Closed Foreigners [Crypt]

[Ting Mason]

60th of Summer, 513 AV Merchant's Ring It wasn't that hot of a day. It never was, in Ravok. It wasn't too cold either, but Ting was wearing her signature coat, all buttoned up. One might've thought her suspicious, but there was no shifty-eyed glances you'd see on a criminal. No, she was simply walking along, inspecting the various shops in the Merchant's Ring. The other phrase you'd use for her actions would be self-conscious. And she was, being a free Kelvic in Ravok. It was a dangerous place for her kind. She was always, always wary and kept well away from the KRI and Slave Markets, like she was doing today. The girl repeated the words to herself in her mind, forcing herself to think in Common. Don't smile at anyone, just look, don't talk to anyone unless it's unavoidable. She knew those rules. Another was don't open your mouth. Her canines were obvious to anyone who happened to glance at her teeth while her mouth was open. She thanked Caiyha once again for being born a bat Kelvic and not anything with slitted pupils, like a cat. She could smell the dried fruit and spices from The People's Market and the Spicy Lass. The latter made her want to sneeze, but she shoved the urge down. Ting covered her mouth with a hand as she yawned, hoping a passerby would think it to be out of politeness instead of shielding her teeth. It was certainly difficult making the transition from nocturnal to diurnal, but she had to. In Lhavit it wouldn't be a problem, but then again neither would her Kelvic nature. The girl stopped at Gemmei's Engravings, admiring the precision work of the woman. It was certainly impressive. Finally she could hold back to urge to sneeze no longer, releasing an explosive one that caused her to back up a step. Sheesh.

[Crypt]

Fair Ravok! You are more free, perhaps, than Syliras, the proud, where the Knights rule unquestioned. I see pleasures being partaken of, I see richness in many a citizen's life, devoted to Rhysol. They are content to live here, unfettered by wanderlust. They need not worry about food or clothing or housing. And yet close by live - nay, say rather endure - slaves and Kelvics, tormented for the most part. Crypt moved through the Merchant's Ring, having just departed from a ravasola. His thoughts were elsewhere, only dimly noting the objects in front of him. Ravok smelt strange, but it was not an unpleasant smell - it was that of death. Who knew how many the Ebonstryfe had disposed of in the dark of night? Who knew how many had been assassinated? Crypt knew them not. People die everyday, and not all deaths were due to innocent causes. I have stepped in places where men were murdered in Ravok - in this seemingly fair city. I taste death in most of its parts, and some were unjust. They may be hidden from sight, but Dira's gift allows me to sense them. I can feel it in the air, and I fear it will be constantly renewed. There was a strange sense of comfort Crypt derived from the atmosphere of Ravok though; he was more comfortable around places that had seen death, and he was also reminded that Dira's influence was everywhere. I have been sleeping much better in the five days I have been here, though I feel death most everywhere. But enough! Enough of those pensive thoughts - I went to Ravok in search of novelties, though strange this may be, and I'll be damned if I don't find one in my time here! A Mark on his left shoulder tingled, and he crafted an illusion around him, removing his windmarks from sight, leaving himself with bare, tanned arms. He leant against a wall, taking pains to ensure that no one would be looking at him. Closing his eyes, as if he was taking a brief siesta, Crypt concentrated on moulding Djed, slowly concentrating a small portion in the upper part of his head. Having done so, he raised his hands to his head and began to massage it, as if he was attempting to alleviate a headache. Slowly, as his fingers moved through his hair, the colour transformed from black to dark brown. He continued the motion for about a minute, ensuring that every strand would be transformed. It was a rush job at best, seeing as he had no mirror to perfect it, but it would for now. At least the colour wasn't totally different from his natural hair colour - it would take more time to transform it into, say, yellow hair. Still fueling Djed for his Morphing, Crypt slowly moved his finger down towards his nose, channeling the remaining Djed there. Half a minutes passed, and he managed to give it the consistency of clay. He began to pull and push at it until he made it slightly larger than it already was. Can't make it too large - it'd look ridiculous, and I don't even know if I can do something like that. Pressing here and there, then giving himself a mock punch to simulate the effect of a broken nose, Crypt managed to replicate a broken-but-healing-nicely nose, whose contours were then smoothened to achieve an overall smooth face. Bit of practice for today - if it runs out, I can use an illusion to hide my face again. If I manage to fool several people, I think I can continue working on such a disguise. It could prove useful in the future. Intent on exploring the Merchant's Ring further, he heard an extremely loud sneeze. Moving towards the source, he found a girl appearing to be roughly nineteen in age being propelled backwards by the sheer force of that sneeze. "You alright there, miss?

