by Nayt on Fri Jul 24, 2009 3:54 am
Mandaz: Everett mumbled obscenities to herself as she released Daniel from her berating. She was fuming, livid, so mad she could barely see straight. She really didn’t want to be traveling with this buffoon for one more second, let alone an entire day. Instead she gathered up her sword, folded her arms and began her journey down the road, following in the merchant’s tracks. Weather Daniel would follow or not was up to him. She certainly would not be speaking to him for the rest of the journey.
Nathan Knapp: Awkwardly, Daniel scratched the back of his head. He was a little nervous, now; she seemed to get this way sometimes, really upset with him for no good reason! But maybe that would change someday, if they traveled together long enough! Maybe . . . or maybe not. Daniel glanced back to her, and he couldn't help but notice that she practically didn't even want to look at him, let alone say anything. That was disappointing. It made a long walk like this easier when there was someone to actually talk to-- and when Everett was being reasonable, she was good company. The thought made Daniel think back, far back-- throughout their whole time together, had she actually been reasonable? Like, ever?
Aww, damnit.
And then silence persisted. For hours upon hours, there were no words between them, with Daniel, on his end, constantly trying to think of something to say, and always failing-- at least until they stumbled upon something by complete accident: the place those merchants were heading towards. Just over a hill, still on the path that cut through a rolling plain, was a village-- and a fairly expansive one at that. Houses lined up together for miles, clumped together to look like a block, with roads cutting between all these blocks of houses-- but first, right over the hill, there was something to catch the attention of all those coming to the city from this road, which seemed to be one of few access roads to it: a tavern? Or perhaps an inn? Both, more than likely! It was a tall wooden structure, pleasant and inviting, with patches of flowers, like gardens, all specifically placed in the front of it all. Daniel stopped as soon as he saw it.
"Oi, Everett, do you have any change?" he asked, having already forgotten that she wasn't talking to him.
Mandaz: Everett was perfectly content with not talking throughout their journey. In fact it gave her plenty of time to think and calm her mind. She could hear the birds sing, the trees rustle in the wind, the dirt clump under their feet. It was so peaceful it was maddening. The only time she got a bit of relieve for the defining silence was when Daniel attempted to speak to her. That just amused the sadistic little angel, more than anything, and decided to keep up her silent treatment just to spite him. She would never admit that his voice was actually pleasant, even if it was in a twisted sort of way.
When they happened upon the town Everett was both excited and nervous. They certainly didn’t have enough funds to afford staying in a lavish town as this. All hopes of sleeping safely and comfortably for an evening were dashed by the realization of their very very poor status. Everett’s pockets were empty, and neither of them had any supplies that they could part with to sell. She shot Daniel a nasty look as he asked her about the very subject she was fretting about and with her nose in the air stepped into the sturdy wooden building.
Nathan Knapp: Daniel stared at her inquisitively the entire time, just waiting for a verbal response, but he never got one. All he got was a glare and nothing more.
"oI-- uh . . . guess not?" Daniel asked with a sigh.
He sulked with his shoulders for a moment, before checking his own pockets. Okay, he had a little bit of money. Not really enough to afford anything too expensive. Maybe a couple of drinks and a room, at best-- a room at a cheap place. He fumbled around with the silver coins in his pocket. Yeah-- yeah, he only had enough for a couple of drinks and a room. They were going to have to find some sort of job in this town if they were going to make it much further. Without money, they weren't going to get any supplies, and they were almost out of food. Just a couple loafs of bread left. Not enough to carry them for any length of time.
"Oi, maybe we should--" Daniel was about to suggest the idea of a temporary job, but Everett wasn't even there anymore.
She'd already entered the tavern. Again, Daniel sighed, and without a second thought, opened the door and set foot inside. It was a big place, a wide open place with a large collection of tables and a large collection of people. Some were the merchants he saw earlier. Hey, I was right. There was a bar on the far right side of the main room, with a door behind it leading to a kitchen. Next to the bar, right against the far wall, there was a staircase, likely to rooms for patrons to stay.
Daniel quickly caught up with Everett, and a little nervous, initially, within a crowd, he whispered, "Hey, do you want something to drink? oI got enough change for a couple of drinks and a room."
Daniel was one to voice his thoughts just as he narrated them in his head, too. Not quite the creative type!
Mandaz: So Daniel had money? Was he keeping out on her? Everett was under the assumption they were dirt poor. Come to think of it, she could recall hearing coins jingle in Daniel’s pockets while they walked. That sneaky crook had savings that she didn’t know about?! Some teammate he proved to be, keeping secrets. She folded her arms and shook her head. He wasn’t going to win her over with bribes so easily. Everett had an iron will.
Nathan Knapp: "Uh . . . er . . ." Daniel glanced around awkwardly. Someone was talking nearby, and he couldn't help but overhear them.
"Did you see him?" One man asked.
"No, but I heard about him."
"I saw him."
"Really?"
"Yes-- yes, he looked like some kind of . . . some kind of monster."
"So I heard. What did you see?"
"Claws! And it was like he was chewing on them, too-- like-- like he was still eating something. Or someone!"
