Finding a home...

[Anonymous]

Observation from a distance had only taught her a few things about the people of Connlaoth.  First and foremost among the lessons Narvess had learned...magic was not a good thing to have.  Knowing someone who had magic talent was bad too.  And when the two-leggers in those matching outfits started yelling, it was generally a good idea to do as they said.

When she'd moved to the alleyways of Reajh, Narvess had learned that even a not-so-clear glimpse of her spooked the locals.  Also, living off rats and what could be scavenged out of the garbage really sucked.  Rats tasted awful...and they did try to bite back.  Not to mention moving from alleyway to alleyway to avoid those who were...aggressively curious...was a bit of a pain.  There were a few who hadn't batted an eye at her appearance, but they were few and far between.

Narvess stretched lazily, kneading the dirt beneath her front claws, much like a cat.  A tremendous yawn followed, a flash of sharp white teeth and pink forked tongue.  The time for hiding and observing was over.   She was no mage, so she had little to fear from the uniformed two-leggers.  (Or so she believed.)  The squeaks of a nest of rats caught her attention as she strode to the edge of the alley.  A moment's hesitation, a flash of green and black, and she'd caught a snack.  The other rat fled down the alley, its companion now settled in Narvess's belly.  She made a face, scrunching her orange eyes shut.  Gah, rat-taste.

Another reason to finally roam the city openly.  There had to be somewhere she'd be able to stay.  She didn't want much, a warm place to sleep at night, decent food, not too much, right?  She wasn’t sure what she could do in return... something where she could put her strength to use would be fine, though as long as she got good food and a warm bed, she’d be willing to pretend to be someone’s pet at this point.  Somewhere to bathe would be great, too.  She was sure she smelled of rats and garbage.  None too pleasant.  

Oh!  Books would be wonderful, too.  Ever since she'd found one in the trash, she'd wanted to read more.  Of course, the rats had shredded and made her precious book into nesting material.  Unforgivable.  She'd annihilated the rat population in that alleyway in retaliation.  She still mourned the loss of her treasure.

Narvess blinked in the sunlight as she stepped out of the alleyway and onto the street proper.  She walked a few paces down the road, snorting at those who'd run, or even moved to the opposite side of the road, then stopped and sat back on her hindlegs right there.  There was an unbearable itch under her jaw.  Lifting her left hind leg, she kicked at the spot, sighing in pleasure as the itch faded.

Getting up, she started walking down the road again, peering in windows, watching the people around her, and feeling very frustrated.  Narvess had not the slightest clue where to start looking.  Blowing out a frustrated sigh, she sat back on her hind legs again, glancing around at the people nearby.  She needed a guide, someone who’d actually talk to her, and give her a bit of help.

((OOC: holy cow, I didn’t mean to write that much, but ah…inspiration, y’know? ))

[Anonymous]

Nyci wasn’t really sure how long he’d been here, or how much longer he’d stay. He had to hide much of what came natural to him, and as a result he couldn’t find any work in his chosen profession. The human appearance he’d adapted looked older and stronger than his usual one, but he was still too unintimidating in this form for mercenary work. Of course, he had his motives; his arch-nemesis was supposed to be hiding in Reajh. On earth things might be different, but where he came from the Sight did not lie. He was born and raised in Hell.

Nyci didn’t really have much of a problem with his homeland, but since he was half-angel he’d never really fit in. And then… well, suffice to say that someone would pay for what they had done to him. He didn’t need to hunt them down; the bastards would come to him. In the meantime, no magic and stay out of trouble.

He was walking innocently down the street when he saw what looked like a huge lizard coming toward him. Woah. Where did that come from? He hadn’t seen many enormous green lizard beings in Connlaoth. Weird, sure, but he had to admit it was a welcome sight. He wondered if the creature was sentient- and if he or she was, would that explain why they weren’t eating people? Searching her head for intelligent thought would be too risky, he decided, but one look in the eyes gave him a pretty good idea the old fashion way. Those orange eyes shone with something more sophisticated than a mere reptile.

His keen sense of smell picked up garbage and hunger. He wondered, did giant lizards take baths? It seemed like such a ridiculous question, but he honestly didn’t know. It wasn’t as if he met them on a daily basis, after all. He noticed people running away, some screaming, and felt suddenly self-conscious- if he didn’t behave like them, would it raise suspicion? He hoped not. He looked around, assessing the situation, and decided that since he was practically the only person within ten feet of her already it was too late to redeem himself. Might as well keep going.

