PM to join Night Watchers ( Isolde Seibold )

[Kyra]

Kyra was ready to continue and to fight until the end. There was no order amongst them, and the trouble was on the rise. The young kelvic narrowed her eyes, her small nose twitching as a familiar smell settle in. Suddenly, it all made sense, the talk of painters and painting, and now the smell. But her attention was taken away quickly when the woman grabbed her companion and pulled her away. Without thinking Kyra attempted to stop her, completely ignoring the man resting on one knee.

It was a mistake..

The moment that she started to move, he recovered and darted forward, slamming his shoulder into her stomach and tackling her to the ground. The force of the move was so violent it almost folded the girl in half before she crashed onto the ground. Kyra gasped loudly as she rolled over onto her side and wrapped her arms around her stomach and ribs. Everything turn dark afterwards, her vision blurred, and the sounds, although loud were muffled to her ears. There was a tightness in her belly, a sore ache that ripped through her each time she breathed out, causing her to moan more.

The man on top of her sat up and held his own head, while cursing under his breath. He had been so driven to take down the girl, that he almost knocked himself unconscious. He stared down at her with a frown, thinking of all the trouble she and the other one had caused him. Kyra laid still, clutching her body and trying to reclaim her breath until the fake squire finally pulled her back to her feet. He was rough with her, snatching the girl off the ground and folding her arms uncomfortably behind her back to keep her under control.

She had missed most of what happen, and as her vision started to clear, she saw the thug on the ground with a white substance covering her face and part of her hair. There was another man standing near by facing the Nuit woman, who was also holding a dagger. This man was the reason for her pause, the familiar scent that she had picked up on, but at the moment, she was too winded to speak. The gray-haired man stared at the two women before he leaned down to help the fallen thug stand up.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, and she replied with. "My eyes!" The man shook his head and shoved her towards the fountain. "Quick, go wash them out in the fountain."

He turned back to face the Nuit and kelvic then and folded his arms. "Well, I hope you both are happy. You have made a huge mess here, and YOU." He pointed to Kyra. "Have cost me enough already."

The kelvic stood on shaky limbs, her breathing slowly returning to normal, and the pain in her body slowed as well. But she was still in the clutches of the fake squire, who delighted in showing his strength over her, even curling his fist into her hair and snapping her head back. Kyra gave a weak moan, but continued to stand anyway. By this time, the woman returned with a clear face and looking very pissed at the Nuit.

"But," The gray-haired man started again. "I am a business man, and I'm willing to let you work off what you owe me....both of you."

OOCSo...is that what you were looking for? XD

[Isolde Seibold]

OOCXD Not exactly!

"Well, I hope you both are happy. You have made a huge mess here, and YOU. Have cost me enough already. But, I am a business man, and I'm willing to let you work off what you owe me....both of you."

The Nuit stood where she was, left arm held awkwardly and close in to bring her some measure of peace, stomach still flopping around uncomfortably, dagger held pointing towards the grey-haired man. The woman, she was glad to see, was able to pull herself weakly up before struggling her way to the fountain to clean out her eyes, head held stiffly, managing to work up a sneer though it was obvious she was still in pain. At least she'd be okay...

Though the Nuit did not like the way Kyra was being handled.
"I d-don't know what debt you think we owe--" Isolde had absolutely no idea what the man was talking about, but it seemed these people knew Kyra at least. That made sense. Isolde knew that someone had sent the thug after the Kelvic originally to 'teach her a lesson' as Kyra had pointed out earlier... and if the Nuit had to be a part of it, do some job, she was willing. If that meant settling whatever debt the Kelvic apparently had. She would participate as long as it wasn't violent. She'd seen enough of that tonight. She just wanted to figure out what was going on, make it so that Kyra was safe, and then go home.

"But," she finally continued, after a lengthy pause, and she tried to finagle her voice into something simultaneously stern and respectful, a pretty trick, "I do know that I'm going to have a h-hard time cooperating if your man, th-there, doesn't let go of my f-friend. Wh-Why damage your newest laborers?" She needed the grey-haired man to think that they were both going to just nod their heads and go along with whatever it was he was planning for them. As long as they did that, he might let his guard down, thinking he had them under his thumb... and then, perhaps, they could get away at an opportune time, or at least figure out some way to question him (or one of the others) and get some answers to this mystery. Isolde, still, had no idea what was going on.

"S-So please. Just l-let her go."

