Post by Vestral Umbris Karain on Jul 29, 2013 10:37:30 GMT -5
Vestral surveyed the cafe, looking for the table farthest away from the dense cluster of tables in the middle of the shop's courtyard. Finally, his eye caught a table sitting in a corner, away from the crowd. After moving it closer to the corner, he set down his cappuccino and collapsed into the chair. "The hours at my job are killing me." He thought, staring down into his drink. It really wasn't even the job itself, it started at the same time most people's did. It was his vigilante work, staying up all hours of the night to fight crime that had really been killing him, although he didn't want to admit it.
From his little corner of the cafe, he once again scanned the crowd. As a cafe, he didn't really like Denmoor. It felt too much like a tourist trap. But they made good coffee, which meant good cappuccinos, so he didn't complain. as he scanned back, he saw a woman's head pop up from the crowd. She looked around until she noticed the table that he was sitting at, then disappeared back into the sea of heads. "Well, THAT was odd." He thought to himself, looking back down at his drink.
Shortly after returning to his drink, he heard the familiar sound of a cup hitting the wire table. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. May I sit here?" It was the woman whose head had appeared over the crowd. He ignored her, but waved for her to sit down. While he didn't like being around people, she was different somehow. While it intrigued him, he didn't let it show.
Korina had noticed the man sitting alone and decided to join him. All the tables where full anyways so there wasn't a chance of sitting alone. He seemed alone however and kind of lonely, and knowing how that felt she didn't want him to be like that. So with a soft whirring noise from her specialized machine. (This one she had not made herself. She had in fact bought it, already made. It had been created by NASA to help astronauts stay in shape in space and had double to help people unable to walk do exactly that.) She had of course made a few modifications to it, some simple aesthetic modifications as well as upgrading the servos along the legs to allow a full range of movement such as walking, running, jumping, an squatting.
She walked up an set her hot cup of green tea sweetened with honey upon the table. After he waved for her to sit down upon her request she sat and looked across at the male. She was dressed simple today, a white blouse and black dress slacks. She had on simple, albeit pretty, high heels. Over her slacks was the walking apparatus, once white but now painted a onyx black with the servos glowing a blue light. The small power pack upon her back was hidden beneath her shirt. She sipped her tea watching the male across from her and smiled one of her charming beautiful smiles. "Hi, I'm Korina. How are you today sir?"
Post by Vestral Umbris Karain on Jul 29, 2013 13:26:18 GMT -5
"I'm fine." He replied sharply. As the reply left his lips, he caught his tone. He shouldn't have replied that way, she was only trying to be nice. he took in a deep breath and said, " I'm sorry, that was rude. I'm doing fine, how are you? Oh, and please don't call me 'sir', it sounds so official. call me Vestral."
Why was he being so open with her all of a sudden? This was unlike him. Most of the time, other people would have to pry him open, now she comes along and he opens up naturally? The feeling was unusual to him. What was it about her? Her dark brown hair or hazelnut eyes? No, while she was attractive, looks didn't matter to him. Her charming smile? It was a kind of smile he was used to rejecting. No, these things were too simple to explain it. There was something about how she carried herself, a self-confidence that seemed to radiate off of her. Still intrigued by her, he stared at her, deep in thought about how she managed to get him to open up.
Korina blinked, slightly taken aback at his rude retort to her casual question that was only meant to start up a casual conversation. However he quickly retracted that and apologized and she smiled again. "Well, I'm sorry Vestral. I wasn't meaning to pry. Simply making conversation." She swirled her tea, staring in to it now thoughtfully. Raising the decorative glade she sipped at the hot liquid again.
"Do you come here often, Vestral? I'm just passing through, had a meeting with specialist. He gave me the same news as every other doctor I've seen. They must call each other and tell each other to all say the same thing." She laughed a bit at her own joke, then sipped her tea again feeling the male staring at her. Did she have something on her face? Her light make up smeared slightly? SHe usually didn't bother with make up but after a few comments on her 'deathly palor' she had applied just a little foundation and blush. Had she messed it up? A possible explanation as she wasn't exceptionally use to doing it and could have easily messed up or smeared it during her visit to the specialist.
Post by Vestral Umbris Karain on Jul 29, 2013 16:14:23 GMT -5
He had heard her make an apologetic comment, but he was still too deep in thought to register just what she had said. It wasn't until her face turned to a look of concern that he was brought out of it. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was staring, wasn't I? To answer your question, yeah, i come here pretty often. It's a bit of a tourist trap, but the cappuccino's are good, so I try not to complain" He swirled his now half-empty cup when referring to it. "You made a comment about seeing a specialist. If you don't mind me prying, what kind of specialist are you seeing?"
