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 Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 8:22 pm
After leaving the festivities of last night's party, it became a matter of finding a place to stay for the night. Faylen had eventually settled on a slightly less-disgusting than usual alleyway, curling up in a cardboard box like a little kitten. It reminded him of the days he'd play in the old TV and refrigerator boxes, almost. Back then, he hadn't realized how horribly uncomfortable they were, though. But back then, he never had to sleep in them for a whole night.
The next day, he'd gotten up some time in the afternoon and clambered out of his cardboard abode stiffly. His hip hurt, his back hurt, his hair was messed up and he felt like crap. But at least the weather was decent and he was alive and still full from gorging on snacks the night before. Plus, going home was even less of an option- if possible- thanks to the barricades. He had to make do with what he had, he supposed. What else could he do (except periodically burst into tears here and there when he thought too heavily on things)?
Faylen had planned on seeing if he could visit the library today, once he found out there was one not too far away. He still needed to figure out who his goddess was and, while he was at it, what she was goddess of. He knew she had something to do with snakes, based on the dream she had visited him in and the scales she'd decorated his face with but...it wasn't nearly enough information to be helpful. He'd asked for directions and found that he should be able to walk to library before closing and he seemed all set to brave another day alone but...well, the best laid plans of mice and men oft go awry.
This was made painfully obvious when a group of bullies (they didn't look rough enough to be street kids- their outfits were too nice and their hair too perfectly brushed and cut) surrounded him and started pushing him around. At first it was just jeering and insults (about his shirt, about his face) and he'd tried to walk away, get to someplace more populated in hopes they'd let him alone. But before he could get too far, they circled him and in the ensuing scuffle, he went down and like hungry predators, they all converged on him, kicking and hitting.
Before he had fallen asleep last night, he had told himself that he needed to become more vigilant. He had been snuck up on twice at the party and while he was fortunate enough to have those encounters ended well, he knew that not all godlings would be so nice and that the men they called "Blacksuits" could possibly be even worse. But as he laid on the gound curled into a tight ball, he was finding that that being vigilant only helped so much if you couldn't fight.
Some godly powers sure would be nice about now but since he hadn't figured out how to make them go yet, he supposed that all he could do was play dead and hope they lost interest...
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Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 9:32 pm
Mercury was running through the city, using the roofs, scouting out the blacksuit blockades. If he needed to run from or to something, knowing the quickest route might be a matter of life and death. So far he had mentally cataloged several, but some of the city had changed in his abscence, and it was throwing off his sense of direction.
As he ran across one roof, he spotted a little boy being pushed around by some Uppers-looking kids. He skidded to a halt on the roof, and walked over to just above the group. Mercury couldn't get a good look at the kid, but he appeared to maybe be from Midling, judging by his clothes.
Had the bullying ended at the pushing, he would have left it alone; he didn't need to draw attention to himself like that. But he couldn't sit around while they beat up on the kid. It reminded him too much of his own days as a little kid on the street, and his hatred for people from Uppers.
With a leap, he jumped off the roof, gliding down over the group, and when he around 5 feet above one, he dropped down, landing on one and driving him to the ground, knocking the wind out of him. Swinging his staff, he caught another one in chest.
"All of you stupid uppers get out of here." He growled, guestering with his staff. He held it ready in case they were stupid.
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Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 9:52 pm
Fortunately for them, the remaining bullies hauled their friends up and took off. There was pride, and then there was fighting a guy with some weird ******** stick when all you had were fists and maybe a hidden knife.
Fay uncurled slowly once he noticed the onslaught had stopped (and once he regained the ability to move). If he wasn't sore enough from his sleeping arrangements, he certainly was now. His nose was bleeding, there was a bruise forming on his cheek and he was somewhat sure that a tooth had been knocked loose. Wonderful. It had seemed like such a nice day, too! He couldn't believe he'd messed up something as simple as 'walk a few blocks to the library'. He looked up to see why things had stopped, noticing his assailants beating a hasty retreat. He blinked a few times until his vision refocused, taking in his savior.
For a savior, though, he wasn't very tall. Even from the ground, Fay could see this. But...dynamite looked pretty unassuming until you set fire to it.
He pushed himself to a sitting position. The other one looked...different. Combined with that tingly feeling he got in his gut, he wagered that he'd met another Player. A nice one too, he hoped. Nice enough to chase off those bullies. Unless he just wants to finish you off himself, a more nervous part of his mind uttered. He hoped that wasn't the case- even though the other didn't look very tall (and by proxy, not much older than him either), he had a weapon. And likely the ability to actually move and see straight.
He licked a split lip as he gazed at Mercury nervously. He probably should do something other than stare. "H-hallo." he managed. "Um, zhank you for helping me. Vielen dank." he said, speaking slipping between English and German. At least his phrases contained enough English to be understandable. He blinked and shook his head gain. "Oh, you haf a tail too? Just like Mr. Vale..." he murmured. His ears looked weird too, but not as much as Vale's had. Oh well, his tail looked as soft, at least.