OOCDon't worry about the new avatar; Isolde still has the same body that she had before, with long dark hair, etc. That body just gets smashed later on, hence the new look! ^^

[Kyra]

The fake squire handled the kelvic roughly and he enjoyed it too. He felt a satisfaction in being cruel to attractive woman, and he found Kyra to be very pretty. He was the type of guy who was always infauated with one pretty face, or another and went after them in hopes of a relationship, or a bed roll. But he wasn't smart, nor a looker and most of the woman that he tried to court turned him away and the others just used him to get what they wanted then turned away from him, which was the cause of his anger.

The grey-haired man stood a pace away speaking with the Nuit. The more he looked at her, the more he liked her unique look and wanted to capture it on a canvas. He had tried to do the same with Kyra once, but it turned out that the kelvic had come to his shop for a very different reason. He was glad to see that the Nuit was willing to cooperate, though he wasn't as sure that Kyra would. The grey-haired man gave the kelvic a wary glance, as if he knew that letting her go would spell the end of him.

"Soon enough."

Kyra stared on in surprise, the woman said that she was a friend. They had only met moments ago, and even after the craziness of the night, the woman really thought of her as a friend? It was strange, but Kyra felt herself warming up to the Nuit as well. Perhaps it was the heat of the moment, or the fact that they were two girls that just couldn't stay out of trouble. "Laborers? No no no, I am an artist. I make magic and beauty on canvas. Your friend here was supposed to model for me but she tricked me instead!"

"You have me mistaken. I did nothing wrong!" Kyra protested and struggled more to free herself. The fake squire squeezed her arms tighter and pulled her back against him and started to sniff her hair and neck. "Enough, calm yourself." The grey-haired man said and waved the brute to lighten his grip on the girl's arms. "I know it was you, I don't know what you did, or who put you up to it, but you're going to make up for the coin that I lost. Now the both of you are coming back to my studio where I will make master pieces of you both and sell them to the highest bidder. Refuse and....suffer the consequences."

OOCSee what happens when you let me set the pace of the thread? XD OH and pretty new ava yay!

[Isolde Seibold]

OOCOH MY. XD That is GREAT. Hopefully Mr. Artist won't be too upset when he figures out Isolde's not alive.

"Wait-- what?" Isolde was trying to make sense of this all, but, but... It was just too weird. What the petch? All of this was because Kyra had done something, refused to pose for a painting, and lost the man money? Gods, why hadn't she just said so and cleared this whole thing up? That would've saved them all a lot of injury and hard feelings. And if that was all that the man was asking for... why not give him what he wanted? It wasn't painful, it wasn't cruel, like Isolde might have imagined after the night she'd been having. It was just... simple. At least, she could imagine it was. Perhaps the man was lying. Why would he hire thugs for such a reason? To try to force Kyra to pose for him? What sort of pictures were they--?

But wait, no. Perhaps Isolde was wanting to believe the grey-haired man for her own selfish purposes... but she did. He hadn't seemed to like the violence of the evening, had wanted to avoid it himself, not getting directly involved. Not a fighter, then. But a painter--?

"Er-- W-We'll come along. Alright? B-But are you certain you want us to be subjects?" The Nuit looked to Kyra in Leth's dim lighting, thinking that the Kelvic would probably be worthy of the canvas. But Isolde? Dead Isolde, with her scrubbed-on face makeup, deathly pale flesh, and gauntness to the extreme? Gods. She was hardly likely to feature in a pretty picture. And it wasn't like she'd ever done anything like this before... though she supposed there had been that time Vaughn had tried to whittle her out of a piece of firewood. Isolde shook her head, hesitating for a moment... then lowered her dagger, retrieving its sheath and thankfully putting the blade away. Her earlier emotions had quickly filtered out, the fear and anger and upset stomach gone in the wake of her new, vast bemusement. "See? Cooperative. N-Now let's get this over with."

OOCAnd here my Nuit has been brawling about for no good reason! She's the worst pacifist to have ever existed.

[Kyra]

While the Grey-haired man continued to negotiate with the Nuit, the fake squire slyly pulled Kyra back against him again. The more he looked at her, the more he saw her as his type. Her long rich hair, petite body, and her Ethaefal-like features were all things he desired in a woman. The brute didn't squeeze her arm this time, and instead nuzzled his head against hers and inhaled her hair, as he hugged her small frame from behind. Kyra didn't protest him, figuring it was better to give in, rather than having him try and break her arms again.

