Dark Streets, Dark Nights (Raichi)

[Catrina Wood]

The red ball that was the sun had sunk below the tall structure of the Central Command Center. Night fell across the city starting in the alleyways. It crept out into the streets where the lamps were being lit. Lights lit up from the inside of house along the streets. Some went out not long after, the owners deciding to fall asleep instead of staying up. In the darkest of alleyways, a set of purple orbs lit up from inside a door. A figure strode out of the entrance way, covered entirely in dark colors with the exception of a pair of white high heeled boots. The figure moved silently even with the boots which would have made a lot of noise if any other person were wearing them. This black cloaked figure was none other than the 'Cat', Catrina Wood.

Tonight was going to be her relaxing night. The one night that she would just walk around the city with her hood down, and act normal at night for a change. She planned to stop by one of the restaurants towards the central part of Central. She had finally scrounged up enough money to buy herself a hot restaurant meal instead of her normal fruits and charred chicken that she made herself. Catrina walked into the light on the street with her black hood down, resting on her shoulders. She wore a confident smile on her face. Nothing was going to mess up this perfectly planned night for her.

Catrina walked down the sidewalk away from her home in the rundown hotel. The streetlights lit up her face as she walked by them, instead of casting a shadow over her. This whole idea of eating out came to her when she saw a couple eating a mouth watering dish at the same restaurant she was heading to weeks ago. Since then, she had been pickpocketing all the thugs that got in her way every night. Somehow she had found enjoyment of taking some of their money. Not all of it of course, for all she knew that could be that man's life savings and she wasn't that heartless. This little scheme of hers turned out rather profitable in the end. The best thing was, was that the men she took the money from didn't even realize she took it. Just thinking of that made her laugh.

Coming back from the land of her thoughts, Catrina realized where she was. The battle-ways, as she called them. The battle-ways were a series of alleyways where thugs and muggers usually took the chance to try to beat her up. She hastened her pace just a tiny bit, so no one would notice, as she past the alleyways and the bars that were near them. The last thing she wanted was to be recognized by her attire. That would definitely serve a problem for her perfect night. From inside the bars she heard bits and pieces of conversations, along with lots of laughing. One conversation caused her to slow down. "Hey did you hear?" one man said. "Ol' Richard and Paul went out tonight to find the 'Cat'." Too bad I'm not lurking tonight, she thought. Another man replied, "Oh really? They looked pretty drunk when I saw them before. I'd feel bad if anyone other than Her crossed paths with them." Something clicked in her head. Richard and Paul were the ones that were constantly trying to take her down. It would be bad if they were roaming around drunk looking to beat her up. Some innocent person could get hurt. Man, she thought. This is really going to mess up my night. Without further hesitation, she put on her hood and ran silently into the battle-ways on the lookout for two of the most dangerous men of the night.

((K, Raichi! I hope this is a good set up for you! ^.^))

[Raichi]

Isha and Shayem traveled the last part of their journey to Central City by train, catching some well deserved sleep. They were lucky to be such good hiders and still of short length, for they hadn't bought a ticket and weren't busted the entire journey. Their journey to the train station had been a long and tiring one, and the boys weren't in very good shape because of it. It was late in the evening when the train arrived, the two ishvallen boys sneaking out. Once outside of the train-station Isha raised his fists into the sky and yelled in joy "We did it!! Haha!" He then grabbed Shayem by his shoulders with his eyes opened wide "We made it Shayem! We're in central city!!" Adrenaline was flowing through their young bodies.

Shayem also allowed a smile to appear on his face and joyful laughter to escape his mouth, but deep inside he was worried, it was almost night and they had no place to stay. Suddenly Isha started running, Shayem chased him "Isha, haha, where are you going?" but Isha just laughed and kept running through all sorts of dark alleyways "Isha! Isha where are you~" "Searching for the library of course" Isha interrupted looking back at his friend while running. "But the library's closed" Both boys stopped to catch their breath, running was tiring, but talking and running would only make their little hearts pump even faster. Shayem leaned against the wall and Isha bent forward holding his upper legs with his arms stretched. "This place doesn't look very friendly" Shayem said letting his eyes observe the small alleyway, there wasn't anyone around but the sight of it was enough to worry any soul. Isha hadn't even noticed and stood up straight to have a good look at his surroundings, he then smiled "Don't worry Shayem, didn't I promise I'd protect you no matter what?" Shayem nodded and together they started walking to search for the more civilized looking area of Central City and get out of this backstreet dump.

