-The Mythics- RolePlay

Jintao forgot how long he had been walking by the time he stopped on the street corner. It was dark now, though the rain didn't stop. He itched his right arm. Grabbing the empty sleeve, he instantly remembered his arm was gone. Jintao leaned against a pole; he was tired, and more so than he thought. Still, something continued to urge him out here. From his tiredness, he wanted to write it off. It was probably him longing for someone who was no longer there. He turned towards home but didn't take the first step to get himself there. He closed his eyes and told himself that he was only being foolish. Go home, get yourself something to eat, and forget your problems- like life was that simple. He reopened his eyes when he heard a sound. Someone was nearby...

She rushed through the streets, cloak billowing in a cold breeze. Rain dribbled down her hooded neck and ears, but hair no longer weighed down her head.
The sparse money bag bounced in a pocket near her knee, and she pulled her trenchcoat closer to her body.
A shadow leaned against the dim light post, and she shook her hood farther over her eyes. Her hair was short and curled with rain and sweat, framing her pale face. She kept her gaze low, head tipped down.
"Stranger," she said, keeping herself out of reach, voice loud enough to be heard. "In what part of the city are we?"

Jintao watched the swift figure approach him. He returned his balance directly to his feet and stood firm. He wasn't sure if this stranger was dangerous. By her whole deminer, he felt as though she was.
"West side, I assume," he replied, eyes watching her every move. Normally, in feeling of a threat, he'd watch the other person's eyes, but with her hood blocking all light, he settled for just watching her movements. He nodded his head towards her. "Something wrong?" he asked. "You seem rushed."

She sidestepped closer and kept her palms open and exposed. "Forgive and pardon me, friend, the rain muffles my ears. Would you repeat yourself?"

The woman didn't pose any immediate threat, so Jintao relaxed just a little. "West side," he repeated. He eyed her some more and added, "Where are you headed? I might be able to help you if it's not too far."

"West," she echoed, turning towards the street. He muttered something inquisitive and she glanced back. "Uh, the... pub. Blessings." She left the lamp light, boots padding over wet stones, then turned back again. "A shoemaker? And gunsmith." She reached for the money bag and pulled a pair of coppers. "Any sort of mercantile, imports included." She tossed him the coins and studied his pale lips. "I'll triple it if you guide."

Jintao picked up the two coins. Turning them in his hand, he said, "I don't typically go near a gunsmith, so I'm probably not much help when it comes to finding one of them." He put the coins into his pocket and felt his keys. "As far as mercantile, I know of a good place not too far from here. The storekeeper always treats his customers well."

"Fine, fine," she said, stepping out of the light again. The rain fell heavy. "Lead the way."

Jintao stepped away from the light pole and led the way. As he walked, he watched Tay from the corner of his eye. So far, she seemed alright. The worried feeling that he could get in trouble for helping her rose up inside of him. Pushing it away, he said, "I'm not typically one to be formal, but the name's Jintao if you were wondering." He didn't stick out his hand to shake, though he did watch to see if she would stick out hers.

She nodded, a brisk, purposeful movement. "Let's talk inside." She pulled the cloak tight and flicked the hood farther over her head.
Rain stuck in her worn boots, and her toes rubbed, numb and raw. Blisters had formed over days of walking, but the cold rainwater cooled each angry welt and left her feet senseless.
She walked near the man, falling into pace with his even gait.

Jintao returned the nod and said nothing. He was sort of surprised to see her come so close, especially because of how standoffish she had been. Turning his attention away from her, he studied the streets as they walked along. The buildings were dark with no waking life. Rain gathered in ruts caused by once heavy traffic. An old beggar slept under the shallow eve of an abandoned store. Jintao crossed the street to him and dropped the two copper coins into the man's tin without slowing his pace.

She kept her head forward and maintained an even pace, but her eyes followed his smooth movement.
Curious.
The coppers sent quivers through the rusted tin.
So why was he helping her, then?
Words lurked in her throat, but rain still pattered and mingled with the vibrations of sound. She would have no chance at making out his words during such profuse torrents.
The water began to feel bruising upon her head, and her muscles tensed and shook.
Forever she would bear a weak body, but her mind would not be so easily given to fleshly reaction.
Tay strode through the slosh and kicked water. The soggy trench coat slapped her thighs, and the hood pasted to her forehead.

