The making of a hero (Open)

"Well, if a Military Police soldier tried to leave the Inner City, he would be eaten alive by the angry crowd." Alan said, chuckling a little bit "Every other Monday and Tuesday sounds good. Thank you."
Alan put down his mug and grabbed his sculpting tools again. He continued his work on the mask, leaving a horizontal slit in the middle for vision. His motions were delicate as always.
"So is the merc group treating you well?" he asked, raising his eyes while continuing scalping. His had an amazing talent for multitasking, which he couldn't really explain.

Cora smiled as he said the MP would be eaten alive.
She watched Alan making the mask. Another one who was more skilled than her. Not in fighting but definitly in arts and crafts. She could only draw. And that not even that well. Also she never found time to actually practice it.

Cora laughed as he asked her if the mercenary group was treating her well.
She stopped and looked on the floor. Even if she was grinning it was not because she was amused. It was Vex's cold and frightening grin.
"They should treat me well. I'm their goddamn leader. I will execute them if not.", she grinned normally again, "No I wouldn't...torture would do the same. They are to frightened to treat me not well. You should know that this it the mercenary group I was trained in. Training there is hard and I wasn't excactly the type of person to obey rules...got a few scars now."
She just said a few, if he would see her back and arms he would definitly not say there were only a few scars.
"You know that we should start with the training right now, do you?"

Alan was taken aback a little. Cora, leader of mercenaries... It was a reassuring thought, but also a slightly worrying one. He wasn't certain he trusted Cora's judgement, and with that much power, surely she could do a lot.
Cora then mentioned the start of the training should be now.
"W-well," Alan stuttered, standing up "I am not sure right now would be the best timing. I mean, it is rather late. Wouldn't you prefer some other time?" he gestured with his hand. Truth be told, Alan just wasn't looking forward to being shown how much of a useless potato he was. He already reminded himself that enough times. He looked at Cora, who seemed cheerful enough, but with a sinister vibe to her. He hoped she didn't have another surprise for him.

A wide grin appeared on Cora's face.
"Rather late is perfect you know. Less people...", she stopped grinning and thought about something were they could train.
Cora stood up and opened the door only so far that she could see if anybody was outside.
"Let's go Alan. We are going to steal some food out of the kitchen!", she said after she had made sure noone was outside and closed the door again.

Alan stood there for a moment, aghast. "H-hey, wait a minute!" he said to her. He walked up to the mercenary leader.
"We can't just steal food from the kitchen!" Alan said with a hush tone "The food there is used to feed soldiers! And stealing's wrong! Not to mention all the drunk soldiers who'd probably be there, also raiding the place for alcohol." Alan stared nervously at the door. Was this what his training was going to be like? He wanted to learn how to be stealthy, not how to be a criminal. He wanted to become the opposite of that. A hero, not a villain. He stared back at Cora and sighed.
"Look, I'll agree to stealing food from the kitchen, but only if we leave them some money in exchange. And maybe a 'sorry!' note." he said, looking serious. If he were to engage in crime, at least he'd make up for it.

Cora raised one brow and looked a bit perplexed at him.
"Wait....you are...serious about what you just said?!", she started laughing.
"Oh Alan, you poor little boy. We are soldiers too you know. And by stealing something there we just feed us now. Or if you don't want to I can bring it to my soldiers. I have a few of them waiting in a tavern.", she grinned but stopped

"Let me guess you grew up in a rich family...or atleast one were food was never a problem.", she said quietly more to herself than to him.

Cora spoke normally again, "If you feel better just say you helped out a poor girl with no parents who was very hungry. Also the drunk soldiers are perfectly for training. They are there but don't really pay attention too much. So that would be quite okay I guess."

She tossled his hair and smiled one last time before she opened the door.
"First lesson: Follow me silently, if you don't. I will steal some food and will leave a note that you were the villain in this case!", she grinned and went out of the room.

