Daniel marveled at the sights of the capital city of Serendipity. The city itself was beautiful and bursting with color, shops, and sounds. But perhaps what was most interesting was the people—many sported unnatural hair colors, and it seemed billowing clothing was popular.
With his yellow hair, pale skin, and frilly clothing, Daniel almost fit right in. That was a first. Serendipity was no stranger to magic and non-human creatures. As long as Daniel hid his wings and natural glow, he could walk the streets without people paying too much attention to him.
He had come here with his newfound friend to hide from a rather nasty demon, but with the completely new environment, it was hard to worry about that.
Epirus did anything but fit in in the colorful nation of Serendipity. With his fading silvery hair, dark skin, near-dead eyes, and dirty old clothes, he considered himself lucky to be in the company of Daniel, who seemed to blend in almost immediately.
He could hear music in the streets, though far different from the melodies and hymns of his flute. It was uplifting, whatever that was, and full of purpose as the townfolk bustled through the busy streets.
His eyes stopped on a particular merchant who was selling clothing, similar to the style most of the people around them adorned.
"What are these rags people wear?" he asked curiously. "Is this something I should be wearing?"
He asked mostly for the good of their "hiding in plain sight," but he felt a slight eagerness to put on something new.
"Rags? These pieces are the latest fashion in Arca—popular amongst even the nobles!" The merchant sniffed. She looked up at the newcomer, stifling a gasp at the stranger's appearance. But no matter—a customer was a customer, after all.
She wasn't so sure about the tall man with his worn-looking clothes, but his companion, the exact opposite of him, looked like he would have some money.
"See this material? It's some of the finest in the land—very soft, but very sturdy." The merchant picked up a shirt with ruffled sleeves. "I'm sure this would look amazing on you," she commented, looking the silvery-haired man up and down.
Daniel studied the goods with interest. He had no need for clothing as he could conjure something to wear with the wave of a hand. However, a sparking blue jewel attached to a bracelet caught his eye. It was a beautiful shade of blue, like the sky...and somehow, there was a sense of familiarity in that color.
Epirus eyed the shirt the merchant put on display for him, a small frown on his lips.
"I hate it," he said simply, before tossing a glance over to Daniel. "Something catch your eye?"
The merchant looked quite taken aback before turning her attention to the boy. Perhaps he could be reasoned with.
"The bracelet..." Daniel responded, "the gem on it is quite pretty."
The merchant smiled, picking up the jewelry and holding it to the light. "This is a very nice gemstone—aquamarine, in fact. I sell it for the best price in the market."
Daniel tilted his head, still mesmerized by the bracelet. "Price?"
Epirus eyed the bracelet that the woman had in her hands, and back to Daniel as he inquired about the price. That was right, he needed money to buy anything, and he failed to collect on the few souls he took care of back in the Niahi.
Well, it was a little too late for all that. He could just enchant the merchant if he really wanted something, but his desires to try something new were slowly drifting.
Daniel, on the other hand, seemed quite taken with the bracelet, and he found himself shifting his gaze back and forth between his friend and the lady behind the stand.
"Price?" asked Daniel, and then Epirus watched the woman as he waited for her response.
The merchant, believing Daniel was asking for the price of the bracelet, smiled. "Just three silver glints."
"Glints? I'm afraid I do not have any of those," Daniel said, frowning. "How would I get them?"
No money? This pair was certainly the strangest she'd ever met. "How do you get money? You work for it, of course," the merchant explained.
"Where do I find work?" The angel inquired.
"My, you're just full of questions, aren't you? For that, I do not know...perhaps you could look around the marketplace..."
Glints? Well, Epirus didn't have any glints either.
He frowned as he watched the interaction, and more so when she suggested they put themselves to work. Work? What kind of work? All Epirus knew how to do was kill or be killed, and that had worked for him just fine until now. But, that was no longer an option if they were to lay low.
An idea struck through his mind, and he leaned into Daniel's ear.
"Would you like me to enchant her?" he whispered.
Daniel nodded slowly. The idea seemed interesting enough.
The merchant waited, hoping the two were discussing purchasing the bracelet. She hadn't been able to sell it for weeks.
Satisfied, Epirus moved away from Daniel and removed his flute from his pocket. "How about a little music in exchange for the bracelet, instead?"
