Pennies and Dimes for a Wish (M)

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Jinai wasn't sure what to expect, she was still frantically trying to get off the little buggers from nipping at places they shouldn't be. So she was shocked to see Tenran was trying to be a little playful- That figured. Naturally it would be at her expense. Though when he roughly tossed her a towel, she frowned, catching it while plucking a tiny fish from her bum. It was only then she noticed what they were and glanced over at Tenran. She ignored what he said about his gun and slinked up behind him, snapping open the back of his pants and tossing the little fish inside before smacking his rear.

"If I wanted you to forget, I would have given you another drug," she told him with a coy smirk and went about toweling herself off, but leisurely. Her skin still crawled from the bites anyways as she itched at her legs, the towel now making it's way into her hair. "Besides, you probably couldn't handle half of the opiates I have on me." Her grin grew a little wider as she turned her back to him, now working at drying off her back.

[Lion]

Tenran jumped and reached into his trousers to snatch out the small fish, tossing it back into the water with a flick and nothing more than the whisper of a splash.  He glowered at her and moved toward the small dirty window of the whore's room before looking out of it, seeing that the morning was quite as inactive as it was the day before.  If they were going to move, now was the time.

But he doubted she was the kind of woman that took to hurrying much.

"I probably couldn't," Tenran agreed.  "Opiates aren't really my thing.  I have much better things to do with my time.  But I doubt the same could be said of yourself.  You probably don't even have a family, or anybody you can really call a friend do you?  Sad thing."

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After drying off most of herself, she laughed and tossed the towel aside.
"Careful with those words, I might start thinking you care." Smirking, she reached past him and began to gather her clothing, taking her sweet old time as she began to dress. Then, fetching up a brush from the vanity, she began to move it through her wet hair. Might as well since she was near a brush make use of it. THough as she did, she could sense Tenran was getting antsy.

"Hey, you mind fetching me that satchel over there? I need a pink vial from it."
He'd probably assume it was for her addiction. Might as well let him believe that. He thought she was apparently a homeless sucker on the street. She liked those types of stories where others make up whatever they felt like. It told a lot about a person- and it was practically screaming things about Tenran. Except his name. Though she wasn't sure if she honestly cared to know it.
"And make sure it's the one with the oval lid."
She didn't think she had many vials left in there anyways, but she didn't want to down some poison by mistake.
Then, looking back into the mirror, she went back to brushing out her hair, humming softly, and brushing slowly, if only to irritate the man because well- that was rather fun. And Jinai liked having fun.

[Lion]

What did she think he was?  Her errand boy?  Tenran grumbled at her, fully prepared to tell her to get it herself and have a fucking nice day, but perhaps she'd only take her time with that too.  He saw no point in waiting, but was quick to catch on she was doing it to tick him off.  Oh the things she would do for kicks.  He was beginning to see what she really was, and cared little for her company.  The sooner this was over the better.

So he reached over to grab the satche she indicated and opened it up, grabbing the first pink vial he saw (which seemed a little more neon in color) and tossed it her in the mirror. He just watched her brush her hair, crossing his arms over his chest.  He could wait.  Wait for years if he had to.

[visualspice]

If confidence could kill, it would surely be her downfall. She was finally coming to her senses, finally coming back to normal, and her smirk grew even wider at what had happened. But she said nothing, pulling the brush through her long, blonde hair before picking up the vial and downing it, only to pause as she choked, her green eyes widened as her skin quickly crawled with a flush.
She pushed away from the desk, the rest of the vial becoming knocked over, breaking on the ground, leaving very little left in the vial as she clutched suddenly to her neck.
But she was desperate to know, despite something in her gut telling her-
What did hse just drink- it couldn't have been..
but when she grabbed the lid, her eyes fell across the half moon cap-
The cap of her poison elixir. A weak smile stuttered, bubbly, milky froth suddenly coming from her throat as her eyes rolled back as she dropped to her knees, her entire body trembling as she tried to force a finger down her throat but failed, the convulsions taking over as she became pathetic, sweaty and floundering upon the ground-

Poison! How stupid of her! She had drank poison! Her own poison!

[Lion]

"now what?  You're trying to stall even longer now by pretending you're dying?  That's just low, Jinai.  But I guess nothing's too low for a street rat like you.  Have some dignity, worm.  Oh, great!  Now you're flopping on the ground like a fish.  Classy.  Ansgar help this woman!  Pfft!  What did you do?  Drink your own poison?"  Tenran scoffed at her as she convulsed on the ground.  Really, she'd do anything to try and get under his skin.  Well, it wasn't going to work this tim.  So he just stood there with his arms crossed over his chest, glaring at her, clearly unimpressed.

