Silent Flight

[Gabriel]

Gabriel leaned on the wall, arms crossed and set in a dusting of snow. It still fell in flurries, and the clouded sky promised more. The ends of his fingers were freezing, his face likely flushed by cold, but at least the rest of him kept warm. A dark, fur-rimmed coat felt down to his ankles, the collar pulled up to at least shield him. Whispering drafts shot through the nooks and crannies of the building.

The sound vanished, taken over by the rustle of feathers and thump of wings. A soft cry too close alerted him, and Gabriel put his arm up as the bird hit him. Talons snagged on his sleeve and the cry grew in volume, reaching an annoying, ear-piercing pitch. Gabriel lashed out, throwing the bird off. It turned easily, the skill of the species, and circled back around to land on the hand he held up.

"Dumb bird," he muttered, but his silver eyes showed some affection. Rollo clicked his beak and preened at one wing, shaking his head now and then as snowflakes settled in to his eyes. He watched it for a bit, then looked back off. Behind him, in the city itself, were the thriving masses he paid no mind to. Most of his attention focused on those entering or leaving the city.

Yes, he had those who would inform him of anything important, but at times Gabriel just like to watch on his own. Peaceful, in a way, people who had no idea who watched. How many. He cast a glance around, half expecting to see shadows lurking, watching him. Then, with a thrust of his arm, the bird hit air again, letting out a small cry. It would be entertaining perhaps to send it down in to the throng of people. Goshawks could turn on a dime, hurtling through forests at speeds unimaginable. He had seen it, watched it. Gabriel counted himself lucky to have the bird.

When the bird had vanished from sight, he turned and leaned on the wall, watching the inside. Entertainers, market goes, and the grit of the world. Guards, pushing through on horseback. Livestock one couldn't hear from the wall. True, Gabriel could scarcely hear any of it. Ah. But to have ears on the ground ... He would need a bit more gold for more of that.

Settled, just a bit more at peace with mind, the scarred-face individual allowed himself a moment of relaxation. His charcoal hair looked like it may be dusted with ash instead of flakes, silver eyes flicking almost constantly, watching. A tilt of the head, listening.

Solitude.

[Kinnara]

She was quiet, her feet making little to no sound as her leather padded boots touched down on the top of the wall. It was something of habit for her to move about in stealth, training if you will from her long history of being a thief, though that was in her past it hadn’t meant she didn’t loose the training, nor did she intend to, something like that can always come into use in a world such as this.

She wore today, her usual black. Her choice was leather pants and a small shit that hung form fitting, about her upper body with short sleeves and a medium cloak to cover it all up with and to keep her warm. Normally, she’d be half frozen on a day like this, what with the fierce falling of the snow and all, but she’d been out and about, climbing walls and jumping roof tops, in an attempt to keep herself busy. She often got bored so easily and when she did, she returned to jungle gym known to most, as the streets of the city. She loved to play along the roofs, climbing between walls to reach the tops and feel herself weightless as she jumped from one to the next. It was something she often did in animal form, but to do it in human form was like nothing else.

So it was, she managed to find her way to the top of the City Wall. It wasn’t her intention to interrupt anyone who might have been there, but there he was, leaning against het stone and looking for all the world as if he really wanted to be left alone and so, she turned away from him and looked out over the city, her onyx eyes sparkling with delight at the sight of it all.

She had never before lived in such a huge place. She’d lived most her life on the road, even as a child, for the band she was born into didn’t like to stay in one place for all too long. So, the City amazed her, what with all of its stores and streets, building and oh yes, the people, so many of them.

She glanced over between a few locks of her soft raven hair at the man still standing to her right then smiled to herself, simply wondering what it was that was on his mind. Not that it was any of her business, but she liked to imagine what people were thinking.

[Gabriel]

Eli let out a soft cry as he came back to ground, perching where a flag jutted out from the wall. Gabriel immediately glanced around, spotting the girl sitting on the wall. She was barely even looking at him, and for a moment he wondered if she had seen him at all. Surely. Otherwise she wouldn't just be sitting there, something had made her stop. Not just to look down at the city, right?

Just as he looked away again he caught her peering at him, and he watched her from the corner of the eye. He realized how silly they must look to anyone else who could see them, just staring at each other. Gabriel felt a chuckle bubble in his throat and swallowed it, hiding his grin easily as he pushed off the wall. Eli cried and seemed to lose his balance, rocking on his perch. Just trying to draw attention to himself, likely. That bird was notorious for such actions.

Gabriel muttered out of the side of his mouth to him. "Hush, we have company." He didn't care if she heard him or not, although she likely hadn't. Then again, he didn't know what she was - perhaps she held something that let her ear? It wouldn't surprise him. The diversity of the people here never ceased to amaze him.

