[PRP]Questions and Answers (Complete!)

[Ravina Loki]

Horse and rider made good time to the inner city limits, taking just over a half hour less to reach the tall buildings and narrow streets of Aimes. Rail was nearly dizzy with the heat, speed of his mount, and of course that heavy scent of citrus that was being expelled from the bag at his side. Though he wanted to press onward - try to find a library, a museum, a something to explain to him why his bottle was acting like this, his horse had other ideas.

The moment they came in site of a watering trough, Shady Boy slowed himself down and walked over to it, dipping his foaming muzzle down into the cooling liquid, content to drink most of it if he could. Rail didn't even try to pull the gelding away from the metal bin, he had just come over twelve miles at one of his fastest speeds. Plus he was too busy taking the bottle out to check on it as well.

That almost-peel that was circling the glass felt almost rubbery against his palms and it even seemed to be larger than before. The colors were more vibrant in this direct, unfiltered by glass sunlight, and with another short 'fsst' sound, a squirt of citrus juice came off the bottle's surface. Rail winced away from it, lest it get in his eyes and start burning him, and the bottle seemed to sense that. It didn't spray again while in his hands. Rail looked down the street ahead of him, eying people as they walked across from one side to the other.

Would any of them know?

Shady Boy finally raised his head after what felt like an eternity of guzzling, shook the sweat of his head and neck, and plodded back towards the road. The bottle almost fell from Rail's fingers as the animal moved beneath him, but he snatched it before it could get even an inch away from him. He took up the reins in one hand, tucked the bottle back into his satchel with the other, and steered his mount back on to the streets. A starting trot then taking the horse back up to his paces at a canter once they were free of the people milling on that section of the street. A sign directing them to the library passed on Rail's left. Seemed as good a starting point as any.  

[X Purple--Platypus X]

Who needed parents! All they did was boss you around, tell you what to do and half the time they weren’t even right in what they were saying! Oxiin curled his one good hand into a clawed fist and let out a hissing sigh. He’d had enough of his father and was making his own way in the world now. It was utter rubbish that it ‘wasn’t safe enough’ for him to explore on his own; Inge must have made that up this morning just because he didn’t think Oxiin was big enough now to look after himself. But he was wrong!

Everything seemed fine so far – the sun was beaming down and his tanned skin was lapping up the heat as the people of Amies bustled about their duties, totally oblivious to the dustling in their midst. Sourly he thought that Inge thought him frail due to his arm – what else could be the teenagers reasoning to the worrying? Since coming out of the bottle his confidence and vocabulary had grown in leaps and bounds – so much so that now he could boss his father figure around with a whole host of different commands. There seemed to be little in the world that intimidated the stubborn little fellow as he was more than happy to confront anyone who stood in his way.

However, now that he was out and about on his own (without Inge knowing he’d snuck out of the boat) he was at a loss to what he wanted to do. It was nice stretching his knobbly legs in the sunshine but surely there was something more exciting or new that he could get stuck into. Why wasn’t there a festival on? Inge was always telling him about the gaudy parades that winded through the city streets. Oxiin wanted one now. He wanted to see the swaying stilt walkers and extravagant stalls! It seemed almost like an outrage to the child that there wasn’t a commotion just for him! A group of people were clustered on the other side of the road could however provide what he wanted... They would be able to direct him to where the action was. If not, the strop of a lifetime was going to happen!

Determined to find out where he could have fun the child marched over the road, however, Inge’s reluctance to give the rust child a free reign came to light. The stubborn headed Oxiin failed to look before crossing and the hooves of a cantering horse thundered towards him! All he could muster before the horse was practically on top of him was a girlish shriek!  

[Ravina Loki]

Twice Rail had found himself lost halfway down one of Aimes many city streets, and twice he had turned his mount around and back tracked till he found where he made the wrong turn. It was still the afternoon, but during all those set back the sun had started to fall a little to the west and the shadows from things that cast them had changed positions too. The black haired man gave a frustrated sigh as he spurred his horse onward. He really was a country boy if he was getting lost even this much.

"I'll make it a point to come here more at least once in awhile." He said to no one but himself. Rail had been paying attention to the sides of the road for pedestrians, but coming upon a stretch where there were none, he let his mind slip. No one was stupid enough to just dart into the street without looking, and the metal shoes on Shady's hooves would be a clear warning ahead of time.

