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| Smog Alley |
| The part of Obsidia that Obsidians don't want you to see, and where you don't want to go. |
| 22 November, 3013 |
Having found himself with free time once more, Morrigan has once more donned the black armor of his band and the black hooded robe the locals in the area have begun to associate with the Wraith.
Moving quietly through the streets on quiet feet, hands folded quietly behind his back, the dark figure seems to be just wandering. Moving with the unhurried steps of someone that has nothing much to do and a whole lot of time to do it in.
Someone who doesn’t have a lot of time, and seemingly too much to do in that little bit of time hurries as much as she can without drawing too much attention to herself. Her footsteps are light, and the basket at her side seems to be somewhat heavy for such a short woman.
Suddenly, a youngster ducks out, follows her a couple of feet, and then reaches into the basket to try and grab an apple. Not quite as helpless as she looks, the woman in blue turns and grabs the youth’s arm.
Despite this place being a sprawling metropolis, it seems that it’s not so big that these two don't keep running into each other. Seeing the Blue lady grab the young boy’s arm, he smiles quietly under the Balaclava and the hood, a slight chuckle escaping his lips as he continues moving towards them. Placing a small coin in the boy’s hand he speaks quietly to the Blue lady “Glad to see you are well still madam.”
The small boy breaks the hold she has, which she counters, her arm coming around again and the boy ducks around, pushing the arm to keep going, and it goes on, an almost rehearsed game as the woman in blue puts the boy through his paces, until they’re both giggling. The boy gives her a hug, then looks into the basket. “What do you have today, Sister?” at the coin, he looks down, then up. He backs away a couple of steps.
The lady looks up, and then gives the boy a pat on his head. “It’s all right, Phelan, I’m pretty sure he’s a friend.”
“Thank you, Mister,” the boy says, bobbing his head, but then he’s looking back into her basket.
“Hello,” the Sister says quietly. “It is good to see you well, as well.”
Grinning at the sight of the pair in a mock duel, Morrigan folds his hands behind his back quietly. Nodding as the boy gives thanks, he turns his attention back to the Lady.
“Didn’t mean to interrupt. Anything you need help with today?” As he speaks, he slips an apple and a long thin knife from inside his cloak and begins to peel it quietly in one long continuous ribbon.
“That’s all right. Phelan’s getting better, I’ll have to use two hands soon,” the woman teases, looking down to the boy.
“I was taking it easy on you,” he claims in return, earning a chuckle.
“Just deliveries tonight, sir,” Sister answers the question when the two have finished ribbing each other. “No muggings or fights planned, although… I wouldn’t mind the company if you would like to walk with me.”
Looking around, Morrigan nods quietly before he says. “It’s a fine night and a little more fresh air would do me good.” It’s obviously a joke referring to fine nights and fresh air in this place, but he offers an arm, bidding her to lead the way.
Phelan pulls on his arm, and leans up to tell the man in a stage whisper, “You’re supposed to carry her basket for her.”
The sister chuckles, and gives the scamp a loaf of bread, and then shoos him off.
Chuckling, Morrigan replies in his own stage whisper. “Not after the drubbing I’ve seen her give others for trying to take it.” Still though he does offer his hand to take it if she is willing to give it.
“That’s only if they don’t offer to take it politely,” Phelan nods solemnly, hugging the loaf of bread to his chest as he scampers away.
“He is a great kid,” Sister says quietly. “He could be the best pick pocket in the Alley, probably. It’s what happens to a lot of kids his age, but he’s got a good sense of right and wrong for one so young.”
Nodding quietly, Morrigan watches the boy go, Arm still offered to take the basket if she so wishes. After a few moments, he nods. “He does seem to have some skill. I hope you can keep him from going down that path. With a bit of practice, he could be dangerous. and my wallet is in peril enough when I come down here.” After a moment, he adds, “Were you headed anywhere in specific this evening?”
“I hope so, too,” Sister replies. “He has been doing well in school. Maybe I can find a way for him to become a soldier, or maybe even a squire when he is old enough. The problem is finding the sponsorship.” She looks back from the boy, and realizes the man has his arm out, and pauses. It’s a good thing the breathing mask hides her face, so he can’t see her blush as she hands it over with a murmured ‘thank you.’
She starts along the street again and nods. “I’m always headed somewhere specific. I don’t have much time to come down here anymore, so I have a planned route in my head. But I do try and carry a little extra, since there’s always someone else along the way who needs help.”
Nodding quietly as he walks with the sister, Morrigan remains silent for a few moments nodding after a bit, he speaks softly. "There's always the merc companies. some of them are wiling to train youngsters as pages and the like. Pay them decently while they learn." Letting her lead the way, he adds. "so, where are we headed then?"
"Medicine, first," Sister replies. "Harriet is retired, used to be a drone controller at the local factory. Her arthritis makes it to difficult for her to control them anymore. Her arthritis also acts up and gets really painful, makes it hard for her to even cook. So I take her some anti-inflammatories." There's some silence as they walk. "Aren't merc companies… a little rough and tumble?" The hood moves, glancing upwards to the man walking next to her.
Considering that for a moment, Morrigan shrugs slightly under the cloak he wears. "Some are. Some aren't so bad. Trick is to ind the ones that actually run their companies like the businesses they are and not just for an excuse to go marauding and killing."
Blue Sister nods slowly, although her pace remains rather rapid. "I think most mercs are being hired to fight Hostiles, now. Ones of the latter kind are probably more than happy to head out to those sorts of assignments. They don't have to hold back for fear of any repurcussions for going overboard." She sighs, then tilts her head while continueing to walk. "Sounds like you know something of merc companies?"