Daniel stopped listening in. That sounded kind of frivilous and unimportant, as far as their current situation was going. They didn't have enough money left to keep on going, and seriously needed to make some more. Daniel reached into his pocket. He had only four silver coins-- that was all. Two for a couple of drinks, and two for a room-- if this place was cheap, that is. He took out three, and without worry, handed them to Everett.
"Seriously, get some water or something, we've been walking all day. And two's for a room," he felt he should add that. "Anyways, oI koind of need to talk to you, so, uh, let's order something to drink and talk over there."
Mandaz: Everett stayed ever stubborn with her arms folded and her mind of fin the clouds. Until, that is, Daniel’s tone became very serious and sincere. They had been walking for a while; he must have had her health in mind. His forcefulness was…sweet in a way. Maybe Everett had been a little too rough on him. They were in a town now, and Daniel had certainly taken enough initiative to see that they could stay here. She was touched, but did not show it outwardly. Instead she swiped up the money and quickly folded her arms again, nodding to Daniel and she felt the coins warm her palm.
“All right.” She said finally, turning her nose up to him immediately afterwards so he would know she was still miffed with him. Albeit only on the outside. “Water’s just fine.”
Nathan Knapp: "Okay," Daniel nodded and started towards the nearest table.
It seemed people were being served here. Daniel had seen others seat themselves, after which a waitress came by, provided a slip of paper, and took his order. Seemed fair enough, so he tried it. And indeed, a waitress came by not a minute later. Oddly enough, she didn't look much older than Daniel and Everett. She might have been a little closer to Daniel's age, but she definitely wasn't older than him, or even exactly his age. Looked like she had a good job, too. Cute girl, must've gotten a lot of tips, and was able to just wear this speggitti strap shirt and a short skirt and get away with that sort of thing. The short skirt might have been the only thing to provide a remote sense of sex appeal, which probably didn't matter most of the other customers. They ordered waters, which were provided rather quickly.
Soon after, the two were alone.
"Okay-- so, uh, oI was thinking as we got here-- we really don't have much money. Loike, uh, this is the last of it, and we only have two loafs of bread left," Daniel trailed off, before muttering-- in hopes that Everett might not be put off by the idea, but knowing that she probably was going to be --"We should really get some temporary jobs whoile we're here . . ."
Mandaz: “You’re kidding.” She said on a whisper. “Just two? I could have sworn we had more. This isn’t good.”
She held her chin in thought, really not liking Daniel’s idea of finding work, especially after seeing that waitress. Everett could only picture herself in that outfit, waiting tables. It was degrading and she would most certainly be fire for killing someone. It was only responsible for her not to work. The logic was sound. Everett shook her head.
“There’s got to be some other way. Before I met you I hunted my own food and slept in the trees. I’m sure I could go back to doing it again, that is, if you can keep up.”
She held a smug smile on the outside, but a scream resonated through her brain. She really REALLY did not want to go back to hunting and gathering and sleeping in those, nasty, uncomfortable trees. That was just about as degrading as being a waitress. Everett could admit to herself that she had been spoiled by beds and well cooked meals, but admitting that to Daniel would be an entirely different matter.
“Because there is no way you’re going to get me to do her job.” She whispered, gesturing to the waitress Daniel ogled. “Not in a millennia.”
Nathan Knapp: Daniel took the whole hunting and gathering thing as a joke. Maybe he shouldn't have, but he couldn't help it. He couldn't see himself hunting for food. What, was he going to stalk down a deer and kill it with his bare hands? Or maybe a bunny? A poor, soft, cute little bunny? That was just cruel. Way too cruel for him to even try.
"Aw, come on-- whot if they're hiring?" Daniel asked.
For once, it had nothing to do with his own want to see her in a revealing outfit-- a want which he in no way, shape, or form, was ever going to let her, or anyone else, in on. This time, it was a matter of necessity.
"There's tips involved, which is seriously a lot of cash! It's not a bad dress code or anything, either. Here, oI'll ask--" Daniel leaned back for a moment, without giving Everett a chance to stop him, and motioned for a waitress.
She wasn't their waitress or anything, but that was fine. What was especially okay about it was that she looked no older than Everett. She was a Cizokian girl, with this shoulder length purple-is-black hair. Kind of made her stand out a little-- and she had to be Everett's age. She just had to be. They were about as tall as each other, and probably just as developed. And she managed to get a job here.
"Yes, sir?" the girl asked softly as she stopped at Daniel's table.
"Hey, uh, is your boss looking for work at all?"
"O-oh-- y-yes, um-- h-he gets a lot of people li-like me," she replied; the girl sounded a little nervous. Weird. "He s-sort of thrives on travellers."
"That's what oI thought. Thanks," Daniel then leveled his gaze on Everett.
Seemed like this opportunity came out of nowhere, fast. And he couldn't possibly turn it down. No, if he had nice legs and was sans the obvious issue of being a male, he wouldn't turn it down at all. The job came with tips and, at the very least, the Cizokian girl was a temp. Daniel didn't say anything, but looked at Everett expectantly, hoping she'd be tempted by the idea.
Mandaz: “No no no NO!” Everett whispered with violent urgency, she tried to grab for him as quickly as possible, but the deed was done and he was already talking to another waitress.
