Pennies and Dimes for a Wish (M)

visualspice · April 02, 2013, 01:03:25 AM

Jinai smirked and went through her bag, pulling out a pink vial and shaking it, shaking it towards Tenran, as if mocking him, her grin stretchin ga bit wider- making it seem more genuine as she settled back into bed.
"See? No moon on this one. But this one's better than poison and those other drugs." she said, flicking open the lid with her thumb and taking it down the hatch. Ah. tasted as nasty as ever. She made a bitter face, then moved forward and drank the entire glass of water down with a gasp.
"Gods, that stuff is foul." She shuddered, then turned to glance over at the food before her. She wasn't sure if she was hungry, but she'd better at least try to eat. She didn't wnat to stay in this place any longer than she had to. So she began to slowly nibble at the bread, but her throat was dry and she began to cough on it. She simply gestured to the water, hoping Tenran would be kind enough to oblige her and get her more- ugh,a nd then of course, the coughing continued, uncontrollably as she hit a fist to her chest.
Damn drugs. Damn dry bread.

Lion · April 02, 2013, 01:08:34 AM

Tenran smirked at her in return and when she began to cough, he did oblige her, carrying the glass in hand and even had a flask in the other that he'd chanced upon, filled halfway with whisky from the sound of it. Instead of handing her the glass however, he tossed the cold water on her, icy to the touch and instead presented the flask in front of her.

"This'll do you better than that water. It'll burn the cough away. Take it."

visualspice · April 02, 2013, 01:14:23 AM

Well, the cold water to the face was unexpected. Blinking, Jinai had almost forgotten she was having a coughing fit, until, you, know. it returned. And she was smiling through it, shaking her head at him, eyes burning from the cough as she snagged up the whisky and downed it.
She made a face. Woah.. that was a bit potent. Blinking, she looked over at Tenran, coughing just once, well twice as she wiped the whisky taste from her lips using the back of her hand.
"Trying to get my drunk?" she asked, her voice hoarse after the coughing and drink. She smirked at him, simply staring, simply smiling.

Lion · April 02, 2013, 01:25:41 AM

"That's the plan. Maybe if you get drunk enough, I'd be able to convince you to give me back my gun faster. This really is an awful lot of trouble to go through for such a simple weapon. I'll tell you what. You give it back, and I'll make you one just like it. Something that's really yours, not just 'borrowed'" He took the flask from her and downed a sip for himself, clearing his throat as he took it and put it discreetly in his pocket. "Say what was that stuff you took anyway? More opiates?"

visualspice · April 02, 2013, 01:32:10 AM

Ok.. This was getting stranger and stranger. He was offering to... give her something in return for the gun? Like, something of actual value. She found herself just staring at him. Normally she always wore the same smug grin all the time, but this just made her stop all thought processes and stared.
But as the conversation went on to her drug, her lips twitched back and settled into her normal cat-like smile. She gave a shrug.
"Maybe it is? But I'm sure happy to be taking whatever it is." She tossed the empty bottle at him. "I'll have to make some more later."S he settled intot he bed, popping a piece of bread into her mouth, then after a time she added, "It's Silphium potion."
He probably wouldn't know what that was or did. Or.. maybe he did. Eh.
She popped another piece of bread into her mouth and chewed.

Lion · April 02, 2013, 01:35:28 AM

The name rung a bell, and when the idea registered in his mind, he simply shrugged, peering at her with a narrowed gaze. "A brat-killer? Interesting. Well, considering what you do, I guess you would need it. Good thinking. Can't be carrying around extra baggage when you're always on the move. You're smarter than you look."

visualspice · April 02, 2013, 01:41:51 AM

Jinai raised a brow at him. "What I do?"
Then as he went on, she simply nodded, slowly taking her good old time on eating the bread. Brat killer? There was an idea. Though she hardly saw the 'seed' of life as brat in such a stage, he had a point and well, that WAS the point. She wasn't about to stop having fun just because of the consequences she could avoid with one little swig of a potion.
"I guess. I sell a lot of these to Nora's whores."s he shrugged. "It helps keep the bastards in check. Cities sort of frown on having to maintain orphanages, you know?" She popped another piece of bread into her mouth nad eyed up Tenran. "Having a kid would be difficult. Would kind of put a damper on climbing and leaping off of rooftops, and you know, stealing men's guns."

She smirked at the thought.
They had a peculiar alliance indeed.
"So tell me about your gun. It seems to mean an awful lot to you. Did someone important give it to you or do you just like you job?"
she had just about eaten her fill and settled back into her pillow, sighing contentedly.

