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+---- Thread: stray kids (/showthread.php?tid=10432)
stray kids - Nikandr - 12-04-2024
Along one of the many bridges connecting the Bodega's floating market stalls, a crutch - dark wood, polished with use and with a small moth carved near the top - sits propped against the wooden rails. Someone has been kind enough to notice it clattered untidily across the middle of the bridge, moving it out of the way where no one can trip. If they had seen fit to move just a little further, of course, they might have also spotted its owner down on the mossy banks of the river. Alas, that luck is not Niki's today.
He doesn't mind so much currently; it had been a mix of curiosity and an oversight on his part that had caused his fall (and isn't there a platitude about that involving cats?), and he has gotten what he wanted out of it, even if he's also currently stuck on the rocks with his crutch just ever so slightly out of reach. But a small bird hops and flutters about him, heedless of the fact that it has a broken wing and that its tiny skull is half on display. It doesn't seem bothered by it at all, and so neither is Niki.
The water is becoming a small problem, though; as the morning wanes on, the river inevitably begins to rise, and he's forced to prepare for a display of some very unconventional acrobatics to get back onto the bridge.
RE: stray kids - Flora - 12-04-2024
The Bodega is a kaleidoscope of colours and sounds that sweep through the queen's mind in a swift current of nostalgia. Rather than lingering, though, Flora moves through it all, her steps unsteady, her body aching from injuries that will take weeks to properly heal. Still wearing Ronin’s clothes—oversized sweatpants and a worn-out sweater that swallow her frame—there's little she can do about her unruly curls and pale skin other than to comb her hair with her fingers and try and pinch some colour into her cheeks.
A fae vendor gives her an odd look, his eyes flicking over her dishevelled appearance before he nods at her request, rummaging through the baskets behind his stall. Flora leans against the counter, her fingers tracing the edges of a carved wooden box, her gaze drifting to the river below. She closes her eyes for a moment, letting the sounds of the market wash over her—voices calling out, the rustle of fabric, the creak of the wooden platforms—before she blots it all out, wanting only to return back to Jack.
When the vendor returns, Flora pays him with nothing more than a look—she's here to get the ice-man out, after all—before turning to make her way toward the bridge which would lead her back in the direction of the Ark.
RE: stray kids - Nikandr - 12-04-2024
There aren't that many people crossing said bridge, as Flora might well notice given that she's got this stretch of the marketplace almost entirely to herself, and it means that her footsteps stand out quite a bit to Niki as she sets foot onto it. Not particularly wanting to resort to embarrassing (and likely unsuccessful) feats of agility, or hollering loudly like a child until someone comes to assist, he waits for her shadow to almost fall over him before calling out.
[say]"Er - hello?"[/say] As if to assist, the (undead) sparrow he's been playing with swoops up to titter about her, trying to entice her to the railing where the crutch is leaning, and its dark haired owner is sprawled below. [say]"You would not mind handing me that, would you?"[/say] he continues, and should Flora look, she'll spot him pointing to the crutch hopefully.
Dressed in a dark sweater with a heavy coat thrown overtop, he looks almost like a pile of rags that has been tossed onto the riverbank, all pale skin and sharp cheekbones and ill fitting clothing. But he puts on his most cheerful tone, in case that helps at all.
RE: stray kids - Flora - 12-04-2024
Flora's footsteps stall for a moment, and, given that this isn't her region and that she's just come back from the dead, she's fairly inclined to just keep walking. Whoever is calling to her, whatever they're trying to sell, they can take it up with the next person to cross the bridge. It's only because she has to stop to shoo away the sparrow that she notices the face peeping up at her from below, before glancing at the cane he's gesturing to.