If Everett didn’t know any better she’d assume he was just doing this so he could talk to more pretty waitresses. She flushed furiously in her seat, arms folded, eyes staring holes into the table below. When Daniel looked to see her reaction she shot that same look at him, then she grabbed the sheath of her sword and held it in one hand, letting it pound the ground with authority and a loud ‘Thunk’. She held it like a cane in its sheath and continued to glare at Daniel, silently threatening his life.
“Why Daniel” she calmly and sweetly spoke as her knuckled turned white on zweihandar’s sheath. “I think this would be a great job for you to try!”
Nathan Knapp: "Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh . . . . uh . . . heh . . . heh . . ." Daniel fumbled nervously, trying to think of something to say here.
Maybe this was not, in fact, the best job for Everett-- but bloody hell, they needed some money if they were going to continue surviving from town to town, and keep on searching for information. Everett was looking for a particular someone. Who, Daniel didn't really know just yet, but it was someone, and sometimes people didn't talk until they were paid to. Or beaten to a bloody pulp, but if there was so much as a torch nearby, Everett probably wasn't going to go that route. Or if the person was four times her size, maybe. Daniel liked to think she'd have him there, at the very least, to back her up in such a situation-- what was I thinking about, again? Jobs. They needed jobs. Oh, right! It was then that he overheard those two merchants again . . .
"God, that monster-- all these stories about him, really been scaring people off."
"Yeah, I hear you. My sales have really dropped."
"I'd pay for someone to just . . . run him off or something!"
Daniel's nervousness faded, replaced, instead, but utter confidence. "Actually, oI already got a job lined up."
Now's the time to make a break for it. Three, two, one-- go! Daniel would take a final gulp of his water before sliding the chair back and standing up. He tried not to make it seem urgent, but he needed to bail, for the time being, before Everett tried to cut him in half or something.
"Good luck with the tables!" Daniel announced triumphantly before sliding away, off into crowd-- off to sit at another table, and strike up a good deal . . .
Mandaz: “What. WHAT?” Everett stood up, fully prepared to draw zweihandar and scare Daniel into a miniskirt.
However the place was very crowded. She knew just holding the sword probably made some uneasy, drawing it would get her kicked out, maybe arrested, or worse…stuck with a fine. With only two coins left in her hand she didn’t that that would go well. So she lost Daniel in the crowd, and fumed once more. She should have never resumed talking to him. All he did was cause trouble. Everett’s cheeks flushed bright red as her face contorted into a nasty, angry look. Zweihander nearly cried under her grip. The only thing left to do now was face the music.
“I’d…I’d like a job please.” She grunted through her clenched teeth.
Nathan Knapp: Crazy story. Apparently, there was this kid that was hanging around the city. A few people had seen him in the city, and described him as some sort of creeper. A dirty, depraved little creeper. Some even talked about him like he was some sort of monster. Apparently, one of the merchants at the table once reported to the police that some creeper was stealing food out of his garbage. He didn't appreciate it, and nor did the local militia, but no one caught him or anything. Most people were put off by his general existence. The town had a lot of people, though, and Daniel could understand how someone could make like a bandit with leftover food, all thrown out in the trash and the like. As far as Daniel had been told, this person was supposed to be some sort of monster-- yeah. Not a person at all, just some monster, creeping through town at night, stealing food, getting drink where ever he could. As the merchants had put it, it was only a matter of time before he started preying on the hapless citizens-- if he hadn't already!
And Daniel boasted himself up good enough to attract their attention. He called himself a monster hunter, boasting all these skills with a blade. They asked where he kept his sword-- and he just motioned towards the girl looking for a job, citing, "oI have my patsy carry it for me. She overcharges, but it's not loike oI'm in want of money or anything." They were dutifully impressed! The girl was toting around a pretty hefty sword, after all. Daniel scored the job without a doubt. He even got to name his own price. Well, while keeping up with the whole story and all-- so he didn't go too high. Twenty gold coins. Twenty gold coins! Just to go slay some monster-- not even a big monster, either. They way they described him, he wasn't much bigger than Daniel, if that. It was going to be a cake-walk.
Hell, maybe it was a shade. Wouldn't that be some shit? He'd fought so many of those in his life, it was almost second nature for him. And if he couldn't take one down alone, or there were too many to risk it, he could always get to a flat surface-- and at that point, they didn't stand a chance. Few things did, as far as he knew. Everytime he had a wide space, covering a flat area, he'd gone undefeated. It was the best possible scenario for him-- a place where he could be as agile as he absolutely needed to be, and utilize hit and run tactics as needed, to the point that he could go unharmed for an entire battle, and wear his opponent down 'til they couldn't fight back anymore. Incidentally, this was the only thing Daniel could ever boast about without lying or even remotely stretching the truth. But that was a different story . . .
And so, he was off-- off into a forest path, where the monster was said to be seen regularly, during this time of day, when the sun was just going down. It was before evening, so he wasn't supposed to be in town yet, where he could be seen easier when it wasn't dark. But this spot was close to town, a good place to hide out at and hang around for a little while, while waiting for the sun to go down-- so he could go rummage through all the trash and terrorize the people and get away with it scott free! As much as Daniel wanted the money for the job, he was equally not cool with the whole terrorizing villagers stuff. That kind of horse crap did not fly with him. And so, he creaped through the woods just past town, where he'd been told the beast had been seen a few times . . .
