Shady Character [Open]

[Eris]

“Pleasure to meet you, Julian Rasfura,” Eris said, feeling just a bit of triumph at finally having learned the stranger’s name.

She leaned her hand against the ground, supporting herself as she crossed her legs under her. Eris ran her hand over her sketchbook absentmindedly as it lay in her lap, forgotten for the moment. She watched the fox-like creature with interest, following its quick movements with her eyes. Oftentimes, it was much easier to talk to an animal than a person. She knew that if her horse hadn’t been with her for the past two years, she might have gone out of her mind.

Eris didn’t feel the least bit inclined to speak about her aims in coming to Syliras, but the question was innocent enough, and one that would arouse suspicion if left unanswered. “Just passing through for the moment.”

[Julian Rasfura]

Julian sat there silently, adjusting his mask before he returned the hood over his head and adjusting the mask once again after having knocked it a bit. He watched his fox play now, chasing after something fluttering in the air, leaping at it again and again. "Travel. Sell things I carve. Wanted to travel more." he began, still whispering but then pausing to eye his pet as it caught what it jumped for, "Things happened. Decided to come here to stay."

With that he shuffled a bit, seeming to struggle a little under the heavy robes before removing something. His hand stretched out from his robe, something grasped in it which was connected to a bag. He set it on the floor and opened it to reveal the bag to be full of numerous figurines of many shapes and sizes. However, they were not near as nice as the ones he had handed to the John and Elis, the ones in bag being made purely of wood and having no crystal found on them.

In the distance he could hear something of interest. The children that had been following before running around and playing with some toys they recently acquired. As the sound of the children disappeared he reached for something else pulling out a mask in the shape of his fox friend, not near as nice as the figurines, the mask being an entirely new craft to him. In a way there was not much else he could explain of himself. He was just a simple craftsman who had only recently made his way into town.

[Eris]

So, he wasn’t a man of many words. It was hard to believe that someone so large and intimidating would feel the need to keep himself isolated from the world behind a mask. She would have liked to understand the man’s motives behind his self-imposed seclusion, but she realized that it would just be plain impertinent for her to interrogate him any further.

She looked down at her hands, the bird cradled in her slim fingers. Eris wondered why the man would give such a valuable piece to a stranger – two strangers, really. Did the man really have so many of these figurines to give them out to every person he met? Was it his way of assuring his own safety – a peace offering of sorts?

Eris held the bird out to him. “You’ll want this back, I expect. I imagine you can make a nice amount of money from it.”

[Julian Rasfura]

Julian had set out a collection before them but his eyes were locked on something else. Watching as his little companion continued to run around, exhausting what energy it could through play. This sight was then cut short by the a voice that brought his eyes back to Eris who was holding out a small figurine. His hand raised slowly, head shaking ever lightly, "Not mine anymore. Is yours." he said, gesturing a bit to the gift before returning his sights to the fox who had wore itself out finally.

His large arms opened to the Oddu who found another burst of energy, running to Julian. The small flash of brown was quick to glide across the ground before leaping to him, landing firm against his chest. This raised a deep but light chuckle from Julian who enclosed around his small bundle of fur. Before long Julian shifted a bit in the spot he sat, pressing his back a bit firmer against the tree and manipulating a bit of his robes to help make Oddu a bit more comfortable.

Though hidden by hood and mask, it was apparent that the man was smiling beyond it, a simple feeling coming off of him as he did. His large hand overlapped Oddu's head, petting the little fox gentle as it caught it's breath. "Is a good friend. Oddu is always around." Julian said, Oddu's ears twitching as his name was spoken.

[Eris]

A small delighted smile flicked across Eris’s lips. She hadn’t received many gifts in the past. The last time she had received any sort of gift was about five months ago, when an old woman had baked her a cake for retrieving a necklace from a thief. But the cake had been eaten up by the next day – only the memory of it lasted.

“Thank you,” she said softly. She closed her fingers around the miniature bird, placing it carefully in her satchel.

She watched the man lay out his craft in front of him. It looked like he was preparing to sell the items. Eris grinned as she watched the giant cuddled his little friend. She’d never seen anything exactly like the creature. It looked to be some kind of cross between a fox and a dog, but Eris couldn’t be sure. The only real experience she’s ever had with animals was with Rhine. And Rhine was a horse – vastly different from this quick, furry pet.

“And what is Oddu, exactly? I’ve never seen anyone keep such a pet.”

