A traveling clockmaker's predicament (closed)

[Deleted]

Kano blinked, sensitive catlike eyes and a fast brain unable to fathom what had just happened. Thanks to her illusion it appeared as if she was simply standing on the corner waiting for someone or something while in reality she was blinking to clear her eyesight and looking around like a caged animal.

The town square was massive, sure, but the castle on the far end of it was even larger. A looming clock-tower stood in the middle and as 'he' walked over to it the panic from running for her life just minutes ago was placed aside in favor of curiosity.

Appearing to merely walk over and lean on it the reality was far less relaxed. Kano bounced on her heels eying the large clock perched on the top. "Pendulum or wind?" Slipped out under her breath, silent to all, even the most keen of ear or eye. "Maintenanced or automatic?"

'Kano' stepped away looking for all the world like a teenager who just now realized they were lost and was a little miffed about it. Truly she felt terrible for lying without saying a word but then she always did. Her invisible gaze traveled everywhere, not even providing a feeling of being watched, a flawless lie. Yes, because that was almost all Kano ever did, lie and do so without a word spoken or gaze ever caught.

[Red_Tower]

Bill sat there, back leaned against the base of the clocktower, blinking for a few moments. "Where I am this time?" He thought to himself for a while, glancing around the area, trying to pick up some details, a broad idea of where he managed to find himself.

A clocktower, that was a start. A nice, big landmark, something people would gravitate towards. That was the hope, at least. He took his flute out and began cleaning it as he would, still watching the area around him closely. "Just blend in Billy, and you'll be fine. Oh, and don't talk to yourself; people don't like that." He muttered to himself, playing a few quick notes on the flute before resuming cleaning.

((Hope it's alright if I hope in, really not sure how that works around here So yeah...)

[Deleted]

(I don't bite~ Unless specified otherwise jumping in is just fine, I did reply to Ello, right after it was posted yesterday so there is some info in there too.)

The lie appeared to take interest in the flute of the man sitting nearby, a curious teen who never said a word or got any closer. Kano, who was almost non-existent to the world around her did speak, "No they don't tend to." She giggled knowing she was invisible to all and tangible only when it came to touch. It was a good thing 'he' didn't pick any fights.

Kano found the man fascinating to look at, just as her illusion had found of his flute. Still, she looked away quickly even though if she had stared it would be unnoticed. 'He' adjusted his coat and walked over to the nearby sweet shop buying a sweet roll and walking back to the tower and 'eating' it. Direct contact was a big no-no and had been skillfully avoided due to years of practice.

She was farther from the man than before, having previously been just a few inches out of arms reach, Kano was now more towards the corner of the tower. Her invisible golden eyes flickered over the crowd as she ate. Most were simply passing through the square to head home as the sun slowly set on one side of the square, Kano didn't know this town well enough to pretend to head home and enter an abandoned building.

So she simply stayed put, once again looking like a teenager waiting for something. She couldn't think of a viable reason for someone to be out this late other then friends or amusement when it came to her age-group as observed in this town. Still, her current lie would work, for now anyways.

[Red_Tower]

"Did I hear something? I don't think that was me..." Bill muttered quietly, glancing around more. The square was slowly starting to empty, and the sun was setting. And still he didn't have a clue where he actually was.

"Excuse me, anyone around here good with directions?" He shouted into the town, gazing out into the square, hoping to get a couple answers. "What are you thinking? No one wants to run up to the weird guy shouting in the streets."

Bill sat for a minute or two longer before finally putting his flute back on his staff and pushing off the tower, limping into the middle of the square. He stood there and tried to pull on the sleeve of anyone passing by, but they all pulled away and started walking faster, glancing back at him. "I really need to learn how to handle people..." He said to himself with a sigh.

[Deleted]

A sound like a mirror breaking resounded in the air. Kano had been moving to throw away her trash when the man had grabbed the sleeve of her illusion as it stepped around another person and within his reach. Pain shot through her as she coughed blood into her sleeve.

Glowing red cat-like eyes swept over the area now visible and with a lack of control over the energy put into the illusion. Energy was suddenly redirected and her eyes became golden once again as she searched for a way to break the line of sight. 'No such luck..' Kano was in a square, with some man she didn't know, in a lot of pain, and with no way to break line of sight. Adrenaline flooded her veins with little purpose.

The shifter took a defensive stance but didn't move, golden eyes searching for any threat made towards her. A perfect specimen for a caged animal if it weren't for the beautifully open space. To many this was preferable to an ally, not to Kano though. The sun was setting to her right and her almost feline eyes reflected the sliver of sun as it made its way behind an inn.

[Red_Tower]

The last person he grabbed onto suddenly vanished, a splitting shattering sound rang out from it. What people he hadn't creeped away started to clear away a lot faster now, and the square was nearly empty. He smelt the blood before he heard the coughing, glancing around for a moment before he spotted a young woman with blood on her sleeve. It only took Bill a minute to connect the dots, or at least so he thought. Either way, he was nearly alone in the square with her, and neither of them were moving.

Bill looked her over for a long moment, head to toe and back again, before finally darting his arm out to the side and giving an awkward, rigid wave to her. "Uh, hello there. Are you alright?"

