Winds of change.

Ayalla wasn't doing well, or she told herself that she was. She felt like she wandered all over the place, like a cat never resting and always on the lookout. Was she getting a bit paranoid? Perhaps. But who wouldn't when a man like Gareth Prideux could lurk around any corner. She felt like shit still, even though she felt like they had ended it on good terms, it still felt like a hole had been left in her heart, and this hybrid wasn't one to just fill herself with anyone as a solution. So instead she walked. Putting one foot in front of the other until she thought her heels might give in. Southern had for a long time not been a place to go. After the portal had been closed, so many things had happened, and families were still without homes, which meant more had flocked to the Blocks. Some hoping to find work, some just wanting to feed their children. Others for an opportunity to get ahead and make some cheap coins.
The rain had picked up, and at first she hadn't been truly bothered. She liked the rain, maybe because it always felt like it washed away the sins of the world for a brief moment. Everyone huddling under an umbrella or helping one another to get in to a kiosk, even holding the door for one another. It was almost perfect. Almost. But then the winds had started to pick up. Her green hair whipping in her face as she spotted the Old Mill up ahead. Wow, it felt like she had really walked to the ends of the world. Or at least to the end of Churchill, surely. She had gotten there before the storm had really picked up, securing herself a table in the corner by the lit fire. She had gotten out of her jacket, hanging it on the back of her chair, hopefully letting it dry just enough. One of the workers had brought her a drink, spiced up with blood on her own request, and she paid up front. She could imagine even the barkeep here had fallen on hard times during and after the mess with the portal.
Then as she heard thunder in the distance, a person entered the little pub. Dampness filled the air as he brought with him some harsh winds that made the fire behind her cackle and pop. Her eyes looked at the stranger rather curiously. She hadn't seen him around before. He seemed to talk to the barkeep, making her frown a little as they seemed to settle on some sort of agreement. Why did he keep his wet clothes on? It didn't make sense any of this! Out of pure curiosity, she got up from her chair. As it scraped over the hardwood flooring beneath her, it made a few people turn their heads to look at her. She had to scoff. As if they weren't staring at her to begin with.
Ayalla hadn't always had green hair, but her assigned scientists had told her it was just something that had happened during her change. Her eyes were green as well, a green that definitely didn't look normal. Moving over, she sat down next to the newly arrived stranger, drink in one hand as she looked ahead. "You can let your hood down ... People won't stare at you when you sit next to the green freak," she said a bit harsher than she meant to. Fuck, she really wasn't good at this, huh?

Yeah, he was a bit of a mystery guy, wasn't he? And yet it was what ticked her off. She was usually not up in someone's business, but this guy seemed way too suspicious to just be a normal person. Maybe he was working for the Prideux? She wondered that, taking another sip of her beer, slowly licking away the foam from her upper lip. As he spoke she had to scoff a little, turning her eyes to look down in to the drink. Mysterious and rude. But then again, she hadn't been much better, had she? Ayalla wasn't acclimated to these sort of social interactions. Hell, she had never had any friends that hadn't been introduced to her first. She remained quiet, but not moving. If this guy was working for the Prideux family, then she wanted to have the upper hand from the get go.
That was when he finally turned to look at her, seeing the shift out of the corner of her eye, she turned her head as he finally spoke. Nothing wrong with having green hair. By the gods she could've chuckled if she hadn't been in such a bad mood. Chewing on the inside of her cheek she turned her gaze back to the liquor line up behind the bar. It was mostly cheap, so why were they putting it on display? He asked her something, making her hum in a soft manner. Her finger mindlessly running in circles around the rim of her glass as she stared in to nothingness. "I guess it doesn't hurt," she said in a short ponder before turning her eyes back on him.
Her eyes flared a little in the dim light, making them look almost as if they were glowing in the dark. "But I guess it's easier to spot the freak with green hair than the caped crusader who brought along the storm," she said, mocking him slightly, and yet it was sorta the only way she really knew how to interact. She knew how to be snarky and rude, and so it seemed did he. Besides, she had heard way worse around these parts. Women who vulgarly yelled about their services, sellers trying to yell higher just to let people know what they were selling.
"I haven't seen you around before," she just said, point blank, as if it would alleviate some of the tension. She could feel eyes on her. People around here left her alone, mostly because they knew that nothing good came from meddling themselves with her. Perchance he was of the same notion? "What's your name? Mine's Ayalla," she said, because fuck it, she had nothing to lose at this point.