Cora was walking through the corridor and the staircase. For now it was easy. Noone was there. You could just see some light shining from under the doors.
As she reached the staircase she looked at the signs. One showed a plate with a fork and a knife. Probably the cantine. There had to be the kitchen nearby.
She heard some footsteps coming up the stairs. By the sound of it there was just one...man? coming upstairs. He was not going normally so he either was hurt or drunk.
Cora quickly went inside the bathing room to her right, not caring if it was for males or females and hid there. As the man had passed her she went out again and down the stairs.

Cora waited for Alan.

Alan still looked adamantly at Cora. "There is no compromise. I am leaving money and a note." he said, scribbling something on a piece of paper and grabbing his wallet.
Alan didn't bother responding to Cora's mocks of him growing up in a rich family. Truth was, he grew up in one of the poorest neighborhoods of the wall. The reason he never stole, however, was because he worked hard and at many jobs, even as a young child. He always made sure he had enough money to buy food. It's one of the things that made Alan the impressively responsible man he was today.

Alan followed Cora without question. He was made rather aware of the annoying clicks his boots made with each step he took. He tried to adjust his walking stance, so he'd make less noise, but only partially succeeded. While his movement was rather quiet, it was still nothing like Cora's silence. She seemed to be heading in the right direction, which was odd considering this was probably her first time here.
Suddenly, footsteps came from behind them. Cora instantly went over to the girl's bathroom on the right. Alan started heading for the left, but then changed his mind and dashed for the right. His movement was clumsy, but luckily enough it seemed the man took no notice of their existence. Alan looked at him as he passed by. Peter Auttenberg, Military Police captain. Unlike most Military Police members, Peter didn't care for drinking or excessive eating. His shady business came in the form of frequenting brothels, and blackmailing the people who worked there.

Alan was rather surprised by the fact that he knew so much about so many Military Police soldiers. Maybe it was because his memory was really good, and he had an easy time learning new things.
He realized that should the time come, he could use this knowledge to slowly take care of all the corruption in the Inner City. For example, right now he couldn't arrest Captain Auttenberg for his whoring even if he tried. If he did try, he'd probably end up beaten up bloody in some stinking alleyway. However, with the right connections and a few more ranks...
Alan left the bathroom once he decided it was safe. He nodded to Cora to signal that he was ready to carry on.

Cora looked at Alan. He was a bit loud you could hear his shoes. But training to be nearly not heard at all was difficult, it was like drawing hair. You had to train it, you could of course explain it but that wouldn't work so great. So training was the only option.

She went on and followed the plate with fork and knife signs until she reached a big hall with tables. Some drunk soldiers were laying on the floor. Cora went along the wall to the kitchen. She kept close to the wall and made herself a bit smaller that seeing her was alot harder. That was the problem Cora always had with this kind of jobs. She was just too big. Hiding a small person was so much easier than a tall one.
One of the soldiers lying on the floor woke up and looked at her. Cora smiled and came closer. A quick punch with the side of her hand on his throat left the man unconcious.
She went on and into the kitchen. Just before she entered it she waited for Alan to come.

"You go first. I will watch you and tell you what you do wrong. I will come close after you of course."

Alan followed Cora into the hall. He rarely dined here, and even when he did he would often dine alone. He did not possess many friends in the Military Police, but that was mostly a matter of choice. He couldn't put up with all the wrongdoings of those serving alongside him.
Alan looked at Cora and tried to simulate her actions. He found it surprisingly easy to mimic her. Perhaps she was a good teacher, or perhaps he was a good student. He bit his tongue as Cora disposed of a drunken soldier. Harming a Military Police soldier was a big enough crime to get yourself locked up. He prayed that he wouldn't need to do stuff like that if he ever tried to sneak beyond the walls.