Before she had an answer, a loud thump could be heard, coming from the cafe's front counter. Two rather burly men were standing there, one with his hands firmly set on the counter. "Look," he said, in a gruff tone, "I don't want to cause trouble any more than the next guy. I'm just saying that business is business. And it'd be just tragic if something were to happen to this fine establishment." Vestral had noticed him, since he had given the thug several broken bones before. This was, however, the first time he'd seen him "work" in broad daylight, or refer to it as a job at all.
"Would you excuse me for a moment?" He said as he slowly rose from his seat, to make his way toward the front of the cafe.
Korina frowned as the male got up even before she could answer. Watching him get up and head towards the counter she followed his line of sight and saw two large men standing there looking rather large and intimidating. She narrowed her eyes and stood up. Under the pretext of dropping something she knelt and draw her combat knife from the inside of her left ankle where the walking apparatus had been modified to hold it.
She stood up and followed Vestral, ear knife held against her wrist hidden from sight up her sleeve. She stuck right behind him looking like the scared girlfriend behind her big bad boyfriend even though they where definitely not a couple, not was she scared or in need of protection. Since getting her new 'legs', so to speak, she had been getting better and has been hoping her disease was in remission. A far fetched hope and a pathetic pipe dream, but it still was a fact than she had been feeling much better and much stronger after using then everyday and not being trapped in that wheelchair.
Post by Vestral Umbris Karain on Jul 29, 2013 21:09:37 GMT -5
Vestral made his way toward the front of the shop, with his hands in his pockets, fingers dancing around his throwing knives handles. He took pride in making sure that he was never unarmed and always having his knives be sharp. As he approached the brutes, he hailed them. "Hello, gentlemen. I don't suppose i could convince you two to leave peacefully?" The thug he knew turned to him and, in the same tone that he addressed the clerk with, said, "And why should I listen to you?" Vestral sighed and replied "Because it would be a shame if any more of your bones broke." He stated, smirking slightly. "So YOU'RE that punk that broke my arms?!" In a rage, the burly man wrapped both hands around Vestral's throat. "Shame. And here I was hoping we could resolve this peacefully." He said, choking the words out from between the man's large hands. Rather than trying to pry the fingers from his throat, he brought his hands out of his pockets, stabbing the thug's wrists with his knives. Using the momentum of being dropped, he grabbed the man's wrist & spun behind him. "Come on," he said, chiding his opponent, "a man your size should be able to fight someone my size with one hand behind his back. Let's make it that way, shall we?" With that comment he delivered a heavy hammer punch to the pommel of the knife, pinning the man's hand to his back as he fell to the ground in pain. Continuing to utilize his momentum, Vestral fell backwards, grabbing for his hunting knife, the other preparing to catch himself. He used his arm to bounce back up and aim his knife perfectly...at Korina's throat. He hadn't even noticed that she had followed him, much less beat the second thug. Realizing that she wasn't his enemy, he quickly dropped the knife and apologized profusely. " I am SO sorry! I get so focused when I'm in a fighting mood, often to the exclusion of everything else. Let's go, before we attract any 'fans'." He gestured towards the door, making it obvious that he wanted to leave.
Korina had followed Vestral an as the male used his blades upon the male who attempted to straggled him Korina defended herself from the second male. Thinking her weak and a cripple he came up behind the female and wrapped his arm around her neck putting her in to a head lock. Keeping her cool she stepped backwards with one leg on the inside of his leg. She twisted at her torso and wrapped her arm around his elbows locking his arms in place. Then her other hand formed a fist and she drove it repeatedly in to his side, aiming at his lowest rib still finally she felt the bone break. She released the male and continue her stepping motion ending behind him. He was struggling for his own breath now, an she placed a hand on back of his head. With a jerk forward she slammed his face against the counter, shattering his nose and watched his crumple to the floor unconscious. She shook her was sadly.
Hearing sirens approaching and having no wish to spend the night in a foreign jail where a crippled girl could seriously get hurt she nodded in agreement at Vestral's statement and quickly moved out the door, and looked around. "Where to?"
Post by Vestral Umbris Karain on Jul 30, 2013 13:41:29 GMT -5
"We'll head to my apartment. It's not very big, but it's not far from here, either." He said, looking around to make sure they weren't being followed. While he did enjoy helping people, he'd just as soon stop the crime before the perpetrator gets to the victim, to avoid interaction. "Follow me." He said,making a sharp turn into one of the alleyways. "I can get us there without having to deal with anybody."