What would happen, he wondered, if someone did decide that even without the wings, paleness, claws, horns, tail and yellow eyes he still looked like a mage? He could probably escape, but his chance for revenge would be ruined. Better not to think about that. No, just a few steps closer, and he’d be right in front of the lizard. Think about what to say instead. Should he just be like, “hi there, how are you today, mister/miss?� or would that get him put in an asylum or prison (or both)? He’d definitely be friendly. He could take care of himself, but he’d been so lonely here trying to stay under the radar. He was very close now, so he stopped walking. He was painfully aware that he was being stared at out of various windows and doors by the locals. Satan’s holy horns, the lizard’s shoulders were nearly level with his own.

“Hello,� he said. He spoke in a polite tone because he hadn’t had a chance to converse with anyone in a while, but out of the corner of his mouth in case anyone was watching.

[Anonymous]

She snorted in exasperation as more people skittered away from her as she approached.  Really now, it wasn't as if she was going to eat someone.  Continuing her trek down the road, she sighed loudly, scaring a shopkeeper back into his store.

Narvess was probably the only one of her kind these people had ever seen.  It really bugged her sometimes, not knowing how or why she'd gotten here.  Her limited memories were frustrating, too.  She snorted loudly, her tail thumping against the side of the building.

And what was this?  Someone who wasn't fleeing?  ...maybe he couldn't see her yet?  Ah, wonderful pessismism.  Poor man looked just as nervous as everyone else.  Probably hoping she wouldn't pay any attention to him.

But...he'd stopped, right in front of her.  And spoke to her.  She cocked her head to one side, watching him closely.  "Well," her voice was just as rough as one would expect it to be, "it's nice to hear a friendly voice."  Narvess sat, curling her tail around herself.  "Nice to see someone who isn't trying to get away, too."

[Anonymous]

Nyci was by nature a rather paranoid person; he had to be, when he was a party of one. He liked to think that he was not, however, one of those types who feared their own shadow. Just… always on his guard, in case someone or something, especially from back home, decided he might be worth attacking. It wasn’t like he didn’t have valid reasons to anticipate such an occurrence. Besides, wouldn’t someone who was way too jumpy for their own good have collapsed into hysterics at the sight of a lizard that was longer than a horse, not counting the tail?

But at the moment, he was sure he looked almost as nervous as he felt, and that in turn might make observers even more wary of him. Right, no need to look jittery in a city street when you’ve cut down archangels in a couple of chops and slain millennia-old demons before. In an instant he had composed himself almost perfectly- shoulders down, hands limp at his sides, easygoing smile. Only his eyes still occasionally flicked off to the side. The reptilian thing looked him over, and although he was apprehensive under scrutiny he did not object. After all, how hypocritical of him would that have been when he was always so suspicious of the motives of others?

Then he or she acknowledged him, in a rough voice but in the Common tongue nonetheless (it wasn’t as if he’d expected a songbird’s voice from that scale-armoured throat anyway). Warm relief washed over him; he’d been right to assume they possessed human-level intelligence, then, if they were capable of speech. He relaxed a little, wondering if when people saw the lizard could talk, they might not think he was as insane as before. Or,  on  the  flipside,  they  might  all  start  pointing, and saying something to the effect of “OHMYGODATALKINGLIZARDKILLITKILLITKILLIT!â€? and then he’d surely be in trouble. Ah well, such was life, and if he’d already taken one risk he might as well take another.

“Indeed, and it’s nice to speak to someone who appreciates it,â€? he replied, his lips moving a little more this time and his vocal expression remaining agreeable. “I wouldn’t dream of trying to get away, after going so long without any decent company.â€? His mind was mature beyond his time, but there were still ways in which he was a teenager at heart, and one of those was that he did not like being alone. He paused next, to give the other enough time to reply before he spoke again.  

“I do hope it’s not too soon to ask your name,� he said. He’d grown up around the formalities of Hell society, which included not asking for a name too hastily, and wasn’t completely sure yet whether he should be so proper on earth. “I’m Nyci.�

(Sorry for the longish post)

[Anonymous]

She tilted her head to the other side, watching as he composed himself.  He was still a little twitchy, it seemed.  Ah well, being (nearly!) eye-to-eye with a giant lizard had to be a little unnerving, she supposed.

She grinned a little, and with a hint of amusement in her tone, spoke.  "They avoid you too?  Huh, you look perfectly normal to me."  Her tail uncurled partways, the end flicking back and forth.  "Or are you avoiding them?"  

Narvess blinked a few times, a confused look in her orange eyes.  "Too soon to ask?  Of course not."  She lifted one front paw and waved it in a vaguely dismissive gesture.  "The name is Narvess."  She glanced to the side, as a few people skirted around them.  Well, at least the crowd seemed to have settled down.  Her gaze flicked back to the man.  "Nyci, hmm.  Does it mean anything?"