"Music?" the woman asked skeptically. "Look around! There's music everywhere! You will have to do better than-"
"Then it is settled then," Epirus interrupted with a sly smile, placing the mouthpiece to his lips. The woman tried to interject once more, but he began to play, and this time it was not the melancholy hymn of the dead, but a rather uplifting, albeit distracting tune that only lasted for a couple of seconds.
During those couple of seconds, the woman's eyes went dull but returned back to normal promptly after the song was over.
"You know what? Here," she said, placing the bracelet in the Angel's hand. "I haven't had any luck selling it anyway. So, this one's on the house."
Daniel took the bracelet, a little surprised it had been so easy. "Thank you." He slipped the bracelet on his wrist, smiling at the blue gemstone.
"Your flute is very useful," he said, leaning in to whisper to Epirus. "Should we go to the n-"
The angel abruptly stopped as a sudden vision engulfed his mind. No, not a vision...a memory. It was the man with the familiar blue eyes again. He sat at a large desk covered in papers, flipping through them until he stopped at one. The man pulled it out, handing it to Daniel without so much as a glance.
"Your next assignment." He went back to filing papers, but stopped slowly, pausing to look at Daniel in the eyes. "Oh, and be careful. The number of demons has been rising lately. Do not believe anything they say...I would not want you to turn."
The flashback stopped as suddenly as it had come, and Daniel was left silent in surprise.
Epirus eyed Daniel has he suddenly stopped mid-sentence, absently standing there in silence.
Weird.
Something clearly happened, but the demon couldn't fathom what exactly.
"Everything okay?" he asked, trying to bring Daniel back to reality. "The enchantment won't be in affect for much longer, we should get going before the woman comes to."
Epirus spoke aloud to where the merchant could hear every word he had said about her, but all she could do was smile and nod in agreement.
Daniel snapped out of his stupor, blinking slowly. "Oh...yes...yes, let's go."
He couldn't help but think about the blue-eyed man's warning. He was sure the man was another angel, certainly someone he'd known before. Warning him to be careful of demons. Daniel glanced up at Epirus. There was no reason to distrust him.
"I was just thinking...demons are often said to be evil, and angels and the like good. But we are all individuals, aren't we? We make our own decisions following our own morals. It's unfair that we are placed under these labels."
Clearly, the blue-eyed angel had not met enough demons to know that those stereotypes were simply stereotypes.
Clearly, the
Epirus's eyes furrowed at the question, not exactly sure where it came from.
"Good and evil is a subjective concept," he said finally as the two made their way further into the city. "Take us for example. You are an Angel, so people would be lead to believe that you are inherently good. Though, back in the Niahi, you did not try to stop me when I was stealing souls from the townspeople. And there's me - most would assume, and most do, that because I am a demon that I am inherently bad, yet I had a second judgement back there and released the ones that I thought to be good."
He bit his lip, contemplating more. "The whole conversation is a complicated one," he said with a sigh. "Why do you ask?"
The merchant still had a bright smile on her face long after Epirus and Daniel moved out of the area, but it dimmed as her dazed eyes came back to their normal state of being. Through obvious puzzlement, she jerked her head left and right. "Where did they go?" she asked herself, dumbfounded, before her eyes shot open in fruition.
Where did the bracelet go? She was just talking to that strange pair, but neither of them had any money to buy it! The last thing she remembered was the two whispering something right in front of her. Could they have... ?
At the top of her lungs, the woman yelled. "THIEF!"
"I remembered something back there, from before I lost my memories. Another angel was telling me not to trust demons because I might turn into one. But that's a ridiculous idea."
A commotion from the crowd behind the two made Daniel turn around. There, at the end of the street, was the merchant from earlier. Behind her stood three armed guards. Her face was contorted in anger as she pointed a finger at Daniel and Epirus.
"It's those two!"
The crowd parted ways as the guards dashed forward, the angry merchant at their heels.
"I'm guessing your enchantment didnt last very long," Daniel said, grabbing Epirus's arm and pulling him into a nearby alleyway. "Let's run."
'He is not far off,' Epirus managed to say to himself before getting distracted by the noise behind them.
It's those two!
'Let's run.'
Before he knew it, he was running in stride with Daniel through a nearby alleyway, easily outpacing the pursuers. But that did not matter, because they were suppose to be laying low. Surely, his enchantment should have done a better job than that - but perhaps he was still weak from the previous battle, or perhaps he was just plain lazy with it.