Alan and Cora finally got to the kitchens. Alan nodded and went in, and immediately started to inspect the area.
As he suspected, near the cellar area a Military Police soldier and a royal were hunched over a box of some sorts. Likely they were raiding the storage of meat and alcohol, so they could have more for themselves. Luckily enough, they were quite loud for a group of thieves, and were very much focused on their endeavor, so they didn't notice Alan and Cora. Alan looked around some more. He didn't see anyone else around the large kitchen, which had knives and spatulas hanging from above almost like chandeliers. He then realized those WERE chandeliers, but shaped to look like kitchen tools. He was once again reminded of how rich the Miltary Police was.
He scanned the kitchen for something to steal, and immediately found his prize - in the corner, there was a jar filled with cookies. They were often reserved for younger children who came to visit the headquarters, or as snacks that were offered in the offices of many of the managing generals. However, the entire stash was there, in sight - a jar filled with chocolate chip cookies, vanilla creamed cookies, sprinkled cookies and many more. Alan's mouth watered at the sight of it.
Right next to it, as expected, was a little container filled with tea leaves and bags. Alan decided their loot was going to be sophisticated.

He slowly but surely crept in the direction of the cookie jar, which was far away from the Military Policeman and the royal. His slow movements allowed him to practice his walking a bit more, so he moved quieter than before. On his way, however, he accidentally stepped on a fallen crumpet. It made a crunchy, crackly sound as he stepped on it. Alan instantly looked back to see if he was caught by the thief duo behind him, but luckily enough they didn't seem to hear the noise, or care.
He sighed internally and kept going. He finally got to the cookie jar, and opened it up. All he wished for was there, and more. He grabbed a fistful and threw it into a nearby bag, along with a handful of special green tea leaves. He then proceeded to take his wallet out, and left a nice, hefty sum inside the jar, with his note. As he turned to Cora and nodded that he was finished, he giggled internally. The note he left read 'I truly am sorry for stealing whatever food item I have stole. I assure you that it was done for the better of humanity, and that by not reporting my actions you have bettered mankind. Should you think of reporting me, however, I fear that finding me would be near impossible. To save you the trouble, think of the payment here as a redeeming gift for my actions. Good day to you.'

Cora watched the soldiers. She was mad at them. They were allowed to stay in the military but she wasn't? Because she nearly killed someone?! Those drunken idiots could never defend anything. Never. But they were allowed to be in the military, of course they were. Because they did not offend a specific doctor. Just because of this. Just beca-
Cora's thoughts were interupted by Alan making a loud noise. She rolled her eyes. Really?
She inspected what he stole and read the note. She smiled. Why was he so...nice? Why did he even leave a note. Noone would have cared. They wouldn't even have noticed. So why did he do that?
Cora didn't really understand him.

As they left the kitchen Cora stole something for herself really quick. Just a slice of bread.

Cora went back to Alan's room without getting interupted by any Military police soldiers.
She took a seat on the bed and started eating it.
"Don't make a fuss about that piece of bread. I havn't eaten since yesterday.", she said sounding a bit tired.

Alan followed Cora back to his room. He was annoyed that Cora stole even more, but at the same time wasn't surprised. He just shrugged it off.
"Hey, you can make your own decisions." he said simply, munching on a chocolate chip cookie slowly and quietly "Besides, thanks for looking out for me during that excursion. Without you, I would've surely been caught. Not that I would've went on a cookie-stealing mission in the first place."
Alan continued eating his cookie, and licked his fingers when he was done.
"T'was a good cookie." he finally said.
He looked over at Cora. She was either very carefree or very good at hiding her feelings. Seeing those scoundrels back in the kitchen surely would've irritated her. Alan knew that even if she didn't show it, being discharged from the Military left a mark on Cora. He remembered the way she sounded during the trial, the bitterness and the rage. Somewhere inside her she held a grudge that will be very hard to erase. Alan sympathized. He realized how much his existence alone could bother her, as a soldier who's living the high life, with enough money in his pocket and a simple and easy job. Does she despise him for it? Or pity him? Either way, Alan was thankful for Cora not showing whatever negative opinion she held of him or his profession. She was a good friend.