After about ten seconds of just watching her, Tenran rolled his eyes.  "All right, rat, that's enough.  I get it.  Jinai.  Jinai, that's enough.  Hey!  Quit it!"  But when she failed to respond, only then did he stand over her and realize that she really was dying.  "Shit!" he cursed but remained calm.  He grabbed the cleanest looking blanket in the room and carefully bundled her in it, and lifted her from the ground, heading outside the room.  He held her tightly against him, to keep her convulsions to a minimum.

This early in the morning was surprisingly quiet in the brothel as most of the frequent customers had gone home in an attempt to keep suspicions down and the ladiers were counting their take below.  Many jumped when Tenran came thundering down into the parlor.  The whore that had met them at the door was laid out on a sofa, languishing under her high.  But when she saw Jinai in the stranger's arms she immediately sat up, alarmed, along with many of the other girls.  "What have you done to her!?" she barked, adrenaline returning some sense back to her.

"Look it's not what you think!" Tenran said fiercely.  "She must have injested some kind of poison by accident, I swear.  But there's not much time to explain.  You must tell me the direction of the nearest apothacary, now!"

"Ugh!" the woman shook her head, trying to think through her fog.  "I-I don't know!"

"What about Ol' Mursh?  He's just in a li'l shop down the street.  Jinai knows him pretty well," another woman said, who'd been cleaning off a table rather than smoking with the rest of them.

"He'll do." Tenran made for the door, the whore immediately got up and opened it for him.  But he hadn't taken a step away when she put a hand on his shoulder.

"Thanks for helping her.  She needs it," she said, smiling a little.  "You ever come back here, just ask for Nora."

He looked at her for a few moments longer before bolting down the street, his brace proving strong now the needed it most.  The guards were particularly active this morning, no doubt as a result of their jailbreak.  As he saw one patrol, he quickly ducked in the alleyway, letting them move past him.  he could hear them talking about murderers on the loose, killing guards and to be doubly alert for any unusual activity.  Tenran cursed, peering around for anymore and when the way was clear, he made a run for it, ducking in the shadows of the early morning gloom.  He made it to the nearest shop he saw, one he could only assume was Old Mursh's.

He kicked at the door, banging loudly on it as the shop was not quite open yet.  There was a grumpy noise from inside, one that hollered, "We're not open yet!  Come back in an hour!"

"Please this is an emergency!  She'll be dead by then!"  Tenran kept kicking at the door.

Something shifted in the window and an angry old man peeked out.  "I said-!  Oh, Ansgar!  Jinai!" the old man's expression suddenly paled and he vanished from the window, the bolts unlocking seconds later.

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"Hurry up! Hurry up! Don't dawdle now, careful careful! Gods.." when they finally both got Jinai in the place, his eyes went across her, noticing sweat, the eye dilated, the fever, the foam...
"What the hell did she take? One of her own damn poisons?!" he couldn't believe it and helped Tenran lift Jinai onto a cold, wooden bed. He looked her over, felt for a pulse, listening to her raspy breathing before slapping her hard suddenly as the woman came around hands out, shaking as she blinked.

"M-mursh!?" she hadn't realized much on what was going on aside from the pain, and the man was quick to her side, lovingly holding her hand in his large one and sweeping tenderly back her blonde hair.

"Yes, it's Old Mursh now. I'm here for ya, lass. Like always." he gave her hand a squeeze and she lifted a hand, reaching out for him, only to have her eyes roll back. His face quickly fell, he shook her.
"What did she take!?" he barked, looking desperately to Tenran- but it was Jinai who muttered the answer.-
"I.. I accidently took the moon potion- like- half the damn bottle-" she coughed, smiling even though she was sputtering, more foam still coming down her cheeks from her gasping mouth as her body continued to move and jolt against her will.
His eyes flickered wildly.

"Gods be damned!" he slammed a heavy fist into a nearby shelf, breaking nearly half hte items on it before he turned to Tenran.
"We've got to cut her and bleed her good. Fetch me those ropes over there. And we've got to get her the antidote and state. Gods.. Jinai, how could you be so foolish?" He shook his head then growled. "Come on, man! hurry! We've got to bind her down fast! There isn't much time!"

