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Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Jun 7, 2010 0:36:15 GMT -5
The city of Nexus was a quick, vicious city, crawling with petty thieves and criminals who would not hesitate to kill a man over a cross look. And that was in the so-called "safe" districts.
Kalyan had walked these streets, had lived this city all his life. He knew where to stay away from if he valued what little he owned, and he knew where to find rich outsiders who could easily spare a few coins. And when begging proved ineffective, he knew how to pilfer food and quietly disappear into one of the city's many shadows.
He had learned the hard way just how brutal the city could be. And it made him stronger.
The sudden rush of power, the realization that he could do anything he wanted, and the soft feeling of being enveloped by silver light... It was the greatest thing Kalyan had ever felt in his life.
That was just over a month ago.
Now Kalyan crept in the shadows of the city, his eyes flitting from one target to another. The rich were all the same, hoarding their money and spending lavishly on useless luxuries, blind to the plights of the less fortunate. What was a few silver coins to a rich man? Kalyan could take enough money to buy bread and rice for a family for a month, and they would hardly notice the difference.
That was Kalyan's goal today: to collect as much money as he could without being caught, and use it to help those who needed it. It would still hardly make a difference, as poor and downtrodden as most of Nexus was, but it was a start.
And so Kalyan watched, and waited.
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Post by Alex Meriweather on Jun 7, 2010 1:56:17 GMT -5
Caoin thought he was in hiding.
He had tried his best, really: his clothes were genuinely nondescript, neither dirt poor nor rich; he wasn't wearing either of his weapons, or any other distinguishing bits, even his hair being bound up within his cloak-hood; he was alone, he was quiet, and he was following every tip Viala had given him about hiding in plain sight. It wasn't even an entirely unsuccessful attempt, as one's eyes tended to slide past him onto something more interesting, but once his figure was caught hold of, he was clearly a man who should not have been sneaking around in Nexus.
Not much taller than average, a build no more unusual than that of a laborer, but nevertheless he imposed himself on his surroundings like a flamewand scorching stone. He carried himself as a man who had never been given reason to see anyone as his superior, to whom humility may have been a useful experience, but a never a natural state of being. In short, he carried himself like a prince, because even without a kingdom to rule, that was what he was.
He swept through the streets of Nexus, looking for a man with grass for hair.
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Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Jun 7, 2010 2:55:55 GMT -5
Kalyan almost missed the man in the crowd; there was nothing particularly noteworthy about him, at first glance. He was dressed plainly, though he obviously had enough wealth to spare for clean clothing, which was more than Kalyan could claim. But there was something...
The people of Nexus tended to shuffle along quickly with heads down, scarcely taking note of their surroundings. Or they acted as though the city belonged to them, shoving around those weaker than them for the sheer joy of it. They certainly did not stride down the streets of Nexus with head held high, as though nothing in the city could harm them.
There was something Kalyan could not quite name about him, something that made him seem important. He winded though the crowd with effortless grace, keeping the stranger on the edge of his vision.
Then the strange man turned slightly, and Kalyan saw his face. He was decent looking, probably a few years older than Kalyan, and much cleaner than anyone from Nexus, but that was not what caught his attention. He was filled with the sudden, jarring impression that he knew this man.
That was when Kalyan decided his mission could wait. He slipped into the nearest alley, keeping the man in sight.
Moments later, a fuzzy white cat emerged from the alley where Kalyan had disappeared. The cat scampered under the cart of a merchant and trodded up to the stranger. He plopped down in the dirt near him and meowed rather pathetically.
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Post by Alex Meriweather on Jun 7, 2010 3:11:01 GMT -5
Caoin turned his head at the sound, distracted, then looked down. His yellow eyes looked into the cat's, softening instantly.
"Hello there, little fellow," he said quietly. "Such a skinny little thing; are you looking for something?"
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Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Jun 7, 2010 3:48:57 GMT -5
The cat looked up at Caoin, blinking his wide mismatched eyes at the man. He meowed up at him again, then rubbed affectionately against the man's ankles.
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Post by Alex Meriweather on Jun 7, 2010 3:57:06 GMT -5
Caoin glanced around himself, then kneeled down and stroked the little cat's head.
Even living in this squalor, it's friendly... I would hate to abuse its trust by letting it wander around hungry. I wonder if they'll accept "he followed me home" at my age? He smiled down at the cat, then stood up again.
"Would you like food, little fellow?"
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Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Jun 7, 2010 4:42:11 GMT -5
The cat rubbed his head against Caoin's hand, a soft purr rumbling deep his his throat. He meowed in protest when Caoin pulled away. At the mention of food, the cat nuzzled against the man's boots.
It was probably a bit risky to trust him, but Kalyan had a hard time believing that anyone this kind to stray animals was a danger to him. And even so, there were very few things that Kalyan was unable to hold his own against. It occurred to Kalyan that he might have been a Dynast... He didn't know much about them, but he acted rather nonchalant about being in Nexus, which meant he probably thought he could hold his own. Kalyan wondered what could have brought him here.