Lion · April 02, 2013, 02:46:12 PM

"I get it," Tenran nodded. He wasn't like other men that would frown at the thought of a woman taking something to prevent the fruition of a child. It was her body after all, and now that he thought about it, he'd be damned if he was going to have children with a wagon-wreck like this Jinai. She clearly could barely take care of herself. And frankly if it weren't for him she would have been dead.

"You really want to know about the gun?" Tenran sighed and averted his gaze. "Well, aside from making my living with them, they're important to me because they remind me of my mother, in a way. She was a clock maker, she taught me how to use my head, be a creative thinker and gave me the idea to make many of the gadgets that I have. The base of the gun was given to me by my wife, well ex-wife, I designed the rest of it. It's one of the few good things that I have left, I'd like to keep it. And if you're so eager to get one like it...I might make an exception and make you one for yourself. But I cannot allow you to keep it, I'm sorry."

visualspice · April 02, 2013, 03:05:09 PM

Well, at least his story was interesting. So the man had a mother? She just assumed he popped out of Angsar's ass. And to think, he had been married? Fancy that. Well, not married anymore. A shame. Not that Jinai believed in marriage. To think you could be in love with just one person, to be stuck with them for the rest of your life; what sort of fate was that? She liked the idea of the life she lived, to be as free as the wind, to make choice and changes at a whims notice and not have a single person to depend on you.
Except in the same breath, she had people that did depend on her, even as she yearned for more. But that was something she'd probably never figure out. Empty smiles, empty ambitions.

But it wasn't about her. It as about him. And his story earned him some respect. Ok, so maybe he would get his gun back. And if he weren't pulling her chain, she could get one too. It was an impressive piece of weapon.

"You know a lot of good, smart people. I checked your gun out. It's definitely something impressive, not that technology of that sort is my forte, but I guess you'll get it back soon enough." She gave him a smile. "Bet it's like pulling teeth waiting on my sorry ass to come around. But dont' worry. I can't be killed that easy, so once I'm right as rain, perhaps we'll go get that little gun of yours, eh? Then you can go back to shooting people's falcons with it."

Feather'swing looked over at Tenran at the mention of itself and blinked. Jinai smirked. Her bird was too smart for it's own good.

Lion · April 02, 2013, 03:20:17 PM

He actually grinned a grin of respect toward her now that'd she finally came around to at least considering giving his gun back. It wasn't quite a complex design but it was unique in its ability to hold three bolts rather than single-shot crossbows and to automaticall click back its drawstring, ready to shoot the next one in lieu of the first. The very fact she's been brave enought to take what wasn't hers was a small point in her direction, even if he'd like to smash her face in because of it.

"So how do you know all these people anyway? Does the street rat have sex with every guy she sees? I'm only asking," he said shrugging. "Mursh is...interesting at best. But you do seem to make a lot of friends."

visualspice · April 02, 2013, 03:42:42 PM

Her smile was worn as usual, but as the conversation turned to her, it began to fade, still on her lips but not her eyes. But then it returned to her eyes again as she flashed a bit more teeth with her grin.

"So many questions," She pressed her lips together, still smiling and closed her eyes. The bed was comfortable enough, a lot more comfortable than the hard table she had to bleed out all over as she sighed. "You could say I get around. You could say I have a lot of friends."S he shrugged. She wasn't going to go into more detail than that, even though she hadn't gone into any detail at all. The less detail, the better, right? They would part ways soon enough. But the more she thought on it, the more she realized it was true. She never thought much on it. She had left her family behind at the drop of a hat, not really close to any one of them. Daddy was a drunk, mother was a whore. She wasn't even sure which of her brother's had been actually her brothers, or if her father was really her own. And she died of one of those illnesses.
Sad...
Pathetic really. Though as much as she wasn't one to relate to her late mother, she had taken up in her foot steps. Though neither were really brothel material, not that someone could just cage Jinai in like that, it did not stop either of them from making the same stupid mistakes. At least the cycle would end with Jinai. She wasn't about to let herself go get married to some man that would make her unhappy, have kids to strap her down to any old place.
And it was then she thought to her brother in Serendipity. She wondered how his life was fairing. He had kids. Imagine that? And in his letters it almost seemed like the good life.

But then it had all started with him. He had been the only one closest to her in her entire family. And he was always there when she'd mistake after mistake, the only one she could trust, she could love. And now he was gone, gone far away. It had been an awkward thing really, and here she was, still fighting the good fight, for a brother that wasn't even there....

She had grown silent, her eyes still closed as she appeared to drift off to sleep.
Truth was- she was pretending. Nothing unusual about that. She didn't want to really talk anymore, but she had really nothing more to say. And she was exhausted. It was around this time little Damsy had come back into the room.

