A Mercenary Among Merchants

[Felypsa]

Imi had no inhibitions that prevented her from flying to her friend's side. The bat fluttered past Fortuné and landed on December's shoulder, keening in concern. But December was fine, of course. She didn't even have to fight the other girl. Still, Imi always wanted to make sure December was unharmed and out of danger. Imi had sensed multiple daggers; there could have been authorities accompanying the girl, and everyone would have been in trouble. Imi was relieved that was not the case.[/color]

"Imi!" December said, surprised as the bat came winging to her side. "What's wrong with you? Where's Fort - " She stopped, seeing the vampire peeking from around a corner, and resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Fortuné, you needn't lurk in the shadows," she called to him, slightly exasperated. "Come on out. Everything's okay." She glared at Imi. "You thought I was in danger, didn't you? Honestly, Imi, you must have very little confidence in me." She sighed. Her friend worried far too much about her - as if she needed help! Her "adversary" was only a young girl armed with a pair of daggers, after all.

December regarded Jolene again, judging from her appearance and her attitude that she was certainly not friends with the authorities, as she had asserted. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. December decided she was going to trust Jolene - at least a little. No more than she already trusted Fortuné, anyway. "You have a strange concept of 'fun,'" December remarked to Jolene. "I'm sure you have heard that curiosity killed the cat. I suppose, though, that such an old adage doesn't stop you. Very well. Jolene." She nodded in acknowledgement. "My name is December. My little friend here, who first discovered you snooping around, is Imi. And this," she jerked her thumb at the vampire, "is Fortuné." She lifted an eyebrow at the said vampire. I hope he didn't come here hoping to rescue me. That would be...ridiculous.[/color]

[Relairah]

Jolene bit her lip to hide her being startled by the bat's
sudden appearance. She listened as December spoke,
and it was easy enough to figure out names without
introductions.. although they were more friendly.
Afterall, listening in to conversations was one of her
ways of knowing so much around the Market. She
smiled slightly when December commented on her taste
of fun. "You'd have to see it from my point of view," she
said back simply.

She gave a slight shrug at the mention of the old
saying. How many times had she heard that now? She
didn't know, neither did she care. She gave a slight nod
as December introduced herself and her little winged
friend. Still, she found herself foolish for letting herself
be seen, or found out about. Still, she supposed she
could put some trust in these people. They seemed
nice enough. She glanced behind her as December
pointed out Fortuné. She raised a slight brow, gazing at
him a moment, then turned back to December a
moment. Somehow, the vampires in her imagination
just didn't fit the one that stood behind her.

Her hands moved from the hilts of her daggers to fold
across her chest, she leaning back against the wall,
putting her weight on one leg. She was sure enough
she had nothing to worry about, not around these
three anyway. "So, are we gonna just stand out here
and talk?" she asked, glancing around at the three
others, watching them with bright orange eyes.

[Aveilthé]

Fortuné stepped out from the darkness, his eyes aglow
as he studied the girl. A human. The side of his
lip curled upward as he inclined his head, his whole
mood changing. "Hello, young lady," said he softly,
almost seductively.

It was as though the whole world around him
dissapeared. It seemed as if he had completely
forgotten that Imi and December were quite near,
but all thoughts were kept on the human girl before him.

At least he wasn't hungry... or he would've acted
quickly...

Fortuné's skin seemed paler, and his aura darker.
The greenness of his eyes turned steadily into a swirl
of crimson, if one looked closely into his eyes.

[Felypsa]

oOc| Fortuné's a creep. I love him. </random weirdness>[/color]

December lifted an eyebrow silently at Jolene's question. "Yes, that sounds delightful," she said, matching her tone with Jolene's. "Glad you suggested it. I'd so much rather stand out here in the freezing cold than go inside where there's a fire and hot cocoa..." She trailed off, for Fortuné had just come from around the corner. She frowned slightly as he greeted the girl with a tone different than she was used to. What's wrong with him? He sounds like...like...

