticking one's head against a hot anvil.

In Ne'haer, though, nobility meant nothing. There was no such concept. And besides, it was not like Alistair was even a citizen of this territory. He was less than a commoner when among these walls.

"Aukari," he called the man. "I don't care if you live or die. You can consider that an objective certainty. Instead, I find interest more in the idea that one would be willing to damn themselves to certain death for the sake of nel. I've heard enough, however," he stated clearly. The man waved his hand once more, and opened another portal. He'd seek a different route through the city - one that expressly allowed him to avoid this ratty carrot top.

"Die if you want, your reasons do not interest me. The fact is, you'll be dismembered and devoured alive. A Lurker plays with his prey, dear. But you're fine with that. Fine. The pool of hereditary qualities will find itself gladdened by your passing. Bye."

With those . . . lovely words, he stepped through the second portal he'd crafted, this time eager to escape the place he'd landed initially. His final words, muttered under his breath, were...

Fucking ginger.

[Pegasus]

Avrae

Points!:

Story: 5/5
Collaboration: 5/ 5
Structure: 5/ 5

Knowledge:

Acting: Looking nonchalant
Alistair: Knocked you on to your butt
Alistair: Eye candy
Alistair: Rude
Detection: Keeping your eye on the target you are following
Discipline: Controlling your rage

Loot:

NA

Injuries:

Bumps, bruises and scrapes. Nothing major.

Fame:

None

Devotion:

None

Magic:

These points may NOT be used for arcana

Alistair

Points!:

Story: 5/5
Collaboration: 5/ 5
Structure: 5/ 5

Knowledge:

Avrae: You knocked him on to his butt.
Avrae: Got quite a temper
Avrae: Aukari
Avrae: Was tailing someone
Rupturing: Opening a portal right where someone's walking is very possible.

Loot:

None

Fame:

-4 (2 x acts of magic)

Devotion:

None (Avrae was irked / cross, not furious)

Magic:

These points may be used for arcana

Overview:

General comments. A funny, quirky meet and greet! There weren't lots of knowledge I could see, but if you think I've missed anything, drop me a pm.
Story All fine - they literally just bumped into each other!
Structure No problems at all

Please do PM me if you think I've missed anything or you have any questions!