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 Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2018 8:59 pm
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The shakes were setting in again, a quiver going down her spine. Pain wracked her tiny form, leading her to inch through the broken alleys, looking around in needy curiousity. Her feet were bare today, shoes worn through, and her dress more tattered than usual. Brown hair was matted and thick with dirt, only hints of fading pink showing what status she'd once had. Lila was no longer the Courtesancraft Apprentice she'd once been, instead a drudge hooked to a drug she couldn't afford...it was why the sight of a Bronzerider had her excited. Bronzeriders had money. They always did. Tying her hair back behind her head revealed gaunt cheeks, and sinking hazel eyes with long lashes. Under the dirt, she might've been pretty...Once.
Moving over to the man beside the dragon, she offered a pretty smile, fighting the shaking, fighting the feeling of nausea in the deep of her stomach, "My lord....Good, honorable sir...I beg you..." Her voice was sweet, charming in its own way, "I've heard tell that Bronzeriders are kind and chivalrous....could you perhaps spare a few marks for a woman down on her luck? I could repay you...in any way you'd like." |
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Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2018 9:07 pm
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He hated it here, there was a stench to Nabol that bothered him and just...rubbed him the wrong way. Normally, R'tansky wouldn't be anywhere near this Hold, keeping his distance and minding his business but, it was a little different today. Life as a mercenary didn't allow you to just pick and choose and when you had a bronze dragon at your disposal, well protecting cargo was an easy job. Whatever was in the merchants crates R'tansky didn't ask, he wouldn't have liked the answer anyways. Instead he accepted his payment and went on his way, Atalith trailing behind him slowly as Caltrop sat coiled on his shoulders. They wouldn't be here long, just go and get a quick bite to eat, replenish their supplies and then leave.
That had been the plan at least.
A voice reached him as he had paused in his trek, trying to figure out where he wanted to go. The sight he turned to made the man's heart sink and his gut clench, a rage of fire beginning to burn in his chest. The young woman before him was skinny, clearly not having eaten a decent meal in quite some time. She was covered in dirt and grime from head to toe and her hair, though she had tried to make it look nicer before approaching him it seemed, was a disheveled faded pink. He would have just ignored her, turned away from her and shown her that not ever bronzerider was a hero, and yet her eyes struck him. The only times he saw those eyes was during the nightmares...
With his rider paused, Atalith leaned his head down, looking at the woman before taking in a breath. There was a snort of an exhale as he pondered...something over. Mine? His voice helped to awaken R'tansky from his thoughts and the man finally spoke to the woman, in a gruff voice, his eyes dark as he watched her.
"And what would you use these marks for?"
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Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2018 9:13 pm
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The bronze frightened her for a moment, the puff of air across her face making her flinch and stumble back, eyes turned down. She wanted nothing more than to get the marks and go...To run and find that smooth-talking man with the delicious- Oh. He was talking again. It took a few minutes before Lila could even manage the courage to look up at him, her raw lips aching as she clung to a fold of fabric, "I....Food, sir. Food and perhaps a bath." A lie, but true enough. Whatever was left over might get her a meal, "Perhaps I can offer you...a night's peace, or something else. I know Bronzeriders want for little...but..." Oh, but it was clear that she had needs.
Whether it was the drive for drugs, or another drive all together, Lila dared to step closer to him, and his dragon, delicate fingers tracing across his arm as she offered him a lovely, disarming smile. Let him think her weak, some pretty little thing to be used. Lila was used to that...especially here, "You and your lovely, wonderful Bronze surely could spare just a little bit for a hurting soul." |
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Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2018 7:04 am
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Disbelief was clear in his expression, there was no way this woman was going to use the marks he gave her on food and a bath. He couldn't tell when the last time she had a bath had actually been, from her appearance. Her offer, a night of peace, made his gut clench. It was more at the thought of a young woman having to turn to begging any sleaze with marks and turning tricks to get them. Brothels were one thing, this was just....
A low growl emanated from his chest as R'tansky thought over what he should do. We can't just leave her Mine. Atalith's words were tinged with worry and intrigue, something that struck the rider as strange. I know that, shaffit all.... As much as he wanted to act like he didn't care, to turn his back on her and have her just wallow in the pit she already found herself in, he couldn't. He had always been a sucker for doe eyes and now, those hazel eyes that looked at him out of that gaunt face made things even worse.
