Taldur

"It's not true, it's a lie," I muttered, clenching a claw angrily at myself for even considering the poisonous thoughts I'd been circulating earlier.

'I will not accept that stigma!' I stated angrily to my own persons.

Unable to hear my inner thoughts and in a chipper and good mood since she managed to label me with that heavy and sickening personality trait, Lescar was happily striding on, placing each foot forward one after another with light bouncing steps, an expression I would almost describe as mocking on her face.

"hee hee!" she giggled aloud, a single hand before her mouth as she laughed much to my growing displeasure.

'The little minx!' I thought, clamping my jaws together to form a hard line, 'she should not be making light of me! I'm her master!'

Holding onto my tail with her free hand Lescar began to squeeze and massage it as she crooned.

"Cheer up Taldur! It can't be that bad being a, what did you call it? A tzoomdeer?"

"Its pronounced 'Tsundere'" I replied grudgingly, "and I regret telling you what it meant already."

"Your mistake," Lescar laughed once more as I pulled my tail out of her hand in a huff, " I wouldn't have thought you would know a word that describes you so well, but then you are full of surprises Taldur."

Flinching, I turned away from the superior expression on Lescar's face, I had made the foolish and short-sighted decision to tell Lescar what that word meant, and now she was bandying it about, beating me over the thorax with it.

The power of words was something to balk at when wielded properly.

And Lescar wielded that word like a large hammer, blunt and painful.

"So Taldur the terrifying tyrannical Tsundere," Lescar snickered good-naturedly, "do you have any specific plans for my old gang? Or are we just going to play it cool and passive-aggressive, trying to hide our true feelings with our motives?"

'This girl...' I fumed refusing to face the human girl knowing the smug look she was no doubt wearing, I was in half a mind to smack her on the head for her insolence and cheekiness, but after a moment of seriously contemplating the action, I decided against it.

Punishment now was not conducive towards any useful goal, so I would tolerate, however uncomfortably, my human's jibber jabber.

As, even if this might have been unpleasant for me, this was still a normal part of any healthy relationship not entirely based around fear, power, or necessity.

A component of relations known as banter, or as some called it 'trash talking.'

A banal portion of relationships, but a portion none the less, I would simply have to come up with my own jabs later that didn't entirely shred Lescar's confidence apart.

'Hmmph! just you wait little girl, I will get you back for this!' I declared silently, already a few ideas involving Dewey's slime excretions, a bucket, and Lescar's bedroll coming to mind.

Perhaps a step too far for some mere banter, but still, a good fall back plan if I failed to come up with any viable comebacks in the next few days.

With that final thought, it was time to do away with this frivolous exchange, we had arrived at our destination.

Turning to Lescar who, as I predicted still looked terribly smug, I said aloud, ignoring the curling corners of her lips.

"Yes, I do believe it is about time we reassessed how we will approach your old associates,"

Face turning slightly rueful that I wasn't playing along with her play, Lescar said in a more even voice, a serious edge returning to her words.

"Ahh! about that," Lescar stopped, a finger thoughtfully placed to her lip before she continued, " we aim to recruit as many of my last crew as possible, yes?"

I sent a mental confirmation to Lescar.

"Yes, and?"

"Well... I don't think we will get that many takers for that if we use 'your' idea Taldur."

"Why not?" I frowned, my mind going over the plan I'd discussed with her before we left the sewers, one involving Lescar outlining the opportunities the thieves would get by joining my faction, before offering them a little taste of the wealth they could get if they sided with me.

"Umm, how do I say this Taldur..." Lescar said scatching her head, "my last gang was always more of a 'actions speak louder than words' sort."

"Your point?" I persevered my eyes not budging as I stared at Lescar, not seeing how that would affect my methods overtly.

"What I'm saying is," Lescar explained, that I think you should let me handle this one entirely Taldur, I have known these guys for years."

My compound eyes twitched as I focused in on Lescars face, scanning her for ulterior motives, her face not revealing anything other than what I knew was anxiety.