...like a creature of Darkness.

December inspected her vampiric companion more carefully, concerned. She thought she could see a tinge of red in his green eyes, just as she had before he had turned fully vampire and killed the old man in the alleyway. She knew enough to figure out this was not a good sign. But he just ate! she thought wildly. He can't possibly be hungry again...still...I can't take chances...

"Fortuné," the half-seraph said sharply. She reached back and placed her hand on her sword's hilt, ready to draw it if necessary. She didn't know how much Jolene knew about either of them, but it was very possible she had no idea she was in the presence of a vampire. If that were true, December knew Jolene would be more vulnerable.

Why has the sight of her set him off so? December wondered. Is it because she's fully human? But I'm half-human...I hope he snaps out if it. I'd hate to have to put Seraphim through him. He may be a dolt, but he's a nice dolt.[/color]

[Aveilthé]

OOC: Fortuné's a foppy creep. He is unremittingly loved.

[Relairah]

Jolene glanced at Fortuné, her ears twitched as he
spoke. She had heard such tones before, but not
spoken to her. She frowned, this did not seem like
something she could trust, and her first reaction was to
draw her daggers, or at least one of them, whichever
she got faster. She would not hesitate to attempt a
stab if she needed to, but something again told her it
wasn't necessary, and her attention was brought
suddenly away from the vampire with his name being
called sharply by December. Her bright orange eyes
shifted from Fortuné's face to rest upon December's.
Ah, the other had reached for her own sword.

She wondered what exactly the vampire was up
to, but had no notion to ask. She glanced back at the
vampire, yet spoke to December, "Hmm... now that's
something I haven't had in a very long time. Let's go in
then... but I won't be the one leading the way."

She was rather enthused at the idea of a warm fire and
hot cocoa. She remembered long years before in the
winter when her mother had made hot cocoa and she
had sat near a blazing fire drinking it. She still
remembered that taste of chocolate in her mouth. But,
that had been so long ago. To her, it seemed forever
long ago.

She patiently waited for either December or Fortuné to
take lead toward the house. She held onto the hilt of
her dagger, just in case. She didn't want any risks of
her life disappearing.

[Aveilthé]

OOC: Gah, brainfart. Forgive the shortness of this post; there's not much more to say about Fortuné's intentions right now... lol

The vampire flinched back a bit. "W... what?" He seemed
to know exactly what he did. A guilty grin flickered
over his pale face. "Ah, inside we go!" He turned swiftly,
and before he dissapeared into the dark of the house's
shadows, he spoke; "I'll make some more cocoa..."

Silly fool.

[Felypsa]

After Fortuné had bounded away, December slowly released her hold on her sword hilt and followed him, only more sedately. She did not see if the girl was going to follow or even attack; Imi's eyes were her eyes on the back of her head. The mockingbird-turned-miniature-owl blinked at Jolene from her perch on December's shoulder, hooting softly, keeping her large eyes on the girl's daggers.

Meanwhile, December was lost in thought. What is wrong with Fortuné? One moment he's all dark and creepy; the next, a bubbly, enthusiastic fool again. What did he see in Jolene that made him so...hungry is the only way I can describe his look. I should talk to him. Gah, I still need to figure out what to do with him...and now we have this urchin tagging along as long as she wants to. Why me? She directed the question and her gaze to the skies, as if expecting to find an answer there. Father, did you throw me in the path of these misguided, wandering souls, knowing that I'm one myself? How am I supposed to help them? I'm an angel only by blood, and so far, that hasn't given me any especial advantange in life. All I wanted was to be normal, to get life experiences...I wanted to learn to be human, not seraph.

Upon entering the house, the warmth of the fire shook her from her reverie. The fire's heat made her feel much better. She smiled mistily in Fortuné's direction, though not smiling at him...Having no idea as to what possible misinterpretations might come of that, she sat herself down on the couch as before, sipping cocoa as she had before, though hers had long since cooled.