Her hand tracing across his arm made his attention turn back towards her, eyes watching her closely. In a moment, his mind was made up and he grabbed her wrist, not saying a word. Let her believe she was going to get her way, that he was going to have his way with her before giving her marks and setting her loose in the world. "Atalith." The words were just spoken as the bronze took to the air, the little green upon his shoulders finally lifting her head and moving to follow the large dragon into the air.
Shard it, but now he had to find an Inn, or if that failed a campsite at least.
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Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2018 7:25 am
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If he didn't believe her, Lila didn't know WHAT she'd do...There was real fear in her breast as she watched the man and his dragon. She couldn't understand that impassive face, nor could she read his body language in the hazy state she was in. The little taste of felis left on her teeth wasn't enough for her to have any kind of relief. It was the grapple on her wrist that surprised her, eyes going wide. She was yanked on to a bronze back, and it got a tiny scream of fear, head burying in her arms as she pressed near-flat to the dragon's hide. There was a difference between LOOKING at the beasts from a distance, and being lifted up in to the air on the back of one!
Atalith was its name, but that barely meant anything to her, she shaking like a leaf with both fear and withdrawal. Her skin was burning with fever, and the cold air was NOT helping. Shards, she was hoping they weren't going far. There was nothing that she could understand in this moment, fear of flight thrumming in her very core. "Please...This is terrifying...Put me down please...Please..." |
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Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2018 8:11 am
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With Caltrop's help, R'tansky was able to figure out that an inn wasn't the best place for him to go. It was of little difference to him at the moment, the cavern he had set up as a home a little ways from here would work out fine. It was easy enough to send the thought to Atalith for the bronze to change his direction, not daring to pop between just to take a couple seconds off the flight, not with their current cargo.
She clung to his chest, he hadn't allowed her to sit behind him, placing her in front of him on Atalith's back. There was fear in her, she was begging to stop, to put her down, but he ignored her. They wouldn't be in the air for too much longer, anyways.
Entering some of the mountain, Atalith began to descend, finding a large opening into an even larger cavern underneath. The bronze touched down gently, Caltrop buzzing around his head until she was happy to lay down there. R'tansky slipped out of the straps easily, before getting Lila down and placing her on the ground. He busied himself with taking Atalith's straps off, placing them to the side.
It was clear they had been staying in this cavern for a while, there was an almost...homey feeling to it. Some candles burned offering light, but most of the light came from the opening in the cavern roof. Three tunnels lead off from the main room and he moved back to Lila, picking her up and carrying her off towards one, the sound of a spring bubbling up easily echoing off the rocks.
Once in the room he had made a make-shift bath chamber Lila was placed on her own feet and he pointed to the spring. "Bath." Short, and succinct.
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Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2018 8:22 am
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He didn't care that she was afraid...Instead, they kept moving. She was kept in place until they were in some odd cavern that she didn't understand. Down on her feet, he was looking more after the Bronze, paying attention to the strange straps that had kept them on. Studying it quietly, she tried to get her mind off the pain of her shakes, distracted by her own mind. It was why the man suddenly picked her up shocked her, making her squeak in fear again, "I..." And then she saw why. A bubbling spring, warm and clear....and he wanted her to bathe. It was almost too eagerly that she stripped out of the ragged clothes and slid in to the sweet waters. Oh, it was wonderful, making her feel a bit better. Sinking down in, she started to simply wash off the dirt. It wasn't as though she had anything else to help bathe, like the soaps and sands that would usually help with such things....or did he have them. Slipping up with her face scrubbed clean, she looked at him with those hazel eyes.