Jinai only laughed, but was lost again, eyes rolling back, breathing becoming shorter.
"At least if I die, it was a good lay."
Mursh grunted, blushing at her comment.
"Gods, Jinai, even on death's bed you make a joke!" though he smiled inspite of himself and motioned to Tenran to help him bind her down, then was quick to get out a knife and sighed.
"You, there, fetch those wooden bowls and place them where the blood drops. I'll.. I'll work at cutting her wrists."
Then he moved around the table, wincing every time he slashed long ways down her wrists and watched as the blood poured out, shaking his head and brushing back the sweat on his forehead as he moved to do this on both wrists.
"She'll need to bleed for a while, but I need to get her to eat the antidote.."
then as he went about fetchin gup a bottle, he paused nad had to ask.. with one curious raise of his brow-
"Say, you weren't her good last lay were you?" he eyed up Tenran, noticing the brace, then to his face with a smirk. "Just curious is all lad. You go ta name? It's good to see she's got a good friend to drag her sorry ass to me when she tries to kill herself." he shook his head. "Though I still can't believe she'd mistake any of her potions. She's a prideful one, that she is." he popped  open the bottle and moved before her sighing.
"Now you might punch me later for this but..." he moved down, pinched JInai's nose closed then forced the bottle in her teeth. The woman fougt it fiercely, but she eventually downed the whole thing before the man stepped away, and soon the woman was vomitting to the side- even projecting some onto both of the men.

Mursh moved to slowly wipe it from his beard, turning to Tenran with a smirk.
"They never said bleeding otu the poisons was a pretty job." he grabbed a towel, tossing it at Tenran. "Hurry upa d clean up, I'll be needing your help to get her off that table once we're through."

[Lion]

Tenran didn't answer either question, almost shameful that he was either of those things.  Friends, definitely not of course!  Bex and Baland was bad enough, but he didn't need another rat to have to watch over.  And as for the lay, he only shook his head and stood back, away from the apothecary as he worked on it.  He held silently, knowing what to do as he'd helped many a soldier bleed out back in his army days.

When she puked, he carefully wiped off his leather and gave her a glare.  "The least she could do was puke on the other side.  But I guess that's too much, even for her," Tenran muttered and began to help Jinai off the work table when asked.

"How long have you known her?" he asked, knowing he still didn't give his name.  Maybe it was best that he didn't.  "I'm guess you bleed her out often?"

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"I've known Jinai these good past may years." But at his other question he rose a brow.
"Eh? Often?" he furrowed his brows, angrily and shook his head. "No. Not Jinai. She's reckless but not this stupid. In fact, she's normally the on the other end - getting puked on right where you're standing and helping me catch the blood." He then took a moment, eyeing up Tenran skeptically. "Say, how did she get the poison anyway?" He folded his massive arms over his chest and beard. He was a tall man, very wide and stalky breed with a long, greying red beard down to his belly and a balding head, but long curly locks about as long in length as his beard. He looked like he could easily crunch Tenran in half.

[Lion]

"You really want to know?  She was still half high before she asked for yet another vial.  But it's not my business to tell her what's what, so I did what she asked and grabbed her bag and tossed her the pink vial.  But there's about three pink vials in there, so I figured any one would do.  She didn't specify.  Next I knew, she was sprawled on the ground convulsing like a corpse.  What did you think?  I'd poison her?  i don't know her, i don't quite care to know her, but if I needed her dead, there are cleaner methods than, what I just witnessed."

Tenran rolled his eyes and cross his arms over his chest too, glaring at Mursh with his own adamance.  As if he could really pin this on him.

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Old Mursh gave a growl, looking ready to knock Tenran's teeth clean out of his face when Jinai groaned. He whirled away from the man, glaring at him only once as he moved to her side.
She was coughing.
"Hey, now, take it easy, lass. Take it easy. The blood's still draining from your arms. But we'll get your bound up and right as rain in no time." he smiled, and didn't look to pretty, but you could see the heart in his eyes.
She smiled but shook her head, appearing deathly pale as she managed to open her eyes.
"No, he's right Mursh." There was her grin again, still on her face even in the face of death. "I didn't look before I took a drink." She weakly smiled. "I just wanted to other potion. You know." her eyes were nearly closed, she was so tired. "I'd rather not give the gimp here a brat."
Mursh had been trying to laugh with her, but at the last statement, he gave Tenran a scowl.
"Look, I've got an errand to run on the other side of town. Help me bandage her up. Can you manage that?" he looked to his leg and gave the man a sneer. "And looka t me.." he grabbed Tenran by the collar. "I.." he hesitated, then sighed, loosening his grip. "I thank you for bringing her here. Not a lot would help her outside of the Folks'. She's pretty slick with her tongue, I'll give her that, but the fact you didn't leave her for dead has earned you my respect. But I need you to stay here, if you could. After we bandage her up Do you think you can manage that?" Her raised his brows at the man, shaking his head when he felt something against his leg.