They needed to get out of sight quick when-
"Psssh!" the voice of a young woman hissed through an open window just above their heads. "Quick lads! In here!"
Daniel looked up to see a young woman with a wild mane of deep red hair. He was surprised a civilian would help them, considering they were being called thieves.
But no matter. Daniel pushed open a door beneath the woman's window, tugging Epirus along.
The woman watched the two enter the door below, and moved to the stairs to meet them as Epirus closed the door behind him.
"Quite the commotion you boys caused out there," she smirked, moving down the steps almost gracefully as she carried a mug of something that smelt rather potent. "If you are going to steal, at least be good at it."
Epirus' brow furrowed at the woman. "I thought we managed it just fine," he said, motioning to Daniel and his newly acquired bracelet.
"Ha!" she chuckled with an honest smile. "I wouldn't want you in my crew. Here, you look like you could use a drink."
She extended her arm as if to hand the mug over to Daniel.
"Considering we have no money, we'll have to get better at it eventually..." Daniel muttered, once again looking at the bracelet. If only he could remember...
The woman's gesture snapped him out of his thoughts, and he stepped forward, peering into the mug. "What is this?" He inquired.
"Just a little ale, silly," she winked. "Strange little fella, aint'cha? Are you even old enough for this?"
Epirus watched the two trade conversation in silence, unsure where they stood with this woman. Though, judging by her behavior, they had nothing to worry about.
"Don't worry," she said reassuringly. "I won't tell."
[OOC: If it's cool with you, I might find a way to write Epirus out of the thread for a few posts so I can play around with Regen's character a bit more.]
Old enough? Daniel was definitely much older than this woman, and probably even Epirus. Why did everyone seem to think he was a kid? Perhaps it was his height.
"Ale? I'd like to try this ale," Daniel said. He'd never eaten or drinken anything before, but he'd told himself he would try all the new things this world had to offer. "I can assure you that I'm old enough."
((OOC: Of course! I like Regen already.))
"Take it, then," Regen urged. "And what about you? You need something to drink as well, big fella?"
Epirus's looked upon the woman skeptically for a moment, biting his lip as he contemplated his answer. "Alcohol really has no affect on me," he admitted honestly, his voice low and ready to dismiss the awkward formalities. "Where are we exactly?"
Regen grinned, a bit playful and deceitful at the same time. "A house," she teased. "A Noble's house to be precise. They are away for a few days, and you could say I'm... watching it for them."
She kept eyes on Epirus as she lied through her teeth.
Daniel took the mug and proceeded to gulp half of it down. He contemplated the taste for a second before smiling. It was bitter, but also sweet. How interesting.
He could tell the woman wasn't telling the whole truth, but there didn't seem to be any immediate danger. "What's your name?" He asked, taking another sip of the ale. He wondered if she had more of this stuff.
"Regen Wintzell, at your service."
The woman reached out to shake the man she shared her drink with's hand whether he liked it or not, shaking briskly before pulling back. "And you? What'd you two steal anyways that has everyone in such an uproar?"
More importantly, was it something she could take off of them.
Epirus was lost in his thoughts, more concerned with Chorin back in the Niahi and how long it would be before he eventually caught up to them; and his current affairs were paling in comparison. He contemplated in silence - perhaps it would be better for him to slip out for a bit and lure any impending threats away from Daniel and Serendipity in general.
The angel blinked, a little surprised at the force of Regen's handshake. "My name is Daniel. This is what we took. I think it's pretty, don't you?" He held up the bracelet on his wrist, smiling. "Though she seemed quite angry about it...I want to find a way to pay her back, if I can."
Escaping was easy enough, but having to continuously steal things would definitely bring unwanted attention. Daniel turned to Epirus, who seemed lost in thought. "Epirus?"
Just as soon as Daniel showed Regen the bracelet and turned to the other man, Regen slipped the accessory off of him with a sleight of hand and held it up, dangling from her fingers, to get a better look at it. "It's okay," she said, unimpressed. "What kind of thieves go back to pay, though?"
Epirus remained silent for a few moments before looking back at his companion. "Sorry," he said quietly. "I was just thinking. Would you be fine to stay here a little while longer? I can move around unnoticeable easier when I'm alone, and I think it would suit us to take another look around... best to cover our tracks."
