Completed (Nettle District) Ugh...You Again? (Ana)

[Orion Michaels]

43rd Day of Summer, 513 AV
14th Bell
Nettle District, Storage Rooms

One of the worst things about being a squire was days like this. You were the bottom the ladder, the worst of the worst. May as well have been scum at the bottom of a barrel. Even the pages were better off than the squires were. Pages were too young, too small, to be bothered with such heavy labor. Thank the gods that didn't hold true for the knights in training, huh?

He'd been grabbed to participate today because, well, he was a six foot tall man, and they needed supplies transported. Orion had learned this little tidbit about the city, and the Nettle District in particular: "The Nettle District is more than just a place with nice shops, Orion. There are several unused buildings in the district, however. Well, to call them unused would be inaccurate. The have been transformed into storage rooms. It seems we're repurposing a repaired room for just that, and we need strapping young men to help transport the barrels of dried foods, weapons, and other supplies. In lieu of that, you'll do, Orion."

Wasn't Dinah just the funniest?

Orion grunted as he bent as his knees to lift the heavy barrel. It was packed full of arrows, and Orion could only imagine what these store rooms were for. A contingency plan. What will we do if Syliras is attacked and put under siege? "Running out of arrows clearly isn't the answer.." Orion sighed and linked his hands around the wooden container before taking a deep breath and driving himself upwards to a standing position, the large barrel in his embrace.

Ohhhhh boy...

It was heavy. So ridiculously heavy. But no one was going help him, so he would have to deal with this the only way he knew how. One step at a time. "Here we go," he said, trying to pump himself up for what was to be a simply miserable time. One foot out in front of the next. Then the other. Then the other. Try not to drop the barrel. Don't drop the barrel. Please don't drop the barrel, Orion.

The burning in his thighs and calves was nearly unbearable. "Not...good..." He'd just started. This day was just underway, and his legs were going to fail already?

All he could do was push onward, barrel in tow. Down the middle of a corridor did Orion go, trying to move as quickly as he could so he didn't fall over from exhaustion, but not so fast that he lost his balance. Hopefully no one would get in his way, because he was unlikely to notice them or be able to stop.

[Ana Sol Starris]

Ana fancied a bit of trolling through the pish posh, extremely busy merchant area known as the Nettle District, with the intents and purposes of working her hands and scouting for quick exits and other get away solutions. The entire place itself reeked of civilization, and people, lots of people jam packed together with unsuspecting pockets to be sneakily searched and their purses to be untied. She had to wonder how the Knights did it, kept so much crime from happening, but at the same time she had to wonder why no one but her seemed to take the oppurtunity to borrow things from people without their permission. It seemed easy enough. Small things, here and there, and never in the same place twice lest she would draw attention to herself. There was this one victem, a woman sniffing sweet scented flowers at a flower stand, Ana followed her actions. Going to stand a little closely next to her and looked thoughtfully to the flowers, leaning towards them whilst reaching for the meek purse, and sniffed. Just once before crinkling her nose and turning away, untieing the purses strings from the belt with her other hand in the same motion as Ana would begin walking away. Striding, was more like it. Move quickly, keep calm.. Keep calm.. No one saw you. Believe in yourself that no one saw you. Ana chanted a bit internally, feeling her cheeks redden as she swiftly placed the purse into her inside pocket. Readjusting the jacket itself as if she had just put it back on, when she heard the cry of alarm amongst the clammor of voices. Petch. Ana cursed, trying not to glance back behind herself but found that her curiousity was too much. Sparing a backwards look to her victem, there was this sudden and most intruding brush up of her person. In an attempt to avoid being mowed over, Ana ducked as wood and metal scraped along her head and body and steeled her shoulder into the would be attackers knees. Covering her head, and keeping it down in hopes of not having something incredibly heavy squish her. Hopefully she had made herself at least small enough to send her attacker sprawling downwards into the ground, or at least allowed the would be attacker to step over her without crushing her frail body under foot.

[Orion Michaels]

Ugh . . . keep . . . going . . . keep . . . going . . .

It wasn't exactly the greatest of mantras, but it was all he had. One step after another. Continuing onward. Hoping that everyone got out of his way. There wasn't anything he could do if they didn't. He was already leaning forward more than he should have been. While Orion had been gaining strength steadily as he continued his training, it still wasn't enough for the barrel of ammunition. His arms were locked tightly in place, and the tension in his muscles was almost too much to bear.

