[The Main Gates] Approaching the Unapproachable (Stitch)

[Jinka]

50th day of Winter, 509 AV.

Winter was not treating Jinka's body kindly, shivers racked her spine and the heaviness of sleep threatened to smother her. But she had a purpose for being out in such dreadful cold, something that could not wait any longer. So while other Dhani were sleeping or in a much warmer place, Jinka paced anxiously just out of sight of the Syliras main gates.

Her cold breath hung in the air as she tried to steady herself and practice her human accent, "He-hello...h-hellooo..." The words fell from her mouth like sand and still sounded very much like a hiss. Maybe if I tell them I am sick, they will believe me, she thought as she pathetically faked a cough. No, not going to work... She ran her hands through her hair and yawned. No sense wasting anymore time.

Jinka took in one sharp breath and started for the gates, but soon the confident, casual stroll became a hesitant, unsteady walk. The huge wooden doors seemed to her as a monster's mouth waiting to devour her, for inside the beast of a city was people, and people meant fear, pain, and glaring eyes full of hate. Jinka gulped, trying to swallow the urge to turn away.

As she approached closer she noticed the archers with their arrows. Sharp, cutting arrows that could kill a Dhani, Jinka could almost feel herself grow paler as nervousness tickled her body. No, this was not good, she knew if the guards sensed her fear they may be even more suspicious and troublesome. Come on grow a pair and remember why you came here! she thought, as she attempted to stand taller. The guards seemed uninterested at best as she tottered toward them, but she was sure they could hear her heart beat, as loudly as it was pounding. She cleared her throat and prayed that she got the words to sound right. "Excuse me, sir?", the sound was as serpentine as ever. She bit down on her lip in a silent curse, as she watched the guards face suddenly become quite alert.

[Stitch]

A person or two had gone before Jinka, and the gates were still open enough for one person to get through. When the two guards saw Jinka approaching, they lifted a hand to pause the closure of the gates, and glanced her over.

It WAS cold out, and to be frank, the guards had long ago grown tired of their posts. Their superiors required them to hold a specific stance, for the entire day, so they were not allowed to rub their arms, nor hop up and down, nor run in place to get the blood flowing and to hopefully bring warmth back to their cold bodies. They merely had to stand there, at attention, and inspect everyone that came through. Sadly enough, not many people had come through, so they hadn't even gotten to break stance just to do that simple task. So when Jinka came approaching, she might find it odd to notice the look of relief in the guards eyes as they stepped forward to meet her, quickly bringing up hands to rub at their numb arms. "Welcome to Syliras." They nodded at her, a small, polite smile on their faces, examining her head to toe. "Would you please state your business?"

One of the guards had paused when Jinka spoke, his brow furrowing a bit, and he had paused to cock his head at her and examine her a bit closer while his partner spoke. Now, he simply stood a step back, awaiting Jinka's answer along with the other guard.

____________________________________________________________________

Approaching the gates from the inside, Stitch paused in his step, sensing a familiar Dhani aura. Would it be Sasin? The man had a knack for drawing trouble, and Stitch wouldn't be surprised if he had somehow gotten into some with the city guards. Why would he be at the gates though, if he was already in the city? Perhaps it was a new Dhani? A bit of worry clouding Stitch's features, the blind man plodded forward. He was warmly dressed, a long-sleeved wool sweater along with thick britches, and held a large, covered pitcher under one arm.

He had seen how the Dhani were regarded, and so far, he hadn't seen any evidence on why they should be abused and persecuted so. Perhaps the guards would be a bit more friendly once they had been given what Stitch had brought, a large container of hot chocolate. He knew they were cold, and knew there would be little relief for them. He was sure he could convince their superior to let them have a sip or two, though.

Stitch approached from within the gates, greeting the inner guards with a nod and a smile, slipping them cups as he passed by. Moving to the other side, he was greeted with the aura of the Dhani, who was NOT Sasin, and the other guards. Smiling brightly, the blind man greeted them all with a short wave. "Ah, hello there. Cold weather, is it not, milady, milords?"

[Jinka]

Jinka's heart throbbed in her ears, she despised having to speak with people, all she could feel was how flustered she was, and her drowsiness was rapidly becoming worse. 'Blast this cold, it's fogging my brain', she thought as a fit of shivers ran their length.

She blinked sleepily, stalling to gather her thoughts. "I am here to ask something of your leaders, and experience city life." Jinka tried to give what smile she could muster but the weak attempt was thwarted by a massive yawn and a clumsy stumble, making her painfully aware of how awkward she felt. Jinka could feel the guard's eyes look her over, and while she averted her gaze to her feet, she simply wished they would stop it. She was beginning to feel increasingly defensive, what if they didn't like her answer, she had seen the guard notice her accent, what if she wasn't allowed in. A small worried hiss escaped her lips which she quickly tried to cover with a cough.

