Ill Omens

[Crow]

February 16th, Year 1

  It had been a while since Crow had been on a date.

  Of course, this wasn't one, officially speaking. Crow pulled a gold pocketwatch from his vest and flipped it open, watching the hands tick dutifully along before snapping it shut again. Officially, this was a means to an end. The Blackblood's executioner was capable, but she was, in a word, fragile. Her timidness was charming, but ultimately did not serve Crow's purpose. So he had proposed taking her to a more relaxed environment. Somewhere away from the palace, away from the hierarchy and stress of what would quickly become her routine. 

  In short, Crow offered to take her to lunch.

  Crow leaned himself against his cane and idled his time by watching the Arabian streetlife pass him by. Due to the colorful cast of the Legion, he didn't stand out nearly as much as he could have, save for the passing stare at his choice to wear all black in the middle of the desert.  Even then, while he left his position as the vizier on a need-to-know basis, it was clear he worked for the the Legion, and wandering eyes were often smart enough to stay as that: wandering eyes.  This left him free to wait under the shade cast by the palace walls with little to bother him.  He checked his watch once more. She wasn't late... yet.

[Aurelia]

Every day, it was something new. Sometimes, it was a large box-headed creature (Mister Tabs had assured her they were 'TVs', whatever those were). Sometimes, it was meeting vampires and going on tours.


Sometimes, it was going to lunch with a dapper man in a bird mask.


Not to say that Aurelia was upset by it. Not at all, in fact! She hadn't eaten outside the castle walls. Or... anything, really. She hadn't left since she'd gotten here. She stayed in her quarters, quiet and cool, or wandered into the garden. It's just... odd, to her. She's not truly positive what Mister Crow was looking for in her company. She's friendly enough, sure. But she's no true Blackblood. Miss Nasira and Mister Crow moved and spoke with such precise mannerisms, and she stuttered in almost any conversation. She pet birds and snakes, even going so far as to cuddle either. She loved sunshine and warm weather. She was meek and.. cowardly. She was cowardly, compared to the people around her.


But they hadn't killed her yet. She was still alive. And she'd stay alive for as long as she could.


With her last thought, the drooping hand that had traced along the wall bolstered again, and she puffed herself up as if to frighten away her negative thoughts. She was going out to lunch with someone who was kind to her. It was going to be fun.


Dainty fingers shift slightly as stone wall is interrupted by soft cloth.


"A-Ah, Mister Crow! I haven't made you wait long, have I?"

[Crow]

He had watched her approach, clearly lost in her own thoughts as she felt her way along the palace wall. He briefly wondered about calling out to her, but from the way her brows had knit together in pensive concentration, Crow decided against it. Seems the serpent was still as meek as a mouse. She found him soon enough anyway, when her hand passed from the wall to find his sleeve, and as expected, the gorgon had jolted in response.

"A-Ah, Mister Crow! I haven't made you wait long, have I?"

  "Not at all," he chuckled. Even if the meekness suited her ill, it had its own endearing quality about it. "I'd only arrived a moment ago myself." He snapped his pocketwatch shut with a soft click, and tucked it away into his vest. Right on time. Nasira's dramatic warnings on punctuality had made a clear impression on her. There was little reason to remain standing under Agrabah's sun, so Crow extended his arm out to the timid snake, to serve as both her eyes and her escort.

  "Shall we?"

[Aurelia]

When Crow confirms her punctuality, Aurelia can't help the little sigh of relief that escapes her golden lips. It was true, really. Nasira's warnings had made her incredibly nervous about being late to.. anything, really. Even if she wasn't needed anywhere, she often found nights restless. What if she missed something? Centuries of survival could be wasted, just by accidentally sleeping in...


Delicate fingers carefully shift to take Crow's arm with a cautious, yet firm grasp.


"I'm ready, but... M-Mister Crow, are you certain about this? Will the locals be alright with you just walking a monster through the streets? I don't have... a good track record. With crowds."


One couldn't help but notice little teeth worrying her lip. It seems her nervous behavior doesn't stem from the Blackbloods, specifically. In fact, this was an extreme show of trust on her part. It had been centuries since she'd last walked crowded streets. Every time she'd tried, she'd been met with stones, blade, and fire.


To 'go out for lunch' meant putting her full trust and her life in Crow's hands.

[Crow]

  The implications in Aurelia's words gave Crow pause for thought. He gave a soft hum, and laid his hand over hers in an act of... sincerity.

  "No one will harm you here." He gave her hand a pat, and began to walk her down the street. There were indeed eyes on the pair of them as they walked. A few stares were more blatant than others, and some passed curious whispers to each other. All it took was the slightest turn of his mask in their direction. A controlled, uncanny shift in his stare and the locals were back to business. Time is money. Others still had become more accustomed to the Legion by now, and only regarded the couple's passing with a casual glance.

  "There now. You're perfectly safe here." Crow turned, and coaxed the gorgon to follow, as they went down a new street. "And even if someone were foolish enough to try something, they'd have to answer to me." Crow was a little surprised at himself in how much he meant the statement. But it was only natural, he supposed. She was integral to his work, and even if she wasn't...