The noise drew Jinai's tired eyes open as the little girl gave an impatient soft huff. Jinai grinned
"Hey there, patty cake" she said, messing upt he girl's hair.
"Do you want to play dollies?" she asked, swinging her arms a bit, eyes glued to Jinai as she hugged onto her doll. Jinai grinned and shook her head slowly.
"I'm sorry, Damsy. I'm too tired. Maybe ask Tenran over there to play. He told me he loves dolls."

Damsy blinked, then timidly approached Tenran and tugged at his arm. "Do you want to play dollies with me?" she asked, her eyes big and wide.
Jinai smirked, wondering if Tenran would actually oblige the child. SHe was cute. She supposed if she had kids, she wished she had one like the Messeren kids.

Lion · April 02, 2013, 08:41:50 PM

Tenran smiled when the child returned with her doll against her arm. He watched Jinai dismiss her and tilted his head at the thought. It didn't seem children were really her forte as she averted the child toward him, Tenran pushed up from the wall and moved over to the table before sitting on a stool. He reached for the doll and gently pulled it fromt he little girl's grasp.

"Sure, darling, I can play. I've got nowhere to go." He place the doll on his lap and held each arm in one hand and moved the small hands of the woolen doll over its eyes. "Peek a boo!" he said, smiling. "And what's your name little one?" he asked in a high-pitched voice to the girl. "I'm Dolly. But I think you knew that, I am a doll after all."

"Damsy!" the little girl smiled and giggled as she sat beside Tenran as he continued to make conversation with the doll, making it jump around and soar from his lap to the table and pretending a bowl was a boat and a spoon was an oar, sailing it in the air.

visualspice · April 03, 2013, 12:04:20 AM

Jinai couldn't think she could be warmed by more humorous of a scene. Her smile, well, need it be said it was always the same as she watched the pair through tired eyes, barely able to keep them awake as they appeared more masked behind her thick, blonde bangs. The dolly voice was cute. So was he as the pair played and were taken into a world full of pretend. But their voices soon drowned away, sleep becoming her as she lay still, breath soft and light. And Jinai had slept for most of the past few hours. Even after the food had been ready, the Messeren's (both Mrs. and Mr.) had come home, startled to see a strange man in their house, but once Elisa informed them it was Mursh's doing, they seemed more accepting, even as Jinai, their only acquaintance and real friend here, was asleep.

Mr. Messeren held out a hand for Tenran to shake.
"Well any friend of Jinai's and Old Mursh's is a friend of ours. Landsake's, we owe that girl our lives. Little Damsy would have been taken from us otherwise," he said, scooping up his daughter and smoothering her cheek with a few playful kisses. THe girl blushed and laughed and clung to her father's neck.

"I guess it doesn't need to be said we're greatful for your help. So please, why don't you eat with us? Hrm? And perhaps you can update us with another one of Jinai's stories. I'm sure its something to hear!" Mr. Messeren chuckled and turned to his wife. "This is Abby, and you can simply call me Joe- and i'm sure you've met our girls, Elisa, Naddy, and Damsy." At the last girls' name, he kissed Damsy on the cheek, all of the love evident in his eyes as he looked down at his little girl.

"Daddy, can I go light the candles?" she asked, her plump little legs kicking lightly a her father held her, his arms remained as a scoop beneath her.

Joe nodded and kissed her forehead. "Sure, darling." and let her go, watching in appreciation as his daughter moved off into the dining room, where she leaned eagerly over the table."But be sure to practice good measure when lighting the candles." He gestured to Elisa and Naddy, who both ran to the doorway and peered in, watching with interest as the small girl produced a warm, orange flame with the palm of her hand and went about lighting the single, white wax candle upon the table.

Lion · April 04, 2013, 12:12:28 AM

Tenran stood up immediately when the mother and father of the household returned home, surprised to find him there. He said nothing and watched with hawk eyes, waiting for them to present themselves as friend or foe. As Joe lent out his hand, he only stared at it for a good long five seconds as if this was really happening again. Wow, Jinai really got around. Married men too? Tenran only shook his hand, lightly, watching the display of father and children and said nothing more as he stood back.

But he bristled when the young girl suddenly lit the wicks of the candle without the use of matches. He could have sworn he had a few of them on his person and was even about to offer a few to her though only to be careful. Tenran took a step back toward Jinai. These people were mages! So Jinai associated with mages! He could only feel disgust roiling in his stomach though he expertly did not show it.