"Oi--" Daniel whispered, almost tauntingly, "oi, mister moooonster . . . come out, come out where ever you are . . ."
Mandaz: The woods would seem eerie in this time of twilight. As the sun set over the canopy of trees, the wind would pick up and rustle new and old leaves alike. That very wind carried a chill with is, catching the finest hairs on a human arm to make them stand stiff. The forest was a living thing. Everything breathed and moved, not just the monster that Daniel sought. Even the flight of a bird sent a motion of other noises and movements. But when it calmed, the stillness was worse. Without the wind pushing the air it would seem thick and suffocating. Quiet yet anything but peaceful. Another rustle. Possibly another bird? But this sound was that of a trotting on the soil below. Footsteps. Hurried ones. Running from the voice of the hunter instead of towards it.
The beast would not be swayed by Daniel’s taunts. Such a creature wanted nothing to do with the likes of him. If he was diligent enough, Daniel would find a mess of footprints behind the brush. All twisted together in all different directions. As if the creature was unsure about its path. Or nervous. Or anxious. But knowing Daniel he probably wouldn’t notice them, and just follow the noises of running and panting breath. Deeper and deeper into the woods. As the sun set, the shadows increased, making every sight seem like another creature out for Daniel’s throat. Perhaps the monster relied on this to shake the hunter into giving up the chase. For the beast would finally stop at a clearing.
If Daniel continued to give chase, it would hide. If not, it was safe in it’s home of collected trash items for another day.
Nathan Knapp: Indeed, Daniel noticed no footsteps. That was trivial to a man like him. Footsteps could be faked, anyways! Sounds couldn't. All the running, all the breathing, all the rushing through leaves and bushes and brush. It all tipped the hunter to the direction of the monster he sought-- the monster, peace to this town, and twenty gold coins. The instant he heard it move, Daniel, too, was on the move. He could be quick when he wanted to, believe it or not. Everett might have taken him for granted. As dense as he seemed sometimes, he wasn't useless. Not in the slightest. He was, after all, able to save Everett's life, and the lives of an entire community, from a burning building. He could be quick. He didn't need a power for that. He broke into a run, rushing through the brush just as well, consistently running, always racing with long strides. It was unlikely this creature was going to match his stamina, too . . .
Man, this stuff's pretty creepy. He couldn't help but think it. A lot of the brush he was running by, and even the sounds of animals, seemed to have some sort of eerie life to them-- a life that shouldn't have been there. Of course, that made Daniel a little nervous, but such nervousness could always be attended to. All he needed was a weapon. As he continued to pursue the sound of the beast's running and breathing, Daniel reached into his left pocket. The coins he had there weren't ones for spending, without a doubt. He didn't pay attention to the one he drew; it didn't really matter that much, anyways. They all had their uses, it was just a matter of using them accordingly. With a light squeeze on the coin in his left hand, he unveiled the weapon.
These things . . . he didn't need to look at them to know what was what. Once it was out, he felt it-- and felt what it could do. This one-- this chakram blade in his hand, with a thin chakram and a short, thin, yet ornate blade, fashioned much like a drawn breeze, was a particularly special one-- a fairly unorthodox one, at that, but extremely useful. And a little solemn. Daniel frowned a little. As much as he loved this one, it never felt right to hold.
He continued forth, racing up until a clearing-- a clearing that was completely empty. There was no further sound, no monster running, not anymore. Odd. It was a fairly vast clearing, too. Daniel narrowed his eyes, glancing from left to right. He stopped completely; there was no sense in going on. He'd been tailing the monster pretty good for awhile. It hadn't outpaced him by much.
"All roight, mister monster," Daniel declared outright, "oI'm thinkin' that the jig is up. You better come on out, 'fore oI start cutting trees down."
Mandaz: The clearing remained quiet and still. The only inhabitants seemed to be shreds of old fabric tossed about the ground. Some dirty looking pillows. A few bare chicken bones. And an old book or two with some pages missing. Daniel may have gotten the feeling that he was chasing a hobo rather than a monster. A shadow would move to his right, rushing to hide behind another tree while Daniel had his head turned right. He could have led him deeper in the woods, but it seemed not even the monster wanted to travel that far into the darkness. And if the heavy breathing that surrounded the area was a sign of anything, it meant the beast was winded and tired, obviously bested by Daniel. Still it hid from him, jumping behind different trees if Daniel came too close for comfort.
Nathan Knapp: Man, I'm really tired of these hobos. Human hobos are one thing-- but this here's a monster hobo. That's probably, like, ten times worse the hobo. Ugh . . . Daniel had his fair share of experiences with the homeless. Namely a burning building. He saved everyone, got them all out fine-- no lives lost, but they were all pretty crazy, and probably would have tried to kill him were it not for the whole burning building thing. That really put a dent on their relations. Hopefully, saving their lives ensured that they weren't going to come after him or anything. In any case, those were human homeless folk, and they were crazy enough as it is. If those homeless were monsters, well, then there'd be a serious problem on his hands. He would not have saved them, definitely. They would've just eaten him either way! Daniel sighed. This was getting tedious.