  "Us Blackbloods have to stick together, after all." He added, an amiable smile in his voice.

[Aurelia]

The gentle pat and reassurances seem to do their due, as the Gorgon seems to.. ease, if ever so slightly, "Right. Us Blackbloods..."


There's a soft noise here, something akin to a scoffed laugh.


"Mister Crow, you may be the only person in Agrabah who believes me to be a Blackblood. Even I'm not really sure I count amongst the ranks... Everyone in the castle seems to see me as either a primed bomb, or a naïve, frightened child, and I'd like to think I'm not to blame for either. Run from people for a few centuries, and now I'm surrounded by them... And I'm sure you're aware that rumors aren't kind to the Legion. And I certainly didn't request these damned eyes, and the ability to end a life at a glance..."


Aurelia seems to shake her head, shoving away thoughts, "A-Ah, my apologies, Mister Crow. I can be a bit of a chatterbox when I'm nervous."

In truth, Aurelia was anything but talkative while nervous. That, and her tone had been... genuine, if not a little down. It had been the most certain she'd sounded since she'd arrived... She's nervous again, that's for certain. But for a moment, she'd forgotten where she was.


And Crow had been around to bear witness to the woman under the fear.

[Crow]

  Crow was silent, and let her speak her piece. Although the mask gave no indication beyond staring straight ahead, in truth he was watching her carefully from the corner of his eye. Her words were pulled from somewhere deep within: a place that was much darker and colder than what her outward appearance belied. Only once he was certain that she had finished, did he deign it appropriate to speak.

  "Firstly, my dear," he began, coaxing her to stop on the side street they'd been walking down. "I don't think it should matter what anyone else may be saying, be they civilian or Legionnaire. It's not an opinion that you're a Blackblood. It's a fact." He led her under an awning, a small sanctuary from the heat of the desert sun. It was a habitual gesture, given that the gorgon was likely one of the few who might have preferred being in its rays, but a gesture nonetheless.

  "And secondly." Here Crow lifted her chin with a gloved hand. It was a calculated motion, tilting her just so to where her eyes would have met his, had there been no blindfolds or masks in the way.  

  "Don't apologize to me. Especially for your sincerity." He gave a tap of his cane against the open doorway they had stopped beside. Here the pleasant smells of cooking food drifted lethargically into the open air. It was a quaint little place, uncrowded and with a casual atmosphere.

  "The only thing you need to tell me, my dear, is what you'd like for lunch."

[Aurelia]

"Firstly, my dear..."

Aurelia worried her lip slightly as Crow led her to the side. She'd been very nervous to speak with full sincerity since she'd arrived, for reasons even she herself couldn't pin. Maybe it was her self-preservation. Maybe it was fear of the other Blackbloods. But, oddly enough, there was something about Mister Crow. He moved and spoke with such deft proficiency, like a knife in the dark. It should terrify her, like Miss Nasira had. But where she had been cold and calculating, Crow spoke like a gentleman. Even if it was a part of his shtick, to lull those around him into a false sense of security, it had certainly worked.


A gloved hand tilts her face upwards, and worry is washed away by a sense of relaxation and appreciation. She is a Blackblood. She needed to remember that. She wasn't hiding behind this army, she worked among them. Mister Crow was an ally, as were Miss Nasira, Miss Shiloh, Mister Tabs...

"Don't apologize to me. Especially for your sincerity."

A light color spreads across her cheeks, and she nods once, taking his words to heart. It was going to do her no good to be constantly afraid. That's no way to make friends, as it were.


When he questions her preference for food, she can't help the almost sheepish laugh that escapes her.


"I've never had the local food, but I've heard Shawarma is good."

[Crow]

---

---

  Lunch had come and gone again with little fanfare.

  The vizier and his companion had drifted from one topic to another; they spoke of everything from duties to the Legion to small and idle chatter. Crow made light of his work, discussing only the vague points of what he did or, for the sake of his date's appetite, avoiding the more grisly details altogether. As for himself, Crow chose to skip lunch, for the obvious reason of a mask making it rather difficult to eat. 'Although I'm sure it would be amusing to try.' He had said.

  Time passed, and Crow pulled a watch from the pocket of his vest and examined it. The watch, apart from an engraved border etched into the cover, was rather unremarkable. 

  "I think it's about time we got going, my dear. Wouldn't you agree?"

[Aurelia]

Aurelia eating habits could be described as ‘dainty’ and ‘gentle’, but one wouldn’t have to be as observant as Crow to notice that it’s almost... careful. It’s obvious that one with sharp teeth meant for grabbing and snake-like tendencies might eat in other ways, but for Crow’s sake (and the sake of passers-by), Aurelia seems to be keeping her table manners on point. Even if it means struggling with the naan bread from time to time.

"I think it's about time we got going, my dear. Wouldn't you agree?"

The Gorgon gives a soft nod, offering a gentle smile in the way of her companion, “I believe that’s a good idea. I admit, coming out with you has given me a bit of courage. I think I’ll take advantage of it while it’s still around, and get a few things for my quarters. If I’m to be sticking around, I might as well make it more comfortable.”