Like Kitto?

The rogue looked down on the market, frowning slightly. It hadn't occurred to him till now, but Kitto ... Where had he gone? Huh. Gabriel had been rather distracted, and the hybrid hadn't crossed his mind till now. Had he been at the house that morning? No.

"Do you always walk by rooftop?" Gabriel called out without looking at her. He had half a mind to send Eli after Kitto. It would be a shame if the creature had finally gotten the guts to take off on his own and Gabriel missed it altogether. No, not yet. Kitto hadn't the backbone for it yet. Maybe someday soon, but not quite.

Assuring himself, he finally looked at the girl crouched there. Her garb dark, he could make assumptions to what she might be. Several points came to mind. "Black makes you a silhouette, you should know. Dark blue is better for hiding in the dark. But I guess it isn't dark yet, is it?"

Rambling, something he did when his thoughts were elsewhere. Gabriel looked to the market crowd and the streets below, looking for a shock of red hair or a glimpse of a pale, scaled face.

Nothing.

[Kinnara]

Kinnara grinned as the bird came about, she like to fly as a bird, it was one of the most exhilarating feeling in the world, even more so than her city gym. in human form. A Goshawk, she believed, by the look and movement of the animal, a magnificent addition to any hunter, was that what this man was, a hunter? And if so, what did he hunt, there were all sorts of things out there to hunt, animals being only a small portion of them. She grinned to herself, always speculating.

Why not just ask him you twit? She thought to herself.

It was always harder than it sounded in her mind, talking to people, well not always perhaps, but when those people look to be wanting to be left to themselves, she always thought herself rude to be interrupting them. Of course, it wasn’t exactly polite to gaze at them through the locks of ones hair either. She grinned again, not hiding the fact that she was amusing herself with her own thoughts.

what a walking talking contradiction you are sometimes Kinnara she shook her head slightly and then looked away from him just about the time he would have glanced over at her.

He spoke to her and she turned and smiled over at him. A friendly smile as she would always put forth as she found that all creatures are worth a friendly smile, unless they proved otherwise.

“Ya, well it’s just kind of fun, kind of like a playground of sorts.” She replied in all honesty.

She was used to the questions, she’d gotten them all her life and so wasn’t at all taken back by the question he presented. When one uses a town or city as a personal training ground, or plaything, one usually gets ogled at or asked awkward questions, well not perhaps exactly awkward, just asked why a lot.

After his second question, Kinnara let out a little chuckle. Why does everyone think that just because one wears black they are looking to hide themselves?

“Ya well, I dislike blue, and seeing as how I am certainly not trying to hide myself, I would think that black would suffice to fit me just fine.” She started and then stopped to regard her current company. “But I thank you for the advice, if ever I am truly in need of stealth, perhaps I will purchase something in a dark blue to hide within.” She smiled aver at him. “Besides, “ She started again and then laughed shortly. “I don’t think I have a problem with my silhouette, or am I getting chubby about the middle?” She stated and then stood up straight and looked herself over. “Nope, still got it.:” She grinned and then tilted her head in his direction.

“So, do you often like to lean against cold stone walls in the snow and look out over the city whilst your bird flies about for you?” She then asked her own question with a slight raise to her brow.

[Gabriel]

ooc: Sorry it fails. If you don't feel like continuing after the week I took off just PM me or something.

bic:

The girl seemed to spend a lot of time in her head. Which was fine with Gabriel, that meant he didn't have to say much. It was a little amusing to watch, he wondered if she knew that. Likely as not. Then she grinned, and he resisted the urge to laugh. Both of them, grinning like idiots over something neither one of them knew. How amusing.

While they both mulled over whatever, he wondered how good her reflexes were. A shifter. Hmm. It would be easy to send Eli as a distraction, but he didn't want the bird harmed in the process. He listened to her babble - a playground? Gabriel didn't ever remember hearing of such a thing.

But then, he hadn't grown up here.

She didn't like blue. "Well that makes as much sense as anything else, I suppose." Gabriel tilted his head from one side to the other, thoughtful. What an oddly phrased question. Did she expect him to grow wings and join Eli up there in the tree tops? He shrugged.

"Ah, some of us just don't have the knack for it. If I tried what he does, I'd likely have a cracked skull and broken legs for my trouble." A small laugh escaped him as he imagined the rumors that would float among the common float. A man falling from the sky, a demon, something more. Nothing more wild than the rumors that already floated about that crowded, silly person's market place. It was none of her business why he stood here. "Just enjoying the view before I start work."

Another small half-smile, eyes gleaming with a friendly light. "Are you from around here?"