Crooked Street

[Rae]

Off the top of his head, Marcus could count three blond elves he knew. But, since he felt it was rude to comment on most people's thoughts, he decided not to say so.

"Phoenix...." He thought on it a moment, before a memory came to mind. Wolves...walking stick...something about a knee...shrieking...oh yeah! He imidately brightened further. "Phoenix! I knew I knew an elf...." Feeling proud of himself, the shadow man shook Lovai's hand. "Yep...I'm Marcus. Well...yeah. And that's Reaver."

Reaver offered a tight smile, for once happy not to be in the spotlight. Marcus was being more...Marcus-y today than usual. He didn't really fancy being eaten any time soon, and was eager for MArcus to be back to normal.

[Κομμα]

She might have been interested to meet another mindreader, her third since entering the realm; but instead, Karimi huffed very slightly at being called 'kiddie.' Her huff was still enough to knock her overlarge tricorne in front of her eyes; as it wasn't helping much anyway, so she took her hands away from her ears and fixed her hat, then crossed her arms.

'I tried. I can't make a strong one yet,' she thought back at Marcus. 'And I have to listen for someone, so I can't anyways.'

Karimi sighed inwardly, scanning around with eyes, ears, and mind for any sign of Janx. She thought, for the first time in a while, she might have heard him, but it was mental only, and very faint, slipping in and out of focus. It was hard to judge distance with the thoughts of all the other people around her; and as listening any harder would make her head hurt, she stopped trying to tune him in for the time being.

[Elindë]

Lovai smiled as best he could while having his hand held in Marcus' vice-like grip. If Marcus remembered Eldu then evidently Eldu had managed to leave the tall man's company alive. There was a strange humour in the man's golden eyes that Lovai couldn't quite work out, so he nodded to Reaver instead and hoped the other stranger wouldn't engage him in coversation.

The Elf jumped in surprise at a buzzing at his side before remembering his phone. Frowning - he hadn't expected to get reception from within the realm - he excused himself, worked his hand free and took the phone out.

Finally found blackout curtains. Keeping the sun out a treat. How are you?

Lovai bit his lip as he texted back at a speed any self-respecting teenager would have boasted about: I'm in the Realm and wishing you were here. The Sinda's gone mad; any suggestions?

He held his phone in his hand as he waited for an answer. The hairs rose on the back of his neck as he looked from Karimi to Marcus and back again; something was going on between them and he really wished to know what, but it was none of his business.

Talk to him? Failing that forget about it and read a book; I recommend Great Expectations. Anyway, I shall leave you to it.

Lovai sighed. Thanks for nothing. He replaced his phone into his inner pocket and turned back to Marcus, wondering if he was having a telepathic conversation with Karimi and whether he could carry out a verbal one at the same time: "I take it you didn't know Phoenix well, though? Do you know Ruc as well?"

[Rae]

Marcus mentally sighed. 'Okay, okay...I won't call you kiddie any more. Okay, ki--er...Karimi? That's your name right? Walls aren't difficult...it's easier to listen for someone if you know how to block these brilliant folks out, eh?'

"Eh...I knew Phoenix...for a night."

Reaver, who'd been intending to wait this out by poking through the currently abandoned stalls, turned to look at him, his eyebrows raised and expression curious. "I...beg your pardon?"

Marcus blinked, pale face flushing slightly when he realized how that sounded. "Ew...no. Not like that. He was in a Game of mine." At Reaver's continued look of amusement, the thuroughly awkward shadow man changed the subject. "Erm...do I know Ruc?" Marcus looked toward Ruc. "Um...do I?"

[Elindë]

Lovai licked his lips, nervously, as he suddenly realised who Marcus was: "You're the Shadow man." He involuntarily stepped backwards slightly and looked at a last text while Marcus was pondering Rucran:

Well in my experience reading has done wonders to combat the wrath of de Valois.

"You always have to have the last word," Lovai muttered aloud and turned his phone off.

"I take it you haven't been here before," he said to Reaver.