As they walked they suddenly heard two voices in the distance. From the way they were talking they were obviously under influence of alcohol, but that was a fact Shayem and Isha were unaware of. Shayem pulled Isha to the ground against the wall, behind a garbage can "shhh, someone's coming" he whispered with a finger in front of his lips. Isha's fear appeared on the outside as anger as he had an angry look on his face hearing the two strangers draw closer. This reminded him of his attempts at hiding from the bullies, bringing up that same fear yet worse because he couldn't let anything happen to Shayem. For a moment they felt their tensity flow away a little as the two figures passed them, until one suddenly turned around and spotted them. "Hey look! KIDS haha" the man wasn't just amused, he was also aggressive and ran towards them, his buddy less eager approached with a relaxed pace. "Go easy on them, we just want their money." The moment the stranger that spotted them had opened his mouth Isha started drawing a transmutation circle straight away. Seeing the fear in Shayem's eyes the stranger punched him in the face, causing the boy to fall to the floor and hold his sore cheek. "SHAYEM!!" Isha screamed in shock, his heart was pumping fast and he was filled with rage. He chalked one last line and quickly activated his circle to form a rock between the offender's legs, shooting up with decent force to deliver a painful attack to his crotch. Isha's victorious feeling didn't last long though, for he felt all energy had been drained away. He was still in bad shape from their long journey, they needed rest and food to regain their strength in order to function properly in battle. "Paul!" the drunk man stumbled to his friend, who was hurt badly in his crotch and lay on the ground in pain. Isha's body was trembling with exhaustion and adrenaline and helped his friend up to run away together. "Don't let them get away! Get them!!" Richard spotted the fleeing children and quickly ran after them. Isha was used to fleeing and running more then Shayem was and therefor faster, and with a loud thud coming from behind him he realized Shayem had been caught. "You brats are going to pay!!" Richard yelled before beating Shayem multiple times. Desperate cries to stop and for help escaped from Shayem's mouth, but the drunk man continued regardless of his pleads. Isha quickly activated the transmutation-circle he had drawn in the mean time, sweat dripping off his face as yet again a rock appeared between the offender's legs. This time though, it moved upwards slowly, not even making it to its destination. Isha was drained and stared at Richard in exhaustion. "Why you little punk!!" Richard let go of Shayem to approach Isha, beating him up a whole lot longer and worse "You think you can voodoo us in the nuts and get away with it!!" "Take that! and that! and that!" in the meantime Paul had gotten back to his feet again, approached and took the money from Isha's bag. Shayem trying to stumble up reached out to them with a pleading teary face "Hey give that back!! That's ours! You monsters!!!"

[Catrina Wood]

Soft, quick footfalls vibrated the tiny puddles that dotted the deepest of battle-ways. They were left over from the rain storm that past by two days ago. A flash of white appeared only for moment at the end of one of the alleys. There was a slight flapping noise, the sound of clothing blowing in the wind. Catrina was running. Not from something, but to someone. She was trying to find two of the stupidest men in Central. They had apparently gone out drunk looking to beat her for their stolen cash. Stupid, stupid, stupid good for nothing men, she thought. They picked the wrong night to get drunk. Instead of going out to eat at a nice restaurant, she was stuck running the battle-ways looking for stupid thugs. And right when I decided to wear my nice shirt too, she thought, pouting.

There was little to no light in the alleys she was running through. The only sign that you were still in the city and not the outskirts, were the street lights that were but a faint glowing from so far in. Catrina continued to run in darkness until she found the fire escape that she usually climbed to see the city from a rooftop. Gracefully, she swung up to the top and stood near the edge of the roof. The wind tugged softly at her cape and hair. She slowly scanned the area of the battle-ways, looking for some sign of the thugs. Suddenly, her ears perked at a slight sound, a cry. As she turned to look toward the source of the cry, she saw an unnatural light burst out of one of the furtherest battle-ways. It was on the very edge of the area, close to the train station. Catrina sighed, "Great. Now I'll have to deal with alchemists."

Without delay, she swung down to the ground and headed in the direction of the burst of light. I just hope they're not State Alchemist, she thought, No need for the 'Cat' to come to their attention. As she got closer to the source, she could here two familiar voices, Richard and Paul. So they were definitely here. Then she heard the sound of punches hitting their target as she was about to round the corner. "Why you little punk!! You think you can voodoo us in the nuts and get away with it!! Take that! and that! and that!" said Richard's voice, it was slurred a little from the alcohol. Curious, but not about to make an appearance quite yet, Catrina peeked her head around the corner, her eyes glowing. What she saw surprised and angered her. The stupid thugs were picking on kids. Kids! She huffed angrily and stepped around the corner.