"So your name's Epirus," the girl interjected before Daniel had a chance to respond. "Kinda funny name. Cover your tracks from what exactly? Stealing a little bracelet like this?"
The woman was certainly very skilled, having taken the bracelet without Daniel noticing. But he noticed soon enough, and an unexplainable feeling of possessiveness overtook him. The angel took the bracelet from her fingers and quickly fastened it onto his wrist, averting his eyes.
Daniel wasn't sure if this woman needed to know their whole story. Perhaps it would be best not to answer her question. "I'll stay. But make sure you don't get caught." The house didn't belong to Regen either, so there was no need for her permission.
Regen smirked when Daniel snatched the bracelet back up from her. Perhaps she had hit a nerve? No matter, it was all in good fun, and she didn't forsee being around the two for much longer anyway. "Take care then," she said to Epirus before making her way back up the stairs unannounced.
Epirus watched her as she went before turning back to his companion, giving him a quick nod. "Don't worry," he said almost reassuringly for a man with motionless tone. "I won't be gone long."
He didn't stick around for any goodbyes before the demon slipped out of the house.
Daniel watched him go, turning back towards the stairs Regen had disappeared up. He climbed them, the stairs ending at a long hallway where various rooms seemed to branch off.
"Regen?" The woman seemed to be adept at stealing things...perhaps she could teach Daniel a thing or two.
The angel marveled at the many paintings that hung from the walls and the elaborate rugs. So this was a noble's house. It was a stark difference from the small shacks and cottages Daniel had seen in the outermost part of the city.
"Yes dear, what do you need?"
Regen walked lazily out of one of the bedrooms holding up a white flowing tunic, eyeing it curiously and with slight admiration. "What do you think? Should I give it a try?"
"I was wondering if you could teach me how to steal. You seem good at it, and it's a useful skill." He peered at the tunic she held up, wondering where she'd gotten it from. Probably the closet of whoever lived in this house. "Sure, it would look nice on you."
She looked at him skeptically for a moment, but that skepticism turned into a bashful smile when he agreed about the tunic. "I think so, too," she said with a smile and nod. "Let me try it on real quick."
She stepped back into the room and shut the door behind her, the sounds of clothes been shuffled around could being heard shortly after. "Oh! And yeah, why not? I'll teach you a few things. Like.. right now?"
Daniel, feeling inspired by Regen's enthusiasm in trying on clothes, decided to change his own outfit. He waved a hand from his neck to his feet, and his usual outfit was replaced by a layered dress with swirling designs at the waist.
Hm, this would do. He walked closer to the door upon hearing Regen's response. "Right now?"
The door swung open and the woman was wearing the tunic, beaming from ear to ear. "Yes, right now," she repeated. "No time like the present. We can make our way into-"
She stopped, her eyes gliding over Daniel's new wardrobe. "Oh? Did you change too? I don't remember seeing anything like that in this place..."
"Ah, it was a the bottom of a drawer I passed by," Daniel lied. He'd almost forgotten he was pretending to be human...it was proving to be a bit inconvenient.
"You were saying?"
Regen tilted her head at the young-looking man almost suspiciously. "No it wasn't," she said bluntly. "If you want to be a proper bandit, you should practice your lying. Anyway, like I was saying, we'll make our way into town and knock off a few merchants. You know, easy stuff."
She paused for a moment to look him up and down, shaking her head in disapproval.
"You think you can scruff yourself up a bit more? You'll stand out like a sore thumb for someone who's already been looked for."
He supposed the woman was right about the dress. Well, it was fun while it lasted.
He waved his hand over the dress, and it turned into an inconspicuous tunic and pair of breeches. There was no use hiding it now that she could easily see through his lies. And magic was common for those of Serendipity, wasn't it? "How is this?"
It was unassuming enough, he hoped. "So, what else do 'bandits' do? Besides, er, knocking off merchants?" He asked, borrowing the phrase.
Her eyes widened at the sudden transformation, but she was quickly satisfied and gave him an approving nod. "Much better," she said after a bit of admiration. "A Mage then? Me too, but I've never seen any sort of craft that can change a person's clothes."
She swept down the stairs, not really looking back to see if Daniel was following her. "We do it all. Knock off merchants, knock of nobles, have a good time at the local tavern, bit of treasure hunting here and there, steal from the rich and give to the poor, that sort of thing," she explained. "Not all bandits, mind you. But we're different."