(sorry it's so short. I could have waffled but... didn't)

[Κομμα]

'Mr. Cornelius is teaching me when he's not busy,' Karimi replied.

The old man had told her that she might take more time learning because of how she had come to learn the ability itself, but she hoped it wouldn't take too long; she didn't like listening to everyone around her thinking all the time. At best she could turn the volume down; but she had yet to be able to mute it completely.

She nearly giggled at Reaver's inquiry of Marcus; it sounded a lot like something Janx might have said. At this thought, however, she pouted a little. Irritating as having a babysitter could be, she missed Janx and hoped his disastrous navigational skills would lead him circling past soon. She didn't like not having someone she knew she could torment without getting in any trouble around.

Karimi perked up when she heard someone very nearby think her name. Someone had recognized her, which meant there was someone nearby she knew. She immediately took to scanning around the surrounding crowd for the source, and caught sight of a tall man in an indigo cloak.

Moments later, only a few feet away to the side of the small group, this man was nearly thrown off balance by Karimi tackling him and attaching herself to his side. Straightening a few books had beneath an arm before they could fall onto the girl's head from the force of the impact, Magus sighed in mild irritation, wondering if his fellow muses would ever learn that "coworker" and "friend" were not necessarily synonymous.

[Rae]

"Yep," Marcus said cheerfully to Lovai, wondering why people always panicked when they found out he was a shadow man. Honestly, what was wrong with that? It wasn't like he ate any of his losers, after all. Just put them in a coma, wiped their memories, and set them free in some world or another...well, unless they died. Then they were dead, and what was the fun in having them around then? On that pleasant thought, he returned to staring at Ruc.

Reaver had moved away from Erin, making sure he remembered about the invitation as he observed the 'jewels'. He could tell from a glance most were rubbish, but one of them looked like a bloodstone from his home world. Those were incredibly rare; the Archon having destroyed most of them ages ago in spells. If it was worth what he thought it was...he could fetch quite a price for it on the black market. Or see if it would work in...persuading Victoria to stop taking parts of Bowerstone Industrial from his grasp. He doubted it would work, but still; one couldn't fault him for trying.

"Hmm...no," Reaver replied to Lovai, still eyeing the overly-red stone that glittered like bloody glass. "Our dear shadow man convinced me to leave my little slice of paradise to join him on this rather odd venture." He paused thoughtfully. "Of course, one's companions can often affect one's veiw of paradise."

"Which is his way of asking you to bed," Marcus said snidely, choosing not to answer Karimi as she tackled the man in the robe.

"Marcus!" Reaver exclaimed, sounding delightedly scandalized.

"Well, maybe not. But still, don't blame me for your leaving. If I didn't get you out of Albion, that boy and girl were going to have a repeat of the Penelope/Ursula/Andrew tragedy...all because of a sibling rivallry."

Reaver waved him off as he picked up the stone. "You haven't the foggiest what they were about to do, and I would never dream of coming between siblings...well, there was that one time...."

Marcus shot a pointed look at Karimi and was ignored. He tilted his head at the man she'd tackled. "So...mysterious man in the robes, did you kill this dude over here?" He nodded towards the dead body. "Or...are we supposed to tackle you for prizes?"

He said it so seriously, it almost made Reaver wonder if he were serious.

(Please forgive Reaver...he knows not how his words can mentally scar people...well, actually, he probably does but just doesn't care.)

[Elindë]

(apologies in advance for this mammoth post…)

Lovai smiled as Karimi attached herself to the blue-haired man, even if the said man had appeared seemingly from nowhere and didn't seem best pleased at this latest development. It meant that he could stop worrying about her and worry about the commotion which had picked up at the other end of the street. He walked towards it with a feeling of trepidation.

