Reunion By Lamplight.

[Nixie]

Timestamp: 61st of Spring, 512 AV.

It had been little more then one bells toll since the sinking sun had been replaced with a cheerless moon. Yes, cheerless; secluded high above with a blanket of drifting gray clouds far below. While the moon lite them from above, they cast nights dark shadow. And as if to reflect the moons gloom, the clouds sent chilled drops to lightly sprinkle the streets. Visible only once caught in the warm lamp light who, likewise, exposed misplaced shadows. Ones that drifted over the cobble but had no owner, giving the streets an deserted or melancholy feeling.

Roaming down ever darkening streets, Nixie held her chin tucked in slightly, a smoking pipe between closed lips. While idle hands rested in the warm pockets that cradled them. By now she had started to recognize a few of the ways to effectively ignore Alvadas' illusions, or at least she thought she had. Perhaps she had simply grown accustomed to them in the time she had spent in the city. Or maybe her mind was in another place? Yes, another place, but her thoughts did not wander as aimlessly as her feet chose to. They went to a specific place, and a specific image. A time that had passed not too long ago, and the vague details of somebody she had come to believe and accept she would never see again, if not in her dreams. No, not dreams, nightmares.

Turning down another street, Nixie was quick to notice another shadow down a ways. At first glance she wouldn't pay it much mind. Aside from noting that it seemed to be the first one she had seen that night that was owned by a body. But as she neared something happened; the mysterious figure felt familiar. It started with skin prickling, a missed heart beat, and a memory that pricked at the back of her mind. Nixie's first thought was that the illusions had become greedy for her attention, and forced it though delving into her thoughts. Only assuming they had such power in the city that was their domain. Watching from where she stood, Nixie wandered if the assumed Illusion would change or move.

[Bob Barton]

A cause for celebration because Alvadas is finally declared monster free. To stress how important it was, it would be repeated MONSTER FREE! An assurance that allowed Bob for the first time to walk out feeling free and liberated. Without having to look over his shoulder more than the usual. Without having to care about the suspicious people smoking at the streets. Yes Bob was feeling a lot safer now compared to a few days back. Enough to forget all about the time he got mistaken as a child and kidnapped last season.

Another thing to remember from last season happened at the place that Bob was standing right in front of now. While the Withering Rose would make people feel like going right in and having a nice meal, the sight made Bob want to look around for anything...dangerous. The first time he was here was to find some deranged serial killer and also the first time he entered the Underground. Looking around Bob popped into the alley at the side prompted more by curiosity than purpose.

The worst of motivations. Having nothing to do, Bob carelessly waved his cane around. Tipping a trashcan over at one point and kicking a few scraps which got in his way to the side. Even the djed storm and infestation of monsters did not change the crappiest face of one of the more luxurious restaurants in Alvadas. Even the waste was able to mask the tantalizing smells beyond those walls.

One turn later and Bob was at the spot he found the body. He found other things too with the help of Jinsen and that meddling Eridanus but then with the amount of cases then, maybe he might find other things? Greed is probably an even worse motivation than curiosity and Bob started pushing his cane forward making small gaps to see if he had any luck but he knew better. Someone would have plenty of time already to clear up this place. Still with nothing to do, that will not stop him.

Maybe someone, or something else? Hopefully not a monster or murderer. He had enough of those.

[Nixie]

Nixie looked on in silent interest as the figured moved about. It seemed there was no purpose to his step, no direction. And he had failed to notice her standing just down the street under a lamp of her own. Was he drunk, or blind? She would find out one way or another. With a huff, Nixie's eyes searched the ground at her feet until they came upon a small stone. Kneeling, she retrieved it and stood, tossing it up into the air once and letting it fall back down into her palm. Staring at her target, she reeled her arm back and tossed the stone at the oblivious figure. Missing when he moved out of its path and disappeared into what she guessed was an alley. He was out of sight now, but perhaps the crack of stone pelting cobble would draw his attention back to the street and out from hiding.