The tension was multiplied by the guard's silence; though, to Jinka's relief, it was quickly broken by the entrance of a smiling man. He waved yet greeted them with formal speech, and emitted such a warm persona for a moment the cold didn't feel so bitter. Jinka nodded in the stranger's direction before noticing the bandages covering his eyes, the man was blind yet walked around so easily. Her attention was now fully on the fascinating stranger, she leaned in ever so slightly to catch a glimpse of the container he held, allowing her curiosity to distract her from the aggressively negative thoughts.

[Stitch]

The two guards visibly relaxed, taking their attentions off of their Dhani visitor for the moment. They returned Stitch's warm smile, stepping up to him while continuing to rub their arms vigorously. "Hello there, Stitch. How is the orphanage going?" Stitch grinned widely at them, holding out the large container in his hands, the quiet guard quickly reaching out to take it, and nodding his thanks. "It is going fine, thank you, milords! The children say hello, they were guessing you lords would be cold. They made you hot chocolate! This one even brought cups!" Cocking his head to the side, Stitch continued to smile as he shuffled around a bit in his pockets, soon producing two small cups. "Please, enjoy." The guards nodded and smiled thankfully, casting a nervous glance up to the top of their gates, where their superior captain usually stood. Fortunately, he wasn't there at the moment, and they were able to pour a cup for themselves and take a quick drink without getting in trouble. All the while, Stitch stood there politely, smiling up a storm. He had timed it perfectly, slipping past the superior captain to give the cold guards something on the side.

While they enjoyed, Stitch slipped his gaze back to the Dhani, studying her for a moment. Was she really the same race as Sasin? Her aura looked snake-y enough, but he couldn't really tell, not for sure. He was curious now, too. Cocking his head, he focused, a vein bulging in his forehead. His mind melded with her aura, blending with it, becoming one.

Dhani.

Ah, well, that was easy enough. Although his head hurt, now.

Wiping their mouths, one of them gave a start, and shook his head, glancing back to Jinka. "My apologies, Stitch here distracted us. Your business is to... talk to our leaders?" The quiet one was back to studying Jinka, and he now had an eyebrow raised. Suddenly, Stitch slipped past them both, placing himself between the Dhani and the guards, smiling pleasantly at Jinka. "Hello there, milady. This one calls himself Stitch. Might I be as humble as to request your own name? Always lovely to meet those new to the city." He offered a hand for a shake, his smile only growing to impossible proportions. "Would you like some hot chocolate?"

Suddenly, the quiet guard spoke, a bit of a cautious tone to his voice. With the information he knew, that he was about to confront her with, it was surprising his question would come out so calm. "May I ask what a Dhani wants with our leaders?" Stitch visibly winced, and the other guard shot his partner a look, obviously surprised. Apparently he wasn't as sharp as his quiet friend, although Jinka had managed to hide her accent quite well.

[Jinka]

How utterly interesting this man was, they called him Stitch, the name was suitable for someone so...different. Blind as Stitch was, Jinka had a hard time believing it, after all he acted like no blind creature she had ever seen. Shamelessly she stared as he handed the guards their warm gift, that was until Stitch turned toward her, and she could swear he was looking at her.

The voice of a guard snapped her back to attention, only to be distracted once again by Stitch as he stepped into her line of vision, separating her from the guards. A frosty wind blew through Jinka while Stitch politely greeted her, causing her to shudder so violently she feared her bones would fall apart. So when he offered the chance of something hot to drink, she instantly perked up, "Please call me Jinka, and yes I would very much like some". The scent of the chocolate wafted into her nostrils, teasing them with the promise of warmth sliding down her gullet. With each breath her body relaxed, as she tentatively accepted Stitch's outstretched hand.

No sooner had her hand made contact, the silent guard posed his question, causing Jinka to go ridged. If her eyes were arrows they would have impaled him, she could feel the emotion in her glare and could only hope she had looked down before they had noticed. Suspicion had been expected, but this did not stop the hostile cloud from swirling in her stomach. Defensive anger rose to her throat as she shrugged off the idea of sinking her fangs into the guard's face. After locking eyes with the guard once again, a strained smile appeared on her face as she tried to keep her calm, "A reasonable question I suppose...but if it's alright with you, I would rather my request only be heard by those in charge". The sentence was dipped in irritation, but Jinka's face remained frozen in a grotesque attempt to look as harmless as possible.

Letting her expression slowly ease she cocked her head slightly and tried to read the guard's face. All the while praying that they would understand, the matter she wished to bring before the diplomats was not something she could speak of in public. Just stop your questioning and let me go about my business, a vein twitched somewhere along her temple as she held tight to what little patience she had.

Jinka had forgotten about Stitch for the moment, looking past him all this time, it wasn't until she became aware of her hand still clamped around his that she remembered he was there at all.

[Stitch]

The guard cocked his head, considering the Dhani silently. He hadn't called for back-up quite yet, nor attacked the Dhani to try and drive her from Syliras, but only because Stitch was there. That, and the female Dhani was acting rather calm. Rather calm for Dhani, who's first instinct usually was to sink their fangs into his face. She hadn't made a lunge for him, she hadn't tried to eat him, she hadn't tried to wrap her tail around him and strangle the breath from his lungs. Cocking his head, he leaned over a bit and tried to get a glimpse behind her. He had made the guess that she was Dhani by the hiss that she had given, as well as the hissing accent that most of her words had. He hadn't noticed at first, but after the first hiss she had tried to cover up, he had paid better attention. Then, he had noticed it, made the assumption, and had been right. What now? He had really only heard about Dhani in stories. They looked awful human.