The dark figure vaulted over the wall at the far end of the street, followed by the two remaining hunters. Several bullets whistled thorough the air past his ears and one shot through his cloak. The bustle hemmed him in so he span round and raised his knives so they glinted in the night. When Lovai drew near the battle lines had been drawn. The three men circled each other, the pursuers pushing the newcomer into the centre of the large circle which had formed. The men had used the last of their bullets so they threw their guns to the side and drew their own knives. Lovai swallowed when he saw this; with their guns they’d stood a good chance, without them they were done for. Not that he wanted the other Elf to die, far from it, but even so he felt for the men who would now be toyed with. He backed away, not wanting a ringside seat.

The gang members made the cloaked figure spin, and threw insults at their adversary. The crowd murmured in appreciation. As the spinning sped up, the central figure looked more like he was dancing. He flicked his knives so the blades caught the last of the light and lunged at each of the men in turn in such a way as neither realised the other had been hit. They both went for him. He twisted and turned, avoiding the attack of one while wounding the other. The crowd began to lose heart for they were on the home side. This macabre dance continued for only a couple of minutes before the Elf got bored and decided to end it. His arms were crossed but quicker than sight he had readjusted his hold on his knives and flicked them both into the chests of his assailants, one on either side. They folded on his arms and slid to the ground. The figure stood frozen for a while, not in shock but to hold the moment.

The crowd fell silent; this wasn’t the result they had been expecting, and they parted for the victor, who walked slowly down the street, one knife in each hand and both pointing down. He seemed to float and though he made no unnecessary movements it was evident that he was showing off to the assembled crowd. Then the crowd parted to reveal Lovai and he passed the knife in right hand to his left and extended his now empty hand. Though he couldn’t see his face, Lovai knew he was beaming, and his smile was reflected in his tone.

“Lovai, my dear, I’ve been looking for you everywhere!” He exclaimed in Welsh.

“You’re covered in blood,” Lovai observed in the same tongue.

“Oh that’s no matter; none of it is mine,” Phoenix reassured, resting his hand on Lovai’s shoulder.

“That wasn’t my point-”

“I came as soon as I learnt you had actually come here; I was worried about your safety.”

“The biggest danger to my health has been you.”

The change in the Sinda was instant and extreme. “I have been risking life and limb for you,” Phoenix replied, icily, swiftly removing his hand from Lovai’s shoulder “and this is the thanks I get? Why do I bother?”

“I just… didn’t need protecting,” Lovai said, nervously.

Phoenix’s left hand clenched around the knives, “Who else would you say that to? I have had bullets shot at me because of my fears for you. Do I mean nothing to you? After everything I’ve done, you selfish bastard.”

The Sinda lashed out before Lovai had time to react. He cuffed the younger Elf round the ear, sending his hat spinning onto the street in the process. Lovai was stunned. He looked at what he could see of Phoenix face from under his hood and raised his hand to his ear. It came away with the merest spot of blood. Lovai had barely registered the blood himself before he was being crushed in the Sinda’s embrace.

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to harm you, I don’t know what came over me; can you ever forgive me?”

“You’ve just killed six people in cold blood and you’re worried about the tiniest scratch?” Lovai stammered. He looked over Phoenix’s shoulder at the crowd; a crowd which was shaking off the shock. “Er, Eldu? Is this the end of the violence then?”

“Oh yes.” Like a switch Phoenix stopped apologising and let go of Lovai. He sounded perky as he replied, “Now I’ve got rid of them and found you I don’t plan on knifing anyone else.”

“Yes… but just because you’ve stopped doesn’t mean they have.”

Phoenix followed Lovai’s gaze and laughed, “Oh, don’t worry about them; I have a plan.” And he grabbed Lovai’s hand and led him into the shop he had come out of not all that long before. The shopkeeper looked a lot more nervous that he had the last time this particular Elf had graced his door however and watched from a distance as Phoenix removed the components of a pre-planned outfit from the racks and went into a back room to change.

“I don’t think,” Lovai said, leaning on the counter and looking at the blood stained black knives Phoenix had left there, “that changing your clothes is going to make an avenging mob overlook you.”

“I hid my face,” Came the response.

“Well what about these knives then? Everyone will be looking for them.”

Phoenix laughed from the other side of the curtain, “They aren’t mine, silly; the white-handled ones are mine!”