"Well, well, well," she said with a sly tone, "what do we have here? A couple of drunkards picking on kids? Why, you should be ashamed of yourselves, Richard, Paul. And what's with taking their money, now that's not very nice." She said this as if she were scolding little children. Slowly, she walked forward, eyes glowing purple, making each step deliberately. "We both know the real reason you two came out tonight, now don't we?" she told them. "You were looking for little ol' me, now weren't you? So there's no need to go on beating up these poor kids." She started to sneer, baring her teeth a little, "This is between me and you two pathetic thugs." At this point, she had ceased her movement and was practically growling at the despicable pair in front of her. "Let's finish this now." Instead of lunging at her targets, she waited for them to lunge at her, so she could turn them off balance. She took a quick glance at the two kids. They looked pretty beat up. Catrina was sure they wouldn't go anywhere, but just to be safe she tried to give the white haired one on the floor a reassuring look. Although, she wouldn't be surprised if she scared him, after all, she was pretty angry at that moment.

[Raichi]

Paul laughed at Shayem's cries, but it didn't last long for yet another person entered the scene. "Well, well, well, what do we have here? A couple of drunkards picking on kids? Why, you should be ashamed of yourselves, Richard, Paul. And what's with taking their money, now that's not very nice." Richard got off of Isha and back to his feet to eye the woman. It's the bitch that took our money! he thought. Paul thought the same thing when he turned around to face her, yet being the aggressive one of the two he ran toward her in high speed and aimed a punch at her with his right arm. Being drunk as he was though his punch was a swing of both his arms at her face instead of a first. "Says the one that stole OUR money!" Richard pointed at her. Seeing his friend attack their pray Richard decided to charge as well and ran up to her. Seeing him run away from Isha's body Shayem cautiously crawled over to his friend. It's not like he couldn't walk, but he was scared and trying to keep track of the fight. Beside his friend he got on his knees and witnessed the damage he had taken.

Out of all of the times a danger opposed to them in the past three days traveling from Ishval to Central City, and receiving help from strangers in unexpected corners this was the least time either of the boys would of expected help. "Shayem.. is that you..?" All Isha saw was a blur of his friend's face leaping over him, his face was a bloody mess with two bruised eyes, a cut nose and a cut lip from the beatings. Compared to him Shayem looked very decent, having only a bloody lip and one lightly bruised eye. With a smile on his face Isha apologized "I'm sorry, I guess I'm still not strong enough to protect you..". Shayem's heart ached, Seeing his friend in a state like this, speaking words of kindness with a smile on his face reminded him of Alchemist Lewis. He cried and grabbed Isha's hands "Yes you are, you protected me just fine.." he quickly dried his own tears and sniffed a bit in order to talk more calmly to reassure his friend. "A woman appeared, they attacked her instead -sniff-" Shayem's eyes filled with gratitude as he turned his head to watch the fight, his cries for help had been answered.

Who was this mysterious stranger?
Whoever it was, they owed her.

[Catrina Wood]

Catrina stood there casually, looking like she wasn't going to fight. A sly grin flashed from the shadow of her hood when Paul came running. She gazed calmly at him as he ran toward her, un-fazed by his obvious anger. The man's strides were uneven and hard, he would be easy to unbalance and take down without having to get her hands dirty. Her grin only widened once Paul was in front of her and attempted to punch her. This is going to be too easy, she thought. These two men had approached her numerous times, so she found it easy to predict their movements. The grin on her face turned into a full blown greedy smile. Now this was going to be very entertaining for her.

All of her movements against Paul were swift and happened in less than thirty seconds. Once Paul had swung both of his fists, Catrina dropped down out of the way. Down by the ground, she preformed a low kick to sweep out Paul's unsteady feet. Once unbalancing her target, she hopped up and jammed her elbow into the man's back trying to force him down unto her awaiting knee which would come up to meet him. Smiling gleefully, Catrina jumped and brought the full force of her leg down onto Paul's body. "Says the one that stole OUR money!" Richard screamed at her. "Hmph," Catrina replied, "Well now you want to fight me. Do you really expect a different outcome? It's going to be the same every time." She sighed as Richard came charging at her. "Oh well."

Even though Catrina excelled in martial arts or any kind of hand to hand combat, didn't mean she liked to do it every single night. Sometimes she just didn't have a choice because of the thugs that challenged her or wanted revenge. She sighed, shaking her head. I guess there is no escaping this, tonight, she thought. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a fire escape to the left of the charging Richard with a pipe hanging down from it about a meter from the wall itself. An idea popped into her head. Time for a little acrobatics, Catrina thought. She looked slyly at Richard and then charged towards him veering away at the last moment to the bar hanging by the wall. Using the momentum she had gained, she swung herself around the bar. She had grabbed it and ran against the wall, almost horizontal for a second, and then jumped off behind her new target. Paul was completely forgotten, by Catrina, for the moment. "Hey! Tough guy!" Catrina called. "Turn around!" Before she rushed back to the fight, she stole a glance at the two kids. They both were beat up, but the one kneeling looked much better off than the other one. They'll need some medical attention, she thought, what with all the bruises and cuts they've got. She quickly reverted her attention back to her target.

