Morocco ... Continued

[Brehnic Kohnar]

The day had ended, and Niks was more than eager to be on her way out of the building. Her hotel was a bit of a walk, and she wanted to get in before it grew too dark. She wasn't afraid of the world around her, but she still wanted to get in a little site seeing before she settled in for a simple dinner of rice and broth.

So, there she was walking down the street, humming a little tune that didn't have any
discernable melody - just noise to occupy space while she made her way "home." That last discussion on whether or not Shakespeare was Shakespeare had frustrated her to no end, and Niks was more than willing to shout that she believed in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and William fuckin' Shakespeare...

All work and no play made Jack a very dull boy. Actually, it made him a bit of a killer, if one had seen The Shining. Either way, Brehnic decided he needed a distraction, so he'd take in Morocco's night life. Serenity of course knew of all the in spots, namely because it was what she did best.

Among other things.

Dressed in his traditional black, this time he was better *prepared* if there were to be another ... Encounter like there was previously on the square. A small but playful grin lingered, while dark brown eyes were soaking in everything they came across. Hopefully the square incident was a isolated one, because Brehnic had ideas of hanging around for a bit. Thoughts of having a second home away from home may have found their
first place for consideration.

Niks had settled for a mix of light and business - the pants were linen, but dark with a matching jacket. The shirt underneath was a light almost daring button up. She wanted to be presentable, but she wanted to be comfortable. The shoes had been the only
concession she'd made to the idea - tennis shoes for all the walking and
standing. Standards be damned.

Her backpack thudded lightly against her back as she headed through the busier part of "town." She didn't exactly make it obvious that she was protecting her possessions - everything of importance was on her at the time - but she wasn't swinging the bag around in invitation for theft. One hand was behind her holding to the bag at the bottom... the other held a shoulder strap. It didn't look too conspicuous, just knowledgeable perhaps.

Her attention was soon captured by a little stand with jewelry. It was quaint copper bits, and she supposed she could take a moment to give them a look - the hotel wasn't going anywhere, and neither were the few sites she'd thought of taking a peek at.

Funny thing about being a tourist, to some it just screams out, EASY PREY!! That backpack looked really inviting, a subtle signal sent to those that had been watching. The plan was set into motion ... One to bump into her hard enough to make her lose
balance, while the second would make a grab for the pack, pushing the first into her, making a quick but well planned getaway into the nearest alley ... Marking it up as just another careless American.

At least the was the plan. Only someone else had picked up on what was about to happen, with a secret smile, he waited as well ...

Niks grunted softly as she was pushed one way then another; that wasn't fair play, not at all. And the fact that she might have put her hand on something sharp and pointy on the table wasn't that good for Mr. Bump either as she felt the backpack's weight shift. Later she could apologize for sticking someone with a hat pin. Or a cloak pin - she wasn't sure what it was, but it would hurt if it were poked in a thigh.

"Hey!"

Two steps ... Three short of a sprint was all that was taken before the poor kid found himself tripped, flipped, and lying in a prone position, laid out for the count. "Dat be not yours." Was all that Brehnic would say with a wide grin while looking down at the stunned youth. "Gonna be givin' tourist a reason not t'be comin' down here ye be keepin' dat up, mon."

He almost felt sorry for the accomplice that had a nice little souvenir of his own, courtesy of the would be victim ... (m) "Amateurs." There were some local authorities about that were in earshot, and enroute, so his work was done. A nod given to the almost damsel in distress, and he was on his way, with an odd vibe of deja-vu ...

The other one was certainly not any better off. A small prick could do a lot of damage. She'd end up paying for the bit of jewelry that had actually helped keep her somewhat safe. She turned in time to see her "savior"...where had she seen?

Before she could think longer on that, her attention was pulled up quickly by the approaching good guys. She quickly paid for the pin before hiding it away in her backpack - the last thing she needed was to get in trouble for sorta stabbing someone. It wouldn't take long for things to get settled, specially since no one really wanted to press charges or to do the paper work.

[Brehnic Kohnar]

- Flashback -

It was closing time at the library, and there was a nasty storm that had rolled in an hour prior, that showed no signs of letting up. Everyone agreed to close a little early when the lights began to flicker ...?

Niks sighed as she stepped out of the building.? She loved books, she loved working with the patrons, but she would really love to have her Ph.D. to be finished with it all.? She wanted to be a professor.?? She wanted to work with students....She wanted to be somewhere that she wasn't getting rained on. She'd forgotten her umbrella - again, and she wanted nothing more than to go inside and wait it out.? Then again, the librarian, or library tech depending on who one asked, remembered something about meeting someone?? Her brows furrowed as she huddled under a convenient spot out of the wet.