"We're almost there," Jintao said after a while. "It's just another block."

She lifted her gaze and cast a hesitant glance toward the man. He did not appear to expect an answer in return, so she gave another nod.
He was no talking her to a mercantile, she thought, but the man's swagger did not show with the anticipation of deceit. In fact, his confident steps should have relieved her.
Tay kept her head low and let her ears go numb.
Always so desperate. This situation was a low blow to whatever bit of her ego remained. Astute calculations once graphed her eyes, and now where were they?
Worthless.
But alive.
Her boots emerged from murky puddles, and a sudden paper caught on the toe of her right foot.
Ah, right, the poster.
She wasn't completely worthless.

Jintao suddenly stopped. The small business was just across the street. It was never out of the ordinary to go to this store, but at this time of night? It just might raise suspension if a one armed man showed up now. He looked at Tay. He planned to tell her to stay here until he spoke with the owner, but what if she left, or worse, some creep kidnapped her? It wasn't too hard for him to notice her weakness, despite him hiding his knowledge of it.
"We'll cross the street together," he said, returning his attention to the building that was their destination. "It's early, so he's probably not up yet. I should be able to get his attention, but don't be alarmed if he greets us with his rifle." He felt like he didn't need to explain anything to her; he did it more for conversation. "Let me do the talking until things are settled. He'll probably want to know who you are, so if you're hiding your real identity, think fast for your new one."
Jintao stepped forward, then in front of Tay, turning to her and blocking the view of the street. He had one more thing to say and this was necessary to him. "Last thing," he said. "No stealing. It will not be tolerated in this store and I will be the first to turn you in if I don't kill you first- whoever you are." The store manager was someone important to him- if not family. He knew he couldn't even injure someone with his dominant hand gone, but his threat of doing so would hopefully be enough to deter this stranger from getting any ideas. "Is that understood?"

"I understand, friend." She offered him the four coppers. "Are you some holy man, giving good money to a beggar? He wasn't even awake to see it." She looked down and shivered with cold.

Jintao raised his eyes to the sky as though he was half rolling his eyes. "Maybe I need some help keeping my sanity," he half muttered. He checked both sides of the street before rushing across. On the other side, he went to the door and knocked, expecting no answer.

She stood in the street and waited, wishing more than anything to be out of the cold. The cloak clung to her tingling, rubber-like skin, and the trenchcoat lining had soaked through.
No matter, though.
Simple pain, she thought, it was all simple pain.
Her teeth chattered and her legs swayed.
Oh, curse the simple pain.

As expected, there was no answer on the front door. He would have to go to the back door and hope there's an answer there. If all else fails, they'd have to wait for opening before they could get in. Jintao thought that Tay was still next to him, so he was surprised when she wasn't. She was still in the street and she looked like she might be shivering.
Jintao went over to her and removed his heavy sailor's coat. "Here," he said, handing it to her. "Take off your cloak and put this on." The coat was made to keep spray out and body heat in and was still warm inside from Jintao's own body heat. That is, all of it except for the right sleeve.

"Nono," she said, falling back two steps. "It's okay." She glanced down either side of the empty street. Everything sacred.
"Where are we?" She asked, barely able to hear her own words as excitement rose in her chest. "I want directions to a sacred mercantile. Reasonability is desired, and perhaps lifesaving." She flicked the box-blade up out from her sleeve and let it jump between each finger, a well-formed habit. "Direct me, pal, and take your sacred coat." Stepping back, the steel shone as it twisted over her fingers in methodic coordination. She would not meet his gaze, in fear of being recognized.

Jintao was rather surprised by Tay's response. "Sacred?" he asked, still holding the coat out to her. "I don't know of any sacred mercantile." He looked down at his coat. It was never easy to get on with only one arm, and sometimes it was downright embarrassing. If he knew she wouldn't take it, he wouldn't have taken it off. "And this," he lifted the coat a little higher, "isn't sacred. It's just an ordinary sailor's coat."

She couldn't hear him. "Take the coat, I don't want it,"
The rain softened.
Dawn bloomed on the horizon, and she feared her face would be seen.
Wasting time, wasting money.
Fool, fool.
She backed away. "Blessings," she murmured, a sound of habit, not conviction. "Hadn't you work to get off to? Perhaps productivity is in order,"
For both parties, she thought. Some more than others.
She pulled the cloak tight and started down the cobbled street.

