Almund is a thriving township with a dark side. With houses made from the wooden bodies of decommissioned ships, there are many opportunities here, coupled with many dangers.
Almund was the worst place that Baya had ever been in for directions and she’d live in the woods. Most of the big ones ignored her, the ones that didn’t hadn’t the patience for her slap dash version of Common. Worst though, were the ones who ignored her entirely. And under normal circumstances, this would not bother Baya, but today was far from normal.
It had started with her ill conceived idea of exploring, getting lost, and having no way of knowing how to get back to the inn. Then there was the matter of her having tried to make a small sack dress out of webs. It had ended with her mostly covered haphazardly with cobwebs, most of which adorned her hair and left her still fairly naked. On the more positive side she was still getting to explore the city. There was that.
It was just too bad the city was too busy being a city to be very helpful. It was also too bad that pirates docked there, a small bit of information Baya had forgotten. Which was foolish considering how she’d ended up there. She had thought, hoped, it was all done and over but it was probably her constant asking for directions that had ruined that because there was a pirate. A certain pirate she’d avoided because he a lying liar who lied and gotten her stuck in Scalvoris. A pirate that a green and brown Tunawa couldn’t hope to hide from with a city of stone and sand. From bad to worse the day just kept going until it was so far from normal Baya was sure it was nightmare with how fast her heart beat as she darted around another pair of shoes. But even from her position a block away she could see his head pointed determinedly at the ground. She doubted he was looking at his shoes. Big ones didn’t do that.
For what felt like a break Baya found herself almost afraid but then he moved closer and closer and closer still until she was forced to move again. Moving would help her go unnoticed and the doors were too big for her too open. The streets had no where for her to really hide except small holes in the walls that she’d eventually have to come out of. What she needed was a way to get away from him, a way he wouldn’t notice…
There was no more time for thought. Baya launched her small body off the wall and at the nearest set of pants then gripped like her life depended on it. Much like a tree the Tunawa gripped whatever parts she could and shimmed her way awkwardly up the big one she had latched onto. She didn’t even care if they noticed so long as she could hide in them. In fact, nearly falling Baya reached the big ones shirt and tried to wiggle her way up it, finally breaking and calling for help as loudly as she dared to her unintended cab.
“You is helping, pleases. Give owes, favors. Helping pleases, am falling! Hiding pleases!”
It had not been an entirely pleasant day for Veyre. Most of her morning in the hospital was spent by hearing Dukarhn rambling what an awful job she was doing – and the young woman was quite sure that she had done well enough. Then, at the end of her shift, a patient was whirled in and assigned to her. It took some time for her to get answers and a diagnosis because the man was very drunk, even needing to be restrained. Veyre could not just abandon her task even when it was time for her to leave. That meant the young woman had gotten only a couple of breaks of sleep when she got home before she had gotten up, put on her makeup and head to the Siren’s.
With her hood drawn down, Veyre made her way through the busy city of Almund. She lifted a hand to cover her mouth in a yawn. At least she might get some reprieve once she found a suitable male to accompany her for the night. Underneath the cloak, the courtesan was already wearing her usual attire – skin-tight leather that accentuated her figure. Veyre made sure to clutch the cloak tightly around her body.
Occupied with the idea of rushing to the brothel, Veyre had missed the creature flying up to her entirely. Her legs moved swiftly, knowing what awaited her there. Sometimes the young woman had wondered if Syroa had specifically crafted her blessings for Veyre to be like a drug.
While the courtesan may not notice the small creature clinging to her for dear life, a certain pirate had turned his head at the perfect moment and did. Wasting no time, the man cut a path straight through the crowd and to the young woman who hadn’t realize that anything was amiss.
Baya knew she hadn’t yelled loud enough, she’d practically made sure of it, a small part of her not even wanting the big one she clung to be able to hear her. But he had. Of course he could, bird eared big one had caught her in Desnind too! She was sure her her hands would tear straight through the fabric of the big one as the Tunawa began her desperate climb up the inside of the big ones shirt but the leather had no give. It wouldn’t help though, he had probably seen her too, unable to hide on leather, not with her hair. Desperate Baya reached for the cloak brushing against the big one then made to scurry up that instead. At least there was no need to be quiet anymore!