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Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 10:31 pm
It looked like they weren't so stupid after all. He made a mental note to keep an eye out for them, maybe be a bit more thorough next time. He was about to leave when he got a good look at the kid he had rescued. Scales, weird hair, young kid; it fit perfectly.
Mercury was about to ask him if he was in the game, when the kid mentioned Vale. Definitely a Player then. He smiled a bit.
He would have knealt down to talk to the kid, but he'd be looking up. "Are you alright? They got some good hits in." This was a good opportunity. If Vale knew this kid, and Mercury was friends with the kid, would Vale still attack? It was worth trying. "Oh, you know Vale? I just saw him earlier today."
Moving his tail around a bit was the extent of what he could do with it if he wasn't running. "Yeah. It's not all its cracked up to be though." He said. "What about you? Are those scale the only thing you have?" Lucky kid.
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Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 10:49 am
After a few seconds, Fay managed to push himself upright to stand as shakily as a newborn foal. It was strange to not have to tilt his head up to look at someone (seems everyone he'd met over the last few days was much taller than him), but nice at the same time. It made him feel less intimidated. Almost.
"I am used to zhese zhings. I should be alright. Just hurts a little." he answered, shaking his head a bit. The bruises would fade in time,the bleeding would eventually stop and he was sure they'd only loosened a baby tooth (if not, he probably should stop wiggling it with his tongue).
He was a veteran when it came to being pushed around by peers or older bullies. But being the short kid with a weird accent made him the de facto target for getting pushed around, hung up on coat pegs, given swirlies, pushed into dustbins and duffed up. After awhile, you got used to it. It still hurt and sometimes it still made him cry but not as much as when it first started.
He nodded at the mention of Vale. "Ja, I met him at a party last night. He seemed nice enough, zhough I do not zhink he liked Mr. Quinn much." he concluded. "But everyone cannot like everyone, ja? He had an accent too...it vas neat. Are you friend's vith him too?" The way the panther-man's w's turned to v's reminded him a little of his own accent (even though he could tell they sounded different). It was comforting, even if the man was a little...scary (he blamed the eyes).
"It looks soft." he smiled, fingers twitching a bit, half-wanting to reach out and pat it.
But like was the case with Vale's tail, he refrained. It would be rude to invade someone's personal space like that. Still, what kid didn't want a tail growing up? He couldn't have been the only one to tie belts and rope and the like to the back of his pants.
He reached up and touched his scales lightly, nodding. "Uh-huh. Vell, my hair is a little verid too. But most people notice zhe scales first. I do not like zhem-" They were the reason he panicked and ran away from home, after all. "-but Mr. Anubis said zhat I looked a little less unusual than ozher players so I suppose I ought not complain."
Oh! He had never introduced himself! He held out a slightly scuffed hand. "I am called Faylen. It is nice to meet you."
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Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 12:52 am
Poor kid seemed to have taken a real beating, from the way he slowly got up. It was probably a good thing he stopped the bullies when he did. "That's good to hear." If the kid was going to act tough, he wouldn't want someone going on about how bad he looked.
Mercury was suddenly very glad he had stopped to help the kid. It seemed he a few things about the other Players. "I think I might be one of those people he doesn't like. Mr. Quinn I haven't met."
He skipped over the question about his tail. The kid wanted to touch it, and Mercury wasn't keen on the idea of having it pulled. Scales, by comparison, seemed much less noticeable, and less likely to get in the way. The hair even less so. "Yeah, I think you got off light, unlike some of the others." Others like himself for example.
"Mercury." He hesitated in holding out his hand, not used to doing it, but he needed allies and information, and after a moment shook Faylen's hand. "So, you don't seem like you've been at this long. Or are your powers not good for direct fights?"
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Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 10:30 am
He flexed his fingers and rolled his shoulders, trying to shake some of the stiffness out. Ow, ow, ow. This would hurt for a good week. He missed not being able to shuffle back to his sister for care- she always knew what stuff from the first aid kit made his bruises and scrapes feel worlds better.
"Oh, I see. He seems a little...less friendly zhan some ozhers but he vas nice to me. Maybe you two vill make up." he said politely, nodding. "Mr. Quinn is awesome. He's really colorful and kind of loud but he bought me food and stuff." he said exuberantly. Fay did look up to him, even if the man had some strange ideas about boys liking other boys. "I do not see vhy Mr. Vale and Mr. Writ do not seem to like him. He is very kind."
He nodded along. It would make it easier to hide from other players (as long as they couldn't sense he was a player), blend in with the crowd, and not draw too much attention from those Blacksuit people that he had heard mentioned. Still, they were effectively weird enough to ostracize him from his house. But seeing some of the other players like Mr. Vale and, actually, Mr. Mercury...he supposed he ought not complain.
You look very dapper with those scales to decorate your features, his goddess reassured.
Thanks, I guess, he thought back...though it didn't make him feel much better all the same.
He pulled his hand back when the gesture was completed. He had always been taught to bow and be respectful when meeting ladies and to shake hands when meeting men. It made him feel a tough better, though, that Mercury found the gesture a little awkward too.
"Oh, zhat is a nice name." he said. Much more interesting and cool than his own name.