((Hoping I'm not messing some detail up.))

[Deleted]

(Nah you seem fine.)

Her stance relaxed slightly, not expecting him to merely wave. "I'm fine..." No hesitation simply confusion. Reflective golden eyes tracked every movement and carefully judged that he had found her by smell first, and began working in circles from there, hoping to find a way out of this mess.

The pain of the shattered illusion remained but did little to hinder her further. The man's lack of fluidity was strange and foreign to her as far as attackers go, but it could be a lie just as her previous state had been. They were alone now, the sky bleeding red and orange as the sun dipped out of view but still provided light. 'Not that I wouldn't mind if it were to dark to see..' Kano would stay put as long as possible, if it meant she could break the line of sight without damage.

[Red_Tower]

"What's with this girl? Any idea Billy? Not really, but she reminds me of a cat that I can never get close enough to pet..." Bill thought to himself for a moment, before realizing he still had his arm up. He took another hop closer, trying to get a better look at her. "The fresh blood tells another story..." He said, tapping his staff on the ground twice, a small glowing ball of light hovering over it now. "I don't bi- I'm not dangerous."

[Deleted]

Kano's weight settled backwards slightly as he moved closer. "And how does that story end?" truly the pain of her shattered illusion was nothing to prevent movement or anything of the sort so why did he.. Oh that's right blood, always the thing that told people others were 'hurt'.

Golden eyes flashed red as instinct gave an opinion on what to do as the light appeared. The light-source was now lower and closer so her hood no longer shadowed her face and did little at all now. She corrected the man mentally 'You have no current dangerous intentions mister picky -no you're not fine-.'

[Red_Tower]

"Er, maybe I should start over. The names Bill, and I kinda noticed that your magic hurt you. Is there anything I can do to help?" He said, limping just a little closer, within proper conversation range now. He leaned the light off to the side so it wasn't right in their faces. Now there was only fading pink in the horizon, but a the moon was already high in the night sky, casting looming shadows through the buildings and illuminating the clock face.

[Deleted]

Kano blinked, feeling the sudden urge to giggle. "I'm Kano, and there is no way you could change the way that works. Unless you intend on being philosophical, that wasn't magic either," Her reflective eyes shined as the tension and adrenaline slowly left her.

The hour chimed through the air and Kano turned her head upwards muttering, "So it was a pendulum, maintenance would only be on the bell, never the clock.." She turned back to the man with an 'oh sorry' as she rubbed the back of her neck. 'Powers of the eye are just that, built in and never cast as spells or anything of the sort..At least I don't think a spell would work the same. No, no stop thinking in circles!' Her hands fell to her pockets for lack of else to do as she stood there in the square.

[Red_Tower]

"A pleasure to meet you Kano. And well, anything I can do to make up? At the very least it was my fault that it got messed up and in turn hurt you." Bill asked, scratching the back of his head for a moment. "Not magic, so inborn ability, or something else?" He thought to himself, before finally registering her comment on the clocktower. He paused for a moment, glancing around the moonlit square, before realizing he had been standing there in silence too long. "Ever go up to the top of them?" He asked with a tilt of his head backwards.

[Deleted]

"It doesn't hurt to badly, don't worry about it." Kano's golden eyes watched as his emerald gaze flickered around. She looked up at the top of the tower as well before looking back to Bill, "Yeah, I used to be a clock-maker's apprentice so not having been up there before would be more odd then anything else." The shifter grinned happy to talk without more lies illusions or hostility and death threats.

[Red_Tower]

"Come now, I insist, what kind of a man would I be if I went hurting young women and ran off? Besides, I may be just a little lost..." He said, giving a quick cough. "So you're a clock-maker? That's quite an interesting profession." Bill said quickly, grinning a little, sharp teeth showing through his smile. He looked her over again now that he was closer and the light better. The outfit intrigued him, but her eyes kept him staring longer than he should. "What a curious woman... old on a second Billy, why are you trying to get her to trust you when you have no reason to trust her? Oh don't get me started, I'm lost, I've stained this girl's coat with her own blood... Her blood... Ehm, and I find her interesting, so shut it, me." He thought, shacking his head and doing a quick spin around his staff.

[Deleted]

"The kind I deal with on a day-to-day basis," She paused and listened as he resumed talking. "I suppose, but it has some advantages." She noticed out of the corner of her eye as Bill's head shook and staff twirled, but gave little thought as she scaled her way up to a balcony before gazing over the rooftops and nodding to herself.

"What are you looking for? We're in the main square, castle housing doctor's, leaders, judges, and so forth there." She gestured quickly to the large building behind the man before continuing. "This is the inn with residential areas and niche shoppes that way, most likely doctors and artisans over there too," This time she pointed behind herself, "Market square with merchants, blacksmith, and bakeries that way," to the left now "and over there is industrial working and housing. There is probably more mixing of shop and residence but if you've been to enough towns like this then-" Kano stopped suddenly and hopped down a few feet from Bill.

"Sorry for rambling.." As she looked away from him due to her nerves her eyes flashed again, instinct struggling against her grasp as always. The not-quite feline gaze of hers rested back upon the man as she spoke again, "Did that help at all?"