“Hey! Hey you is running now! Should run!” She called from within the cloak but she couldn’t see the dreaded pirate already approach/ Baya wasn’t even sure the big one could hear her with the cloak smacking her in the face as she climbed and muffling her words. she tried to crawl faster to be able to poke her head out of the top clasp but that brought regret because her yellow gaze locked with O’leon. Her head ducked back down and she cursed colorfully and hoped the woman just kept walking and ignored her and the pirate. “Farking fire fight with a bird droppings pirate, Moseke help me.”
What seemed like faster than half a trill he was standing directly in front of them. The look on his face was familiar and Baya felt a tightening in her spine that wasn’t necessarily courage as she buried her face in the big ones cloak and clung. Her fingers break off before she let go of the fabric.
“Stop!” O'leon snarled in front of the Tunawa, well, the female big one but his angered gaze was locked directly with her chest, “Come out of there you little—“
“No! No!” Baya whispered and shook her head, not even bothering to come out and knowing the pirate probably couldn’t actually hear the refusal. Though maybe he could hear the soft high chatter from the shirt. Potentially both big ones could, “I’m not getting on the boat, no fire, no boat. No, no, no.”
“Woman, give me the stick on your cloak.” He hissed darkly, though he made no move to actually touch the big one. He wasn’t stupid enough to cause a bigger scene, especially not one involving a female big one, “I threw it…by accident, just give it here.”
Last edited by Baya on Mon Jul 17, 2017 3:24 am, edited 1 time in total. word count: 442
It was only when the little creature reached the top of the cloak that Veyre paused. Her head turned to scan her surroundings a few times, trying to find where the sound came from. It took her a moment later to look down and saw something perched on the clasp of her cloak. At first she thought it was a piece of wood. Then the courtesan saw the little thing moved and started mumbling in a language she did not recognize.
Ah, Veyre had only read about such creatures before. What were they called again?... Tunawa? “Who are you?” It had told her to run, but why?
Her answer came mere trills later. A rough looking man came barreling towards her. Veyre had seen enough pirates to recognize one. At the sight of him, the little creature seemed to shrink even more and hid behind the folds of her cloak.
“Woman, give me the stick on your cloak.”
Veyre’s first instinct was to simply give the man what he wanted and get on with it. Nothing could come from her meddling in the middle of their business. It was a heartbeat later that the dark whispering of an immortal offered her a more interesting suggestion. It had been a while she had done a deed
It shouldn’t be too difficult. From the way he was glaring at her, Veyre could see that the man was bad-tempered. Angering should be simple. Her eyes rested warily at the sword strapped to his waist. She needed to be careful for violence flare easily around here.
“I threw it…by accident, just give it here.”
Veyre only stopped briefly to give that man a glance. “I am sorry I don’t quite understand what you mean and I’m in a hurry. Hope you find what it was you’re looking for.” With a duck of her head, the young woman slipped back right into the crowd. She would need to get close to the Siren’s if she was to make some trouble.
The young woman spared a glance back before returning her attention back to the unexpected passenger. “You don’t want to go back with him, I assume?”
“Am Baya.” She whispered fearfully from the cloak then with a bit more courage and only a bit louder, “Am Tunawa not stick, owl pelleted pirate!”
O’leon was not impressed if his face was any indication, and it was the only look Baya seen right before it twisted into irritation. Though she couldn’t see behind her Baya had no doubt he’d pursue them until he got what he wanted. Hadn’t she given him enough things? Why should he need more? Maybe she could just give him some more but…she didn’t want to. He wasn’t a nice person, he didn’t deserve her herbs and he’d only use them to do nasty things anyway.
Gratefully Baya leaned back to try and look at the big one she’d hitched a ride on, “No. No go back with O’leon. Is bad. O’leon is bad. Need get safe, he has fires.”
And she remembered the fires well. Bright red and too close to her cage, too warm, too loud with its cracking and popping like it was telling her how it would devour her. The Tunawa shivered and burrowed as much as possible into the cloak. The big one had not offered for her to move and she was afraid she’d fall if she let go for even a bit. And one fall was all it would take for her to get caught.
