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Post by Neela Ning Rui on Jun 28, 2012 11:33:23 GMT -5
It would have been a night like any other had she not been restless in her pursuit of stopping crime. Neela rushed through the streets, her eyes set on the hooded man several yards before her. The time for subtle tailing had expired some alleys ago and now the chase was on and she had no idea who she was pursuing. As unwise as it was for petite young women to chase strange men into the dark at night, Neela was the daughter of a police officer whom had been killed by a group of non-benders a couple of weeks ago and thus blind to danger. There were dark circles under her eyes and she had been on full detective mode all week, listening to every whisper, following any scent of suspicious behavior.
The chase led into Republic City’s hub of transportation, famously set in its center and often visited for benefit of the ferry these last few years. Docked and chained to the pier at night, the ferry was where she thought her bad guy had fled so she rushed right on after him, propelling herself onto the ferry and wildly looking about. Everything was quiet, except for the sound of the sea splashing quiet waves against the ferry. The moon was out, brightly so, and it gave the water a soft sheen of silver. For a bouquet of moments the loudest sound was that of her hammering heartbeat and she wished it would quiet down and stop deafening her acuity.
Traversing to the side of the ferry, she kept her tired eyes sharp, one hand on the metal whip that was on her golden belt at all times. A sound came from the water and when she turned to look, something kicked her hard in the back, sending her flying over the railing as she screamed. With not enough time to react and losing the metal whip to the sea’s depths, she splashed around wildly. “HELP!” She inhaled some water, coughed. “HELP! I CAN’T SWIM!” The dark blue was drawing her in and she didn’t know how to move her limbs to stay floating. Having been tossed into the watery trap from the far side of the wooden ferry, there was no earth she could bend to bring to her help, she couldn’t even see the shore in the dark.
Soon she would lose the fight to stay afloat and who could be there in the night to help her? Normal people didn’t take midnight walks around Republic City Station. |
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Post by Kvothe Valerian on Jul 1, 2012 2:30:02 GMT -5
Kvothe had always liked the water. That's why he had decided that night would be dedicated to one of his favorite pasttimes, sailing. Not on a ferry, as many people would think, but on a small sailing boat he had bought and fixed up from a pawn shop near the waterfront of the city. He enjoyed sailing, since he was a boy, and always delighted in doing circles round the ferries, or waving to the passengers.
This night had been enjoyable, and he had gotten off his boat rather late, mooring it to the pole on the dock. The water was shimmering from the moonlight, and Kvothe would've almost not heard the first splash had he not been admiring the ocean.
He frowned, and hesitated, looking towards the way of the splash. The water was still rippling, and he thought nothing of it, but then a figure, silhouetted by the night, and the shining water, splashed to the surface, a thin cord following her.
"Help, I can't swim!" The cry came out, followed by a series of yells. There was no one else on the dock, and so Kvothe began to run towards the figure, followed by a jump into the water. He was just in cloth clothes, and they became heavy after being in the water for a few seconds, but he pushed on.
He swam out to the figure, wrapping his arms around it, and pulled, swimming towards the dock. He heaved the figure up, and himself up as well, slipping a bit as he tried to get onto the dock. He looked over at the figure, who he could see was a girl, and an attractive one at that, and smiled, still dripping with water.
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Post by Neela Ning Rui on Jul 1, 2012 3:29:22 GMT -5
Someone grabbed her tiny frame, strong arms encasing her as she trashed and spluttered and coughed, too drowning to realize she should become still. Just when she had thought her young life to have reached the end game she was hoisted out of the deep blue, planted nicely on the dock where she continued to cough, her system making immense effort to expunge the water she had inhaled.
When she finally stopped convulsing with the struggle in her lungs, her gaze rose, and through thin moonlight, could barely make out the features of the man who had drawn her out. “T-Thank you,” she croaked, followed by another cough, one hand rising to stifle it by instinct before dropping back to the wood of the dock. She shuddered, the trauma of nearly drowning still fresh in her skin.
“You saved my life,” she muttered, arms wrapping around herself, the reality of the statement hitting her in the stomach. She had been in threatening situations before, but very few times had she come close to death. “I don’t know how I could ever repay you, thank you.” It was all she could think to say, still quaking from the touch of water. This would be the last time she came quite so close to the ferry, pursuit or no pursuit.
“My name’s Neela,” she offered meekly, eyes on her knees. Of all the things she was expecting to do tonight, having a random conversation with some man while dripping wet wasn’t one of them. It unnerved her to wonder who he was, because of the late hour. Had he not saved her life just moments prior she would have treated him with suspicion those who enjoyed the dark gained by default.
For the briefest moments she lamented the loss of her precious metal whip. |
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Post by Kvothe Valerian on Jul 1, 2012 3:58:24 GMT -5
As Kvothe got up, slowly, the girl finally got enough of herself together to offer a meek 'Thank you.' She was still coughing up water all over herself, but it seemed she would be fine. He would've hated having to have to revive her, especially since the only way he could really think of would be to repeatedly punch her in the chest.