He started towards the sound, until it moved elsewhere, darting behind other trees. It was easy to find where it was, though. The beast was breathing so heavy-- Daniel had really done it in. He wasn't even tired, either. Heh, look at me, in tip top shape-- monster got nothing on thi-- OH SHI-- Daniel wasn't looking for a second, one blasted second, and his foot caught on something. It was . . . a book? And his foot got caught on i—SLAM!! He hit the ground face first. He received a face-full of dirt and a direct blow to his pride.
Oh . . . what . . . the . . . hell.
Mandaz: Daniel’s display of heroics was inspiring. The beast watched from the corner of its eye from behind a particularly massive tree. It seemed to happen is slow motion, the fall of a great warrior. When it was over and the dust settled the forest was still again. For mere seconds time seemed to have stopped. Then a burst of laughter came from behind the tree. A roar of childish giggling and guffawing rang out like music in the quiet brush. It came from the monster. For who else inhabited the clearing with Daniel that had the ability to laugh?
Again the beast found itself out of breath, not from running but from sheer hilarity. Daniel would be able to slay his pray now that it was significantly weakened. Although with bad damage to his pride, he might have not been in the best condition to do so. The monster poked its head out from behind the tree to view the fallen hero. Daniel wouldn’t have been able to see it from his position in the dirt, but the creature had what seemed to be a human head. Yes, what features could be seen were human-like in origin, but the eyes, the bridge of the nose, and the ears were all covered in a tangled mess of auburn hair. With an eager sort of laugh the monster pushed itself out from behind the tree and stood to its feet. It was no taller than Everett, really. Maybe a little taller. And it still looked fairly human in origin. It cautiously stepped to the hunter, still a bit weary of the danger of dying. Daniel would see its dirty, bare feet stepping softly towards him, and may have noticed his horribly treated toenails, cut up so badly that dried blood clung to the sides of them. The thing was dressed in dirsty pants two sized too big and a sweater just the same. This may have made the creature look smaller than it actually was, and more pathetic. In fact it would be unfair to continue to call it a creature. It was a boy. Just a dingy little homeless boy that looked a little older than Everett.
“Uhm..h-hey.” The boy called out, kneeling down to the defeated Daniel with concern. “You okay?”
Nathan Knapp: That . . . that hurt. That hurt bad. The beast could have just jumped on him or something! Jumped on him and maybe tried to bite into him or something. Daniel could have deflected that sort of mess. He could have thrown him off, he could have counter-pounced, and he could have used the bottom of the chakram as a weapon against him. That would have been nice. A direct physical attack, Daniel could have defeated. But not this. Not laughter. That was an attack to the pride-- an absolutely uncool attack to his pride! Daniel grit his teeth together momentarily. It was one thing for Everett to kick his pride in the shin and laugh sadistically, but it was another thing for his prey to laugh at him childishly after a mistake like this-- a mistake which couldn't possibly have been a mistake. No, not a mistake at all! The beast must have put that book there on purpose! Daniel murmered to himself as he used his blade to help him stand up. Tricking him like that-- just what was the monster trying to do? This monster that looked like a homeless person-- a homeless person not far off from his age.
"Ugh . . ." Daniel sighed as he brushed himself off, temporarily forgetting about the whole monster thing. The boy's appearance through him off. "Yeah, oI'm foine. Just tripped on my proide, oI'll get over it. But thanks for asking."
He then remembered the job. Oh yeah!
"Wait, whot am I--" Daniel immediately straightened up and pointed the tip of his blade at the beast-- or boy, rather. Sternly he declared: "Oi! What're you terrorizing this town for?!"
Mandaz: It was the beast’s turn to fall in the dirt now. He lost his balance and fell on his backside when the blade was pointed at him. The boy held his breath, and almost immediately started shaking. Daniel had become the hunter again. The thing the boy was trying to avoid. He let his guard down and found himself caught under the blade. He stared up at Daniel, or at least what Daniel could perceive as staring. A good portion of the boy’s face was hidden beneath his hair. At this close distance, the hunter could see the beast’s face a bit better. He was a freckled boy, but what was dirt and what was skin was near impossible to differentiate. He had his mouth held half open, showing a small overbite poking through. Slightly bucked teeth, enough to make him seem innocent.
“I-I-I” the monster began shivering and stuttering. His voice was soft and scared. “I’m I’m not!” he tried to defend himself, but only curled up in a ball and held his arms out in front of him. If he was going to be stabbed, he’d rather his hands take it first. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry! I…don’t hurt me. I didn’t mean it. Whatever I did.”
Nathan Knapp: Daniel narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brow. Man, this is the weakest looking monster I've ever-- wait. This . . . can't possibly be a monster. Instinct demanded that Daniel groan in his mind about having to deal with yet another hobo, as a monster hobo might have been a good change of pace and all, but he couldn't actually bring himself to think about that. For several seconds following the "monster's" pleas, Daniel was completely silent, the tip of his blade still held towards the "monster." He tried to bring himself to speak, and maybe threaten him again, but he couldn't bring himself to even do that much. It was strange. He couldn't bring himself to do anything to this kid, regardless of the stories. At first, he didn't understand, but at a second glance at the boy, he did. What a coincidence, that he'd have this blade out at this time . . .
------
"Hey-- hey, just hold on, you're going to be okay."
