♔ Astarial ♔ discussion

The Market area is lined up by shops and stalls were colourful goods and various items are bought and sold.

((Arisha/Ilsa
Sorry it's short! Dinner's ready!))

Alexei wandered throughout the many stalls the morning market had to offer. Crisp bread and pastures were selling like hot cakes and he wanted to be one of the first to try one. Tugging on the tip of his hood to conceal his face, Alexei handed a plump woman money and snatched a lemon pastry. He took a bite and the sourness danced on his gongue. Oh, the magic of the market was definitely in the air

((Lorien/Alexei
It's fine!))

Well, magic was in the air, until a filthy urchin child darted up into his face, thrusting the battered corpse of a pigeon forward for him to peruse. "Pigeon for your stew tonight?" A girl's voice intoned, almost demanding. Arisha did not let in that he was eating the best lemon pastie in he market, meaning he had to have money, and if she could, she might sell to him and get one for herself, or, she thought with a sad reality, afford a night or two in a stable or barn.

Alexei did a double take when the pigeon was thrusted into his face. Crinkling his nose and holding back a smile, Alexei said to the girlish voice, "Um, thanks, but no thanks. I'm pretty sure I've got some leftovers from last night." Alright, so he most definitely was lying, but would a harmless lie do to him? Nothing, that's what. "And aren't you a little spriteful one, putting that dead pigeon in my face like that," he shooked his head and clicked the roof of his tongue. "It's a shame our young ladies are becoming so rude lately." Alexei took a good look at the young girl and furrowed his brow. Perhaps he could spare a little money. It looked as though she wasn't doing too well. . . And perhaps she was selling her parent's pigeons for cash. Pity showing in his eyes, Alexei pulled out his leather pouch and gestured to the pigeon. "Alrighty, mousy, how much will it be? Please tell me it's not five silvers, I've only got ten coppers and a single silver."

Arrie's eyes narrowed as she stared at the boy. He wasn't too much older than she was. Maybe four or five years, if that. He was pushing her off to one side. She was just a shadow to him, an inconvenience. She was about to insult him for his 'spriteful one' comment, and his comment on her manners. She wanted to know how well he could talk on manners missing two or three teeth. Indeed, her teeth were clenched and her face went red in anger. Getting lectured on the street for trying to sell a pigeon. She was suddenly rude and nothing more than a brat. It wasn't like she'd deny the accusations, but he had the audacity to accuse her of the traits right off the bat, without even knowing her. Although, it wasn't like someone wearing what he was and marching about without a care in the world would care about the feelings of an urchin.
She had literally been on the verge of swinging a well-placed rude, spriteful fist into a certain sensitive spot in his lower extremities, but then he opened up his money. Pity? She hated his pity, but she could use it. No commoner pitied; they had enough on their plates. This, though? So eager to throw coin her way with that soppy, stupid face plastered on? She narrowed her eyes even further, almost squinting. She could get a few pennies from a bird usually, if she walked the mile to the other side of town and had someone cook it up. This, though, she could take advantage of. Hopefully. "A silver, for your stupid mouth," she said, immediately thinking she probably should have insulted him, but he'd insulted her, so he deserved it. Mousy. She wanted to knock him down for that.

((Is it bad that I actually like Arisha right now? XD))

Alexei whistled when the girl called for the price. "That sure is an expensive pigeon, but I have no doubt it must be good if you're selling it for that much." He winked and handed her a silver along with a few coppers. "Now I'm sure your parents must be waiting for you, wouldn't want to worry them, now would we?" Alexei, not being exactly the smartest lad in this case had no idea that she didn't have any in the first place. Now all his creator had to do was wait and pray that he wouldn't get seriously hurt.

((Of course not! XD))

She stared at the money he'd given her. Rich little lord, she thought, immediately pocketing the money, so he couldn't take it back. "My parents can go bugger themselves off in whichever Hell they believe in," she snapped at him, perhaps a bit too harshly. Delicate little princess-boys couldn't handle being insulted, she knew too well. She thrust the dead pigeon forward, feathers all askew and molting. "It's fresh," she pointed out. Blood was still dribbling down its beak.