He looked down at Jinai, then back to Joe, crossing his arms over his chest and remaining calm, leaning against the wall. "I'd...be more than happy to join you for dinner. I feel like I haven't eaten proper in ages. Though that's plenty thanks to Jinai here," Tenran said, smiling graciously. "But I'm curious, you say Jinai has helped you. How exactly do you know her?"

visualspice · April 04, 2013, 10:28:24 AM

OOC: Wait until he realizes how much she's involved looool
They'll be BEEEEEEEEEST friends XP

-------------------

Joe Messener was taken back when it seemed the man did not know their connections. Well, perhaps not everyone knew about the free folk. It was how it was supposed to be- just a whisper of a saint. Though where her husband frowned with reluctancy, his wife stepped forward and smiled broadly at Tenran.
"Then come, share meat and bread with us at the table. We can share our story. It's not much but we owe Jinai a lot, so any friend of hers is a friend of ours." The woman's eyes were warm and brown with a pretty face, just beginning to wear with age. She took Tenran's hand and squeezed it lightly, seeming as if all of the world's emotions were within her, then she moved past Tenran to take a look at Jinai, sighing as she clutched a hand to her chest ebfore moving away, skirts fluttering behind her as she went.

The table was set, the stew and bread served while the family ate in relative silence, that was, until Mrs. Messeren began with the story as dinner was nearing it's end and the children were disbanded to go finish their evening chores.
"So, what did you say your name was?" the woman asked, she had a distinctive accent to her tone, but it was light and pretty, a little nasally and sweet. She nodded once she had gotten it then turned to her husband, then back to Tenran and placed a hand over his. "Thank you for bringing Jinai here. You see, we are always eager to help her and to help the cause." Her husband cut her a look, but she only looked back at him imploringly as she returned her eyes to Tenran's.

"You see, our child was born a mage. We did not know this until a terrible accident occurred. She wasn't sure what to do about her powers, but the men in the duchy we had been living in at that time wanted her dead. They did not even hide the fact they would roast her in her own flames. It was horrible. The men were heartless. And our dughter wasn't the only one gathered up in this raid on mages. An old man and another young girl as well. They were all to be sentenced to death for possessing magic. The others hadn't even done anything. Damsy had accidently burned our priest, you see, just a small burn on his hand, but it lead to something bigger.... I.. " she looked away, shaking her head and sighed before continuing as she blinked back tears. "I never understand hatred towards another, especially on things they can not fix. It's like hating someone for the color of their skin. They did not choose to look this way, why hate on them for what the God's blessed them with? We all have a purpose."

Smiling, she withdrew her hand and rested it in her lap.
"But we're talking about Jinai, not about my silly philosophy. Anyway, she was the one that saved them. All of them."S he grinned over at Damsy who was washing the dishes with her sister's and laughing. "And without Jinai, Damsy would have been lost."
Her eyes turned back to Tenran.
"Though having a mage as a daughter is not without consequence. We hope when she is old enough we can have her travel somewhere so she can learn to respect the gift she has. For now, we tell her to use it sparringly, but from time to time, we let her use it for simple things, you know. " She gestured to the candle. "Like lighting a candle for dinner. She's scuch a sweet girl. It's hard to think how anyone could be afraid of her. She hasn't a spec of cruelty in her. After all, she is just a child." Her husband hugged her tightly, and then the pair looked over at Tenran.

"So what about you?" the woman asked. "Do you have any children or are you married? How is it that you know Jinai anyways? You know it's very noble of you to be taking care of her like this. How long do you two plan to stay?"

Lion · April 10, 2013, 11:08:03 PM

The entire story was making Tenran very uncomfortable, but he had little in the ways of showing it. For he saw cooly and just smiled here and nodded there in understanding, not daring to interrupt lest they get the wrong idea about him. It was a shame, and frankly, a little sad that they were so trusting of a stranger that had entered their home completely by chance. Even if the city guards were looking for them, Tenran had no plans to stay here nor in the city for long. He knew the right people to clear his head and his name but he couldn't do it sitting here.

Really, all this for a gun. But it seemed the rabbit hole was much deeper than he thought. Though his face was nothing short of serene, his mind was racing, knowing the risk they'd taken of revealing the fact that their children were mages. It made him wonder if they themselves didn't dabble in magic. Not that that was his business, he knew, but it didn't make him any more at home being in ths place. He listened to the last phrase that the woman uttered. 'She hasn't a spec of cruelty in her'? No, Tenran thought. But it will come. And when she learns the way of the world. She'll be no better than the Mordecai that will hunt her.