Cora was a bit surprised that he didn't really mind it. At least he didn't say he minded it. Vex considered that as not minding it.
She ate the last piece of bread, "Cookies...how do they taste?", she suddenly asked as she watched Alan eat them.
She had never eaten one. It had been too expensive for her family and the Pack never had cookies of course. In the military she had sometimes seen people eat them but never dared to ask them for one.

"Some things for your training. You are not bad, you were really loud at the beginning but then got more quiet. That was really good. Uhm...oh yeah. Don't. Ever. Trip. Over. Anything. Again. No seriously that can be your death. If you are sneaking always look out for possible tripping traps. Do not only look at the floor look everywhere. Sneaking is not something you can do while doing something else. You have to concentrate. Concentrate on where you go, what is infront of you and who could be nearby.", she stopped for a second to think about what to say next, "You probably have realized that I hid in the bathroom before I went down the stairs because I heard someone."

Vex and or Nec remind me on telling how found out that it was a man.

"If you hear someone you have two possibilities: Hide or do like you belong there. In my case doing like I belonged there was not an option. If I would wear some military uniform or looked like a whore then I would be able to do that. The only option now was hiding. Hiding is a specific case for itself. Just one general thing: the surroundings are the most important. If I would wear white then I wouldn't hide in a dark place. Same the other way round. Look at what you wear and change it to the best if you don't have any other option."

You-
I know.
You are so mean! Just because I should reming you!

"The other thing is: I knew that it was a man coming up the staircase. Hearing who is near to you is also very important. Loud footsteps normally belong to a man and only seldom to a woman. Quiet ones can belong to nearly anyone. A man can also go very lightly. That is it for now I think."

She thought about what to do next.

"Want to come to the tavern I'm currently living in? Would be good because then you always know where I am."

Alan immediately handed a cookie to Cora when she asked about them. Truth was they were delightful. While Alan hadn't seen many cookies growing up, he immediately picked up interest in them when he joined the Military Police. They were a delicacy like no other - crunchy yet soft, sweet yet rich. Alan wasn't crazy about food, but cookies were a different thing.
"They are alright, I guess." he told Cora. He wasn't a man of many words.
Alan took Cora's advice to heart. He trusted her and her experience. When she mentioned costumes as an alternative, William showed up in his mind for some reason. Was it because of the peculiar and mysterious way he acted? Wait, maybe he was donning a costume? Alan shook his head and concentrated. He quickly understood the opportunities that understanding the gender of someone could open. It was rather interesting for him.
Alan pondered her last question for a bit.
"While I am certain knowing its location would be useful, I am pretty sure I cannot leave the headquarters now. Especially not for a tavern. I am not known as much of a drinker. If anyone catches me...." he then realized what he said, and smiled.
"Oh, okay. Let's sneak our way there, then. Hope it's not far."
He swapped his clothes and wore some darker clothes, but kept his ragged black scarf like always. He hoped Cora wouldn't mind him removing his shirt in front of her. That being said, it WAS his room.
"Alright, I am ready." he finally said, grabbing another cookie.
"One question, though" he managed to say with a mouthful of cookie "Should I focus on sneaking quietly, or sneaking quickly? Either way can get the job done."

Cora inspected the Cookie. She tried it. It was sweet.
"That is hella sweet...I don't know if I like it.", she said.
Cora wanted to say something about what he first said but as he told her that he would go with her she was satisfied.
"I would have forced you to come with me.", she just replied and opened the window. She was ready to jump out until she remembered that Alan might not be as skilled as her.
"Uhm...you just take the normal way I guess...also sneaking depends on the situation. You will have to learn when to use what."
As Cora climbed down she quickly said, "I'll wait for you at the gate."
She did as she said and waited for him.

Alan looked at Cora as she left through the window. She moved like a cat, or like a wolf. Alan wasn't sure. He left through his door, and locked the door behind him. He couldn't let anyone see him, because his leaving would surely cause some interest. He wasn't known for going out to have fun, or to drink away, so people wouldn't be used to him roaming the halls and corridors at night. He had to play it sneaky again, but luckily enough his way to the gate proved pretty empty. He tried to walk quietly, but the truth was everybody was away or asleep. He didn't run into a single person.