My jaws twitched idly, While what Lescar said was true, allowing her full conversational control because of it, was a little steep.

What if things went poorly and she derailed the conversation? that would be most frustrating.

Seeing my silence Lescar asked again in a pleading manner.

"Please Taldur it would be for the best."

Seeing my human's unfeigned inquiry I felt a twinge.

'She really wanted this...'

Hesitating as I looked at my human's earnest features, I teetered indecisively until finally I gritted my mandibles and made a call.

"Ughhh..." I sighed, "fine, you may do it as you see fit."

"Yes!" Lescar animatedly pumped a fist before I cut her off with the following words.

"-So long as you address my goals and don't get us killed, that would put a real dent in our budding future."

Lescar hearing me out nodded with a smile, "Thanks Taldur, I won't mess up, you'll see."

'Mmmrrrrrr,' I groaned to myself after she said that, the cursed word from before briefly flitting through my head.

'I am far to soft on her.' I grumbled to myself. Maybe there was some truth to that cursed label.

Patting my tail reassuringly as if understanding, Lescar stepped forward towards the alley that was our stop.

It was a dark alley like any other here in the black district, the only sign this one was any different was because of a small dirt-encrusted box lying strangely on the ground, an assortment of colored sticks haphazardly sprawled about near it, with what looked like childish drawings in colored chalk scribbled on the pavement.

"Tommy's pencil collection," Lescar gasped audibly while looking around a little perplexed, swiftly reaching down to pick up the box before carefully placing the various drawing utensils back inside the wooden box.

I frowned at the word 'pencil,' those were clearly sticks of chalk, but said nothing and listened instead.

Holding the box in one hand before her, Lescar whispered loud enough for all of us to hear, "Tommy would never leave these behind unless he was startled, did they hear us coming?"

Lescar looked at the box in her hand, that had been hastily left where it lay, clearly considering that it must have been left after hearing us approach, a logical consideration given that we had not been covert about our approach.

Tail wriggling slightly, I flicked my head, I did not know this 'Tommy' as I had not taken the time to learn about every member of Lescar's old gang, but it looked as if it were someone Lescar knew rather well.

"Trouble?" I asked prodding Lescar on the ear with an antenna.

"No, at least it shouldn't be," Lescar shook her head before pocketing the small box, placing it inside her coat, "Tommy startles easy, he would have just left his box here after panicking, the others will know we are here now though."

"Hmmph, that is fine," I grunted, it was better that the kid thieves knew we were coming so that they wouldn't panic immediately when they saw Dwayne and do something dumb.

Killing the brats due to a misunderstanding would not be optimal at all.

Chalk box acquired, Lescar moved further down the alley, more and more poorly drawn pictures of animals, people, and smaller figures stealing from people etched over the floor and walls.

Tommy had been a busy little artist, although the amount of drawing was prolific to the point of absurdity, where was the little rugrat getting all that chalk from?

Lescar didn't know either, but did know something about the next point of attention.

Hammered into the ground where the cobbles lay broken and uneven, a beaten-up wooden sign sat, Lescar reading out the contents written there with an amused look, the symbols on the sign looking even more like an intelligible mess than they did normally to me, the last words being highlighted in larger text.

(FaBs CoRner, COyotes onLY, No COnEhEaDS aLouDed)

(FAbRAHN iS BosS)

Coneheads obviously was referring to the city guard or watch, for the reason that the guard wore metal helmets with a pointed top, and Coyotes could only be the name of Lescar's old gang.

"Hmmm it looks like they finally decided to name themselves," Lescar said conversationally while fingering the carved in scrawl, "although judging by the quality here, Mart is still the only one that can write," Lescar snorted, a nostalgic look on her face as she ran her palm over the wooden board, a toony skull carved into the bottom, clearly meant to be intimidating, but failing commendably at that.

"Mart? Is that another two-legger you know here?" Roulette piped up having padded up to the sign beside Lescar as Dwayne and Dewey waited behind us.

