Elves and Clockwork

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Stopping in his moving to watch Tiris try to follow his lead, Oriske soon shook himself out of the trance, and was moving again, pulling himself up to the rope above him. Twining the rope around his arm in a way that made it so that if he slipped, it would hurt like hell but he wouldn't fall. Inching his way over to a first-class balcony, which was larger and the railing wasn't as high, he grasped the floor of it, his fingers pressing into the solid metal almost desperately.

Hearing the sounds of gunfire, he looked back to see Tiris under fire by the guards. Stifling back a smile when the bounty hunter screamed as he swung onto the rope beneath him, Oriske returned to focusing on getting his feet onto the balcony next to him. Moving his hand to the bars on the railing, he slowly unwound his arm from the rope, placing it onto the railing as well.

Getting his feet on there was another thing altogether. He had to physically pull himself up to a level where he could get his feet onto the balcony, and was swinging with nothing beneath him for several minutes. Flinching at Tiris' shouted words, he frowned slightly before shoving his shoes through the bars, feeling the cold iron next to his ankles. Shifting around so that his feet couldn't slip through the bars, he swung backwards, almost level with Tiris, his jacket blowing in the wind as another gust hit them.

"Care for some help?" he asked, before taking the device the inventor had out again. "Wonder what would happen if I cut the rope?" Powering it, the whir of the blade started up, and he held it near the rope, just out of Tiris's reach.
 
If it wasn't for Oriske being tantalizingly out of choking grasp the fear that gripped the bounty hunter would have rendered him immobile. Hanging on a rope miles above the ground, Tiris forgot about the money. It was only the desire to with that handsome smirk off the other elf's face that kept him going. Slowly he looked up to Oriske. A scowl formed on Tiris' face as he saw the smile on Oriske's. His scowl only deepened when he cockily asked if he'd like help.

The thought crossed Tiris' mind to reach up and grab the man just to pull him down. But how would he get up? He needed Oriske's help right now, even though he never admit it. A sharp gasp escaped him as the thief produced some type of tool which the terrified hunter could only assume would cut the rope. He jerked his legs in a futile attempt to swing away from him. "Don't you dare!" He barked as a bullet whizzed past him. "Damnit Oriske! Stop fooling around and pull me up!" He demanded in a tone thick with anger and fear.

The thought hit him as he dangled near death. Why in the world would Oriske help him? He wanted to arrest the man so that the Regent Lord's family could judge and kill him. Tiris knew he had to cut a deal or else he'd never get out of this situation alive. Loosing money or death? The choice was painful but clear. "You help me up I'll not pursue you! I'll leave you alone!"
 
Oriske had been about to answer Tiris's shouted command with a cutting remark, but then he said that he would leave him alone. That made him pause, and suddenly the cocky smirk was gone from his face. Dropping the whirring tool, watching as it fell to the ground below, he frowned, thinking. Why should he care whether or not the bounty hunter followed him? If he fell, he died, and it would be no skin off of his bones. After all, hadn't the bounty hunter threatened his life just a few minutes ago?

His eyebrows furrowing together as he thought, he felt a bullet, meant for Tiris, speed past his ear, he finally reached his arm out. "I swear, Tiris, if you are tricking me, I will throw you off of this damn airship myself. But there's no time to now, so take my hand." Reaching up with his other hand, he took a hold of the railing, giving himself enough leverage to hopefully pull Tiris up with him. "Come on," he said, his mouth set in a firm line, his fingers stretching for the bounty hunter's wrist.
 
"I'm not tricking you! Pull me up!" He demanded looking up at Oriske. He'd promise anything at this moment really. The desire to get on some type of firm ground was over whelming. Tiris didn't wait very long to take the hand out stretched coming towards him, gripping his hand firmly by the wrist. Tiris' expression in a fearful sneer as he pulled himself towards the balcony. Pulling with his other arm on the rope to get himself closer to the balcony.

A bullet bounced off the hull of the air ship far too close to Tiris for comfort. His other hand snapped out grasping the bars from which Oriske hung from. Awkwardly he pulled himself up and out of fear he held onto the other man a bit longer that he'd normally do so. Breathing the fire from his lungs, shaking his head trying to calm himself. Taking only a moment to regain himself he looked at Oriske, a scowl on his face when he realized he still clung to the other man.

"Thanks..." He sneered as he pushed Oriske away, sliding himself against the wall of the ship. The yelling below brought him back to the moment. "That's our cue to go, I think." He said getting to his feet shakily.
 