And, though Kalyan would hate to admit it, he was hungry, and it had been a long time since he had eaten anything other than bread or potatoes. He would travel to Malfeas and back if it meant he could have fish for dinner.
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Post by Alex Meriweather on Jun 7, 2010 5:09:30 GMT -5
He took a step back, looking at the street and back at the cat.
"Here, kitty kitty," he called softly, beckoning and walking backwards for a moment until he was sure the cat was following him. He wasn't quite sure what cats liked- he'd only had hunting hounds as a child, and hunting was no great pleasure of his- but he thought he remembered the cooks feeding them milk. Something in a bowl, anyway.
Come to think of it, he hadn't had anything to eat since the crack of dawn today, and some bacon and cabbage or stew sounded absolutely wonderful right now. He wondered if the kitty would object to him sneaking it in under his cloak.
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Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Jun 7, 2010 5:33:32 GMT -5
The cat padded along softly after him, staying only a few steps behind him. He wondered exactly where they were going.
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Post by Alex Meriweather on Jun 7, 2010 5:45:15 GMT -5
Caoin found a few food vendors after not too long; in Nexus, you were never too far away from someone wanting to sell you things. One was selling spiced meat on a stick, another was selling honeyed apples, and a third was selling flatbreads stuffed with hummus, vegetables, and what seemed to be a staggering variety of sauces for a street vendor. Somewhere on this street, on the other hand, Caoin thought he could smell more meat cooking.
"Hmm." He looked down at the cat and smiled. "You do live around here, don't you? Why don't you pick what's good to eat, and I'll get some for both of us?"
He wasn't entirely sure that the cat wouldn't answer; far stranger things had happened to him.
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Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Jun 7, 2010 5:59:24 GMT -5
Does he seriously expect a cat to answer that? Kalyan wondered. People had a tendency to speak to their pets, but he was acting like he genuinely expected a cat to understand him and answer him.
"Mreeeeow." Kalyan stared up at him and tried to make the meow sound like a question.
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Post by Alex Meriweather on Jun 7, 2010 6:01:26 GMT -5
Caoin laughed. "It was worth a try."
He walked over to the vendor selling spiced meat and bought two nice-sized sticks of what was probably goat; finding a relatively clean wall to sit down beside, he did so, and pulled off a small bit of meat to offer to the cat.
He began to eat his own meal and sighed. Adorable little distractions aside, just walking around didn't seem to get him anywhere, and he wasn't even sure if he was looking for the right man.
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Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Jun 7, 2010 6:10:47 GMT -5
The cat snatched the meat out of Caoin's hand and curled up on the ground near the man, gobbling down the meat in a few bites. It was tough and a bit spicy, like the vender had attempted to cover the sub-par quality of the meat by rolling it in pepper, but Kalyan barely noticed. It was meat, albeit it not very much of it.
When his food was gone, that cat crawled up into Caoin's lap and nuzzled against his stomach.
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Post by Alex Meriweather on Jun 7, 2010 6:28:51 GMT -5
Caoin gave the cat the rest of that stick of meat, nibbling on his own. It was different, at least.
He laughed again and stroked the cat when it hopped into his lap. "I don't know where I would keep you, but I might, if you could stand me." He wasn't sure why he was talking to the cat himself, but he felt a lot of affection for the tiny thing for some reason.
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Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Jun 7, 2010 7:20:24 GMT -5
The cat purred softly and curled up on Caoin's legs, his tail flicking affectionately at the man's arm. He had no delusions about running off with some strange man, not when he had obligations here, and people that depended on him...
But he didn't suppose spending a bit of time with this man would hurt, particularly if it meant getting a bit of free food. And surely it wouldn't eat up that much of his time to pretend to be a stray.
The man was nice, and even it he was just nice to him because he was a cat, Kalyan met very few nice people in Nexus.
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Post by Alex Meriweather on Jun 26, 2010 1:46:03 GMT -5
Such a sweet kitty... perhaps this was a familiar? Viala had mentioned them, creatures a little stronger and smarter than normal that bound themselves to Exalts through some sort of sympathetic resonance, or useful metaphysical hierarchy, or... something occulty, anyway. Caoin had never been much good at that sort of thing. Alternately, it could just be a the most adorable little kitty in the world. He pet the little thing.
Wait, was that...? His hand paused, and he raised his chin. That sounded disturbingly like the sort of clanging metal that accompanied fighting.
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Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Jun 26, 2010 2:04:55 GMT -5
The cat bristled, fur standing on end. Metal on metal -- not a sound Kalyan liked. Oh, sure, he could sneak around the city, and if he wanted to risk a Wyld Hunt, he could probably shapeshift and defend himself. But fighting... Kalyan didn't like fighting unless he had to.
He looked up. "Mreoooow?"