[Anonymous]

Nah, big lizards didn’t actually creep him out. It was the crowd. He’d once lived next door to a man from Leviath who’d turned into an enormous crocodile-thing when threatened, and that was worse. Never sneak up on a Leviathan; half the damn town had had to be rebuilt just from the initial rampage. So he was used to massive reptiles.

 She showed him a grin full of teeth, which made him smile back as he spoke. “I suppose it’s a little bit of both,â€? he mused. “I’m new in town, and not quite what they would want me to be. I never used to avoid anyone, but here, they fear me when they look too close.â€?

He could pass for perfectly human most places, but in Reajh he had to go a step beyond that and without the presence of too much other magic to blend his own into the background, the demonic signature that he usually hid could be detected. There was no proof, and so far he hadn’t even been flagged as suspicious, but when you looked at him too long or too hard you got this faint idea of what he was and it was enough to make most people who noticed it keep away from him.  

She looked confused, so he filed away her reaction in his mind for future reference. Earthly protocol, he’d learned already, differed in some ways from Hellion courtesy. Narvess, then. That was a nice name. He’d assume she was female from the name, not that it made a difference but just so he knew which pronoun to use if he were ever talking about her in third person. In his homeland, women were higher rank than men, and on Earth it was (usually) the other way around; he’d talk to both genders and treat them both the same. It mattered even less when you were talking to a giant lizard anyway.  

“Doesn’t mean anything, as far as I know.� He wondered if his foster-mother had placed any significance in the name Nyci, or if she’d just liked the sound of it. It was actually his angelic name; Choirscream was his true demon name, but for simplicity’s sake he used it as a surname on Earth. In Connlaoth, when he had to sign his name, he wrote it as “Nikki� and changed his surname. The authorities weren’t stupid; they knew that there probably weren’t that many humans out there going by Mr. or Ms. Choirscream.

“Yours mean anything?� he asked pleasantly and waited for an answer.

“Perhaps we should continue this conversation out of plain sight,� he suggested then, thinking of the rundown but functional structure on the outskirts of the city that he’d made his temporary home. It was mostly empty space, which had been a good thing when he’d first been getting used to his human form and kept tripping over everything, but there would be fewer witnesses there, meaning they could talk more openly. Besides, she looked like she’d been traveling long enough to need a place to stay, if lizard creatures stayed in houses that was.

(Ach, sorry for the long post again.)

[Anonymous]

When they looked too close?  She cocked her head to one for a moment, then looked him over again, as if expecting him to look different from how he'd looked just a moment ago.  Cracking another grin, she spoke with a bit of humor in her rough voice, "Can't see why they'd avoid ya.  You're not a giant talking lizard, why should they avoid you?"

She shut her eyes when he inquired about her name.  "I don't remember if it has a meaning." As she spoke, she inspected the road beneath her claws, trying to act casual.

Stretching briefly, she stood.  "Out of sight would be great.  Being stared at does get annoying.  Do you have a place in mind, Nyci?"  She snorted as a man hurried past.  "Getting out of sight before the uniformed people show up would be a really good idea."  She muttered, just loud enough for Nyci to hear.

[Anonymous]

Nyci bent so he was just barely below eye level with her, rather than barely above, because a direct look in the eye usually made his demon signature more obvious. His smile turned to a wince and he quickly straightened up; he had an old wound that he had a habit of forgetting about until it caused him unexpected pain. A sword had been buried in his slim torso. The same injury, if sustained by a human, would have been hopelessly fatal.

“Sadly, it is not only giant talking lizards who are frowned upon here,� despite his injury there was only the slightest bit of pain in his voice, because he was tougher than one might expect from his appearance. He had to be, in his line of work. He would have liked to show her his true form, but that wouldn’t have gone over well, so he simply stood with a hand over the open scar on his side in case it leaked a little bit of blood like it sometimes did.

His face fell when he caught her examining the road and knew that he had touched on a painful subject. “I am sorry,� he said softly.

He’d feel a lot safer once they were out of sight. “Fortunately I do. It’s nearly deserted, and there should be room enough for us both.� At her next comment, he blinked. He couldn’t have said it better himself. “Care to follow me?� he said, and set off at a cautiously slow pace (to avoid looking suspicious) in the direction he’d been going when he met her.

[Anonymous]

Oh now that was interesting.  She wasn't quite sure what she'd seen, but she could tell Nyci wasn't normal.  Hmm.  Narvess stood on her hind legs for a brief moment, lifting herself high enough to get another look, before dropping back to all fours.  "Huh.  You are a strange one."  She said, in a low voice that only Nyci was close enough to hear.