Oh, so that was his angle. Mysterious, rude and a nomad on top of that. His next words made her scoff, chuckling softly as she shook her head at herself. It really wasn't funny what he had said, but the way he said it reminded her so much of someone. Someone that made her heart hurt to think about. "You sound like my ex," she finally admitted. If he didn't feel comfortable around her, she got it, even though out here freaks were not as sparse as they seemed in the city. She looked at the broth, wrinkling her nose a little. It didn't smell all that nice. It reminded her of sewer sludge, though she kept that thought to herself, not wanting to ruin his meal.
Introducing herself was a risk, but if he already knew who she was, then she would at least gain insight in who he was. His correction didn't go unnoticed. "Well Crowe, it is nice to meet you." Hah! Who said she couldn't at least be a little polite! A triumph. Although she had found his name a little strange, as it sounded more like a last name. Was that how it worked out here? She wasn't really sure, but it was too late not to correct it. Besides it wasn't like anyone could just look her up in a phonebook either way.
"What do you do then? Seeing as you describe yourself as a nomad I might suspect you're part of a cult, or worse ... An 18th century farm hand who got sucked through a portal to the future," she said. Okay, she was lame by nature, but what did you expect when she had no real understanding of how to talk to others. So she took up on her references - not that those were plenty. "Hey, I wasn't far off with the caped crusader comment; You just need a tragic backstory and a cool name like ... Bird man, you know ... Because ... Your name sounds like crow ... Like a bird?" wow, this was really going down hill for her, and fast. Biting her lower lip she breathed out in a fast notion, taking a sip of her drink as if it would help, liquid courage and all.

One thing was for sure, she wasn't drunk, she was simply awkward. For so many years she had stood in the background as Vanessa flourished, and now was her time to stand on her own two feet. And she was doing a pretty shitty job of it. He probably thought she was even more of a weirdo, and he was without a doubt going to start yelling at her to get lost. She saw how the mention of a tragic backstory made him react. Oh, she had seen plenty of men with that expression, most of them right before they snapped. But he somehow seemed to compose himself. What an odd thing to get frustrated over. Wasn't it like a requirement to have a shitty life if you ended up on this side of town? She at least thought so.
Just himself. An odd answer from an odd man. He gulped down his drink, and she looked ahead, not really daring to open her mouth right away. He seemed agitated. And the last thing she wanted was to get in to some stupid pub brawl. This was it, she thought, he was going to finish his meal and drink in silence, ignoring her and she would have to do some sort of walk of shame back to her table by the fire. Looking in to her drink, there was a moment where she thought she was going mad, turning her head to see his lips actually move and speak to her. The question made her scoff, the addition could've made her laugh if she didn't feel like he was going to haul that bowl of sewer sludge in her face. "I'm old enough to be out on my own - Not old enough to have seen the world," that was as much as she was going to give him. If she revealed how young she was, people would start seeing her as a target, and she enjoyed walking around these parts without having to worry too much.
Her fingers tapped against the wooden bar. She felt a little restless, turning her head to see that he hadn't picked up his spoon for his broth. "Are you going to use that?" she asked, reaching out to touch it. Oh it was metal alright, but she could feel it from where she was sitting. Before he could really reply, she took it, sighing in relief as she finally felt something tangible in her fingers. The thing about her ability was that she could get almost angry by all the different magnetic fields around her. It wasn't as much something she could see as it was something she could feel. Though, sitting here wasn't the best place to show off what she could do, so she just played a little mindlessly with it.
"It must be a bit lonely," she smiled a little sad, rubbing her thumb along the smooth metal, "if it's just you." She turned her head carefully, looking at him with curious eyes. In many ways she was perhaps still a child. A child who had never gotten to experience what childhood was like and therefor had tried to seek out a way to fill that hole. But it hadn't worked so far. Not by any means. "Let me pay for your meal," she decided, digging in to her pocket on her jeans, taking out some cash, handing it over to the barkeep before the man by her side could object. With that she got up from her chair, sliding the spook in her pocket along with her wallet. "Sorry to bother you," she said quite sincere before she moved back over to her place by the fire. She left her drink on the counter, not really wanting to finish it as she had lost her appetite.
She was stupid, wasn't she? How was she ever going to function in the real world when she had no clue about how it worked? Pulling her legs up on the chair, she looked in to the fire, humming a bit before she took out the spoon, rubbing it as if it was a stimming toy of sorts.