The freckles on her cheek were stained and speckled with dirt and blood. She had a worried look in her eyes-- eyes he could barely even see. Her glasses were fogged up and cracked, and her hair was in her face; he could only see the stained freckles on her cheek, her bloody lips, and broken body. For her, he removed her glasses, and brushed the hair out of her eyes. She was beautiful.
------
Daniel lowered the blade. His left arm fell to his side, and his grip loosened. Light flickered and shone upon the oddly shaped weapon, spreading about in a flash, from the chakram to the tip of the blade itself-- and in that flash, it was gone, vanished into thin air, leaving behind a coin in the palm of his hand, a coin no larger than a normal silver coin, or even a collector's coin. On one side, there was a breeze etched into it, what a breeze might look like when it was drawn-- and on the other side, there was a temple. Without a word, Daniel slid the coin into his left pocket.
"That's just not fair," he sighed; this really was a tedious job, "Lookin' helpless loike that."
Mandaz: The boy watched from behind his locks as the weapon disappeared. It couldn’t be seen, but he was wide-eyed in amazement. Once it was safe, the boy continued to stare at Daniel, mouth agape, heaving each breath as if he had just run a marathon. And in a way he had. But it was safe now. Wasn’t it? The so called monster didn’t feel as if he should take his chances with this hero again. He obviously wanted to hurt him. Or at least he had. Whether or not his job was over was still up in the air. So without much else but fear driving the boy, he began to crawl away. He scampered back to his feet and pushed himself forward, trying desperately to run away again. But it didn’t work. He was simply too tired and too underfed. He collapsed again, but stayed down this time, and hid his face in the dirt. If Daniel was going to slay his beast now was the time.
Nathan Knapp: "H-hey, wait a second--" Daniel started as the boy started to crawl away.
He was starting to really feel bad about this, now. This was just a kid, a homeless kid that lost his way or something, and the only thing he could do right about now was sneak around and try and steal food or old objects from garbage cans. He looked fairly malnourished, too. Daniel looked around nervously. This would have been ten times worse if Everett or someone else were here. What would one of them said? A girl would have berated him harshly for mistreating this boy. Though, with another look at him, he couldn't even think of him as a kid. He was malnourished and all, which made him look a little younger, but he looked to be about Daniel's age, really, if not just a year or two younger. They were in the same age group. This was a lot like being a bully, wasn't it? Unfortunately, being a bully didn't feel good at all.
The "monster" wound up falling, too, and hiding his face in the dirt-- face first in the dirt, a lot like Daniel had been just a moment earlier. Again, Daniel looked around nervously. Someone wasn't watching this, right? No one was scrutinizing him or anything, right? Uh . . . damnit. What do I do?
"Uh . . . er . . ." Daniel walked slowly towards him, and would stop once he was next to him-- to help him up, if the boy would let him, "Are you okay?"
Mandaz: The boy waited for the impact. Any sort of blow or sting or cut. He heard Daniel’s advance and winced as if he knew what was coming. As if he’d felt it hit him many times before. But instead of a rough beating there came a light touch. Something so barely there and gentle that the boy hardly registered it. He twisted his head up to see that it was the hunter, tugging him to get back to his feet. He was stunned, and also a little afraid. But very grateful to still be alive. The boy shivered in Daniel’s grip, unsure of how to act. This guy was trying to kill him just moments ago. Now he was helping him to his feet. The boy found his balance and stood, then wiped the bit of dirt off of the lower, uncovered half of his face. He kept his gaze off of Daniel, standing awkwardly before him. He wasn’t sure he should thank him or try to run away again.
“Uh.” He sniffed, really shaken up by the whole ordeal. Not quite crying, but his voice did crack. “Are you…are you going to. To kill me?” he asked straight out. At least if he knew then he could be properly afraid instead of this unsure shit.
Nathan Knapp: "Uh, um-- n-no, no, oI'm not gonna kill you," Daniel replied, "Sorry for, uh-- scarin' you loike that."
What should he say? That it was just a game? That Daniel saw him there, figuring that he looked about the same age, and figured it was time to play some impromptu tag? No, no that wouldn't work at all, but it was awfully tempting. Not the excuse, but the act. He always kind of wanted to do that, just go up to someone, smack them on the shoulder, declare TAG!, and run off. It had the potential for some good times. But no matter, that excuse wasn't going to work here. After all, he had chased the guy down with a sword in hand. That kind of negated the impromptu tag idea pretty quick-like. Well, when all else failed, perhaps it was time to just buck up and tell the truth! Which would have been a great idea, if the truth didn't entail that he was out here as a hunter, being paid to either kill him or run him off. Both no longer seemed like satisfactory things to do-- probably less satisfactory than Everett was with the idea of working as a barmaid. This whole get rich quick scheme fell flat on its face pretty quick-like, quicker than he would have actually gotten rich. Damn you, irony. Irony. Something he learned in school, some school, at some place, at some time-- when, he didn't really know. But this seemed pretty goddamn ironic.
"Sorry, uh-- er . . . oI was told there was a monster out here, and some guys, uh, paid me to come out here and slay it. oI, uh, thought you were it," Daniel trailed off . . .
Mandaz: “O-oh.” The boy said, looking down at his dirty toes. “That’s okay.”
