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 Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 9:15 pm
He didn't know exactly why he was heading toward the Docks.
Well, he did, really. He had been told to go there, by his god. After the last stunt that had been pulled, just getting a glimpse of nasty blue proof, he was disinclined to disobey the request. So he was there, bare and calloused soles slapping against the uneven wooden planks that made up the local fishing district.
He didn't know what he was looking for. But at least he was here.
As he navigated through the stands, he found himself less and less willing to be among the gaggle of jostling bodies. He hadn't ever seen the sea before, and even now he could barely get a glimpse of it. Making a soft snarl to himself, Rafael pushed and shoved his way toward one of the more narrow, uninhabited paths through the district. Really, he should have been able to handle it, it was just like Middling... but these people smelled so foul he could hardly stand it.
Bright blue eyes scoped out the alley before him, wondering if it would lead him somewhere useful or into a maze. Tlaloc was offering nothing as of yet. As far as he was concerned, though, the jagged staff of wood between his shoulder-blades should suffice enough for company.
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Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 11:24 pm
Koa was not a happy camper. Ever since the fiasco with Anubis and the whole stupid mission (how could he expect kids to be able to rescue someone from some super-secret government ninja organization) they'd botched. Koa was mad, and when he's mad, he acts out.
He'd wandered down to the docks, a good enough place for a scruffy boy to get lost amid the crowd. The smell of fish carcasses reminded him of the seafood section of his parents' grocery shop, and running delivery errands down in this area. That didn't mean he liked it.
Wearing a baggy sweatshirt with the hood up, Koa kept his face down to avoid attracting attention to his unusual features as he leaned against a grungy wall, out of the way of immediate foot traffic. He scowled at the passers-by, sizing them up. He was looking for someone small, someone more around his age, someone he could push around...
Koa's eyes fell on Rafael. Ah, someone like him. Pushing himself away from the wall, Koa fell into a casual walk a couple yards behind the boy. Not the ideal target, he would have preferred someone pudgier, but the boy clearly wasn't from around there. He carried himself like he was better than those around him - how could Koa not punch him in the face? Whether it was a good idea or not never occurred to the pig-boy.
As Rafael paused in front of the alley, Koa stopped as well, turning to lean against a stack of crates, but always keeping track of his target out of the corner of his eye. Go on, he urged, go down that alley...
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Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 2:01 am
Rafael may not have noticed the his follower's presence yet, but his god did. Instead of speaking to the boy, warning him about the potential danger, Tlaloc merely leaned in to watch, so to speak. It seemed to him a golden opportunity.
The Mexican looked over his shoulder at the crowd, as if weighing whether or not it was really worth it. Well, it couldn't hurt, could it? So far as he could tell, the alley would lead him into another path where he could navigate behind the shops. He didn't have to be from the district to know that it may be, and most likely was, a dangerous route to be taking. The worst, he decided, would be one of those group of scavenger children.
But his intuition wasn't heeded at this junction. Right now the path looked alright, so he stepped into it, beginning to walk down the alley at a brusque pace and skirting or stepping over puddles of rainwater when he came to them. No will to stop and sight-see, he'd be in and out as fast as possible. At least, that was what he planned.
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Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 11:47 am
Smooth as an alley cat, Koa slipped in after the boy with the dark complexion. Once they were out of the crowd, Koa dropped the casual pretense and followed the other boy as quietly as he could in the echoing alley.
Koa cursed under his breath as the other boy began to pull away with his fast pace. Catching him by surprise from behind would have been best. Koa was loathe to break into a run yet, as that would tip off his prey and likely send him running too, which would mean a race between the two with the other guy having a head-start, and Koa had always hated jogging in PE class. Speeding up to a fast walk, shortened the distance between them. There were only yards between the two.
In his hurry, bully forgot about the rain puddles... until he stepped in one. The splash echoed up and down the alley, accompanied by a curse that Koa quicky cut-off. Damn!
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Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 11:35 pm
Rafael had an agenda. He needed to figure out why Tlaloc had sent him this way and get it over with. Not that he'd admit it -not that the god didn't know anyway- but he had been scared senseless by the mere presence of the monstrous god, and the thought of incurring his wrath any further made him twitch and shiver involuntarily. He would do what he was told, and quickly.