Thankfully he wouldn't have to worry about that much longer.

Or maybe it wasn't that good of a thing.

He could feel some pressure before him, but he couldn't let it stop him, so he kept going onwards. He couldn't see what he'd run into, so if it was a person, hopefully they'd just get out of the way. It gave way initially, but the respite was short lived. Something was pressed up against his legs and between the weight of the barrel and his forward momentum, he wouldn't be standing much longer. Orion released the heavy container ahead of him to prevent it from causing him and whatever he ran into any damage, but down did he tumble, landing on something..soft...squishy?

When he opened his eyes, he supposed he shouldn't have been surprised. Who else could it have been?

"Y'know, there's easier ways to get me on top of you than tripping me, my little troublemaker." The girl he'd met when she tried to make her way down into the depths of Kova's Well. "Did you get your mizas? Or just get soaked?"

He moved his face closer to hers, putting a few precious inches between him and the young woman's face. "Or maybe you just couldn't get me out of your head after our last meeting? No time for wells when dealing with me, hmm?"

He pressed his hands flat against the ground, pushing himself off of the woman, and slowly back to his feet. "Aww shyke.."

The top of the barrel had come off, spilling countless arrows across the stone floor. "Just my luck."

[Ana Sol Starris]

"Wahh!" Ana yelled while trying to throw her hands up to brace the fall, muffled quickly as a body would push her own meager weight backwards onto her own back with the foreign body on top of her own. It was incredibly heavy, and squishing her down; earlier there had been a clatter, and a scatter of metal and wood on the ground but that was forgotten when a familliar voice spoke at her. In the initial trip down, Ana had shut her eyes but now opened them to stare into precariously close blue eyes. Registering the words only when he was a mere inch or two away from hers; she wouldn't have been able to stop the dark red that crawled into her cheeks. Whether from anger, embarresement, or a genuine desire, it wouldn't have mattered. All it did was make her look bad. "Wh-what what" she flustered out at him, body too tense underneath his, and mind too stunned to force other words out. It was agonizing, to be in that position without the ability to push the man off physically, every nerve prodding her to scream 'get off' but quiet she remained; there wasn't any reason to draw unwanted attention to herself. Breath held, until he would get off, exhaling, once he finally did and her own would scramble to stand. Looking over to the barrel, and the spilled out arrows, letting her eyes travel to the corridor she had entered from and ultimately her doom if she stayed in the area any longer. How close was she to the victem's area? How long until she would be found out... Ana cursed internally at her purple jacket, she would need something less colorful, and soon. Though.. Ana looked back to the arrows, and the barrel, summed it up and a candle lit atop her head in a metaphorical fashion to signal an idea had sparked her fancy. "So I'm your little troublemaker now, am I?" Ana chortled at him, slightly in disbelief. Slinking close to the barrel and looking down into it, after it had been uprighted of course, up her head went to look into the crowds. Trying to find armor among the dull shades of clothish material "oh yes, I haven't been able to get you out of my head because you're so amazingly wonderful, you've sent my heart into such a flutter that I was willing to be pinned by you just mere moments before." Ana looked back to him, voice saturated in sarcasm, raising an eyebrow as if to add to the many hints she wasn't being very serious about his flirtacious jokes. "But nevermind that, say, you ran into me... I think you're obligated to help a.." She paused a moment, correcting herself as a grin splayed itself across her face "your little troublemaker out." She gripped the barrels edges, leaning a little closer to him from the otherside of the barrel. Hopefully he would comply, her plan was to hide in the barrel, and he would carry her safely away.

[Orion Michaels]

"I'm sure that furious blush was just for your health, right?" He shook his head as he began to gather up the ammunition. Gods forbid they'd ever actually need to use these arrows, but in the event that there was a direct attack on the city, no one wanted to have to worry about running out of ammunition. "I don't know why you're trying to hide your real feelings behind that sarcasm. It's painfully obvious." After reaching down to pick up a handful of arrows he placed them in the barrel and tossed a backwards glance at the young woman. "But don't you worry," he remarked, biting his bottom lip for just a moment. "I'm probably not interested."

She wouldn't be the first to play this game with him. She wouldn't be the last, either. Pretending not to be interested. Though Orion could hardly imagine one who wasn't.