"So what are you?" She asked the question so plainly, she might well have been asking about the weather. "I'm human, what else would I be?" Vestral let out a small chuckle as he peered around corner, making sure his calculations on the gang's patrol patterns weren't off. Unfortunately, she didn't believe him. "OKAY! I'll tell you!" He snapped, still uncomfortable with being so open with a person. "I'm a shadow elemental. Long story short: I could just as easily be that thing that goes bump in the night that you can't find."
Again frustrated with his bluntness with her, he focused ahead of him and made his way out of the alley and towards the apartment. It wasn't a very large complex, mostly one bedroom apartments for people who want to earn their way but don't quite have the money. He made his way up the stairs, Korina in this, up to the second floor. As he entered the small room that was supposed to act as the family room, he made his way over to the kitchen. "If you feel like you need a shower or to do anything else like that, bathroom's second door on the right. I'm going to make us some supper. That's what hosts do, right?"
Korina was following the male when he suddenly seemed to go off like a bomb. She gripped her knife tighter, seriously worried for her own safety now. Was the man mentally disturbed, was he insane? Schizophrenia came to mind. He was talking to thin air as if somebody had been speaking to him yet Korina had beer opened her mouth. She feel back several paces an eyed his back warily, "Vestral...are you alright? Your speaking and answering questions nobody asked."
Seriously worried she entered his apartment anyways and let him give her a guided tour. Then he suggested a bath or something. He wanted her naked in his house now? 'I don't think so..' She thought to herself. It was time it was time to leave. She slowly moved towards the door, swallowing slightly. "That's alright Vestral. I think I have taken enough of your time and I should probably be going. I can shower at my own apartment and then leave to catch my plane home."
She inched closer to the door, watching the male closely. Disturbed people could seem totally stable and snap at anything said or done. She had to be extraordinarily careful around this mad man. Talking to invisible people and things was never a good sign. Also of he was a dark elemental as he said, that meant he had powers she couldn't comprehend. Powers she probably didn't want to and definitely didn't want to see in action.
Post by Vestral Umbris Karain on Jul 31, 2013 16:30:45 GMT -5
"Oh, okay." He said, somewhat dejected. "It's fine. Makes sense for you to go back where your staying. No sense in changing back into dirty clothes, right?" He chuckled nervously as Korina let herself out of his apartment. He listened and waited until she was out of earshot, before turning around and punching his refrigerator. Dammit! Why did I have to be so stupid! OF COURSE she'd misconstrue the shower comment!
He wasn't expecting anything to come out of tonight, but if something had come out of it, he wouldn't have objected. Whatever, I don't need someone else in my life. Doing so would only put her in danger. He made his way over to his couch, grabbing the TV remote. And besides, he continued, Dresden still has its own dangers. I need to stay focused on the task at hand. Another thing I need to do in order to focus is taking a break. Despite the train wreck of an evening, he was glad for it. It showed him just how much he needed to step back, take a deep breath, then return to the grindstone. With that thought in mind, he left on one of the channels he'd scanned through, and got the best sleep he had in a long time.
Korina watched the male and nodded. "Yea...yea that's right. Don't want get clean and just get in dirty cloths again." She didn't mention the fact that getting naked and in the shower of somebody's apartment who she barely knew and could already tell was slightly deranged wasn't exactly very appealing, or at the top of her most wanting to do list. So she took her opportunity and slipped out the front door. She went down the elevator and slipped outside. Looking around she got her bearings as quickly began heading back to her own apartment. Along the way she shivered every now and then, feeling as if eyes where watching her.
Looking around all the way to the hotel she went upstairs and looked her door. Feeling better about that, she was quickly out of her walking apparatus and in a small folding wheelchair. She rolled herself to the bathroom and turned the shower on, feeling the water to make sure it was how she liked it. Hot, but not scaldingly so. She undressed and slipped in to the shower, sitting on a small folding chair she had to bring with her places. She took her time about shower, but twice paused and listened carefully thinking she had heard something in her apartment. When nothing else came she went back to showering.
Finished, she toweled herself off and slipped a fresh bra and pair of panties on. Sliding back in to her wheelchair she rolled out of the bathroom and in to the bedroom. Once there she shivered feeling a cold breeze. The window was open and blowing the curtains. She rolled to it and closed it. She had not left it open had she? Frowning she turned around and screamed, seeing four masked men standing in her bedroom door. She tried to throw herself across the bed, her combat knife in the dresser draw there but one of the men moved faster. He grabbed her wrist, then flipped her on to her stomach. He sat on her back as he twisted her arm behind her back making her squeak in pain that brought laughter from the three other men.
"Well well, we finally caught up to the little cutie. About time to, we had to follow you all the way from that other place. Guess it was worth it though. Cause now we have all night with you...and nobody to interrupt us." Korina's eyes went wide and she screamed, but the sound was instantly muffled when he pushed on the back of her head and pushed her face in the pillow.