But then again, he had been wrong before. And this was such a time.

As he wavered from concentrating on both the sides of the road and the stretch in front of him to just the latter in particular, a fast moving object coming from the right caught his eye. He could feel muscles in his mount's abdomen start to tighten at the sudden sight of something coming across his path. Shady Boy was moving too fast, though, and he knew the horse had a hard time turning at such a speed, but the...child? was about to be right under them. Skin aflame with goose flesh and a shock of electricity going up his spine as he heard a scream right then and there, Rail pulled back on the reins as hard (and forgivably) as he could. Beneath him his horse shuddered, back legs sliding to a halt on some water-dampened cobblestone while his front ones raised up in a rear.

Having been expecting a very sudden stop, Rail wasn't prepared for being raised up at an almost perfect vertical line. His palms, slick with sweat from the ride, couldn't wrap around the reins as his arms seemed numb from the sudden shock. Gravity kicked in then and the man slid right off his saddle and the horse's rump to the ground. The collision of his bottom hitting the ground sent a painful shock up his already tingling spine and sent the things in his bag, including the bottle, spilling out and crashing to the street. Free of his rider and still startled by the sudden uphevel, Shady Boy came down onto all four legs and deftly took off, charging forward and out of Rail's sight.

"M-My horse!" Of course, that exclamation was lost once the bottle came slowly tumbling to earth from its own short fall - one that could still easily break it. Still in pain, Rail couldn't move fast enough and it just brushed his fingers before continuing downward. Right then he pinched his eyes shut for the inevitable shattering sound and bits of free-flying glass.

It never came.

Instead the slowly rotating, outer rubbery "peel" protected the bottle as it hit the cobblestone, bouncing similarly like a ball before rolling down a slight depression in the street. Rail flopped down on his belly with his blue eyes trained on it as it went, continuing with no stop until it could go no further. The cause? Oxiin.  

[X Purple--Platypus X]

The scream originating in the rust child’s throat reached a quivering crescendo as the horse reared high above him, its huge front feet pawing the air as the rider made an emergency stop; late enough to cause plenty of bystander’s jaws drop but just in time to prevent any serious harm befalling the youth.

Oxiin nearly peed himself with fright. He’d been so wrapped up in his own little world that the clatter of the horse’s oncoming shoes hadn’t even registered in his mind. All he could do was scream and curl up into a frightened ball as the near vertical horse crashed down again and cantered off down the street. In fact he didn’t even see the animal running away – his auburn eyes were firmly shut. Now he believed Inge. It was dangerous without him! Like any small child in his position he hiccupped once, a few hot tears squeezed it of his eyes followed by a wail and a full blown sobbing fit complete with; “I want my paaaa!”

So traumatised was Oxiin that it took him a good few minutes before he stopped whimpering long enough to begin to notice the potent smelling object resting against his curled body. As his snivelling ceased he took a good whiff of the scent of the bottle; the sour tang of grapefruit hit his nostrils making his expression crumple into confusion and his waterlogged eyes search for the cause of the smell. Through the blur of tears he could just about make out the vibrant bottle and with a puzzled expression he reached out to touch it. The glass was smooth and cool yet some sort of rubbery material was coiled around it leaving Oxiin perplexed as to what the curiosity actually was.

However, before he could wipe his eyes dry and investigate the item, pain almost forgotten, a host of onlookers had swooped down on himself and the fallen rider asking: “Are you ok,” “did the horse hurt you sweetheart” and other molly coddling questions. Oxiin tried to bat them away with his good arm, not liking all the people (mainly women) buzzing around him. He hadn’t asked for their help – he just wanted to be left alone to sulk in his shock and make his way back to Inge to lick his wounds, which luckily included only a grazed knee and sore palms from where he’d fallen – nothing worse.

“I’m ok.” He sulkily replied to their inquiries, snatching up the bottle as he did so. “My Pa isn’t far away.” He lied, now desperate to make a getaway – if only to take the bottle before the rider spotted it and claimed it as his own. Unfortunately bad luck still hadn’t finished with him as a few of the more angered bystanders bustled him over to where the man was demanding he apologize to Oxiin.

