Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » Featherweight [1x1 Closed]

"Ack! Shoo, shoo!" The elderly voice could hardly be heard over the hustle and bustle of the marketplace. Not that anyone would care that the old woman running the fruit stand was swatting away at white insect wings. No one wants to see bugs on apples and grapes and pears for sale, after all...

That didn't stop little Luella from trying. She had kept her wings flat against her back, only using them to fly when completely necessary. She had kept hidden, only peeking with her blue eyes above the counter. She had waited for the perfect time, when the stall merchant had turned around to face the crowd. Only then had she flown to the colorful cornucopia of sweet produce, mouth watering at the sight of it all.

She'd latched herself onto a particularly plump white grape. It took a strong bite from her teeth to tear the skin off... but once she had, she could easily slurp all the delicious juice from inside. She'd only been gnawing away at the soft meat inside for a few seconds before she'd felt herself getting brushed away.

But Luella was determined. She did her best to hold onto the precious fruit she was eating... even though the thing was an entire third her size. It took strength just to get it in the air with her... until she felt the thing pull back at her. The grape was still on the vine! She panicked... The woman was about to swat at her again.

With all her strength, Luella gave one strong tug on the grape to break it free, which sent her flying off the table, barely missing the hand trying to hit at her. She held tight and beat her wings hard to keep herself airborne.

"Why, you...!" The woman shouted. She looked like she was preparing to catch the little insect making off with her harvest. Her withered hands looked ready to clap the creature between her palms. Luella had to think and move fast... it was a struggle just to keep the thing in her hands, let alone escape. Right when the hands twitched and struck around her, Luella darted downward. It was then that she had a moment to get away. She used the momentum to duck upwards, beating her wings as hard as she could, to fly upwards, well above the woman's head. Up and up she went, as fast as her little wings could take her, until she was out of arm's reach.

The fey let herself land at last on a tall tree branch, clutching her prize to her chest while her heart raced and her breathing struggled to keep up. After a moment, she finally lifted her head from resting on the top of the grape. A few bits of her long, brown hair had gotten caught in the sticky innards of the fruit; but those could just as easily be pulled away. She brushed all of her hair back behind her neck, keeping it secure with a flowery headband. Now was at last her chance to enjoy her meal fully. And up here, with a view of all the people in the marketplace, and the grand palace visible over the roofs of shops and houses? Luella couldn't ask for anything more.

From above the resting place of the fairy, a hand would extend downwards without warning from the clusters of branches and leaves of the over brush. If quick defense was not made for, two fingers would reach down to pluck the single grape from the tiny arms of the feminine sprite, finalizing the swift motion to pull it from her fingers with a flick of the wrist and curling of his fingers to secure it in his hand. If she didn't release, he would pull all of her up with the grape, bringing her up to eye level.

"My my, aren't we a sneaky little thing..." Brockton's masculine chuckle emanates from above her, looking down on her as his legs held onto a branch even higher up the tree, suspending him upside-down. Despite being shaded by the leaves, branches, and trunk that surrounded them both, he could still be easily seen with the light that showed through. He wore a simple variety of colors adorned to his traveler's outfit, sporting black leather boots, brown fabric trousers, a simple diamond stitched black fabric jacket, and a brown leather bandoleer that held snugly from his left shoulder to his right torso. Atop (or, in this instance, below) his wide frame was a face complete with a day of unshaven gruff, mid length greasy hair tied back into a messy bun, blue eyes piercing the miniature lady, and a mischievous grin spread across his lips.

"H-Hey!" Luella was so preoccupied with stuffing her face she hardly had a chance to react when it was taken. Can never let your guard down...

Still, she clung tightly to it, her eyes fixing on the face of the male in front of her.

"Come on, I got this myself, fair and square! Go get your own." She took another big bite out of the fruit.

"That poor old woman that you took this from wasn't very appreciative of your little stunt there..." He scolds, bringing his other hand down to wrap around her body and pull her away from the grape, soon after releasing her and smirking as he held it up to his face, eyes appraising. He rolls it back and forth between his calloused fingertips, worn and hardened from years of fletching, bowing, and archery. Careful not to crush it between them, he twists and turns it back and forth, gaze slowly returning to the faerie.

