[Isabel]

As soon as Issy stepped through the portal, the smell of the sea and the pungent odor of fish hit her. She swayed a little as soon as she took a step. The after effects of travelling through the portal with the fish smell combined was a bad combination. As soon as her stomach calmed down, she was then able to see the busy streets that was Espur. Though it was only mid morning, the place was already packed with a throng of people - all too busy to give each other notice. A good sign of a thriving town.

A few paces down was a wet market where sellers hawk out their bounties from the sea, their voices one on top of the other trying the catch most of the customers. It was where the dreadful smell was definitely coming from. Issy just as soon forgot about the smell as she saw the docks that lay beyond the market where she could see magnificents ships making port, some unloading goods to be sold to other merchants. It was amazing. It was magnificent! The ships weren't the modern kind she used to see back at Earth but more like the ones that existed in older times. Renaissance perhaps, but she wasn't sure. She was too enthralled with the sights and sounds that Issy failed to see the annoying looks the passersby were giving her. One actually bumped into her and only stopped enough to shout at her for getting in the way. At least, she hoped it was and not some kind of insult in whatever language he was speaking at.

With her bubble officially popped, Issy turned and started towards another section of town. She really had no idea where to go in Espur but after that debacle with the marshal and vampires, she wanted to go somewhere for a while. Anywhere but Alexshire and Espure was the first place she thought; plus of course there was the convenience of the portal. She could go straight to Espur and back with just that without the fear of getting lost in the wilderness.

After a few minutes of walking around, Issy started getting hungry - thankfully it wasn't blood she was craving for. Looking around, she realized she was in a quiter part of town... and most definitely lost.

[Kaizel]

Kaizel had never been to Espur before.
Her sister and her husband had recently moved there. There's more shopping,Ozalie had reasoned, and that was really the only reason Kaizel agreed to go. Because Oz asked her to, not the shopping. Crowds made her nervous(that much more to trip on). Plus, she had never been very fond of smelling like a fish.

But Xanth, she was glad she went.

The waters she'd been looking over were beautiful. The streets were filled with people, the water with boats. Boats!, she thought excitedly.
She had never seen a boat before. Growing up in a forest had its disadvantages. They were exquisite.

When she had arrived and met up with her sister, they had traveled back to Oz's house and her husband, Gerard had met them at the door, baby in hand. Oz had just had her third child, and after being "Auntie Zel" all day, Kaizel wanted out of the house for awhile, so her and D'Miri(who was close to snapping at the children due to excessive petting and obnoxious shouts of "Kitty!") had escaped out the back, so to speak. With the feeble excuse of 'getting some air'.

Now, she walked down the street of the city, keeping a careful eye on the panther in front of her. She watched people bustle by and got herself caught in the sight, her eye becoming less and less careful, until she had fully looked away from him.

D'Miri was ecstatic. All around them, there were fish. Big fish, small fish. Fishes without heads. Kaizel wrinkled her nose at the sight of the beheaded animal.

It was a panther's dream.

In his excitement, he took off down the street, without a glance back at Kaizel.

"D'MIRI!", she shrieked, stunned at her panther's abrubt get-away. She chased after him frantically. If he reached any fish stands, or even poor sailors holding fish, she was certain it would come out of her paycheck.

After a few minutes of chasing, she found herself away from the crowd, with the incredibly quick cat completely out of her sight. She looked around seeing no one. She had never remembered to ask Ozalie about the city, and where she shouldn't go, or how to get back home. She had been so focused on escaping, it completely slipped her mind.

And it didn't help that she had left her map on the bedside table in her sister's spare room.

Walking a little more, she came across a girl with dark brown hair, who was wandering alone.

"Excuse me miss! Have you by chance seen a ca-- er panther go this way?".

Xanth, I hope she's a local, she thought, brushing her bangs away from her face.

(Ooc: I'm guessing this is the thread we were discussing? If not, hope I'm not intruding!)

[Maaike]

“Momma, can I come home with you this time?”

Maaike's bad mood trailed after her like a shadow, evident in the semi-permanent scowl that was dragging her eyebrows into a V shape over her nose. The newsboy cap perched on her head didn't do much to soften the glare, but Maaike could care less.

