City of Broken Dreams: Life's Bazaar

[Toxic Avenger]

Katherine's eyes widen in surprise, and she laughs along with Erica. "Indeed! I've thrown a few nasty tantrums, but not bad enough to even think about taking a swing at my father. Well...he's my uncle, really, but father as far as I'm concerned..."

"Hey, you deserve that relaxation too, Erica! Breaking up fights is hard work. Gods know, I've had to do it with my cousins all my life."

[PhoeKun]

"Who, me? No no, I'm nothing special. Just a spoiled rich girl finally getting out of the house... I mean, honestly, this is the first time I ever really stopped relaxing. Is life so bad that I already earned a break? Sheesh, have I got my work cut out for me..."

Erica shakes her head, sending her soft brown hair brushing back and forth against her neck while she laughs.

"What's your family like? Is it very big?"

[Amotis]

Sodi leans against the wall near Ydresse's glaive. He exhales sharply and slides down the wall into a lazy sitting position. Blinking slowly his mind slows. Slowly. From the scene. He. Wall.

...Hand.

Taking her hand loosely, Sodi nods. Not even sure himself what that meant or if he meant it. To compromise is to...

Hunters. That's what they were. Forest unturned? How many leaves crushed while chasing the prey? Would you let evil triumph if the forest still stoo-

Talking. Tears. Rilian may look weak, but that boy knew things. Important things. That's what matters. He learned. And that's what matt-

But Keygen. He's gave up. Once, and now again. Before he gave into weakness, now death. Looking up once the others have gone, Sodi blinks at the gnome.

"So will you tell them what Rilian said or give yourself to the gallows?"

[Toxic Avenger]

Kate laughs along with Erica. "Well, don't try to do it all at once...you'll wear yourself out. Trust me."

When asked about her family, Katherine smiles and replies, "Well, I guess that depends on what you call big, really. Besides my aunt and my uncle, I've grown up with my four cousins...three boys, one girl...so seven counting myself, which did make a pretty full house now that I think about it. How about yours, Erica?"

[Rei_Jin]

Keygan looks at Sodi, then over to Rilian hiding in the shadows, and shrugs.

What will be, will be.

[PhoeKun]

Erica gives an impressed whistle as Kate lists off the size of her family.

"Me? Oooooooonly child. Surprise, huh?"

[Amotis]

Sodi shakes his head.

"Right. So what will you make it be?"

[Rei_Jin]

Keygan looks at Sodi impassively.

What do you care? You wanted to send me to my death, didn't you? Go do something more helpful than poking an old gnome about his faults, like maybe helping your allies.

[Amotis]

Sodi nods.

"You're right. I did. But now it's you sending yourself off to death. Theoretically."

[Rei_Jin]

Cauldron needs a locksmith. Even if I don't like what I've done, what other choice do I have?

[Amotis]

Sodi nods again.

"So Rilian convinced you? Okay. Just wondering."

[Toxic Avenger]

"Well, I've known a few only children - each and every one of them...er...what shall we say...difficult to get along with? You're not, Erica...not even close. So yeah, a surprise...and quite a pleasant one." Kate smiles warmly at Erica before turning the corner at the next street. Pointing at a far-off building, she says, "There we go. Let's try that place first..."

[Rei_Jin]

The hunters disperse their own ways for the moment: Katherine and Erica go shopping for supplies, Angelo goes to the temple to make a report, and Rilian, Lady Ydresse, and Sodi stay behind at the Locksmiths to work out their next step.

Katherine and Erica manage to find everything they're after, even meeting up with Angelo as they enter Zanathors. He's in discussions about a pole of some sort it seems...

On the way back however, the intrepid hunters get the feeling that they're being watched.

Katherine spots the source of this feeling out of the corner of her eye, a pair of half-elves seem to be following them at a distance, trying to stay out of the way. They've been following the hunters since they left Skies Treasury, sometimes only one of them was there, but their continued appearances are too much to be coincidence.

Now, the only question is are they friend or foe?

[Toxic Avenger]

Finally convinced that they are being followed, Katherine ponders that same question. Are they friend or foe? They didn't appear thuggish, but one could never quite tell just by appearance.

Hmm... How best to find the answer to that question...and maybe have a little fun at the same time...? She wonders. Aha! That might work...

After smiling to herself, Kate says, "Angelo, Erica, just keep acting like nothing's wrong...okay? And certainly don't look behind us yet, but I think we're being followed. Two half-elves...they've been following us since Skie's, I think. They don't look like typical thugs, though."

She takes a breath, and then goes on. "Here's my idea. We 'say goodbye' to you, Angelo, while you go off ahead for a bit and find a store or something to wait in for a few minutes. While you do that, Erica and I stall for a bit, to give you time to get ahead and set up. Once we think you're ready, we'll play a little game of cat and mouse. We'll pick up the pace and see if they pursue."

"If they do, then just wait patiently until you see them pass. Let them get ahead of you just enough, and then you follow them, and maybe they'll have a turn at being the mice. If we get to that stage, then let us know somehow. You can whistle pretty loud...right, Angelo?"

[PhoeKun]

Erica, naturally, very nearly responds to Kate by turning around to look for these half-elves, only managing to stop herself by forcing herself to look at Kate instead. She can't help but grin. This sounded like fun...

[Toxic Avenger]

"So yeah, if we can manage to get them between you and us, Angelo, give us a nice loud whistle and we'll backtrack...try to catch them between us."

"Now, I mainly want to see if they're friendly or not. If they show that they're not, we should try to lose them if we can, and hope they don't track us back to...er...the place where we're going. If they are, we can maybe find out what they're after, and if they're neither, they'll probably run. Either way, we'll know once it's all over...and as a bonus, this should be fun. Dangerous fun, but better than just danger. Are you both up for it?"