"Yeah..." Lescar said shortly, "He's someone I know very well, probably the closest thing to a best friend I have-." Lescar cut off suddenly as she looked at Roulette

"Had, I mean," Lescar emphasized looking guiltily at Roulette.

"Oh," the rat said missing Lescar's comment entirely, "is he nice?"

"Well..." my human hesitated as she moved deeper into the chalk decorated alley, "he is if you look at him in a certain way..."

"He must be a good friend then," the albino rodent chirped as she began to trot towards the alley after me and Lescar, Dwayne, and Dewey likewise following.

"Mmm..." the girl grunted in response, an almost bitter expression on her countenance.

"Yeah... a good friend... sorta," she whispered approaching the only door I could see down the alley.

I uneasily flexed my tail pincers.

'It sounded more and more like Lescar's history with this group was tenuous,' I observed passively, 'should I really let her handle this situation?'

A redundant thought that soon foretold a future disaster, my human girl turning to say to me and the others just before she stood at the door, an almost apologetic look on her face.

"Uhh, just a reminder," Lescar clasped her hands together as she turned to the others, her eyes still on me, "I might need to be a bit loud here, my old gang was always a bit hard of hearing."

"That's fine" I nodded, 'being a little forceful was acceptable so long as she didn't overdo-'

Lescar, after her brief apologetic spiel, casually lifted a foot off the ground and booted it hard into the closed-door before I could so much as twitch.

CRASH!

The old door, thick if weathered-looking, flew off its rusted hinges from Lescar's full power kick before hitting the ground with a heavy thud, flooding the darkness inside with light, a thick plume of dust shrouding us.

'By dandy! what was this girl thinking,' I bristled, alarmed at Lescar's rash decision 'she was going to get us attacked, or at the very least tossed out behaving like that!'

"Huh, nice!" Lescar said admiring her own footwork as she stared at the remains of the door, "I really am getting stronger."

'That was more than just a little loud!' I groused internally at Lescar's levity, 'this could be seen as a straight-up act of hostility!'

I went to berate Lescar for her irrational methods of door opening, but the silly girl beat me to speaking, her voice very loud in the silence of this seemingly empty room and far more coarse than usual.

"Oi! ya bloody twats!" Lescar hollered in a demanding tone "I'm back! and your wanker leader better show himself, or I'm gonna do a lot more than simply bust the door, ya baloney incompetents!"

An antenna flicked on my head as I listened, stunned at her sudden outburst 'Was- was Lescar putting on an accent!? and one that sounded eerily similar to a British cockney one at that!?'

Unaware of my astonished state, Lescar stepped into the room her hands on her waist, an almost angry gleam in her eyes.

"Come on out you muppets! I know you guys are here! I saw Tommy's pencil collection, he would never leave those behind willingly!"

Lescar pulled out and waved around the dirty box of stationery from earlier, standing imposingly in the center of the room.

I calmed down somewhat as no one immediately responded to Lescar's provocations, the dark around us seeming empty, only scattered raggedy clothes a couple of chairs, and an old rickety table being visible in the gloom of the building.

'Maybe no one really is here?' I pondered shortly before changing my mind, no, I could sense movement in the shadows around us, the fine hairs on my legs picking up slight vibrations.

Someone was definitely here but who and how many someones.

Preparing myself, just in case, I rose off my haunches in the depths of Lescar's hood, tail flexing, My human's actions could not be revoked now, I should be ready if things blew up any further.

Even though the dark of this room moved with vague shapes, I did not feel particularly threatened, I could taste an ambient feeling in the air, fear, and a bit of dread.

I looked back at Dwayne looming at the door, he was easily visible as Lescar postured in the center of the room putting on an impressive display of presence, cowing whoever the people hiding in the dark were.

"Show yourselves! Are you not professional thieves? proud coyotes?! Get out here you twats!" Lescar bellowed again, a slight smile on her face.

'It looked like Lescar had wanted to do this for a while...' I realized, 'so that's why she wanted control.'