[Julian Rasfura]

Julian remained firm against the tree, petting his small friend, "Oddu. Is a fox." He turned his head towards the direction of the main gates for a second and returned his gaze towards the Fox, "Found Oddu outside. Oddu was hurt bad. Treated Oddu and kept him in cart for long time. One day Oddu got better. Not leave me once he had." It was a quick story of how he had gotten the small fox, not really revealing a great bit of detail but at the same time creating a large enough story to piece together what had happened.

Suddenly a light growl was heard which caused the Fennec to jump from Julian's lap. He looked down at the source, the mask somehow still remaining firm on his face. After a second of looking at the source he stated one simple thing.

"Hungry."

With that word alone he shot up from the ground, his great height suddenly becoming apparent, broad shoulders causing his robes to puff out a bit, causing him to look even larger then he really was. The fox went to his leg quickly, trying to find grasp in the cloth which caused Julias to bend down a second and help the little creature up into the robes. After a second of shuffling Oddu's head suddenly popped out of the neck of the robes, dead center to Julians chest having found grip on the bindings within.

Julian looked towards John and then Eris, thinking for a moment. At the last second he walked a bit around the tree to where his cart was and grabbed the Silk ropes, pulling the cart further into the open. "Would either of you like to join us?... Don't know where restaurants are." He says that in a way that offers a free lunch to the two people who were talking to him, but also asking for help to finding a restaurant to begin with.

[John Vicari]

"Yeah...I know a few places. The rearing stallion is a cheap place to eat yet the food is whatever they have on hand. Yet just a few silver per meal but if you want to spend more of a gold type we have things like that but I tend to stick with good cheap food most of the time."

John said at last as he mainly stayed in the background of the two. His fingers rubbing along the little king that was given to him. It was something he would hold on to and maybe place in a safe place but he did not feel the need to sell it even if he did not know the large man that well to think of it as a thoughtful gift. Yet it was a gift in the end.

"It's not that far from here I can show you if you wish."

[Julian Rasfura]

Julian nodded at this, still hanging onto the silk ropes of the large cart. However, his hand darted out to Eris, which stopped near her, the large palm, scarred slightly by the marks of his work simply hovered there. It was firm and ready as he spoke through his mask, this time his voice being a bit louder then before, "Would you mind joining us as well?" he asked, not having recieved a reply from her. Even Oddu who remained snuggly fit in Julian's robe gave a slight yip towards the woman after watching is masters hand move towards her and hover there, the yip being almost as if inviting her on his own.

[Eris]

Eris listened to the man talk of his pet. It was a touching story – quite different from the way she had come to meet her horse. She perked up slightly when the man mentioned food. It had been well over five hours since she’d eaten last – too caught up in work to pay attention to her meals.

Eris paused a little before taking the offered hand, pulling herself up from her sitting position on the ground. “Certainly,” she said, accepting the invitation. "The Rearing Stallion is always a good place to find a meal." Eris smiled at the animal peeking out of Julian’s coat. She was beginning to like the little fox more and more.

Slowly, she began walking in the direction of the Rearing Stallion, wondering how a lunch with these two strangers would go.

((Sorry for taking so long to post. Exams have been wrecking havoc on my schedule.))

[Julian Rasfura]

Julian's grip tightened to the silk ropes as his pressed hard against the ground, causing him to give out a slight grunt. The cart moved and so he began following Eris, his small companion ducking back into the dark robes. From behind his mask, his eyes darted to and fro, surveying the surroundings, eyeing the structures. To others, his eyes would be a reminder of a tourist, often trying to gather in the many areas of the world, however this was not why his eyes darted. In truth he had a discomfort with keeping his eyes locked on Eris, feeling as though in a way it would be rude, and as such, he kept her within sight, but only rarely did his eyes fall upon her.

He was also tempted to look behind him, to see if John had followed them, but in the end decided against that as well, feeling as though it would be a sign of a lack of trust. As they made their way down the streets, the cart's wheels made only the slightest sounds, worn down from travel but well enough oiled. The only thing that made a sound from his cause was a heavy breath. Though he was used to dragging the cart around, he was a bit low on energy, having not eaten in a long while.

Halfway to his destination, his thoughts troubled him a moment, though this was not shown as he kept pace to Eris.

'I should buy their meals. I invited them after all, so it would be impolite to make them spend their money. Would they allow Oddu in? The poor little guy 'ought to do well with a tad bit of food in him rather the usual vermin to pass by in the streets. What about drink. Would it be bad to buy them a drink as well?'

At the thought his eyes moved to the side as if able to see John that way,

'Is that one old enough I wonder? Not something I should ask though, is it? I know one should not ask a woman's age but what of a mans? Maybe I'll just keep quite. I am sure things will come out sooner or later, right? '