After he got to the gate, he saw the rain started to diminish. He was rather glad. He didn't want to get soaked.
"I'm here." he said to Cora, with a salute. He rarely got to walk the streets at night, but they seemed calm and empty enough. As if the night washed away all the mischief and injustice from the cobblestone paths of the Inner City, the unusual lack of crooked royals giving bribes was a breath of fresh air. Alan breathed some of the air in. It was rich and exotic.

Cora smiled as he saluted and started to make her way to the tavern. She put her hands on her head and took a deep breath.
She heard something from behind and with a quick movement she was holding a knife.
Cora sighed as she realized that it was just a cat. She kneeled next to the cat and started petting it.
"He little one...", she whispered. The cat started purring and rubbed its little head against her hand.
She petted it a bit longer until she finally stood up again and walked on.

Cora reached the tavern and opened the door. There were alot of people inside.
She sat down at a table with her four soldiers.
They greeted her silently by bowing their heads.

"Alan sit down. Do you want something to drink or anything? I know the bartender. Also Deltas if you want anything also say it. Everything but Alcohol."
They shook their heads.
"I have a friend here Alan, he could also train you if you want. He is not as good but he is a good teacher."

Alan slowly followed the merc leader. He was startled when she pulled out a knife, however not because she did so. He was surprised she did so only for a cat. He already noticed it about as they passed, subconsciously. He had a knack for stuff like that. He bit his tongue when she started petting the stray animal. Alan was fully aware of all the deceases such creatures could carry, and was not planning to accidentally catch something. He hoped Cora knew the risks as well.

He entered the tavern, and examined it. The people around seemed tough, but not exactly charming. He kind of hoped Cora's people would be more similar to her, but they seemed to just be hardened.
He sat down among Cora's men, warily. They looked particularly fearsome, and not very friendly.
"I... I'm not thirsty." he said politely, looking down at the table "I..... I think I'll pass on your offer, for now. I want to see what Auth has planned for me, so... No thanks for now."
He looked outside. Mist was starting to appear around the streetlamp outside. It must have been getting pretty late.
"W-well, if you do not mind, Cora, I think I'll take my leave now." he said briskly, and stood up from his seat. "It is getting rather late. I'll come here , should I seek you. Is there anything else you'd like, before I go?" he asked, looking at her.

Rysa quietly entered the small tavern with no more intent than to have a moment to herself. The rugged appearance of the ale house was an odd place to do so, however she found the jovial chatter calming. As she looked over the bar for a calm spot to sit down, she noticed the subtle growl of her own stomach. "Ugh." She groaned as her subtle hunger began to annoy her. Rysa's stationary Guard uniform probably won her a few sideways glances as she attempted to take a seat at the bar beside some fellow who obviously was having an awkward date or something. Just as she was about to take her seat, Rysa suddenly noticed that this fellow was obviously unaware Of the fact that she was right behind him.

As the unknown fellow briskly stood up, Rysa was sent in the opposite direction. She stumbled for only a moment yelling "wooooaahhhh?!" before she completely tripped, plowing into one of the near by tables. The ale filled stein slid down the now turned table and conked her upon the noggin as the fellow seemed content to ignore the fact that she had just been knocked over. "Ahhh..." Rysa groaned as her visualization of the room began to spin. "What did you go and do that for?!" She half asked half demanded as she slowly began to regain her bearings. Her clean uniform was now soiled with the smell of alcohol and stained with a dribble of blood that began to flow from a fresh cut made by the obviously damaging stein. What would her officers think when she returned to her post tomorrow with a story of being recked by a stein, she thought as she came to realize how unlikely a story this would make. She sighed at the putrid thought and slowly began to pull herself back to her feet.