Under the dirt, she was indeed pretty, pale skin slightly tanned, though still marked by her addiction's roughness. Shifting, she rested on the ledge of the spring, letting herself float, "Do you have anything I can scrub with? This is the first bath I've had in quite some time." |
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Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2018 10:38 am
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Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2018 9:15 pm
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Hers. To keep. It was an incredible thought, but she took them and instantly set to scrubbing, cleaning skin and hair, undoing mats and making sure she was taken care of. It was almost as though she didn't notice his words at first, those eyes glancing to his brace. How was he a capable Rider with an injury that required a brace...? Strange. Fascinating, but strange. Shaking her head, she ducked back under the water and let the grime all wash away before she came back up, "Lila." Short, sweet, to the point, "And who're you. I heard your Dragon's name...but not yours." When she slipped to the edge, sitting on the side bare as a babe, it was clear she had no shame. Without the grime, and with her hair loose around her, she was indeed lovely. Too thin, perhaps, with clear marks of her addiction, but beautiful all the same.
She carefully began to comb out her hair with a wooden comb from the pocket of her grimy dress, flinching slightly as she pulled out mats. It was painful, but worth it. Clean, easier than it might otherwise have been, her hair began to show, deep brown at the root, the color following to nearly the ends. Only about two inches of the twelve inches on her head were the faded pink, "I wouldn't figure a Rider would be particular about a drudge being clean." Another violent quiver, her head tucking to her chest as she let out a tiny whimper of pain. Shaffit, could he just use her already so she could go get a fix? This HURT. |
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Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2018 9:40 pm
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Loosening the brace enough, he removed it from his leg, allowing it to stretch out. He didn't truly require it to walk, or function, but it kept him from walking with too much of a pronounced limp at least. There was a push from Atalith, a reminder of manners, as he had asked the young woman for her name and had not given his first. He ignored it, lifting his eyes to look at her as she spoke her name, mentioning that she didn't know his name, but had heard Atalith's name from earlier. His eyes, of course, were already drawn towards her bare form as she sat on the edge of the spring. "R'tansky of bronze Atalith from Sout..." He trailed off, realizing what he was going to relay, the name was true but he wasn't from Southern Weyr anymore...
As she began to run a comb through her hair, R'tansky stood up, resting most of his weight on his right leg as he watched her. She still thought he was going to sleep with her. The shiver that wracked her body, causing a whimper to escape her made his brow crease, eyes watching her closely. "How much Felis do you normally take?" The words made Atalith lift his head and try to move nearer to the break-away cavern with the spring. Mine, what are you doing? The man didn't answer, instead waiting for her to respond as Caltrop popped in from between, the green carrying a parcel that R'tansky took from her, opened and then handed the clothing in it to Lila.
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Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2018 9:51 pm
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R'tansky. She ran the name over and over in her mind, taking in as much as she could. R'tansky, and his Bronze, originally from Southern. It was stored away in the bare part of her mind that WOULD remember, tucked for future use, she was sure. Yes she knew the different weyrs. In her days being trained by a courtesan, before she'd been...addicted, Lila had been clever, and learned as much as she could. It was the mention of Felis that had her eyes snapping to him, hunger and fire burning deep within. Oh, her addiction was bad, "Enough..." Quite a bit. It took a lot to bring on a high, but...lately, she'd been better about it. Just enough to keep her up, to keep her from going down, "Once a day." About, and a fair pinch of it. What surprised her next was the little Green...and...Clothes? Why was he giving her clothes? Looking at them, she took a moment. It was clear she didn't understand WHY.
Standing from where she sat, the girl slowly started to put them on, the tunic, then the trousers...wondering at the fact that they fit. How strange to think there was something CLEAN and NEWER that fit her. "Why. What do you care. I'm just here for a quick one, then you'll send me off, and I'll go get what I need...right back to-" Silence, another violent shiver, hitched breath as she fought the urge to lose what little food she'd had, "Right back to drudge work." |
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Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2018 9:59 pm
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A small shake of the head as R'tansky moved to a chest. Easy enough to unlock it, he reached in and grabbed a pouch before slipping something out of it and replacing it, locking it back. He fingered the vial of powder, wondering just what he was doing. Feeding her addiction wasn't good but letting her go off with nothing, the pain would be too much for her. It was enough that he had gotten her bathed, given her new clothing. He could give her this much, he had some for himself when the threadscore on his leg began to ache too much, though the man never cared to medicate it, fighting through the pain as a reminder of...everything.