I should go talk to Fortuné...make sure he's not getting really hungry again. She got up and announced, "I'll help you make more cocoa, Fortuné." She left Imi, who was now exploring the region around Jolene's head, hooting merrily, to keep the other girl company while December herself hastened into the kitchen area with Fortuné. She observed some broken crockery on the floor, and recalled the breaking sound she had heard earlier. She shook her head and sighed. I can't figure him out. Is he really this ridiculous, or is it all an act?

[Relairah]

Jolene said nothing more, simply let her bright orange
eyes wander about her surroundings, as if to memorize
the area around her. She tried to remember everything
she saw, it helped her a lot. She moved at her own
pace, following Fortuné and December. She barely took
notice to Imi, who had morphed again into an owl. She
paused at the doorway, looking about one last time
then walking inside. Instantly her eyes were drawn to
the walls, and all the pictures hung awkwardly about
them. A few boards creeked under her feet, but she
payed little attention. She found this house rather
intriguing, and was still rather curious as to why she
had never known of it before.

She sighed and took a seat upon the couch, sitting at
the end nearest the fire. She heard December say she
was going to help Fortuné make more cocoa. It caught
her attention, but she deffinately hated just sitting
around with nothing to do. It felt very awkward to her.
Yet, her worries were soon gone as Imi began going
about her head. She looked up at the bird and
grinned, "So, you're the one who gave me away, huh?"
She chuckled slightly and rose to her feet once more.

"What all can you morph into, anyway? You're certainly
one of the most interesting of creatures I've ever met
before." She reached up a finger to playfully poke at
the soft feathers of Imi's chest. 'I wonder if Fortuné
and December wouldn't mind me exploring a bit... on
second thought, they'd probably catch me and I'd get in
trouble.' Her curiosity was quite perked, yet she
found in this instance, perhaps it was just better to
stay put. Besides, she was finding Imi rather fun.

[Felypsa]

Imi hooted then turned into a tiny peacock, opening up its beautiful tail and fluttering it. Apparently this was the mockingbird's way of showing pride in response to praise. But suddenly, as if Imi could read Jolene's mind (she couldn't), she turned into a phoenix and flew towards one of the doors, one which neither December nor Fortuné had yet gone through. Imi left a brief trail of fire in the air, her way of beckoning to the other girl. Apparently the mischievous creature was restless and wanted to explore as much as Jolene did. And as a phoenix, her bright fiery feathers lit up the darkness around her. A passageway could be seen through the door that Imi lingered by.

[/color][/center]

[Relairah]

Jolene chuckled as the bird changed to a peacock,
looking at the long, beautiful feathers with admiration.
She reached a finger to touch one of the many
feathers, her eyes shining with curiosity, yet pulled
back suddenly when the bird transformed once again.
She gazed upon Imi with wonder a moment. "Wow..."
she murmered softly, her bright orange eyes reflecting
the phoenix's fiery form.

She shook her head, more to clear it from its dazed look
of amazement, and slowly followed the bird. She
glanced in the dirrection December had gone so as to
help Fortuné, biting her lip, and then grinned and
hurried to follow Imi. She gazed about herself, and
closed the door behind her, gently so it wouldn't make
a noise as it closed. A gentle creek was heard as it was
swung on its hinges, yet she only winced slightly at it
and then turned, her feet going across the floor. With
the dim light that Imi's fiery form made, she could see
the passageway before her, just slightly, and only so
far. She looked intently at the walls of the passageway,
which held more pictures and paintings like the ones in
the room before, of different people whom she had no
idea of their identities.

There were a few doors along the passageway, and
Jolene grinned slightly as she passed one. She paused
in her step, glancing at the door, then back at
Imi. "Hey, think we should go in?" she asked in a soft
tone, reaching to turn the handle.

