31 replies to this topic

[Maks]

Maks glanced around the street as they left the shop, ensuring that they hadn't caught the eye of anyone they didn't want to see them. He quietly followed the girl into the alley and stayed silent while she spurted out her questions. She was smart, that, at least, was clear. Maks did his best to look non-threatening, "We're friends Kayla. And we want to help you."

He glanced out onto the street, checking to make sure there were no passing obligators, "You're a special girl, more special than I think you realize just now," Maks reached within himself and extinguished his copper, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you can feel... pulses, almost like a heartbeat sometimes, can't you?" He paused, glancing at Nessa, who should have been burning pewter at that very moment. Hopefully Kayla was burning bronze and would feel the thrumming from her. "Nessa and I... well... we're special in a similar way to you."

[Valkyn Venture]

The inquisitor watched through the stone crenallations on the peaked roof. Stone was hard to see through, but he didn't want to risk any exposure. The tailor's apprentice and The Abomination's 'sweets' had backed the seeker into a corner.

His spikes pulsed in time with Elena's heart. Pewter. She was everywhere right now. The pain from the spikes mingling with Elena's heartbeat was very near ecstasy. He extinguished his steel and iron, and flared bronze and tin, listening, feeling. The touch on his skin... was it the wind, or her? The warmth on his face... was it the sun, or her warmth? She was so close. He was sure if he reached out, he could touch her.

But he didn't reach out. He had done so and found nothing too many times.

Too close. Far too far away.

[Kayla]

All of the color drained from her face until she was ashen. No. No. No....Run, Kayla, don't just stand there... But she didn't run. The man's eyes were kind but they weren't what held her. Both he and Nessa were in the mouth of the alley; bad planning on her part, but that wasn't what held her in place either. He was giving words to her ability, her secrets. He was talking about something she only wanted to leave behind and he was doing it right out in the open. For Kayla it was as if it only took the act of mentioning it to bring the pulsing back.

A steady thrumming came from Nessa. Her nails dug into the wall. She had thought it only came from obligators...it was how she knew when they were near, how she was safe. If that wasn't true...Abruptly she realized there was thrumming coming from above them too. It was different from what she felt from Nessa. More varied somehow. Her eyes were drawn upward. "I don't want to be special," she whispered hollowly. "Special....is dying in the dirt with the dust coated in red blood under the heel of the obligator..."

Kayla shook herself forcing the memory back. She looked up at Maks and lowered her eyes in shame. What she had said wasn't exactly true. Being special was one thing. She could read and that was special. What the woman was doing was special...whatever it was. What she was afraid of was what happened to people when you weren't special enough. "You have a friend up there, too?"

[Maks]

Concern bloomed on Maks' face as the color drained from Kayla. Springing this on her probably hadn't been the best plan but.... there hadn't been a better way at that moment. The girl probably didn't associate her ability with anything good, based off of her confession about not wanting to be special. That would have to be changed because there was so much good that she could do for herself and other Skaa with her gift.

"You have a friend up there, too?" Kayla asked.

Maks' eyes immediately snapped upward, searching for the person Kayla had obviously felt. He stoked his copper to life, shielding the three of them from being detected further, but that might not be enough depending on who was watching them. His eyes darted left and right, until he finally spotted a cloaked figure atop one of the nearby buildings. It may have been Valkyn; Maks couldn't be sure though, as he had only met the man briefly the night before and the distance between them now was too great for him to recognize anything about the figure.

"I think it's about time we moved," he said cautiously, "We have many friends watching out for us at all times," he hoped, "We came to find you today to offer you a new life, of sorts. One where you don't have to be afraid. One where you're ability is a blessing and not a curse."

He smiled softly at the girl, "You don't have to live in fear, Kayla."

[Kayla]

"We should move," Kayla agreed with another shiver. If they weren't certain who was up there it was risky. "I...I'll listen." She stepped away from the wall and tucked her own list into her pocket. She was going to be late now and that meant she'd be in trouble; probably a beating. Well, Kayla had been through beatings before and for less. If they could at least explain to her what she was doing and why it would be worth it and more. Maybe much more.

[Nessa]

Nessa had been told to keep quiet. And watching Maks, she could see why. He was a lot better with people than Nessa could ever hope to be. But this girl was scared of them. Scared of strangers. Scared of Allomancy.

The longer the list got in Nessa's head, the more she began to think that the girl in front of them was just plain afraid of everything.

That was probably a healthy attitude to take. Although, if Nessa had been this afraid, she probably would have keeled over and died the other night when she was dragged into that meeting. But maybe, just maybe, hearing from someone else would help.