[Raichi]

Just when Richard was getting close enough to throw a punch at her she disappeared, he looked all around him but couldn't see her. When he looked up to see if she was there he heard a voice coming from behind him. "Hey! Tough guy! Turn around" when he did he saw Catrina storming at him and prepared to defend and attack.
Meanwhile Paul tried to get up again, eying his friend he thought; good Richard, you just keep her busy.. and creeped over to Isha and Shayem.
Isha could only hear the fight as he lay on the ground facing the dark sky, his body had cooled down because of the cold and shivered. "I'm cold.. is she winning?" Shayem looked at his friend "I think so.." he then looked at the scene but couldn't see Paul who was laying on the floor just a while ago. "wait, where is..?"
"Here I am, hahahahaha" a dark cruel voice spoke clearly right behind ears, a thick strong arm wrapping around his neck pressing his back against Paul's chest.
Just as Catrina was about to deliver Richard a final blow that would cause him to knock out her opening got disturbed by Paul's shouting. "Give us our money Cat!! Or the kid gets it!!" but the drunk was seeing double and in bad shape, nonetheless Shayem felt scared and struggled with all of his body against the choking arm around his throat. As Catrina was looking at Paul, the already badly beaten Richard aimed to knock her out from behind. "Same every time my ass!"

Even though the offenders were drunk and could be knocked out with a simple punch in the face at this stage, they seemed to be in a tight situation.

(OOC: sorry for the short post)

[Catrina Wood]

Catrina had charged at Richard after taunting him, intending to give him a clean knock out. Unfortunately, his buddy decided to interrupt her clean attack. Paul had somehow made his way over to the kids, and was holding the white haired one in a choke hold. "Give us our money Cat!! Or the kid gets it!!" he yelled at her. She turned to face him and gave a shadowed disappointed look. "Why must you drag innocent kids into our fight?" she asked, completely aware of Richard behind her. "I told you this is between you guys and myself, no one else. There no need to bring them into this situation. Besides, I never took you money." She shrugged and glanced behind her shoulder at Richard. He was about to knock her out.

With a quickness that only comes from years of training, Catrina ducked and kicked Richard in the crotch in all the same movement. His attack was completely avoided. She swiftly danced around her target and preformed a karate chop to one of his pressure points. Drunk men are too easy, she thought. "Just as I said, it's the same every time," she whispered to Richard. Once finished with tough, drunk guy number one, she moved on to tough, drunk guy number two who was currently threatening to choke a kid for money that she hadn't stole from him. The truth was, Catrina had purposely stolen from every man except for Richard and Paul because she knew something like this might happen. Apparently some stupid mugger decided to steal money from the two men one should not steal from.

Catrina sighed, "I'm sorry, but I'm finished playing with you. Drop the kid and just walk away, if you don't want to suffer anymore. This can all just end quietly if you want it to." Negotiating was not a method she ususally resorted to, it was all just punch, kick, knock out, move on for her. Except for this delicate situation. A kid was held in a choke hold by Paul, and he wanted money she didn't steal. She could just give him the money she stole from the other men, but she wasn't about to give up her hard-earned cash. Very slowly, she inched around Richard and to where Paul was standing. If he wouldn't consent, she might have to knock him out with the kid still in his grasp. That would most likely end up with the kid getting halfway crushed under Paul's weight. To get out of this one with minimal injury to the kids would be difficult.

((It's okay! We all have our off days. ^.^))

[Raichi]

Isha was worried about the situation, and deep inside he was furious with himself for being incapable of protecting his friend like he promised. "I'm so sorry Shayem.. I'm so sorry.. I'm sorry.." Isha continuously kept apologizing to Shayem in a soft remorseful voice, until Catrina approached and spoke up "I'm sorry, but I'm finished playing with you. Drop the kid and just walk away, if you don't want to suffer anymore. This can all just end quietly if you want it to."

Paul looked at his friend that lay knocked out on the floor. It was like this every time, that was no lie. They'd get into a fight with her, get their asses kicked and feel humiliated for being beaten by a female. Except now he had a child to threaten, then again, the Cat wouldn't leave him until he had let go of the child. Meaning that if he took the child home with him she would follow, and having her find out where he lives was the last thing on Paul's mind. With a slick frown he spat on the floor and looked at her "Fine". He slowly got off the floor and walked over to his unconscious friend, grinning widely once his back was facing the others. He still had Isha and Shayem's money, so that would do for now.