Glancing back, taking in the rags, the sharp cheekbones, and the strange accent, Flora raises a brow. [say]"This isn't...some Ludo thing, is it?"[/say] It was Leafchange, in the Greatwood, and the man crumpled up against the rocks below seemed very much like he was trying to play the part of the raggedy herald. [say]"Because I'm a Safrin follower, so I can promise you that this won't end well."[/say] Flora adds, and while she didn't have even an ounce of magic in her body which would let her call down the deity, dying hadn't ruined her ability to bluff.
RE: stray kids - Nikandr - 12-04-2024
[say]"Everything is a Ludo thing, if you consider it for long enough, is it not?"[/say] Niki muses with a slow tilt of his head, having to raise a hand to shield his eyes from the sun as the stranger's head pops up over the rail. Blinking quickly to adjust to the light, he realises that his response might not actually be considered all that helpful, and he clears his throat. [say]"What I mean to say is that I am perfectly human. Just... a little less able to climb than most."[/say]
Tugging his coat to the side a bit to show the mix of leather and metal strapped to his knee, he shrugs to her as if to say whaddaya gonna do. [say]"If you could hand me my crutch I should be able to manage,"[/say] he adds, nodding to it where it still leans against the rail beside her, innocuous as you like. [say]"My name is Nikandr, if that helps. People call me Niki."[/say] Mostly because apparently Nikandr is difficult to say and his accent makes it seem even moreso. But that really isn't the issue here.
RE: stray kids - Flora - 12-04-2024
[say]"??????"[/say] Flora counters, her brows flinching inward as she tries to decide if this boy? man? is lacking in some mental faculty or if he's just a weirdo. [say]"Uhh...huh."[/say] Glancing toward the cane as if expecting it to either confirm or deny his story, the queen looks back to Niki as he repeats his early request, her eyes falling on the glittering metal hugging his leg.
[say]"Oh. Oh shit."[/say] Softening immediately, because #cripples, Flora snatches the cane and immediately moves toward the bank where she can, what? Use her 40+ strength to help him up? Hah, not likely. [say]"Uh...speaking of Ludo...I actually just came back from the dead like 2 days ago? and I still haven't really recovered so..."[/say] Vaguely she gestures down to him, hoping he'll understand why it is she isn't dashing down the mossy slope and yanking him upright.
Slowly, though it's what someone like Niki would probably consider regular speed, the queen makes her way toward him (using his cane for balance, as it happens), before holding it out to him. [say]"I'm Flora."[/say]
RE: stray kids - Nikandr - 12-04-2024
[say]"That is what I said when I fell, yes,"[/say] Niki quips. Oh shit, that is. Helpfully levering himself up as best he can to give her room to manoeuvre and pass him the crutch, as she continues he almost has to do a - yep - doubletake, the boy blinking at her as if she's just said she eats dragons for breakfast. [say]"You came back from the dead?"[/say] he repeats. [say]"How did you manage that? Magical means, I assume."[/say] Speaking of which, if Flora does care to notice, she'll spot that the sparrow has now become little more than a regular corpse on the bridge (again).
[say]"Thank you,"[/say] he adds, accepting the crutch and immediately putting it to use in getting himself more or less standing on the rocks. [say]"It is a pleasure to meet you, Flora. Even more so when we are off this riverbank."[/say] So saying, he's already heading back for the bridge now that he has the extra balance he needs, his free hand reaching for the rail as soon as it's close enough.
RE: stray kids - Flora - 12-04-2024
Flora, who is used to people (men) looking at her the way Niki just did, merely shruygs and nods. [say]"My dad can bring people back."[/say] She says wearily. Sadly for Niki, the queen isn't at all interested in the half-lives of his creations, having immediately forgotten about the swallow the moment it disappeared from her field of view.
[say]"Yeah, you too."[/say] Following behind him, without the aid of his crutch to help her, Flora finds herself slipping forward as her foot catches on a particularly soft bit of moss. Falling forward hard onto her knee, the queen's gasp of pain is indicative of her still lingering injuries rather than just a lower tolerance for pain, and the way her shoulder rings out as if to announce that she'd fucked up, was far from helpful.
