It's the same old story

AINO

Narrow leather straps on a worn satchel cut into her shoulders. Adjusting the weight with a quick shrug, Aino glided smoothly around a pair of old hunters that stopped dead in the street to argue about the contents of a sack. "Mornin'," she chimed in what might pass for a cheerful tone, and quirked a smile at them when they stuttered and staggered aside. Geezers. Old codgers who never knew when to quit. Not that the young ones were much better; with practiced ease she ducked under a spear carelessly waved about as a pack of them drifted by. "A little late to head out now, boys," she warned when one waved an apology over a shoulder. They laughed and assured they would be fine, and she laughed back; no doubt they had been drinking away the night, and didn't haul themselves up until just now. Aino glanced up at the sky and grimaced. It was nearly noon. They would be lucky to find anything worth bringing back in the few hours of daylight that remained.

It was a gamble she might have made too, once, but these days she could not afford it. Turning around a corner she pushed the thick braid back over her shoulder and headed towards the stall. Someone had shoveled it for her; Lyra, no doubt. The niece was a godsend.

With brisk, efficient movements born of weary practice, Aino began to unload her burdens onto the display. Glistening, silver-scaled fish began to line up on the stall. Frozen already, but freshly caught; somewhat of a rarity on the market, and people began to queue up even before she had finished setting up. It had not been a very good catch, but what she did bring would sell out quickly.

"Alrighty, nabo, here we go," she called out in a carrying voice, thick with accent, "who's first today? Step up!" Smiling, efficient, ready to haggle. Just another day reeking of fish.

Gods above, she hated her life.

For the good times that we share,
and the bad times that we'll have

Her voice is a fearless proclamation of protection
She lives what's within her out loud

Hotaru needs fish.

She can’t explain it, and doesn’t intend to. Fishing is perhaps the one skill she hasn’t perfected (though she’s certainly no slouch) as she has always preferred meat of the red and mammalian variety. Whether it’s her new form or something...else...she is craving it like no other, and so she finds herself in the markets. Feeling quite small and alone without Atlas to help part the sea of people. Her soul aches anew, and she doesn’t hesitate to transform into her cougar shift to escape from the sensation. It’s an imperfect solution, but human emotions feel a little easier to bear in such a primordial form.

The crowd certainly parts for her after she is transformed. Though they know she’s Attuned, there’s the intuitive desire to stay far from such a large and present predator. Ru’s smugness helps chase away the aching feeling in her soul at least.

It’s a mercy that human speech is not forsaken in this form, as a woman’s commanding cry for attention gives her the direction she needs.

Feeling particularly devious and emboldened by the silent nature of her paws, Ru skirts around the side of the stall, long tail twitching at the end as her shoulders hunch into a stalking form. Laying in wait requires patience that she exerts in spades even as her stomach rumbles, displeased with this delay. It’s worth it the moment she springs, a truly amazing display as she bursts from the crowd to land on the table which groans beneath her weight as she nabs the largest fish she can feasibly carry and springs off the other side to the chorus of shocked cries.

AINO

"HEY! Come back with that!"

The furious outcry is punctuated by more shocked cries from the crowd as the owner of the stall abandons it and charges after the large feline. No one is surprised, really, because it was the kind of thing one would expect of Aino Jandar, but the chaos, the audacity! And where did she keep the sword? Because there definitely was one in her hand now, and the black look on her face as she came charging after the mountain lioness suggested that she had every intention of using it, if necessary.

The problem was how to catch up. In a wild attempt, Aino lashed out with rarely used magic and tried to life drain the cat. To slow it down, to make it stop. Or at least listen. "I would'a given ye the fucking fish if ye asked fer it, ye theiving rat! Come back and apologize! Bend yer pilfering neck an beg pardon from the folks who won' eat tomorro' because o' you!"

It was, all in all, quite amazing how fast she could run and cuss at the same time. The tirade seemed to have no effect on the long-legged strides what so ever, and the rugged Halo accent was made all the thicker by unrepentant fury.