((Only his dog can redeem him now!))

Ah, so she was an orphan, and a quick fingered one at that as well. This time, instead of showing pity in his eyes, which he had a feeling would be a mistake again should he try it, Alexei gave a small grin. "My, my. You sure do have a mouth," he commented. "I wonder if they know what a fine child they'd raised." He definitely was crossing the line as soon as the words left his lips. Alexei was oblivious to the fact that the girl before him had suffered many hardships in the past. If only he was observant like his brother. "Well I can see that," he said, still clutching the coin purse in one hand as he gently took the dead bird in another. "The blood is a vibrant red. May I ask where you might have caught the little thing?" A good poacher never gave away his or her secrets on a substantial hunting ground. And now, Alexei was merely toying with her.

((Haha! True! XD))

Arrie glared at him, but at least he wasn't too prissy to touch a dead bird. She wasn't much annoyed this time, though, but he was an idiot for making so many assumptions instead of just asking questions. Was he really that dumb to dig this pit so deeply, always acting and speaking off the wrong assumptions? "They don't give a damn about how the person they sold me to raised me," she pointed out, spitting her words, practically. Stupid princess. She stared at him like he was stupid when he asked where she'd caught the pigeon. "They're native to a strange location called a city street," she pointed out, moving her face in small circles. She had obviously maxed out her levels in sass.

Well, at least at this point she wasn't looking as though she was plotting trying to kill him. That was always a bonus. When she spoke about her parents in further detail, his features often underneath his hood as Alexei spoke, "I am terribly sorry to hear that." Did himself and his fellow siblings really have such a loose hold on the ongoings of their kingdom? The Council had assured him that nothing such as this was happening since they had their watchful eyes. "To do such a thing to a child. . . well, it's very cruel, is all I'll say," he smiled sadly at her. Aaaand she was back with her Oh you stupid, stupid man look. So the question was obvious, to say the least. "I see. You may try hunting out in the forests. Those tend to be a lot more plump and they don't eat the garbage we toss out of our windows."

"Right, you want to send a little girl like me, with no means to protect herself, out into the woods all alone, where all sorts of the scum of the earth hunt and dwell," she pointed out, sarcasm dripping. She very well could handle herself, for the most part, but normal people couldn't go out into the woods by themselves and not be targeted. He was probably some lordling with babysitters to keep him safe. It didn't matter much, because he had probably been a toddler when she'd been traded off, so honestly, he had no real guilt to bear. "Best thing to happen to me," she said, puffing her chest up in pride. She'd figure it out. She had skills, of course, but right now, she was keeping her head low... which meant she was a penniless urchin cowering in the streets. She still would rather be here than with whomever her parents had been. "So, Princess, you don't get out much, do you? At least, not for real?"

"There are safer forests, you just have to go out and look for them. If anything, you could always ask your friends to come along with you," Alexei said to her. A girl such as her must have friends, right? A band of sassy orphans roaming the streets of Kaldore. Oh, he could picture it now. He raised an eyebrow as she spoke that her being sold was the best thing that had ever happen to her. In what way would her life be better than the one she had previously? "Better?" Alexei repeated, noting that her stance and composure now glowed with pride. "How could it have been better?" It definitely was not any of his business but this girl had him just so curious. So when she called him a princess, he snorted loudly, followed shortly with laughter. A few newcomers even stared at him strangely but he ignored them. Wiping away any remaining tears he said to her with an amusing smile, "First off, I am not a princess, I am a simple farmer looking for a decent meal. And second, I do get out. I take walks every single day and today is no exception. Except, for today, I'm on official business with a possible employer.