Shayem sat on the floor in shock and watched Paul walk away carrying Richard in his arms. He couldn't believe the other just agreed to the females proposal like that, he felt something wasn't right but was so shocked and relieved to have survived this situation, that he didn't even realize the other still had his money. Isha's tensed body could finally relax, though the cold ground had cooled off his body making it a little numb. "Thank you.." he shivered, his teeth starting to clap, he was really cold. Shayem looked over at his friend and back at Catrina with big worried red eyes, and brought his hands into praying position "Please help us.. we're not from here.. we have nowhere to go"

It was a soft yet desperate plea.

[Catrina Wood]

Catrina watched Paul's every movement, from a step to the smallest twitch of a finger, with slightly slitted eyes. She wasn't going to allow this thug to use the poor boy as ransom. It was a few tense moments before she received an answer. During that time, she watched Paul intensely as he sorted through his options. A street light had flickered, as if it could even feel the tense feeling of the situation. Finally, the man in front of her gave her a reply. He spat on the ground, and looked up to her. "Fine," he had agreed. The tone of his voice seemed to be a mixture of relief, anger, a sense of just wanting to get out of there, and a slight touch of victory, which Catrina couldn't understand. Had she forgotten something? She pondered this as she watched Paul let go of the boy, picked up his friend, and walked off. Something didn't sit right with her, the whole thing had ended too smoothly. She thought over it a few times, but couldn't think of what could have made Paul want to end it simply. There was no point in thinking too hard about it now, the injuries on the kids were going to have to be her main focus.

A cool breeze blew through the battle-way from the street. It was an unusually cool night in Central City. A nearly full moon hung almost to its peak, still enduring its nightly climb. Catrina took a step toward the two boys. The look of the two of them lying there, shivering, made her shake her head. These two really got into a big mess. Both of them had at least one black eye, and were bleeding from the face. Paul and Richard had really given them a beating. If Catrina had not stepped in, they might have been done for. Not hesitating any longer, she went up to them and knelt to get down to their level. "Thank you..." the one lying down chattered. He was shivering really hard from the cold breeze. "You're very welcome," she replied. "It was the least I could do, since those thugs have been tracking me down and challenging me for a little over a year now." She gave them a warm smile.

"Well now," Catrina started. "You two are extremely beat up. Let's start with getting you sitting up at least." To start, she slid her arms under the lying boy's body and lifted him off the cold brick. She moved him over to a wall where he could rest his back against a vertically flat surface. Setting him back down in a sitting position, she took off her cloak and lay it on him like a blanket. "That should help with the breeze," she said. Out of her pant pocket she produced a clean handkerchief and began to gently wipe the blood off the kid's face. He was obviously the more beat up of the two. She was careful around the black and blue parts so she wouldn't inflict too much more pain. Both of his eyes were swollen, so she couldn't see his eye color. She clicked her tongue like a worried mother. "You're going to need some series medical attention, kid. You've got two black eyes, and a split lip. There's no way you can just walk around town like this."

Finished cleaning off most of the blood on the first kid's face, she turned to the second. She was surprised to find him with his hands clasped together like he was praying and looking up at her with pleading eyes. They were red. "Please help us...we're not from here...we have no where to go..." The white haired kid pleaded to her. For a moment, Catrina was stunned, not by the eye color, but that any person could be so desperate. She was struck speechless. "Uh, well, first let's clean up that face of yours," she told him. Taking a clean part of the cloth, she knelt in front of the second kid and carefully wiped most of the blood away. "So, do you two have names?" she asked. "'Cause I don't want to keep calling you kid one and kid two." She laughed a little to herself, even thought it wasn't that funny.

Catrina looked from one boy to the other. They both looked exhausted, and like they wouldn't last long on the streets. There was no way she was going to leave them there, they needed a doctor. She quickly went over he options. Option one, she could bring them to the Central hospital and hope they would treat the boys. The bad part about that option was that she would have to explain the cuts and bruises, and she couldn't very well tell the hospital people about Paul and Richard. That would just cause more problems for her. Option two, she could drop them on a friend's doorstep and hope that they would be taken in. Option three. She didn't like option three, but it may be the only option for both their safety and her safety as well. Option three, she would take them to her Run Down Hotel and treat them there herself. She sighed, almost defeated herself. She looked over the the white haired kid next to her. His eyes were still pleading her. "I guess you'll have to stay at my place," she told them both. This was going to be an adventure in itself.

[Raichi]

Isha felt a bit embarrassed that he was saved, carried and cleaned by a lady, a small blush showing as she started to speak. Somewhere he was enjoying this, since he never had a mother it was pleasant to have a female take care of him. Even though he was used to being beat up, the strength of a full grown man brought more damage then that of five young boys. It wasn't the first time his eyes were bruised, but it was the worst case of bruised eyes he had ever known. Nonetheless he was convinced a big bag of ice was all the medical attention he needed.

