• Memory • Chase

[Ichabod Hyde]

6 6 - A S H A N - 7 1 8 . . . N A S H A K I

"Feking- don't bite!"

Within the first half-break of the job, Hyde proved that he did indeed have a voice that could raise above the volume of a growled mutter. His deep voice still growled, and rolled over like sharp little rocks stuck in mud and ground to dust under the force of each word he managed to spit out, but it resounded loud enough when he held the mouse by the tail.

Nashaki mice weren't like mice in other cities. They were quick and bony and vicious with the front teeth. He kept the squirming mouse farther away from him, while it tried to curl up and bite at his wrist. Little teeth gnashed against the air.

The inebriation had faded quick enough, and Hyde had started to get a headache. He set the mouse in a basket they'd found (yes, he had meant a basket), and returned the lid on top while it squeaked full of the rodents caught so far in the warehouse. The work of a cat. He was doing the work of a cat. It wasn't going to be much nel, but it would be some. Enough. Enough to pay off a portion of his tab, calm the anxieties of the innkeeper, and then maybe get some more liquor so he could avoid the headache and stomach-ache that already threatened the older man.

He slid down to sit beside the basket, for a short rest, while he eyed the shadows of the dusty warehouse. Of course, the place wasn't empty. There were tons of boxes and crates and assortment of things to get in the way, for the rodents to hide behind.

Hyde groaned in unintelligible complaint of how sober he already felt. Sweaty from chasing the mice about in the heat (and somehow, it felt like it was getting hotter? How was that possible?) but the dryness had abated some... to make way for an awful humidity that reminded him of Rharkos. All that was missing was a swarm of locusts to spread disease. He pulled off his shirt and threw it over to lay in a crumpled pile with his coat.

He looked at the small bite he'd gotten near his elbow, or he tried. It was at an awkward angle to get a good look at. Hyde angled it oddly while he tried to look of his shoulder to get a glance at how much it was or wasn't bleeding. He coughed some, then spat to the side, and said, "Kalba? Y' still 'bout?"

Hyde wouldn't hold it against the inebriated youth if Kalba had wandered off due to how boring the job was. Plus, the coin was so little and then split between the two of them? Better than nothing though. He picked at a scab of an older wound on his elbow some, then stopped trying to look at the fresh bite. The skin of his torso was about as dirty as the rest of him, smudged in charcoal and dirt and smeared with old and new sweat alike. Without the clothing, his natural odor proved... not as bad as he looked, and that was due to the fact that he smelled mostly of burnt wood and ash.

Stretching his legs out in front of him, he set a hand to hold the basket top while the mice tried to mastermind a way out of their temporary captivity. Maybe the warehouse owner would let them keep the mice, and he could find someone to sell the rodents to... someone, somewhere must want mice for something, he figured. Just a matter of finding who. He closed his darkly-smudged eyes, but he couldn't rest much longer unless he wanted to risk falling asleep.

[Saza Moshe]

66 Ashan, 718 ‣ Nashaki

The mice kept trying to bite his strange, older companion and it was the funniest thing in the world to Saza Moshe.

He’d tried to keep from laughing the first time. It’d been easy enough, since he was genuinely concerned about whether or not Hyde was injured by the pests (he did care for others), but while the older sobered up, Saza only seemed to descend further into his inebriation.

Either that, or the youth really did just find the whole ordeal hilarious. After helping Hyde find a basket to collect the gathered mice in, Saza had followed with the agreement that he’d help the other man catch them. It wasn’t the sort of work he’d ever done before… but, despite being a little annoying, it wasn’t hard.

Nashaki mice were quick and bony and vicious, like nearly everything else in his home. He was a little too slow to catch them easily, but sometimes a little too quick, or clumsy otherwise – but by the gods was he determined, and none of his failures seemed to dampen his mood. All of Hyde’s attempts amused the intoxicated biqaj as well, as it was simply too perfect to watch the charcoal-smudged, grumbling man go after mice. He was having far more fun than he would’ve if he’d stayed with Dion and those sisters – that much he knew for sure.

(He felt a little bad for leaving Malha with her sister and his inconsiderate friend… but what would he be doing there? Drinking more? Sitting there awkwardly? Pretending to be oblivious so that he didn’t hurt Malha’s feelings? Nothing fun. This was better.)

“Kalba? Y’ still ‘bout?”