Well, two oddballs sticking together would be better off than going alone, especially here.  She bobbed her head in agreement with his statement, cocking her head to one said when she heard the pain in his voice.  She watched him for a moment, then waved a paw at him in the same dismissive manner she'd used earlier.

She padded after him, tail waving sinuously behind her.  Her longer legs and longer stride put her even with him quickly, and she slowed down, "Sounds great.  Be nice to actually get under a roof for once."

[Anonymous]

He didn’t know whether that was an insult, compliment, neither, or both. He got called strange a lot, and he was always a little confused by it. Sometimes it was accompanied by hostility, sometimes curiosity, and sometimes acceptance, although he’d found a lot more of the former in this city than either of the latter.

She cocked her head to side and he realized that she’d heard the edgy note of pain in his voice. He took his hand away, revealing a tiny bloodstain on his grey shirt. “I was wounded badly, a long time ago,� he explained. He touched the tip of his index finger to his tongue, lifted the fabric away from the deep cut, and drew his finger along the line of the scar. Demons licked their wounds like dogs; it didn’t occur to him that it might look gross, disturbed, animalistic or even sexual to a human. The sting finally receded again to a dull ache, the thought of which he pushed to the back of his mind.

Under a roof. So talking lizards lived mostly indoors. It didn’t really come as much of a surprise, but he hadn’t been sure either. People stared at them as they passed, until the crowds began to thin out and the buildings began to get gradually farther and farther apart. Finally they were at the edge of a small patch of woods that seemed to serve as a divider between Reajh and a smaller town beyond. A single house stood just deep enough into this forest that the trees camouflaged it. He looked back to make sure she was still following, then slipped behind the treeline and followed a faint path that his own footsteps had formed to the front door. He pulled back the boards that had been nailed across the doorframe and held them for Narvess to enter, then followed her in.

"Welcome to my temporary home," he said with a smile.

Inside, the house was medium size to him, but to her it was probably a little small. There was enough space to move, yes, but not much more than that. The door opened to a hallway at the bottom of a staircase. At the other end of the hall was a turn that lead to a living room with a fireplace on the wall to the far right, a chair or two near the opposite wall, and several small bookshelves lining the back wall. This room was quite spartan; there was nothing decorative in it, and there were several points of unrepaired damage. However, the bookshelves were occupied by a small assortment of aged but well-cared-for tomes and the roof hadn’t collapsed yet.

[Anonymous]

Her only response to him revealing the injury was a muttered, "You ought to have a healer look at that."  She'd never had such problems, at least none that she could remember.  The few times she'd gotten in fights since coming here, the injuries she received healed quickly.  

When they reached the woods she paused for a moment, observing the area, then stretched, kneading the soil beneath her claws.  Narvess glanced up to Nyci looking back at her, and caught up to him, slipping by as he held the boards for her.

"Cozy little place."  She said, glancing over her shoulder at Nyci.  Trotting down the hall, she looked all around her.  Entering the living room, she walked all around, inspecting everything, like a cat would.  She paused by the bookshelves, the very tip of her tail flicking back and forth as she looked over the books.  

She finally walked to the middle of the room.  She then blew out a sigh of relief and sank to the ground, rolling so she laid on her side.  Watching him from her spot on the floor, she let her tail thump against the floor, looking like an extremely large housecat.  "Forgive me for being abrupt Nyci, but would you mind if I stayed here for awhile.  Living in the alleyways isn't what I had in mind when I came to Reajh."

[Anonymous]

He shook his head. He’d lost enough strength initially that he’d been forced to go to a healer, but that had been several months ago now. He expected it to heal completely, although he knew that would take quite a long time. He didn’t necessarily recover instantly when injured, but he could spring back from almost anything with time.

She truly seemed glad to see a roof and four walls, and he supposed she must not have in a while. Watching the way her tail flicked as she observed the spines of the books, he came up beside her. “Do you read?� he asked out of curiosity.

He laughed when she stretched out on the floor, because the gesture reminded him of a large scaly house cat. “There is no need to apologize, Narvess. I will be glad to let you stay as long as I reside here- although that might not be for very long.�

A dark specter crept over his features for a second, and he crossed to the nearby window. One of the boards nailed over it appeared to have been knocked aside. It was splintered, but not broken; although it could not be seen, there was much more than wood in place to keep out whatever intruders he apparently expected. There was a humourless chuckle as he pulled it back into place and impaled it once again on the slightly bent nail it had been ripped free of with his bare hands. “Nice try, Bel,� he muttered, seemingly to himself.