The streets were pretty much vacant, storms have a tendency to do that. Save for those taxis that NEVER seem to be around on nights light this, and the occasional thunder and faint sounds of clashing metal, nothing unusual. -d-

?"Dammit."? Niks stayed where she was before pulling up her jacket, which wouldn't really protect her from a good soaking, and running out to find something that might actually be running.? She even paused at the damn bus stop to wait not so patiently.? There was no one else around.? She might actually have to start walking, dammit.

Niks knew she was going to end up a drowned rat by the time she even got half way to her building.? The gym wasn't even going to save her.

That faint sound of metal clashing seems to get a little more pronounced when the thunder wasn't doing it's thing. Several buildings down, were there sparks of some sort coming from the roof??? Electrical mishap or something ? That was when things suddenly got weird when lightning began shooting all around that same rooftop, causing what few windows that remained on the abandoned structure to shatter outwards ... And was that a scream??
?
Niks might have screamed there as it all went crazy, that or she was going to be violently ill.? She had turned from the lightning for a moment before the windows exploded?? She turned again, yelling something at the cacophony that was supposed to be natural?? She shuddered, but couldn't move from her place there on the sidewalk.She sighed softly as her feet started taking her exactly where she knew she shouldn't be going.? Curiosity was a bitch, and at that moment Niks knew she was that bitch's whipping..girl?? Didn't matter, she was walking to the crazy place, not away from it like a sane person would.

It was too close for comfort for one Brehnic Kohnar, he got lucky. Didn't feel lucky. Sore. But that would pass. The after effects from the quickening, well ... They were few and far between ... His second actually. How those older Immortal do it was beyond him.?? Grabbing his coat, he was grateful for the rain, it cooled him off a little. Now if he could make back across town to his hotel? That would be even better. Back down the stairs he went, his sword cleaned and placed back inside the harness? of his coat.

Yes, the big fellow she'd met in the library was certainly not the person she expected to see after the noise and what not.? Her lips pursed slightly as she watched him step onto the sidewalk.? Her hands tried to tug the soaked jacket a little tighter.?

She didn't exactly walk any closer, just stood there watching him.? Yes, that was certainly a wise idea - watch the guy come out of the blown up building after a frightening lightning storm?? She was probably going for the Darwin Award at that exact moment.

?As luck would have it, a pizza delivery vehicle sped by, splashing that oh so clean street puddle water all over a certain student, and by the time she recovered from that, Brehnic was well .... Gone. Vanished. Poof. However, there was a patrol car close by that had been radioed about something strange going on in one of the vacated buildings .... They would stop right where Nik was standing ... "Hey miss, you seen anything strange going on? We got a call ..." The officer speaking was sort of giving her the cautious eye, since she looked a little out of place standing there ...?

?Niks stared..she couldn't stop; she couldn't stop the shaking either.? She told herself that it was just the cold getting to her, that she should get out of the rain, but it felt...Whatever she felt was certainly distracted as the cops came up.? Not like a grad student would expect a bunch of cops now, now would she? "Strange?? Well..."? The grad student looked back at the building, mind quickly working out the rational answer while biting back a few expletives. "Yes.? Lightning hit that building and it exploded.? I'd have to say that was damn strange.? I thought someone might be in there.? I really wasn't thinking - should have called 911."
?
"You really need to get home, miss. It's only going to get worse. Need a lift?" Nik's account of what happened pretty much played out to what other few witnesses claimed, only on the roof they discovered signs of some sort of struggle, blood loss, and a headless body. It would be one of those *unsolved mysteries* as no motive was found, nor any identity of the body discovered.

-Flash forward-
?
It was the same guy alright, and after doing his good deed for the day, she was in danger of losing him into the? crowd.?

Niks felt like that drowned rat and was just as damned confused.? She'd been asked a few times about the body, about what had gone on, and she wasn't sure she wanted to know.? Actually, she was bloody sure she wanted to know, but she wasn't sure she wanted..?"Fuck me."? The language wasn't all that polite, and it certainly didn't make her sound very well educated; yet, she couldn't just stand there and stare.? She paid quickly for the pin - never knew what one might find handy - and quickly started working her way through the crowd, unsure of whether she should yell out to him for attention or try to make sure he didn't spot her again.?
?
Brehnic had stopped to get directions to one of the more risque hot spots, in Morocco. It seemed that every country had some sort of *underground rave* club ... Ahh, the great American influence, gotta love it. After getting what he needed, Brehnic proceeded to flag down a taxi, when without warning he stopped, glanced over his shoulder, looking right at Nik.? "Yes?"?
?
"Shit."? Niks was too old to go wide eyed and confused, but she did it all the same. "Dammit.? It's you.? It's fuckin' you!"? Yes, that was American higher education at work.? "You know, you haunt my dreams at night?? And that is no pick up line, believe me." She glared at a few who had decided this might be a fine time to either pick pockets or to get in a bit of drama.? Her attention shifted back to him. "Now, I don't' like making scenes, but they actually thought I might have had something to do with a certain situation back in Philadelphia a few years back."? As if he'd remember right?? Or as if he'd admit to anything.