After a moment or two had passed, and the figure did not reappear, Nixie snuck forward in quiet steps. As she neared the turn, boisterous laughter could be heard coming from within the tavern that made up one of the alley's walls. Peaking around the corner, she had no trouble spotting the figure. He moved the trash about like some miserable homeless scrounging for crumbs, but he seemed too well dressed to play such a role. It was difficult to make out much more detail than that, but she still felt he looked familiar. Was she sneaky enough to keep from being spotted? Probably not.

[Bob Barton]

Still nothing and no one but remains of half eaten meat and veggies. Was that green thing brocolli? Yuck! It seems that the place was already cleared up multiple times even before the storm hit and spread whatever was left to the furthest reaches of Alvadas. Only after all the big things have had their fill of destruction, there would be the Bob Barton to make things worse and everyone knew where Bob went, trouble followed. Which was why even when Alvadas was announced as safe, he was still keeping an eye out behind him.

Forget about someone stopping him from making a mess near the Rose, Bob was already kidnapped once in Alvadas and that was only the least of the bad things which can happen in the city. No surprise that his paranoia paid off and he soon noticed that there was a shadowy figure right at the corner. "There's one..." he thought to himself before looking down at the other end of the alley to see if there was another person like a partner in crime expecting him. "Looks clear..." he thought to himself. The best choice would be to make a break for it however doing that will only make a boring story for Bob Barton!

That little point along with a thirst for vengeance and the sense of responsibility to stop any more kidnapping incidents in Alvadas as well as the knowledge that humans give better loot than monsters made Bob construct a quick plan in his mind. His follower did not seem to be aware that he knew or what he was doing so he continued into an act. Still pushing random objects away with his cane until he started faking that there was one stuck in place. "Tap-tap-tap" the cane went while it clinked to the side of the sack before Bob walked up to it and lifted it up with two hands, carrying it with him to the side that was closer to that dark corner and its occupant.

Finally with an arm stretched out ready to drop the sack down, Bob swung it back and then forward again before releasing it at the wall yelling "who?!?" while running to follow with his cane waving in the air like grouchy ol' Marny when he saw the man last.

[Nixie]

Still it seemed he and she were the only two to occupy that street, or that alley. She wandered if the short man thought he was alone, and if that prospect made him nervous or feel at ease. Observing him, she reckoned she would have some peace if she thought she were alone, oblivious to onlookers. But in the case of being the watched, also would have hated and regretted that assumption come an evasive assault. Unaware that the obscure figure knew she was near, he easily surprised her when suddenly a sack was thrown in her direction. She was quick enough to react though, retreating back around the corner a step or two. But it seemed it was unnecessary, the sack flew through the air only to land, roll, and come to a stop at her feet. A weak attempt, she thought. Perhaps it was only meant to distract her though, only realized when her gaze moved from the sack to the man who charged at her, cane drawn.

As he neared and the shadows were pushed back from his features by lamp's light, a sense of recognition began to settle. The feeling was disconcerting enough to push Nixie forward and grab at the fearless cane he tried to threaten or scare her with, pulling it from his grasp. With the offensive stick out of the way, she moved to hold his arms and keep him where he stood, if only to give herself a better look. Upon closer inspection, the blurred details of a face lost years ago simultaneously gained fresh clarity and greater flaws from the time she last remembered looking upon it. What could have been happiness or surprise was twisted into a bitter anger that ripped at her chest and made her heart drum loudly in her ears.
"What are you doing here?" Hissing those words, her brows furrowed to mask the confusion that stormed within.

[Bob Barton]

It normally worked for the old man. The sudden surprise attack combined with the battlecry and the sight of a weapon would be more than enough to scare off anyone. Even the knights used it against their enemies. It was a time tested method! Eventhough Bob's intents was to use it to frighten his adversary, he still used the proper stance to ensure that he can close in the distance while making himself a hard target. It was not only him, the cane was held on to like the sword hidden within it, moving here and there so that in case he needed to attack, his victim will not know where the strike will come from.