Obligated to help her? What a joke. "You're kidding, right? I'm doing official..and extremely menial..knight work. What in the world do you have going on that you would need my help? You really being a troublemaker? Orion continued scooping up the scattered arrows, tossing an occasional glance over at 'the troublemaker.' Didn't that just beat all? Someone could give him all that attitude and the second they run into a little problem they come flying back to him. For someone who got annoyed by people relying on him, the knights were a peculiar choice of profession. ”I’m afraid if that’s the issue, you’re on your own. I don’t have the time.”

He was just a draw for problems, wasn’t he? He was beginning to have a feeling that this woman was going to be a reoccurring issue for him. ”Just, try and look where you’re going next time, especially when someone is carrying a large barrel. If you don’t make a scene, you won’t get in trouble. Pretty simple if you ask me.”

[Ana Sol Starris]

"Real feelings..What.. No..?" Her face fell at the words, the deviance once there had been replaced with disbelief, and a nervous disposition crawled in. What ever incited him to think that? Anyone could have blushed right then and there, not from desire, but from anger, or frustration, an eyebrow raised as she watched him. Listened. Dully noting the arrows he was placing in the uprighted barrel, she released its edges and took a step back from it to cross her arms against her chest. "Whatever you may be thinking.. Take the thoughts back" she grimaced with an unsure accusation towards his words, there wasn't any need just yet to think that maybe she was being a true troublemaker. Maybe she was just trying to play innocent. "Just because I tried to climb into a well at the exact same time you happened across, doesn't make me an automatic troublemaker when I ask for help.. Its not even really 'help' I'm looking for." Her words held a bitter tang to their syllabels as she spoke, defensive at the core. "Besides, do I really look like a troublemaker?" It was a quick gesture, her arms went lax as a hand circled in front of, and motioned to herself to implicate that her appearence was in question. Though, that wasn't all, for when she should have been helping him pick the arrows up she had remained standing to just watch him. Looking at the barrel a little longer, she surmised that her previous plan might not have actually worked.. Ana was just a little too big for the container to hide in with the arrows. "Whatcha' carrying arrows for anyways?"

[Orion Michaels]

Some people were so easy to toy with. A little bit of teasing, a little bit of uncomfortable attitude. A whole lot of uncomfortable situation. That was a deliciously devious recipe for making someone's heart race and face flush the most absolutely brilliant shade of red. It didn't matter if there was any real desire, any want or lust. All he had to do was plant the thought in their mind and he could work on it from there. It sounded absurd. There was no way it should work. But he couldn't count the times it had. What was it about arrogance which worked so well? Orion couldn't complain, even if it didn't make sense to him. Confidence was one thing . . . 

Orion paused from his collecting to look back at the young woman. Take those thoughts away. "What thoughts?" A mischievous grin spread across his lips as he continued speaking. "The ones that have you in my room, face just as red as it was moments ago. Sweaty bodies, clothes in a pile on the ground? My name being screamed? Those thoughts? They'll be awfully difficult to get rid of." He paused for moment, gauging her reaction with that stupid grin, and then continued. "Or is it those thoughts about you being a troublemaker? Yeah, you most certainly look like a troublemaker. Argumentative, climbing in places you don't belong, asking for help but not really. I can't imagine a better profile for one." 

Orion turned his attention back to collecting handfuls of arrows, careful not to catch himself on the arrowhead of any of the projectiles. There were too many petching arrows here. Did they need to be ready for a full on assault from someone? The whole of Syliras could take up bow and arrow and never run out of shots at this rate. "I'm putting stuff in storage rooms, nosy troublemaker. What exactly are you doing?" Orion collected up the last of the arrows, placing them in the barrel. He positioned himself by the container, squatted down, keeping his back straight, and wrapped his arms around the wooden drum. He tensed his muscles, took a deep breath, and drove up, lifting the heavy vessel. He forced himself to a standing position, and the sweat began to pour almost immediately. Gods, this was ridiculous. These stupid things were too heavy as it was, and now this girl wouldn't leave him be. He never caught a break.