The dustling could do little besides poorly hide the bottle behind his back as he was manoeuvred in front of the other – the bottle would surely be spotted and taken back! He did care about an apology!  

[Ravina Loki]

When the onslaught of shattered glass shards didn't come, Rail's eyes gingerly opened. He blinked in the bright light, doing his best to shake the dull throb from his head and get up into a sitting position. Before he was even half way up, however, the onslaught of people from the opposite side of the road were upon himself and the frightened child. Before he could say two words about the almost-accident, Rail was heaved up onto his feet by those crowding around behind him. His scattered belongings were picked up and stuffed into his back, which was still dangling from his shoulder.

Now that he was standing the apothecary swayed from side to side, staring blankly down the road that his horse had taken off. He could hear the voices of women asking questions not directed at him, for the most part, and he brought his eyes down to Oxiin as the child was pushed towards him. For a moment Rail was at a loss, but a sharp push on his middle back forced the words up and out of him.

"Y-You okay kid? I'm sorry, I didn't see you until you -" A pause as he collected his thoughts about how this incident occurred. Yes, he hadn't been paying attention to the sidewalks like he should of, and yes he was going a bit fast for such a residential area but still, the kid had just bolted out into the street! "You ran out in front of my horse!"

In the crowds he could hear murmuring amongst themselves; some in favor of him though most over the wellbeing of the child. Rail dusted his front off, keeping an eye on Oxiin, then dove the hand into his bag, groping the now mishandled inside to make sure everything was there. Seemed like. He wanted to ask if anyone had gone after his horse, but the way the crowd sounded now, it didn't appear that they had or would let the apothecary leave the scene to go look until any authority figures arrived. He grimaced. This day was not going his way at all and his headache was just getting worse.

Some of the crowd dispersed over a few minutes, but a few handfuls stayed behind. Rail went looking through is bag's little pockets, searching for the tiny tied cloth that he kept his travel aspirin in. When his search turned up empty, he opened the main part and dove through that. Papers were jostled, his quills were bent at the ends, some spare tablet bottles were scuffed but mercifully not chipped or broken, the bottle...Wasn't here.

"Where?" He kept digging as though it would magically appear at the bottom or between a couple sheets of paper. When that turned up nothing the apothecary turned his aching self around, looking along the cobblestones for it. Had it rolled off down the street and vanished like Shady Boy? Or had someone...?

The kid.

Rail's eyes fell back on Oxiin and for the first time he was really looking at him. He could see one arm was injured or something; the skin a different color from the rest of him and almost rust-like in tone. His other arm, however, was behind his back. Being just over six feet tall, it didn't take too much of a lean forward to just see the stopper on the bottle peeking out from his hand. Rail put on his 'stern' face and pointed to the hidden hand.

"Why are you hiding my bottle? Give it back."  

[X Purple--Platypus X]

Tightly gripping the gaudy bottle, Oxiin was slightly taken aback when the man exclaimed, “You ran out in front of my horse!” almost as if it was Oxiin’s fault. The child didn’t like that at all; he had been content with taking the bottle and slinking away without forcing any sort of apology out of the man – he knew that he personally hated saying sorry; on the rare occasion Inge had made him apologize for something it had been a bitter and irritating experience. Now that the other person seemed to be blaming him for the incident his small childish ego flared and he fixed an expression of outrage on his face.

“You nearly hit me! It wasn’t my fault, you were going too fast!”

In fact Oxiin hadn’t a clue whether it be himself or the other in the wrong and his accusation of speeding was a totally childish jab in the dark; an immature attempt of dodging the blame. However judging by the muttering of the still present gaggle of people a fair few others were in agreement that the man had been going slightly too quickly. For one of the first times in Oxiin’s short life he thanked his age: the mother hen types seemed to side with whatever he said simply because of his small stature. “I’m not in trouble am I?” he queried, tugging on the sleeve of a portly woman who seemed to be showing the most interest in his welfare. To be honest the rust boy was totally out of place when it came to using pity and childish charm to get his way (and rather than puppy-ish eyes he gawped rather peculiarly up at the woman) but luckily something about his tousled hair and wide brown eyes reminded her enough of a grandchild for her to protectively put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“No, you’re fine deary. Just skip along back to your pa and be more careful crossing roads in the future. Would you like me to come with you?” Hastily Oxiin declined her offer, backing out of the situation with a smug grin on his face. The other onlookers had all dissipated and only a handful of people stood around tutting as the man rifled through his possessions. It appeared as though he’d not only managed to avoid a scolding about the horse incident but he’d also gotten away scot free with the bottle.