As she slowly searched behind her for the table that would prove to be a fairly decent hand hold. Slowly, she pulled herself back to her feet, the blood of her fresh wound slowly dribbled down her slightly cut forehead as she glared at the fellow who had knocked her down. "Hey buddy, what's the big idea?!" She exclaimed as she sluggishly recollected her senses. The now aching pain in her head fueled her dislike as she glared at the fellow who had just accidentally caused a ruckus and thrown her into a table.

Auth was drinking a glass of red wine when Cora and Alan had stepped in the tavern. He had known from as soon as he got here that this was the place she stayed at. After all, even when the mercenaries kept a low profile, here they stood out just enough so that an observant fellow could notice them.

Auth himself was staying farther off from the center of the tavern. The dim light, along with his keeping low profile allowed him to go unnoticed, even by those who knew him. He sipped from his glass, and as soon as he put it down a girl had fallen over. Looking a bit more, it seemed like Alan had knocked the girl over, in fact. Auth sniggered.

Soon enough, the girl was yelling at him. Auth now noticed her uniform. A garrison corp. Making a ruckus to an MP, in an MP-filled tavern. And seemingly, half of the tavern had noticed that too. He stood up and quickly walked over to Alan.

"Ah, excuse him, miss." Auth said. He fiddled around his pockets and took out an MP badge. "We're MP, but he's kinda new. Dead drunk after the first glass, you know?" Auth put one of his arms as to support Alan from falling. A quick glance into his eyes, and probably the policeman would understand that he had to play along. Another glance, this time at Cora, which had the objective of telling her not to interfere. "I'll be escorting this fellow to where he belongs, then I'll buy you a drink to make up for this event. Well, symbolically, anyway." With that, he gave a very short bow of the head, and turned to the exit with Alan. Along the way, he looked around himself, pleased to see the agitation begun to dissipate.

As soon as reaching outside and closing the door, he left go of Alan. "You know... by the looks of you, you don't frequent taverns. Let me tell you this: as an MP, in these taverns you have to be very careful of your actions. That's because your 'fellow' MPs might decide they have to beat up someone for you. And they're drunk enough to do it, too."

As Alan stood up, he felt a certain odd bump. He realized after the yell that followed, that he ran into somebody. His thoughts were confirmed when the sound of breaking drinks and falling tables followed. He turned around, looking naturally surprised. An older girl appeared to be trying to get up from a total mess of an overturned table and a puddle of drinks. The people who were previously sitting at the table were already standing up and looking rather unhappy. Alan figured the girl was probably the one he accidentally pushed over. She got up using a table behind her, and gave him a rather mean glare. Alan couldn't really blame her. However, the ruckus attracted people's attention, and the tavern conversation was put to a halt as most people's eyes turned to the unfolding scene.

Alan bit his lip. This was a nightmare. He couldn't let people know he was visiting a tavern, let alone meeting up with his old friend Cora. People would ask questions he would find very hard to answer.
Maybe you should've learned a thing or two from your fellow Military Police soldiers for once. Knowing how to lie and deceive could really help you now.
He shook his head. The day he'd be like one of them would be the day that he'd die.
He walked up Garrison soldier, trying not to slip over the fallen drinks.
"I am so sorry-" he began to say, as he was naturally about to take out a handkerchief and help clean up the girl. He realized however that him rubbing a stranger with a piece of cloth would be rather weird, so instead he handed the handkerchief to her.
Alan saw the blood running down her face, but he nevertheless thought it would be best to ask if the girl was hurt.
"Are you okay? I- I didn't mean to do that." he asked, examining her further. It seemed her uniform was also spoiled by the ale, and that her anger towards him was just growing. His relationship with the Garrison was bad enough, the way he accused them of being lazy guards who didn't do their job properly, just like they accused him of being rotten and crooked and a total snob. He hoped the young woman won't give them any more reasons to hate him.