A head of frizzy blond hair lifted to peek above a stack of wooden crates. Saza didn’t appear to be all that bothered by the heat, still, though he’d unbuttoned the top of his shirt and untucked it partially from his trousers. His eyes peered over the crates and settled on Hyde, dark and rimmed with a ring of golden irises. Hyde had taken off his shirt – he looked just as dirty underneath, Saza noted, before he forced his gaze back to the man’s face.

“Yeah?” Saza stepped around the crates, holding a particularly slow mouse by the tail at his side. It was the only one he’d caught in the last few bits, but it was better than nothing, he figured. He approached the seated Hyde with a curious look, golden eyes streaked with the soft pink of flower petals, and he nudged the top of the basket until he was able to lift it up. The slow mouse was dropped in with the rest.

With a small frown, the biqaj tilted his head and asked, “‘s your elbow okay? Want me to look at it?”

Stepping closer, Saza leaned down with the intention of getting a better look at the aforementioned elbow – but he wavered, then overcorrected that waver, and fell back onto a box that he should’ve just kicked away. And then, of course, he fell into the empty thing, with his legs resting awkwardly over the edge and his arms doing the same.

“Shit!” he cursed, “who put this damn box here?”

He pushed himself up as much as he could, but it was difficult. Saza lifted his head and waved a hand in motion for the older man to come closer.

“Could you – would you give me a hand? Give me the mousebox. I'll hold 'em for you.”

[Ichabod Hyde]

6 6 - A S H A N - 7 1 8 . . . N A S H A K I

Despite what one might assume by a grungy silver-haired man like Hyde, he didn't mind the laughter. For one, it was drunk impulse - or it sounded like it from the giggled breaths between the laughs - and for two... that was about it. He didn't mind, regardless. Hyde hadn't gotten to live as long as he had by getting bothered by other people's laughter. Laughter was far more preferable to other emotions anyway.

Besides, the youth's help proved invaluable when it came to catching the mice. Hyde might have had a keen eye (and senses, in general) but his reflexes weren't what they used to be. Gone were the days of his quick hands and deft fingers. Farewell to the ease of muscles that followed along with any swiftness of instinct. Now, there seemed to be a delay. Hyde hated the fact that he'd slowed down, that his body seemed intent to pack it up and call it good regardless of what the man who lived inside of it wanted.

Hyde felt glad that Kalba hadn't decided to spend the time with complaints. Another thing that laughter was preferable to: complaints.

“Kalba? Y’ still ‘bout?”

His gaze flitted over to the emergence of that familiar frizzy blond hair, and what color were the eyes this time? Gold. Like little nels caught inside of them. Hyde adjusted his posture, a quiet grunt from the slight ache in his lower back while he did so. Mouse in hand, Kalba brought it over, and Hyde noticed the other color in the irises but he didn't make much note of it. He wasn't out to figure out the biqaj's eyes. Puzzles were better left for people who wanted to bother with that nonsense.

He lifted a hand to help open the basket without allowance for the other mice to escape. Hyde set it down, then glanced at his elbow (or tried) when Kalba asked about it. He shook his head 'no', though for which of the questions that the answer pertained to - he didn't clarify.

Kalba stepped, closer, wavered and tumbled into a box - through the opening rather than a painful crash. While he cursed at it, and couldn't quite push himself out of the 'trap', Hyde snorted. It was as close to a laugh as he'd gotten since... since they met. It wasn't a laugh. But it was close.

The snort gave way to a groan, though, when the wave for help and then an actual request. He pressed a hand against the warehouse wall and stiffly got back to his feet. The liquor faded in him, and he didn't just feel aches now but also weariness and fatigue. Hyde set his coat and shirt over the basket of mice, to make sure they didn't wiggle free while they were farther away.

Hyde ambled over, not in a particular rush. He set his hands on the edge of the box that had captured Kalba inside, and peered down at the youth. Whatever color in the biqaj's eyes, he looked with his consistently brown eyes. The warm tones of the brown shone when contrasted by the pitch gray-blacks smudged around his eyes. For a moment, he observed and then he held out a hand in offer to help Kalba out of the thing and back onto his feet.

"We're done," he decided in a firm tone. Hyde waited a whole single bit, and whether Kalba took advantage of the offered help or not... the man moved to retrieve his clothing (though not put it on) and grab the basket of mice to leave the warehouse. His shoulders hunched forward, in the poor posture of waning drunkenness.

[Saza Moshe]

66 Ashan, 718 ‣ Nashaki

Oh, he heard the groan, and he didn’t mean to disturb Hyde’s moment of rest, but he couldn’t do much on his own.

Saza figured he’d make it out of the box sometime, if he tried hard enough… but wiggling around until the damned thing was knocked over was far less convenient than getting some help.