“We is going to hiding place? Yes?” Baya asked nervously as they walked, walking wouldn’t stop them from getting caught now that he had seen them both. Though she wondered how big ones hid anyway, they were far too large to hid easily like she could but the thought was cut off by a calm shout behind them. It wasn't as loud as a true shout of dismay but it was a clear warning. He wasn't going to just let them slip away.
“She’s a thief, she has my walking stick in her cloak!”
The pirates voice rang in her ears so loud Baya felt sick. Now she was getting the female big one in trouble. But she couldn’t bring her fingers to let go of the fabric. All she could find it in herself to do was whisper out small apologies, “Am sorrys.”
OOC
So, OOC I'm not intending to get the Elements involved or anything by O'leon "yelling" that so do with it what you will.
So, the creature had a name. Baya. With another glance back, Veyre spotted the pirate trying push his way through the crowd. He certainly looked angry enough. She did not bother introduce herself just yet. They would have time for that later. For now she had the advantage at least, her slender body allowing to slip through the streets faster.
“No. No go back with O’leon. Is bad. O’leon is bad. Need get safe, he has fires.”
Clearly, Baya was afraid of this pirate, but Veyre wondered what made him so insistent in tracking her down. Maybe the Tunawa was a pet of some kind? Or she had maybe taken something from him?
Before the courtesan could question her, a deep voice boomed from behind them. “She’s a thief, she has my walking stick in her cloak!”
Veyre cursed under her breath as she heard the man’s accusation, but barely gave him another look. She shrugged at Baya’s apology. If this was any other city, there would probably quite some law-abiding citizens eager to help O’leon catch his accused thief. Fortunately it was Almund, one of the more nefarious places in Scalvoris, and its citizens were less inclined to trouble themselves on such matters. Besides, the man had only yelled that someone stole from him – not quite specific for anyone to pin her down just yet. Running would have made her too easy to spot, so the young woman kept her pace, quickening ever so slightly.
A long time ago, the young woman had learned the basics of defending herself, but she doubted that would let her last long against someone of O’leon’s size. Her best chance was to reach the Siren’s and seek refuge there. Three more turns and she would be there.
“You better move over a bit,” the courtesan warned mildly.
The young woman turned abruptly around a corner, taking advantage of Almund’s rather complicated streets. With a swift movement, Veyre took off her cloak after making sure that the Tunawa was not in the way. She bundled it up in her arms, making sure it wasn’t visible from anyone who might be looking at her from behind. Her hood should have covered most of her face earlier and Veyre doubted that the man could recognize her with ease. Especially now that she was walking around as a redheaded woman with tight leather clothing and bare shoulders. The only downside for her decision was the glances that were soon shot her way.
Gesturing at for Baya to perch on her arm, Veyre said, “You should stay out of sight.”
Even in the midst of everything Baya could not help the protest that rose to her lips loudly, “Am not a thief! You is thief, is…is thief of other big ones!”
But any courage with the phrase flew out the window when the big one she was riding spoke, would she drop her now? Not on purpose it seemed but Baya struggled to grip the tight fabric as the big one took off her cloak. They ached and a part of her thought if she let go of it, she could still maybe get lost in the crowd. That hadn’t worked the last time though. She couldn’t help but gratefully cling to the offered arm. It was a lot easier than the clothes.
“Where go?” She called up as they breezed through the crowd, “Is still following.”
But the Tunawa wasn’t sure he was following them anymore, she could swear she seen him not far behind but his eyes didn’t instantly pick her out from the big ones now. It eased the tight sensation in her chest just enough for her shoulders to drop a fraction. The sensation crept right back up though at all the stares, eyes drawing to them, making them noticeable within the crowd. Baya pressed herself farther into the big ones arm, thinking they stared at her, that they’d point her out to O’leon but her eyes followed their gaze to…oh. They weren’t looking at her at all were they?
“Is you being…known?” Had she accidentally hitched a ride on some well-known person? That could be helpful. A well-known person could maybe help her make sure he couldn’t put her back on the boat.
“Did you see a woman with a cloak? Its my fiance.” Baya tensed at the pirates voice, so close by them but he hadn’t seen them. Yet.
“Is we in hiding place yet?” Baya muttered, trying not to sound ungrateful but she wasn’t sure she managed.