A mage. He could stick with that. "There are lots of different magics in this world," he commented, following her down the stairs.
He peered out a ground-level window. The commotion had died down, and everyone had gone back to their daily lives. How easy it was for things to return to normal! But that didn't mean he could put his guard down just yet.
The angel pondered her explanation for a second. "I'm different, too. Where are we going first?"
"There are lots of different magics in this world," he muttered a mocking impression to herself as she swung the door open. She peered over her shoulder and tossed him a look that said 'No hard feelings' and motioned him to follow her out into the streets.
"Follow me and you will find out," she teased, slipping out into the alley.
Daniel frowned at that, following her into the street. Just as he had suspected, the guards were nowhere to be seen, having given up their search for the thieves. The woman, too, was gone, and he made a note to himself not to go near that part of the marketplace.
A bar at one end of the street was filled with rowdy people, even though it was the middle of the day. Some more obviously wealthy people walked past wearing fancy fabrics and cloths. A merchant with a stand selling jewelry appeared to be falling asleep in the midday sun. People of all kinds shuffled past. "It's always busy here, isn't it?"
"Mhm," she nodded as they walked through the bustling crowds. "Now this is a nice ring." The woman held her palm open to showcase a heavy silver ring with some sort of engraving etched into the side. Apparently she had already swiped it off of someone in the short time that they had been in the streets.
"Steady eyes and sly hands, Daniel. Remember that," she said as she tossed it to him. "Keep it."
Daniel caught it, pocketing the ring and hoping no one had seen the exchange. He looked around the crowd for someone he could steal from.
Not the old, hunched over man who had only a rusty ring on his finger and worn clothes. It looked like those were the only things he had, and he probably needed them. But the two men walking a few feet in front of him seemed much better off, wearing nice, clean clothing and carrying bulging money bags. They almost looked too perfect to steal from.
"What about them?" Daniel whispered, leaning towards Regen.
Regen looked over to the men that had Daniel's attention and gave off a wry smile. "Good eye," she noted, analyzing the situation. "But you gotta be careful with that lot. Anyone who is openly carries around money is either going to be a little more prepared, or just plain stupid. With them, my money is on the former. It would be easier to check their pockets before going after the coin in their sacks."
She frowned a bit, considering. "But give it a shot if you'd like. I'll have your back if anything goes wrong. If all else fails, bump into them by accident."
"By accident. Right."
He was fairly well dressed-it didn't look like he had any reason to steal, so hopefully the men wouldn't think so either. He walked forward as he normally would, pressed in with the crowd. Quickly, he lifted a small hand into one of the men's pockets, fingers finding a couple coins. He took out only three, afraid the man would notice if the change in weight was too great.
The two men seemed not to have noticed. Daniel watched them go, the backs of their heads soon lost in the crowd. He turned to Regen, a satisfied smile on his face. "It worked this time."
"Pretty smooth there," she admitted as he returned. "You might have want it takes to join the crew, though I couldn't see the other one holding his own very well. How'd you meet that guy, anyway?"
"He seems as capable as me, maybe more so," Daniel said, looking for some other well-dressed people to steal from. He wasn't sure how to answer her question without revealing too much about Epirus or himself.
"I met him by chance in a forest. We fought some people, fought each other, fought some people again, and we've been friends ever since." It wasn't a lie.
"Ya don't say."
Regen meant well, but her voice trailed of, uninterested, as something caught her attention from the corner of her eye. The two men Daniel had stole from had turned corner, heading back in their direction and gods did they look angry. "You there!" one of them barked, pointing in their general direction. "Stop!"
Shit.
Regen made a snap decision for her own well-being, though the man she was with probably wouldn't be too pleased. Leaning in, she quickly whispered in his ear. "First lesson of being a bandit. Every man for himself."
She ducked off into the shadows quicker than Daniel could turn around.
Daniel flinched at the shouts of the angry men. Evidently, his stealing hadn't been as 'smooth' as Regen said. Speaking of which...
He barely had time to react before she disappeared into the shadows, leaving him behind. The men were close now, and one reached out to grab Daniel by the shirt, but the angel backed up into a nearby alley. The man followed, face reddened with rage. "Pickpocket! Get back here with my money, boy!"