[PhoeKun]

"Well, that's downright devious, Kate..."

She gives Kate a stern look for a moment before the expression cracks and falls away into laughter.

"I'm so in."

[Toxic Avenger]

"Heheheh... Excellent!" Katherine looks back at Erica with a devious grin. While waiting for Angelo's answer, she goes on. "Now, this could be even better if...yeah... Do you speak Elvish, Erica?"

[Baerdog7]

Angelo Rinaldi

Angelo grins mischievously.

Oh, this sounds like fun. I haven't had a chance to use my pig-whistle since I got to Cauldron.

Looking around the busy street, he spies a bakery up ahead that catches his eye.

Okay ladies, you two be good while I'm gone.

With a smile and a wink, he strolls off in the direction of the bakery. He pays the baker for a blueberry muffin and loiters nonchalantly while he waits for the girls and their pursuers to pass.

[PhoeKun]

"Elven? Why as a matter of fact, I do. Mom always thought it was important to learn a second language...

Why, what are you thinking?"

[Toxic Avenger]

Katherine calls out and waves exuberantly to Angelo as he goes off ahead. "All right, we'll be good, Brother Angelo! Good Day!"

Kate's grin grows even wider as she looks back to Erica. "You do speak it? Really? Oh, great! So do I...this is going to be fun...heeheehee... Er...okay, then. Here's what I'm thinking. First, we stop right here for a minute or two..." Kate slows to a halt and starts looking around while pointing at a few of the nearby stores. "...and act like two giddy teenage girls deciding where they want to go next, or talk about whatever. Oh, wait...that shouldn't be too hard for us, eh?" She giggles mischievously, very much getting into the role at this point. "Anyway, when we've stalled long enough, I'll count to three. Then, we can give the two secret admirers our full attention for a moment, call out a nice seductive greeting in Elvish - have fun with it - and then take off in the same direction we were heading, but not too fast. We want them to keep up, right? We keep going until we hear our 'big brother' whistle, and then turn around." Kate winks and grins. Her eyes are lit up with amusement...she's obviously enjoying this prospective 'game' very much...

[PhoeKun]

Erica listens to Kate's plan, nodding occasionally while her grin grows wider with every passing second, culminating in a sudden burst of uncontrollable giggling.

"And here I thought you were all sweet and innocent! Where did you learn to be such a tease?"

She laughs merrily, quite obviously having a lot of fun with this idea, herself.

[Toxic Avenger]

"Oh, I can be naughty when I want to be...but in a good way." Kate giggles, getting even further into the act. Not for a moment does the thought escape her mind that this could be a very dangerous game indeed, but she does her best to keep her act up.

As she glances about again, she tries to keep the two half-elves in sight, hoping that they stay back for the moment. Once she thinks enough time has passed, she counts off. "Ready? On three, play it along with me... One, two, three..."

She then turns and waves seductively at the two half-elves, making eye contact with one of them if she can before blowing a kiss. In a loud singing voice - not to mention seductive - she calls out in the Elven tongue, "Hello, handsome! Catch us if you can!"

She waits just a brief moment to study their reactions before hustling off in the direction they were heading, looking back to see if their 'admirers' pursue...

[Baerdog7]

Angelo Rinaldi

Angelo glances out the window of the bakery, chuckling to himself as he watches Kate and Erica's antics.

Pelor's grace, this is going to be more fun than I thought, he mutters around a mouthful of muffin.

[PhoeKun]

Erica waits patiently for the three count, turning along side Kate and following her gaze through the crowd to the half elves in question. Winking at one of them she waves, her jeweled armlet glinting in the daylight. She giggles, and calls out in lilting evlish,

"Just a little further, boys! Don't fall behind!"

Lingering a moment, she turns and hurries after Kate.

[Rei_Jin]

The half elves look shocked that they've been noticed, but only momentarily. The blond haired one grabs the brown haired one, as if to catch his attention, and smiles, pointing towards the girls.



The brown haired one smiles mischieviously and they pick up speed heading towards them.



The blond haired one calls out to them in Elven

Stop, stop! Beautiful ladies such as yourselves, why, how could we resist ourselves? Be still, my beating heart, for it is wounded by your glance!

He laughs, and continues on towards the girls. They're going to have to move faster if they don't want to be caught before they get past Angelo...

[Toxic Avenger]

"Uh oh...time to pick up the pace, Erica!"

Kate grins again at the half-elves as she begins to run.

"Oh, my! True hunters, you are!" She calls out in Elven.

[PhoeKun]

Erica laughs as she starts to run, although her armor makes her slower than Kate. She calls out merrily in Elven,

"Faster, faster! You can't have the prize if you don't keep up!"

[Rei_Jin]

Whilst the girls can't really turn back and look, from the calling out behind them they're pretty certain the half-elves are still following.

Whilst Angelo is still in the bakery eating, he hears the sounds of running feat, and the cries back and forth between the two groups, much, much sooner than he had expected.



The blonde one calls back to the ladies, laughing as he does.

Slow down! How can we appreciate your beauty at such speed? Let me buy you a drink, or perhaps a portrait!

They're about 60ft behind the girls now, and keeping pace well. Angelo and the bakery are about 30ft back from them.

[Baerdog7]

Angelo Rinaldi

Duty calls!

Angelo bolts out of the bakery, apologizing as he muscles past an elderly dwarven woman on his way out the door. He races to keep pace with the pursuers, putting his fingers to his mouth and letting out an incredibly loud, shrill whistle as he does so.

Hey there boys, you're going to have to run quicker to keep up with those lovely ladies! He calls out in Elven.