However, his self celebrations were slightly early as before he could turn and exit the situation altogether...

"Why are you hiding my bottle? Give it back."

“It’s mine,” he quickly retorted, an unhappy pout forming on his lips as he was spotted. Inwardly the child considered passing the bottle back just to save himself from another situation where he could get told off – stealing was most definitely frowned upon and less vague than the accident that’d just occurred.. But the bottle was oddly attractive to the child, like an absorbing new toy. The bitter tang of its protesting scent and the sour liquid that was sticky on his hand didn't bother him at all; in fact it was almost comforting. Thus he continued walking away, stubby legs carrying him as quickly as possible from the man in hopes that he could duck into a group of adults and vanish in amongst the jungle of legs.  

[Ravina Loki]

Watching the way Oxiin did his little kid kicked puppy face at that one woman, Rail was certain that he wouldn't get off scot free. This wasn't fair, obviously, but since the majority of the remaining group was comprised of women, he had no real chance. Well played child, well played.

His hand was out of the bag now, holding it out and waiting for his bottle to be returned to him. Expecting it to be returned to him. Oxiin had been found out, and once Rail claimed ownership, he was certain what remained of the dwindling group would see the kid wasn't all innocence and puppy eyes like he seemed. What Oxiin said, however, made whatever traces of a smile he had vanish. Rail could smell grapefruit coming off the bottle, but once the rust child said that it changed to pungent and very sour lemons. The bottle seemed to be trying to get back to its real owner, but it couldn't do much but attempt to give the child a headache through stinging scent overdose.

It didn't work, but Rail wasn't going to give up. He let the kid walk away from the group and when the people had gone back to their tasks he pursued. Yes, he should be looking for his horse, but Shady was bound to be at the next trough of water, he loved it that much. Plus a horse with no rider would be a cause for alarm and someone would have stopped him.

"Kid, you may have gotten away with the big eyes and quivering lip routine, but it ain't gonna work now." Oxiin's steps were short and rapid, but Rail's were longer, so he was able to catch up easily. Once he was right behind the Dust child the apothecary put a hand on Oxiin's head, trying to get the kid to stop and swivel around to face him. "Didn't anyone teach you that stealing is against the law?"

As he waited for an answer, Rail looked around. They were off the main road now, in a side street, and it wasn't populated save for the odd alley cat passing by the other end. Good, there wasn't anyone around to be all for the kid this time. It was man-to-man now.

"When my horse knocked me off, my stuff went everywhere. That bottle was in my bag and it belongs to me. Give it back." Again he held his hand out for the bottle, blue eyes pointedly on the kid. The bottle's own measures to get back to the apothecary weren't helping his headache, but he didn't show any signs of the pain he was feeling or weakness. Show that and his whole person of authority look would be shattered.

"Just return it and we can both be on our way." The corners of his mouth set into a stern frown. He didn't tolerate theft at his shop, and he wouldn't tolerate it now.  

[X Purple--Platypus X]

Being followed by the rider hadn’t been part of the plan. Oxiin had been sure that his nimble escape through the crowd and into the side street would’ve lost the older man... But no, the man appeared to have found him without even putting in much effort!! Then again, he had been the only small child on the street and keeping an eye on him evidently couldn’t have been that hard... Now he was out of the view of the kind onlookers and the man had him pinned – hand placed on his head and a stern look in his eyes. Oxiin’s childish mouth summoned the worst curse he knew – which, coming from a boat with a sea worn captain at its helm was crude enough to make hairs curl.

However, he didn’t want to give the bottle back just yet. It was interesting, smelt good (although the scent was becoming increasingly bitter to the child’s nose) and it was the least the man could give him for nearly crushing him. Plus the childish appeal of winning an argument against an adult drove him on to keep a firm hold of the curio.

Thus Oxiin summoned all his selfish wits to produce perhaps the last card he had up his sleeve.

“If you try to take it back I’ll scream.”