“Xanth, Maaike, lighten up, will you? You'll scare the customers away.” Eyeing her over his lettuce-wrapped sushi, Graeme Easom arched a greying brow, then brushed ineffectually at his wrinkled suit jacket.

“I am light.”

Graeme sighed. “Maaike, it's been two days. I'm sure he understands - ”

“Understands what?” she interrupted, her frown darkening briefly. “That his momma doesn't want him?” Xanth, the look on Sammy's face had broken her heart. He was normally such a good boy; he enjoyed living with the Sullivans in the wild and was always so brave when she came home from her too-brief visits. But somehow, this time...

“You both know that's not tr--uh.”

Maaike sensed it before Graeme froze mid-bite, his eyes widening: Movement behind her. She pivoted to see a sleek black feline pounce past them, quickly followed by a shrieking banshee. Judging by her effeminate features, she was a Nymph, but Maaike had to wonder what she was doing bringing her companion -- if it even was hers since she looked too young to be a Wanderer -- into a busy city. Animals didn't normally get on with the docks.

“Therian?” Graeme's eyebrows arched in inquisition this time, but Maaike shook her head. He didn't have the smell of a Therian. He didn't have the smell of the wild, either. “Should... we do something?”

It was Maaike's turn to arch her eyebrows. “Like what?” For a start, by "we" he meant "you" and Maaike wasn't interested in chasing down a rogue pet -- unless it attacked someone. Then she supposed it would be her job, but Graeme gave her that look, damn him.

Sighing heavily, Maaike shrugged out of her denim jacket and tossed both that and her hat at Graeme. He fumbled to juggle them with his sushi wrap. “Don't lose those.” With that, she weaved after the pair, in no hurry to catch up but merely keep an eye on them. It wasn't worth her time without a bounty attached, but she'd rather stop the creature before it could attack someone than hunt it down later. Especially after Graeme had given her that look.


((Maaike's keeping her distance for now, but she'll stalk you guys for a bit.))

[Isabel]

“Excuse me miss! Have you by chance seen a ca-- er panther go this way?”

Getting lost wasn't part of the plan; so was attracting the attention of a girl who just might be a little crazy because seriously, what would a panther be doing loose on a town with so many people? Wouldn't that be a cause for panic? Looking around, Issy felt like panicking herself as she noticed that there was no else on that street at that time. Half of her wanted to just ignore the girl and run to the other direction but the other half didn't want her acting rude; though as a precaution, Issy took a step back to put a little distance between herself and the girl.

“Um... a - a panther? I'm sorry, but no. I haven't seen a panther.” Issy looked around once more trying to make certain that there was no panther. It would be quite difficult to miss if something that big did pass by. Looking back at the girl, a thought struck her. Maybe she just misinterpreted the whole thing. “Um... could Panther be the name perhaps... of a cat?” And in her mind's eye she could clearly picture an adorable black cat with nice big yellow eyes.

(( OOC: Yes Jenn! Sorry, I should have posted at the plot thread n.n;; ))

[Kaizel]

It hadn't occured to Kaizel that her question was an odd one. She had simply asked for the whereabouts of her cat, in her mind. It never struck her as strange that she had a panther. D'Miri had been around since she was a teenager. It had been completley normal.

But she was starting to learn that that wasn't the case in Elysia.

People stared at her and 'Miri' whenever they strolled down the street. They stared when she brought him with her to work. And now, the girl in front of her had stepped back form her at the mere mention of the panther. Looking at her like she was crazy, as well. Me? Crazy? Even at the thought, she couldn't help but chuckle quietly(which, she figured, didn't help confirm her sanity at all).

"Um... could Panther be the name perhaps...of a cat?"

This question made Kaizel laugh a even more, for the idea of D'Miri being referred to as a cat(at least, the girl's version of one, anyway) was very amusing. Not being able to contain herself, she laughed a bit louder than she had intended. She scanned the street for the troublesome feline, found nothing and turned to the girl.

"Cat? Oh, no, he's a panther. A very real one. He's my father's former companion. You see, I", she finished gesturing to herself, "Well, I'm a Nymph."
She supposed this fact was painfully obvious, even without the indication. She studied the girl for a minute, trying to place what SHE was. Maybe a human.