Lovai looked to his left and saw the pair of longer knives nestling inconspicuously amongst the rest of the weaponry. The only thing that marked them out was that, apart from the spiders’ web knives Phoenix had just replaced, they were the only ones that had actually been used. Lovai sighed inwardly, “Of course they wouldn’t be yours.” A few minutes later, Lovai said, “Come on, let’s see this transformation then.”

Phoenix emerged grinning from ear to ear and Lovai’s jaw dropped. The Sinda seemed to have shrunk and to have gained a few pounds thanks to the cut of the tunic and undershirt he now wore, which were thicker than the dark grey ones. He seemed slightly shorter too, partly to do with his flat boots and partly to do with the colours he now wore; forest greens and browns. These colours also made his complexion rosier, his eyes less intense and his hair more golden. The thick leather belt changed his figure just slightly and the clip keeping half his hair up changed his face shape. Lovai stood for a moment while Phoenix retrieved his white knives and paid the shopkeeper (“And here’s the cost again because you never saw me.”) and then said, simply, “You’ve done that before.”

Phoenix poked his tongue between his teeth like a small child might and took Lovai’s hand again.

“Wait!” Lovai stopped him, “What about your old clothes?”

Phoenix turned to the shopkeeper and reverted to English, “Burn them.” The man nodded. “Oh, and I’ll take a lantern too,” the Sinda added, taking a silver-finished one off a hook above their heads. He turned to Lovai, and said in Welsh with no hint of a joke in his face: “It’s getting very dark out there; it might be dangerous.”

“I’ll get you some matches-” the shopkeeper began but there was already a red flame burning merrily on the wick as the two Elves left.

“I left a lantern in the back alleys, come to think if it,” Lovai said as Phoenix skipped and pirouetted a short way ahead of him. “Do you even know what you’ve just done?” He asked the older Elf.

“Of course,” Phoenix replied, cheerfully, “I have killed six people. Six people have ceased to exist because of me. I have robbed six persons of their futures, have stolen their hopes and destroyed their dreams. Six wives may be widowed tonight because of me. Countless others will mourn their passing. And I don’t care, because they were mortal and mortal lives are worth very little.” He span around to face Lovai, face lighting up with an angelic smile, “You were with people, weren’t you? Let’s find them again before they think something terrible’s become of you.”

[Rae]

Marcus was distracted from the sudden arrival by Lovai's leaving. Why had the elf left? His question was answered soon enough as Lovai returned with a familiar face.

"PHOENIX!" Marcus yelped, promptly tackling the elf in a massive bear hug. He liked Phoenix...Phoenix reminded him of plants and being chased by angry and terrified Vikings though snowy forests with torches; which, believe it or not, had happened quite a few times...namely when they found him in bed with their wives.

Reaver raised a dark eyebrow at his companion's antics. He stood, leaning on his walking stick, half in the so-called 'jeweler's' stall; bloodstone still in hand. He couldn't help but roll his eyes and say off-handedly, "Ah, the thrill of being ignored."

He really hated being ignored.

[Elindë]

Phoenix yelped as he was swept off his feet but when he realised who it was he threw his arms around the shadow man's neck (something which he wouldn't normally do).

"How long has it been?" He exclaimed, "I would say I missed you but that would be a lie. I'm so glad Lovai found you."

Lovai shifted his feet, wondering who this Elf was and what he had done to the usually aloof Elf he called his mentor. His gaze flicked to Reaver when the other spoke and winced; he thought the comment was directed at him as well as at Marcus. "I was listening to you before," he insisted, "but, well... stuff happened."

[Basil]

Erin gave a surprised little gasp when Marcus drew her into a hug. She chuckled and hugged him in return. He was always made her day. Cheerful and at times morbidly so. It was a pity that she couldn’t find him that often given her hectic schedule.

“You should come down to the club more often, Marcus,” she chided softly moments before Reaver took her hand and bend over to kiss it.

“You really are a naughty boy,” she mock scolded when he let go her hand without really kissing it.