For the good times that we share,
and the bad times that we'll have

Her voice is a fearless proclamation of protection
She lives what's within her out loud

Chaos, disorder, and a beautiful woman on her tail? What more could she want from an outing on the town? The sword does little to dissuade her when it comes to appreciating her pursuant’s features, though were her feline vocals capable she’d likely be laughing uproariously at the colorful and creative curses flung her way. Magic is far more effective when flung however, and her large paws fumble as exhaustion suddenly pulls at her limbs as if entrapping them in molasses.

It’s only for a moment, but she very nearly loses her prize, and she must tighten her jowls around it lest all this chaos be for naught.

Hotaru leads the woman away from the crowds - if she reveals herself, it certainly won’t be in public - by cutting through an alleyway. Best not force the chase too long lest Aino give up too soon. Then she jumps onto the lean-to attached to a house, spinning to stare down at the woman from her perch with perked ears and a low, thrashing tail. Playful and primordial. Though she doesn’t doubt the woman is heated enough to try and climb after her, and as such she continues to back away towards the roof of the main house, wondering how far she could drag this on.

AINO

Aino would absolutely climb roofs to pursue her target. Hers was a dogged persistant determination that went beyond the retrieval of the fish. It was spoiled now anyway, unsellable and worthless - save as cat food. No, it was the principle. One did not lightly fuck over a Jandar, and this was not the day when that precedence was broken.

The sword was hurled up onto the roof, and a moment after a pair of hands slammed after. Heaving herself up with more muscle than grace, eyes pale as Halo itself could finally glare daggers at the thief. With tousled hair come loose from the thick braid, red-faced and sweaty, Aino would hardly have called herself a vision to be worthy of such elaborate pranks; nor did the feline look like someone who actually needed a free meal.

Which did not help improve her mood.  

"Here, kitty kitty," she growled through gritted teeth, mouth curved into what should have been a smile but was far too savage to make the cut. "Don' make this harder on yerself than it has to be. I ain't stoppin until I catch ye, and there is no region so far away that I won't find ye." It sounded like a threat, and a vow, and could even have been sweet if she wasn't also inching for the sword.

For the good times that we share,
and the bad times that we'll have

Her voice is a fearless proclamation of protection
She lives what's within her out loud

One would think after her more destructive chaos and the ramifications that followed, Ru would hesitate before enticing a shopkeeper into a high-stakes game of chase. They would be wrong. The woman had looked bored out of her skull, quite dead behind the eyes, and Hotaru gives herself a smug pat on the back when Aino’s head pops over the edge of the roof to reveal darkly glittering eyes and a flushed face. Much better.

It’s really a temptation of fate, but she lingers on the lean-to as long as she dares, crouched low as her tail glides in long smooth sways behind her. Undaunted, blatantly teasing. Cougars cannot growl in the same way, so instead she chirps around the fishy flesh in her canines, finding the cute noise to be the cherry on top of the mockery cake she’s serving up.

As soon as that hand reaches for the sword, Hotaru whirls and leaps onto the main roof only to turn and watch from her perch anew. It takes some finnagling, but between two massive paws she pins the fish against the main beam long enough to grasp it by the tail, dangling it over the edge of the roof as if daring the woman to keep following. The crowd had already forsaken them, and Ru wants to transform terribly, but she is quite tickled by Aino’s colorful language and wants to find the perfect timing.

AINO

It was doubtful if the soldier turned fish-wife would appreciate the gesture, had she known about the thief's motif. Her fish stolen for her own sake? That was some hard-to-swallow logic. Nor would she describe the chase as fun, per se, but it was undeniably good of a feeling to use her body like this. Running, jumping, climbing; this was the life she had chosen, and damn if she didn't miss it.

The clear mockery of the cougar was still making her see red, though. "Sweet kitty, come here and let me rip yer pretty nose off. When I get hold of ye, I'mma skin ye and make a nice fur rug for me mum." But no, apparently the cougar wanted none of that.