When she turned around to attend his friend, Isha tried to stand up with the help of the wall he was leaning against. He was a little dizzy, not to mention his body was bruised, tired and numb from the cold, but he still wanted to try to stand up and walk. He just wasn't the type to give in to his fatigue. If he were to get a good night sleep and a healthy breakfast he'd be up and running the next day, and even though his body would be sore he wasn't the type to wait for it to heal.

Shayem was glad the woman was being so nice, she had saved him and Isha and instead of walking away she cleaned them up. "So, do you two have names? Cause I don't want to keep calling you kid one and kid two." Catrina asked. Shayem got off his knees and stood up, placing one of his hands on his chest "I'm Shayem" his hand dropping back to his side again. He looked at his friend and pointed at him "And that's Isha". Isha had already managed to stand up in the meantime, still carrying the bag on his back. He gave a warm smile and a small wave of his hand.
Why is he always pushing his body to its limits like that! Shayem thought in frustration seeing his friend was standing against the wall waving and smiling, pretending to be fine. Though his frustration was mostly worry. He was scared to death to lose Isha. Even though Shayem was a type to appear friendly he was scared to let people into his heart. He looked at Catrina with pleading eyes, he was still expecting some confirmation that she would help them further. He could only hope she wouldn't hand them over to a public place, for by now the Ishvallen orphanage and Shayem's parents would of probably reported the boys as missing, meaning the police would find out wherever Isha and Shayem identified. "I guess you'll have to stay at my place," the lady spoke.

A tense relief dropped from Shayem's heart. Isha, being the more laid back 'go with the flow' type of boy never thought of worries and details like getting reported missing, therefor instead of relief he felt joy enter his heart at Catrina's kind offer. "Alright! Thank you lady!" he spoke enthusiastic, the clear sound of his voice not matching the state of his body at all. Shayem walked over to him, wrapped his arm around his waist to pull him close, and used his other arm to wrap Isha's arm around his neck. All of this to support his friend with walking. "This is very kind of you Lady.." Shayem thought a little to think of her name only to realize she hadn't told them yet, though he did recall Paul and Richard referring to her as 'cat'. "..cat?" he questioned whether that was really her name or not "We'll follow you, don't worry about us.."

[Catrina Wood]

At her question, the boy before her immediately stood up. There was still some excess blood on his face, but he didn't seem to want to stand still at this moment. She sighed quietly and listened to their introductions. The boy before her was Shayem, and the boy she had carried was Isha. Isha was attempting to stand during the introductions, using the wall as support. Catrina shook her head. This boy was a stubborn one, she could tell. The look on his face told her he felt fine, but she could tell from his body movements, he was just beat up and exhausted. He was going to be some trouble for her, when she tells him he can't leave her place until most of the cuts heal. Why does it seems trouble always looks for her?

When she offered her place as a place of refuge, both of the boys' faces lit up. Somehow, she could tell they were excited for different reasons, but those reasons were their own personal thoughts, no need for her to challenge them. "Alright! Thank you lady!" the one by the wall had exclaimed. Catrina gave him a slight smile, "You're welcome." At Isha's feet was her cloak, which she had so kindly offered as a blanket for him. She took two strides over to the wall and picked up her black cloak. Swinging the cloak around her shoulders, she fasten the clasp at the front and brought up the hood. In the meantime, Shayem had walked up to Isha and was now doing his best to support his friend. Those two sure are close, she commented in her mind, I wonder if they're brothers.

She looked at the two boys. They seemed ready and willing to follow her. "This is very kind of you Lady...cat?" Shayem almost seemed to ask this. "Don't worry about us." Catrina shook her head and chuckled a little. "I'll be the one to decide whether or not to worry about you, it is my emotion you know." She winked at them. "I'll tell you my real name once we get back to my place. I don't want any other drunks overhearing it. For the time being you can call me whatever you like, just avoid using 'Cat' for the moment." With footsteps quieter than a mouse, she crept up the the corner of the battle way that led the the street. She peeked her head out an looked both ways. Nothing could be seen and only the bark of a dog could be heard. She beckoned the boys with her left hand. Instead of having them follow her, she was going to direct them in front of her, so she could monitor the street behind them. "We are going to move along through the shadows," Catrina whispered to the boys. "I'm going to stay behind you and direct you, in case some brainless thug decides to attack us from behind. For now just turn right out of the alley and straight down the street."