...Did humans have such sharp teeth?

[Isabel]

It seriously frightened Issy when the girl started laughing by herself. That usually wasn't a good sign that a person was sane,was it?

“Cat? Oh, no, he's a panther. A very real one. He's my father's former companion. You see, I... Well, I'm a Nymph.”

“Oh... I see” Which of course she really didn't but she'd rather not tell her that. Issy did met a Nymph once but Vyon didn't have any sort of companion. However, knowing what little she knew of Nymphs, she guessed that it would be possible for them to have a companion or two -- what with they being attuned to nature herself. At that exact moment, Issy's stomach thought it an opportune moment to make a loud grumbling sound. Blushing, Issy looked sheepishly at the girl. “Um... sorry. I'm actually looking for some place good to eat. Maybe... I can help you look for your panther while on the way?” Issy asked without a second thought. She never really got that feeling she'd normally get around creepy people. Though of course, you can never judge people on their appearances as well. In any case, she'd feel a lot more safer when there was a crowd around.

[Maaike]

Maaike's interest in the Nymph fizzled out the second she lost track of her companion. It was a good thing she liked Graeme; sending her on a fool's errand like this, when her job clearly wasn't going to be easy, was enough to send her after him with a crossbow. Even if she had to learn to use one first.

“Irresponsible -” The rest of her sentence didn't even make it from her brain to her mouth. It was difficult to mutter when she was chasing down a creature as fast as this one. She might have stayed with the Nymph, but the whole point was to make sure that overgrown cat of hers didn't attack anyone.


((Ah, I know I said she'd stalk you guys, but then I realised she'd actually go after D'Miri. Maybe D'Miri could find his way back to Kaizel and bring them together? ))

[Kaizel]

(do you think that's alright Emma? I wanted to bring Maaike to the other two.)

To eat?

Kaizel mulled through the information that her sister had given her on the town. Shopping, street names, and people to talk to. But no resturaunts. She wasn't even sure there were any, though she had passed by a building that looked the part. She was going to give this information to the girl, but realized that the point of the girl's invitation was to also look for her cat. So, it would've been counterproductive.

"Hm, I'm sure there's one somwhere...thank you for helping me to look", she smiled politely, "Let's go up here".

She looked around at their surroundings and felt a little less sure of her plan. D'Miri could be anywhere! For all she knew, he was already at a fish stand, eating everything in sight. It seemed impossible that she would find him.

Then, she felt a presence next to her.

She looked down,as something nudged her side, to see her large black cat sitting at her side, with a fish in his mouth, looking very pleased with himself.

Well, that was easy.She smiled at the girl, reassuringly just in case she didn't react calmly to the cat, "Found him!".

[Isabel]

Issy stiffened as soon as she saw, or rather felt, another presence that joined them. It was indeed a panther, and it was indeed huge! Just like how she imagined a panther should be. Not some adorable black cat with nice big yellow eyes. Now faced with the real thing, Issy tuned in into her flight or fight mode; and the girls nonchalant expression of “Found him!” or the panther's cute expression, sitting there with a fish on his mouth, didn't have any effect to change what she was feeling... at all.

Issy loves cats, she really does. However cats that are huge enough to be able to eat a human whole was drawing the line. Animals like that could never be anyone's companion. Deep down, she was still hoping that whatever panther that was here in Elysia would be a lot smaller. Pocket size so to speak.

With a nervous laugh, Issy cautiously pointed at the panther while slowly taking another step back. “This... is he? Is he... is he safe?”

[Maaike]

Maaike dropped to the ground a few feet away from the two women and their kitty, eyeing them from where she remained crouched. Having decided it would be a good idea to track the panther from above instead of attempting to keep up with him on his own level, she'd made her way up to the rooftops again, only to jump down when she realised the panther was bounding toward a young woman. Maaike would have been faster, but her instincts had told her this wasn't an "I'm going to eat you" attack, and sure enough the woman acted like they were very familiar with each other. So instead of rescuing her, Maaike was planning to speak her mind.

Except somewhere between leaving the rooftops and hitting the ground, her nose picked up the scent of vampire.