Watching as Tiris collected himself, Oriske questioned himself as to why he had saved the bounty hunter. Hadn't he been threatening to kill him just earlier. Besides, it didn't appear as if Tiris was all that thankful, given his expression once he said, "Thanks." Still, he immediately answered with a, "You're welcome." Opening the door to the balcony, he smoothed down the wrinkles on his clothes before walking into the hallway, running his fingers through his hair to make him look presentable once more.

Glancing back, he added, "If you want to get out of this airship without being arrested, you should come with me. There's a place they won't look for us that we can hide in until we land." Without waiting for an answer, he strode out into the hallway, immediately assuming the persona of a young nobleman without a care in the world.
 
He followed him into the ship, a sigh of relief escaping him as he allowed the false notion to take over his brain. The notion that he was on solid ground and not miles above the ground. But Oriske said something off the wall, well it was off the wall as far as Tiris was concerned. Go with him? That wasn't what Tiris had in mind. Despite being saved he still wanted to punch Oriske for putting him in that situation in the first place. He scowled a moment as he untied his pony tail in order to retie it.

He followed the other's actions of making himself presentable although wiping the 'I was terrified beyond reason' look on his face was harder to get rid of. Then there was the limp in his wounded leg. "I suppose going with you is the best idea right now. But if you punch me again I swear..." His voice trailed off as a passing noblemen walked by, giving him an odd look. Tiris did his best to smile but it came off as more of a sneer, which apparently made the other man frown.
 
I don't even think there'll be enough space for me to punch him, Oriske thought, but he didn't speak it, just wanting to get on the ground again. Instead, he said, "I only punched you 'cause I knew it'd be my only chance to get away. And, guess what? It worked." Giving Tiris a smirk, he returned to walking, quickly heading to the end of a long hallways and going up a flight of steps. Near a sign that pointed out directions to different parts of the airship, he went towards one that said 'Flight Deck'. Down another hallway, and soon they were in front of a supply closet, just a couple doors down from the flight deck of Erica's Doom.

Pulling open the door, Oriske gestured for Tiris to go in before adding, "Don't worry, the door opens from the inside. They all do on this model." Quickly realizing that Tiris probably wouldn't go in first, he sighed, exasperated, before walking into the dark closet, pulling on a cord to turn on the light. "Get in. I know it's small, but we'll both fit. Come on. I've fit bigger guys in smaller spaces before, this is nothing." Glancing around, he checked out a couple of the things on shelves. Most of them were cleaning solutions, so Oriske was sure that no one would be arriving for anything. Erica's Doom had a plethora of cleaning storage closets, and since the flight deck was pretty clean, this one was probably just in case. "We'll be safe here," he said. "Unless someone on the flight deck throws up or something, no one will come in here."
 
Tiris gave a sneer as he gave his reasoning for punching him. It did work, he supposed. And he'd done the same thing in his shoes. However that didn't stop his jaw from throbbing and a small bruise from forming. He took note of their path, towards the flight deck. That hardly seemed like a good place to hide but then again hiding was not what Tiris did best. So he kept his mouth shut and just followed. That was until they reached a supply closet. Tiris just stared at it a moment curiously.

He wasn't actually meaning for Tiris to get in the tiny closet. He narrowed his eyes and folded his arms as he looked at Oriske. He wasn't going in there first. "You expect me to just hop in there?" He said in a flat tone. Only when Oriske entered the tiny closet himself did he move. But he hesitated to enter. It was a small cramped place, at best. And he didn't particularly want to be cramped in there with someone whom caused him a great deal of aggravation. But he also didn't have much of a choice.

He groaned as he walked towards the closet. "Safe?" He hissed quietly. "What happens if they, oh I donno, need to clean something!?" He said as he fit himself into the closet and pulled the door shut. He checked the small room, finding towels. He began to doctor the small cut on his leg as he complained to Oriske. "No one will come in here..." He repeated the other's words mockingly. "I hope not. For your sake I hope not..." He finished tying the towel around his leg and he stood up straight again.
 
"Shh," Oriske said. "Keep your voice down. If someone passes by and hears voices, they'll think that some of the staff are doing something naughty in the supply closet. Besides, they won't have a reason to get in here otherwise. They clean the flight deck once the airship lands, but only then." Oriske sighed, glancing around the closet again. In such a cramped space, no matter what position he was in he was touching Tiris in some way, made even worse when Tiris started using towels to take care of the cut on his leg.

Stifling a yawn, Oriske leaned against one of the walls, wishing he could fall asleep. He would, too, had Tiris not been there. Who knows if the bounty hunter really meant what he had said. He could just have been lying to get him to let his guard down. Rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand, he sighed softly, looking down at his palms. Both of them were stained with ink from letters he had needed to write just before getting on to Erica's Doom, and he hadn't had a chance to wash them.