Jintao pulled the coat back, though he didn't attempt to put it on. He stared at it blankly for only a moment. Holding it tight against his body, he followed behind Tay until he was in step next to her.
"I'm sorry," he said, staring at the ground as he sloshed through a puddle. It was cold and nearly ran up his boots. "I didn't mean to frighten you back there by what I said."

"Speak up, stranger." She leaned toward him so that mere inches separated their shoulders. The box-blade still swiveled in her hand, moving steadily between each finger.

"I'm sorry," he spoke louder. "That store owner has been very good to me. I threatened you because I don't know you and I wouldn't want you hurting him. Especially because I'm the one who led you there."

She glanced up at him. "I'm not scared of your threats, only motives, strange man. I don't have time for foolery. Is the mercantile nearby or have you wasted our night away?"

Jintao looked at her with sadness in his eyes. What has happened to you, he wondered. "I'm sorry if I came across that way," he said. "I was only trying to help." He looked over his shoulder as they walked further away from the store. That was the mercantile.

She stopped. His voice buzzed in her ears and she struggled to make out the words.
"Forgive me, man, if I do not understand. All I require are directions."
She rocked on her heels, unable to quench the pain in her feet. The box-blade still twirled in numb fingers.

The sun continued to come up. If Jintao guessed correctly, it was around 6:00 am now. He frowned, almost stopping to stare at the ground. "The mercantile back there should be able to meet all your needs," he talked in the volume he had earlier, forgetting that she probably didn't hear him. Remembering, he spoke louder, "I can take you back to the one we just passed. I'll just want to go with you because I know them. That is, if you want to go there now. They should be opening in an hour or two now."

"I would, yes." She stood oddly, wondering how many cards were left to play.
This was fine.
He was a compassionate man and he bloomed with possibilities. Kindness could be twisted.
He seemed oblivious, though.
She slid the box-blade into her sleeve. "Lead, stranger."

Jintao watched her hide the box-blade from the corner of his eye. He shifted the weight of his coat as it lay folded over his arm. It felt as though it was gaining weight the longer he held onto it.
Without saying a word, he lead the way back to the store. The windows were now lit up by a lantern inside. The owner was awake. Jintao glaced down both sides of the street before crossing. Subtle signs of life showed that the town was starting to wake. He crossed the cobblestone road with an eye on Tay. He wasn't going to leave her standing alone in the street this time.

She kept her head low and followed in his steps. Her feet ached and when they stopped at the door she leaned on the wall, waiting.

Jintao banged on the door slightly and stepped back. When no one came to the door, he banged again.
"Hold on, hold on," someone from inside complained. An older man unlocked the door, opening it for Jintao. "Jintao?" he exclaimed. "What brings you here such early in the morning? And why are you not wearing your coat? You'll catch a cold. Get in he-"
Jintao stepped aside, directing his attention to Tay. "Oh," the man said, noticing her. "Who's this?" he stared at the woman.

She glanced at Jintao, then pulled her hood back and offered her steady hand to the gray-haired man.
"Lyra," she said, her tone soft and cunning, "just Lyra."
Wet hair hung above her dark eyes, curling over her forehead, and she fingered the blade in her sleeve.

"Jack," the man gripped her hand with both of his and shook it. "The name is Jack." he smiled at the two outsiders. "Now, get in here and my wife will hook you both up with some breakfast."
Jintao eyed Tay. He found her slightly beautiful, then downed himself for thinking that way. "After you," he said politely. "Lyra."

She stepped in and shrugged off her cloak.
Wife and breakfast were the only words she had understood. The old man's voice was deep, similar to Lanec's, simpler to interpret.
"Thank you and blessings. It has been a cold night."
Her frosted fingers burned as she removed the soaked trench coat, and the heated air refreshed her throat.

The old man rushed off to the back of the store. "Daisy," he called, "we've got some hungry company. Mind taking a break and warming something up for them?" He disappeared somewhere behind the aisles.

Jintao laid his coat across the counter. He pulled out the four copper coins Tay had given him earlier. "They might have some dry clothes for you to change into," he said, feeling the cold coins with his fingers.