Immediately, a lifetime of prejudice rose up within her and she growled, hunching over and baring her teeth like a feral predator. “You. What are you doing here?” The emphasis she placed on the word "you" came with a snarl, and she fired the question at Isabel like bolts from a crossbow: short, sharp and brutal. “And you!” This time, she glared at the Nymph. “Be careful.” It was a two-edged warning. Nymphs didn't have instincts like Therians, so this one probably couldn't tell she was with a vampire. Okay, so it was during the day so there was less chance the fang would try to bleed the girl, but there was just something about vampires that gave Maaike the creeps.

The other edge was about that damned panther, because Maaike was convinced by now that it was the Nymph's companion. She didn't want to say outright "don't bring that thing into town" because, really, it was none of her business and if the thing ate people it'd be their own fault for getting too close to its teeth, but she looked pretty young - which meant she probably didn't know any better.

Shoving herself upright, Maaike growled, “Panthers don't belong in town.” It was meant to be helpful, but with the accompanying glare, it probably didn't seem like that.

[Kaizel]

"Safe? Oh, yes of course! Perfectly docile. He just... has a bit of a obsession with fish is all", Kaizel explained, as D'Miri reached her. It was quite the rehearsed speech. Everytime she met someone new, she went through the spiel: He won't hurt you, He's tame, He's a companion, Sir, it's not the best idea to hold that fish out so carelessly! and all that.

"I'm Kaizel by the way. And your name--", she started but stopped short at the feeling that someone else had been added to their party. D'Miri turned to look at the addition and growled softly. Mirroring his movement, Kaizel saw a woman standing just behind them, snarling at the brown-haired girl. Kaizel moved back a couple steps, when the intensity of her glare landed on her.

"And you. Be careful"

Kaizel wasn't sure exactly what warning the woman was trying to give her, but was truthfully more distracted by her glare than her the meaning of her words. Sensing the tension, D'Miri moved in front of Kaizel, with a snarl to match Maaike's. Putting a hand on the back of his neck, Kaizel shushed her pet and looked back at the woman.

"I-I'm sorry. Um, is there a rule against animals? I didn't know", she answered her next words nervously, biting her lip,"I've never been to Espur before".

She wondered for a moment if the woman was an officer of some sort, but decided not to ask for fear of affronting her, or at least, appearing that she was, or causing that glare to become icier than it had become.

Though a small part of her wondered if that was even possible.

[Isabel]

Out of the corner of her eye, Issy saw movement and as she turned to look, she saw a woman who practically jumped several feet from the rooftops to the floor at their side. She was surprised and amazed at the woman as she was able to accomplish such a feat. Her amazement was cut short however as the unknown woman glared daggers at Issy with her teeth bared.

“You. What are you doing here?”

Issy's mouth opened and closed like a goldfish. She was so incensed she couldn't speak. Whatever had she done to warrant such a behavior? This was the second time she was treated in such a way and she was starting to lose her patience. There's only so much prejudice a person could handle; and Issy could handle very little.

Ignoring the other girl and her panther for the time being, Issy glared back at the woman. “Excuse me? For what reason is my presence here so offensive? Have I even met you before? Am I not allowed to go wherever I please?”

[Maaike]

Maaike might have regretted her prejudice. She liked to think she was level-headed and not one to allow others' opinions to sway her own, but she did know better - at least, deep down. Hadn't she spent the past six years regretting her marriage to a man who had basically told her what she should think, do and say since the day they met? That more than anything was enough cause for her to stubbornly reject anyone else's attempts to affect her judgement, even the surreptitious and insidious ones that were hard to see coming.

But, she was Therian, and one who was proud of her genetics. She'd been raised in the wild as part of a nomadic tribe that spent as much time in animal form as they possibly could from the moment they were old enough to choose their first, and she relied on her instincts much more than her mind. So, while she was very much aware of the fact that not all vampires were predatory, Maaike couldn't help her response.

“You're a vampire.” She didn't say the rest aloud, but it was clear that the woman's infection was plenty reason enough for Maaike to want her gone. Likely she wasn't the only one, Therian or not, since the recent chaos in Alexshire had only made the prejudices worse.