"I'm heading to a known rave club here in Morocco, gots de dancin' fever an' all. Ye wan' to join me? We talk more there, hmm?" Those pearly whites were all showing, with no signs of what was told to him bothering him in the least. The taxi had pulled up to where Brehn was standing, and the door was opened as he slipped inside. The door would remain open for a few moments more, as would the offer.

She knew it was probably the worst idea ever, but she had to know.? So, Niks crawled into the cab, the pin hidden in her hand, ready to take an eye out or something.? He looked like he could certainly do her more damage than not. "Not really in de dancin' mood."? Her accent mimicking his almost perfectly,? and it was kind enough to lack any sort of teasing.? She settled into the seat, trying to stay as far away as possible. "Happen often?"
?
" An' you need to be careful wit' dat pin in yer hand. Don' be pokin' yerself. " Giving the driver his destination, he glanced over at the girl who was giving him the eye.? "Tha' be a bit ago, yanno?"

"No.? It wasn't just a bit ago."? The pin became something of a pointer as her hand lifted for the proper gesticulation - hands moving about and pointing and such. "That wasn't just something you brush under a rug and say 'tha'be a bit ago, yanoo?'"? Again, the accent. "And, damn well will be poking someone if they don't keep their hands to themselves.? Don't care if those pronouns don't match."? As if someone had said something about such. "You did something on a roof and I got hounded by police for it."

Glancing out the window, he sighed. "Twas a deal dat went sour, an' th' bugger decided to be getting violent. Self defense. Th' others told em to let it go ... Dey made an example out o' him. Only I was dum' enuff to be takin' de stairs instead o' the fire escape like everyone else."

Niks glared at the touch, and at the display - yes, men were like that weren't they?? I'm big strong, you weak little.? Her eyes narrowed, showing just how brainless she could be - what person actually pushed buttons when they'd? just been so easily disarmed? "And how lucky for you that, you got the dramatics along with it.? Such as, you ask?? Well, there's the lightning - must have played havoc when you went to work on whomever 'he' was.? Then there's the windows.? Yes, definitely.? Drama and suspense, right?"

"Mafia." That would be all he would say, and if she was as smart as she looked, that single word spoke volumes, and would explain a lot.? "Cables. Water. Bad combination." Then he'd look over at her once again. "Look, I was told to be leavin' town, or join th' other one. Sorry ye caught th' tail end o' tha' whole thing. Why are ye here anyways?? "

"Because you asked me to join you?? And you really haven't answered my questions.? 'Mafia' really is such a ...cliche.? And, while you might have a chance of being one - not really ready to just square you away as such."? She knew he was asking why she was in Morocco, but she was still upset - she'd be that way for a while apparently. She turned to look out the window, the pin in her hand again.? Just playing with it really.

"Conference.? So, you come into a library, you go kill something, and then you 'save' me at a bizar.? Busy, mm?" (d)

"Dat?" Chuckling. "I saw an American about t'be robbed. I had to represent. Crazy dat it be ye.? Believe wha' ye will. I'm goin' to let me hair down, an' hav' fun. Ahh, we be here. Ye comin' or do I pay the taxi to take ye back?" Brehnic wasn't looking annoyed in the least, or bothered by her questions, or even if she believed him or not. But that smile was back, as the music could be heard from the taxi ... "Fun or ye be moopin' ?"

Niks' eyes narrowed again.? What planet was this guy living on?? It wasn't so much the whole smile and be nice bit - it was the accent and the smile and be nice.? Her lips pursed again. "I'll pay for the taxi to take me back.? Not really dressed for fun, and some of us don't get paid to have fun.? Not that I'm getting paid, but I don't need to be lookin' after me books and shit, do I?"? She shifted to show that she was still with book bag.

"You can find me at The Moon Serernade - American run type place, but it's nice enough.? I'm there usually most evenings.? Ask me tomorrow and I might be available." There was a hint of brow lift as she watched him.
?
"I'll be holdin' ye to tha' ... " With a wink and a grin, he'd send the taxi off, watching it head back the way it came. Once it was out of sight, that smile softened a bit, before eventually becoming serious. (m) "Kid has no clue. Damn. Like I really need this right now!!" Being a Master Thief, he had an eye for detail, and a memory to match. Of course he'd remember her ... kindred spirits and all. Seemed that Morocco was the Mecca for Immortals.

Fundom had by all.

Riiiiiiiiight.

<font color="#0033FF" size="1">[ February 12, 2008 06:25 PM: Message edited by: New Age Immortal ]</font>