"...she's a very kind woman, truly. Hard working, been running that stall for years...how un-kind of you to take it from her, hmm?"

Luella twisted and turned in his grip. "One... lousy grape? Stop pulling my leg," she tugged her leg loose as she said this. "Come now, she'd hardly want it back now would she?"

Her mouth watered at the sight of her only meal being toyed with. "What's got you all worked up, anyhow? I wasn't botherin you none. Why don't you go pick on someone your own size?"

"...she spent hours slaving in her own fields, growing these with a love and tender kindness to be as big and juicy as possible," He brings the small fruit up to his mouth, hovering a hairs length from his lips, and he draws in a deep breath through his nose. Smiling pleasantly, he sighs, before plopping it in his mouth, "A good trade she has runnin' there...and you're just going to take from her the money she deserves?"

Her tiny face scrunched up at the sight. Her heart sank as she was overcome by a hunger she couldn't believe. "You... You ass! How could you? That's all I had to eat!"

With newfound fervor, Luella tried to force her way out of his grip. "How on earth do you expect me to pay for one measly grape, huh? Now I need to go... Acquire... Food from someplace else. You happy now?"

Brockton exaggerates his chewing, closing his eyes and sighing pleasantly as he sucked and chewed through the grape. He chuckles aloud as he finishes, undeterred by her whining or her struggling within his grasp. After a satisfied swallow, he opens his eyes again, half lidded and looking to her similar to how he had eyed the grape.

"Mmm...content, but not quite satisfied..." He flashes his pearly white teeth towards there, eyeing her with a predatorial hunger. "Tell me...what will make me happiest? You covered in salt, pepper, or a combination of the two?"

The fey gawked at the notion. "Neither, thank you!" She seemed about to wrest herself free. "Goodness, you are a spiteful creature, aren't you? Heh. Two can play at that game."

With that, Luella gave a clever turn of her body, breaking herself free. Which of course gave her a chance to slip into the sleeve of his jacket. She crawled until she was halfway up his arm--snug enough that she'd only be coming out if he removed his jacket.

"What the--" He bit his tongue as she tore from him with a surprising speed, hardly able to get the sprite to stop moving before he threw his other hand down on his upper arm...but she had already stopped at mid space. He tried to reach into his arm hole, but couldn't reach up within far enough to reach her. Gritting his teeth, he fully extended and flexed his tricep, stretching himself out as far as possible. He made his fingers into a C-shape and pushed it down his arm from top to bottom, pressing down against the fabric and ultimately trying to push her out by force.

"You treacherous squirrel! Get out of there!"

She couldn't help but giggle while she played games with this mischievous stranger. He was bizarrely much like her in nature. With the thought of this in her mind, Luella was caught off guard when he tried to push her out of the arm of his jacket.

She certainly tried to slip past his grip, but to no avail. Her tiny head was poking out under his cuff. She scurried to bring herself around, trying to tuck herself back into the arm of his jacket, but by now he'd already learned that trick. But it was all she had in this moment.

With her head barely tucked under his cuff, he reached in to grab under her armpits with his thumb and forefinger, plucking her out of the blanket that his jacket provided. Still holding the challenging and tiny woman, he narrowed his eyes on her as she was brought to his eye level again. Brockton's face was starting to grow red with all the blood rushing to it from his hanging upside down, veins in his forehead and neck becoming more prominent as they throbbed with his heart beat.

"Just what do you think you're going to find in there, little thief?" He questioned with scrutinizing tone, forcing his expression to retain frustration and anger, but a fiery playfulness in his eyes betrayed that. A mischievous grin held on his lips now.

Luella burst into laughter as she held onto the man's hands just as much as he held onto her. She tried to at least readjust her head so she was right side up, even if he wasn't.

"Nothing of value, I'm sure." She responded with a giggle. Despite having her only meal for the day taken by force by this stranger, Luella couldn't help but relate to how this man thought. Perhaps she could change the subject. "Hey. I like you. My name is Luella."

"Brockton," He grunts, curling his torso inwards to swing himself up in one clean movement. One hand reached out behind him to steady himself on a branch behind the one that his knees were wrapped around, to which he pushed himself forward and up to allow him to sit up on the branch. If she was now upside down, she would be turned over and placed on a branch just below his eye level. IF she was right side up, she'd merely be placed on said branch.

