My Home is a Person...

Flea sat in the bar, brow raised as she watched people filter through the dimly lit room.  It was fine.  She was fine.  No one was paying her much attention anyway, save that her mug stayed relatively full, and the empty bowl in front of her indicated that she had ate at some point in the night.  She sipped the beer slowly, making sure to keep her wits about her.  Her days in the arenas had made it so that she was more than adept at using nearly anything as a weapon in a pinch, but she'd rather not end the evening knocking people upside the head with her mug, if it could be avoided.

And thankfully, the evening seemed to be just a normal night for people, no signs of a fight, or a drunken brawl happening any time soon.  So she leaned back into her seat, getting more comfortable, on this, the third night she had been frequenting the place.  A new friend had indicated that she might be able to find him here.  Baije, that was.  Her old mentor, and the only male that had been like a father to her.

She had been excited to find out that he had been awake long enough that she could track him.  And she wasn't sure if the information was good still or not, it had about a week and a half trail time, so she might have missed him, and she'd have to track to another place.  But the fact that she knew he was alive still, that was enough to keep her going right now.  And it had been so long since she had seen him last, that the only thing she wanted was to find him, and ...

She didn't know the and, honestly.  Since she had woke up, it was more, finding out if he was awake, and alive, and then, tracking.  What would have happened had they not been set up in the past?  Would she have been free at some point?  Would he have formally made moves to put her squarely as his?  So many unanswered questions, and the anxiety about them still, but she knew one thing.  None of that could have a resolution, or even a beginning, until she found him.

So with another sip of her beer, her eyes tracked back to the door, to will him to appear soon.  She wasn't sure she could take another night or two of false hope.

Bajie had been awake for over twenty years, he had disappointingly woken up to a world who had many of the same problems that his world had had, only different people obviously. Of course now, those same assholes were getting put back together and walking once more. At least Andruil wasn’t walking again, but Bajie had a feeling it was only a matter of time.

In the mean time, he had allied himself with a Talon, not that he agreed with the way the Crows of Antiva all did things, but he did trust Aethra, the head of the Sixth Talon, a friendship that stretched back eons. He trained her recruits for her. He tried to pretend he didn’t care. Ever since he’d failed Little Flea, ever since she’d lost everything and he’d blamed himself, he hadn’t been good at getting close to people.

Lately they’d been doing a lot of recruiting, they’d need all the fighters they could get if they had to go up against Elgar’nan and Falon’din. He was tired, but it was necessary if they were going to have a shot. Elgar’nan was a formidable foe, that shouldn’t, no, wouldn’t, be taken lightly. After a long day of training, Bajie made his way into his favourite bar.

He went straight to the bar, too tired to look around much. Ordered himself a shot of whiskey with an ale chaser. It was then that he turned to finally scan the crowd, trying to eye a good place to sit, when his face went white. The now empty shot glass tumbled to the floor, Little Flea! How long had he wondered what had happened to her after he’d helped her escape, even when he’d gone to sleep he’d had no idea what had happened to her.

Well, blow me over with a feather. He walked closer, still looking a bit like he’d seen a ghost. I always wondered what happened after we parted ways, I shoulda known nothing would get the better of you!

She had always been a firm believer that Luck, had always been on her side, so when she had lost the match, she knew that either her luck had changed, or the match had been rigged.  Well, there he was, so her luck was still intact, and never had left her.  She fought hard, to not jump from her seat, the moment she had seen the older man come into the bar, sidle up to the bar and then start drinking.  She had fought hard, not to leap up, and throw her arms around his neck, in an uncharacteristic show of affection for her.