[Raichi]

The lady clarified her name was not 'Cat'. She seemed to be very cautious, sneaking silently and observing the environment. "We are going to move along through the shadows," Catrina whispered to the boys. "I'm going to stay behind you and direct you, in case some brainless thug decides to attack us from behind. For now just turn right out of the alley and straight down the street." The boys did as she told, Isha, careless as he is happy to leave the alley. Shayem however was wondering, who was this lady nicknamed Cat? Why did she save them? What was she doing in alleys like these anyway? In what kind of place does she live? What will await them at her home? Will she betray them?

He couldn't trust her, people were unpredictable, they could be loving one day and horrible the other. Shayem knew that better then anyone. However, thus far she had shown to be nice, and her offer to spend the night was very generous. A house would shelter them from the cold weather, thugs and the police. Not to mention an experienced citizen of Central City would serve as a great guide, she could teach them how things worked, and how to profit from it rather then get into trouble. Perhaps this lady could help them stand on their own feet. Surely without help they wouldn't last a week in Central City without getting found and transported back to Ishval by the military. Especially with a reckless Alchemist like Isha, blinded by his goal and childish naivety.

Since Shayem decided to embark on this journey with Isha he had been feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders, realizing more then ever how foolish his friend was. Even now he was terribly beat up and why? To protect him? Shayem had promised to take care of Isha, but during fights Isha was the one protecting him. Shayem looked at the ground, he felt he was failing Alchemist Lewis's final request. He turned his head to Isha, thinking; I'll be your guardian, prevent danger and shield you from harm, that's my promise to your father. He wasn't planning on allowing Isha to run into dangerous places ever again, on top of that he'd have to study fighting so that he could at least defend himself and Isha physically.

Isha was thinking to himself as well as they walked. How could I have let it get this far, Shayem got hurt and why? Because I ran into dangerous alleyways in search of a Library, but Library's are at all times closed in the evening, I'm such a fool! I thought we were ready for this, I thought I had become strong enough, but even with alchemy I couldn't beat those bastards, while that Lady won with ease. This is pathetic, but there's no turning back now, I just need to get stronger. Being drained is no excuse, I need to be able to deal with guys like that with little to no energy. Shayem had a good life, a home, a family, no nasty bullies that beat him up, and he left all of that behind for me. What kind of friend am I to let it have gotten this far, even if I protect him with my life he would of been better off if he had stayed home in the first place.
Isha noticing his friend's face was aimed at him spoke up "Next time I'll protect you from harm, I promise"

Their minds were set on the same thing. Both based on different grounds, and if they would both discuss this matter they could even form a powerful team.
Time passed by, the boys following Catrina's instructions on where to head without hesitation. Isha had gotten afraid he was tiring his friend too much leaning on him all this time "Are we almost there?" he sure hoped so, mostly for his Shayem's sake.

[Catrina Wood]

As the boys made their way around the corner onto the street, Catrina quickly glanced around the area. Thankfully, they were at the end of the battle-ways. The threesome wouldn't have to go far to get out of the danger area. Gently, Catrina pushed, more like touched, the boys to the right direction with the tips of her fingers, keeping them in the shadows of the street lights. She quickly looked around. As usual there was no one out on this side of town. It was also very quiet as it usually was except for the odd dog bark and the sound of laughter from the pubs further up the street, the opposite direction of the way they were heading. All was calm for the moment. Nothing unusual going on. In the shadows of the alleyways were the occasional movement of a person or animal. Quietly, she willed the people and animals to stay in the alleys and to not come out. A beggar was the last thing she needed.

In Central City every single person and thing was persistent. They were persistent for business, for money, for shelter, for a home. Even if you said "No thank you" or "I don't have anything for you", they would persist to win you over. No one backed down here. Sometimes Catrina could use that to her advantage to get discounts at some open markets or street stores. Other times it didn't work, in the case of a determined business man. That Central City persistence was exactly what cause the fights. The men were persistent and overly self-confident. They wanted things and felt that they had a right to get them. Catrina refused to give them what they wanted. So gradually more and more men began to assault her, wanting to prove to the previous guy that this black cloaked girl could be beaten. Fight after fight each man became more driven after they lost, wanting to win more passionately. They wanted to beat Catrina just for the sake of winning against the legendary 'Cat'. This was how Richard and Paul began so bloodthirsty. They were determined to win, but Catrina was determined not to loose.

This Central persistence also applied to the beggars in the alleys. They would get physical if you didn't walk overly fast or give them what they wanted, donations for the poor. Catrina tried to get the boys to walk as fast as they could so the beggars could be avoided, but Isha was dreadfully wounded and exhausted and nothing could be done for that. She settled for a relatively fast walk, not her usual fast pace, but just a little bit slower for the the sake of the boys. Isha and Shayem seemed to have other worries on their minds, and as the trio approached the line of run down businesses and other buildings, Isha spoke his worries in the form of a promise. "Next time I'll protect you from harm, I promise." Catrina didn't comment on this, but instead reflected on Isha's promise. They really are like brothers to each other, she thought.