"It's no problem. Really. Just about anyone would jump in after something like that." He said.
Her looked over at her, examining her to see if there were any noticeable bruises, or rips in her clothing to suggest why she had been in the water. Perhaps she was pushed? It would explain why a girl who couldn't swim would be in the sea.
"My names Kvothe." He said, giving her a hand to get up, "And you could repay me by accompanying me to the nearest tavern for some warm clothes and food. Come on." She would freeze in the clothes she had on now, and a warm bowl of soup would help too. Then perhaps she could tell him the rest of the story.
He took her hand, and helped her up, using his other arm to brace her.
Now that he could really see her, he noticed that she looked sleep deprived, and nervous. The dark circles under her eyes, and the obviously dangerous position she put herself in seemed to indicate she was very worried about something. An ex-boyfriend, or did she owe money to a loan shark?
He looked over at her from the corner of his eye, asking himself why she was out there.
"So, why were you out on the dock, if you didn't know how to swim?" He said, giving her a curious look. It was curious that a small girl would be out here by the docks, especially since she didn't swim. That was another curious thing. Why would she live in a coastal city, if she couldn't swim?
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Post by Neela Ning Rui on Jul 1, 2012 19:01:33 GMT -5
He dismissed his merit and she managed a short smile. To say that she agreed about his claim when she had been pushed in in the first place would be far from the truth. People were selfish, frightful things that would more sooner harm than help, and she wasn’t young enough to thoroughly deny that, but she wasn’t old enough to turn a blind eye to the better side of those same people as well.
Aside from being thoroughly drenched, she was okay. Her clothes were intact, even if plastered onto her frame, and the only thing she missed was her whip, which he would have no reason to know about. The man offered his name and she acknowledged it with a nod, then her eyes widened some at the means of repaying him. She wasn’t that comfortable about heading into a tavern in the middle of the night with some random man even if he had saved her life. Still, whatever protests she had died in her throat as she reached a hand up to be helped off the ground.
“Thanks,” she muttered again, instinctively dusting herself after rising and then slapping the side of her head, remembering she was wet not dusty. “What tavern did you have in mind?” She piped up, wiping some wet hair off her face and fixing it behind her ears. “I’m not sure I can stay long though… if my mother notices I’m not in she’ll have a fit.” She was still a teenager after all, no matter how mature she acted and how many responsibilities she chose to take on despite her fresh age.
When he asked what had brought her to the docks she looked to the side, momentarily distracted. Whoever she had been chasing had meant her no good. At least she knew the scent had been right and the tip she had received may as well have been entirely true. “I lost my necklace on the ferry and thought to look for it before it was tomorrow and people would use it again,” she lied with impressive ease. Then shrugged. “I thought I saw something sparkly and leaned too far, slipped on something.” It was a horribly stupid thing to do, but he didn’t know her, she could actually be that reckless in his eyes.
When she looked back at him she raised an eyebrow a little. “What about you Sir, what brings you to the dock at night?” Her tone was simple but her curiosity sharp. She hadn’t decided if she should be at ease or not just yet. |
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Post by Kvothe Valerian on Jul 1, 2012 19:38:54 GMT -5
The nights out here on the docks were dangerous, as they were prime territory for robberies and muggings. The fishers here were poor, and often resorted to more... extreme methods of getting cash. In addition to that, the gang prescence here was particularly high. This girl could've been mugged out here... or worse.
"The tavern i have in mind is called the Orchid room. It's middle class, but it has just about the best noodles in town." This girl didn't seem to be protesting to much to go somewhere with a man in the middle of the night, even if he had saved her. She seemed very suspicious, and so that struck Kvothe as odd. Then again, the girl had a lot of peculiar things about her.
"And i'm sure your mother won't mind if you have a bite to eat."
When she was about to respond to his questioning of her about the docks, she seemed to furrow her brow in worry. Something really was wrong with her. He supposed she was in some sort of trouble with the Triple threat, or something.
When she finally did answer, Kvothe was, again, suspicious. The girl who couldn't swim had leaned off the railing? It seemed odd that a girl who couldn't swim would be on a ferry at all, and that still didn't explain why she would be out here so late in the night.
She looked back at him suspiciously now, asking why he had been out here.
"Oh, I had been sailing out around the harbor. I have a sailboat moored just over there," He said, pointing towards a small sloop with a tall mainsail, "It's one of my favorite pasttimes, and i do it just about every evening, though it doesn't usually go this late." He admitted, explaining why she wouldn't have seen him around here before, assuming she was a local, that is.
They were nearing the Tavern, it was fairly close, and were met with a soft light, emanating from the window to the right of the door. The restaurant was open at all hours of the night, but this night didn't have many people, just a pair of women in workers garb seated at the other side of the bar.
"Sit down any place you like." He said, while waving to the sleeping waiter for two bowls of hot noodles.
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