"A moving tale to be sure," Tenran commented with no emotion of his own in his voice. He thanked them for the food before them as it was finally served. "I'm not much more interesting I'm afraid. It just so happened, your...friend...here has something that belongs to me and I'd like it back. There's little else to tell. After all the help I've given her, I think I've earned it by now." At that he looked over to Jinai and ate in stern silence.

visualspice · April 11, 2013, 12:59:04 AM

OOC: For some reason I see Tenran's face like the angry sketch face in my sig. 8D
EATING WHILE GLARING HATEFULLY AT HER

-----------------

Jinai slept through all of dinner, and through all of Tenran's glaring. The family had retired for the night, the father being the last one to go to bed after smoking his pipe. He even offered some to Tenran, but then after that, the house was silent. Jinai had taken to fever, but after having slept through most of the night, it finally broke just as the moon was cresting through the sky. SHe awoke, making a soft noise and rubbing at her eyes. It was only after a time she noted Tenran was nearby, sleeping, it seemed, as she stared at him through the dark. She wans't sure what to make of this man, but quietly, she slipped out of the bed, taking her bag and disappeared outside into the nearby alley way.

She was fumbling through her bag, checking over what she had left as she sighed. She had very little supplies. It was time to head home soon. She thought of abandoning Tenran here and just disappearing entirely, but something had her pausing at the end of the alleyway. SHe couldn't just leave him at the Messeren's. Sighing, she turned back around but found herself hesitating just outside the door.

She had the perfect opportunity to leave his sorry ass behind, and couldn't quite make up her mind. So instead, she leaned against the house and took out a smoke, having rolled the paper around the dry tobacco flakes and lit it up. She was done for drugs for now. Today was too much for a trip. The cigarette would do for now. She inhaled, the end of it glowing brightly before she turned her head to one side, exhaling through a sigh. She tapped her foot, finding herself itching over the idea to just escape.

But... well...
after all he had done for her...
Ok Fine.
He deserved his god damn gun back.
He just better not come back to shoot her with it.
Gods be damned. That' d be her luck he would.

Lion · April 11, 2013, 01:15:08 AM

Tenran always slept with one eye open, always. Sleeping on the frontlines taught you that when trying to hold an enemy line. Well, that was another story for a different time. So when he saw the little shadow moving passed the door and through the otherside, he quietly stood up then and made for the window he saw off to the side. The houes was far too quiet and his very breath even seemed too loud, but Tenran knew how to be quiet, even with his leg brace.

He slipped out of the window from the side-lined alley and as he looked around the corner, he half expected to see her ass running off into the distance. But there she was smoking against the house as if there was nothing at all. He came out calmly making his presence known solely by the dim lighting of the clipped cigar he'd lit as he came out from the shadows.

"I see you're ready to leave," he murmured, leaning against the wall beside her. "It's a really nice night tonight, ain't it?"

visualspice · April 11, 2013, 01:26:52 AM

OOC: HE WOULD HAVE A CIGAR DX

8D

--------------------------

Jinai's lips smiled around her cigarette, the end glowing as she wrinkled her nose some in amusement.
"I suppose," she spoke through smoke, flicking the ash casually aside before her eyes looked him over beneath a curtain of heavy blond bangs. "I don't intend to sleep in that house forever, and if I stick around here any longer I think I might pull out all my hair and scratch off all my skin." She turned away, pressing her cigarette back to her lips.
"The Messeren's are too nice for their own good." her finger twitched over her cigarette, then she looked him over, eyeing him puffing away his cigar as her smile stretched a bit wider, cutting dimples into her left cheek.
"Come on, let's get a move on it before the sun's up. I bet you're itching to get that gun." She turned and began to leisurely stroll down the street, nursing her cigarette as she went. "The streets should be quieter on this side of town. Not many rich folk would be bothered here." She moved to grab her cigarette, but paused when she heard something flutter over head. It was just a pair of bats. She sighed, shaking her head before moving forward again.

Lion · April 11, 2013, 04:00:03 PM

[Well, yeah. It DOES say it in his profile |8*]

Tenran bit the end of the cigar, half-clipped to preserve the rest of it, and couldn't help but grinned as he took a long drag. He wasn't going to waste it as she suddenly moved from the alleyway, but he knew it best not to linger for long and even the burning end of a cigar could bring unwanted attention that neither of them could afford. As the bats moved overhead, Tenran could have sworn he saw a shadow fly by over head, but after staring and blinking for a few more seconds he shook his head and thought nothing more of it.

They moved quickly through the alleys, dodging patrols of guards that were taking their time and making extra care to watch the shadow lest they miss something. Tenran paused though the plaze, reaching the far end of the city. "So much farther?" Tenran inquired, chewing the end of his cigar.