Luck runs out

Bricks or stones may break my bones.
But words ain't worth a quarrel

With his trademark smile carved upwards onto his face, the tall man made his way through the narrow streets of Alderraths lower ring.
To some maybe not exactly the most amazing place to be but to him a world he knew and understood. These streets were awful at times, but at least it was home and its inhabitants made the best of that. That was where the beauty was laid, it's people, there resistance and reliance on each other.

Nick nodded his head a little whilst passing a coin from hand to hand. He was on his way to get some new clothes, after all, he had been invited to quite the grand event by the duchess herself- a dreadfully boring night he could only imagine, but at least he got to dress up for it. It would be crucial for his plan to fit in, to not stick out. He was given a golden opportunity by the woman and he was not letting that slide, he had to make the most out of it. Milk it dry, and get everything he could from it. Luckily, it was something the man was quite skilled at, he'd always been the picture-perfect opportunist. And tomorrow night it would come in extremely handy if he were to befriend the woman even more.

+angie

Much thank Nien x

❝ All that wildflower energy in her veins ❞

The lower ring was a place she wasn't normally allowed to go. And if she had told her parents that she would go here today, they would scold her, put her away, assign a guard to her since they knew how the girl could be. But Angelina was no fool, and so she held her tongue, even for Luca, even for her maids. For what she would do, none of them would allow her to do it on her own. Something about her being a weak and fragile girl. Every time she heard such accusations, she had to roll her eyes. If only they knew hm. She was sure that none of them could handle her on her worst nights. And that the horrible things they claimed she would go through didn't even match the horrors she had already faced with the monster that rested within her. And this wasn't a case of getting pitied or proving her own worth. No. It was merely proof to herself that people were idiots, and she knew better. She smiled at that thought, feeling a rush of excitement go to her head as she went over her plans once again. This would piss so many people off.

She knew that bringing her sword would be too extravagant. So, she had brought a dagger. One she could hide under her robes and use if things did get heated. The Grimaldi girl was one for extremes, rushing into things and such. But never would she be a fool by going to the slums unprotected. She was agile, fast and knew how to wield weapons better than other women. How and why? Her brother of course. Emilio had always made sure that she had the skills to take on the world. And she had thrived with them. Intertwining them with her own talents, such as gymnastics and dancing, and you got one hell of a she-devil when it came to fighting. It was a skill she didn't get to use a lot. But it was a crucial one if you asked her. One misstep and it was all over. One wrong turn and you could end up in a body bag. Rather safe than sorry, as they would say. A statement she agreed with when it came to confrontation. But she would never back down from one. The challenge just always got to her head, intoxicating her. She thrived in it.

As the small woman walked through the streets of the lower ring, she let her blue eyes go over some people eyeing her. She narrowed her hellish blue gaze whenever they did, trying her best not to spit insults at them. She was wearing her usual attire when leaving for the forest; ragged and somewhat torn and dirty clothing that certainly had seen better days. A pair of trousers together with a blouse and a vest to finish it up. She looked nothing like the high-class women she should belong to. And that was just how she liked it. And it wasn't just because she liked to dress this way, but also that she didn't stand out here because of it. Perhaps the only thing that really stood out was the slight glow to her, that healthy shine that indicated that she had it well. But there was little she could do to hide such things from prying eyes. She could roll in the dirt and put dust on her cheeks, but that would stand out too. Ah well, people could think what they wanted. If they really wanted to go, she could always stab them and make a run for it. Her horse was just a few blocks away.

She went in a little alleyway, looking behind her one more time, before sighing out loud. As she turned her head and hastened her pace, it didn't take long for her to run into something, or rather someone. The petite woman collapsed to the floor in an instant due to it, letting out a soft grunt as soon as her body came to a halt. Her hellish blue eyes darted upwards as she clenched her jaw for a moment. "Look out where you're going jerk," she hissed at him before quickly jumping back to her feet. Narrowing her eyes for a moment she took a deep breath. Her knee hurt considerably from the incident, but she wouldn't let it be known to this stranger or anyone in this town. So, she simply bit through the pain. When she got back to Dawnmire she could always get a doctor to look at her leg. By the Gods she hoped that it was just a bruise. Because how would she ever explain a gaping wound or, even worse, anything that would force her to take her rest. Victor and Luca would get on her case for sure for something like that.