Biting back both tears and another moan, Flora digs her fingernails into the grass, using the tangled weeds to help pull her up as she'd done when she was significantly younger. Panting as she reaches the pathway, the queen flops gracelessly down, leaning against the bridge and letting her eyes fall closed as she works to catch her breath.
RE: stray kids - Nikandr - 12-04-2024
[say]"Fascinating,"[/say] Niki muses, not at all put off by Flora's weariness and glancing back at her with overbright eyes once he has ducked beneath the rail - only to find her in what he swears is a reversal of their positions, such that he has to look around for a second to check he hasn't imagined the whole thing. [say]"I am sorry - it is quite slippery,"[/say] he says with a wince, leaning out and offering her a hand once she's close enough; it's the least he can do after she's helped him out, after all.
[say]"I think perhaps that is enough excitement in the marketplace for one morning, don't you?"[/say] he says with a thin smile, assisting her in getting back on her feet however he's able before stepping back. [say]"Do you need anything?"[/say] he adds, glancing over her with an gaze best described as clinical, as if noting injuries and bruises and guessing at their location where they aren't immediately visible.
RE: stray kids - Flora - 12-04-2024
A touch doubtfully, Flora accepts Niki's hand, if only because while it looks like a strong breeze could easily knock him over, she's the one currently on her knees.
[say]"Gods,"[/say] wanting to reach for a more colourful word but feeling like it might be inappropriate for some reason, the queen blots at the beads of sweat on her forehead with the back of her sleeve. Glancing toward the shopping bags she'd set down and noting the way Niki was looking at her instead, Flora straightens, her frown an almost perfect semicircle. [say]"Stare much?"[/say] Assuming he didn't know who she was and was thus wondering what such a raggamuffin was doing in the Greatwood, the Doubletake huffs out a breath through her nose before reaching for her bags.
[say]"Nope. As soon as I get back to the skyport, I am outta here. I don't feel like getting murdered again this weekend."[/say]
RE: stray kids - Nikandr - 12-04-2024
[say]"Hm?"[/say] Blinking as if just noticing the person attached to the catalogue of findings he'd been making in his mind, Niki clears his throat and carefully gestures towards her shoulder. [say]"You are still hurt,"[/say] he says. [say]"You did not have to stop for me, but you did anyway, even though it was uncomfortable for you. Thank you,"[/say] he repeats, gaze earnest beneath the mop of dark hair.
[say]"If you ever find yourself back in the Greatwood and you need anything, er..."[/say] He pats at his pockets, digging around before withdrawing a slightly ragged business card, though it is still tastefully gilded around the edges. The name has been crossed out, replaced by Nikandr Volkov in neat, clear print, but the address is legible enough. [say]"Sometimes I am there and sometimes I am not. If I am, I will help you."[/say]
In the meantime, though... [say]"I hope also that you do not get murdered again this weekend."[/say]
RE: stray kids - Flora - 12-04-2024
Oh okay. He was an Everest.
Softening with that realization, Flora pushes back a tangle of curls with her sleeve and nods. [say]"Yeah, I mean...of course. And, hey-"[/say] Lowering her hand and offering Niki an apologetic smile, the queen sighs softly. [say]"-I didn't mean to be cranky, or accuse you of being a spirit. Its...just been a long few days, you know?"[/say]
Having no idea what to expect as he fishes around in his pockets, that it's a business card he pulls out is perhaps the very last thing Flora would have expected, and the way her lips part in soft surprise will tell the necromancer as much. [say]"Oh...er...thanks."[/say] A touch baffled and feeling the need to reciprocate, she couldn't adds: [say]"If you're ever in Torchline...I'm, uh, the queen, so...if you need anything.."[/say]
Tugging at her bags (gods, were they heavier than before?), Flora smiles crookedly. [say]"Yeah.."[/say] Chuckling, she raises a hand before turning to head the opposite direction across the bridge.
~FIN