[Ting Mason]

Ting jumped at the sound of a clear voice, a man's to be exact. She turned, her brown eyes wide. Was it a slaver? He didn't look like one... But then, what did she know of slavers? He was much taller than she, with dark brown hair and almost-black eyes. Well-built, too. If he caught her arm, she doubted she could break free. Was that a broken nose? It was, but it was healing. The girl almost opened her mouth, but closed her lips tightly and nodded. The Kelvic kept her head down, shaking her hair to try and cover her face. Blast it, he'd gotten a good look. He could report her if he found she was Kelvic, or sell her to some slavers. That is, if he wasn't a slaver. Ting pulled the collar of her coat up, attempting to pass off her hiding as shyness. She hunched her shoulders, taking care to keep her face angled to the ground. "I'm fine." It was true, although now her nose burned a little bit. She rubbed it with her knuckles, sniffling. Bad move. The scent of the spices invaded her senses once more, and another sneeze erupted. She repeated the rubbing, scratching the sides of her face. "Just... sensitive." She snapped her mouth shut after that, refusing to say another word until he spoke. Ting resisted the urge to sniff sharply, instead inhaling slowly. The spices didn't overwhelm her, thank Caiyha. How she wished it were nighttime, when the darkness covered her looks like a blanket and she could lose someone easily. The girl peered about for possible escape routes. It was simply too crowded for her, especially if she needed to run. She glanced up at the man in front of her again, curious. Not many Ravokians were concerned about a stranger and an explosive sneeze. Was he not from here? It was possible. He smelled alright, but she couldn't trust her sniffer due to the burning in it.

[Crypt]

Hmm. She doesn't want to take a look at your face - not as if I've already seen it, anyway. Strange. Are Ravokians like this? He looked over her clothing. It was simple enough - shirt, coat, pants - and bore marks of being worn often. It wasn't that different from what he assumed to be the typical attire of a Ravokian, but she was acting a little oddly. Perhaps that made him perceive a subtle difference that wasn't there. "Sensitive? You must have a good nose for smells then. Ravok doesn't really smell that pungent - well, you won't smell what I smell." He paused for a moment, breathing in the air around him and wrinkling his nose. He was not as strongly affected by the spices' scents as Ting was, but it was enough to irritate his nose. He rubbed it with his left hand, still conscious of the drain on Djed his minor transformation was incurring. Why did I even bother disguising myself? The Ebonstryfe probably have ways to detect who I am. Maybe the events in Alvadas have affected me more than I thought they would - just for fun then. We'll see how far I can go... "You look like you know Ravok well - better than I do, anyway. Could you tell me more about this city?" I wonder... What would her reaction to seeing me shift back to my original form be? Would it be shock? Curiousity? I don't know what the Ravokians think of magic though. Might be best to be prudent.

[Ting Mason]

Of course she had a good nose. She was a bat Kelvic, after all. Fruit bats had an exceptional sense of smell. It helped them find out which of the fruits was ripest and best to eat. The same went for nectar. He rubbing his own nose with his left -- or was it right? -- hand. Ting was still looking up at him through her lashes, conscious of the fact he had probably committed her face to memory by now. It didn't hurt to try and stay safe, though. Oh shyke. Tell him more about Ravok? Definitely a foreigner. The girl stumbled over the first few words, a slight stutter interrupting the rest of her sentences now and then. "W-well, you see... It- I mean- Slavery- No, that's not right..." She made a frustrated noise, brow wrinkling. Stupid Common. It tangled the tongue, and was so much harder to speak than emitting screeches and scents that described way more than words could ever hope to. "Rhysol's the main god here. The Voice leads us. She's an Alvina. You know, demi-goddess. Black Sun is the main religious group. Ebonstryfe's the military part of it. There's s-slaves too." The bat Kelvic almost choked on the word 'slaves,' but regained her senses. "You can buy Kelvics from the KRI, the Kelvic Research Institute, I think once a year. Maybe more. One o' the head families are the Nitrozians. They're rich. I think they run the KRI or something. That's all I know about it." She snapped her mouth shut, truly hoping he couldn't see her canines. If he did, coupled with his newfound knowledge of the KRI and slaves, he could identify her as Kelvic and sell her to the slavers. It wasn't all she knew, but it was what she was most learned in. Ting fidgeted nervously, wishing that there was some distraction or other to get him to leave. She hated talking to strangers.

[Crypt]