However, before anything else could happen, Auth came out of nowhere. Alan wasn't even surprised that Auth was here, he just kind of went along with it. These night's events were very odd, and he didn't have a hard time believing Auth was everywhere at once. He pulled out a Military Police badge, and Alan's eyes narrowed. He was fully aware that the great Auth was, in fact, not a Military Police soldier at all. Closer than most people, but still. Auth made some excuse up, saying that Alan had a bit too much to drink. Alan, perceptive as ever, realized that he had to play the role of the drunk. While he knew perfectly well what he had to do, he wasn't the best of actors. He just looked down and nodded, pretending to barely being able to stand. Auth then grabbed Alan away, and Alan was very glad that he did.

Alan smirked at Auth's comment, once they were outside.
"I doubt any MP soldiers, drunk or not, would fight alongside me. I've got quite a bad rep, as you know. Nobody wants to be associated with the goody-two-shoes soldier. In any case, thanks for helping me out there."
Alan sighed, and looked back at the tavern. It seemed warm and cozy, but Alan was very glad to be outside right now.
"The fact that I was caught in a tavern is already bad news." he said to Auth, as he turned back to him "I am known to not drink, so such an event will create suspicion. If you could try and cover my trail, I'd be glad."

"It's alright..." Rysa sighed snatching the offered pocket hankie to start wiping up
The blood upon her forehead. "Ah" she moaned at the pain of her fresh new cut upon her head. "Yeah I'm fine, it's not the worst injury I've ever had." She said as the smell of alcohol continued to infest her nose. Taking the now blood soaked cloth and holding it to her wound, she slowly debated asking the fellow who he was. It was in that instant of curiosity that suddenly everything began to become strange.

The guy suddenly began to act as if he had been intoxicated as if a switch had suddenly been switched on. He appeared as if he couldn't stand and acted in the nature that a drunk fellow might. "Hey buddy, you alright?" She asked as another fellow who quickly began to explain what had been going on. Though it was strange, it wasn't an unbelievable story. However, Rysa suddenly realized how much of a Scene she had created. Once the military police badge was flashed, Rysa realized how much trouble she was in. "Ah...I see...I'll just be going..." She said looking around the bar of other military policemen, who had taken interest in the disarray she had created. She quietly shuffled out of the bar without another word. As she slid out into the late night air, Rysa took in a deep breath. she heard the noises from inside resume as they had only moments before. The though of what might have happened slowly faded as she noticed the pair talking outside the bar. She sighed as she came to realize how much of a jerk she must have looked like. Keeping the hankie to her forehead, she slowly approached the pair, concussion and all.

"Hey ah, sorry about all that..." She said looking down at her boots as she attempted to reprimand herself for the rude situation. "I shouldn't have reacted the way I did..." She added noticing Auth's presence as well. Looking up at the fellows, she tried to flash a tired smile. Rubbing her elbow awkwardly, she debated on talking or just walking away pretending That this evening hadn't happened. With a sigh Rysa reluctantly spoke, "obviously we got off on the wrong foot, I'm Rysa Buorn." She said extending both of her hands out to the pair before her. They seems fairly shady standing out in the street lamp lit street, the warm light leaving them in a faint darkness that was present as se awaited their interaction.

Alan looked at the young woman as she approached them, quickly thinking of how to act. Acting drunk is a possibility, but she saw how I just talked to Auth right now, and my act in the tavern probably wasn't convincing. The least he could do for causing her all that trouble was to be honest.
"Your reaction was more than justified." he replied, shaking her hand. It felt strangely warm.
He saluted her as he said his name. Probably not a good instinct for someone who wanted to learn stealth and deception, but an instinct that was already well burned into Alan.
"Alan Kaltewande, Military Police patrolsman." he said as he saluted her in his usual energetic manner. He gave her a friendly smile. He might as well try to make a good first impression on a Garrison member before they ALL hate him.
Alan was about to introduce Auth, but he realized that it may not be in line with Auth's intentions, so he bit his tongue and remained silent.
"Are you dealing okay with that wound?" he asked politely, gesturing at the cloth Rysa was holding up to her head.