She ignored him and paced farther into the store, then swept back behind the counter.
Her eyes searched, and her fingers swiped across the shelves, nails clinking against yellowed bottles. She pulled away vials of Clove, Thyme, and other herbs, placing them on the open countertop with swift fingers.
"You are strange for helping me, Jintao. I certainly doubted you, and for that, I apologize. Garlic, garlic, garlic-" she whispered, flicking through the spices. "I would like to lie low here for the day, if possible, but tell me if I'm overstaying an informal welcome." She set the garlic atop the counter and tossed the ginger beside it, then turned back to the shelving.
"I do not intend to be rude, truly, but-" she snatched up a small clear glass and reviewed it's contents by removing the cap and inhaling. "Oh, gosh," she pushed it back on its shelf, "I do not even know what that is. Smells like-..." She touched her nose, blinking as she motioned towards Jintao with a vague wave, "You."
Leaning on the countertop, she pinched the bridge of her nose and pulled out the money bag. It hurt to breathe.
"I need the key to the medicine cabinet," she began counting coins, setting similar sizes in neat stacks.

Jintao watched Tay comb through everything. He was amazed and almost concerned by her swiftness. She could be a thief- he thought, but then why was she so good at paying? Perhaps her family was often in danger, which lead to them to always being in a rush? Jintao wasn't sure and he didn't dare question her about it.
"This isn't my place," he leaned against the counter, "so it isn't up to me. You'll have to talk to Jack about it." He looked where Jack had disappeared earlier. "If they say no, you can stay at my place. It's not too far from here."
Jintao watched Tay open the jar and smell its contents. He could barely stop himself from smiling when she wrinkled her nose. " Me?" he asked, sounding half offended. "Do I really smell that bad?"
He watched her return to the counter and count the coins. "Jack probably has the keys," he said. "I don't work here."

"You have a place?" She murmured, estimating the general cost of the items she selected before sliding the airy money bag back into her dress.
She pushed the herbs and liquor to the far edge of the counter, then knelt and retrieved a pair of high-laced boots from where they glistened, unprotected, and displayed at the shuttered window. She held her palm to the rubber sole. "These are fine." The boots stood tall and firm, unbroken.
She sighed and glanced at Jintao. Wavy curls dangled over her eyes. "Blessings for bringing me here, friend. If I had more change I'd offer it gladly. But alas," she tossed the boots to the counter and cocked her head, "I'm broke."

"Yes," Jintao replied. Did he really look homeless? He was poor and obviously cared about the poor, but he wasn't homeless.
He watched her pick up the boots. They were pretty and thought they would look good on her. He jingled the coins that were still in his hand. "You didn't need to pay me if you couldn't afford it." Jintao placed the coins carefully on the counter and slid them towards her. "I didn't need the money."

Without a word, she flicked the coins back at him and turned her attention to the doorway.

Jack and his wife, Daisy entered the room. Daisy was about as old as her husband and she was a little bit shorter. She carried two bowls of hot pottage, which she handed one of each to the visitors. "You two look starved," she said with her aging tone. "Eat up before it gets cold." She stared at Tay. "Lyra, it is?" She gave her husband a concerned look, who met her look with his own. "Such a pretty name," she turned back to Tay.

"Sure. I want to buy those." She set the bowl against the counter and motioned toward her collection. "I need a needle, too." She stared at the old man. "A pot of hot water. I'll pay for everything."
Being victimized and needy seemed effective.
Forceful advancement was quicker, but she was tired.
Her feet burned, and she knew the sores had blistered into infection. Theft and literal, physical sprinting seemed always to pair, and one needed a good set of feet to pull off a successful getaway.
She knew her words were brash and direct. She hadn't even blessed the old woman.
But simple pain ailed her body, and Jintao's prestigious nature toward the old couple bit at her sanity.
A patchy agenda nagged at her mind, and she did not suppress it.
Patience ran dry, and she did not care.

"Thank you, madam," Jintao said, taking the bowl and setting it on the counter. Leaning over it, he began eating it.

The old lady seemed taken off by Tay's request at first. It took her a minute before she said, "Alright. I'll go get them." With an exchanged look at her husband, she left the three by the counter.

