Welcome to Gaia! ::

Winter's grips continued to hold tight upon the cities of Imisus.

The air was cold and cold and thick, snow and muddied ice coating that already harsh streets. This season was an unforgiving time for an urchin, and as Audrey stepped out into the lifting fog of the morning, she was beginning to comprehend just that. The markets were still littered with people, the poorer and richer, those lucky enough to adorn themselves in thick coats and those fellow orphans who traversed the crowd in hopes to beg or steal a coin or two.

Toes exposed to the cold, fingers and cheeks flushed against the chill of the wind, without the layers necessary to fight off the wind, she was very much like her brethren of the streets. She was at a natural disadvantage to the elements; but as the early sun failed to break through the clouds hanging above the icy city the pickpocket was growing more aware of her place in this bitter competition. Her encounter with the foreigner near the beginning of the frosty months left her with an ailment that had been crippling her ability to play the game. She began to slow down. She steadily fell in the ranks, losing out on the rewards. To be falling so behind in this contest of survival was nothing short of embarrassing, and more importantly, it was lethal.

Today she would set out as usual though, refusing to give her aching ankle a day's rest, a luxury someone like her could not indulge in. She couldn't give herself a chance to heal. She wouldn't allow herself to become weak, to be seen as weak.However,this mentality was one she was beginning to regret. It was slipping away with her health, her pride backing down as her body grew weary. The reality of things had been slowly beaten into her. She was not broken though, no, but allowing herself to become aware.

So as the girl wandered out into the wide cobblestone street before her, tail clutched and wrapped about her hands in attempt to fend off the cold, she made the bitter decision. She would have to look at this game in a new light. No matter how much she hated it.

It was at that moment that slender fingers slipped into the crease of the pocket of the man's outer most coat.

Audrey had noticed the lord just a short time before this contact. A thief's eyes were trained to catch hold of these types of people; healthy, regal, and Yizhaq was the picture of this, just across the way, browsing the stalls with money to toss at such luxuries as bolts of coloured fabrics. Bright orbs caught a hold of his position, then turned away, her gaze still gripping at him in the far corner of her eye.

This is why she found it impossibly lucky that the noble would find his way all the way over to her side. She had barely needed to take a step to make this contact, little to no effort. Normally this would bring on a spike of suspicion, the girl a natural skeptic, but today she was willing to ignore this, pass it off as another dim-minded well off. She needed this opportunity too much to let it pass.

Audrey's plans to escape were immediately foiled. The instant she had retrieved the purse, she prepped herself to pivot and run as fast as her current condition would allow her, but before this could be done she found herself forced stationary, held tight by the man she'd robbed.

There was then a momentary shock, frozen silent as she stared wide-eyed up into his face. Despite the smiles gracing his lips and the friendliness of his tone though, she was soon clenching her jaw, narrowing her gaze, and wriggling as forcefully as she could muster in a futile attempt to break free of the lord's grip.

"Let me go," she hissed, still struggling against his hold," I-I don't want your damn char--"

Mention of the guard and her stomach dropped.

She found herself still once more, face still flustered, but brain whirring with possible sequences of outcomes. This man was offering her things she couldn't deny desperately needing, and for rejecting these there was a large price to pay. She had to choose the lesser of two evils, and as her pride began to leak into her judgment she gathered up all the internal strength she had to swallow it. She needed to play the game differently.

Grimacing, she turned her face to the side, scoffing before she quietly uttered," Fine... I'll...'join you'." The words felt like a pitiful surrender, a knife jabbing at her gut. Though, perhaps it was just her hunger.

Lucky Audrey indeed, though the lord's good intentions still tasted sour and left the girl with her stomach knotted with nervous suspicion. Certainly, she was lucky, but she wouldn't allow herself to believe that. Carriages and smiles and formalities aside, simply because she would begrudgingly go along with this lunch date did not mean she would let her guards down. Any polite rich man could be a crazy, a rapist, an Obscuvian. Gracious! The possibilities. Thus, as Yizhaq continued to hold onto the young urchin, chiming regally of judgments and names and the time, her mind was on her defense, her offense, the knife in her pocket. If anything should go amiss, she would be prepared...

And so, still frowning, turning narrowed eyes to the man gripping at her she muttered a bitter introduction, "It's Audrey," before looking hesitantly to the carriage then making her way inside with a stiff spine and proud stride. Well, as proud a stride she could pull together-- It was rather hard to look strong or dignified while pain is rippling up your leg.

Startled, no. Uneasy, yes.

As the man revealed the feathery being, letting her step out onto his palm and curtsy a greeting, Audrey's back stiffened, brows remaining pressed down skeptically. She should have seen it coming, considering how the urchin had already encountered a plague or two in her short time in possession of her own Putesco, and after the initial discovery that this stranger himself was a Grimm, any hint of surprise fled from the girl's behavior.

However, little Hayat left the pickpocket weary, her appearance reminding her of her last excito encounter. First impressions and assumptions had not done her well in the past, and even something as delicate as that rose was able to cause her a world of trouble. Plus, this thing far to greatly resembled a bird. Audrey'd never liked birds. Suspicious things.

"I'm damn smart not to trust you, especially when you go springing surprises like tha--," the girl had moved to address her rightness in questioning the man, raising a finger to point toward his secret friend, but as he chuckled a response to the falcon's judgment she'd stopped in her tracks, her hand going limp as her accusations fled in sudden distraction.

"You... You're a member of the Fellowship?"

Audrey stared at the man for a long moment, disregarding his comment on her mannors but absorbing this information about the fellowship. If this was true, he a member, and furthermore his father ( though Audrey did like to avoid judging a character by their family) ; then perhaps this stranger could be of some use to her. The House and the Fellowship were enemies, that was for certain. 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend', isn't that what they say?

However, once Yizhaq began to inquiry the girl, a red flag went up, halting the girl's thoughts.

Leaning back into her seat, averting her gaze, expression still stubborn; she folded her arms as she replied," There isn't much to tell."

Like hell she'd just pour her heart out to this guy, Fellowship or not. It'd been hard enough to will herself to even give the man her name.

As expected, Audrey hobbled out of the carriage on her own, completely ignoring the extended hand of the young lord, wincing as she made the step down though quickly pulling herself together despite the spike of pain. Just as the urchin had gotten herself planted and steady on solid ground, Yizhaq's comment on her appearance and attire reached her ear, upon which she turned her head to give him an incredulous expression.

"You have got to be kidding me," she replied, half simply disbelieving and half insulted. Did this man think he could just pick a pickpocket up off the street and dress her up for tea like some doll? In no way did she even begin to think that this of all situations would arise during her 'lunch' with the stranger. This did not mean she'd simply roll over and take it though, her famous pride was sure to prevent that.

So as Yizhaq made his way over to the servant, she awkwardly hurried behind him with bitter eyes," You told me to join you for lunch! Not have an entire little makeover! What the hell are you trying to pull?"