He mumbled something, rubbing the back of his hand with his head, not sure what to do. He glanced to his partner for confirmation, and found that Stitch had managed to now move between him and his guard friend.

Jinka would also realize that Stitch had moved, all the while continuing her handshake without a care in the world.

"Ah, milords, the lady seems honest enough." The guards stared at Stitch, knowing how forgiving and friendly he was to everyone. If a murderer walked into his house, he would likely offer the man a plate of food while the guards came. You know, to keep him comfortable while he was waiting. Crossing his arms, he stared at the blind owner, raising an eyebrow as he awaited the defense soon to come. Stitch grinned, as if reading the man's thought, and presented it. "This one shall escort her to where she needs to go, and then escort her back to the gates. You have this one's word."

Oh. The guard didn't expect that. He opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, and glanced at his friend.

His friend was doing the same.

[Jinka]

Embarrassment rushed Jinka's features as she quickly pulled away from Stitch, "S-sorry I didn't realize...". The apology was shaky and almost inaudible, for it was not her main concern, and while the end of her words trailed off, her mind and focus were on that of the guards.

One had began murmuring things she could not hear, if only she wasn't in this dulled form she may have been able to make out the words, but her senses were far too dimmed at the moment. She did however hear Stitch's proposition perfectly, and could do little to hide her shock.

The guards seemed equally surprised, and Jinka was sure the blind man might have chuckled if he could have seen their gaping faces. Wide eyed, Jinka could see an opportunity such as this one and could not let it pass. A feeling of safety flooded her mind and a small smirk fought its way to her mouth, stepping forward Jinka enjoyed the security she had just found.

"Yes, I would be very happy if Mr. Stitch would kindly escort me", making sure to look each guard in the eyes, she added "His guidance will be appreciated, I would prefer not to be lost in your city, so you can be assured that I will not leave his side".

Jinka looked the blind man over thoughtfully as a snaky snicker resounded in her head 'if this works it will be like the blind leading the blind...figuratively speaking'. She quickly began picking lint off her robe, in order to hide her amusement.

Success was so close she could taste it, as she let her gaze scan over those in front of her and look past them to the city. She just needed to get beyond those gates and thanks to Stitch her foot was in the door.

[Stitch]

The two guards sighed, glancing at each other, leaning close to mumble in discussion. Stitch stood there patiently, a little smile on his face, looking like the perfect picture of innocence.

Concentrating a bit, he focused, and reached his aura out to theirs. His own bright aura was a light gold color, kind of like the glow from the sun. He had found that all he could really do was expand the size of it, and if it came in contact with another aura, then it would help with reading it. That is what he did here, gently reaching out with the soft glow of light, caressing their own light blue auras to tease secrets from them. All he wanted was a bit of information, to see where their emotions currently were, to see if he could find the right words to say to get the Dhani girl into town without another problem. He felt slightly bad for the girl. He had seen various other signs of racial prejudice in Syliras, most of it was focused on Dhani, and Kelvics. There weren't many Dhani that tried to enter the town, there were way too many legends on how they could eat humans whole for the snake beings to walk around publicly; but Kelvics were much more common. He could perhaps understand why the Dhani were so hated, he too had read the stories, some of which he knew were true. But Kelvics? Considering they constantly fought against a very primal side of themselves, Stitch felt they should be respected for the amount of self control they showed in the many human cities.

Their emotional state was soon clear to him. More and more became obvious the longer he tried to coax it out of their aura, but these men had been easy. They weren't trying to hide anything, and likely couldn't hide it from their aura if they tried. He didn't think the town guard were THAT skilled. It would only take a little bit more of a push, and Stitch had just the perfect thing. Smiling in the nicest, cutest way he could muster, he shot the guards a beaming grin. Speaking in a way that could make your stomach feel as if you had ate too much sweets, he played his final card.

"Pretty please?"

He would have given them the wide-eyed puppy dog stare, but considering he was a special case, he didn't think that would do anything to help them.

The guards sighed, shook their heads, and motioned both Stitch and Jinka back within the gates. "Fine then, go on. Get in there. You better watch her closely, Stitch." Stitch grinned again, nodding quickly, motioning for Jinka to follow him. "Yes milords, thank you, milords." Both would enter the town gates, and Jinka's troubles at the entrance of Syliras would be over. They could both continue their adventure together, and move on to where it was Jinka was to go. What a nice little way to start her own personal adventure, Stitch mused.

He grinned, shaking his head, matching her stride deeper into the city. Onwards.

ooc :

Jinka has retired, just finishing up this thread. <333

[Dusk]

XP Award! Stitch XP Award Auristics: 3 XP Rhetoric: 1 XP Lore Award Getting someone into Syliras Additional Note Thanks for closing the thread out, Stitch! You're the best, as usual!