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Post by Alex Meriweather on Jun 26, 2010 2:14:04 GMT -5
Caoin stood up and brushed himself off, casually looking around to see both where the sound might be coming from, and whether someone in authority was dealing with it. This being Nexus, either the answer to the latter was 'no' or those in authority were involved in it to begin with. He took a short, brisk walk down the street, looking behind him to make sure the cat would be all right, then made a short turn into an alleyway to find a couple of dark-robed people proceeding in an attempt to murder a different dark-robed, feminine-looking person and one more normal-looking fellow.
"Excuse me," Caoin said firmly. "Stop that."
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Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Jun 26, 2010 2:23:23 GMT -5
The kitten bounded after Caoin, staying only a few steps behind him. Kalyan didn't like the sounds of this, and he wasn't sure how much he could do, but he wasn't going to let the man who'd just given him food run off and get himself killed. He got the rather distinct impression that the man was a bit too brave for his own good -- which was all well and good anywhere else, but in Nexus? That sort of attitude could get a person killed.
Kalyan hung back in the shadows of the alley. If he needed help, Kalyan had every intention of doing everything he could. And if he handled it on his own...well, it still wouldn't hurt to keep an eye on him.
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Post by Alex Meriweather on Jun 26, 2010 4:03:11 GMT -5
The three in dark cloaks looked at Caoin for a long moment; then, simultaneously, one of the two that were together thought to use this moment for a surprise attack on the other one, and the other one (the woman) decided to take a step out of their way and toss a dagger at Caoin.
Caoin batted it out of the air with one hand, sighed, and stepped forward to disarm the two in most immediate conflict. The woman managed to sidestep him, as well, but the others weren't so fortunate; he grabbed one by the wrist and knocked him into the other hard enough to send them both tumbling to the ground, then turned with preternatural grace to block another dagger.
"Seriously. Stop it."
The group hesitated... long enough to realize that the man in plainclothes had run. The three split up and dashed in different directions; Caoin stepped towards one, then another, then just as he realized he could've thrown something or tripped someone, they were all out of sight. He jogged forward to look down the street- yep. Completely and utterly gone.
Caoin facepalmed. "Well that accomplished nothing at all," he grumbled.
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Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Jun 26, 2010 4:23:13 GMT -5
Kalyan had poised, prepared to shapeshift, and had been seconds away from doing so when he saw the woman pull a dagger. He had been sure the man would be hit.
And then he batted it from the air like it was nothing. He moved with what could only be supernatural ability, and Kalyan wondered, yet again, if maybe this man was Dragon-Blooded. They got plenty of Lookshyans in Nexus, after all, and even a fair number of Dynasts. And he'd never seen a mortal move quite like that.
Unfortunately, he was fairly certain there was nothing that could be done for the man now. Preventing a murder in Nexus was a bit like trying to hold back an avalanche with your bare hands.
Kalyan scampered up to Caoin and looked up at him with wide, curious eyes. He certainly was one of the most interesting strangers he'd met.
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Post by Alex Meriweather on Jun 26, 2010 4:57:35 GMT -5
Caoin's hand slipped from his face, and he found himself staring down at the cat. Had it really followed him this far, and right up to the fighting? It was either very brave or very stupid. He reached down and stroked the cat's head again, then picked him up.
"All right, then. I've accomplished nothing today, so I do henceforth decree that the day is over," he said half-jokingly, scratching the kitty under the chin, "and I am going to hide in my room at least until dinner. You can have a warm bed, plenty of scraps, and... I will call making your life a little easier my accomplishment."
He waited to see if the kitty would struggle, then tugged the cloak over it so that he seemed merely hunched over, and went to find the inn at which he and his remaining retainers were staying.
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Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Jun 26, 2010 5:29:07 GMT -5
Hot food and a warm bed sounded amazing to Kalyan -- he couldn't remember the last time he'd had a warm, safe place to sleep. It was surprisingly easy to like this man, and even more surprising just to find someone so well-meaning in Nexus. He would need Kalyan's help... and Kalyan might be able to make use of him, as well.
Kaylan laid against Caoin and yawned, nuzzling into the warmth. He wondered just how he should go about letting him know that the little stray kitten he picked up off the street was actually a little stray Anathema.
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Post by Alex Meriweather on Jun 27, 2010 1:48:45 GMT -5
The room Caoin had been staying in was definitely not in the districts he had been wandering through, and it was nearly half an hour until he made it back towards the relatively-clean, skilled-laborer and petty-bureaucrat-filled section of the city.
Technically, it was three rooms- one for himself, one for a half-dozen other people that seemed alternately deferential to and protective of him, and a common room between them. Caoin went to his own room first, shut the door, and sat the kitten down on the bed to sniff at things while he changed and washed a little.
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Post by Hitoshi Gilespi on Jun 27, 2010 2:52:36 GMT -5
Kalyan burrowed into the blankets, which smelled of a combination of the man with him--it occurred to Kalyan that he really should learn his name at some point, though he wasn't sure how he would go about that--and something kind of musty. He fought back the temptation to start scratching at everything within reach, though it was really tempting, and jumped down from the bed to poke around the room.
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