[Anonymous]

She looked up at him, hesistating for a moment, then lifted a paw and flexed her claws.  "I love books, but with claws like these, it's hard to hold them."  She set her paw back on the floor, tapping the first claw lightly against the floor.  "There are definite disadvantages to having talons this sharp."  Her tone was wry.

She cocked her head to one side, smiling when he laughed.  "My thanks, Nyci.  Are you planning on moving soon?"  If he was leaving soon, why?  Where was he heading?  Would Nyci let her come with him?  She was already beginning to think of him as a friend.

She'd noticed, of course, how the windows were all boarded up.  And now, watching him yank a board back into place, and mutter quietly...hmm.  "So...is there someone after you?"

[Anonymous]

“Ah, I suppose one must work with what they are given. Anytime you’d like me to hold one for you, I’d gladly oblige.â€? He looked down at his own fingers. There were times when he really missed his claws in his human form, and others when he was grateful he could get rid of them easily.  

“I’m afraid so, although I wouldn’t really call it moving. There will be a… confrontation, after which I shall have no reason to stay, may be severely injured, and will inevitably be run out of town.â€? He said this without very much emotion, although if one listened excessively closely they might detect apprehension and regret, but also a fiery note of defiant hope in his own strength and a reckless eagerness to get it over with already.  If he survived, where would he go? If he asked Narvess to come with him, would she want to? He’d like that. He had already started to think of her as a friend, and anything was better than going head-first into this alone.

He leaned his hands on the window sill, careful not to bend anything but his neck because of his wound. “Not just someone, Narvess. Many. I have had some very bad things done to me in my time, and I suppose I have done some terrible things in return to my adversaries. It is time, I fear, for the cycle to repeat itself.�

[Anonymous]

She'd stopped tapping her tail against the floor, and stared at Nyci.  After a moment, she smiled at him.  "That's very kind of you, Nyci.  Thanks."

She remained silent and listened while he spoke.  Whatever was going on here, it didn't sound like he was particularly happy about it.  Still keeping quiet, she examined the claws on her left paw, wondering exactly how Nyci had gotten into the mess he was in.  Also, would he mind her help?  Well, only one way to find out...

"Nyci..."  Getting to her feet in one smooth movement, she padded over to his side and sat, looking over at him.  "It would seem that you could use some help.  Would you be terribly offended if I offer my help?"

((Agghh...Behold, I am Ree, of the short posts!  *headdesks*))

[Anonymous]

Her tail stopped moving and she stared at him, making him wonder if maybe he’d said the wrong thing. He relaxed when she smiled and thanked him, replying “It is not a problem at all. You’re very welcome.�

Nyci wasn’t really scared of what might happen to him, but he was nervous. Growing up in Hell was like taking advanced fearology classes, so he knew the difference between the two quite well. He looked at the floor, counting every little crack in the boards to distract himself.

He looked down and managed a half-smile when she came to his side. It was a gesture of solidarity that he wasn’t used to seeing. “I wouldn’t be offended at all, but before I could accept your help I must make sure you know what you’re getting into. Coming to my aid would mean… danger. Plenty of fighting, probably frequent travel. You will instantly have made for yourself at the very least a half-dozen major enemies, most of whom are masters of the darkest talents known to my kind. It is a choice that cannot be unmade; once you are seen as my ally, they will never forget that they hate you.� He was surprised that she would make such an offer, considering she hadn’t known him for very long, but he certainly wouldn’t say no to a helping hand… or paw, or whatever… right now.

[Anonymous]

Erm... no rush or anything, just to let you know I'm still up for this thread whenever you're ready to reply (and Nyci misses you! :D ).

[Anonymous]

((Twitchy, I totally forgot about this.  I'm going to be away from Monday til Wednesday, but when I get back, I will get a post up asap.))

[Anonymous]

Alright, glad to hear you'll be posting soon. :D

[Anonymous]

She glanced up at Nyci and chuckled.  "It might sound strange, but I'd prefer to risk my life with a friend, rather than starve to death out on the streets alone."  Even as she spoke, she thought to herself, wondering if she'd always been like this...so impulsive, and eager to help others?  She'd started think of Nyci as a friend so easily...  Was she being naive?

Yet something seemed to be telling Narvess that this was the right thing to do.  He was kind enough to nice to to her, to let her stay in here... It felt right, even if she couldn't pinpoint exactly why.

((I kinda worte myself into a corner with that last post, Twitchy.  ^^;;  Sorry it took so long to get myself out.))