Daniel turned and dashed through the narrow pathway, the men hot on his heels. But he soon outran them, losing them in the twisting corridors. He stopped when he was sure he'd lost them and, making sure no one was watching, unfurled his wings and flew to the rooftops. Here was a vantage point of the city. He had no idea where Regen was, nor where the noble's house was. Frowning, he allowed his wings to disappear.
The coins were still in his hand. All that for these little things...perhaps stealing was not for him.
"Got away from them, did ya?"
Just as quickly as the woman had disappeared, she had returned, just behind the Angel and on the rooftops no less. Just exactly how she got up there so quickly was a mystery that remained to be solved. "Nice wings," she said curiously. "Where'd ya get'em?"
Daniel turned, surprised she had found him so quickly. "You're very good at appearing and disappearing. But maybe I'm just not paying attention."
What was more alarming was that she had seen his wings. But the angel had learned there was no hiding things from Regen. She was a bit of an enigma herself, anyway. He unfurled his wings once again, flapping them slightly. "I was created with them."
He closed them abruptly, wanting to change the subject. "I've been thinking...I'm not quite cut out for being a bandit. It's not like I have a need to steal...but I don't know what else there is to do. I don't know what I should do," he muttered, the last sentence dropping to a whisper.
Things were simple when he was given orders. He followed them, no matter how difficult, and when he was done, he was given more. But the blue-eyed angel wasn't here to tell him what to do.
"Well, that's just my little secret," she mused at his observation.
She stopped, studying him as he spot. He was created with wings, but he sure didn't look Yoreiqi. He wasn't cut out to be a bandit he said, but he had only given in the one or two go's as far as she could tell.
"Don't know what you should do?" she asked finally, her head tilted. "Well. The hells do you want to do? Just fish around until you find something you're good at."
"Something I'm good at..." he echoed. Maybe he should take the advice of the merchant from earlier and get work somewhere. Getting a job would give him something to do to ease his boredom, and he could get money to pay that merchant back.
"You've given me a great idea!" He started off the rooftop but stopped. "...Where are we, exactly?"
"I don't know," Regen admitted with a slight shrug. "This is just where I hurried off to when you got caught."
She took a look around the rooftop. "You can almost see the whole city from here," she said softly. "What's yer idea anyway?"
"To get a job. Work. There should be some in the city, right? It would definitely give me something to do."
He looked out over the city, wondering how one even started looking for work. As far as he knew, Regen's occupation as a bandit wasn't a common one, so he probably couldn't ask her. He was about to glide back into the alley when he felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. He knew immediately what it meant—someone near here was about to die.
But why hadn't he felt this before? People died all the time, and yet this was the first time since he woke up in this world that he felt the familiar tingle. Were more of his powers as an angel returning?
Would his memories return?
Daniel frowned, turning around and trying to pinpoint the location.
Regen laughed.
"You'll stick out like a sore thumb," she said again, feeling like she was repeating herself. "You've already been chased for two separate robberies in the span of what... thirty minutes? But hey, whatever floats your boat, Daniel."
She studied his face a little closer when a look of grim washed over his face. "...Something wrong?"
Daniel barely heard Regen's words as he pinpointed the location. Some force compelled him to seek it out, and he strode past her without a second thought. "Someone's about to die," he whispered, jumping off the roof and letting his wings shot out to break his fall.
He didn't know if she would follow him or not, but that wasn't important. He was starting to remember things—everything, and also the reason why angels like himself were only supposed to observe and never interact.
He snapped out of his thought when he realized his feet had carried him to the source of the feeling of dread. It wasn't too far from where Daniel had escaped—a smaller street, but it was filled with people who all stared in hushed silence at someone in the ground.
The frantic and angry voices of some men could be heard throughout the street, and a horse somewhere whinnied in fear. Daniel approached the crowd, his eyes widening upon seeing it was the man who he'd earlier stolen from laying in the street. Dead.
"It ain't my fault he ran out in front of the wagon like that! And what are two men like you doing in this part of town anyway?" One of the arguing men yelled, sweating nervously. The other man, who Daniel recognized as the dead man's companion, seemed to be looking frantically for help.
No. This wasn't supposed to happen. Daniel could feel it; it wasn't the man's time to die yet.
Fuck.
Daniel was becoming more trouble than he was worth.