Jack watched Daisy go. Then he turned to Jintao. "How was the spices?" he asked.
Jintao paused from his eating with a frown. "I haven't had the chance to try them yet," he said, staring at his bowl. He grabbed the copper coins as though to change the subject. "You wouldn't have a cheap clock, would you? Someone stole mine while I was away."
Jack shook his head in disappointment. "Jintao, when are you ever going to get yourself a weapon and protect your place for once? I'm sick of hearing of people robbing you just because you're handicapped. This is what, the third time this month?"
Jintao instantly looked at Tay. He wasn't sure why; he just did. He glanced down at his pottage, a little embarrassed for looking at her, then turned to Jack. "I live on the first floor. Thieves like to go for what's easiest. Besides, I wasn't home."

Tay stared back, smiling a little when he looked away. "The loss of a limb does not excuse lineance, I think." She tilted her head and caught the morning sun through a crack in the worn shutters. Her heartbeat quickened. "Regardless of cause, we are all called by instinct to protect what belongs to us, and the loss of one arm does not incapacitate."
She glanced at Jack. "Let me move somewhere less distracting. You're to open soon, are you not? Let me help your wife in the kitchen."

Jintao frowned. Maybe she was right. After all, before he cruelly lost his arm, he was an experienced fighter, with both blade and bullet. His coincidence reminded him of his obligation to the King's soldiers. He looked down at the well-worn floor with a half sigh. He felt utterly helpless and didn't know what to say.

Jack stared at Jintao for a minute. It was obvious that the younger man was bothered. Looking down at the floor himself, he said, "Yes, you can do that, Lyra. She should still be heating that water up for you." He nodded to Jintao. "Do you mind showing her the way? I don't want her to get lost in the shipments."

She watched him through her wet, curling bangs and gathered the herbs with silent fingers.
"Blessings, Jack. You are a good man."
She pulled away from the countertop and her boots were silent as she brushed past Jintao. "Come, man, I meant no offense by my words."

Jintao nodded. He picked up his bowl, put it in Tay's, and followed her. "You are right," he fell in step next to her. They walked by some crates. Jintao stared at them as they went by as though they held his secrets. "I just can't do it. At least not during this time of my life."
He stepped ahead of her to the door of the stairs. He set the bowls on the floor and opened it for her. "They live upstairs."
It felt strange talking about his handicap in the way that he was. His last statement sounded like he would take up a weapon again, even though he was forced to be against the thought.

"Tell me," she said, slipping through the doorway, "do you sit idly by and wait for inevitable exploitation, or do you open the door when they knock?" The slick stairs creaked beneath her feet and the black, plain dress obstructed her ease. She waited at the last stair, glancing down at Jintao, who seemed to hesitate. Warm air wafted from the kitchen.
Words felt right, but they didn't come.
She dipped her head and exited the stairwell, turning into the kitchen.
"You-" she motioned to the old woman and let the herbs and spices scatter onto the table, "dear, I will finish that. A needle. I need a needle."

Jintao let the question roll around in his head a couple of times before answering. "I prefer to open the door when they knock.." He pushed the bowls into the stairwell with his foot and shut the door. Then he picked the bowls up and followed her up into the kitchen. "Thank you, madam," he said, putting the bowls next to the sink. He hadn't finished his pottage, nor did he care to.

Daisy nearly jumped when Tay said "You." She spun around with her eyes large. "Oh, you startled me," she put her hand on her chest. Fear filled her eyes until Jintao walked into the kitchen.
"I'll get that right away," she gave Jintao a worried look on her way to the living room. She was only gone for a minute before she returned with a pin cushion. "Here you go, dear."

She took the soft cushion and removed a pair of needles with ease.
"Blessings."
A cough caught in her throat and she turned away from the oven, hacking into her arm as she hooked the toe of her boot around one of the table chairs and dragged it forward.
She slumped into the chair and sighed as it creaked. Her eyes met the old woman's for a brief moment, and a weak smile flashed across her lips.
"I never bought bandages, and I couldn't find stockings," she looked down and began to unlace her worn, soggy boots. "If there is anything I can do to earn those things-" she pulled the money bag from her dress in one swift motion, tossing it onto the beaten table before she returned to her boots. "I don't know how much is in there, not enough, probably."
She bit her teeth and eased off the first boot.
Yes, there was skin and blood.
This would make a fine case.
"Apologies." She murmured, looking up with cunning eyes. The water steamed and she tossed the needles into the pot. "My journey has been weary."