There's another long moment of consideration as Morrigan walks with her, moving quietly keeping up though he doesn't seem to be following a hurried pace. after the space of 7 or 8 steps, Morrigan speaks quietly. "I was raised in one. Not a bad life really." Another pause before he continues "And yourself? I find it a little amusing that the most endearing and interesting lady in my life is one that I know nothing about, including her true name."
The young lady feels a hot flush at her cheeks again, but she's spared answering for a moment. She stops and pushes a buzzer at the outer entrance to a tenement, that looks like it has too many buzzers for the size building. When the occupaant answers, there's another buzz, and they're let inside. "Well, if said lady is me, I do not your name, either," she reminds him. "You're just a mysterious man in black and silver that stepped in when I had my hands full."
Chuckling quietly, Morrigan nods slighly. after a moment, he finally says. "True enough. and for now…would it suffice to call me Lupin? Not truly my name. But close enough for the moment."
After he speaks, the door to the apartment they walked to opens, and the Blue Sister hands over the bottle of pills, accompanied with a loaf of good bread and a couple apples. There are a few words of small talk, how the grandchildren are doing, and then she excuses herself to go on with her errands. Once the door is closed, she nods her head. "Lupin will do," she agrees. "Everyone here calls me their Sister. Or Blue Sister because I wear blue. You were raised in a mercenary camp?"
Nodding slightly, Morrigan shrugs in the same movement. "For most of my life. Learned to read and write by firelight, learned to hunt and how to defend myself. most importantly I learned to find my own food and never had to worry about having to steal to make my way. Sister is a good name. Thought maybe not fitting…perhaps I'll call you Sapphire. it's a pretty name."
The Blue Sister doesn't need to watch where she's going so much, knowing the area well, so she's looking up to Morrigan as he speaks and nods thoughtfully. "It might be a good place for Phelan. I might ask a favor of you for him some time." She heads into a busier street as he comes up with his name for her, and she ducks her face away from him as she blushes once more. "Thank you, it is a pretty name. I like it."
Nodding, Morrigan walks with her quietly for awhile longer before he adds. "Though with the mask. I may decide to call you cobalt. it's harder to see through than Sapphire." there's an ever so slight nudge of his shoulder against hers in a chiding fashion though he doesn't seem inclined to add anything more for the moment
She chuckles back. "Well, if we're going for stone for nicknames, I could call you Onyx. That's even more difficult to see through than Cobalt." The young woman glances up with a gleam of challenge in her eyes, one eyebrow can be seen raising. Her gaze returns to the street, and she makes a couple more stops for food or medicine, and then gives a one shouldered shrug. "I'm not sure why you wear a mask, my friend, but as for me… if a word of my true identity was whispered in the right ears, my ability to help anyone would be suddenly, and quite completely, curtailed."
Nodding quietly, Morrigan chuckles softly and speaks even more softly. "For me, I enjoy the anonymity. It gives me freedom to move about. plus there's a chance that if I were found here, I could be executed…which is a hinderance in all aspects."
Blue Sister comes to a momentary halt at the low spoken words. "What? You can't be serious…" She swallows and nods. "That would be… quite a hinderance… yes." There's a frown as she continues to walk for a few paces, giving out the last of the contents of her basket a little more subdued. "I would ask why you risk it, but you must have a close family. But it also means I'm unlikely to see you without a mask."
Chuckling softly, Morrigan considers her for a moment, then shrugs. "Am I likely to see you without one? I feel I could trust you…but perhaps when we get to know each other more, it could be done somewhere less public." There's another few moments of silence before he adds. "I kind of like the masks though. I'm getting to know the person, not the face. And so far, weather you;re ugly or beautiful under the mask. You have a pretty soul."
"Oh, I didn't mean down here," Blue Sister clarifies. "I meant, well, in normal life. Running into you somewhere during my daily routine, or at the cafe or something. But if you can't show your face around where I do my daily work, well- the likelihood is slim." As he mentions her having a pretty soul, she looks away quickly, ducking so her hood is between the two of them.
Watching her for a moment, Morrigan shrugs. "Not sure really. Possibly We see each other all the time. Who knows?" As she ducks her head, Morrigan Tilts his head slightly before he speaks softly. "I've embarrassed you?"
Klaudea raises one shoulder, her face still averted. "I've been having an odd time with boys lately," she admits. "I even have one who wants me to be his girlfriend so we can date and get to know each other, which seems backwards to me." She gives a bit of a snort. "Just, you don't know much about me, I feel this weird sort of feeling about having you compliment me. You know, kind of like when someone praises you for something you haven't actually done? It's that kind of mixed up feeling. You want to accept the compliment, but you feel a little guilty doing so because you haven't really earned it."
Chuckling as he pulls the hood back, Morrigan reaches up and removes the blacked out goggles, showing a pair of Golden brown eyes ringed by a black Balaclava. "I see what you do around ehre, I see how those you help look at you. It is a compliment you've earned Ms. Sapphire. I don't know that I count as a 'Boy in your life' at the moment, though like I said before. you are possibly the most endearing woman I have in my life at the moment."
Noting out of the corner of her eye that he's drawing the hood back, the Blue Sister looks up, and her hazel eyes that are easier to see look into the golden brown ones. Her own hazel gaze starts to melt a little more towards brown itself, and a bit of red can be seen in her skin. "All right," she replies quietly. "Thank you." She turns to walk a couple more step, and looks up to him. "I think I'd like you to be something in my life. So, don't get executed, okay?"
Noddin Slightly, Morrigan steps forward quietly, Leaing forward slowly, he presses his lips to her cheek more a gesture really seeing as there's a breathing mask and a Balaclava between them. With that, hetakes a couple steps back and nods. "I'll walk you to somewhere a bit safer before I go home." With that, the Goggles are replaced over his eyes, a fingertip brushed over the upper rim of them causing a nearly inaudible beep to emit from them.