[Felypsa]

Imi let out a musical warble as she flew from door to door, examining each and deciding which one to enter into. She eventually fluttered back to Jolene, who had already chosen one, humming as she inspected Jolene's choice. A moment later she gave a melodious squawk of approval, bidding Jolene to turn the handle. But, as a precaution, Imi made another transformation - her favorite "battle-form," a small, fire-breathing dragon. She would be ready to spit flames into the face of any unnatural thing if it came through that door.

[/color][/center]

[Aveilthé]

Fortuné rose his sturdy hands to his jaws, rubbing his
jaw line gingerly. It ached. He parted his lips, and felt
the tip of his canines with his fingers. All four were taut
and sharp. He placed his fingers to his temples
and massaged them with ease.

Legs carried Fortuné towards the ivory sink of the
kitchen, and was surprised that he reached his
destination so quickly. He leaned over the sink, his
hands now gripping the edge of the counter. His head
dipped as December walked in.

"Right."

Keeping his back turned from her, he passively reached
over to his bag left on top of the counter and took out
the items needed to make cocoa. He proceeded on
making the cocoa, making sure he had enough cups
for them all. He forgot to get the other cups, but he
didn't want to go back to meet that human. Of course
he knew that December was close by, but he pretended
to not hear or acknowledge her until she announced
herself in any fashion she chose. Fortuné was obviously
embarrassed by the whole mess that occured a while
ago, especially since he liked her. What will she think
of him now?

[Relairah]

Jolene glanced at Imi and grinned, "I don't think we
have to worry about anything... except bats maybe,"
she said, watching as the phoenix turned into a now
dragon. She turned her gaze toward the door once
more and turned the handle. Her other hand fell to rest
upon the hilt of her dagger, just in case. Even if bats
did fly out from the old room, and they were merely
bats, she herself didn't have much of a liking for bats.
She opened the door, and like the one that had lead
the way to the passageway, it made a creeking sound
as it turned on its hinges.

She pushed the door until it gently hit the wall behind
it. She peered into the dark room. It was windowless,
thus no light shed into the room except what leaked in
from the passageway. She stood there a moment,
before taking a step foward into the room. She stopped
and let her eyes adjust to the dark of the room. Her
bright orange eyes could make out silhouettes of
different forms here and there in the room. A small
table was in the corner, covered in all kinds of papers.
There was a single chair tucked under it. And, standing
against the wall, opposite the table, was a large
bookshelf. Jolene could see a few books, but she
wondered how many were really there.

She looked about the room with curiosity. This room
didn't have the pictures that what she had seen of the
rest of the house did. Jolene had a hidden secret, that
not even she knew. It was a part of her past she had
never discovered, although hints of this secret had
been revealed to her, she hadn't ever really taken
notice to them at all. One of the largest hints, that she
had always just thought normal, was her odd ability to
see in the dark. Her bright orange eyes let her see
more than any average human did. She simply thought
nothing of it.

[Felypsa]

December watched Fortuné for a while, trying to decide what to do or say. This was a very awkward situation. Presently, she did what she had said she would. She moved over to the table and figured out how to help Fortuné with the cocoa. She poured some water from the sink methodically. At length she spoke. "Fortuné. Are you feeling alright? You don't seem..." she struggled for a good word, then finished with, "like yourself. Are you...hungry?" She secretly hoped not. The only way out of a dilemma like that would be to either attempt to kill him or to tie him up. And then he might starve and die. There's just no easy way to handle this.

Imi saw that the room was empty of living occupants and immediately went owl so she could see. The miniature snowy owl flew around Jolene's head, unaware that the girl could also see effortlessly in the darkness. Imi examined each corner of the room, but it seemed quite nondescript and unremarkable. A table, a chair...Imi, bored, did a flip in the air and turned into a grey cat midway down. Cat-Imi landed with a resounding thud on one of the floorboards. Tilting her head, Imi shifted around, then turned elephant and started hopping on the floor. The sound that emitted beneath her was quite hollow, as if there was a niche or something underneath. Imi went owl again and hooted to get Jolene's attention to this particular part of the room.