He really wasn’t a bad kid, this hobo. A little dingy, but he seemed to have a sweet side beneath all that grime. He smelled a little awful. Not so much like trash though, like one would expect. No, the scent of ash and burned coal emanated from him, Daniel may start thinking that all hobos smelled like they were once on fire at this rate. The boy sighed a little and crossed his feet together. He looked very nervous and uneasy, or just awkward around another person. The boy stuck his fingers in his mouth, biting at his fingernails that were already whittled down to near nothingness.
“It probably was me.” He admitted to Daniel, spitting out a bit of nail. “Some guys were chasing me the other day. And now you. I guess I’m making a big mess in the town. I should…I should find some place to go before they send more people.”
Nathan Knapp: "Eh? Uh-- oh. Oh, so . . ." Daniel trailed off again.
He was starting to get a little worried before, too. He was thinking, perhaps, that this kid wasn't the monster at all, and that there was still something else on the loose-- something else that was invading the town and terrorizing and stealing. That guess had turned out to be completely wrong. The kid was, in actuality, the "monster" Daniel had been searching for all along. He looked away, again feeling a little awkward. Daniel didn't like to feel as if he were doing a bad thing, and right about now, that was how he felt.
"oI, uh-- oI don't think that," Daniel remarked aloud.
Which was true enough. Daniel brought his hand back and scratched back of his head nervously. Man . . . why's he out here, anyways?
"Oi, uh-- why don't you just swing by a homeless shelter or something? oI mean, you look normal enough. There's got to be a shelter or something in town for you to hang your hat. Not your actual hat, you don't have a hat-- er, uh! Not that it's a problem that you don't have a hat or anything, uh, it's perfectly understandable, sometimes people just don't have enough money to afford a hat! UH-- not that oI mean you're poor or--"
Man, that was dumb even by my standards!
"Uh-- er . . . you know . . ." Daniel trailed off, hoping that, in his mess of jumbled words, he still got a point across.
Mandaz: The boy cracked a small smile at Daniel’s babbling. He liked this guy when he wasn’t trying to kill him. He made him laugh and he sounded like he genuinely cared about his well being. That was something new. The monster boy didn’t quite know how to handle the feeling of someone concerned for him. It felt a little good to know that someone wished him well. The former hunter was a little scary, but the boy was quickly warming up to him.
“I don’t think I belong there.” The boy said flat out. “I think I’m looking for something. And I know I don’t wanna stay in one place for too long. Cause I got this feelin’ that what I’m lookin’ for will just get farther away.”
Nathan Knapp: "E-eh?"
That sounded awfully familiar. Looking for something, or maybe for someone-- that sounded way too familiar. Everett. She was looking for someone. Who, Daniel never knew. She never told him, really. She didn't like to talk about it. Maybe she didn't even know who it is, only that the black feathers had something to do with him. She wanted to keep moving, or else she might lose his trail-- if they were even on his trail. So, Daniel kept moving with her. Even if he wanted to sit down for a little while, and maybe rest somewhere for a few days, that wasn't what Everett wanted-- so Daniel refrained. He didn't even bother to ask if it was a good idea. She was against it, she wanted to keep moving, so they were going to keep moving. They were going to keep moving until she couldn't move anymore, and then maybe Daniel would carry her for a little while longer.
And then . . . Daniel. He, too, was looking for something. At least, he felt like he was. What, he didn't know. What or who . . . it didn't feel like it mattered. It just felt like there was something out there. Maybe he was just chasing his memories down, memories he kept on losing with every passing day.
"oI think I know how you feel."
Mandaz: “Really?” The boy popped his head up. Staring at Daniel with a newfound respect. “I sorta don’t know what. All I know is that I’m here for a reason. I gotta be. So I better well find that reason!”
The boy gave a wide smile, something that seemed to brighten up his freckled face. Daniel’s company was less and less intimidating by the second and more desired.
“To be honest with you, I haven’t really got anywhere. I kinda don’t know where to go. And…and I don’t talk to many people. In fact I think you’re the first guy to have a real conversation with me. Am I uhh….am I doing it right?” the boy was becoming more comfortable and giddy. Like a lost puppy who’d just found a friend. If he had a tail he’d wag it happily. It was a good feeling; not being alone.
Nathan Knapp: "Uh-- yeah, yeah, you're doing foine," Daniel replied awkwardly.
He couldn't help but see the similarity between them. Daniel scratched the back of his head, and this time, he couldn't stop himself from chuckling slightly. This was still kind of weird, though. As far as the circumstances went, here he was, supposed to hunt this guy down and either run him out of town or kill him, and he wasn't doing either. In fact, he was just chatting it up with him, and now even laughing with him! Daniel had been in some strange situations before, but not quite like this. He was curious, too. How long had the boy been hanging around this place, stealing from trash cans and the like? And working up quite the collection, at that, including that dastardly book that took Daniel out without the slightest bit of difficulty.
"How long have you been here, anyways?" Daniel asked as he stepped back, to accurately see the collection that the boy had made for himself. He must have been here for awhile, longer than a few days, at least. "Just . . . rummaging around loike this?"
Mandaz: “How long?” he repeated, taken back by the question.
Now he was forced to actually think about it. He busted out his chewed up fingers for this. Days seemed to flow together on his sleep schedule. But he was sure he could figure it out.