And she fought hard now, as the corner of her lips turned upward into a smile to him.  "[color=#2ecc40]I'm a hard woman to kill, after all.  You made sure of it, Ser.[/color]"

She used a foot to nudge a chair at her table out, for him, as she caught the bar keeps attention with a hand, and gestured for another round of ale to the table.  She had coin, she had done well before heading this way -- a few underground fights, a killing that she had researched well enough to know it was more than deserved.  Two small cuts to the top of her thigh, where she kept record of all her kills.  To remind herself that she was an assassin, but that she should never take enough lives that she had to cover her body with their memory.  That, and never anyone who didn't really deserve it.  "[color=#2ecc40]Join me, we have much catching up to do, and, how many years ahead of us now?[/color]"

She didn't know about any conflict, but if Bajie should mention it, she'd be honor bound, her own honor, to help him.  She owed him her life, and as much as she had liked to tell Ailwin that she didn't keep a tally of debts, she kept every single one of them, when it came to the only man that had ever been a father to her.  "[color=#2ecc40]I'm not sure if anything much has changed since back then.  It doesn't feel like it.[/color]"

She was still fighting the urge to jump up and hug him, all the more emotional she felt on the inside, even if her face was hard to read if she was happy or not.  He had known her, for a large part of her life though, he would know she was happy, wouldn't he?

Bajie had often wondered about Flea, not just after he’d helped her escape, but in the last twenty years since he had woken up. Wondering if she’d gone to sleep like many others or if she’d perished in the past. He was glad to see her alive, glad his giving up everything had been worth it. He’d do it again if he had to, he definitely had no regrets, even if he’d lost everything in the process.

Well, I don’t like to toot my own horn, but…..if the shoe vits. He loved tooting his own horn, who was he kidding. Don’t mind if I do. He said as he sat down with his old protege, she hardly looked a day older than when he’d helped her escape, he felt like he looked older, but then twenty years awake will do that to a person.

He smiled, yes, she looked really good. He didn’t realise how badly he needed this reunion until this moment. As she brought up how things weren’t all that different, he smirked and sat back in the chair, no they sure as fuck weren’t.

Might look like a bright shiny new world, but it’s much of the same shit we dealt with, and now with the Evanuris being put back together, things are starting to look even more familiar with each passing day. No sign of Andruil yet though, small comfort in that. Not that Elgar’nan and Falon’din should be taken lightly, but he definitely had more personal beef with Andruil.

She instantly felt at home, the banter, his mood, it was all familiar, needed.  She caught the tingle of a tear along her lower lash line and quickly blinked it away.  Better not to let anyone know she was as emotionally compromised as she was, old habits died hard anyway.  "[color=#2ecc40]You'd play the horn till false dawn if one allowed you to.[/color]"  She deadpanned the line, but one corner of her mouth had a hard time sitting still then, pulling up into a half smirk.

"[color=#2ecc40]A small comfort I will take, over what the past few weeks have been, and those bastards can stay in the past where they belong.[/color]"  She snorted as she sipped her beer again, now allowing herself to actually drink from the mug.  He was there and he still moved in a way that she could read.  He would be at her back if a brawl happened and they'd either be sitting pretty by the end of it, or both nursing beatings.  That was all she needed to know to be more at ease than she had been in weeks.

"[color=#2ecc40]What are you doing these days, still teaching?  I've not heard of any gladiator type rings, but, I've not been in any one place too long either to see if there was anything being run in less than above board places.[/color]"

Bajie gave a hearty laugh, his eyes twinkling with a familiar mischief. Old habits die hard, Flea. Always a teacher, always a fighter. The gladiator rings may be a thing of the past, but there's always someone needing to learn how to swing a sword or throw a punch. He didn’t mince words with Flea, or try to be someone he wasn’t. As hard as he tried to pretend like he was a selfish asshole, it wasn’t really who he was, and Flea would see right through it.

He took a long sip of his drink, his gaze momentarily distant. I'm training recruits for the Arlathan guard now, not exactly gladiator material but they're fighters in their own way. His gaze refocused on Flea, a hint of concern in his eyes. What about you, Flea? How have you been holding up? He asked, it didn’t seem like she’d been awake long, and he remembered how long it had taken him to adjust twenty years earlier when he had woken up.

"[color=#2ecc40]And there will always be people in the world who will want to make quick gold off your skills, so don't let them.[/color]"  She ignored the sound of a bottle being broken behind her, it wasn't close to her at all, so nothing to worry about just yet anyway.  Something about who was settling the bill, her ear twitched slightly as she caught the jist of the fight that was threatening to spill out.