His steps towards her were slow as she finished getting dressed. "I'm not going to sleep with you, and you aren't leaving yet. Not until I at least get a meal down you." He held his hand out, the vial laying flat on his palm. "Take it, use only what you normally would." He was going to pay attention to this, watch what she did, record the amount she took in his mind. He didn't know why he had taken such an interest in her, there were other addicts all over Nabol, working as drudges, doing whatever they could to get their fix. None of them had ever made him act like this, no matter how pathetic they looked, how dirty or pretty...Of course none of them had looked like her, none of them had looked at him with hazel eyes that he only ever saw in nightmares now...
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Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2018 10:06 pm
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No strings. No sex. He wanted to give her FOOD, and the vial. That precious little thing, better than gold. Reaching out, she took the thing, holding it to her like it was the most important thing in the world. Studying it, then him, she portioned out what she would normally take, and then took it greedily. A sigh of bliss, and she let her body slowly slip to sit against the wall, the way it shot through her making her heart nearly race. Oh, she'd missed this, and the vial was now clutched in one hand. Her lips parted in a happy sigh, hazel eyes now far less clear, far less sharp. This was what she'd needed, this sweet escape from reality.
"...No sex....aren't you just the sweetest thing. Clooothes, food, and felis...all for free." That got a giggle, nose wrinkling as she stretched out against the rock, looking at the nose of the bronze that she could see. What would it feel like if she touched him. Idly, she reached for him, fingers wriggling. |
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Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2018 10:15 pm
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His eyes never left her as she took the pinch of Felis, making sure he remembered just how much she took. He would have to wait until some of the initial high had worn off but the withdrawals hadn't set in to speak to her.
Moving so that he was turned away from her, he was going to go back into the main cavern but found that Atalith had managed to get some of his head into the doorway and Lila was reading towards him. He heard her words, ignored them some, it wasn't all for free at least it wouldn't be depending on how she reacted later on. "Think of it as a charity case." His words here gruff as he watched Atalith sniff her hand, pressing his snout against it before R'tansky moved over. "Alright, you two can meet one another a bit more properly once we are out of this room, but I need to get dinner cooking."
He grabbed his brace as Atalith moved his head back out of the doorway. R'tansky walked with his slight limp over to the campfire and make-shift kitchen he had set up. He set about getting the fire lit and the ingredients together as Atalith turned his attention back to Lila.
Why do you take it? He was careful when he spoke to her, not to reach too far into her addled mind. His words were just a soft caress to her as he spoke. He was curious, he understood what Felis was used for, a travelling merchant had told His that it would help him sleep with the nightmares troubled him, or even help rid him of the ache of the threadscore on his leg. This young woman didn't seem to have any physical problems to her, aside from being far too thin, so was there something wrong elsewhere that caused it?
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Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2018 11:07 pm
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If she weren't so high, she might be angry that he called her a charity case, but as it was? Lila just stumbled to her feet, following him in to the larger room and settling herself to stare at Atalith. So BIG. Huge, the largest dragon she'd ever seen up close. The scent of fire was nice, as was the warmth on her still-chilled body. It was the voice in her head that got a start. Didn't Dragons only talk to their RIDERS or other dragons? And now a Bronze was talking to her. She was gawping at him for a few minutes, fingers moving to scratch the ridge of his nose. Dragon. Talking. If Atalith was listening to her thoughts, they raced like madness, arcing and chasing almost four or five different threads in a moment's time. This girl was lost, drowning under the sea of Felis that had flooded her mind and system. She was no one and nothing, at least to her mind...nothing save her need, and her desire.
"Why do I take...." Oh....OH. He meant Felis. "When....I was younger....'bout three or four turns ago now...I was...a dancer...Courtesan...Dancing trained. I made people smile. They loved it....Loved me...and then..." She fell quiet for a minute, searching through racing thoughts and wispy memories of what might as well have been a full pass in her addled mind, "He loved me...I thought. He gave me the felis...and said I could be all his. At first...it was just enough to make me smile, and relax. It just...kept going. It made me feel good. Then he didn't like me any more. I wanted to forget. I'm forgetting it all...and maybe one day it'll all stop." Even that thought, as horrible and sad as it was? Lila said it with such cheer. She'd lost everything for a man, who'd cast her aside, addicted and alone. She was now a Drudge, useless, weak. Not worth the time of day for anyone except someone absolutely mad. |
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