"And to find safer forests, you need to go through dangerous forests," she pointed out, eyebrows raised. She didn't seem very invested in his plan of risking her neck to sell fatter pigeons. Besides, travel time would cut out hunting time, and everyone haggled anyways. She wouldn't make much more. Meat was meat, after all. If she could have read his thoughts about her having a gang of sassy attack-orphans, she would have laughed louder than he had when she'd called him princess. She lifted her chin in pride. "Better free like I am, than some field rat," she said, obviously intending that as an insult to his farmer-side. She also had a severe skeptical look on her face. "If you're trying to be a farmer, you have to improve your story. You don't go around telling people how much money you have. You don't know who's listening. And farmers haggle. Farmers are poor; if they want a pigeon, they'll only pay three, maybe four coppers for it. They don't pay a silver and three," she pointed out. "Even optimistic farmers are still guarded and pessimistic." She stuck her hands into her tattered pockets, so thin that one could see the outlines of her spindly fingers. For a moment, her tattered cloak shifted, and light glinted off a thin rapier, which sank, like magic, into the blackness half a moment later. The darkness seemed especially black under the ragged cloak, which probably served for a blanket as well. "Your clothes are too fine. They're brand new! Your sleeves should be too long and your pants too short. Your clothes look tailored to you," she pointed out, "And your face and hands are too clean and soft. You don't even have any stubble or sunburns, not even a tan, and no shade or hat to excuse your peachy baby skin -that hood wouldn't do very well in fieldwork, y'know. You should have told me you're the son of a rich merchant, in a good mood because you have the day off. Maybe you just visited a girl that your father's not supposed to know about, and you're happy. That's much more believable than some uppity idiot trussed out like you are, trying to pretend that they've worked a hoe for more than six days in their life."

She was pretty good at reading people... but still was way off in her assumption of him.

((If this is too powerplay and presumptuous, tell me, and I'll edit.))

((Duuuuude. I just drew the cutest fanart. Let me get you the pic.))

Text:
(view spoiler)["Can I keep her?
She looked so lost...
...She needs me..."
and
"First the dog, now strays..." (hide spoiler)]

(Finally got the format settled. My usual uploader is evil now.)

Alexei stiffened for a moment as she pointed out almost everything about him. It was true, his clothes really did look nothing like a farmer's at all, but a small part of him hoped that this very observant little girl wouldn't notice. Clearly, he had overestimated her. Which was a mistake that he didn't plan to make again. His stance relaxed for a moment then he eyed the girl. "Did you ever think that while I am indeed a farmer, that I wanted to look my best for this new employer? No? Interesting. It could also be that I have a family who is just giving me these clothes for something as important as this, missy." When she spoke about a girl, Alexei laughed at that. "I'm sorry, but I'm too young to be even thinking about that. So having a secret lover is definitely out of the question." He couldn't believe that such an idea had come out of the girl's mouth.

((Oh you're fine! Arisha's an observant girl so it's definitely okay!

((Awwww. Is that suppose Arya? Or is it a random piece of fan art?))

((Both of them. Alexei and Alisha (who is Arya.)))

((I drew it of the two of them in the RP. Gonna reply at home in a bit.))

((Awww. I love Alexei and Arisha in here. XD This is so sweet! YOU DREW THIS?!?! It's good Ilsa! Really good! Oops. I didn't see the part where you said you drew them. My bad. XD This is really cute!))

"A farmer who wants to look good for their employer washes their clothes, they don't buy new ones perfectly tailored, and sit out of the sun and work for six months," she smirked, knowing she'd caught him. He was trying to convince her! That was the true giveaway. Any real farmer would have made a rude gesture, rolled their eyes, and marched away from her. He was staying and running hypotheticals across her, trying to validate his cover! Her eyes shone in triumph. "Your family might have given you brand-new, tailored clothes, if they were rich little merchants or lordlings. Your secret's safe with me, princess, but you shouldn't try to convince a gutter rat about who you are," she explained, "Makes it easier to see that you aren't what you claim. Go for the merchant boy next time. And hey, girls and guys are super into each other way younger than you are," she winked, "Don't be so chaste." This "gutter rat" was brash to the max.