Her attention was diverted when a foul stench assailed her nose. She covered it with a gloved hand and drew out a fan from inside her sleeve. Erin fanned herself, finding no relief at all. The odor overpowered the sweet scent of her cedar-wood fan. Her eyes fell on the culprit soon enough.

“Rucran!” She as she rushed over to the half elf, completely ignoring the others for a moment. She doubted they would mind. This was an emergency after all. A minor disaster that needs to fix as soon as possible.

“You do have such a strange sense of fashion. What with this new parfum? It is so outrageous a fashion statement that I must do something about it.”

Before Rucran could protest, she took out a tiny bottle of perfume and began spraying a generous amount all over him. He largely ignored her, occasionally batting her away with his free hand as he continued to text, and answering Marcus’ question with an inaudible grunt, indicating that he wasn’t exactly paying attention. It was when her fingers started untangling the first of his cornrows that Rucran truly began protesting.

“Erin stop!”

“But Ru, your hair!”

“It took me so long to finish.”

“The braids need a wash! Just go back to your text.”

“I’m done. Matsu won’t reply so quickly.”

“Who is he?” Erin asked conversationally as she fought Ruc to untangle a couple more of his braids.

“A cop. Needed to tell him about Karimi. The kid I was with.”

“Why would you want to do that?” She asked as a couple of beads scattered on the floor.

“Because she is … not so lost,” Rucran replied as he noticed the newcomer Karimi was clinging to.

In one fell swoop, Erin emptied the remaining contents of her perfume bottle over Rucran’s head and stood back. The smell was gone, but his hair was still a disaster. The front portion was no longer braided. It hung in wavy lengths down to his shoulders. The back was still tightly braided.

“Lovai, what do you … think…?” She paused. The younger elf was nowhere to be seen. She spun round one full circle. He definitely wasn’t around here.

“Have you seen Lovai?” She asked the world in general.

A shout from Marcus caught her attention. The albino woman noticed that Lovai was with someone. Phoenix, she believed she heard the shadow man exclaim. She was about to go greet the elder elf, when she noticed that Reaver didn't seem so pleased. She approached him instead.

"Seems like quite a crowd today," she announced cheerfully. "I never expected such a good turn out."

"Everyone seems so easily distracted, but they'll come back. I'm sure. Like Rucran for instance. He is still trying to find the mirror the stall owner kept underneath this table."

Quite tellingly, the rummaging coming from behind the stall stopped. Barely five seconds later, it began again. Minutes later, there was a loud thud like something hitting the counter. Someone (who sounded awfully like the half elf) grunted in pain.

[Rae]

'I'll make a date of it,' Marcus thought cheerfully to Erin as he continued to hug Phoenix tightly. "It's been ages," the shadow man admonished, though his bright grin ruined the affect. "I thought you lot were going to vist me. Everyone seemed to enjoy my Game so much...."

Reaver gave Lovai a curt look; his bloodstone having vanished from his hand and the stall somewhere between Lovai speaking and Erin ensuring Ruc's hair looked less like an old...aquaintance's of his did.

"Indeed," he murmured to her, "I hardly expectedly the company to be so...enjoyable." He considered that statement, unsure if he was being sarcastic or not. Reaver, truth be told, did find Erin surprisingly interesting. The others...he hadn't really thought much of.

Erin's voice drew him out of his thoughts and he glanced behind the table momentarily. The man, Ruc he thought they'd said, smelled worse than ever in his opinion. Instead of saying so, Reaver, his voice oddly sober, aded, "Is there any purpose to our tarrying here or are we simply waiting until a moment of divine intevantion speaks for us?"

He did have somewhere he was hoping to be, after all. And he felt he was being more than generous to linger here without a pleasant form of distraction for as long as he had. After all, if he wanted to do nothing, he could have just stayed home and dealt with the twins.