"[color=#2ecc40]Nothing.  Currently.  I may have to go back across the sea for a bit though,[/color]"  there was Ailwin, after all.  "[color=#2ecc40]Been traveling a little, nothing big.  Not like training a guard.  That's big work.[/color]"  She needed to keep the line of questioning away from what she might have to go back for.  She didn't want to explain anything too deeply yet anyway, not until they were over.  And not until she figured out just why she felt any obligation to go back, other than the fact that she felt deep down that she needed to.

Bajie grinned, a warm chuckle escaping him. It’s a bit easier these days to not let anyone profit too much off my work, at least not without adequately compensating me. And I can see you've been keeping yourself busy. Across the sea, huh? Well, the world is a big place, full of opportunities. Just remember to be careful, Flea. He took another sip of his drink, his gaze holding a hint of the old protective concern. It felt good to see her, but it was also quite easy to slip back into the worry wort he used to be about Flea. She was like a daughter to him, training her to be a puppet in Andruil’s fighting rings had been bitter sweet. Not that he minded training her to fight, only that he knew how dangerous the fighting rings could be, no matter how well trained one was, especially when some cheated.

You should come see Arlathan with me. It’s a lot different than it was back in our day. With the right people running it and the right people backing the people running it. There was a bit of a scuffle over it, Elgar’nan tried to get his dirty hands on it, but the good people of Arlathan won out in the end and someone I consider a friend is running things now. He explained, he didn’t know Megara super well, but he was a decent judge of character and felt confident she was the right sort that Arlathan needed in these times. She didn’t exactly want to be a leader, but then the good ones rarely did.

I'll be careful, I've found you now, and I'm not in any mind to let you go, or lose you again. And that was about as sentimental as she'd show in the moment, as she nodded along with her words, pushing a drunk who bumped into her back upright as she then took a drink of her own ale. She paused to listen to his next words, thinking everything over. She knew she needed to send word to Ailwin soon enough, but the idea of going somewhere else, to follow her mentor and father.

Arlathan, and a friend no-less, sounds like I'm going to be traveling again sometime soon. And that didn't bother her at all, being with Bajie would keep her grounded, especially since he had been awake a lot longer than she had. He would be her mentor again in this new world, and the chance to do a bit of honest work, not living from hand to mouth, or having to kill for a living, seemed something that would be just her fancy. I have a letter I'll need to send, but I'm ready when you are.

Bajie chuckled at Flea's words, a sense of warmth spreading through him. He hadn't realized just how much he'd missed her until this moment. It's a date then, Little Flea. Just remember, the road to Arlathan is long and not without its adventures. Prepare yourself accordingly. He didn’t even consider if there was a eluvian nearby, he absolutely hated travelling by them, and since they were already in Antiva, Arlathan wasn’t a terribly long journey any way.

I’m in no rush, should probably get some supplies while you send off that letter. It’s not a long journey from here, but you know how I don’t like to go far without snacks, gotta keep up this fighting physique. He said as he chuckled and patted his belly, looks were deceiving where he was concerned though, despite his large size, he was agile and quick and not someone to be underestimated.

Flea hated the eluvians just on their nature. She didn't trust them any more than she did humans, no mater how long they had been around or how many times they had been used. Just the thought of them made her skin crawl. Ships, horses, and her own two feet did just fine, at the end of the day. Several nights and days with her mentor and father suited her just fine. And, it would give her time to confess to him what she would be doing for the elf Ailwin going forwards.

Hopefully he would understand why she made the deal the way she did. And perhaps working with this woman Bajie was taking them to would work for Ailwin too. It would offer him eyes into another operation. All journeys start with a single step. You told me that once. And one must take a thousand to be sure of something. I know the work ahead of us, and look forward to it. I'll make sure we have a bottle of something that is equally as foul as it does burn on the way down, for those nights when sleep will not come.

An old trick in the ring. The worse the rotgut, the faster one could fall asleep. I would never dream about making you go anywhere without snacks, the trip would be intolerable..

Bajie laughed heartily at her words, raising his mug in appreciation. That's my girl, always prepared. And yes, the worst the rotgut, the sweeter the sleep. Let's embark on this journey together, for old times' sake and for the new adventures ahead. He wasn’t sure if Megara would need him, but considering how hard she fought for elves and Arlathan, he felt like for the first time in a rather long time, he had a proper horse to back. Someone he could really trust didn’t have the wool over his eyes.