So the biqaj was fortunate (and immensely grateful) when the older man pushed himself from his seated position and approached the box that’d imprisoned him. It wasn’t all that common for the youth to end up in these situations – at least, not when he was sober. Saza wasn’t graceful by any means, but he was a hardy sort, and handled himself just fine when he wasn’t so inhibited.

The basket he’d deemed the mousebox was not, however, handed over to him. In truth, it was probably for the best that it wasn’t, he just wanted it – but the desire was shoved aside and forgotten just as soon. Hyde found the box and peered inside, gray-smudged hands holding to the sides, and Saza raised his brows. Not expectantly, as he certainly didn’t expect help from anyone in anything, even when he asked for it. Rather, he looked as if he’d forgotten why he’d called the man over at all, and was surprised to see him looming above.

“Hi,” greeted Saza, as one of the gray-toned hands reached down to him, and he stared at it for a moment, confused. His gaze flicked upwards again, colored a warm shade of pink. The hand began to move away, and Saza grabbed onto it then, in sudden remembrance of why it’d appeared in the first place. He pulled himself out of the box and back onto his feet, letting go of Hyde’s hand.

“We’re done,” earned a furrow of his brow. Saza frowned again, and dusted off his hands on his shirt. “Okay,” he said regardless, and stood there for a handful of trills, glancing about the warehouse while his companion grabbed the basket and made to leave. The blond clicked his tongue and asked, “what about the mice? What are you doing with them?”

He followed after Hyde in a short sprint, and slowed to walk beside him once he’d reached the older man. The details of the mouse-hunting job hardly mattered to him; the prospect of earning some nel was a lovely one, but he was mostly just pleased to have found something to do without the company of Dion and the others.

(He loved them, really, but they could be a bit much.)

The rosy tint to his gaze darkened as he reminded himself of the others he’d left at the tavern. It deepened into a rich red shade, and Saza crossed his arms as he walked.

“You want help with anything else?” the biqaj sounded almost hopeful in his inquiry. He looked to the side, glancing over Hyde’s face, over the dark smudges at his eyes and the warm caramel tones within. “I’ve got nothing else to do.”

That wasn’t entirely true. It was just nothing he wanted to do.

[Ichabod Hyde]

6 6 - A S H A N - 7 1 8 . . . N A S H A K I

Hyde draped his shirt and coat over his shoulder, then held to the basket (that kept trembling with the movement of the mice within) with a hand set on top. He started away while the youth caught up.

"Payment," he answered, as if that single word explained everything.

He glanced over to see that the pink irises had darkened to a wine-red, or something like that. The color made him feel thirsty. Wine would be good, right now. Hyde turned his sight away to look at the ground before him while he walked. He didn't want to stumble, or trip, though he doubted that would happen. He cleared his throat, the start of a cough in the back of it.

Kalba must be bored, to hunt mice and still inquire as to whether there was anything else to do.

This wasn't the first time he'd run into this kind of thing though. Young men and women eager to do just about anything if it broke them out of the humdrum of a life they'd always known, people they always known, wanting to explore the world but not knowing how to go about doing it. As much as he traveled Idalos, he came across these uncertain but eager pioneers. Maybe because he used to be one, himself, long ago. Hyde caught the sound of wary hope in the other man's voice. He caught the glance that looked at him.

Hyde shook his head 'no'.

Some silence lingered between them while he left the warehouse and headed toward the smaller building across the way. Hyde almost growled in reluctance to speak, "Need a drink. 'fore anythin' else."

He headed into the office-like building, where an older woman sat with some ledger books. She looked at the two with a keen and obvious survey. Hyde set the basket down in front of her, right on top of a ledger book, then opened the top to reveal all the mice within. The woman leaned back, but she didn't retreat.

Hyde pointed at the mice in quick count, then said, "Twelve."

"...twelve..." she repeated, with a glance toward Kalba, then she turned around with her back facing the men. A small rustle while she messed with drawers of the cabinet behind her, then she slid one open and took out a narrow box. She unlocked it with a key, and inside were nel. She counted out twelve copper nel, then set the stack on the desk.

"No," said Hyde in a flat voice. He took out the parchment flyer of the job listing he'd found on the board, set it with a slight bang on the table from the impact, then pointed at the numbers. "Three for one. We keep the mice."

The woman glanced over the flyer, then up at the charcoal-smudged man... and she didn't argue. She swiped the copper back, then counted out 3 silver nel and 6 copper nel. Her hand went over the basket though, while she set the lid over it and she said, "We'll keep the mice, thank you."

