Autumn to Winter Cadence

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Location: Seria: Docks

October 25th Dockside at 10:00pm. Anyone welcome.

A bitter cold wind blew in from the sea that sent a shiver up Loki's spine. She hunched her shoulders up, and buried the bottom of her face in to the collar of her coat like a makeshift scarfe.

She pulled out a cigarette from her pocket and attempted to light it, stopping under a shop front for shelter. She took a drag, and exhailed the pungeant smoke of the cheap brand she'd swiped, and grimaced.

She noticed something moving in the light, a soft shining, like insects under a light. On closer inspection, Loki could make out exactly what they were.

It was snowing. Loki chewed at the butt of her cigarette and wondered.
"It's awful early for this kind of weather." She thought, sighing and looking out both ways from the shade of the shop. Only a faint orange glow and smoke trail gave her away.

The usual fence normally came up around this way. Loki was hoping to get rid of a few things that she'd 'aquired' on her travels. She checked the time on an old, battered pocket watch that she had picked up and sighed.

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<sub>Oh how this man loathed winter.

Winter was always cold, white, boring, blank, distant, and the streets were always void of interesting people due to the temperature. Of course that would probably be a good thing, considering that he was wanted and not many people appreciated him being out on the streets. Moreso in Dula than the other kingdoms.

Andy jammed his gloved hands in his pickets as he glanced around the place, his trenchcoat closed to keep the heat in. After all, even as bulky and muscular as Andy is, he sometimes has little fat to insulate him and keep him warm. At this time of the year, there wouldn't be much food for the winter and he would have to make due, especially since the snow came in early.

Andy would pull off what he usually did to Loki. He'd trudge up behind her, swipe the cigarette she had, and drew a breath from it. Though at least he was nice enough to give it back to her this time.

"You could catch a cold out here, Loki."</sub>

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Loki didn't even flinch when her cigarette was swiped. She continued looking on in the same direction. She sighed, exhailing her smoke, taking the cigarette back when Andy was done with it. She raised her eyebrows and popped it back in her mouth.
"Probably will do. I've been out here long enough waiting for that bloody man to show up." She grumbled.

Loki shuffled her feet and leant against the wall. "'Merchants'... Pain in the backside." She said with a shrug, glancing to Andromeda.
"What brings you to this part of town Boss-man? Shouldn't you be up to more exciting things?" Loki asked with a chuckle, stubbing out the butt of her cigarette, throwing it out in to a puddle and shiverring as a cold wind rushed by the two.
"Bloody hell..." she grumbled, suddenly looking completely miserable as she rubbed her forearms.

Truth be told, Loki didn't mind much waiting out in the cold. It meant money for the rest of the ship, maybe make the winter a little less uncomfortable.

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<sub>Andy rolled his shoulders and looked out at the snow piling up on the streets. He didn't focus on Loki, yet, until she explained what she was doing. Oh so she was going to meet someone here? How interesting. Payments, he guessed. But it would help him.

"I've dealt with enough merchants to know that. Sucks to be him or her if they showed you up." He took a deep breath, letting the air from his lungs condense into an entropic foggy mess. he then glanced back, his eyes conveying amusement.

"Me? Nope, sometimes it's just scoping the cities looking for trouble. Though trouble usually seems to find me~." He'd give her a wink.

Andy bit his lip when the wind came in, ruffling his hair and blasting his face with a chill. He was used to these kinds of cold winters as a kid, but honestly, it felt the same every winter and it always took his breath away. He'd instinctively put his arm around Loki, trying to huddle for warmth.

"Forget about it. If this guy doesn't come in a few minutes, I'm taking you back. Last thing we need is a thief and pirate icicle."</sub>

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Cepheid Callidum watched from the shadows with beady eyes. Any was too caught up with Sine, he needed to loosen up!

And that's what this magnificent twin was going to do!

As the pair of them spoke casually, Cepheid ran out and, completely dressed as the Starman, his sidekick Clicky by his side, he stuck a pose, which Clicky mimicked.

"JUST MARRY AND BED THE LASS ALREADY."

And then he ran cackling like a doofus, Clicky running after him like the noble warrior chicken she was.

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Loki stopped and stared as the two vanished in to the night. "That's one valliant chicken."

"Ohh~ Very true." Loki chuckled as she stubbed out the cigarette against a wall and flicked it away in to a puddle. She was happy to have the company waiting in the docks... it was here many people like.... well, Andy lurked, ironically.

She huddled in as Andy put his shoulder around her. "I'm not even sure if the guy still comes down this way. It's been a while." She murmured, looking up and down the street. She was ready to leave, but it'd mean a night without a paycheck to roll in.

The wind sent an icy blast past the two, and she quickly got more and more disheartened.
"Just... a few minutes longer... yeah." She shivered, hunching herself up. "You don't have to wait with me you know... There's an inn on the corner you can wait at if you'd want." Loki suggested, not wanting Andy to have to endure the cold.

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<sub>"Oh shut up, Cepheid, I know what I'm doing and I'm taking my bloody time." Andy grumbled to the dancing man and his posing pet poultry as they danced off.

Andromeda brushed the snow piling up on his hair and shoulders as he watched the snow fall casually to the ground, slowly and calmly. Every few moments the wind would pick up and swirl the flakes of crystallized water around, causing the man to shiver a bit.

"You never know, but honestly if he doesn't come, he won't get what he needed unless he's realized he's being swindled. I hate it when that happens." Andy spoke up. When Loki mentioned that he could go inside, the man shook his head.

"Nah, I'm suffering with you." Which means he wasn't going to let go. "I've seen enough frozen people to stick with the ones I like. Not as in... tongue to the flagpole way, that would be horrible."

I TRIPLE DOG DARE YOU!</sub>

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Loki nodded. The Idea of leaving and waiting another day when it would hopefully be warmer did sound more and more enticing by the second.