He finished his drink, placing the empty mug on the table. I suppose we should get started, there's no time like the present. To the future, Flea, and may it be as exciting as our past. He rose from his chair, offering a hand to Flea to help her to her feet. Perhaps we should divide and conquer, I’ll see to our food needs and making sure our weapons are up to snuff. Of course, he wouldn’t need all this if he just sucked it up and used the eluvians, but they freaked him out, so the long way around was how he travelled.

@Little Flea

You taught me to be prepared. If anything, it's all because of you. She grinned as she turned another drunk in the almost brawl away from their table, lifting her mug and finishing the end of ale there. Sad it was gone, but it felt good to have a plan, to have him, to have a destination in mind. She would send off her quick letter, and then grab enough snacks for them both. A habit she had found she had learned from him as well. A walk over miles and miles wasn't any good if she didn't have a bit of dried meat to gnaw on the entire way.

She slipped her hand into his and got up, putting the mug down on the table and then unhooking the sheathed blade from her side to hand to him. She was dangerous enough without the sword to not need it, but she still felt naked without it. It had been with her... You're the only one I trust to touch it after all. Razor's Edge needs a practiced hand, otherwise the blade rolls. And it was the truth, there were exactly three people that she trusted with that sword. Bajie, his son Yoonjie, and herself. And she hadn't been on good terms with his son since.. he had come up to just below her shoulders. All fire and venom there. The razor sharp blade had to be honed just right, or the thin steel edge would roll. It was how she had been so deadly, for so long. The sword did all the work for her. The slightest flick of a wrist and a head was gone. It's what well made weapons did.


Made killing as easy as a gesture. And even without the steel, she had been made well by Bajie's hand, so armed or not, she was fine. Rotgut, jerky, dried fruits, grains for popping in the fire, and, should I wager some sugary fruit jerky make it's way into my purchases?

@Bajie

Bajie chuckled softly, taking the sheathed blade from her with a reverence that spoke volumes about the trust and bond between them. His eyes gleamed with pride and fondness as he looked at her, memories of their training and countless adventures flickering in his mind.

You've come a long way, haven't you? he mused, running a thumb along the intricate hilt of Razor's Edge. I taught you well, but you've taken those lessons and turned them into something extraordinary.

He stood up, slinging the blade across his back with practiced ease. The weight of it felt familiar and reassuring, like an old friend. Bajie knew the responsibility that came with handling such a finely crafted weapon, and he accepted it without hesitation.

I'll keep it safe, don't worry, he said, meeting her gaze with a steady confidence. And you, my dear, are far more dangerous with or without it.

He grinned, a playful light in his eyes as she listed their provisions. Rotgut and jerky, naturally. Dried fruits and grains for popping—good choices. And as for that sugary fruit jerky, well, I think it would be a shame to leave without a little something sweet.

@Little Flea

You mean being able to hand off my only weapon to someone? If that's what you're aiming at, then I suppose. You were always trusted with the blade, however. Me now, that came later. And she did trust Bajie with her life. That was the plain and simple of it. He had taken care of her as if she were his own for so long that she didn't remember a time that she hadn't thought of him as her father. That's just the way it was and always would be. But she nodded her head in agreement to his assertion that she was dangerous without the blade, that much was obvious.

Snack cakes. There's a bakery here somewhere, there has to be. The little ones we used to get when I was small, after a good bout in the ring, before I graduated to survival matches. Those were in her past. She wasn't fighting to survive anymore, but when she had first started to train under him, she had been.. barely old enough to hold her head up, let alone a weapon. How young had she been? It felt like eons ago, and while it had been, their time asleep hadn't lessened the love for one another, nor the memories that she held of that time period.

You don't think we'll need much more than food and weapons do you? We've always traveled light. Honestly, she traveled ultra light in most cases, she couldn't afford to have things tying her down to someone or somewhere that couldn't just up and leave at a moment's notice like her and Bajie could. I think they were selling hammocks in the market the other day, those would be useful. I can't remember the last time I had a decent bed roll.