[Elindë]

Seeing as no one was trying to talk to him at that moment, Lovai shuffled off down the street and retrieved his hat, under the gaze of Phoenix who had let go of Marcus. Once satisfied that Lovai was coming back he turned to Marcus and slightly shook his head. "Never again," he said, his voice back to its usual slightly aloof, lilting tone, "once through that thing was more than enough for me. I don't know what kind of sadist would run it twice."

Lovai sidled up to the pair, unsettled by Phoenix's quickly changing moods but happier that he seemed calmer now. "I thought you said Marcus was dangerous."

"He is dangerous," Phoenix said, a flicker of a smile crossing his face, "and Erin's dangerous and I'm dangerous-"

"Really?" Lovai butted in, sarcastically.

"-but that doesn't mean that we aren't nice people, so long as you keep on the right side of us," Phoenix continued as though Lovai hadn't spoken.

Lovai blinked, looking between the pair.

"Besides," Phoenix added, his smile growing slightly, "Marcus is fine, it's his games you need to watch for."

Lovai looked uncertain but muttered, "Sorry for the misunderstanding," anyway.

[Κομμα]

Magus managed to pry the pint-sized pirate off of him, and looked up in response to the inquiry of him, in enough time to see his inquirer lose interest and tackle an elf that had just joined them. He had no interest in joining her current company, nor did he want her following him away; he had tried his hand previously at the babysitting business, through no real choice of his own, and didn't like it much at all.

Karimi pouted up at him. "You have to help me find Janx. He's gotten himself lost," she said miserably.

His dark red eyes scanned over their surroundings. The company she had been among consisted of none of his authoress' own muses; none he recognized, to say the least (though this wasn't saying much, as he knew there were a few he had yet to meet himself). A man lay dead on the ground amongst the crowd of people which her previous party was a part of. This place itself was certainly nowhere for an eight-year-old girl; and yet it was Janx who was lost rather than herself. This seemed precisely the sort of place that blue-haired drunkard would feel right at home. The one that was lost obviously was Karimi.

"You're mean." Karimi informed him; Magus quirked an eyebrow at her for a moment, before drawing a large wall over his mind. She stuck her tongue out at him, grabbed his arm from beneath the indigo cape, and commenced attempting to pull him forward.

"Why not just stay here? You're less likely to be found if you're moving about." She paused at this, and frowned.

"But Janx goes in circles when he's looking for something."

"He'll circle this way eventually." Not that he was certain of this, but it was better than having her follow him through all of Tipperary when he had been intending to leave after browsing a couple more shops.

Karimi frowned uncertainly. "You're sure?"

"Yes." Nevertheless, he reinforced the wall around his thoughts with another layer of bricks, and Karimi eyed him suspiciously.

[Basil]

A happy thought swelled in Erin’s mind when she heard Marcus’ message. Still uncertain how to communicate telepathetically, she was unable to form a coherent reply. Her mind simply recalled the necessary images in response to Marcus’ question. Most of them indicating that the rest had been preoccupied with one thing or another – especially Anna.

“They are unexpectedly,” Erin agreed.

The white haired muse considered Reaver’s question awhile as she observed the others. “Exploring would be much more fun. More so than counting the stars on a cloudy night. I’m afraid I failed to see any thus far.”

She gave a small start as a dark figure emerged from the shadows behind the stall. She clung to the gentlemanly muse that she had spoken to barely moments ago. Her eyes not quite accustomed to the growing darkness. The wraith like figure slowly elongated. Revealing that it had a bulbous head, and a rather long body.

“Braiding hair has never been more challenging, Erin.” Came a sarcastic comment.

“And I don’t fancy being Lawrence of Arabia while waltzing through this part of town,” added the half elf in the same acidic tone as he stepped out of the darkness and into the pool of light in front of the stall. "Particularly when I can’t tell what sort of pattern is on this scarf.”

Erin suppressed a giggle when she saw the scarf wrapped round Rucran's head like one of those Indian women she saw on tv before. Her grip around Reaver’s arm loosened considerable. She really didn’t have the heart to confirm his worse fears. Thank god, it wasn’t floral though this was just as bad. She wondered if he'd have the sense to use the handheld mirror he was holding to look at himself.