Daisy fell silent as she watched Tay. She occasionally looked at Jintao like he should know something that he didn't. Finally, she said, "I have some alcohol if that helps any." She seemed to have missed Tay's question about earning those things, for she never answered her on that.

"It's already on the table."

Jintao shifted his weight, shocked at how bad her feet were. He felt ashamed for not even noticing before. "Here, let me help you," he grabbed a cloth from a drying rack and knelt next to her. He dipped the cloth in warm water and stopped. What was he doing, he wondered. For a moment, he forgot that he only had one hand. There's no way he could possibly be of assistance.

She took the rag from him. "Let me be. I can do all this."
The water felt fine, but alcohol would burn.
The body of a coward.
Perhaps she should lean more towards the damsel in distress side. It's what she was, anyway, save the thrill and attraction and innocence that often came with the title 'damsel.'
That wasn't a bad thing, either. She'd happily be such a character if it didn't mean certain death.
She sighed and began scraping away the blood and dirt.
"How long since this?" She asked, nodding at the stump of Jintao's arm. "I want to help, not tease, friend, so don't be upset."

Jintao stood back up and leaned against the table. It was almost painful to watch Tay, though he should be used to pain by now.
"Uh," Jintao looked at where his arm once was. Gone from the socket down with nothing to attach a prosthetic to. Only a skilled surgeon could pull off an operation like that, and only the heart of a survivor could live past it. That was something which he lost shortly after his limb. It should have amazed him that he was still holding on.
"Almost two years now," he said. He didn't like talking about it and often avoided bringing it up if he could.

"Mm," she acknowledged, bent over her foot. "You're weak if you let it shame you, friend."
She hid beneath her bangs and held her breath, running the rag through blisters with merciless pressure.

"Weak isn't the half of it," he turned away. He said too much, and it almost came across as rude.
Jintao went to the kitchen window. He placed his hand on the still and stared down at the street below.

"He was attacked by a shark, miss," Daisy said to Tay in a near whisper. "You should be ashamed for calling him weak like that."

"A big fish ate your arm." She said, her voice loud and brash. She reached for the clear liquor bottle. "So. I don't care how it happened. Quit acting a martyr, man, and don't succumb to exploitation. Oddity does not permit lenience." She unscrewed the bottle and dampened the rag.

Jintao bit his lip. He had been passing around that lie ever since he lost his arm and Tay was the first person he wished knew that was false. The moments of his awful past began haunting him. He closed his eyes, but that never worked to chase anything away. What was it about her that seemed to bring things up like this?
"I forgot my coat downstairs," he went for the stairs without looking at anyone.

"Jintao-" Daisy put her hand out to stop him, but he was already down the stairs. She turned to Tay with her hands on her hips and a look that said, "How dare you." Then, as though she remembered something, fear filled her eyes again. "Excuse me," she said, almost shaking, as she turned to the living room.

"How dare I, indeed," Tay muttered, watching through her bangs as the old woman left the kitchen. She stood and limped with silent feet to the rich cabinetry, then opened the doors and searched the shelves. She made no sound, taking quick inventory before hobbling back to the oven with a muffled groan.
Jintao was a foolish man, and he ailed himself. Yet she admired his disposition.

She mixed herbs and spices into the liquor before applying the alcoholic solution. It fizzed and boiled in the skin so that her hands grew white and small unquenchable sounds issued from her throat. But she did not remove the rag and remedy until it had served its purpose.
Sweat had streamed lines into her dirty, young face, and hair clung to her forehead as she rewashed her feet and pulled apart the welts with sterilized needles, then washed them again and repeated her process with the liquor.
Without covering and insulation her work would be to little avail, but she did not have the composure to call the old woman back, or to try and summon Jintao.
Instead, she sat back in the chair and breathed heavy breaths, her weak body excited by pain.
She heard the rumble of voice, but understood no words.
She and Jintao were not so different.

She searched the cabinets again and retrieved a stack of thin drying towels. The cloth wrapped tight to her feet, and she put on the new boots.
Tay tied her herbs and things into the last towel, then stumbled away from the stove and slammed the kitchen window open. Sunlight made her shiver as she slid out onto the roof.

