The paths Zhi had tread the past few moons had kept her out of the heart of the city, and it took some readjusting as she paced its streets. One of her holes had been jacked, and she wrote it off with a scowl and a glare for the boy -- "What?" being his own sullen response, some of the steel returned -- but eventually the gear and loot they carried was delivered into the proper drop locations. Or eager hands.
The boy was licking his lips as Zhi counted up the coin, shifted out his pay, and handed it to him. But before he could leave, she shook free a few more coins and held them out expectantly. "Brindle."
He looked back, eyed the coin as if it bared fangs. He looked at her the same way.
It made her smile. "Watch. Gad. Stay off yer new buddy. Make contact, an' I'll be knowin', an' ye won't like what I make o' it, understand?"
He shifted, and glared. He spat between them, but took the coin. She was losing him. Circumstances being what they were, she hadn't been able to cut him loose like she'd intended. She'd pay for that, more than she already had.
"Fondle a sheep, Zhio," he muttered. She didn't offer him anything more but a cheshire grin, hiding her surprise at the old affection.
It felt cheap coming from him, now.
The old apartment was but a street over from where Zhi parted ways with Brindle, and she moved quick over it. She'd put on some small padding of muscle, and she put it to good use as she scaled the building and peered inside the old room. She snorted to smell him in there; idiot had stayed put while she'd been gone. Lucky he hadn't gotten himself killed, the way things looked. Her Keeper eyes picked over the room, over him, and scorn rose up in her throat. It was mirrored in her voice.
"Ye smell worse'n a bilge filled wi' a moon's worth o' gadabouts' shit, y'beggared churl."
The boy was licking his lips as Zhi counted up the coin, shifted out his pay, and handed it to him. But before he could leave, she shook free a few more coins and held them out expectantly. "Brindle."
He looked back, eyed the coin as if it bared fangs. He looked at her the same way.
It made her smile. "Watch. Gad. Stay off yer new buddy. Make contact, an' I'll be knowin', an' ye won't like what I make o' it, understand?"
He shifted, and glared. He spat between them, but took the coin. She was losing him. Circumstances being what they were, she hadn't been able to cut him loose like she'd intended. She'd pay for that, more than she already had.
"Fondle a sheep, Zhio," he muttered. She didn't offer him anything more but a cheshire grin, hiding her surprise at the old affection.
It felt cheap coming from him, now.
The old apartment was but a street over from where Zhi parted ways with Brindle, and she moved quick over it. She'd put on some small padding of muscle, and she put it to good use as she scaled the building and peered inside the old room. She snorted to smell him in there; idiot had stayed put while she'd been gone. Lucky he hadn't gotten himself killed, the way things looked. Her Keeper eyes picked over the room, over him, and scorn rose up in her throat. It was mirrored in her voice.
"Ye smell worse'n a bilge filled wi' a moon's worth o' gadabouts' shit, y'beggared churl."