The only flaw as he realized after was that he did not take out the blade. Easy for the weapon to be captured when there is no worries about getting cut by it. In the future, it looks like Bob is going to need to learn how to use it when it was a just cane so that he can beat people to death. However in her brave move, Nixie threw Bob off balance resulting in him falling face first towards the ground when the cane and sword came apart. Just what sort of a person was she? First getting Bob into a pickle and then saving him just in the nick of time from a painful kiss with the ground.

Well she is not going to get a kiss from Bob especially when she is looking like a he! Unlike his old friend, Bob was not able to recognize Nixie and with the sword still in his hand asked "no, what are you doing here?" while flashing the sword menacingly in front of his captor's eyes in hopes to scare her enough to release him. Of course he knew that if his attempts did not work there was no way he could use the sword for the strike he was suggesting effectively given how close the two were to each other but did she know that?

[Nixie]

Despite her best effort to keep Bob where he was, he was being quite obstinate. It wasn't anything she couldn't handle though, given she had something of an advantage with her height alone. But he did seem to have more courage than her, evident in the way he still dared to swing that toothpick of a sword frantically about. It was obvious to her that he was by no means in a talkative mood, and Nixie didn't have the patience for it. Or if she had, it was running short very quickly; shown in the way her fingers dug into the meat of his arm while the other went to grab at the hand that held his blade. Surely it would leave a mark. Closing her hand over his with a tight and maybe painful hold, she willed him to quit waving that blasted weapon about.
"You look like a child throwing a tantrum. Stop, before you hurt somebody!" Annoyance and sarcasm filled her voice. Sure his intentions might have been just that, to hurt somebody, but the thought that maybe he didn't recognize her hadn't crossed her mind. Thinking little of his posturing, once he eventually stilled through force or of his own will, she let out a long breath before her lips pursed together. Standing hunched in the alley's shadows, silence fell and took its place between them, only pushed away when she finally spoke again. Her gaze searching his for some sign of the warmth he might have still had for her. "After disappearing without so much as a farewell note, is this how you greet me? Assault me with sacks and blades?" The pain that shook her voice must have been obvious even to him; her jaw clenching to keep back the overflow of words and questions that threatened to spill.

[Bob Barton]

This was not how things was supposed to turn out when Bob made the decision to not run away. Being able to beat the djed storm, as in surviving through it by hiding out in the underbelly of Alvadas and killing the monsters that came for him made him confident. Too confident and the gambler would grudgingly admit that his overconfidence is more likely to make him turn out a loser. While he might do something stupid in the Wager since it was not his own coin he was using he was now using his life and he did not want to lose it.

Not even his other job carried this sort of a risk and it had its dangers too. While Bob might carry a weapon, he found that the new look was more effective in making others think twice before trying anything funny with him and made good protection. Especially when that job was not really something that people would see as enforcement in another proper city such as Syliras. But this was Alvadas, and surprisingly his attacker was not put off. Was it because there some chink in his new armour that he was not aware about or was it because he has just found out the reason why he is supposed to operate in a team?

But the reason he came too was because he was not wearing the right uniform. He will not be making that mistake again. That would only be if he can get out of this mess. What he heard gave him an idea. A child throwing a tantrum he looked like then a child throwing a tantrum he will be! No one would be wicked enough to not stop when they hear "stop, you're hurting me. MOMMY!" and he hoped that the darkness in the alley can hide his real appearance or at least give this...person something to think about so that he can escape with his arm intact. It was as if he was caught in a steel vice.

And it seemed that it will not be released so Bob stopped, to cry. Not the way children would wail loudly and let out enough tears to fill a bucket because even if it was only an act, he still had his pride as a man. Just a few quick and soft sniffles that would make anyone looking think that he was crying because he could not get any fake tears either. Not for a long time. It looked like that did the trick and Bob was able to try soothing the brutalized skin on his arm.