[Ana Sol Starris]

His response had taken her completely off guard, the look, the grin, his voice all played a part in paralyzing her body with what could have been percieved as embarresed shock to the onlooker, but it was a delayed anger, repressed. If it were possible, her face gradually reddened once again, eyes staring at him, unable to look away, or speak, it took Ana a moment or two of the brief silence between them to realize she was holding her breath. Thats when the nervous jitters came at their worse, every thought that blazed past involved smacking him upside the head. The best of her imagination could come up with in a split second involved ramming her cane into his face hard enough that he would spin at the impact, a tooth would fly to the side, and an eye would end up crushed as he would fall to the ground. If, and only if she didn't have as much control over herself as she did right then, it might have very well happened, she would have attempted to physically assault him with her cane and smash him gorey but it would not happen. Finally, she sputtered to him, her breath exhaling loudly as she did so "Wh-wha-what n-no-no. NO." The small outburst caused some to look at them, snapping Ana back to the reality they were surrounded by a lot of people. Her shoulders hunched as if someone had just smacked her in the head, eyes flicking towards faceless faces and past them to rest once again on the man she was conversing with. " Yes... Wait. No. I mean... No. Not the former, the latter... About being a troublemaker.. I'm not being one." She sighed, feeling something akin to a bad migraine forming in her left temple, Ana went to rub it with the palm of her hand. Exhasperated, she muttered to herself outloud. "How would that even work.. I don't even know you.." "What is your name anyways? I don't think you've ever given it.." Ana watched him, decided to follow after him, he was really annoying her but she wanted to get back at him. See where he was going, and possibly embarress him, maybe pilfer a coinpurse.. If she remembered correctly it was somewheres to his side. Or maybe behind him. She wouldn't comment on the barrel, or how he picked it up, as well as having completely forgotten about his question on what she was doing.

[Orion Michaels]

"What, was that too much for you to imagine? I promise you, it would be spectacular. I'm a gentle lover, I promise." He glanced over his shoulder again, biting playfully at the tiny blonde. Orion was incorrigible. He wasn't particularly interested in the troublemaker, but if she were going to continue following him around, he wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to have fun. Though, it was quite difficult to focus on that when he was straining to transport the mass of arrows.

The girl was scatter brained, that much was clear. It was like she detested him, wanted to avoid him, wanted to engage him, wanted to fight him, and wanted to talk to him all at the same time. Somewhat amusing, but slightly more annoying at the moment. "You . . don't know me? That's . . that's a problem." His breaths were somewhat labored as he pushed out step after step. His thighs burned, his arms burned, his everything was burning. "You don't need . . . to know me . . . to have . . . a little fun. Prim and . . proper, are you?" He doubted it. She probably just wasn't used to such forward advances. It was entertaining to watch her squirm.

Then she wanted his name. Surprise, surprise. What, was she trying to build rapport with him now? She must have had an angle, but he couldn't put his finger on it. "I'm Orion, troublemaker. Is there something you'd rather . . . phew . . . rather me call you by?"

Just a little bit further. By a little bit further, it was probably another quarter of a mile. Why are these stupid things going so far away. What the petch does this teach us squires?

Step after step he walked, trying not to slouch as he moved, though it was somewhat unavoidable. His back bent forward as he struggled to keep moving onwards. He was going to need to either will himself through this or take a little break. Either way, the blonde one was still going to be there it seemed.

[Ana Sol Starris]

SIGH Ana rolled her eyes as she listened to him, not believing a single word that was coming from his vile mouth. He was still at his antics and her interest was farther away than Syliras was close to Spires, yet she followed. Though, his words did spark an idea, maybe even an excuse to get away with something and it wasn't an idea she was very excited about or even wanted to do. It was a thought that involved getting close to his personal space, and then making a hit, but without him catching on to what she was about to do. Theft. His purse would be her prime target. On first glance to the side of him she was on, she saw nothing, her eyes rose back to look at the back of his head. Taking note how preoccupyed he was with the barrel, a distraction, but to her it wouldn't be enough. Ana would need to catch him off guard, but how? She could ram her cane into his side and rip the purse from its strings, if she knew for sure where it was, but such an action could be gotten away with in Sunberth and she highly doubted a violent action would go unnoticed in Syliras. No, she would need to use a little more subterfuge if she was going to succeed. Hopefully. Stepping closer to his side, unnerved with what she was about to say, she smiled wide up at him "well, you seem to be working at the moment.. Too bad, I may have taken you up on that offer.. but" she fell back just by a short pace to slap one of his buttocks playfully "you could visit me at the Traveller's row later on." Before he could look at her, if he did so, she side stepped to the other side and gave a glance downwards, catching the slight bulge of a purse, bingo. Later on she would need to wash her hands, and purge her morality, for she had touched his awful hiney on purpose. "You can call me Starris," her eyes returned upwards, waiting for the most oppurtune chance to take the purse, the palm of her hand flipped the latch of her canesword quietly. Right now was not the time, she would need to get a little closer.