Jintao stormed to his coat and headed for the door. His mind was continuously getting worst as it tormented him with guilt and horror. He opened the door and stopped. Everything Tay had said to him seemed to be calling him back. He wanted to leave, but that would only further his profile as a coward. She thought that he should defend his property and his dignity should be a part of that.
No, Jintao shook his head. There was no part of him that needed protection, at least, not anymore. He viewed himself as a monster for his past and was pleased to keep reminding himself of that. He had changed since then, but with the constant watch of the King's soldiers he had no room to settle into his changed life.
"Jintao," Jack called from behind him. "Are you leaving so soon?"
Jintao turned to the old man and shut the door. "I was thinking about it," he answered.
Jack walked over to him and placed his hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he said, "Please stay. I don't like my wife being alone with Lyra."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Jintao said with a sigh. His guilt rushed over him again. He wanted to escape from his problems and never look back. If that was possible, he didn't know. He thought of Tay's torn feet. She's in good hands, he told himself. "I should leave. Let me know if she needs anything. I'll pay her tab when I return from my next trip."
Before Jack could respond, Jintao was out the door and on the other side of the street. Leaving felt like the only thing he could do to protect anything, even if it did mean he was written off as a coward. He threw his coat over his back and held the lapel with his teeth as he slid his arm into the left side. When his arm was almost through, he accidentally dropped the coat, causing it to land in the puddle that was at his feet. "Idiot," he snarled at himself as he picked the wet thing up. If Jack saw what just happened, he'd be out in an instant. He glanced to the store. Jack wasn't in the window, so that was good. Then he spotted Tay on the roof...

She crouched and cocked her head, then raised a finger to her lips, praying he would keep his silence. The towels beneath her arms bulged.
For a moment longer she met his gaze, silhouetted to his eyes as the bright sun shone.

Jintao frowned. She was a thief at heart, and he should have known. He glanced down both sides of the street as he made his way over to her. Stopping where he could still see her, he nodded his head to the side. Keep moving, but I'm coming with you. His stare only proved that he wasn't pleased.

A graceless smile crossed her pale face and she rolled her eyes before sliding down the opposite end of the slick, damp roof.
She fell to a rickety fire escape and waited, rubbing her palms over the new leather boots.

Jintao came over to her. "Stealing?" Anger filled his tone despite him keeping his voice down. "We all knew you couldn't afford these things, but stealing them? Those are good people! They might have given them to you if you asked." He glared into her eyes in a way that didn't match his previous character. It was the way a pirate might look into his opponent just before starting a deadly fight.
"I should turn you in like I had said." His tone lightened a little, but his stare didn't.

"I have no qualms killing you, man." She stood and looked down from the short fire escape. "Remember that, now." The stiff boots creaked as she slipped over the guard rail, dangling in the air for a tense moment before she dropped.
Her knees gave when she hit the ground, but she stood swiftly and brushed off the dress.
"Say all that again, I heard nothing save your pleasant tone."

"Maybe my 'instinct to protect' is kicking in." He watched her while she was above, un-intimated. When she buckled on the ground, he softened.
"Fool of me, I should have known." He took a couple of steps back. It wasn't out of fear, but of past knowledge that he thought he had forgotten. His eyes fell from watching her face to her hands. "You leave, I'll turn you in. You kill me, there's two witnesses who'll confess, and that is if they don't shoot you first." His tough set of options fell from his tongue like he had said them before. Maybe he had, though if he did, it might not have been because his life was possibly on the line.

"My, you are difficult." She approached him and snatched the collar of his shirt as he tried to duck away, then jerked him forward, and back against the wall. "Don't move, don't move," she pushed the box-blade to his scruffy neck and jammed her knee into his side. He doubled over and she pushed him back again. "I will not bargain with you, Jintao. Shut your mouth. I keep you alive not because you deserve it." She kicked him again, her only real advantage the knife on his throat. "You've slowed me enough, man. Keep your sacred mouth shut or I'll cut out your tongue and tie you in the shadowed alley."

Jintao gazed into her eyes with his back tight against the wall. His side hurt from her kicks. He swallowed hard, which only made him feel the blade more. For once, he saw an advantage to having only a left hand, even if he didn't notice it at first. He locked his stare into her eyes like a strange intimation, though it was more for a distraction. Very subtly, he moved his hand upwards. When his hand was high enough, he snatched her hand and twisted it in a painful direction, causing her to drop the blade. Before the blade could hit the ground, he kicked the blade into a trash pile, where it disappeared from sight. All the while, he never took his eyes off of hers, nor did he speak.