"S'okay, y'know," Nessa told the girl in her low-toned, soft-spoken voice. "I'm new to this too. Maks's friends found me just the other day and introduced us. He's real nice. So are his friends." Well, most of them. But Nessa was pretty sure this girl wasn't quite ready to hear about the Inquisitor, or Ignas's sense of humor. They really would have to take her by force if she tried to run away, or just carry her back if she fainted.

[Maks]

Maks couldn't help but smile a little as he watched Nessa reassure Kayla. At first Maks had been hesitant to bring the girl along... though he had been a little hesitant to go along himself, but now he could see that having someone there that could be relate to the girl easily was genius. He glanced back at the figure on the roof, feeling more confident that it was, in fact, Valkyn. Any other inquisitor would have killed them long before.

"Come on," he said, "We can talk more back at the shop. Maybe even have a nice meal in the process."

[Kayla]

She glanced sharply at Nessa when the woman spoke. She had been silent for so long that Kayla had started to wonder if she could talk at all. What she had to say however was oddly comforting even if it could be a lie. She couldn't think of a reason anyone would go to such elaborate means to trick her into going with them so she was more inclined to believe they were sincere.

She nodded again and fell into step with Maks and Nessa.

[Maks]

((Sorry. Sort of forgot I needed to post in here. XD It was on my list of to-do's awhile ago and it must have slipped through the cracks.))

Conversation on the walk back to Lan's shop was minimal, not for lack of things to be talked about, but because those things were of a sensitive nature and needed to be said where a passing ear couldn't hear. However, the walk was quick enough, and soon Maks was holding the shop's rear door open for Nessa and Kayla to enter through. He paused for a moment in the alley outside, checking to make sure they hadn't been followed, and then he followed the pair into the kitchen.

A few middle aged women went about their work in the large room, but aside from them, no one else from the Rebellion was there at the moment. Maks motioned for Kayla and Nessa to take a seat at the big square table in the center of the room and walked to one of the counters where he retrieved three mugs and a bottle of wine. He returned to the table, setting the empty cups on the table before taking a seat himself.

Maks smiled softly at Kayla, somewhat surprised that the girl hadn't bolted at the first available opportunity. "I suppose now you'd like some questions answered, but before we get started, I need you to understand that what we tell you is not to be repeated to anyone you know... or for that matter, don't know. Our lives are safe because we can trust those that we work with," he looked directly into Kayla's eyes, "Can we trust you?"

[Kayla]

((No worries, it happens.))

"I can keep a secret," she said quietly. She managed a weak smile. "I..don't talk much anyway, which you've probably noticed. But who are you people? What do you want?" Kayla put her hands in her lap and absently twisted the sleeve nervously between her fingers. The shop was clean and quiet, but most importantly it seemed devoid of nobles for the moment. It was safe; at least for now. The pulsing was abruptly gone again. Could they really understand what caused it? Could they explain it? She wasn't sure she was hopeful or fearful.

[Maks]

"We're rebels," Maks said simply. No use beating around the bush now. "Both Nessa and I, and basically everyone that works in this shop, are part of an underground operation to take down the nobility and, maybe with a little luck, the Lord Ruler." He paused for a moment. That may have been a little much to spring on the poor girl, but it was too late now to take it back, "I'm also a tailor/dressmaker though. We're just normal people like you, only we're trying to change the world a little bit."

He poured himself some wine and took a sip before continuing, "The reason we came to find you is because we think you and your ability could be a great asset to our organization," he took another sip, "If you're willing to help, that is."

[Kayla]

"Take down the Lord Ruler?" She whispered incredulously, almost forgetting to be tongue-tied. Kayla clenched the edge of the chair and peered at them, her eyes intense. Their faces were serious, with no hint of humor in their deeps and they didn't seem mad, but... "I....you're not serious?"

For a second she glanced between them. Lord Ruler, she realized. They are serious. "It's...impossible! He's the Lord Ruler. I mean, taking the nobles down would be hard enough, if not impossible but the Lord Ruler!" She drew in a shivering gasp, not noticing that she had forgotten her customary whisper and recalcitrant demeanor.

After a second she let out a sigh, releasing the edge of the chair. She felt unusually drained. "And me, help? I...can't imagine what you think I could do. I mean, it's not that I like this place, or nobles, or even the...Lord Ruler...but I'm just a maid. I can't see that I could help. I mean," she gave a sharp, rueful laugh, "I once knew someone who said I couldn't even help myself let alone someone else."