Post by Vestral Umbris Karain on Aug 2, 2013 10:31:45 GMT -5
Vestral went through his day as he normally did, if in a better mood. Taking that night off was one of the best decisions he'd made in a long time. As night fell, however, he began to feel restless. He almost needed to prowl. Well, there's no rest for the wicked, so why should there be for those who punish them? As he headed out to begin his nightly rounds, he quickly came across a couple of thugs. Grinders. The gears on the back made that much obvious. Grinders are known for anything from petty theft, to kidnapping, to drug trafficking, so he stayed silent and watched them.
"Are we done here?" The first asked gruffly. He was a larger man, but not too large to be considered more of a threat of the other one. "Yeah," the second, thinner one replied. "Let's get back so we can enjoy our 'prize'." The two laughed as they continued down the alleyway. Vestral didn't exactly enjoy how the term "prize" was said, and followed them.
He managed to follow them to an abandoned warehouse. Although the two that he had followed had already made their way inside, there was another gang member standing outside. Obviously much larger than the other. The air around Vestral seemed to darken around him, obscuring any definition to his face. He knew what people fear, and the unknown is just one of these fears.
"Hey, what are you-" The thug's question was cut off by a knife in his throat, which he futilely grabbed for as he slumped back against the wall. Tonight, Vestral was out for blood. Any thugs he met were answered with knives, as none escaped his warpath through the warehouse. As he killed what seemed to be the last gang member, he opened the door to what was once one of the offices. inside was a rather gaunt woman, cuffed to a table, in nothing but her undergarments. Upon closer inspection, he found that it was, in fact, Korina, the woman he had chased off just yesterday. "Korina!?" He exclaimed, as much question as surprise in his voice. "Let's get you out of here. Did you manage to see which one of them had the keys?"
Korina struggled wildly, trying to get away from then men. She was beginning to see stars in her vision, unable to breath. Her strength was fading even as she felt her other arm pulled behind her and something wrapping around her wrists. She felt hands on her, rough hands as blackness settled over her mind and all her thoughts and feeling slowly became fuzzy then vanished as she passed out. ---------------------------------------------------------
"Oh come on! We are just gonna sell her? Not even let us play with her! Fuck that! I'm gonna play with her." The voice cut through her foggy brain, bringing a horrific headache up instantly. She groaned and her head lolled slowly.
"Fine, Kid. You can but only her mouth. We get less for violated product. And make sure to clean up your damn mess!" A second voice yelled, making her moan in pain as her he's throbbed. Her eyes seemed to be glued shut and not wanting to open.
A cold breeze blew across her as a door opened then closed, informing her that she was naked except her bra and panties which is how she was hen so had been captured. So she hadn't been raped, a least. Well, not yet that was. A hand grabbed her face, fingers digging in to her jawbone forcing her lips to part. She cried out in pain, knowing she was unable to prevent this horror from happening.
A noise outside caught her attention, an clearly that of her attacker as well. The hand let her go, an footsteps moved away from her. She groaned and slowly forced her eyes open, and saw the door open. She blinked, forced her eyes open again and somebody was standing there again.
"Korina!? Lets get you out of here. Did you manage to see which of them had the keys?"
She groaned and shook her head, head pounding horribly, they must have given her something but she wasn't sure what it was. Her eyes close again and she slumped in her seat. "W...wh...who?" She tried to speak but that was all she was able to squeak out in question through her dry, parched lips.
Post by Vestral Umbris Karain on Aug 4, 2013 23:36:13 GMT -5
"w...wh...who?" was all that she managed to croak out. "C'mon, it's me, Vestral." He said, patting her cheek lightly to try and keep her focused on him. Once again noticing her clothing situation, he took off his sweater and draped it on her. He had no use for it at the moment, since all of his throwing knives were currently sheathed in assorted heads and throats. He also had no reason to hide his hair, which was such a deep black that it seemed to slightly absorb the light around it.
"Stay still, you need to keep your energy. I'll look around for the key." As he walked out, he noticed one of the thugs was still alive and slowly crawling for his gun. To which he crushed the man's hand underneath his boot as he made his way out to check for the key. After some searching, he finally found the key on one of the earlier guards, as well as some water bottles. Grabbing one, he made his way back to Korina's "room."
"Alright, I've found the key!" He exclaimed, coming through the door. "I also found some water. Here." He passed her the water as he fiddled with the key, trying to get it to fit into the lock. After some work, he managed to get the cuffs unlocked. "We need to go. The Grinders are a LOT bigger than these guys, so we need to get out of here." He managed to get to the door before he noticed that she wasn't following him. "C'mon, we need to get going!"