"You're insane if you think I'm going to let you off that easy, Luella..." He tsks, reaching towards his satchel that had been wrapped by its strap around a nearby branch, unraveling the leather and pulling it free. Bringing it to his lap, he undoes the latch that secured one of its two main compartments, flipping the cover open to allow him to reach inside and grab for a fist sized paper wrapped package. Unraveling the paper, he reveals to her freshly made, moist, and still warm chocolate cake bread! Brockton breaks off a piece that would be manageable for her, about the size of the grape he had previously confiscated, and then placed it at her side.

Luella steadied herself with her wings on the branch she was placed upon. She giggled at the sight of Brockton's hair getting messy from turning right-side up again.

Her eyes grew wide at the sight of the cake. And even moreso when he offered her a piece. Her instincts told her to reach out and grab it. But she managed to restrain herself. Instead choosing to ask permission first. "Sir, my I have this piece of your cake?" She tilted her head to the side as she spoke.

Brockton quirked a brow at her request for permission to take the chocolate cake he had already presented before her, for her. He held the rest of the cake within the paper wrapping atop his lap with the sweet treat cupped in his hands.

"Polite when she means to be, treacherous otherwise..." He chuckled, combing his nails and fingers through messed hair that sat lofted and lopsided on his head, eyeing her with a smirk and a squint, "Yes, friend. You may."

She grinned. "Why, thank you, kind sir." Of course, she could have just snatched it up without asking... He put it beside her. She was just being wary of any foul trick he might pull had she not been given explicit permission.

She ate ravishly, to the point where it seemed amazing something so small could eat so much. Another thought struck her. "Say," her mouth still somewhat full as she spoke. "Wha's yer biddniss up in this tree anyhow?" She took another huge bite. Her face was covered in chocolate. She didn't care.

<<Distantly, the sounds of frustrated guardsmen collecting, convening, and then shouting orders to one another to search the marketplace and its surrounding entities became present in their ears. Boots striking the ground with an authoritative force, the iron and leather laden men and women searching all around for the rogue who was now perched, out of sight, in the thick of a tree. They wouldn't be able to see him or his new friend up in the heavy leaf and branch cover.>>

"I believe I'm doing similar to what you're doing here, Luella..." He reaches into his satchel again, hand moving inside to feel for a black silk wrapping that would hold a special gold orb. Withdrawing it from the bag, he held it up to her, securely within his fingertips if st, and then removed it to show her the golden orb with its intrinsic carvings, cuts, and elaborate designs. He twisted it a few times, moving two hemispheres opposite of one another, before refocusing on her with a knowing grin.

Luella could hear the guards as well as Brockton could, which made his answer all the more relevant. Still, she was just as easily distracted by what he was retrieving from his pack.

Upon seeing the glimmering surface of the orb, Luella's eyes opened wide. Oh, could it be? A treasure! Of course, she had no idea what it was or why it was valuable... But it certainly /looked/ valuable. "Ooooooo... What is it? What's it do?" She flitted her wings while she examined it, touching its surface with her tiny fingertips.

"Hmph," He mused quietly, finding a bit of content in seeing Luella's devouring of the cake and curiosity of the expensive object, his closed lips forming into a small smile, "A puzzle piece...or a puzzle, perhaps. Taken from the prince's abhorrent and spoiled child," He held it between three fingertips, as if on a mantle. He turned his wrist left and right, showing the spherical mystery to her up close, allowing her to see all its tiny engravings, etches, curves, and crevices. Manipulating the ball with his other hand, he twisted the various hemispheres, rotated the sides, and pressed in on the surface at random. Each movement or press created a softly audible clicking, but there was little beyond this to reap from his unplanned attempts at solving it.

"It's a wonder that the little brat didn't do anything beyond scratch it...luckily, you can still make out the engravings, even though I have no idea what it reads," He places in a narrow rut that lined much of the top of the branch she sat on, holding the golden piece in place provided it wasn't pushed too hard. Looking back to her, he turns on the branch and scoots himself a few inches towards the trunk, allowing him to lean back against the center of the tree. His legs hung down from either side of the branch under him, and he slouches slightly, finding a much more comfortable position. Eyeing her curiously once again, he speaks, a bit more softly, "What do you think?"