Half truths seemed to be the theme of the evening, what Kyra had told the woman before were only half true, just as what the grey-haired man was saying now."Yes, I want you, and her, both of you. There is an air of mystique about you young lady, and your friend here has a wildness about her. I can make great art from you both, not enough to replace the coin that she caused me to lose, but it's a start." He glanced towards Kyra, and noticed that the fake squire that he hired was now being very friendly with the girl. "Let her go, enough of that."

Finally the man released Kyra and she stumbled forward a step, lightly hugging her sore arms. She glared back towards him, and in the tick it took him to catch her gaze, the kelvic jerked her leg backwards and mule kicked him right in the crotch. There was a dull woman-like squeal as the man grabbed himself and dropped to his knees. The thug woman who was just now recovering from her headache quickly moved between Kyra and the grey-haired man, just in case she tried to attack him next. She didn't, the girl was tired and sore and she just wanted the night to be done. If the Nuit was willing to give him what he wanted, she wondered if she should as well.

"Is that all? You still want to paint me, after all this?" It didn't make sense to her, but by most she could imagine that this was some sort of punishment, or revenge by the crafty painter since Kyra had ruined his business. She hugged her arms more, and curled them around her stomach which still had a sore pinch from when the man speared her into the ground. "Fine, I will do as you want." The grey-haired man didn't smile exactly, though his features did soften. Lifting his arm up, he whirled around his hand and started off out of the garden. "Let's go, we have work to do."

The thug woman moved to Isolde and slipped an arm around her to urge her forward, and to make sure that she didn't run off. The fake squire finally stood up, his face redden and eyes watering from the pain he had suffered. He hobbled forward and shoved the kelvic forward while keeping his other hand on his weapon in case she turned on him. They were a sad group, the two of them. Supposed mercenaries who saw themselves as high rank and were easily taken down by two small girls who were as frail as flowers.

It was a long walk back to the studio, the grey-haired man wasn't in the best shape, and after the beating his hired thugs had taken, neither were they. Kyra didn't know the ins and out of the city as well as others who lived there, but she was sure that they weren't going the right way. There were only certain paths to the Illythian district, and so far they hadn't took any. Something was wrong. Instead they ended up in the Maiden district and in front of a normal looking apartment. "What is this about? This is not your studio?" Kyra asked taking a step back.

The grey-haired man turned a furious eye towards the girl and stormed over to stand right in front of her. "You did this to me! After you left my studio that day, the Knights arrived and accused me of all sorts of crimes. They took everything I had and left me with nothing. So yes this is now my studio thanks to you. Now get inside." He added after unlocking the door and watching as his thugs shoved both girls inside.

OOCThis just gets stranger and stranger, feel free to add in anything XD

[Isolde Seibold]

Shoved into the building. Not asked to enter. Not allowed to enter. Not even invited in. Just simply shoved.

The Nuit was getting an uneasy feeling. The problem was that she didn't know what she should be feeling, and so the sense of disquiet came instead. This night was just too strange. None of it added up. There had been too much stress, earlier, and now... this? Coming here, to this place? Kyra obviously knew this man, somehow. So... why had the Kelvic pretended not to know who had been after her, earlier? The man seemed to be the one who had been wronged, claiming that Kyra had robbed him, somehow, or otherwise lost him money, and even his former studio...? And now all he wanted in exchange was to do a painting of them? Was the artist that starved for subjects that he had to manhandle two women into posing for him?

The place was dark. Darker than the night outside. Isolde couldn't really tell what sort of room they'd been pushed into. What did a studio smell like? Paints-- she knew that scent well. She supposed there was a bit of that in the air. Other smells, too, that she couldn't identify. She took a step forward and bumped into something that clattered on wooden legs, nearly knocking whatever it was over, panicking and grabbing onto it with both hands to set it straight, and coming away with... wet fingers? Wet paint. So that had been an easel, set up, or whatever it was that the man used. At least that meant that he really was a painter...

Isolde drifted further into the room, stumbling around in the dark. She still had that uneasy feeling. Probably it came from being in a stranger's house at night. She wasn't exactly the most social person in the city. She met her fair share of people... but rarely, if ever, did she end up in their homes. She supposed she didn't like how intimate it felt. She knew nothing about the man except that he had been wronged and that when he wanted something he did all he could to get it, no matter the price. He wasn't adverse to sending people to beat up his quarry, as long as he attained it in the end.