Regen threw her arms up in disbelief when he dived off of the building like some sort of mad man, temporarily forgetting the capability of his wings, before heading for the stairs. There was no way in hells she could do what he just did, but at least she was fast enough to get back down to the ground to see what was going on.
Her better judgement told her to walk away then and there. She would need to make arrangements to get back to Yoreiq soon, anyway, and all of this "babysitting" was just slowing her down. It had been a nice visit to Serendipity, but enough was enough, right?
Wrong. Fuck her better judgement, or at least that's what she told herself as he zipped down the staircase. She was too curious, too involved, to do anything else.
She let out a soft, involuntary hiss when she made it to the scene. The bloke Daniel pick pocketed earlier was dead on the streets, and the Angel overlooked it like it was okay to do that.
Sneaking around the crowd, she found her way to Daniel, stepping up silently behind him. "What in all hells are you doing?" she seethed through her teeth. "Doesn't matter what happened! If you stick around, they'll find a way to blame you!"
Daniel barely registered Regen's presence as he slowly took a step back.
"But, it-it is my fault. He wasn't supposed to die here. He was supposed to live for another 33 years!" The angel's usual calm demeanor was gone as he backed away from the crowd. A cart came to take the man's body away, and the crowd soon dispersed as quickly as it had come. Daniel decided it would be best to take Regen's advice for once, and he backed into the shadows with her before anyone could take notice of him.
He didn't expect Regen to understand. He now remembered why it was so ingrained in him to never interact with other creatures. The angels of his kind could drastically change the fate of anyone they came in contact with. It was like the butterfly effect, but magnified. Maybe he had already sent Regen's fate far off course.
"I think...you shouldn't be around me anymore. I'm only going to cause trouble."
[OOC: Dude, that's an awesome little trait for Daniel you just introduced]
Up until that point, most of Regen's glares toward Daniel were a mixture of bafflement and irritation, but now a look of concern seemed to wash over her face. "Hey. Don't worry about me," she said after a moment, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You've already caused enough trouble, so I don't see how things can get any worse."
He forced a smile and a chuckle came out with it, and she took a few steps away from him further into alley the two had ducked off into. "How do you know how long that man was suppose to live?" she asked, tilting her head.
(OOC: thanks!)
The angel blinked, realizing he was revealing a bit too much about himself. But why did he have to hide what he was? Regen was strange enough in her own right—surely she wouldn't care who he was. "I'm an angel. It's just one of my abilities."
"I could make things worse, or better, I suppose," he said, changing the subject. "But no one knows what their fate will be, and neither do I, until they've died. In that respect, I guess my presence is no different from anyone else's." That revelation eased his heart a little, but he couldn't shake the feeling of guilt.
Regen eyed him curiously before taking a few steps closer. "Better or worse, huh?" she repeated, that look of concern coming back into her expression once more. "What does that mean for me? Am I going to strike it rich or am I going to die today?"
Her eyes lit up as a thought that should have been so obvious came across her mind. "Wait just one fucking minute," she said rather brashly. "If you're an angel and one of your abilities is knowing when someone is suppose to die..." she trailed off, almost scared to ask. "When am I going to die?"
Daniel stepped backwards, taken aback by her sudden outburst. "That, I cannot tell you. I only know a few hours before someone's death...and even then, something seems to be blocking the full extent of my abilities."
He looked at the late afternoon sun, the heat of the day cooling as it got later. "I can say for sure you won't die today." But he could tell others would. In the large city of Arca, plenty of people died each day, from old age, disease, accidents. He could feel their lives waning, and it made him sick to his stomach. He would have to learn to control this power...but more importantly, why had it disappeared in the first place?
"Regen, do you really want to know when you're going to die?"
Whoa boy.
What a question.
She thought about it for a moment, and the realization that she really didn't want to know sunk over her face rather quickly. She shook her head and folded her arms. "Nope," was her simply response. "I don't s'pose I do."
She let out an exasperated breath and started walking away from him. "All this is a little too heavy for me. C'mon, Angels gotta eat too, right?" she asked over her back. "I'm starving. I know a great spot."
"A great spot? Will there be more of that...ale there?" He remembered the peculiar drink Regen had given him earlier that day. Only a few hours had passed, but with everything that happened, it seemed much longer than that.
The angel was interested to taste the other kinds of foods there were, and be followed her down the street trying to forget the previous events.