He felt a coldness wash over his stomach at the turn the conversation took, though. He looked uneasily at the ground, taking a nervous step back. Was the other man curious or was he testing to see if Fay would be an easy mark to knock off? "Um vell...I haf not really fought yet but...but I'm plenty strong! I just, ah, did not vant to cause a scene..." It was a a terrible lie. He wasn't very good at fibbing, it seemed.
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Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 10:19 pm
He shrugged "I don't really know what happened between them." Probably something to do with Vale running around at night with blood on his hands.
Mercury was glad when the handshake was done. The whole of it had been awkward for him, especally since it was a little kid. Nevermind he wasn't much bigger.
He wasn't the smartest kid around, but he had no trouble telling that the kid was trying to bluff. "You don't have any yet, do you? What's your god a god of? That might give you a hint." Again, helping the kid, but getting info out of the deal.
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Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 10:54 pm
He fidgeted. He didn't want to say he didn't even know who his goddess was yet. It made him feel even more pitiful than he already did. But he was a terrible liar- as evidence by his last attempt. It made him feel bad too, lying to someone who had helped him out like that. Fay sighed and looked sheepishly at the other player.
"Um, vell...I am not even sure who she is. All I know she has to do vith snakes." he said, gesturing to his scales. "I vas going to go to zhe library and try to find some stuff out. She does not vant to tell me who she is cuz she says zhat vould be too easy and zhat handouts vould not make me strong. I have to find out on my own." he said.
This time, it wasn't a bluff to keep secrets. It was plain to see that the boy really had no damn clue. Unfortunately, it seemed like this answer wasn't going to give Mercury much information this time around.
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Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 11:39 pm
Jeez, what a crappy god to get stuck with. At least his told his name. Although he could be annoying, trying to get Mercury to "do the right thing". At least Faylen's god was a god of something cool.
"Snakes sound fun though. Maybe you'll be able to turn into one or something. " It made sense since Writ could turn into a coyote.
It didn't look like he was going to get to much more out of the kid at the moment. He had other things that he wanted to take care of today.
"Are you going be okay by yourself?" He could probably find the kid a good spot to sleep for the night or something, maybe one of his old hiding spots. Getting him past the blacksuits and into Downers was probably out of the question.
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Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2009 1:46 pm
Fay shifted a bit. He didn't much like snakes. They quite frankly creeped him out. They didn't have eyelids, they looked almost slimy (though he knew they weren't) and they had fangs. Anything with teeth like that way eerie by default. Maybe having a goddess that had some relation or snakes would ease the fear, though. Or it'd make this ordeal all the more terrible. One or the other.
"Snakes," he started, "are creepy. I do not zhink I vould like to become one very much."
He wasn't sure what Mercury was getting at with his last statement. Just a polite formality? Or was it like Quinn, an offer for food or something? He tilted his head and examined the man, trying to decide what he meant. "Um, vell...you did scare off zhose bullies so as long as zhey do not come back I should be mostly alright..." he answered tentatively.
He didn't much want to be alone again- it was nice to talk to players that didn't want to maim him- but he didn't want to hold the man up any either.
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Posted: Sun Aug 09, 2009 12:28 am
Mercury shrugged. "Well, I guess you'll find out eventually. Maybe you'll be able to beat up kids like that then."
He started coughing, a couple hacking coughs before his throat felt clear. That had been bothering him longer than it should have. It was something he would have to get checked out soon.
Getting saddled with a newbie really wasn't something he wanted at the moment, so Mercury took the opening when Faylen implied he didn't need help.
"They come back, just jump on one of them and go for the eyes. That'll scare'em off quick." The matter-of-fact way he said made it hard to tell if he was joking or speaking from experience. "If you're fine, then I'll get going." He said, and started to turn as though to walk away.
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Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 12:03 pm
"Maybe..." he echoed. Even if he managed to figure out his powers, he wasn't sure he wanted to beat kids up, per se. Just...scare them off. Faylen was not an aggressive boy. "I do not like to fight but I suppose I could scare zhem away, yes?"
He winced a bit at Mr. Mercury's coughing, frowning a bit. That didn't sound good! Did he have a cold? But it was summer! You got colds in the winter when it was lousy out, not in the dry summer, right?
"You vill be alright? Zhat cough sounds bad. Maybe you should go see your doctor. Zhey might give you zhat pink syrup stuff to make you feel better." he suggested.
He looked at the man as he turned. He...he probably had places to go. But maybe just asking one little thing wouldn't hurt. "Mr. Mercury um...zhank you for helping me out today. If...if zhere is anyvay I can repay you in he future, j-just let me know, okay? I vill try my hardest!" he intoned.
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Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 3:57 pm
"I think if a snake guy hissed acted like he was going to bite someone, they'd run away." Give the kid some good, healthy goals in life.
"A doctor huh?" Mercury probably hadn't seen a doctor since he was four. Maybe now it was time to see one again. "I might do that. I think I know where a hospital is."
Mercury was honestly taken aback. It wasn't often that people thanked him, and never as sincerely as this kid did. "N...no problem. You just stay safe for now, okay Faylen?" He waved and started to walk off.
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