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Post by Street on May 10, 2013 3:44:29 GMT -5
Street pulled his elbow tight to his side where he held Kaye, making sure he kept her close. “This way to town.” he answered her promptly as he took one step ahead of her to start them in the direction. He walked with his chest out, his shoulders high, and his other arm bent and a little out from his chest. He was familiar with the area they were in of course, and he knew there would be eyes on the two before they reached the proper part of town.
“Make sure you stay close, okay?” Street wasn't trying to worry her, but he wanted to make sure that Kaye would follow his lead. Making a show of gender roles as they walked could stand to avoid unwanted advances. Street knew of course that Kaye wasn't his per say, but he had to demonstrate a claim. The riff raff society in the alleys was largely primal, and a certain manner could warn away any not bold enough to challenge Street directly.
There were always unsavoury men in the alleys at night, skulking about like sharks, and rarely alone. Street knew Kaye would be like blood in the water there, like a raw flank before a beast. He had to be the bigger beast raring his teeth to fend them off. There was no sense explaining all this to Kaye, just to worry her. He figured she would understand the idea at least.
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Post by Kaye on May 10, 2013 3:53:19 GMT -5
“Ok.” She said simply when he told her to stay close.
Kaye wouldn't object at all. She did as he asked and stayed as close as she could without impeding his way. She felt safe with him at her side and though she honestly hadn't a clue as to how things worked back here in this part of town, down these alleys she did know she didn't belong in the least and her clothes alone would tell that story.
As they moved forward she could actually feel eyes on them though couldn't, for the life of her, see the seekers. Just knowing they were there was enough for her to want to get back on the main street and headed to their destination. She wasn't trying to search them out either, she figured that simply looking where they were going was the wisest choice in the matter.
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Post by Street on May 10, 2013 16:45:17 GMT -5
Though eyes were on them at every turn, the two were able to make their way across the cheap side of town without any real incident. On a few occasions, Street had to slow his pace to match eyes with onlookers who seemed to consider an approach. His stern look and confident stance steered them away, though once he hadn't been so sure at three men in an alley. Street had readied his loose hand over the hilt of the throwing knife that Kaye had given him, stored in the back of his belt. He hadn't held it in a manner to throw, but rather to stab. With Kaye the obvious target, Street was not about to prepare for a longer fight against multiple opponents where they may be able to reach the girl despite his better efforts. He would be ready instead to end the advance in an instant, if ever it had come to that. Thankfully it didn't, as the three men gave up their uneasy approach. Perhaps they read in Street's eyes as he stared them down that he was ready to kill for Kaye.
Soon after that, the two were upon the wider, better lit streets of the middle class where guards still patrolled and alley gangs steered clear. In the better light, Street walked with an easier gait, lowering his shoulders and chest to a more casual, comfortable stance. He had released the blade in his belt after they walked clear of the last three sharks and could see the street lights at the intersection ahead.
In the better streets of the common district, Street led Kaye to their left again towards the main street and commercial area. “Not much farther now.” He smiled at Kaye as they walked, still holding hands.
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Post by Kaye on May 10, 2013 17:04:36 GMT -5
There was a moment there where Kaye felt Street reach for the blade resting at his back and she tensed up a little bit, rightfully. She made no move to her blades however, even if she had, she still didn't know if she'd have been able to throw a deadly shot at anyone. Then again, maiming someone wasn't killing. She wasn't totally useless in a fight and would have fought and probably been able to get a good shot in before they even reach the two. Fortunately, she never got the chance to find out.
The moment they hit the main street and she glimpsed the metallic armor of a guard as he pass around a corner, her heart and mind rested. She looked around and though this wasn't her usual rout to the Inn, she knew where they were in approximation. She was happy to be well on their way now and eager to get to the Inn, get their room and relax.
For no reason as they walked, Kaye took a quick side step to plant a kiss on Street's cheek.
“We certainly are.” She smiled up at him as they continued to walk their path to the Inn.
It would still be the better of 10 minutes or so, but they were almost there. The streets here were still quite a bit less traveled this time of night and so their trip would be peaceful at least. There were still eyes on them but not he creepy sort that were felt back in the alley and lower class ways. These eyes at least didn't send chills down her spine. More than likely just people looking out their windows or the occasional passerby.
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Post by Street on May 11, 2013 16:09:11 GMT -5
Street didn't say anything, but just smiled sheepishly as Kaye leaned in and put a kiss on his cheek. He wasn't used to such pleasantries, and felt a little vulnerable as he considered any potential response. For lack of anything pertinent to say, Street turned to look at Kaye for a moment and start along a different topic. “”You'll have to teach me how to throw these now,” He pulled the single blade from the back of his belt, “since you gave me this one.”
He looked a moment at the blade as they walked, and then put it back in his belt. “I've never thrown a knife before.” He explained, glancing up at Kaye. “Mostly just cut stuff and, sometimes you know..” He trailed off and hesitated a moment. “Just like, in my hands you know.” What he'd had do a select few times before, what he had been ready to do earlier in the alley didn't seem like something Kaye would want to hear. It didn't seem like an uplifting conversation, and he wasn't trying to bring the mood down, especially after the tension in the alley. He just wasn't yet used to talking with someone civil at length. He was mostly used to talking with other rats, and everything was matter of fact between them.
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Post by Kaye on May 11, 2013 16:45:05 GMT -5
Kaye watched him as he pulled the blade from his around his back and smiled widely when he asked her to show him how to use it properly. The blade she'd given him was not just your run of the mill throwing blade. These were made of the finest metal and not sharp like a dagger. These things were meant to stick into a target and not slice through. They could be thrown from hilt or from blade, either way the accuracy would be the same. The only marking was in the hilt and that was a small stamped ~K~.
“Of course I will show you sometime.” She replied smiling over at him as they walked. “It takes practice but I find practice is fun, especially when I'm angry.” She grinned.
She thought about what he'd said and he was right, moving the topic to things he'd had to do with a dagger was definitely not something she would have preferred to talk about and she was glad he hadn't adorned the subject to include those things.
She reached down to her hip and slid one of her knives out with her free hand and held it between her forefinger and thumb.
“You'll notice they aren't sharp.” she started. “Too many people sharpen their throwing blades but that is just plain silly.” She went on. “Not only does it weaken the blade it makes for a less than perfect throw. “ She continued. “Besides, when you're in a hurry you can throw it from either end this way without being cut. It's the way the blade that is thrown through the air that will do the damage. That doesn't exactly mean you throw it hard, the more accurate the throw, the less energy you will spend in throwing it.” She smiled. “There’s throwing knives basics.” She finished tossing her blade upwards then catching it and putting it back where it belonged.
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Post by Street on May 11, 2013 18:10:49 GMT -5
Street pulled the blade back out of his belt as he listened to Kaye's beginning lecture. He hadn't noticed the edge of the blade, and not of what she said would have occurred to him had he not been told. Of course, he was familiar with precision in the way he moved about the city structures every day, but there was some measure of force in all of that too. He felt the edges of the blade and turned it in his hand, examining it as they walked. All together, it looked cool, but he had no level of appreciation for the technical design of it that she seemed so specific about. His own knife was fairly basic; a short curved blade made of a sturdy iron, sharpened on one side and a hilt wrapped in thin cord. It was all it needed to be, and Street had never thought of more complexities in the makings of a knife.
“In my experience, practice is painful.” He joked and grinned wryly over at Kaye while sliding the blade back into the back of his belt again, next to his other more basic knife. Anything Street was good at had taken a lot of practice and he had gotten a lot of such practice at the expense of his own well being over the course of his life.
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