Sure, it wasn’t the most mature thing to do... But hopefully it would have the desired effect: a small child being manhandled by an older man in a side road – anyone coming to investigate would surely summon a lynching squad and the bottle would be his! His expression of distaste at being caught swiftly twisted into one of arrogance. Inge’s warnings about strange men had originally fallen on deaf ears, dismissed for being over the top worries. But now the information was becoming useful blackmail... Inge definitely hadn't thought the rust boy would need the information for that sort of behaviour!

“Maybe if you take me home I’ll give it back...”

His bronze eyes glimmered. Why not milk this situation for all that he could?

“You have to piggy-back me though.”  

[Ravina Loki]

Though the curse word uttered was extremely foul at best, Rail felt triumphant rather than disgusted. Seemed that the child knew he lost and that was a victory for him. He'd get the bottle back soon and be on his merry, if not still pained in the rear, way. The apothecary's free hand stayed out in front of him, waiting for Oxiin to return it to him. Once this was over, he'd make sure to place it more securely in his bag. One of the pockets perhaps.

"Curse all you want, you lost. Now hand it ba-"

Oh hell no.

When Oxiin uttered that single threat, Rail's hands recoiled off and away from him immediately. It could have been a bluff, but the adult was not going to take any chances. First get snapped at by adults for nearly running the kid over and then possibly getting beaten and carted off to prison for trying to get his trinket back, even though he had only put his hand on Oxiin's head? No. No, no no no no. Rail took a step back from the boy, his hands going to the strap on his bag and twisting it hard. Smart little b*****d...

The bottle, on the other hand, was immune to those words and sprayed more juice and scent at Oxiin. Out of distress, annoyance, or a mix of both it was hard to say, but now fruity smells were mixing into nostril-stinging, overly pungent odor. With his headache Rail was wincing, but in his mind he was sure that nasty combination of sticky syrup and smell would make the boy lose interest. But then again, as a child he reveled in the gross and creepy-crawly, so that might be a false hope. Maybe he could barter with the kid, somehow. What did he have?

Rail stopped wringing his bag strap and instead flipped the cover over. Papers, a couple pens, some mercifully unbroken vials; nothing that would garner the kid's affection. As he was digging through to see if there could be anything - candy or something, Rail did have a bit of a sweet tooth himself - he almost missed what Oxiin said.

"Pardon?" Was he serious? Just take him home? Sure it'd shave off time to find his horse and get to the library, but that was a better option than giving him something for something else in Rail's mind. The bag's cover flapped shut over its contents and Rail straightened up.

"Okay kid, fine, I'll take you home." Oxiin's addition of "piggy-back" didn't faze Rail, he was much too happy at this turn of events. Not fully his way, but favorable nonetheless. "And sure. Piggy-back." He knelt down. His bottle would be back with him in no time at all.

Excellent.  

[X Purple--Platypus X]

Oxiin’s smug look intensified as the man draw away from him, looking as though Oxiin had produced a knife or was about to spit poison, evidently the threat had done what Oxiin had hoped and more! The man had released him instantly and had caved easily to the demand, despite it being absolutely unreasonable. In fact the young dustling hadn’t really expected the man to concede so quickly or easily... Had it been too easy? Perhaps. He would keep a tight hold on the bottle, just in case. Never the less he was pleased and made a mental note about the effectiveness of that sort of blackmail, the man kneeling for an easy ascent before him.

Before he climbed on he wiped a smear of acrid juice off the bottle on his top, hitched up his oversized shorts and placed the bottle in one of the deep pockets. (He needed his good arm to cling whilst being piggy-backed and his crippled arm was no good at all, the rusted fingers could only just twitch in response when he urged them to curl into a fist. There was no way that they could hold a bottle.) When that was done he scrambled forwards, hooking his good arm around the man’s neck and shoulders and wrapping his legs about his waist.

“Go,” he commanded, squeezing his legs together to prompt the man’s rise to his feet and start the journey. His face was split into a large confident grin. He loved piggy backs, Inge occasionally gave him them up and down the docks. This guy was slightly taller than Inge and being heads higher than the crowds of Amies would be brilliant fun!! Well worth exchanging the bottle for.  