The shadows quivered at my human girl's staunch words, they were afraid, hidden bodies trembling and shuddering with nervous energy, I could tell, I'd always had a good feeler for the taste of fear.

After a few more seconds of indistinct movements in the shadows, most of the shadows moving further away, a voice that did not seem at all afraid finally replied from the silhouettes that flitted about in the dark, this silhouette completely still and unmoving.

"Well looky looky 'ere, are my ocular orbs deceiving me? Or is it Lez da leaver gracing us wit' her prezzence."

The voice was clearly that of a male, although they didn't sound that old, the nasal voice having a slight hissing lisp on top of the strong cockney accent they had.

Lescar frowned visibly at hearing that voice, recognition lighting her features before she called out loud, her voice a little softer as she pushed back her hood. not revealing me as I hid in the folds.

"Mart? is that you?" Lescar blinked, "you sound a little different?"

The larger still shadows shifted restlessly before it stepped forward into the light, revealing the speaker.

"An' you look a lot different..." a squinting, wiry boy in plain green sackcloth tunic, with large pointed buck teeth, and scrappy rabbit ears on his head muttered, "Realllllyy different."

Mart's eyes traveled up and down Lescars profile causing Lescar to shift uncomfortably while he did it, her head tilted slightly, and eyes briefly widened before she coughed and resumed her presentation, her voice taking back the accent and forceful intonation.

"Mart! Where is Fabran? I need to talk to him!"

Ignoring Lescar's immediate question, Mart said in a put-on injured voice, "Not even an 'ello after all dis time?"

Lescar didn't say anything in response to that and merely disregarded Mart's words and after a second the ab-human sighed then shrugged, "Fine, if you really wanna know, dat git Fab is out on a 'supply' run wit' da others and he won't be back till late'ah."

Lescar frowned slightly at this response before keeping up her funny accent.

"Why aren't you with him and the others?" she questioned raising an eyebrow, disdain creeping into her voice, "I thought you were supposed to be his best right-hand man?"

There was a tone of accusation in Lescar's voice as she said this, and this time it was Mart who shifted uncomfortably.

"Yeah, well..." Mart twitched on the spot looking disgruntled, 'tings change and Fab don't like me much anymore espezzially not after I let in da newbies."

"Newbies?"

"Yep, the newbies," Mart acknowledged before swiveling around, "Oi! teeny Tommy! Get the newbies up here! An old friend is visiting."

Lescar grimaced a little as she was addressed as a friend, but didn't react further as another boy appeared without a prior trace, stepping out behind Mart as if he had always been there.

"Hey Tommy," Lescar said in a marginally softer voice as she spotted the thin kid, "here's your pencil box."

Lescar handed over the wooden box, the boy receiving it with a grateful if nervous smile, I looked closer at this boy, getting a good grasp of his appearance.

Tommy was a small human boy, likely no older than 7 with unkempt dirty hair and long blonde bangs, he had misty blue eyes and wore what looked like an old potato sack as a tunic, he gave off a sort of vulnerable and timid air compared to Marts more brazen and sanguine one.

"Hi Lescar." the small skinny blonde boy said with a quick smile, before after a moment of glancing at Mart, he darted away back into the shadow, my hairs picking up whispers and quick breathing after a short pause.

Tommy then reappeared, a number of other just as small children clustered around him the expressions on their faces more nervous and uncertain than even Tommy's.

The cluster of youth was a mix of about 8 ab-human/human boys and girls, one of the ab-human kids even having what looked like tiny malformed bat wings on their back.

Despite the difference of both sex and race between them, each small child looked fearful and anxious, glancing at Lescar, than to Dwayne and Roulette, before finally looking hopefully towards Mart.

These diminutive wretches did not look like the hardened or professional criminals I had been promised.

The small crowd of children behind him, Mart turned around with a toothy grin, his buck teeth sticking out visibly.

"Dese guys 'ere are da newbies," Mart pointed, gesturing to each child individually, " I picked them up after dey showed some spunk or talent on da streets."