She felt someone brush past her in the dark and almost let out a yelp, feeling more jittery as each tick passed. Another person passed her, sweeping past efficiently, and then there was a brief, low-murmured squabble as they fought over who was going to light what candle, and how many to light, and how the lighting would affect the mood of the painting. Apparently the grey-haired man only wanted the barest amount of light, interested in painting silhouettes by candle flame, going for a warm, mysterious feel... while one of his minions, Fake Squire, was hoping to light up the whole room bright as anything, saying he couldn't really keep an eye on the two women if he could hardly see them. A third voice entered the whispered fray, the woman thug, muttering something under her breath about 'idiots' which got the other two all riled up, and they continued discussing the pros and cons of each lighting situation as Isolde lurked nearby, feeling... invasive and out of place. Gods, what was she doing here?

"Er... W-What exactly should we be d-doing?" she finally called out, after what felt like a few chimes of the master continuing to argue with the other two.

"Just feel around for a setup you like, I have many stationed around the room~" the man called back impatiently, before tacking on, "And actually, stay silent, dear subjects. I dislike to be distracted from important matters. Just hold tight." And then he went immediately back to complaining about the others' tastes in lighting.

The Nuit had no idea what was going on. Why was the room so dark? Why was the lighting so important? What was the point of painting a picture in such a gloomy place, besides? She guessed she hadn't seen too many portraits in her time... perhaps this was a fad, or some style she didn't know about? Whatever it was, she continued to feel uneasy.

"How long will this--"

"Shhh~!"

Okay, so apparently she wasn't allowed to talk at all. To them at least.

The Nuit stumbled her way back towards the door, bumping into the same painting and accidentally smearing her hand on it once more. Uh. Oops. Maybe she should stop walking around. But the man had said to find a setup they liked? What did that even mean? Isolde shook her head, letting out a sigh, tired and aching and wanting to leave and not wanting to have to deal with this trio for any longer than necessary. They really did seem rather harmless now that they were battling each other instead of her and the Kelvic.

And speaking of which...
"K-Kyra... do you know anything about this man and h-his paintings? Like... what sort they are?" The uneasy feeling had settled into something identifiable, and Isolde had a sneaking suspicion what sort of person this grey-haired fellow was. Taking a deep breath, she blundered around, feeling for the 'setups' the man had mentioned... finding one, felt like a velvet chair covered in rose petals, soft on her fingertips, somehow coming across as suggestive... making her way to another, clunking her knees into a heavy metal bathtub, and cold, fragrant water sloshed onto her boot.

Okay.
Perhaps Isolde didn't know much on the topic, but she was pretty certain these setups were for nudes.
Gods, how had she managed to stumble into this nonsense?

Feeling strangely mixed up, now, amused and affronted, the Nuit made her way towards Kyra's last known position. When she'd finally found the Kelvic, the Nuit whispered, with just a little bit of embarrassment flavoring her words, "You know. I-I'm thinking we s-should uh, just get o-out of here w-while they're distracted."

The other three had finally settled on the right amount of lighting and were setting about gathering up the proper amount of candles for the scene. Isolde shuddered to think what scene it was they were planning and hurried her way as quietly towards the door as she could, practically tip-toeing through the dark, trying not to knock anything over or crash into another of the strange artist's setups, and hoping against all hope that the door would be unlocked.

If not... well, she and the Kelvic would find some other way to sneak out of the house, hopefully before the others realized their intentions of escape.

OOCHaha, I found your 'I Spy' thread and it mentioned that the man was a scumbag that painted pictures of naked women... so thought I'd just go with it. Now to get out before Isolde and Kyra get noticed!

[Kyra]

Kyra was in a weird spot in more than one way. It was true that she had been hired to ruin his ledger and cause his shop to be taken from him, but how he knew that it was she that did it, was beyond her. In truth Kyra still didn't know exactly how it all went together. She wasn't told exact details, or anything that would tell her if she had made a mistake or not. She was only told to change the numbers, and so she did. The kelvic didn't feel bad about it however, out of all of the underhanded jobs she'd be given that was the least horrific, at least in her mind.