((Thank you!))

Agh! There really was nothing escaping this little one, was there? Alexei hadn't made up his mind whether he should be utterly annoyed with her observations or impressed. "Ah, looks like you caught me. I'm really a smuggler from the far off lands trying to make a living. Happen to know any jobs?" He said to her sarcastically, giving a wink. "First off, I'm not a princess. Unless you really think I look too girly, even underneath this hood and all. And second, my family is not at all in league with merchants or lords. No, no. We are far too reserved for dealing with such scum," Alexei explained with a posh tone. A gutter rat? Was that what her type were being referred to? Well this showed just how little power him and his family had in even the largest of towns. How. . . enlightening this was. Peter always nagged him for taking strolls every morning down into town, but Alexei always tried to explain that he merely wanted to take a look into who the people were. "I always knew I could count on you for not telling, mouse." His immediate reaction was to bow in front of her but figured that it wouldn't be safe. Seeing as though anyone could clearly tell he was of a higher class than even a smuggler. "Uh huh. Well, I'll believe it when I see it. For now, I don't, so there." He snorted. Of course he knew that having an interest in a girl was something that was common at a young age, but in Alexei's case, he was mostly referring to courtship which led to marriage at times. He nearly shuddered at the thought. If he ever was going to marry, the girl would have to be something really special. And not just in her skills, no, that wouldn't mean anything to him. If she had a good head and character, then it would worthwhile to consider her.

((Your welcome! Keep up the good work!))

"What, are you new at being a smuggler?" she teased. She was playing with her hands, making shapes and shadow creatures with them. Oddly enough, the shadows her hands made seemed more realistic than not, with textured shades of shadow. She wasn't being subtle right now, because she wasn't caring all that much. She could probably outrun him. "You don't look girly. You just look too clean, and you don't have any marks of hard work on your hands. Plus, you're too nice. Only women pretend to be that nice." Arisha had obviously come from a pretty messed up place. Perhaps called a hard reality. "Well, you might be able to count on my not telling for just one more silver," she teased, not serious in the slightest. She was losing focus and interest in this weird boy. Sure, he was lying about who he really was, but so was she. She could tease him about it, but she wouldn't really blame him for not confessing his identity. "I dunno, I could take you to a place where you could meet lots of pretty young girls who'd probably like your baby face," she pointed out, winking back at him for his stupidness. "But that's for a gold," she teased, hands on her hips. She only knew where one brothel was, and that was because one of their targets had frequented it. If Vamis had gone to any, he'd done a good job of hiding his exploits from her.

"You can say that," Alexei said, trying to keep up the act of being a smuggler. Which she no doubt didn't believe for a single minute. A morphing of. . . something wispy came into his vision and brought his attention down to her hands. It truly was a pretty sight. All of those shadows and light added to the mix playing with each other. "That's amazing," he said to her, referring to the dancing shadows. Alexei scowled as she explained that if he was a merchant that his hands shouldn't be so. . . soft. Alright, so his hands may have been a little soft but he kind of hoped that the sword play he and his brother frequently did would've at least showed some sign in his hands. But alas, it appeared that it didn't. "Hey, I can be a smuggler and still be nice. How else can you make business with other men if you're grumpy? You still have to keep your head with you but still. . . I find that being nice is one of the keys to having a good business. You could learn a few things from me, you know." Crinkling his nose as she spoke of young girls liking his baby face, he replied back with, "Ugh. Please don't say that again. My brother calls me the baby and it drives me crazy. As for the young girls, I would never want to do something like that. It's too forceful instead of natural, in my opinion." While Alexei didn't know what love actually meant, the thought of him just plopping himself in front of women just to choose the best, made him feel sick. Sure, he may have flirted a few times with several of them, but he always made sure that they wouldn't get hurt.