Frowning at the stains, he looked back up at Tiris, sighing again. "It's gonna be a while 'till we land, hope you aren't claustrophobic.
 
No matter how coiled away from Oriske, Tiris was he still seemed to be touching him in some way or another. Normally an optimist he tried to look at the brighter side of things. At least he didn't smell bad. And he wasn't that bad to look at. Tiris was not a man open about his sexuality. In fact one who cared to hang around him long enough might think him asexual. But that was far from the truth, he just kept his thoughts to himself and his private life, well private. Despite wanting to still punch the other elf just for putting him through hell, he was still able to tolerate his presence simply because he was quite easy on the eyes.

He narrowed his eyes on Oriske as he slid his hands into his pockets. Shaking his head to the sigh that came from the other man. "Not claustrophobic. Just acrophobic." He replied in a low tone. He raised a brow curiously as he looked at the stains on Oriskes hands. He opened his mouth to ask about them when a pair of voices caused him to remain silent. Passersby but it as a reminder for them to remain silent.

He remained silent for the rest of the ride. A hard feet when stuck in a very small space with someone. But voices regularly passed by the closet. He could hear the speaker system come on and announce passengers to keep a look out for him and Oriske. But of course no one thought to check the flight deck cleaning closet. And for that Tiris was thankful.

The great air ship shuddered as it came to dock. Awaking Tiris from the cat nap he tried to take while leaned against the back wall. He looked up and rubbed his face. Looking to Oriske as he listened. "Feels like we've docked." He whispered, still cautious about speaking loudly.
 
Oriske nodded. He hadn't slept while Tiris had dozed, worried that he was faking and would knife him the moment Oriske let his guard down, but he still yawned occasionally, not entirely minding the closeness to Tiris. Indeed, he could almost imagine that Tiris was Daechon. They smelled almost the same, and had about the same height and build, so it wasn't too much of a stretch to trick himself into thinking that Daechon was here instead of the bountry hunter. Almost tempted to place his arms around him, since he looked like he was sleeping, Oriske forced himself not to move, not wanting Tiris to wake up and find him clinging to the bounty hunter.

By the time they landed, his feet had been beginning to ache, but in the cramped space he couldn't sit down properly, and his limbs would be a problem in getting comfortable. "We should wait about half an hour before leaving...By then, none of the passengers will be on, and we can avoid the guards more easily," he said, his voice lower than a whisper as he heard footsteps just outside the door to the closet.

Sighing softly, he shoved his hands into his pockets, counting in his mind the minutes. Outside the closet, he could hear the captain and the rest of the flight deck crew leaving, making some joke about something and laughing, their voices receding down the hallway. "Cleaning crew won't be up for about an hour," Oriske said, leaning close to Tiris so he wouldn't have to raise his voice.
 
Upon leaning away from the shelves on the wall Tiris realized how cramped and tight his muscles were. Despite hanving his mother and previous lovers tell him he could sleep through any explosion, he didn't sleep much. He tried to move his legs and arms to stretch them out but to no avail. Every time he tried to stretch he seemed to be touching Oriske more than he would have liked. "Sure whats another half hour." He replied in a sour tone.

He frowned at the idea but it made the most sense. But that didn't mean he liked the idea. Tiris didn't shy away when Oriske leaned in, instead looking at him from the corner of his eye. He nodded and replied in a hushed tone. "I see. That gives us a half hour to get off the ship." He shrugged as he looked fully at Oriske. "I'm not so good at this sneaky business. So we go when you think is good." He didn't like the idea of blindly following Oriske but he was going easy to the idea. Since so far it had done him good. Well except for the cramps in his legs and aching in his feet. He was still alive and not in a jail cell, so this was a plus.
 
When thirty minutes passed, Oriske rolled his shoulders before saying to Tiris, "Let's go. I wanna see something in the flight deck before we go, though." Waiting until Tiris was out before leaving, he stretched in the hallway, bones cracking as he reached his arms above his head. Groaning as he let them fall, he went to the flight deck door, looking down at the complicated lock. "A combination and a pattern?" he muttered to himself, before turning the combination to 0000 and setting the pattern to 'square-square-square', which was the default for locks like that. Surprisingly enough, the lock popped and the door opened.

Stepping inside, he went to the large floor-to-ceiling concave windows at the far end, looking out at the airship docks, examining the other airships in port. Frowning at most of the names, Aladdin, Queen's Beauty, and the Air Stallion, he sighed before seeing the only one he recognized: the Kraken. "Hey, Tiris?" Oriske said, glancing back at the bounty hunter and hoping he hadn't run off or left Erica's Doom already. "You want a lift back to Ashanti City? Or wherever you live? I've got an airship that'll work...you don't have to pay for a ticket, either."
 