The moment that the door was flung open, the smells from inside floated out into the air, as if trying to escape their inclosed prison. Heavy paint fumes, burned wax, and something else. All lightly tented with some kind of scent or moth balls to try and dull the smell. Stepping inside, or rather being pushed, Kyra looked around in surprise. It wasn't what she had expected, nothing like the studio she had visited. There were stations set up as it had been in the studio, but the place was cramped, and barely any room in between the different sets. The garments and clothing that he had kept inside a different room were now lined up against the walls and laying in clutters on tables and chairs.

Easels were also set up in front of some of the sets, but from where she stood, Kyra couldn't see what was painted on them. There were other paintings along the walls, some of people, lush green scenery, and even some of animals. The kelvic remembered seeing those on the walls of the studio when she had visited. Kyra continued to look around, she supposed that she could see why the man was so angry. Having to leave his nice studio to work in such a small place, the odors alone were enough to drive her insane. In the dark room, no one could see the girl's face, but her nose was wrinkled and she walked around covering her nose and mouth with both hands.

A pair of wayward hands reached out into the darkness, searching and fumbling until they found her lithe form and grasped her shoulder and the other hand squeezed her hip. Kyra jumped from surprise, but was unable to move from the hands that held her in place. They felt smaller than the fake squire's and the voice that whispered into her ear was feminine. "Just try something.." the woman started. "You're in my world now and I can rough you up as much as I like and no one will ever know." The young kelvic didn't bother to respond, in fact it was as if she hadn't even heard the woman. Kyra was more interested in the room she was and where the exits were.

Soon the woman left and headed over to join her companions in their conversation. The kelvic's ears perked up and twitched as she took in the whispers. It was strange, she was sure that she had never seen the two brutes before, and that the painter had worked alone. However, they were all arguing now, as if they were all painters or worked together in some way. It didn't matter to her though, and she saw it as more time to find a way out. She wasn't sure why she agreed to come there, other than to keep away from the Knights. Her involvement in the situation wasn't completely innocent and she didn't need more people coming after her.

Even so, the thought of sitting, or laying while the strange man painted her wasn't something she liked. It was one of the stranger request that she had gotten, but something inside told her that wasn't all he wanted. Her search continued, but given that it was an apartment, the one exit that she saw probably led into another room. The only way out for sure, was the exit that she had just come in. Still, it was possible, the three had made the mistake of leaving her alone and close to the door. It was then that she felt the presences of the Nuit again and heard her voice. "I do not know him. Honest, but from what I am told he likes to paint pretty, naked women." The girl shook her head, and continued to talk while her hands covered her nose and mouth. "He likes...blondes, perhaps that is why he wants us here."

"Once you find a set up that you like, go on and pick out an outfit and change into it. Can't very well paint master pieces of what you're wearing." the grey-haired man's voice called out.

Kyra glanced back to the bunches of clothing laid about, it all looked simple, thin, with every few layers to them. Perhaps now they would better understand why is had been easy for him to get the women to pose nude, when the clothing they wore was almost as revealing as bare skin. "I agree, we should go." Kyra answered and started to tip top her way back to the door. The young kelvic gently wrapped her fingers around the handle and slowly turned the knob. The door wasn't locked, it seems that in their haste to get inside and set up for the scene, they forgot to do so. She glanced back towards the three a last time, then slowly opened the door.

A thought occurred to her, just as she opened the door and Leth's glow started to pour in through the slit in the doorway. In the blackness of the room, they would easily notice the light, even if they didn't hear them moving around. "They are going to see, just run." Kyra pushed the door open and raced out into the night, hoping her companion took her advice.

OOCSorry for the delay. XD Yes it's the same guy, I had wanted to make that thread longer, or make a second part but time got away from me.

[Isolde Seibold]

Kyra flung the door open and the gentle blue light that wafted into the room was almost blinding after being so long in the dark. Behind her, Isolde heard the three artists --or whatever they were-- go completely silent, as if they'd been shocked from the realm of sound. And then the Nuit was launching herself from the room and someone let out a wordless cry behind her.

Someone was giving chase. Isolde was willing to bet it was Fake Squire, from the sound of him. Whoever it was crashed through the displays in the room without a pause, and the Nuit imagined paintings not yet dry sent splattering to the floor, ruined, their easels smashed. The artist, she thought, let out a long, low wail of utter dismay. It tapered into words. "No, you can't--!" Then Isolde had turned a corner and there were no sounds but the pounding of feet on pavement and the harsh breath of the fake squire behind her.