The sweet little child smirked at him. "It's all right. Just showy, really." She shrugged it off very easily. Honestly, his hands were tough, but only in sword-spots. She had learned the difference between sword-spots and true labor when she'd been hired out for field labor for a month. Her hands had been covered in big, great callouses that seemed to swell them up more than a quarter their usual size. She didn't know his thinking, though. "Sure, you can be a smuggler. Maybe so," she said, thinking more likely with that argument. "I might be able to learn something from smugglers," she said, "Mind if I join your crew?" she asked. It was a way of life better than killing pigeons, and only slightly illegal. He seemed like a nice enough person. Too nice to be a smuggler, but maybe he was! And if he was, maybe she could help on his crew. "I can fight well," she said, latching onto the notion, "And hide things better than most people you might have hired. And I won't suggest any whore-houses, not unless you ask first," she emphasized. She could work. She wanted to work. And being a smuggler, she could get out of the city, and away from the people who'd attacked Vamis.

"Gah," was Alexei's first reaction when he asked to be part of his "crew." How could be possibly keep up the smuggler facade when he wasn't even a smuggler? Hm. He could always flat out tell her no but this girl seemed. . . promising. If he actually was a smuggler to say the least. But. . . what if Alexei could be a smuggler? Then this would all work out perfectly and he wouldn't have to sweat about lying to her. Oh this was bad, very, very bad. And how could he explain to his siblings, much less his parents, that he had become a smuggler? To be fair, Alexei actually did know a few men and women who were well known smugglers. But it didn't seem likely that even they could help him out with this. Clearing his throat, Alexei stared at the girl with a business like-fashion. "I will not deny that I may need another hand on my crew, and a rather small one at that, so perhaps we can arrange something. My crew follows my every word so I have no doubt they'll welcome you with open arms." He almostvwanted to bite his tongue at the smooth lie but refrained. His "crew" would have to be some of his most trusted subjects. Perhaps his sister or brothers if they thought that she was really worth all the trouble. In Alexei's mind, she was. And who knows? Maybe she'll be helpful. "The work will be very tiring, I can assure you, but you will get paid five silvers for each job you complete. Sound reasonable to you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow, daring her to challenge him.

She grinned. She knew she'd gotten the attention of this smuggler, then! Maybe she wasn't what he wanted, but he was definitely intrigued enough to look into hiring her. She had no clue that he was planning on bringing his siblings into this game, to trick her into thinking she was actually doing jobs. What would she be doing, smuggling their favorite sweets into the castle? Running errands? She seemed all too pleased at the notion of five silver pieces per task. "You'd better have a lot of jobs open, because I work fast, and nothing's enough to tire me out," she insisted, playing the bartering game the best way she knew how.

"Uh huh. Well, I guess I'll have to see tomorrow morning then, won't I?" Alexei said, giving a playful wink. The test tomorrow would technically be her training in some form. Mainly, he first wanted to see if she could easily slip inside the shadows and be ever vigilant. That was going to be her test tomorrow. And she would just have to wait and see what the test would determine, exactly. While Alexei wasn't at all a smuggler, he wanted to get a better picture of what her strengths and weaknesses are. And perhaps he could give her off to a more reliable and better smuggler. "I would like to see you outside by the White Swallow at five thirty sharp," he explained with a stern face. "If you do not arrive precisely at that time, I won't come looking for you, understand?"

"Do I look like I own a clock," she sassed the stupid little princess-smuggler. "And why not now? Why do I got to wait a whole night before figuring through what you want me to do?" She wasn't a fan of the White Swallow. It was usually too expensive for a beggar brat. "If you told me now, I could have it done by the time you want to meet at the stupid inn," she boasted. What was one night with no sleep in the face of a good job opportunity?