Looking in to the flames, caressing the metal spoon between her fingers, she felt a little better. But it didn't take away her feeling of failure. How was she ever going to make friends on her own? Maybe ... Maybe he was right? No! She couldn't afford to think like that. But then again, she didn't really like thinking about it too much. It would just end up with her flustered or worse. The metal of the spoon felt like it was almost tickling her senses. She wished the world would disappear for a minute, just so she could bend it a little to her will, but sadly she had to wait until she was alone. Another downside of being out here, and yet it was better than being completely alone. Then why did she still feel so lonely? She knew she could just go back to the friends she had left behind, but it would be more like admitting defeat. That she in fact couldn't be out on her own, that she was just a hopeless girl deep down.
Snapping out of her thoughts she heard the wooden chair next to her creak. Someone had joined her? She stared at the flames, rubbing the spoon, resting her chin on her knees. That was when she heard the grainy voice from up at the bar. Part of her thought it was odd that he had come down here to sit. But was it really so odd if he was by himself anyways? Maybe he sought companionship, or maybe he just pitied her and her useless tries at making conversation. "I'm sure there are many better places than here," she said, looking at him as she almost investigated his body language. He seemed relaxed for the most part, but he still looked like he had a stick up his ass. His auburn hair looked so warm in the flames of the fire, making her wonder if it was embers that made it look like that. "I guess I'm out here trying to find out who I am," she said, looking back at the flames as to not stare. Though she probably had been staring a bit.
Rubbing the spoon she looked at the shiny metal in her hand, biting the inside of her lower lip, considering what to say. How much should she disclose? He was a stranger, and he surely couldn't find any reason to care for her. "All my life I've been told who I am, who I'm supposed to be and what is expected of me," she hummed as she released her lower lip. It could sound like a rich-girl sad story, but she in reality had no possessions of her own. Not even her body was her own. "I guess I came here to find out who I am, get to know myself, but I've found that I hate my own company," she said, staring at the flames, rubbing the spoon mindlessly. Breathing out in a sigh she shivered a little, reaching one hand out towards the fire, letting it get warm before placing it against her cold cheek. "I didn't expect myself to be so ..." she couldn't really find the right words to say, "anyways, I guess I've realized that I'm going to have to live with myself for the rest of my life, and that kinda sucks."