"Did you really?" Lescar struggled with a look of incredulity "I couldn't see Fabran liking that at all,"

"'Ee didn't sadly, said I 'was weakening the coyotes by recruiting no skill scum.'"

Mart shook his head disapprovingly, scruffy rabbit ears flapping about on his head.

"But we know better don't we Lez? Me and you both were that once, even if you look so different from us now..."

The end of Marts sentence turned whimsical before the ab-human boy went quiet and regarded Lescar with a strange look.

The ab-human looked Lescar up and down appreciatively, his dark liquid brown eyes that lacked any whites roaming over Lescar's new clothes before he blurted out loud in quick succession, no fear in his eyes, only a sudden amusement.

"Oyoyo! You sure did get fit! Did you get diddled by some rich pomce or some'ting?" Mart chortled, "what's with da getup? Are you a lords floozzzy now? Does he pay you well? cause, those drapez look pretty priczzey."

The sudden change in atmosphere was abrupt, and Lescar's once-imposing air deflated, collapsing in onto itself at Mart's rapid comments. The boys words having stripped her of her commanding force and suddenly, she looked very self-conscious and genuinely angry.

"I did not get diddled by some rich guy! You- you ass!" Lescar shouted at Mart, a furious blush rising on her cheeks, the accent she had put on entirely lost to the seven winds.

'Ohhh gosh,' I facepalmed as Lescar lost control of the discussion from that one line.

Dealing with this Mart boy was not one of Lescar's strong points, it seemed, she definitely needed more training.

Most of the children behind Mart seemed confused at the back and forth between Lescar and Mart, but teeny Tommy was smiling at the argument.

Judging by Tommy's expression alone, this was what Lescar's relationship with Mart had always been like.

Rubbing my head plate with a forcep I sighed.

'Looks like the adult here, that is me,' I stated plainly to no one in particular, 'needs to step in.'

'Just dandy.' I mumbled as I rapped Lescar on the head with a feeler to remind her of our goals.

Lescar flinched at my touch, a bead of sweat rolling down her neck as she remembered her promise to not mess up, the girl immediately trying her best to get a hold on the situation.

'I don't know what was I expecting really,' I muttered under my breath as Lescar realized her mistake, 'she is still only a teen, a smart one, but still a teen.'

I watched expressionlessly as Lescar attempted to recapture her threatening and commanding aura, but failed horribly, Mart pointing out as Lescar tried to reinstate herself, that she had gained weight, the ab-human gesturing to Lescars hips and breasts with a laugh before he mockingly shook his own hips, completely annulling the weight of the words Lescar had wielded earlier.

Lescar blushed and fumed again, the last embers of her attempts to direct the conversation so deeply snuffed out, that the children standing behind Mart, once scared witless, began to giggle and whisper among themselves.

Not a great start for intimidating the brats, we would need to earn that respect back, albeit later, for the rabbit boy was making a ruckus, further embarrassing my poor human girl.

"You sure you ain't been diddled?" Mart sniggered, one of his feet thumping rhythmically against the ground, "I heard dem Floozzzy'z gain a lot of weight too."

Lescar exploded into a fit of rage, before shooting back a string of her own less playful, yet increasingly ineffectual barbs.

I flexed my limbs as I watched, this Mart was certainly a vexing individual, a part of me enjoying Lescars flailing attempts to retaliate against the rabbit boy, for I had not forgotten the heavy label she had pressed upon me, but that feeling of sweet vengeance was dulled by seeing something more in the ab-humans eyes as he mockingly teased Lescar.

Something... troubling... a certain look I couldn't misplace... a look that flitted by on the boy's features as he bullied Lescar, moving between mischievous humor, and something like affection.

I felt a protective desire suddenly come over me as I looked at the ab-human boy, my antennae furrowing as I curled my tail possessively around Lescar's neck without getting in her way.

'Not even close' I hissed under my breath as I glared at the ab-human, recognizing the look in the boy's eyes for what it was.

'She's not on offer!'