"He won't steal you blind, Mursh," Jinai weakly replied, laughing somehow, even though she appeared half dead. "I'm the one you should worry about. I'm low on supplies."

Mursh only smirked, but gavea  sharp look back to Tenran, eyeing him up.
"You know me, Jinai. I just don't trust strangers. Nor strangers with you, for that matter."

Jinai smiled, but then grabbed onto Mursh's hand before he went, and he was surprised by her strength as he turned to her.
"Please.. get my.. falcon. She's.. she's with Nora. In her room."

Blinking, the large man nodded and patted her on the hand before fetching up some bandages.
"Come on, gimp boy." the man said with a laugh. "Let's stop this bitch up before she bleeds all onto us. Then we'd both have that on our conscience,a nd I doubt either one of us would want a ghost like Jinai on our hands."

[Lion]

"Of course," Tenran agreed.  "After all, the only thing worse than Jinai alive is Jinai dead."  Tenran rolled his eyes after Mursh, not caring much for the large man.  He didn't know him but he doubted his connection to the street rat was anything good, solid, or immaterial.  She just wasn't the type.  So Tenran helped the man bandage her up, his were a little snug as it were and when the Old Man Mursh finally turned to leave, he gave Tenran one last distrustful glare before taking off out the door, locking it behind him.

Tenran took a seat on a stool beside Jinai, watching her with one and the door with the other.  He could only hope all the ruckus he'd caused at the door wouldn't attract the attention of the guards.  That was the last thing he needed.  All of this to get his damn boltgun back.  He regretted the day he ever wandered into that plaza the day before.  It just didn't seem to be worth the effort.

Yet, doggedly, he would press on as he always did.  The sooner he got his gun back the sooner he could forget he ever met this wretched woman.

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When Mursh left, he was left with a quiet room, the only noise being the ragged breathing from Jinai, and the occasionally wince and gasp for breath when a shot of pain would roll through her. But she was exhausted, her entire body weak from lack of blood, and the sweat and cold was already there. But then she'd return back to her slow breathing, her heart and mind racing but after a time, she made a noise.
Then she spoke.
"You know, I still don't really know your name." She was smiling up at him, even though her eyes were barely open, but then they began to close again, the visions she saw were ghosted and blurry and she was tired.

[Lion]

Tenran managed to smirk at her when she asked him his name.  Shaking his head he just leaned back, watching the door, waiting for a sound, anything that might tell them their hideout was at risk.  But when a few minutes passed, he turned back at her, eying her state.  "I didn't think you'd much care to know.  You certainly didn't care when you were riding me like a wild beast," he smirked again and shook his head. 

"You can call me Tenran.  Tenran Cyneran.  Maybe you've heard of me.  I am a bounty hunter of some small repute, after all.  If not, then that's all well and good.  Not everybody needs to know.  How are you feeling?  Do you need anything?  Water?  Food?"

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Jinai's smirk widened at his first comment, but she said nothing, simply listened to him, her eyes still closed.

"A name didn't seem important at the time," she simply replied, but as she thought it over, his name, she thought it was rather queer- Tenran... for some reason, it reminded her of tin man, which made her think to the brace around his leg. That made her smile even more. As did him mentioning what his profession was.
"You know, if your aim was to kill me, you didn't do a very good job if you brought me here to bleed me out." she made a noise, finding herself becoming very, very tired, so at his last question, she shook her head. Then said nothing, almost falling completely away.
"Nothing would help now. I can only hope the damn poison's all out, or at least most of it." She grunted, wheezing a little before softly adding, after a time, "Thank you."

[Lion]

"I didn't come here to kill you.  I know I coulda left you lying on the ground, frothing at the mouth like a mad dog, back at the whore's place.  Nice lady, that Nora.  Shame she's a whore.  But I guess we can't all pick our place in life.  In any event, I'm just here to make sure you recover.  Maybe I'll look for a price on your head when this is all over...  I'm sure you're worth quite a bit of coin somewhere.  Rats like you always are," he smirked at her, surprised it even had a playful curl to it.

He shook his head.  "How could you not know that was your own poison?" he had to ask.  "Particularly if you made it.  Which I'm sure you did."

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Jinai only smiled, still smiling- and still very tired, her eyes remaining closed.
"That would be a compliment- a bounty that is. And for all I know you're waiting to shoot me with the stolen bolt gun." Her smile twitched, drawing broader. "That would be fitting, wouldn't it?"
Her eyes even opened, sparkling as much as they could in her condition, with mirth. But at his last statement, her lips faded from a broader smile to a more acute one.