Whoever this was really has issues. "I-I-I've never seen you before in my life?" unless it was one of those crazies that he has to handle in his new job or probably one of the women whose heart he has stolen in a night. Even if this person did not look like a woman in this darkness, he could tell from her voice now that she was in some semblance of a proper conversation. But after hurting him like that of course his assault was justified! Whoever she is. "Are you sure this isn't a mistake?" even if its hard to mistake the dashingly handsome Bob Barton as someone else.

[Nixie]

Bob, a grown man, was showing himself to be as weak minded and helpless as the child she had compared him to. Did he have any pride at all? It was times like this that she wandered why she spent so much time with him back in Syliras. Hearing his plea and attempt at tears she released his arm roughly to take a step back, a scowl twisting her features before she descended to sit on heels. Looking up at him, one elbow resting on a knee, she thought he was being ridiculous and let out a long breathe. Thinking back to their time in Syliras, she would have normally laughed at his antics if he were trying to cheer her up, but this time his intentions were different. He wanted to escape and leave her again from what she could gather; but carrying on this pretense of naivety was only managing to put her a foul mood. She continued searching his features though, and in the searching frustration lessened, turning to something else.
"You don't remember that girl? The one who fell away from herself?" Again she reached for him, but with some hesitance in case he would flinch away. Taking his hand in one of hers, she pressed it against her cheek. Blinking, her vision began to cloud. "You don't remember wiping the tears from these eyes?" A warm liquid running down to touch the rough skin of his hand. Voice caught in her throat, she managed to force a few more words. "How... could you forget?" The question came in a whisper.

[Bob Barton]

People can think anything about Bob's actions but to him as long as they worked he had no problems with them. Here, appearing like some sniveling weakling with no pride just got him released and probably if it was a real opponent would have given him a chance to do a surprise attack! Nixie got the right idea about what he wanted now though because already after he was sure that his arm was alright, he was slowly backing away with the smallest steps his patience would allow him to use. With the alley being so dark, it should be easy to use the darkness to keep the other's attention off his feet especially when he was trying to distract her by a few gestures that under normal circumstances were done to make sure if someone is alright. Like waving his hand right in front of the face.

Because it would do an even better job of obscuring or distracting the eyes from the legs and it was easier for Bob to keep his hands there too despite the distance he was trying to make. It would have worked too if the unexpected did not happen. The voice now without the hint of hostility or sarcasm actually sounded very familiar especially when it came together with the question. Bob paused for a moment trying to figure out what it meant and then his little ruse was turned into a disadvantage because it made it easier for him to get captured...again... "Damn!" because he allowed that to happen and Bob thought even worse about it when his hand landed on that soft cheek of Nixie's.

It is creepy when a man does that to another man and that was what Bob still thought of the person who caught him. He was just about to jerk his hand off in a reflex when the question was asked again with so much familiarity that he had to keep questioning who is the person with him? Of all the lunatics in Alvadas there was no one like him...hold on. On closer inspection he found some parts of the face that were obscured by the darkness were more womanly. The cheeks, the eyelashes, the lips, this was a her and there was only one girl that Bob knew who preferred to look like a boy because of her brother issues but still gets emotional quite easily. To him she was quite cute that way.

Which could have been the reason why he did not mind spending so much time with her back in Syliras. Not wanting to mistake a longtime friend as some sort of deviant, Bob looked closely trying to recall her voice then for a comparison before brushing off those tears. "Of course I remember you Nixie" he said softly as he tried to comfort her like before but damn, she got bigger. He misjudged where he should place arms and had to try all over again losing the moment but hopefully Nixie was not too unhappy to care about. Once she has stopped crying he pushed himself away to get a good look at her to ask "how have you been? What are you doing in this gods forsaken part of the world?"