But the Nymph; Maaike could be sympathetic toward the Nymph. She knew what it was like to come to a city for the first time. They were so vastly different from the villages and communes in the wilds where this girl most likely originated, where Nymphs and their companions could roam freely. Maaike's mother had told them all kinds of stories of her home village, so even if Maaike hadn't been raised in a similar fashion she would have understood a little of what the girl was going through. Maaike herself had been so awestruck... Well, wasn't that how Ashton captured her in the first place?

“No rules,” she admitted, softening a little as she spoke to the Nymph, though it was barely visible. “But there should be. It's dangerous.” The change of pace was just as overwhelming for the animals as it was for the Nymphs, and it wouldn't be the first time a companion had gone feral because they'd lost track of their Nymph. It wasn't only dangerous in the sense that the animals could attack someone, but domesticated predators, in particular, were targetted frequently by poachers. There was a market for the exotics like this one, though poachers did usually stay clear of companions just because they'd escape the first chance they got if their Nymph summoned them.

“If you must bring him, keep him on a leash.” As a Therian, it pained her to see animals tethered like that, her own included, but she was also a pragmatist and knew better than to let even trained animals loose in a crowded city - especially when they had claws and fangs.

“And you.” She aimed her sharp gaze back at Isabel. “The Ruby Claw has its own rules.” If the girl didn't know who the Claw was, she deserved whatever she had coming. “Stick to them and we won't have a problem.” Though it pained her to say that, too.

[Kaizel]

Vampire?!

Kaizel took a step back without even really realizing it, and her eyes widened a bit. Her father had warned her of vampires before, and she had heard terrible things about the rogue ones. She couldn't believe she hadn't noticed!

With a panic, it came to her that she had been alone with the vampire this whole time. Had that been the reason she had offered to help Kaizel look? Had she been trying to lure her into a dark and secluded alleyway the whole time? It was terrifying to think about. She was sure the unknown intruder had saved her from death, and this made her back up even more.

But wait.

She had happened upon the girl first. The girl only reacted to her presence when Kaizel had initiated conversation. The vampire certainly hadn't had an interest in her before that. She was being silly, and when she saw the insulted expression on her face from the woman's tone, felt terrible for being so prejudice. She nodded slightly at the woman's leash instruction, still keeping a tight grip on her cat.

Kaizel had no idea who the Ruby Claw were, but figured the statement was meant as a threat. She suddenly felt responsible for how the girl was being treated and stepped forward as to address Maaike.

"I'm sorry if I'm being rude", she said quickly, before her conscience voted against it,"But isn't that a bit unfair? I mean, she hasn't done anything wrong yet. In fact, she's been really helpful since we've met, Ms. -- er oh, I'm sorry but I dont know your name." She said the last part to the woman in a bit of a nervous squeak, slowly realizing the consequences of this act.

The woman really seemed to hate vampires, for one, and she had a feeling her opinion was going to be unkindly scoffed at. Or laughed at. Though she couldn't imagine the rigid woman laughing at all.

Second, if by chance, the vampire had been planning to attack her, she was know inevitably on her own,

Kaizel just hoped she wasn't fond of cat hair.

[Isabel]

Issy gave a small huff as she noticed the other girl took a step back. So the recent events in New Alexandria made much more of an impact than she had thought. Though thinking back on it, there really was no reason not to - what with the whole thing being widely publicized. To think she was just starting to get comfortable with her new life, something like that had to happen.

“I'm sorry if I'm being rude but isn't that a bit unfair? I mean, she hasn't done anything wrong yet. In fact, she's been really helpful since we've met, Ms. -- er oh, I'm sorry but I dont know your name.”

Ok, so maybe not to some people. She was greatful for that. “It's Isabel... or Issy. Whichever you prefer.” Issy gave the girl a greatful smile before turning towards the woman. The Ruby Claw. Yes, she was familiar with that Cabal. When she started training at the Ctypt a few months back, it was one of the first things her mentor taught her and regardless of her mentor's warnings, she still insisted on coming to Espur. Why? She really had no idea. With all the numerous places she could have visited, it was Espur that stuck to her mind. Regardless, she was only here as a tourist. Nothing more. But even so, she was sure someone was already on her tail. Ignoring that little fact for the time being, Issy gave the woman a cordial smile. As cordial as she could get, anyway. It wouldn't do her any good to make enemies outside her own playing field.