Hyde glowered in a dark frown. He grabbed the nel and pocketed the coins in his trousers. For a moment, he seemed about to argue... but it just wasn't worth the trouble. Hyde understood well enough that it made more sense for her to request the mice, so that they didn't just come back around and try to claim coin for the same exact mice. Besides he had enough nel for a few drinks, and that would have to do. Pulling his shirt back on, coat over his shoulder, he headed out of the building and back onto the street to start toward the tavern from before.

[Saza Moshe]

66 Ashan, 718 ‣ Nashaki

Payment. That was all he said. The only other sign of acknowledgement was the shaking of his head, and Saza nodded with a slight reluctance.

That was alright, of course. He hadn’t gone into the night expecting to be entertained, and certainly not by a stranger. If Hyde had things to do that he didn’t want to include the blond in, then that was his prerogative.

He would just follow him to get his payment then, assuming he was still to be given a share of it, and then he’d… what would he do after that? Saza considered it as they walked, and his frown pushed his lips into a pout.

Dion, Celina, and Malha could still be at the tavern where he’d left them. Something told him that the first two, at least, had taken off… and he couldn’t imagine that staying behind at the bar by herself would be all that appealing to Malha, but he couldn’t say for sure. With his luck, that shop owner had probably left the bar too, before he’d even gotten the chance to speak with him. That, along with Dion’s probable absence, meant that he’d missed his chances of sleeping under a real roof anytime soon.

Hyde’s voice called his attention to the side. Needed a drink – he’d already offered him one, hadn’t he? Saza wouldn’t claim to remember, but he felt like he had, and the human hadn’t taken him up on it. He didn’t reply for that reason; he didn’t want to offer again, and sound like he had nel to spare.

Saza followed into the building, unbothered by the other man’s relative silence. It was cooler inside, though not by much, and the biqaj tugged at the front of his shirt to fan his silver-tinted skin beneath. There was an older lady sitting at the table, books set before her on the surface. Saza winked at her as they approached, but didn’t otherwise disturb the conversation.

The basket of mice was set down on the lady’s open book. Saza kept himself from laughing at the move, even if he couldn’t quite stop it from shining through his dark red gaze. The woman offered payment… which was quite quickly rejected, as Hyde produced a flyer with the promise of more. A smart move – one the frizzy-haired youth could appreciate, especially from a foreigner. Too often did he run across outsiders that simply accepted things as they were given, especially when it came to coin and the art of skillfully acquiring (and saving) it.

In the end the mice were confiscated. He thought about asking to keep the basket itself, but the lady had already moved it out of reach, and Hyde had already turned around to leave the little office-like building. His shirt was pulled back over his shoulders and onto his frame (and Saza thought it terribly unnecessary). Again, Saza sprinted the short distance to catch up with him, and even went a little bit ahead to push open the door.

Once they’d both made it outside, Saza made no attempt to bother the older man with conversation again. His destination was easy enough to figure out, and even if the tavern wouldn’t prove as profitable as it would’ve earlier in the night, Saza figured he could at least keep Hyde company for the walk.

[Doran]

Hyde:

Knowledge:
Detection x4
Resistance x2
Intimidation x2

Loot: -
Wealth: -
Injuries: Mouse bite. Since this is a memory thread, it's already healed again though.
Renown: 5, for hunting mice.
Magic XP: -
Skill Review: Appropriate to level.

Points: 15

Saza:

Knowledge:
Endurance: Continuing through intoxication
Resistance: Temperatures (dry night heat)
Resistance: The smell of mice
Resistance: Stale warehouse air
Discipline: Holding back laughter
Discipline: Holding back complaints
Strength: Working at a disadvantaged spot
Strength: Using someone else's strength

Loot: -
Wealth: -
Injuries: -
Renown: 5, for hunting mice.
Magic XP: -
Skill Review: Appropriate to level.

Points: 15

- - -

Comments: This was another enjoyable thread from the two of you.

Hyde’s thoughts on what he was doing (The work of a cat!) were rather amusing to read, and I liked in how much detail you described things such as his voice and his attitude in regard to alcohol.

The same goes for you, Saza. I appreciate all the details that you added to your posts (such as the color of Saza’s eyes changing, his thoughts about his friends etc.).

The interaction between two men that are as different as Hyde and Saza and their thoughts about each other were entertaining to read (I especially liked the scene where Saza fell into the box).

They seemed to get along rather well which was something that I found interesting.

I look forward to reading your next thread!

Enjoy your rewards!