"Heh, I wasn't paying attention. I thought I only had a few vials left. Guess I didn't realize the moon poison was in the mix." She smiled weakly, grunted in pain and turned away, feeling her body quivering. It hurt all over like hell, but she wasn't about to let him know that. Plus it was obvious. And she wasn't one to complain. But damn this place was cold. She shivered again. But she wasn't going to ask for another blanket. She doubted Mursh had one on hand anyway.
"I'm not normally so stupid. But hey, they say confidence is a killer. But,... I think some gimp had me distracted. It's been a while since I got to have some fun. You know, being chased around town." She smiled, still- a bit wider, with her back still to him and her eyes still closed. Sleep.. sleep might be good. She felt beyond tired that her mind was almost swimming as if she were still on her drugs, a nice, large dose of sleeping drugs.
Except she hurt all over- it all hurt like hell.

[Lion]

"The contrary most likely," Tenran commented, becoming bored with her and her games.  "I'm not one to hold a grudge.  If I wanted to kill you, you'd already be dead.  And likewise the same with me.  What happened back the at the whore house, likely will not happen again.  Nor can I say am I proud of what I did.  Just be quiet and recover.  You'll need your feet, and whatever's left of your brain."

Tenran sighed and found a dry towel to the side.  It was the only thing remotely resembling a blanket and when he returned to his chair, he put his feet up and clothed himself in it rather than her and closed his eyes just for a time.  He needed sleep more than she did.  After all, she probably would just pump herself up with more drugs to give her the energy she needed.

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"I wasn't talking about the whore house," she reminded him, her voice quiet, yet playful as she settled into a sigh, shivering after he had settled in with his own blanket. Figures the man would be a typical man afterwards, not that there were many good men she'd care to worry over in this town anyways. She had friends, yes, Mursh being one of them- perhaps one of the few closer ones. Even Nora wasn't truly that close. Just a woman to do business with, a subtle ally when she wanted to have some fun.
But Tenran...
she didn't know what to make of him. He probably needed another lay. Poor fool. She wondered if he ever had a fun day in all of his life. Too bad for him, she enjoyed a good chase and an angry man. Too bad for him, she was still debating giving him back that bolt gun.
Not that she'd make that sort of decision, as she could no longer stay awake- and fell into a deep sleep just moments before the door was being fiddled with. It seemed Mursh was returning back awful quick, and came inside, moving with haste.
"We need to move her." he notice dher still body and rushed over to her, and once seeing her breathing, sighed with relief. He turned to Tenran. "There are people, guards and such all over hte place, threatening to check all businesses. ANd I don't knwo what to do with the lot of you." he handed over the falcon to Tenran, the falcon of which moved to take perch on his shoulder, it giving him a crazy eyed look as it bristled it's feathers, opening it's beak, sticking out it's tongue before settling down uneasily on it's new perch. The reaction made Mursh laugh before he moved over Jinai.
"Only problem is, where the fuck can I hide the two of you. Angsar's balls." he shook his head. "Too bad this ain't a whore house. I'm sure the two of you pretty faces could pass off as one of them dolls." He shook his head, then turned to the closet. "You could both stay in there, but the fellows, them guards, they could just as easily open the place. ANd I don't think it would be wise to stay in the cellar. Ugh, though there's a bag full of trash out back, but not a fitting place for a lady to hide. No no.." he shook his head, pacing with worry.
"It doesn't help she's got a bit of a price on her head. And I hear all of that talk out there about some blonde woman and a man with a brace leg.." he suspiciously eyed Tenran. "Breaking out of jail. You wouldn't happen to be THAT brace legger, would ya?" Mursh had to laugh, but sadly- with Jinai, this sort of thing was almost expected, but even he was impressed.
To escape from jail.. that was his girl!

[Lion]

"Shit," Tenran cursed, just when he thought things couldn't get any worse.  He got up immediately when Mursh moved back into the room, knowing it was only a matter of time before the guards came pounding on the door of the apothecary's shop.  Tenran moved toward Jinai and carefullly moved her into his arms, cradling her like a child.

"Stop asking stupid questions, old man, and just give us a place to hide!"  Tenran couldn't wait for him as his eyes surveyed the room.  He quickly found a step ladder that led to nowhere and doorways that were barricaded with all manners of alchemy reagents.

"Do you have an attic of some kind!?" Tenran hissed just as the pounding began to resound on the door, guards demanding entry.