He was really the quiet type, wasn't he? He didn't even interrupt her once, but then again she felt like she could hear how he was rolling his eyes at her. Probably thinking she was throwing her life away, but that was the problem. She didn't even have the right to throw her life away, because she didn't even own that. His question made a small chuckle escape her lips, closing her eyes as she just rubbed the spoon for a bit in silence. "I'm collateral," she said after thinking it through, opening her eyes to look at the flames, "I'm an asset, a piece of inventory; I'm a sack of bones and meat that will never get to fully know what life is because I don't own my life." She had never really talked to anyone how it felt. Felt to be a possession for someone else to own. Her rights had been signed over before she was even born, and here she sat looking free like the people around her. Only she would never be. She couldn't afford freedom, and even if she could, her master would deny her the opportunity. She was worth something it seemed.
"I'm a girl with no family, no money, no possession and nothing to my name," she said a little dryly, letting one of her legs down, dangling it a bit off of the ground. "I have no education, I have no ambitions or dreams; I'm a hollow shell that pretends I know what I'm doing, when in fact I've got no fucking clue." And that was putting it quite literally. On paper she belonged to Samuel Prideux, and nothing could change that. No, not when the daemon was as cruel as he was, even to his own daughter Vanessa. Ayalla had been in love with Gareth, Samuel's brother, but even now looking back she wondered if that was even real or just some twisted form of Stockholm syndrome. "I'm not funny or smart, I don't have any hobbies and I sure as hell don't know how to talk to people about normal stuff like the weather or what ever sport was on TV last night."
Wow, what a party she was. But then again, self pity was all she had really been allowed to have at times. Maybe she was just deserving of getting by like this. Looking at the spoon once more she sighed softly, using her thumb to bend it a little, though it didn't give the same effect as if she had done it the real way. It was truly like having an itch that needed to be scratched. Turning her head, she smiled a little crookedly at him, shrugging as if to say there wasn't really anything she could do about it. Sure, she could change her attitude, but it wasn't like that would change who she belonged to. "In trying to find myself I feel like I've just gotten more and more let down by myself," she said, stretching her back a little, a few pops coming from her joints. Okay, she really had to rail it back now. Why was she such a blabbermouth today?

"It sure is," a small scoff leaving her lips as she tilted her head to the side, resting her cheek against her propped up knee, the tip of her foot touching the floor from time to time. And here came the lecturing. Not that she minded, he was right. This place was a place where people crawled up to die. An area so filled with poverty that even the kingdom seemed to ignore. But it was better to be here, where people seemed honest than be somewhere else and be lied to constantly. Watching his hands as they stretched out she could see how worn and torn they were. He must be a hard worker, because he didn't look that old to her. In fact he looked, well, normal. But looks could always be deceiving and she knew that better than anyone.
As he mused she couldn't stop herself from smiling. It wasn't so much as she was running from someone, it was more she was running from what would happen eventually. "No, they know where I am," she said, lifting her hand to move some hair to the side, pushing her finger in to her pulse. "I'm chipped like a dog," it was one way for the Prideux to make sure they wouldn't lose their creation. "Besides," she said, leaning over a little closer to him, eyeing a man a few tables over, "I'm being watched." With that notion she leaned back in her own spot breathing out through her nose. She would never be in any real danger as long as she did what she was told. Heck, even Samuel wouldn't want to risk killing her off, she had too much of his progress in her.
"But what about you, stranger? You seem awfully invested in this sad excuse for a woman," she said, chuckling softly as she turned her head to look at him. Her face a little squished as she rested her cheek on her knee once again while looking at him. Her green eyes would hopefully meet his. "I mean, if you say it's so dangerous out here, then you must know what you're talking about?" Was that an unfair assessment?

She could almost see him fuming. All he needed was really the smoke coming out of his ears like a cartoon character. But then again, if he started to fight with her watcher, then he would be dragged in to this whole mess as well. Noticing how he was gripping the chair she had known to act faster, and talking to him seemed to keep him seated. She would just have to do that until he had calmed down, right? And yet, he treated her with silence. Had she not spoken in great lengths about her feelings about being here? Surely he could spare her some words about his own life. Well, silence it was then. Her eyes moved back to the fire, watching it cackle and pop, but that was when she felt a gaze on her. It wasn't the same as the watcher, no it was Crowe beside her staring at her, and she knew what part of her he focused on, mostly because he returned to ask about the chip.
"Do I look like a liar to you?" she replied with a question, because she didn't have to lie. She could've told him she was a magical princess from the fifth dimension but that wouldn't be right. "It's alright if you don't believe me ... Maybe it would even be better if you didn't" her eyes still trained on the fire. It still fascinated her that something could be so wild and dangerous, yet brought in as a cozy appliance in homes. The follow up question made her smile, "sure, are you specialized in experimental science? Because that would be really great," rolling her eyes a little she shook her head. She was being stupid again, "sorry," she muttered, not wanting to make a mockery of him.
So far he had been very nice, even though he was rude and didn't talk about himself. But she guessed for someone like her that was as nice as anyone was ever going to get. "It's kinda silly, isn't it?" she mumbled, lifting her hand to touch the spot on her neck she had showed him, rubbing it gently. "That I can walk around out here and pretend I'm free when I know I'm not; That no matter where I go I'll never be able to hide," was she actually seeing comfort in that? She had never known anything else. Besides, this was way better than the facility she had grown up in. "Hey, at least I don't have to wear my collar," she chuckled, feeling like he might see that as a joke, but it was true.

