Welcome to Gaia! ::

Audrey groaned a loud and frustrated sigh. The girl was sitting against the edge of an alleyway, fidgeting irritably as her back scraped unpleasantly along the brick each time she moved. It was her shoes that were providing such agitation, and she gnashed her teeth in annoyance as she futzed with the cloth that kept the soles tied close to her balls of her feet. The wrappings that kept the things together were beginning to wear thin once more, and each time this happened she had become rather unhappy with her choice of footwear. Audrey left her home adorned in boots some time ago, but it did not take long for her to discard them. They weighed her down far too much; how could a finger-man effectively make a break for it with boots making her feet drag? So, she was resourceful. All she needed was the soles, right? Times such as this, though, often made her begin to question her own efficacy.

After some time adjusting the cloth, tying tighter knots, attempting various methods of layering the stuff, the urchin pulled her fingers back from her handiwork. Raising an eyebrow, she extended her legs out to scrutinize her efforts, wiggling her toes against the autumn cold that hung in the afternoon air.

"It'll have to do for now," she thought to herself, hints of chagrin playing upon her tone.

The sun was drooping past the middle of the sky, and as the day grew later, her chances of filching would drop as well. There were only so many more hours before the 'business' of the day would be over and she would have to return to the shadowier recesses of the town to wait out the boring candle-marks of night time, her only company being the tail that currently lay limp, attached to her belt.

Considering this, the girl begrudgingly accepted the condition her shoes would have to remain in for the time being, and reached back to press her palms against the building behind her. Using the wall as support, she shoved herself upward, rocking onto her heels then forward completely to stand. Audrey then promptly patted herself down, dusting off any dirt that had gathered onto her pants while she sat, and tapped her heel and toe to the ground to ensure her shoes were properly secure.

" A'right then...," the girl whispered to herself, drawing back what motivation she had abandoned when she exited the main street as her eyes meandered about the citizens that were passing," Let's see who we've got stragglin' around 'ere."

The girl had noticed as the figure wandered toward her, catching the movement growing closer in the corner of her eye, and immediately prepared herself for whatever interaction the woman would offer. The orphan's stance was not welcoming, but tense and defensive, one hand hovering possessively over the tail at her side as the other clenched tight with anticipation. Her body was pivoted at an angle as if to create an invisible wall between the two. Audrey was not approached often, and when she was, she was quick to assume the worst.

This is why the girl furrowed her eyebrows, an expression of confusion spilling across her face, as the Shyregoedian stuttered out her words and attempted to shove coins toward the child. Jade orbs zig-zaged between the money in the woman's extended palm and up to her tired face, uncertainty still consuming the urchin's thoughts. The ms. seemed so... flimsy, as if a breeze much stronger than the one that tugged gently at her messy hair could easily cause her to stumble or to topple over; a fragile, shaky thing that slipped out of the woodwork to present her with currency... that, not to mention, she kept so carelessly within such an exposed pouch! Audrey could not help but find the character, along with the whole scenario, perplexing and unexpected.

Then, after some time scrutinizing the situation, the Auvinian suddenly gained a very stern countenance, straightening her spine, muscles still riddled with tension. She lifted her chin, looking Felicity dead in the face with eyes drowned in hubris. She would do what she had done upon other rare encounters such as this.

"I don't need your pity, lady," she retorted bitterly, refusing to take the pennies from the stranger's palm.

The opportunity for easy money was surely one most other street children would take with teary-eyes and grateful smiles, but charity was never something Audrey would willingly accept. Pockets sparse of shillings were a much lesser punishment than the sharp and stinging pain that would pierce and twist at her swollen pride.

"I don't want your money," Audrey reannounced; the young girl's voice attempting to display some authority.

Now, these defensive words were not entirely the truth, and as the girl kept resolute in her stance she understood this. The orphan wanted the woman's money, that was for sure; and though positively hopeless looking, the stranger was right -- Audrey's shoes were a mess, and her pockets were light. Even with this in mind, though, she could not take the pennies within the northerner's hand.

Meanwhile, as the child continued to stare tenaciously up at the woman, she could not help but continue to scrutinize her. The lady was brittle and naive. Each movement diminished Audrey's estimation of the stranger's strength. Each awkward display of friendliness heightened her aura of harmlessness. By the time that Felicity had shakily assured the girl that she meant no harm, the urchin had already deciphered so much for herself. 'I don't want to hurt you'. Audrey could have almost laughed, but bit her tongue as she continued to stare up at the frail woman's pleading smile. The stranger did not look as if she could effectively swat away a mosquito, let alone harm a child accustomed to the harsh streets. Stiffing a chuckle, she held her position firm, attempting to keep an intimidating, independent air about her. The more the foreigner spoke, the more obvious of a good target she became, growing less and less threatening and more and more feeble in her eyes with each stutter. Thus, as she stood firm before the potential prey she hatched a wonderful idea. Audrey wanted the woman's money; she knew she needed it, but could not simply take it from her pale fingers. That did not mean she did not want, or could not take, what coin still lay within her purse, tantalizingly exposed and free for her to snatch upon an opportune moment! When the time was right, she would lunge, rip it from her hands, and run.