“Couldn’a been more than a week.” He said, counting off his fingers. “Yeah, ‘bout a week.” He nodded. “That’s just in this place though. I’ve been wanderin’ around for a while. A long while. More than I can count on my fingers and toes and then some.”
He showed off his ten bitten fingers and wriggled his ten nasty toes to demonstrate.
“I have no idea. I don’t mind it though. This world is a really pretty place.”
One would wonder if he could even see anything out of that mess of hair, but he obviously got along fine with his auburn curtain.
“What about you, huh? How long you been huntin’ monsters mister…?”
Nathan Knapp: A week, huh? Well, that seemed about right. He had enough stuff; if he had been rummaging through town every night looking for food and the like, he was bound to come out with quite a lot of useless junk in a week's time. But sometimes, something useless to one person meant the world to another! This kid might well have been the perfect example of that, officially. Like that goddamn book. Who was going to read that? Honestly. And he found a good use for that, in the form of a trap.
"Uh, er, well . . . just, uh . . . heh . . . heh . . ." Daniel laughed nervously. "First day on the job!"
Well, that was a little embarrassing. Fortunately, he hadn't talked himself up to this kid. If he had, well, admitting this would have been twenty times more embarrassing. Now, it was a little embarrassing, as it meant he was admitting that he'd basically run headlong into a situation he knew absolutely nothing about. Hunting monsters . . . it was all a sham, just a good way to try and make some money today. Money for, well, existing in general.
"oI overheard someone up in this bar place, talking about wantin' to pay someone to get rid of this monster thing. So oI took the job. See, this girl and oI, we've been travelin' around for awhoile. oI'm not really sure just 'ow long anymore. Prolly a few weeks, maybe a couple'o months, I dunno. But we're koind of out of cash, so we needed to try and foind a way to make some money, 'else we ain't getting anywhere, and we don't really want to stop for any length'a toime either, you know whot oI mean?" When he explained, though, it sounded a lot less embarrassing. That was most fortunate!
Mandaz: “Uh-huh. Uh-huh.” He followed along best he could with the boy’s story and accent, bobbing his head up and down to show that he was at least hearing what was being said. He thought about the words in his head, trying to understand the story fully.
It was then he came to a serious realization.
“Wait. So…you were counting….counting on the bounty on my head to help fund your travels. And I sorta…I sorta screwed that up, didn’t i?” The boy went back to looking at his feet again. His tone dropped significantly in happiness. “So…uhm. I’m sorry. For not bein’ that good of a monster for you to kill.”
Nathan Knapp: "Uh, er, well--" maybe a little-- wait a second! "No, no-- oI didn't mean that."
Shit, now he's sad again. A tedious job, indeed! But Daniel couldn't fault the guy. He must have been through a lot, with all these people hunting him, and him not really understanding why. Especially since they were calling him a monster, when he really wasn't a monster at all. That was actually kind of sad, when Daniel thought about it. It was pretty cruel for people to call someone like this a monster, when he was just a normal kid, normal like any other adolescent boy.
Actually, that gave Daniel an idea.
"Heeeeeeeey," he said with a sly smile, as he put his hand upon his fellow's shoulder, "You could actually help me out a ton. Wanna? oI'll split the earnings, 10 to 10."
Mandaz: “What really?” the boy said eagerly.
Now things were getting exciting. Not only had he had his first real conversation, he was about to make his first deal with someone. This was just too cool. The boy bounced a little on his feet and nodded furiously. “Yeah, man! Sure!” he exclaimed.
“What do I gotta do, huh?”
Nathan Knapp: "Yeah-- here, walk with me," Daniel declared as he wrapped his arm around the boy's shoulder and started to walk.
He was planning on heading back to the tavern, of course, but not to turn his fellow in or anything like that. Daniel might tell lies here and there, but he wasn't the type to screw someone over for his own benefit. Besides, he wouldn't be able to pay the boy his ten gold coins if he wound up turning him in. No, that whole idea just wouldn't do, not-- at-- all! As they walked, Daniel conveyed to him the plan he had in mind. It was all logically sound, too, the way he figured it. Everyone was going to be happy in the end. Hopefully. If all went well, there'd be no more worries.
"See, they paid me to either run you out or kill you, roight?"
Daniel paused a moment to pick up that book-- that motherfucking book. He refrained from brushing it off; it needed to be dirty. Again, he went back to walking with the boy, side by side, his arm around his shoulders, as a means of being close enough to whisper. It also made it feel a lot like he was being diabolical and all that such.
"Well, if they think we 'ad a foight, and you aren't gonna come back, then oI get paid. And you get paid, too. All you gotta do is tear up this book a li'l, get your bloody fingerpints on it," because the boy's fingers were all scabbed, and would probably bleed if he touched something too hard, "And they're gonna think oI did my job. But the thing is, oI'm not lyin' or anythin'-- 'cause ten gold coins is enough to last you for the next two towns at least. And pretty comfortably, too. So-- you keep on towards your goal, Everett and oI keep on towards our goal, and oI technically ran you outta town, if you know whot oI mean-- so, everyone's happy in the end," which was about the time he should introduce himself. Daniel stopped, let go of him, and held out his right and, "And by the way-- the name's Daniel."