This guy, Rysa though as he suddenly introduced himself as Alan Kaltewande. Rysa giggled as he preformed a salute introducing himself to her. The unneeded gesture was moot, but it lightened her mood as the bleeding wound she pressed the hankie to began to let up. "Military police eh?" She chuckled as she thought back to the history of the military police. They were just a lazy and inclined to drinking as the garrison more often then not. "A well funded garrison if you ask me." she joketo as she continued to apply pressure to the slightly bleeding head wound. As he asked about her wound, Rysa removed the cloth to see that it was pretty wet with blood. "I'm doing okay, but you got me good bud." She said reapplying pressure for good measure.

"So what is it the pair of you are doing out here in the middle of the night pretending to be drunks." Rysa asked making air quotes With her free hand. Obviously Alan was not drunk. He was able to preform a perfect salute without any trouble at all, which made his little act obvious. The other fellow stumped her. He had yet to introduce himself and was less then interested in her than anything else. Sighing she realized how dumb she sounded. The intention was obviously to avoid confrontation at the bar...which she had almost created. "Still, sorry about all of that anyway...sometimes I get a little out of hand." Rysa said putting on a slight smile as she rubbed the back of her neck. She had a temper as explosive as the artillery pieces she fired sometimes. "Anyway it's a pleasure to meet both of you." She said giving a quick smile at the cute military policeman before looking over at the quiet fellow. "All the same, do either of you have any food, I kinda went in there to get some and well...that kinda didn't happen." She said feeling the grumbling of her stomach as she stood outside a bar with a pair of strangers...or possible friends.

//OOC: if you'd rather let me time to post before writing Auth off as "quiet guy" that would indeed be vastly appreciated

Auth saw the garrison girl come out of the bar. That really wasn't necessary, but it couldn't hurt either. He stood silently through the introductions, pondering what should he tell her about him. In the end, he decided for half-truth, just as always.

"Auth vi Rauco, pleased to meet thee." He leaned with a hand on the bar's wall. "Also, you have nothing to apologize for. Had this been any other bar but a military police one, I'd have been there with you to punch this guy in the face." He gestured to Alan. "... but here in the inner district, things go a little differently than anywhere else."

Auth looked at her a bit. The image of her with a hand on her temple, little blood coming out, would actually help in this situation. "For food, well, we can return to the bar. Most of the guys would think we 'gave you a lesson', and the ones smart enough to know that didn't happen would also be smart enough not to begin a bar-fight. As such, they'd write us off quickly and return to drinks." Auth narrowed his eyes a bit, and put on his usual smirk. "...but that's only if you're okay with playing 'defeated' for that food. Otherwise, there are plenty other bars or ways to get food here, if you can wait longer. Thy choice."

This seemed a bit not nice. On the other hand, it was a very quick and very effective way of getting information on Rysa's way of thinking. As a garrison member hanging in the inner district, she might prove quite valuable as a contact later on. You never knew.

"Whatever your choice, I can offer myself to accompany you. Head wounds are tricky, you never know how serious they really are compared to what they look." The reason was quite obviously an excuse. Still, that was the whole idea. It showed particular interest, which Auth realized he failed to give at the beginning of this conversation, and that had to be solved.

Alan eyed Auth suspiciously. What was he planning? He pondered.
"I hate to admit it, but I think Auth's right on this one." he said, looking back at Rysa "We've already left quite an impression back there. Can't undo all that."
Alan wished he could've given the young woman some cookies for her troubles, but sadly he left his in his room, back at the Military Police headquarters. Speaking of headquarters, I better start heading there. It's already getting pretty late.
Alan turned to Auth, who looked calculated as ever. "If there's nothing else you need to tell me, I'd like to head back to my room now." he said, quickly glancing at Rysa from the corner of his eye. While she seemed nice enough, they obviously couldn't talk in front of her about their ordeals. Doing so would not play out well for either Auth or Alan.
Look at you, Alan, being all shady and stuff! he mocked himself in his head Next thing you know, you'll be running the underground black market!