She laughed about the remark about tongues being stuck to flagpoles. "Well... I've seen stranger things stuck to flagpoles in my time." Loki smirked, poking his side playfully, before looking out again.

"Hmph... lets go. I'm tired of waiting here now. Next time I see the guy, he's in for a shin kicking." Loki grumbled as she shuffled her bag strap further up her shoulder. It clunked with various metal objects and such.
"At least I got an excuse to use that tea-set when I get back in."

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<sub>Andromeda would huddle a bit as another gust of wind blew past and he could feel his face flushing a bit from the cold. Still, he would remain upbeat and optimistic around Loki, hoping that she would remain that way as well.

"I can imagine." Andy laughed, wondering what other... assets could get stuck to a flagpole. Getting that weird imagine out of his head, he'd look back at Loki. Ah she's ready to leave.

"Good idea." He then jammed his hands in his pocket, moving to walk within step with Loki as she moved to leave. "Tea does sound good."</sub>

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Loki shuffled and turned out to of the doorway, in to the open wind, she hunched herself tighter, gritting her teeth. She'd spent enough nights out in the cold, but the sea air always made that cold tinge a lot sharper to deal with.
"Tea it is." Loki nodded with a smile. She wondered how Andromeda could remain so optimistic. But she supposed the promise of warmth would make anyone feel that little more determined. "Hell with it. Tea for everyone."

Loki looked out to the dark horizon, and then back to Andromeda. She'd been so distant the the man and most of his crew for the past few weeks, and she'd been feeling bad for it. Loki had locked herself away, crunching numbers and only venturing out to aquire a bit of extra cash to make the numbers add up. All work and no play makes Loki a dull girl.

"I know I'm probably being optimistic, but where are we headed after Dula?" Loki asked. "The streets are getting barer. It was bad to begin with, but even the rats are jingling cups."

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<sub>Honestly, Andy's learned to stay optimistic despite the fact that Dula wasn't the best place to be optimistic in, and his history, but he wouldn't tell her about that. Or tell her about Sine and them. At least until later. He'd walk with her, letting the wind blow his brunette hair around.

"Sound good." Andy then had to clench his teeth to keep from shuddering. The ship sounded way better right now. He then glanced over and took a deep breath, at a loss of what to say.

"I think we've collected what we can in terms of money and supplies, at least the best we can." He closed his eyes. "I have a feeling this is going to be one harsh winter. Maybe heading down to the Eastern Islands where it's warmer would be a better chance."

He paused. "Though I'd have to live with the thought of leaving my sons behind and they aren't exactly very rich either."</sub>

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Loki raised an eyebrow when Andromeda mentioned his Sons. She had heard a little of them, and she couldn't remember a time meeting them properly.
"Why not see if they want to come? Get them out of Dula for a while." Loki suggested. Twiddling the tips of her gloves.

"And who can't admit... who isn't it good for to get away to a nice warm island for a little while." She shrugged. A passer by walked in front of them, looked down and simply uttered the name 'Micheal Jackson', before walking off in to the darkness never to be seen again.

Loki held down her hat as the wind blew harder against them. She took it off and stuffed it in her pocket, letting her black hair flicker behind her. The duo almost looked like they were posing for a winter collection of clothes walking down the street.

"I don't think I've ever formally met your boys. It'd probably be a little harder if they're working men I suppose."

The ship began to appear in the distance, and Loki was warmed with releif that they hadn't needed to walk long.

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<sub>Andy closed his eyes. He's more concerned about Reuben being in Dula than anything. Ben's horse can't travel out of Seria much and heavens knows she's not allowed on a ship. He shook some snow out of his hair and then glanced over to her.

"No, just Reuben. They're in Seria now, but that doesn't mean they're at risk." He took a deep breath and exhaled, letting out air that steamed up in the cold. "And trade would go up, perhaps." Doesn't beat the man who mutters 'David Bowie.'

Andy wouldn't mind posing for a winter collection. Pfft. Except his arms are too cold. Among other parts. he glanced over when Loki spoke up.

"I don't think you have. Their names are Benedict, and there's Reuben Stevenson. Reuben is the captain of a small vessel, and Benedict is a priest and he owns a white mare named Lila." Andy couldn't be any more proud of them, of course.

The man's footsteps quickened when he saw the ship, almost feeling the warmth from it. It would feel so good huddling inside.</sub>

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"Lets hurry!" Loki gasped, quickening her pace to keep up with Andromeda, using his arm as a latch to keep up with him as they scrambled to the air ship as the snow storm worsened.

"Benedict and Reuben..." Loki muttered to herself, wondering if she'd seen a white mare before, as she hopped ahead up the small step lader and in to the ship, looking behind to make sure that Andromeda hadn't slipped or been blown away, or something ridiculous.

Loki tore the scarfe from around her neck, and scrambled for the warmth of the kitchen, eagerly filling up a copper kettle with water to heat on the stove, trying to warm herself withe the stoves warmth, still in her coat and hat, teeth chattering away.

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<sub>"I'm here." Andy spoke up, but it felt like the wind had carried voice voice away and said nothing else as he helped Loki up over the railings and then made a mad dash with her inside. It wasn't until he got to the kitchen and set up the stove that he could actually take his coat off and speak.

"Christ, that was chilly." He muttered first, before grabbing a couple of towels and then rubbing his hair dry. He'd wrap the towel around Loki, making sure that the stove wouldn't accidentally burn it, and rub the younger lady's shoulders.

"It's gotta be in the twenties or something." Fahrenheit wise, anyway. It probably wasn't cold enough to be way below freezing. Though Andy couldn't tell the difference. All he knew is that it was cold, and his red windburned cheeks definitely hinted at that.</sub>