As long as she came when she was summoned, she could do pretty much anything. Well except for telling her story she guessed, but she would take the consequences later. Part of her just needed some normal people to hear what was going on, because frankly she felt like she was going crazy. Not that she had ever known anything else, and yet since being released to the real world she had started to realize just how fucked up her life had been up until now. Crowe seemed genuine, sweet even. Like a real knight in shining armor type of guy. And that made her wonder how he had ended up here amongst the outcasts and low-lives. A faint smile crept up on her lips as he started to talk about persuading whoever was owning her to give her up. It was quite the amusing thought. Crowe, the mighty human, defending her against the rich and powerful daemon Samuel.
Reaching over she placed her hand on his, shaking her head no as she just smiled at him. "While I think you are quite intimidating, it won't be enough for my freedom," she said, hoping he would start to calm down. He looked like he was ready to punch someone, either that or he was now constipated from eating that sorry excuse for a soup. Giving his hand a soft squeeze, she hoped it would comfort him a bit. Or well, she had seen that was what people usually did, so she might as well give it a shot. "The guy over there is a goon; Like the lowest on the chain of command, you know? In fact I don't even think he knows why he follows me, he just get paid well."
Letting go of his hand she moved it back to her spoon, fiddling with it for a bit. "Not to brag, but I'm worth a lot," she scoffed, gesturing with her eyes for him to look down at her hand. The rest of the pub was occupied anyways, and those who looked at her were already too drunk to be able to remember this tomorrow. Her hands started moving, and without touching the spoon it started floating, twisting and turning every which way she wanted. Her eyes glowing slightly and her fingers having a bit of a tint of green as well. She stopped after a while, grabbing the spoon that now had a neat knot in the middle.

A designer handbag. What a nice way to put it. In fact she couldn't help but chuckle softly, holding the knotted spoon in one hand as her other reached out to feel the warmth of the fire. "Oh but I am a designer handbag," she mused, but he perhaps hadn't noticed. He was a human after all, so his senses might've not picked up on anything out of the ordinary, and she didn't blame him for that. She actually got along with most humans, or she thought she did until she had broken one human's heart and they hadn't really spoken since. "I guess I could be free if I was bought free," a ponder she didn't want to linger on. No, Samuel Prideux rarely let go of his possessions, and it wasn't like she hadn't tried. "But I'm not for sale - Or I at least I don't think I am," it was quite an interesting thought. She got up from her chair, the man a few tables down watching her, his eyes burning in to the back of her head as she turned to look at Crowe. "But I guess all good cargo can be stolen, even the ones that are tracked," a faint smirk on her lips as she heard her watcher get up from his chair. Looking at Crowe she hoped he would be alright. The man was so genuine and she wished him better fortune.
Her watcher was now standing behind her, towering over her and three times as wide as her narrow frame. "Miss Blaire, I've got orders to escort you," the brute said, his voice rough and clearly not used to speaking in formalities. He sounded slow in the mind, but you sorta had to if this was the career path you had chosen. "Tell them that I'll find my own way back," she said, not even turning around to look at the guy. No, she would rather want to look at Crowe. He had green eyes too, she had just noticed, and it made her smile a little. "But, I-uss gots orders," the man repeated himself, slipping up and not speaking properly. It was clear he had been given a script to follow.
Ayalla's eyes started glowing, lifting her finger to her lips, signaling for Crowe not to say anything before pointing to the metal pokes used for the fireplace that were slowly moving towards them. The brute hadn't noticed, and he wouldn't even know what had hit him - until it literally hit him. A large hollow sound followed by a soft crack rang through the pub, and she ran off and out the door in to the storm. The large brute laying on the floor with a metal rod beside him and the floor pooling with blood.