He was chasing like a dog on a hunt, panting out his breaths loudly, and the Nuit imagined she could feel him breathing down her neck. Hot breath, stale and stinking of cigarettes and old alcohol, with a strange hint of something cloyingly sweet that she couldn't identify. Then he lunged forward, and she was more worried about his hands, which brushed her back, searching for purchase. She gritted her teeth to stop herself from whimpering and strove to run faster, go faster, and she heard the man curse lowly behind her, wheezing, trying to match her speed.

Shyke, she had to slow to take a corner! The Nuit skidded around the bend, felt those fingertips jamming hard into her back once more, feeling them dig into the material there-- and then she twisted her body, muffling the grunting sound of pain that came with the simple, jerking motion, and somehow, somehow was able to rip her way free. It was enough to cause the man to stumble in his stride, losing speed and balance. Isolde hugged her arms tight to her and sprinted on over the cobblestones, and slowly, slowly, she heard the man fall behind.

Little by little, the two women got away. Much as they had earlier, Kyra led them on a merry chase through the dark streets of the sleeping city.

They passed a Knight once, on his patrols. To Isolde, he was a flash of surprised expression and heavy metal armor. He wouldn't be able to catch up with them, even if he had wanted to, not weighed down as he was in that clanking suit. He called out something behind them about running, but didn't bother to give chase. By this time there was no one following them. They just must have looked like two strange women who liked to run around Syliras at night, when there was no one around to impede their motion. Not a crime. Not a disturbance that needed to be dealt with. Just strange. He could let it pass.

Eventually the Nuit could take no more. It was her shoulder. And the rest of her. So tired. So aching. Painful. She called out to Kyra to stop, not knowing if her companion would heed or not... but she herself slowed, and then halted in the middle of the street. Gripping her shoulder with her right hand, grimacing in the shadows, squinting to look for that familiar bob of silver-blonde hair in front of her. When she thought she spied the Kelvic she said softly, "I th-think we're safe. A-Anybody following us w-would've come across that Knight a while back."

Even in her own ears her words sounded like they'd been stretched thin. She had been too active today. Training with Razkar, this morning-- she didn't want to start thinking about that again or she'd work herself up. Then spending all day wandering around the city. And now tonight. Two separate fights, even if they had been little ones. Two separate runs twisting and turning through the city. It was almost like they had never gone back to the Stone Gardens at all, had never met that strange grey-haired painter and his equally bizarre associates. Though she knew she had been to the man's studio, though she knew he had wanted them both to pose for some 'revealing' portraits... it just felt too strange. Almost like a dream.

She was just so tired.
"K-Kyra, I need to g-go rest. My body..." The Nuit trailed off, tightening her hold on her shoulder. "W-Well, it's not in the b-best shape, right now. Y-You'll be okay by yourself, r-right?" She imagined the Kelvic would be fine, it wasn't like she was a child. The Nuit was just concerned she might get herself into more trouble. It seemed to follow the girl, after all. Or maybe it followed the Nuit, had been building up and had chosen tonight to wash over her once more. That seemed just as likely. "A-At least we solved the mystery, a-answered some questions. T-Though that got a little weird i-in the middle. Y-You don't think t-that man will h-hold a grudge, do you?" Gods, she wasn't going to let herself feel bad about abandoning him. She wasn't. So what if he was down on his luck? She would've been happy to help him... if only he hadn't forced himself on the two women and tried to paint them nude. Wouldn't a normal painting bereft of nudity have sufficed? Yes, she imagined that would have been better than being left with nothing.

But who knows? Maybe he would end up painting his two colleagues as punishment for letting the girls escape into the night. The Nuit felt a smile twitch at her face. Just imagine. Fake Squire, clothed in one of those skimpy, lacy outfits, draped over the velvet couch, a cigarette smoldering in one limp hand.

Oh gods. The Nuit just shook her head to clear away the image.

[Kyra]

Kyra was once again racing through the city. Her small boots slamming into the ground as she forced more strength into her legs to push her forward and faster. The kelvic didn't look back, but she could tell that there were others behind her. She didn't know where she was going, in the dark, halls and streets became identical, and one area looked the same as another. But she wouldn't stop, couldn't allow herself to be caught again and forced into another situation. They were being chased again, Kyra could smell the fake squire' s scent and feel his unnerving presences. For someone who had been drinking, he was fast and stayed on his feet very well.