Aino swore when it leaped onto a roof even higher up, and abandoned the sword where it lay. It was more hindrance here, anyway. Careful not to slip on the snow-covered roof, she backed up as far as she could and braced herself. The shed offered no good run-up, but she was no quitter - it would work, or she would fall. Long, powerful strides propelled her forward, and up; again hands reached for the edge and caught hold, only this time Aino found herself smacked straight into the wall of the house with a sore grunt.

Gritting her teeth, she was left hanging by the tips of her fingers, fish dangling mere inches from her face - gods, it reeked - and slowly, painstakingly, began to haul herself upwards. She had stopped cursing; too busy glaring at the cougar, as if it might dissolve into smoke and disappear if she blinked.

For the good times that we share,
and the bad times that we'll have

A purr much deeper than any housecat's rumbles in her breast at the woman's crooning curses. This is the most fun she's had since her life fell apart; the fact that it's at the expense of someone else doesn't bother her, especially with certain peculiar cravings driving her incessantly onward. Ru isn't certain the woman will even try for the second jump, and startles backward at the hard thud of Aino's body meeting the siding of the house. Seeing how she struggles, Hotaru thinks quickly, and transforms back in less time than it takes to blink.

She's left laying on her stomach on the snowy roof, the fish still clutched in now blunt, human teeth. Without catlike senses it is revolting, and she spits it out with a green tinge creeping up her skin. But then moments later she's reaching to grab the seller's forearms to help lug her onto the roof, heedless of the fact that it puts her own limbs in range to be snatched and held punishingly.

Admittedly she can't help the beautiful, charming smile that she aims down at the woman she's helping - as if ignoring the fact that by doing so, she is hastening her own capture. "Think your mother will appreciate my hair instead of my hide?" The bright tinkle of her laughter cuts away with a soft grunt of exertion as she pulls on Aino's arms, said golden locks tumbling free of her hood to brush against her cheeks, forcing her to try and puff them away without her hands.

AINO

The fish came flopping past her face. Then a pair of hands seized her own. Then a tangle of fragrant, golden curls welled out of a hood to tickle her face, while glittering mismatched eyes laughed down at her. She was rewarded with bared teeth in a silent snarl... but though there was an impulse to do so, Aino couldn't very well shrug off the helping hands. That would be stupid.

Scrabbling up a booted foot as high as she could, she pushed off against the wall. When the thief hauled on her, it was the last bit of boost she needed to be hoisted up onto the roof. Wasting no time on pleasantries, Aino rolled up on her knees and pounced on the woman, far less considerate now than if the cougar form had still been present. Meaning to pin the fish-stealing menace to the roof by a firm grip on her upper arms, Aino stole this moment to catch her breath.

"Oh yes," she gritted out, "she will adore it. After it's been shaved off and twined into fishing line. Hope you're not attached to it, missy, because that may well be the price she demands for that fish." There was steel in her tone, and quite a bit more genuine consideration in the threat than the fair-haired lady might actually enjoy.

For the good times that we share,
and the bad times that we'll have

Perhaps her feline spirit has passed through their skin contact into the other woman, for her bared teeth are magnificent even in their blunted human configurations. Together - though their teamwork is definitely questionable in all aspects - they manage to pull and push and scrabble against wood and snow alike until Hotaru is tipping backwards with the weight she has to put behind her pull. There's not much to her, physically, but it does the trick.

Only perhaps it does it a little too well, as the woman surges forward and knocks Hotaru fully flat, hands gripping tight at the Valkyrie's arms. A soft noise escapes her at the impact, a little dazed but not overly so considering she'd somewhat expected this to happen. Though she can't help but laugh, bright and effervescent and totally at odds with her predicament. "If she is half as beautiful as you I will gladly give my hair for such an endeavor," comes spiriting off her tongue, entirely too flirtatious considering their current poses. Heterochromatic eyes are sharp and glittering with feline mischief. "You looked simply dreadfully bored up there, I couldn't resist even if the fish wasn't so appealing. This is a much better look on you, just as I suspected. I'll even pay you double for the fish, hm?" Perhaps that would entice the woman to release her - though Hotaru is too tickled pink to ignore the fact that she wouldn't mind remaining here beneath the infuriated woman, weather aside.