If it hadn't been for Koa's minor folly, Rafael surely would have been off guard for an attack. But when the slosh hit his ears, the Mexican boy had to look over his shoulder. The next movement was a smooth swivel upon his bare heels. He continued to walk, slower, his chin raising. His blue eyes flashed with natural suspicion and a boiling frustration that he had been carrying on his shoulders a long time now.
"Following me, chingada?" He implored, darkly, "You sneak up on someone, take their money? I don't have money. Go back the way you came." The boy's nose seemed to set in on him, and his eyes had to hone in on the place for a moment. He was beginning to roll the strap that held his staff off of his shoulder before he really thought about it. Could this be...?
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Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 12:05 am
Koa's lip curled back in a mocking sneer. As if he wanted money. He was better than that - or at least had been since leaving school.
"What's the matter, twinkle-toes? Didn't your mommy ever tell ya not to wander around strange places alone?"
Koa's eyes darted between the boy and the object he'd pulled off his back. Koa didn't like the look of that stick. It promised to make things difficult for the bare-fisted Koa in any kind of physical brawl. That would have to go as soon as possible.
Striding forward, he closed the distance between them quickly. Using the momentum and the advantage of his bulk, Koa shoved Rafael aggressively. "What, think you're better than me? That it?" He shoved again. "Whatcha gonna do? Gonna run crying to mommy?"
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Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 12:36 am
At the mention of his mother, Rafael's jaw tightened slightly. However, he wasn't about to show the other it got to him, instead passing what looked like a bored expression. That was until Koa decided to invade his personal space. Despite his will, Rafael was forced to shift backwards at the shove or else he would have fallen over. This boy was strong, and bigger than him.
"What makes you think that? Do I look like I'm better than you?" It really didn't matter to Rafael. What did matter was that the other was trying to initiate a fight somehow. The second shove he had been a little more prepared for, and he put his weight forward to jar against the boy's wrists. He still had to step back. "One more time, chico. Try not to speak through your nose this time."
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Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 9:42 pm
Rafael's attitude was working under Koa's skin. He wasn't responding at all like he should, much to the bully's rising annoyance.
"What, you some push-over?" He continued pressing the boy's ego. Even if he had a strong resistance to verbal abuse, anyone's patience could be worn out eventually. "Just gonna let me walk over?" Koa continued to advance step by step.
Koa was caught off-balance when the boy saw fit to offer some resistance and paused in his movement to regard the boy at first with uncertainty, but a grin slowly crossed his face. Good, good, he might actually cooperate...
The grin was immediately wiped from his face by Rafael's jibe. "Whatcha say about my nose?" he growled. "What, you think it's funny? You think this is funny?" He jabbed a hand at his face.
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Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 2:02 pm
It didn't take a genius to realize Koa was trying to get a rise out of him. He wanted something, Rafael just didn't know what. Not money, at least, probably not food either. To the larger boy's grin, he was resilient, his expression going more flat if it was even possible. He didn't even seem to find humor in that Koa was effected by his own words.
No, he was busy. His free hand seized the opportunity, slamming its heel against Koa's in an attempt to drive the boy's hand right into his own face. He himself actually stepped forward, aiming to use his momentum and the strength of his arm to drive the blunt side of his staff into the bully's gut. If it was a fight he was looking for, he had it.
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Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2008 10:49 pm
The hand-jab caught Koa off-guard, resulting in the pig-boy getting a face-full of his own back-hand. As his vision broke into dots, Koa thought he heard someone chuckling in the back of his mind. And then Raphael was on him. Koa held his fists up to defend himself like a boxer, but the boy went low, knocking the air out of him with a low "whoomph!" Koa fell back several steps, lip curled back in a silent snarl and looking far less cocky.
Damn, he told himself, should never have picked a fight without backup. Another swing of the staff caught Koa on his forearm, which he was using like a shield, leaving a red mark that would bruise later. The scrawny kid had the advantage of reach with his weapon, and Koa could hardly get close enough to get inside it's range without getting clocked on the head.
Falling back another few steps down the alley, the pig-boy's foot splashed in a puddle. Acting on impulse, he kicked up and around, thinking to distract Rafael with a splash of water. What he hadn't counted on was the bucket-load that went flying up to dowse his opponent.
Koa had the presence of mind to only gawk for a moment before turning tail and running the other way down the alley. He'd not counted on the boy putting up such a fight, and being the bully that he was, Koa had little taste for fights not in his favor.
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