"Because then I'll know if you can handle being under pressure, mouse," Alexei said with a smirk. "And even if you aren't under pressure to get the job, I'll sleep better knowing that you'll be squirming with anticipation to just accomplish this small test." That was what a smuggler would've said, right? Even so, his eyes were dancing with glee at this newfounded role he would have to play. And if he could nail it down, then this all thing would be just perfect. But he would all have to do it under mousey's little nose. "It's either, find a way to know the time or don't show up to the Swallow. It's as easy as that. I suggest you be resourceful in you finding time. You knows," he leaned down to whisper, "maybe you could pickpocket one of these lovely gents' pocket watches. Now wouldn't that just earn you even more points?" Alexei knew that she was a clever girl and never thought for a moment that she wouldn't make it to the Swallow the following morning.

A prince encouraging a beggar to commit crimes to join a smuggling ring... if only his parents could see him now. She rolled her eyes at him. "I'll think about showing up," she said, more annoyed than anything that he wasn't doing anything now, just planning something for the next day. It was probably a demeaning task, too. She was probably some tool to be used and discarded, but hopefully the task would pay well. If she was going to be death-fodder... well, she was good at avoiding death, and she'd make him pay for the trick. "I'll see you then, Princess," she pursed her lips, sour.

((I know, he's such a good ruler to follow. XD
Also, Vamis is ready if you want to take a look at him. Just PM me if there's anything you'd like me to change. :D))

"Ah, but I don't believe there are any jobs willing to pay a gutter rat, as you so lovely put it, five silvers each day for running errands or completing assignments," Alexei explained. "You see, we need each other. I need jobs done, and you need food on the table. But I suppose whether or not I see you tomorrow morning, depends on if you're willing to make some sacrifices." He didn't indicate what those might be, but he did intend to at least scare her, even if it was a foolish attempt. "Can you please stop?" He pleaded with her as he rolled his eyes. "Princess is not what I go by, it's. . . Silver. Just call me that for now and we'll get along just nicely."

She shrugged. "Have it your way, then." At least she knew she had enough money to sleep that night. She could find the good in a full night's safe rest before being given some daring task to prove herself. She wasn't even intimidated, not one tiny bit. The only sacrifice she had left was her life, and she wasn't letting anyone take that. His intimidation fell particularly flat when he sighed in exasperation at his nickname. "Silver," she echoed. "It's appropriate. Silver to represent what you mean for me, as a reminder." Also a reminder that they were both criminals against the laws of those triplet Silvers. That was their last name, right? She didn't care all that much. "Al'ight, Silver, I'll meet you at 5:30 in the morning sharp." Had he meant evening? Could he escape the palace so early in the day? It made sense for secrecy, to be there early.

"Exactly why I chose it," Alexei replied to her with a nod. Oh, his brothers and sister would just about kill him. He shuddered mentally what his parents would do. Now that was truly terrifying. "A very good reminder of what you're working towards. And who knows? As you become more and more reliable, I may have you try difficult jobs which will then lead to more pay." He smirked broadly, praying that this girl would show up tomorrow. The main concern of his was how could he possibly be able to sneak out when there were constant guards out and about the castle grounds. He could always bribe them. . . But who was to say they wouldn't attempt to follow him? "Right. Five-thirty, Swallow," he repeated his own commands to himself. Saluting the mouse with two fingers, he said, "Have a nice sleep, mouse." With that, he walked amidst the crowd as disappeared from sight.

((Time skip and head to the sallow?))

He was soooo in for trouble. Poor, poor guy had dug himself a pit, and now he couldn't shake free, unless he completely ditched the poor little orphan urchin who was so happy to please. She grinned, teeth glistening. He hadn't asked her name, but she was okay with that. Smugglers didn't want to give real names, because then when they got caught, they couldn't give away the people they'd worked with. She'd probably bribe the innkeeper to wake her up from the alley when he woke and opened the area. She couldn't afford a place like that, and she didn't trust herself to wake in time to run from a cheap bedding place to get here on time. With the silver, she might buy her own blanket, though, and that would help in tandem with her tattered cloak. "Bye," she waved, skittering off. Oddly enough, she seemed to vanish practically immediately. No other homeless kids would beat her for her prize silver piece, not if they couldn't find her. She'd seen a couple watching their interaction.

((Should we move there?))

((Sure! I'll post over there!))