To the right of Catrina and the boys, were a bunch of run down, unused buildings. Some of them apartment buildings, others were houses or old places for business. Not too far ahead, there was a flickering light by the front of a run down hotel. The light looked like it was threatening to go out any second, but it kept on staying in a flickering state. "Are we almost there?" Isha had asked. "Almost," Catrina whispered into their ears, smiling to herself. They were almost to her home. "See that flickering light ahead? That's where I live and you will be staying if you want to." Catrina stood up straight, almost proud of her home. The thought hadn't occurred to her that the boys had been expecting an apartment or an actual house, not some run down hotel with only an old man for the desk clerk. Whether or not they had imagined this didn't matter because what they got when they asked for a place to stay was a run down hotel with only an old man for a desk clerk.

((Hey Raichi! Sorry about taking so long to reply. I just started school again, so I won't have much time on weekdays now. How about we have about two more posts or so and then move it over to the Run Down Hotel sub-board?))

[Raichi]

Catrina answered Isha's question "Almost, see that flickering light ahead?" Both boys looked in the distance, relief hitting them upon seeing the light. It wasn't that far of a walk anymore. "That's where I live and you will be staying if you want to." Isha was glad mostly because they would soon be in a house with water, food and a nice bed, or at least, that's what he expected of it. Shayem however was glad she lived in such an abandoned, dark and suspicious part of the city. Not because it was such a great neighborhood, but because it was all but a neighborhood where they would find coppers and military dogs. Sure they appeared occasionally when crimes got reported, but they knew better then to randomly throw themselves out in the back-streets alone. They would be pray for the criminals and besides, they were too busy keeping up the good, safe name of the up town and tourist parts of Central City to stray away from their assignments anyway.

Shayem's eye hurt, Isha's eyes and body hurt too but he wasn't bothered by it, he had experienced beatings before so the feeling was familiar. "I'm thirsty" Shayem whimpered, not mentioning a thing about the pain of his eye. "I can try to run with you, the faster we ca-" "Don't be silly" Shayem interrupted. He never appreciated it when Isha made offers at the cost of his own possessions or body. Shayem put up a smile to reassure his friend. Isha dropped his head laughing softly and shortly. "I'm sorry" he really was amused, why? He didn't know, this whole situation, everything that had happened today until this point, somehow he had a little mood change, switching from guilt to happiness. At first Shayem thought Isha was crying, but getting a little closer he noticed his friend was laughing to himself. "Are you okay Isha?"

Isha raised his head a bit, chuckling softly with tears rolling over his cheeks "Never been better". Shayem quickly turned his head forward, he had never seen Isha cry before. It brought up a horrible emotion inside of him, as if all of his insides were being pulled to the center of his body. Shayem looked up at the flickering light that was now much closer then before, his eyes filling with tears as well, his lips were shaking a bit "Never been worse either". That Shayem was showing the emotion he felt was special, normally he would crush whatever he was feeling on the inside, hiding it behind a big invisible wall and transform his emotion to something else, but now because of Isha he couldn't. Isha only laughed softly at Shayem's remark, both were true. Being away from Ishval on a journey to realize his dream along with his best friend, nothing could make him feel better than knowing that. Yet the physical state he was in was awful. Shayem however had a mental state to cope with, he got away from his family just in time, and if it hadn't been for Isha he might of even become an emotional wreck, ready for the nut-house. Isha quickly calmed down and kept silent, his mind all blanked out, just staring at the ground to let time pass more quickly. Shayem looked away, thinking about the few yet heavy days of their journey and the years that were still ahead of them. Both of them hadn't spoken with their savior in some time, normally Shayem would of been more cautious, but he was also a type to easily give in to people stronger or more respected then him. Isha was in no condition to even realize it might of been respectful to at least converse a little with the lady that saved his butt. Then again she was busy being watchful and protective, it was a good thing the boys had both been talking and laughing softly.

Getting closer to the run down hotel Isha finally got out of his blank mode, looked at the building and spoke up "Do you have a room there?" he asked Catrina, Shayem now also awakening from his dreamy state. They were almost there, only a few more steps..

((I'm the one that needs to appologize, I'm the latest but don't worry, my college is starting soon and I've been and still am very busy moving out, I have to get a permit from the other country and get an insurance and some more things for my house whaaaah.. X___x so don't worry about being late anymore, I'll probably be late too any other day this week xD You could move over to the rundown hotel-board now I don't really feel like extending the duration of a plain walk unless you've got something interesting in mind))