Thirty minutes seemed to pass slower than a snails pace, seeming to take another hour to pass by. But finally it came and Tiris didn't hesitate to get out of the closet. He groaned and stretched his limbs and cracked his back. "I don't think I could have stood another minute in there. I have to pee like no one business." He said. A quick stop to the nearest bathroom and he was following Oriske to the flight deck. Why? He wasn't sure but maybe the other man had some sort of plan. At least he hoped so.

At first he would have thought it impossible for him to crack the lock but Oriske was good. Impressed Tiris raised his brows as the lock clicked open and he opened the door. "You just made that look too easy..." He said sliding his eyes to Oriske. Now he understood why the other man was so good at stealing things. He had the know how on complicated locks and the mental patience to remain still for long periods of time.

He'd never been on a flight deck and was rather intrigued at the moment. Looking around at all the complicated equipment and the various gauges. He'd always been interested in learning to fly a steam air ship but never enough to pay for classes. He crossed his arms and leaned against the console of the ship, looking at Oriske. "You've got an airship..." His statement sounded questionable. "Like your air ship or one that you plan to borrow?" He said eyeing the man a little more closely.
 
"Ummm..." Oriske thought about that question for a moment. "...It was going to be mine, if that's any condolence. Legally it's not, but we've done a lot of illegal stuff in the past few hours, haven't we? What's one more? Besides, no one'll will notice it's gone 'till we're out of port, and by then there won't be anything they can do about it until we land." The Kraken was the most advanced airship of its kind, back when it was new. Now that it wasn't, Oriske was certain that it had gotten a few upgrades, and would still be the most advanced. Originally, it was designed to be a house, Oriske's house to be exact, but that plan had gone down the drain, hadn't it? Now, Oriske wasn't sure what it is.

The Kraken was large enough to be a cruise airship, for rich nobles, but the outside didn't have the decorations of one. It was also big enough to be one of the large warships, but as far as Oriske could see, it didn't have any of the weaponry one would have. Still, it would be able to get him to Ashanti City in just a couple hours. "So, what d'you say? Want to go home in that?" he pointed towards the Kraken.
 
Tiris narrowed his eyes, sliding his face to look more at Oriske. His expression was slightly scowled, a frown upon his thin face. Why was he not surprised by Oriske's idea? Steal an air ship to get back home. One that he claimed was supposed to be his. He groaned and rubbed his face as Oriske tried to convince him other wise. "Y'know two wrongs don't make a right!" He said quickly as he stood up and turned to face the wide wind shield of the ship. Looking out he saw what he could only assume was a private ship. "In that?" It was a fine steam air ship but that wasn't the point. "No. I'll take my chances else... Damn..."

His words trailed off as he looked out the thick glass. A small army of officers started their way down the docks, toward Erica's Doom. Since no one had seen them get off the ship it only made sense that they were still on. And no doubt they were looking for Tiris. He'd never make it past them, and he knew it. He sighed and hung his head dejectedly. He needed Oriske's help, again. Which no doubt meant getting on the Kraken. "You know what... I've changed my mind. How do you suppose we get past them?" He said motioning to the officers walking towards the ship.
 
Seeing the officers, Oriske frowned, his mind awhirl, for a couple moments. "Hmmm," he mused, tilting his head as he watched them begin ascending the mooring staff. From the mooring staff, which stood about twenty-five feet away from Erica's Doom, a rollout bridge had been set up. As the officers climbed up the many flights of stairs that wrapped around the mooring staff, Oriske said, "I've got it. This way." Leaving the flight deck, Oriske adjusted his jacket, trying to appear well-made, just in case he would need to battle his word over Tiris's. If the bounty hunter tried anything now, he could pull the same stunt he had with the guards earlier, and be on his way to Ashanti City in no time.

Leading Tiris down to the lower level of the gondola where the flight deck was situated, Oriske found a small window that he knew he could fit through. Fiddling with the lock on it for a few moments, he soon had it opened, and was saying, "This'll get us to the mooring staff. But there'll be more heights on the way..." Smirking as he climbed out of the window, he pulled himself to the ropes just above it that the crewmembers would use to get around on the outside of the airship. Bracing his feet on the sill of the window, he leaned down in case Tiris needed any help.

"See the bride?" Oriske pointed to the rollout bridge, which was about ten feet above the window. Once the officers had left the ship, they would take the rollout bridge off, but as long as Oriske could get across in time, they would be fine. "We're going to climb on the underside of it until we get to the mooring staff, then we'll get on to the Kraken in no time. Don't you dare bug out on me, either, Tiris. I might just have to make you fall..." He gestured down towards the ocean below, which was slowly drifting closer as the airship lost the helium that kept it aloft. If they were deflating the airship, then it must mean that Erica's Doom would be staying for a while.