[Ravina Loki]

Had he caved too easily? Perhaps, but every moment spent fairy dancing around was time wasted getting the bottle back and going to look for his horse. The faster he got the kid home, the faster he'd get on his way, but Rail had one of those inklings that the child with the injured arm lived farther away than he let on. It would be just his luck anyway. The apothecary saw the child put the dampening bottle into his pocket, so the idea that he'd just snatch the bottle out of his hand and make a break for it was out. The kid was smart, he'd give him that. And only that.

Rail gave a barely audible groan as Oxiin climbed on his back, the medicine man not used to weight back there that weighed more than a couple of tools in a rucksack. When the kid felt settled, he started to rise, just feeling the squeezing against his sides.

"I'm going, I'm going. You don't need to prompt me, I know." Well, at least he wasn't being kicked that was a blessing in and of itself. He didn't know whether to support the kid with his arm or not, but a faint feeling of spite made him let the kid dangle. He wanted the ride, he didn't say anything about supporting him. Plus he had a good enough grip anyway, even with just one arm.

Rail padded almost lazily down towards the other end of the alley, trying to get used to the new addition to his person. When he reached the end he turned left, that direction leading out of the narrow, shady backstreets and out into the wider, open streets. The apothecary had no idea where he was headed, but once they were out of the shade he took in his surroundings. Like the rest of Aimes, the buildings were tall, the streets cobblestone, but unlike the street they had both encountered each other, this one seemed more residential. As he turned his head to look down each side of the street, the only business establishment on this block looked like a flower shop or some kind of cafe with a garden out front. Either way, Rail had no idea where he was going.

"Which way kiddo? I have no idea where we're going, and I'm sure you know the city better than I do."  

[X Purple--Platypus X]

This street was quieter than the one in which he had nearly been trampled and Oxiin was almost disappointed; piggybacks were always the best when it was in a crowd – being above everyone who would normally be towering above him gave the biggest sense of elation. Like being a giant and wading through the people like long grass, or being a bird! He grinned. Perhaps he should direct his carrier on a different route to make the most of his ride? He grinned slightly at this thought. That could be fun. But then again, he shifted his weight uncomfortably, the man wasn’t giving him any help and he could only stay up on the guy’s back so long before his arms and squeezing legs began to tire.

“I live at the docks.” He responded to the man’s query, nodding in the direction that the man had to go – forcing the poor soul to lurch into a trot.

It was ironic really. Not too long ago the man had been in the comfortable position, riding above the rest of the pedestrians, and now it was Oxiin swaying away on a poor animal’s back – only that animal happened to the human. (Not that the child cared, he was having too much fun!)

So content was Oxiin that he decided to try and spark up a conversation; evidently forgetting that the man might not want to chat due to the fact he’d lost his horse, had a valuable possession stolen and was no being forced into physical labour because of him. “So what’s your name mister?” He asked, resting his chin on a tuft of Rail’s black hair - a movement that would surely cause discomfort to Rail and the sway bumped the bony chin into his head. Without really waiting for a reply he added; “I’m Oxiin.” Grinning and squeezing his legs again as they passed the quaint cafe bursting with flowers – the scent of freshly baked cakes sweetening the air and mixing with the perfume of the garden’s flora. This was the life! He was almost glad the man had nearly crushed him now.  

[Ravina Loki]

Rail went right at the word, a directional sign just in front of the pair highlighting that the docks would be in that general direction. His lazy steps from before became quicker and he was taking long strides down the sidewalk. He might not be giving the kid support, but he wasn't getting any favors with the extra weight situated in that one area either. He could sort of taste the irony.

"Rail." He replied to the name question, his tone sounded offhanded as he was looking both ways before crossing the street, seemingly unperturbed by the chin pressed against his scalp. Once they were both across to the opposite sidewalk - the one they were on previously showing signs of construction coming up - he nodded as the child on his back gave his own name.

"Oxiin, huh? And I thought my name was colorful." The scent wafting from that floral cafe eased his headache but in return made his stomach rumble with want. Had he eaten? Given the circumstances that led him to be here, he couldn't quite remember, but his gut was saying otherwise. After this was over, he'd backtrack here and get something quick and light before carrying out his business. Perhaps with cinnamon in or on it, but that thought only made him hungrier. Best to make chatter, if only to keep his mind on something other than food. A good question to ask would be just what the kid was doing out and about without a parent. He didn't look old enough.