She shifted her free hand up to his throat and bore her little weight down on his tense body.
She was all talk.
He far outmatched her in strength.
But she had guts and he had a heart.
Tay released his throat and pulled away, wary of his fisted grip on her wrist.

Jintao let go of her wrist and stood where he was, watching her. Adrenaline was rushing through his body, despite his hidden attempts to calm himself. He nodded his head forward and said, "So, what's your choice? Cutting my tongue will do you no good and neither will your attempts to kill me."

She couldn't hear him.
She didn't want to find the knife again and mistake looking petty, and she didn't want to hurt him.
Moving slow and silent, Tay stared him down as she approached the fire escape.

Jintao slowly leaned down, picking up his coat which had dropped when she attacked him. He stood back up at the same slow speed. "Is that your choice?" His adrenaline slowed down, which helped him to see her as he had before- Lonely, in pain, fragile, and possibly scared. "You want me to be the good 'ol rat that I am? It's my payment for breathing after all."
The moment those words came out of his mouth, Jintao wanted to vomit. He didn't really want to rat on her; he wanted her to go back into that store. But why, he asked himself. He told Jack that he would pay her tab.
Jintao stepped toward Tay. "I promised them that I would pay for those things." He let out a sigh. He kept his eyes on her, but not for intimation anymore. He went to the trash pile and found the knife. Bouncing it in his hand, he walked back towards her. "Thievery will only get you to an early death." He looked down at the knife. "And this will get you a cruel death." He handed it to her. "Take it. Use it to save, not kill."

"Dear man, take your foul proverbs and leave me be." She swiped the knife from his hands and cursed him as she climbed up the fire escape. She stopped on the first creaking platform and looked back down, his fingers gripping the splintered railing. "You think you're righteous, but even a holy man must defend what belongs to him. You are some coward, Jintao, some cripple, and poor man. Use it to save, not kill," she mocked his words, "hah. What would you know? You could not save even yourself."
She bent and collected the towels and goods, indecently upset.

His fingers tightened on the rail. He took one step up and went no further. "A pirate since I could hold a blade, a shooter once I had my first kill, a first mate when the last was fought over as a slave," he stared up at her. He was rolling out his past like it had a deep meaning, even if he had never shared it before. He threw his head to the side as he continued. "And I throw it all away because some 'saint' is caught by my crew and I'm the one who pulled the trigger on him!"
Jintao turned away. The haunting memory filled his head. His crew had been after the man for a few years before they finally caught the guy. The guy was a strange one, with a claw for a hand instead of a hook and a deep determination to stop the pirates, though he never wanted to kill them. He had stole away the pirates' hearts and souls, one at a time, even after his death. Alas, Jintao was his last and final victim. He had stared deep into Jintao's eyes with compassion and sadness like no one had ever done before. It was no wonder that it ate away at Jintao long after the man's body hit the ground.

Tay leaned forward and stared back at his eyes. She cocked her head. "Is that all?"

Jintao turned back and looked up at her. "Maybe I'm just trying to stop you from making the same mistakes I've done." He looked down at his coat that he had draped over his arm. His mood had softened as though what happened only a few minutes before never occurred. "The Crusher was known and feared by many, yet he never attempted to kill anyone. All he ever wanted to do was save others, even if some were his enemies."

She straightened, then froze, staring cooly down. "Go on, man. If you must speak, then tell me it all. But come." She turned back to the ladder. "I can't stand 'round here."

Jintao glanced up at her, then back down at his coat. With a sigh, he walked up the ladder. "Mind giving me a minute to get my coat on?" he asked when he reached her level.

She leaned against the wall and watched him with an unrelenting gaze.
Strange man. Rescourcful man.
Humid air tore through her curls and brought tenacious frizz. Sweat still clung to her skin and dress.

Jintao put the right side of his coat on his right shoulder. He bit the collar and slid his arm through the left sleeve. It was still wet from when he had dropped it in a puddle earlier. Pulling his hand through, he reached over to his right and pulled the coat to his left. He went over to the rail and leaned against it, holding the coat in place so he could button it up. Finally, he took the empty sleeve and stuck the cuff into his pocket, which almost made it look like he had a right arm after all. "All set," he said, turning around.

Tay rolled her eyes and started up the ladder.
Wasting time.
Gosh, she was good at that.