The Voice... Alvina equates demi-goddess... Kelvics can be bought from the Kelvic Research Institution - sounds nasty, but I'm willing to bet that they've found out quite a lot about Kelvics. The Nitrozians are rich - and move in elevated political circles, no doubt. Or what passes for them here... Might look into that later on. "I see. Is that all? I'd have expected you to expound more on the benefits Rhysol has granted to Ravok and how the citizens have flourished since then. It's what most of the people I asked said anyway..." He mumbled the last part in an undertone, barely loud enough for Ting to hear clearly. She doesn't like slaves, I take it. Not really much you can be afraid of - they're all chained up nice and tight, and the only way they'll be hurting if their masters order them to or if they escape. But this is getting a little suspicious... Perhaps a partial inability to talk to strangers - shyness? Better to check. I know Gods can grant marks to mortals - it stands to reason that Rhysol should be able to do so too. So if I check her aura, I may be able to detect that. Then again, why would they be interested in me? He closed his eyes. He was getting better at Auristics, but he still needed some time - albeit a short period of time - to focus on his Djed. It was still slightly tricky - using Auristics was like trying to see two things at once, each superimposed onto the other in a series of infinite regressions and progressions. He opened his eyes, and was momentarily distracted by the bits of information coming in from around him, even objects that he could not see. Spices taste spicy, that man is too large for that pants, I'd burn my skin to a crisp if I tried drinking that lamp oil and ignited it, bread tastes like horsefeed - What. Back to the sneezer! He gazed at Ting, contemplating her aura. It was slightly immature compared to his own - she had not lived long enough for it to be as large as an adult. He took it to be a sign that she was still in the later stages of adolescence. Hmm. She doesn't want me to know something. What that something is I can't tell - and I don't think Auristics works that way. She's hiding all of her emotions well enough that I can't really get anything. He continued to stare at her aura, his eyes tracing the subtle movements as she shifted in her position every now and then. Hers was strangely in constant fluctuation; it was getting much smaller every now and then, returning to its original form in an apparently endless cycle. Alright, getting a little further now. She tastes feral, wild even. Leaves a nasty taste in my mouth, but - well, this is interesting. I'm no longer experiencing her aura with sight, but with taste. Hmm. It tastes faintly of fruit for some reason - reminds me of that spiffing apple I had earlier today! Evokes a pleasant memory, for some reason. And... something else. Crypt frowned. The hints he had gotten were tantalizing, and they were showing something, telling him something that he should probably know. I think... Hisoka? I read part of her aura before. She felt nearly the same way. And she's a Wolf Kelvic... Well, that's only conjecture. Best to press for more information. Might explain why she's frightened about that. He stopped the flow of Djed, having caught more glimpses of information about the surrounding objects than he wanted. Blinking rapidly for a few seconds to lubricate his eyes, he waited for Ting's answer.

[Ting Mason]

Ting hurried to agree with him. "Oh, yes. Our lord Rhysol keeps the weather pleasant, shelters us from danger and many other things. He's the best there is." She hoped it was a good enough lie. It probably wasn't. The thing tasted sour and metallic on her tongue, which flicked out to sweep across her lips. The Kelvic fidgeted, uncomfortable with the way he looked at her. It was as if her nature was written across her forehead in great bold letters for all to see. She glanced away, turning the side of her face to him. At least one wouldn't think her to be a bat Kelvic. She'd seen her reflection. A babyish face, one that would be more fitting as a dog or some other friendly creature. Not that she wasn't social, it was simply the circumstances that forced her to be quiet. Was he blinking rapidly? What had he been doing? A surge of panic raced through her. If he had Auristics, which she'd heard of, he might be able to find out that she was Kelvic. So many ifs. She really wished he would stop looking at her.

[Crypt]

Too rushed. Too hurried. More suspicious. She doesn't appear to be trained - perhaps that's the idea she's supposed to portray. He continued to stare at her. There's a thought there - if only I could read her thoughts, discover what she's thinking right now. But I doubt anything like that exists. "Indeed." Time to push her more. To get her to reveal more than herself. It's a pity she managed to catch my attention - if she was better at hiding her emotions, controlling her reactions to my words and actions, I would have probably just walked away after this. The Kelvic Research Institute - or is it the Institution? It will do for some place for her to lead me to. If I am correct, it will make her even more worried. "Could you direct me to the Kelvic Research Institution, then? I have... an interest in it." It was not in his nature to commit any act of evil - minor or major. But it certainly amused him to see someone like the person in front of him squirm uncomfortably because of him. It gave him a sense of control over her - as if he could direct her actions with well-placed nudges and comments. Too much of it though, would not be pleasant.

[Ting Mason]

He wanted to see the Kelvics!? The last thing she wanted to do was go to that place. Ting shook her head, trying to think up an excuse. She shifted again, pawing at her hair. "I, um... I have to be s-somewhere in ten chimes. S-sorry. I'm sure someone else can lead you to it..." The girl started past him, shoulders almost all the way to her ears and the collar of her jacket practically at the top of her head. Shyke shyke shyke shyke shyke shyke shyke shyke shyke...

[Crypt]

Crypt placed a hand on her shoulder, preventing the fruit bat Kelvic from leaving. It was rude, after all, to end such an interesting conversation so abruptly. How very un-spiffing of her. "Stay." He barked out the word with a commanding tone, using his baritone voice to full effect, waiting a few moments for the full effects, before smiling and chuckling. "I know what you are, little girl. But rest assured, I will not betray you to the Institution. After all, you're not the only one hiding something." He tapped his nose, and released the transformations. It slowly receded backwards to his normal nose, and his hair turned back to its original colour. He let out a small sigh of relief; the transformations, though small, were draining his Djed, after all. But not enough that they would cause him to over-give. "I don't think I'll need an explanation as to why you're so frightened by the prospect of bring me to the Institution. But if you're so afraid of being found out, then why are you even in Ravok?"