Long, blondish hair flashed and rippled behind her, arms loose and swaying back and forth as she raced on. The dagger at her belt shook lightly as she whipped by and turned the corner. Kyra took a breath at the turn, her body leaning and her legs sliding around as she slipped in between the buildings. They soon lost the squire but Kyra raced on anyway. Passing the Knight did cause the kelvic worry, but since he didn't pursue them, she continued on without delay.

So much running, fighting, and then more running. the girl's body was on fire and at the moment she could feel every last one of her muscles and the needle -like pain that ached in them. Her heart pounded inside her chest, and for a moment she couldn't tell if she was still breathing. Sore ankles and burning thigh muscles, and finally a dizzy spell to end it all. Kyra stopped and leaned against the closest wall and breathed out a loud sigh. "Let's...not..do that...again." With a soft groan the kelvic lost her footing and slid down to the ground still panting hard and gasping for air.

"Yes....I will be...fine."

Closing her eyes, Kyra relaxed and tried to calm herself. It felt as if her heart would explode in her chest at any moment. The kelvic hadn't ran as hard in a long time, and doing so again so suddenly took a lot out of her. The girl gave another soft moan as she leaned her head back against the wall and continued to breathe heavily. "I guess...so. But..you can not...believe him. He..is..insane." she finished with another loud breath. Kyra had to think about the Nuit's question. Would the old man hold a grudge? "I think...that was...a grudge. He was..very upset. I think...I will disappear for a while. Perhaps you..should do the same."

She didn't like the idea of it, but things had gotten too complicated and her surroundings too sensitive for her to work and live in peace. Slowly, Kyra pushed herself back up to stand on shaky legs and leaned against the wall again.

OOCIsolde has an interesting imagination lol

[Isolde Seibold]

The Nuit cast Kyra a worried look. The Kelvic had said that she'd be fine... but in the next breath, she'd also said that that grey man was insane, and that she was going to be laying low for a while. Isolde had seen insanity. She had seen what it did to a person, how it warped and changed them and made them not who they really were. That man. Was he really insane? How could one tell? How could one help him, if he was? Strangely enough, it wasn't Fubuki Kouri the Nuit was thinking of... it was her husband. Her Kale, who she had watched alter slowly and surely, year after year, in front of her eyes. Not knowing what was happening to him, only guessing. Saying nothing, doing nothing. Watching his descent because she was comfortable where she was, and because she was afraid of stirring things.

And look what had happened to her because of it. Stuck forever in a body that was not hers.

Shyke, now she was wondering about the grey-haired man. Who he was. Who he had been. Could one aid a person who was insane? Or had Kyra merely meant that in a figurative sense? Had Isolde made it worse, exacerbated his condition, by running away? By not being for him what he had wanted?

She had not been for Kale what he had wanted. She'd let herself belong, instead, to someone else, simply because her love had shifted. She'd left him alone without actually leaving at all. She'd left him to fester. And fester he had.

She was tired.

"I-Insane? Y-You know he is insane? H-How do you know--?" The questions were quiet and pointed, the weariness clear in her voice. Could she ever know the full story? Could she ever do the right thing? How could she do what's right if she didn't know all the details. How should she know how to fit in, a piece to a puzzle, if the other pieces were turned and flipped, and painted to look like things they were not?

Gods, and now she was fixating on this man. Like she could help him. She didn't even know he needed help. And what would she do? Go back there, tomorrow, and offer herself as a model? Would that help him, or would it only encourage him further down a slippery path?

And once again she was ignoring what was in front of her, letting her mind wander away. The Nuit forced herself to focus on Kyra. Watching her pant, and have to lean against the wall. "I d-don't want to l-leave you like this. D-Do you know w-where we a-are? I'll h-help you get home." Even if her own body was in pain, well... if the Kelvic needed help, she could last a bit longer.

She reached out a tentative hand, laying it on her companion's shoulder, and felt the tremor in her muscles. She was just as tired as Isolde herself was. Perhaps more so, or in a different way. This one's body needed sleep, after all. And food to fuel it. Water to sate her thirst. And rest, real rest, to rejuvenate her muscles. "L-Lean on me i-if you need it. Or we can r-rest here a while. T-Then I'll walk you home. I c-can't rest myself w-without kn-knowing you got b-back okay." She offered a smile in the night, uncertain if the Kelvic would be able to see it.

OOCNow I have that 'Lean on Me' song in my head. XD
Also, Isolde's point of view can flip-flop like nobody's biz. Probably she's a little crazy, herself!