"So Oxiin, what are you doing running around without your parents? This city's big enough for an adult, so that makes it monstrous for a kid like you. You might have gotten lost." He came up to another directional post and made the left turn around the corner. More residences but at the far end of the street he could see people bustling around. Markets and some other sorts of stands, but he couldn't really tell from where he was. There was still an industrial scent in the air (mixed with citrus from the agitated bottle), so the docks were still some ways off. On the bright side, he figured, he was getting a better feel for Aimes as a whole, so his predicament did have that mythical silver lining to it.  

[X Purple--Platypus X]

Oxiin wiggled his feet slightly as Rail commented on his name. He wasn’t quite sure if colourful was intended as a compliment, but he didn’t care – he liked the fact the guy thought that it was different. “I chose it for myself.” He added proudly. It was true. Right out of the bottle he’d just known that was his name. His pa found it odd, apparently it was traditional for the parent to choose the name of their child but Oxiin thought that was ludicrous. It was his name. He should get to dictate what he went by.

However, the boy’s approval for the man swiftly plummeted as he suggested that Oxiin was out of his depth in the city. As soon as the words had left Rail’s lips Oxiin’s clinging fingers had curled into the fabric of the man’s top like claws and a vexed pout had formed on his face. “You sound like Inge!” He snapped, squeezing his legs in a tight burst to emphasise his distaste. “He’s always larking on about how unsafe it is... But it really isn’t!” He paused, realising how the man would probably react – thinking about the near miss that Oxiin had been involved in earlier with his horse. “Well, it can be tricky... But I can look after myself! I’m old enough now – a few months is plenty old enough to go out on my own!”

Sulkily, as if this was an argument that had often occurred at home, he sunk his head to rest on his carrier. They were now at the end of the street and approaching the marketplace, bustling with activity and full of gaudy stalls. Oxiin had been there several times with Inge when they sold fish and it never ceased to amaze him how many people could squish between the stalls of goods, all bartering and hoping for a bargain. But even the prospect of riding through the crowds didn’t excite him. Rail had struck a nerve and now he was sinking into one of his infamous grumps.

"Through here and then past the boat builders estate.." He stated, barely lifting there eyes from where they were moodily inspecting Rail's scalp.  

[Ravina Loki]

"Chose it for yourself huh?" This kid was about six or eight years old, so for a portion of his life he was nameless? Not likely. 'Oxiin' was probably a name the kid had picked because he didn't like his given name. Silly child games and such; he understood. As a child there was a period of time where Rail would only go by the name of 'Kavin', a misnomer of the words 'Cave in' that he had heard over his father's radio as he had toddled past the room for one reason or another. He hadn't known then what the true meaning was, but then again he was a kid, and what sounded cool was his. He'd humor 'Oxiin' and not ask for his real name, but he did shift the boy up higher and support him with his arms. Better to do so than hurt his back more.

The moment he did the boy on his back expressed his displeasure, making the apothecary wince as the shout was that close to his ears. The arm around his neck felt like a strangle so he could only imagine what it would feel like if he hadn't chosen to support the Dust. He sighed, rubbing his temple with his free hand, before speaking.

"You're still young Oxiin. You've got that kid-innocence workin' for you, so you only see the wonder of it all." He paused on the sidewalk, just reaching the cusp of the marketers. He adjusted Oxiin and started into the crowd. "But while the world has wonder, yeah, it's also plenty dangerous. There's real demented people out there who wouldn't think twice about snatching a kid off the street, taking them off some place, and doing Aevah knows what to them." He wasn't going to sugarcoat it. Oxiin seemed to have a thick skull, and blunt truth was the only thing that could break through it. He was going to say more but the words the boy said last threw him off. A few months? Maybe after his last birthday...

"A few months kid? You're like...Six years old." A pause as he walked. Probably another kid game. "But too young regardless of how old you are."

Rail felt Oxiin rest his head on the apothecary's own and the adult didn't seem to mind. He probably made the kid's pride sore. Oh well, best he be informed before something bad happened to him - something even worse than nearly being run down by a horse and rider. He shifted through the people, occasionally looking around at wares, but not so much as the thought he'd have this kid home soon was enough to keep his mind set on that one thing; his bottle.