“I am familiar with the Ruby Claw and their laws. Rest assured that I would be abiding by them and not cause any undue trouble.” Issy said this with a voice a little louder than normal; not just for the benefit of the woman in front of her but as an acknowledgement to whoever was trailing her as well.

[Maaike]

All sympathy for the Nymph vanished in the wake of her back-chat. Maaike respected people who stood up for themselves and those who were weaker, but she just couldn't ignore the fact that here was a vampire, the blood scourge of the realms. It didn't matter that Maaike was far too young to remember the real Scourge, or the Vampire Wars, or even the aftermath of those things. It only mattered that one drop of blood would be fatal to her, and that they fed on people. They were no better than cannibals.

And still she inclined her head in acknowledgement as the vampiress claimed she wouldn't be causing any "undue trouble". Personally, Maaike didn't fear the undue trouble so much as the due. It wouldn't be the first time Espur's streets had been bathed in blood - innocent and not - over some vampiric turf war.

But keeping an eye on a foreign vamp wasn't Maaike's problem.

“I'm not deaf,” she snarled, though, her lips curved in a sneer. It occurred to her that there had been some underlying message in the fang's words, that the overly loud statement was deliberate, but she just couldn't be nice to someone like her - which bothered Maaike. She hated to realise exactly how prejudiced she was, and her self-protective instincts were warring with her more charitable side.

Either way, she wasn't sticking around. The Nymph had made it clear she didn't need help, and Maaike didn't want to spend any more time with the vampire than she had to. It was too dangerous. Even if the woman was innocent, she only had to nick a finger and drip blood on Maaike, and it was curtains.

“Just be sure you do,” she gave as a final warning, meaning for her to follow the Claw's rules. She headed toward the centre of town, then, but changed direction at the last second to make her way back up to the rooftops. Even though the Nymph had declined her help, and even though the vamp probably had a Claw stalker, Maaike couldn't turn away. That damned panther, and the vampire... Ah, they were asking for trouble.

So she'd stalk them too.


((Maaike has left the thread. ))

[Kaizel]

As Maaike walked away, Kaizel had a bad feeling that she had lost an important ally. She had only been trying to reassure her that Isabel wasn't dangerous. At least she didn't think so...but she figured she had just made things worse.

She had thought about inviting Maaike to lunch with her and Issy, but that idea deflated before it had even really formed. The woman didn't seem like the type to pretend to like someone for the sake of being polite. Especially a vampire. And she didn't seem too happy about her panther either. So a lunch invite was definitely out of the question.

Pity, really. She had been looking forward to making some friends here in Espur. Aw well...that just left the vampire. Turning to Isabel, she smiled and fiddled with her hair nervously.

"So I think I saw a cafe when I ran after D'Miri. It's a little ways up the street", she started. At the mention of food, Miri perked his head up and moved closer to the two girls, brushing past Isabel as he went. Kaizel patted him on the head and returned her gaze to Issy,"Are you hungry?"

...Was that a bad question to ask a vampire when you're the only person around?

[Isabel]

Issy watched with a guarded expression as the woman took off. She had a feeling that won't be the last time she'd be seeing her. She didn't look to be someone who would just give up so easily just because Issy gave her word or maybe it was just the paranoia talking when you know someone else is following you.

“So I think I saw a cafe when I ran after D'Miri. It's a little ways up the street. Are you hungry?”

It took a lot of effort for Issy not to jump away when the panther brushed past her. It's ok. He's tame. So she says anyway.

Though a bit distracted, Issy still strived to answer her question. “Uh... yeah. I am actually.” Then realizing the possible double entendre of what she said, she turned quickly to the girl. “For food I mean. Er... The one that's for human consumption.” Issy cleared her throat to hide her embarassment and offered her hand instead as she introduced herself. “So um... I'm Issy by the way. You are?”

In an allyway a few meters down where the two girls stood, a lone man sat in the shadows, watching - quiet and still. Oh he heard the vampire girl's declaration but that meant nothing to him. Just one toe out of line or even a fraction of her pretty hair, death will be meeting her face first. That is the Ruby Claw.

(( OOC: Feel free to GM my vampire stalker. I wanted to put him here but I still have no idea what he'll be doing ^-^; ))