It was pouring. The rain making it almost impossible to navigate the worn down streets, but she could've found where she was heading with her eyes closed. She knew she had hit that brute very hard over the head, she hadn't had as much control as she had hoped, but who was going to prosecute her? She didn't touch that metal poker, so no evidence to gather. Winding through the streets she knew it wouldn't take long for a new watcher to take the other's place, but this would hopefully give her a few days of peace. Not that she liked hurting others, but when they were scum who worked for Samuel, she couldn't care. She had to not care to survive.
Eventually she ended up in the unfinished residential area. Half built apartment complexes that were crumbling a few places didn't stop people from taking up residence there. Crime was high, but it was an area you could go if you wanted to be left alone from the outside world. Walking in to an alley, she lifted her hand, manipulating the fire escape ladder to come down for her, ascending the stairs rather fast and lifting the ladder with her. She didn't stop moving until she was at the top floor where she climbed in through a window to a place that she had claimed as her own for now. Surely she couldn't stay here forever, but there was a mattress as well as different metal trinkets hanging in strings from the ceiling. The spoon she placed on a wooden dresser as she started to remove her wet soaking clothes. Had Crowe managed to follow her?

Ayalla was finally in some dry clothes, and just in time for the weather to be getting worse. She looked out through a window that had a few cracks, looking down to the streets that were soon getting covered in slush and murky snow. Had Crowe given up on her? Scoffing to herself, she thought as much. She wasn't worth worrying over anyways, she thought to herself, kicking her heater on to let the place get nice and toasty. Or as toasty as this place allowed with all the cracks in the walls.
Just as she was settling down she heard some kids down on the streets. Fuck, what were those brats doing now? The area was often littered with kids, mostly those whose parents resided in the area. She felt bad for them, at least she didn't have parents to let her down like this. Okay, it was decided, she needed to know what was going on. Crawling down the unfinished staircase on the inside of the building she finally reached ground floor. Pushing the door open it creaked loudly, the kids noticing and one of them with a runny nose came running over, "Ayaaaaa we founds a person," he beamed proudly, holding up the matchbox that he had found by the person. "Show me," she said, ruffling up the kid's hair. Gods, he needed a hat, didn't he? His ears were all red from the cold.
The kid grabbed her hand, pulling her along until they reached the old van. It was quite a popular spot for new people to stake out in for a while before they found themselves a spot. Hell, she had been there too. But the cloak gave him away, and she looked at the kids, "aight, you better run home now," she said, the kids complaining loudly, calling her name and begging to stay and meet the new arrival, "I'll tell Mrs. A and you know how she'll scold you." That seemed to do the trick as the kids scattered like cockroaches.
Turning her attention to Crowe she sighed, reaching out to touch his cheek. He was freezing! Fuck, what was it she learnt about humans that one time? C'mon, even the idiot Ethan had said something smart once. Right; Heat slowly. She grabbed his hands carefully, even if she had to pry them out of the position he was sitting in. "Hey, old man, let's get you inside, huh?" she muttered, trying to sound cheery but she was actually rather worried. With a bit of elbow grease she managed to help him up. Even if she had to carry him, she would make it her life's mission to get this man inside the building. Closing the door after them, she looked up the broken staircase. "Why you gotta be built like a bear," she muttered to herself.
How she did it was a blur. A combination of swear words, grunts and sweat on her forehead, she had managed to get this guy up to the top of the building and in to her little hideout. "Alright, no easy way to say this ... But we gotta get you naked," she said. Ayalla could recall a time where Ethan had joked about the cold, how sitting naked with someone would make them heat up. Maybe she wasn't willing to go that far with a stranger, but she didn't want to risk this kind guy losing a toe or a finger from frostbite. Dumping his soaked clothes on the floor, she were decent enough to focus on his face as she removed the last bit of his undergarments. She was rather warm by nature, but maybe that would heat him up too fast? "Not looking, not looking," she mumbled over and over until she got him to the mattress, covering him with however many blankets she could find before kicking the heater on again. Sitting down on the floor next to him, there was really nothing else to do than wait.