The gears turning the the girl's brain then came to an unexpected halt as she flinched in surprise at the sudden voice that jumped into their conversation. There was a snapping of her head, eyes jumping about the area to search out the possible source of the voice, but she ultimately found that it was coming from the very same direction as where the woman stood. It was then that she realized it, blinking with uncertainty at the figure perched atop the stranger's shoulder. Audrey had thought it was just any other adornment, a pretty rose that a young lady such as the one before her would happily adorn to compliment themselves. What had originally simply been passed off as an object of vanity suddenly took on a very strange new form as it spat distaste towards the unsuspecting pickpocket.The flower was a living thing,a plague, an Excito; those things she had heard rumors and tales of, but until now had never encountered. Was this the type of creature her tail would grow into?

The Southerner stepped back, mouth agape in thought, her hand now clasped tight to the fur that was now twitching and swaying at her side, rather than hovering above it at a protective distance. It took her a moment to consume the lines that the tiny thing tossed at her, but after the flower's insult had dug it's way into her brain she was able to quickly shake off the shock to replace it with offended frustration.

"You're the one who approached me, weren't you," She snapped back, cheeks growing flustered as the girl struggled to maintain a cool composure,
" Y'know what? Y' Can't stand my damn filthy presence any longer? Fine!"

It was then that the urchin surged forward, lashing a hand out to grasp the Keeper's purse firm in her grip before tearing the thing away from her hold. Her eyes then darted to rest upon Felicity's shoulder for that split second, offering the Plauge that rested there a challenging grin,
"Then I'll be takin' your money and gettin' out of your way!"

And with that the girl fell back, pivoting on her heels to twist around as fast as she could and began bolting down the alleyway, her prize in hand.

Audrey tore down the alleyway, skidding to round the corner while attempting to maintain her breakneck pace.

This had the potential to be a very interesting hit, but one that she was quite sure she wished to accomplish scotch free. Though the stranger was so frail and timid in both personality and appearance; she had a sinking feeling about her. This fear was most heavily impressioned by the flower that had so suddenly presented itself. Audrey had never seen an excito, let alone angered one. She had never even met another who owned a plague, item or otherwise. She could never be sure of the Grimm's motives, nor of the rose's abilities.

Thus, the girl had hoped that the woman would be flaky enough to stay behind, too fearful or dainty to attempt to hunt down the child, but as she fled from the dank space she heard her victim call out, and it was only moments before the sound of following footsteps began to trail behind her. The urchin knew better than to look back and tempt her chances of stumbling, and instead grimaced as she kept her gaze forward and focused, assuming the space between the lady's reaction and her own escape gave her a hearty handicap. Despite this, the Auvinian still knew she would have to manage to loose the Keeper somehow, and struggled to muster more speed.

Through various situations were citizens noticed a tug at their wallets, or were quick to find that their purses had been emptied, Audrey had learned several tricks to avoid the threatening hands of those scornful with her thievery. It was a trail and error process, one that sometimes lead to the painful failure of unforgiving repercussions or the fruitful success of victory's spoils. By this time though, the orphan was feeling quite sure of her methods, and calculated her escape route with hasty confidence as she clutched the bag in her hands and forced her legs to hurry forward as rapidly as they could carry her.

The girl dashed down the open street, the cold autumn air that hung fresh in the atmosphere filling her lungs as her breath became heavier. She needed to head closer to the market, where hopefully a large enough crowd would still be meandering about, a living camouflage that she could abscond into before retreating deeper into the intertwining pathways of the town. She could more easily dart around strangers, blend in, and make her get away while the woman would have to attempt to push and stumble her way around the carts and bystanders. The place was beginning to seem a ways off though, and this trickled panic into the racing thoughts of the pickpocket.

Hazel orbs fluttered about, making flustered attempts to search out detours or obstacles that could make it catching the nimble thing an far more arduous task. She knew she needed to traverse, to lead this woman up and down and throughout every nook and cranny the city could offer; to confuse and dizzy her awareness of her surrounding as well as her target's whereabouts.

Finally, the Southerner's eyes caught an opening, the mouth to another ally that lay just a few shops ahead, and she took to extra time debating her next action. The instant the gap was within reach, she twisted her body, rocking to the edges of her feet to make the turn and bounded into the welcoming shade of the passageway, but as then she heard it. A sickening rip, a tearing that Audrey was immediately able to identify, and as she landed in the corridor her earlier fear presented itself. Her shoe couldn't handle the sudden stress, and the fabric holding the thing together had given up, resulting in the sole slipping out from beneath her, causing her ankle to twist into a most painful distortion. The Grimm yelped, gasping as she stumbled forward several steps before crashing to the cobblestone, pangs of the injury reverberating up her leg.

The instant Audrey hit the street she knew her luck had run dry. It only took moments for the woman to close the gap that had separated them, and by the time the urchin had scrambled to push herself up and pull her face from the damp stone, her opposers were already looming tauntingly above her. The girl stared up at the pair, eyes wide as the panic set in, jaw clenched tight, and knuckles burning white as they gripped desperately to the purse the stranger was demanding she return.