"Let's go," he said down to Tiris, feeling a wind blow across him. It wasn't nearly so strong as when they were near the cloud level, but it was still enough to make him wary. "Who knows how long it'll take for the officers to figure out we've duped them..."
 
Tiris frowned deeply. This didn't look like it was going to end well. He grumbled as he followed. A hand lay upon his pistol on his side, ready to use it should he need to. He didn't want to shoot the guards but if they gave him no other choice then he'd have to. Some how he feared another romp on the out side of the ship was in his near future. Something the didn't enjoy. Reluctantly he followed Oriske. Scowling as he did so. "You're ideas scare me. Just so you know." He replied in a bleak tone.

Damnit all if Tiris wasn't right. His amethyst eyes widened and looked at Oriske. Speechless he looked at him as if to say 'are you serious?' He looked away looking for another route but when he looked back the bastard was already outside the window. "Oriske! Damn you there's got to be another way! What's with you and heights?!" His elevated voice barked at the man. The urge came to punch Oriske again but that would get him no where. He groaned as he accepted Oriske's help out the window.

His eyes tried to look up and forward. Anywhere but the ground. "I hate you so much right now. If I fall your ass is coming with me!" He retorted as he looked up. But sadly his eyes followed the motion of the other man's hand, looking down. He clung tighter to Oriske as he froze. The waves crashed against the cliff side that the docks were attached to. The eerie sea gull caws seemingly so peaceful against a scene so deadly. "I hate you so much right now..." He gasped as his eyes shot back up. Damnit Tiris was positive that Oriske made him look down on purpose.

In Tiris's mind Oriske was some type of firm ground, stability to keep him from falling. Even though that was a totally false thought, it made him move forward and hug the side of the ship as he moved along. He pulled himself up and managed to grab the roll out bridge although his shaking clammy hands felt as though they might loose their grip. "Alright... How are we going to do this?" His shaky agitated voice said to Oriske.
 
"Yes, yes, we've covered that base already," Oriske responded dryly to the comment, "I hate you so much," that Tiris sent his way. Resisting the urge to shake his arm away from Tiris, so that the bounty hunter could no longer cling to him, he clenched his hands for a moment before slowly moving further away from the window, at least one hand always on the roping. As a strong wind blew through, Oriske's bright yellow eyes watched the soldiers crossing the roll out bridge, making sure none of them looked too observant of their surroundings.

As soon as he had grabbed the roll out bridge, he waited until Tiris was situated before answering his question. "I hope you were a rather energetic kid, Tiris...You probably would fall otherwise. Either way, you won't like this one bit." Turning back to the bounty hunter, he gave him an unkind grin before swinging out, both hands firmly on the support bars that ran along the underside of the brige. The way they were situated, he could swing across them all the way to the mooring staff.

Looking over his shoulder at Tiris, he made a gesture with his head that told him to follow before swinging along to the next bar and the next. By the time he was a bit of a ways out, he paused, taking one hand off of the bar to wipe on his jacket before switching, not wanting to slip and fall while he was swinging. "Doing okay?" he called back, forcing himself to keep his gaze forwards.
 
Tiris was taking deep breaths, trying to understand how this was going to happen. He assumed it required some type of hanging up side down but looking over the roll out bridge he didn't see that easily possible. He gave the other elf a raised brow when he mentioned being an energetic kid. But his looked faded when he realized what was intended for him to do. "You can't be serious..." He said, his voice drifting away as he tried not to think about it. The only thing keeping him from certain death was his own two hands and how much upper arm strength he had.

His body tensed and his brain screamed at him that this was insane. He shook his head and started to say 'I'm not doing that' but the voices of the security guards made him realize he had to. They must have reached the flight deck. Most likely making sure they weren't trying to steal the ship or something. He whimpered and slammed his eyes shut. His heart thundering in his chest he gripped the underside of the roll out bridge and just went for it. Before he thought more about it and changed his mind.

"Shut up and keep going! If I die... I swear... I'll kill you..." Of course what he said didn't make much sense but keeping his eyes up and forward he was able to keep moving. It wasn't all that hard to keep himself swinging forward but fear kept trying to tense his arms beyond movement. By the time they reached the actual dock that the roll out bridge fastened to. He waited for Oriske to swing himself on the bridge, feeling sicker the more he hung there. If Oriske offered his hand to help out the terrified bounty hunter it was quickly taken up with out a second thought.
 
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