AINO

That was not the reaction Aino had been expecting. Arching brows traveled high towards the hairline, and for the first time she took a moment to look at the person she had been pursuing. Lush... did not even begin to describe her. Honey and cream would be better descriptions. Or perhaps whiskey and silk sheets - the lass certainly looked comfortable enough to be reclinging on such, where she lay pinned to a snow-covered roof.

The flattery only made Aino straddle the woman's legs, to make sure she would not try to leave before this debt was settled. Releasing the arms, she sat back and folded her hands under the bust, a cool expression casting doubt that a thief would be able to double anything more than a jail sentence. "And how, pray tell, do ye plan on payin for it? With yer silver tongue? I'll have ye know, I've got no use for drinks, stories or tumblin' in the sack."

Best to stave off such offers from the start; it seemed a likely course, given the banter so far. Pretty? Her? The lass must have trouble with her eyesight.

For the good times that we share,
and the bad times that we'll have

Surprise is merely another attractive change to the woman’s features, and one that Hotaru revels in. Taking others off guard is a past time she delights in, and the sharp-edged woman wears it well, refusing to let her surprise fluster her too far from her goal. An admirable trait. Ru is certain she could remove the woman should the necessity present itself, but why rush? She is content to be pinned up here where they are alone and far from the drudgery of work.

With her arms now freed she inches her fingers to the woman’s knee, tapping playful tips against the curve that leads upwards to her thigh. “I’d not rob you so - figuratively of course, considering I already have,” she purrs, golden locks in a halo around her as she smirks, pleased as punch by the denial. “I have fresh Ursur meat and pelts. A spa I own, with services you can enjoy. Weaponry, favors...” It’s too great a temptation to tack that onto the end, even after being rebuffed. Ursur - while plentiful and dangerous - were usually too strong to be taken down by Halo hunters. It only emphasizes that her thievery was entirely fickle, but by the look on her face it’s evident she has no regrets.

AINO

The fingers on her knees was awarded the most cursory of glances, but if the touch bothered her at all, it did not show on the Halovian's face. She stared long and hard at the thief, mulling over her options in her mind. By rights, this person should be dragged to the Palace and handed over to the guards. But that would leave recompense in the hands of the Warden, and while Morgan was known for being strict and fair, the time it took to handle the details was simply time wasted.

"Hmmm. Very well. Then this is my offer. For the fish ye stole, one bag of dried Ursur meat. For pulling me from me stand and ruining my business today, one Ursur pelt or the equivalent value in other goods, and ye will find a worker to aid me in my trade from now on.

You will also pay a personal visit to my mother, whose livelihood you have risked, and offer a genuine apology for yer actions.

Agree to all of these conditions, and I will consider the debt to be settled."

It was a hard bargain, but fair, and Aino's frosty eyes dared the flirtatious rogue to even try and haggle. She would be able to turn this person's continued existence in Halo a living hell, if necessary - but it was a threat she didn't voice. It was implied in the stony silence that demanded a swift reply.

For the good times that we share,
and the bad times that we'll have

A low whistle of appreciation for the woman’s hard bargaining escapes Ru’s lips, contemplative expression only partially concealing the amusement that still lingers. None of it is outside her control, and at least it will give her something to do. An inconvenience at most, but one willingly accepted.

“Meeting the parents so soon? You’re quite bold.” Winking, her teeth flash in a row of white as she grins. “Shall you escort me on these missions to ensure my good behavior? That sounds like quite the equal bargain if so.” It would give her time to tease and prod, and perhaps to even discover the woman’s name. “Wouldn't want me to run off, hm?” Hererochromatic eyes twinkling from below as her fingertips dance playfully higher towards the woman’s thigh.