Her options were few, and she recognized that. The Auvinian could try to escape once more, somehow rise again to her feet and make a break for it, but this idea was quickly dispatched as she twitched her ankle in a test, and a piercing pain shot through to her toes. The orphan flinched, cursing under her breath as the sensation rippled up her leg; she figured she could still run... but not without pain, and not nearly as fast. She would be caught for sure, and with much greater consequence. So as the child assessed the situation with racing thoughts and a grave expression; she understood that there was only choice to make. Hand over the money, or refuse and suffer whatever the Grimm and her Plague felt necessary.

Her sights were dead locked on Claudia, that flowery being that even though so small seemed to fill the air with a thick rage. What would the thing do if she did not surrender the coin? Would it leap forward and tear her flesh from the bone? Did it have the ability to bleed her dry and end her, right then and there? Would it infest her? Curse her to endure the illness that it was born from? To die slowly and painfully? The woman, would she allow this to happen? She seemed so innocent, stupid, so well-meaning, just minutes before ! Would she abandon that facade to take up a much more devious persona? To murder a young girl left to the streets?

These theories riddled Audrey's consciousness, the 'reason' within her mind shouting pleas for her to avoid such evils; to accept the possibility of these consequences. It begged for her to think of her own safety, to think of the safety of the tail, her most treasured item that continued to writhe and twitch beside her as if filled with the same adrenaline that caused her chest to thrum unevenly. What if they were to take it? All that effort lost! All that blood spilled! Those nights curled up in the gutter lost for a foreigner's pouch!

But somehow these thoughts became like whispers, dwarfed in the presence of a voice who's demands screamed loudest above all else. Her damn, god forsaken, 'pride'. It was like an all encompassing din that would not allow anything else to guide her. She could not give in, regardless of the punishment that could befall her in such childish arrogance. She would accept whatever repercussions her failure would crash upon her. There was no way she would forfeit her pride for her well-being, nor would she let herself preform with such sickening cowardice, even if it meant dealing with bruises of regret.

Reaching one scraped hand up to wipe dirt from her muddied cheek, the keeper offered the Northerner and her companion a countenance of bitter rivalry, baring her teeth as if to snarl before challenging them, "******** off."

Audrey lashed her arms upward, lids clenched tight as she gnashed her teeth, to protect her face from the flower who had leaped from the hands of her guardian in such a threatening manner. Her reflex had saved her by mere seconds as the Caedos landed, sharp and malicious fingers ripping her sleeve and digging into what flesh made up her forearm. The instant the thing hit her, the urchin's eyes fled back open, orbs wides and reflecting a heavy sense of urgency and fear, though her brows were furrowed in anger.

"Get the ******** off of me," She exclaimed, voice strained and demanding as she hastily reached her free hand over to claw at the tiny being who was so eagerly drawing blood from the girl. Audrey was then all flails and desperate fearful scrapes at her limb the enemy had latched onto, an ungraceful attempt to remove the thing; a steady stream of curses flowing from the child's breath.

And within this short gap of time upon which the keeper had been attacked, there was a stirring and then a mess of movement. With all the tension in the air, with the outburst of violence, the bloody taint that clung to the tail at Audrey's hip had decided to react and take form; a small and senseless being in the shape of some type of distorted canine. Now, detached from her belt, the thing simply scrambled about around the girl, darting across her legs and scurrying about her in almost a playful manner, thoroughly consumed and fascinated with the adrenaline in the air, but without a conciseness to truly understand it.

As the girl's arm was relinquished, and the rose calmly redirected her attention, Audrey quickly pulled the limb into proper view, tugging her sleeve up to bitterly observe the mess of bloody slits the knife-like fingers had left. It was much less damage than she had expected, though the injury still left her furious. It still burned at her flesh and allowed such precious liquids to abandon her veins.

Hissing at the stinging pain that the cuts bestowed upon her, the urchin attempted to push her focus away from the torn skin and back to her attackers; The plague who had so suddenly ceased her onslaught, and the woman who the thief could not decipher's motives. She had planned to prop herself up, give a grand show of her insolence in a series of disdainful barks and then prepare herself for whatever the strangers would throw at her next, but as she lifted her head, her eyes caught sight only of Claudia. The being was speaking to her tail. Speaking to her most precious item. Audrey had not noticed that it had become active during all the chaos, unaware that it had taken shape and was now running free, and the evil little thing was approaching it. Her senses filled with an overwhelming invasion of panic.

The Putesco had taken a moment from it's rapid meandering to circle around the Excito several times as she spoke, it's large tail dragging behind it, almost making a ring around the foreigner. It, however, did not respond to the questions, unaware of language or conversation. The thing was purely instinct, no consciousness to support any true thought. Even if the item was capable of any cognitive comprehension, any form of communication, it would have had no time to speak, for within instants a hand shot out to grab the rose with red and dirtied fingers.

"Don't you dare go near him," Audrey screamed, cheeks burning with contempt as her knuckles grew white while tightening her grip on the tiny threat. There was no way she would let these two do anything to her item. That tail was hers to protect, and hers to own alone. She would never allow for them to take him, her only prize for so much blood spilled.