kanni & sinensys

[kanni]

arlow stared up at conrad with his best attempt at neutrality, though that tended to fit better into a description of glowering. his eyes darted back down to where the other man's fingers spread haphazardly across the various documents upon the desk, coming close to a small carved horse that perched on the corner. he gently nudged conrad's hand aside to pick up the carving, gently running a fingertip over the chipped mane before tucking into a drawer to the side.
x
"well. i won't stop you." arlow returned his gaze to conrad's, the sheriff's brows dipping low. "i don't get the point of saying you're comin' hear to help doc if you're gonna go galavanting off in search of a magic oasis instead. coulda just led with that. people probably woulda' helped you out some." and it was true. the townsfolk didn't like the fae or other assorted lower magick creatures, but they all still believed in the elder gods and their associated myths and folktales. a magick oasis that would solve their crisis would have been plenty to persuade them to give a kinder welcome to the new assistant physician.
x
"however," arlow made to stand again, pushing back the creaking rocker to once again encroach on conrad's space. "i don't take kindly to strangers insinuatin' things they don't know jack about." he gave the man a slow once over, lips tugging to the side in a half hearted sneer, voice lowering to a tone almost physically dark.
x
"you don't know me, you don't know these people, and you don't know this town. waltz in here to help, sure, i won't stop you. but i'll tell you once more and then i ain't tellin' you again. trouble makers who ask too much, and know too little end up on my list. you don't wanna be on that, city slicker." the sheriff leaned back, taking a few measured breaths.
x
"if you want my help to fix things, i'm happy to do so for this town. but i suggest you ask me nicely."

[sinensys]

his luck pushed back, and conrad found some of his agitation dissipated into intrigue against his will. of course, the physical contact had been uncalled for, the fae nearly flinching then, but now he was more in his social element at least. finally it felt less one-sided; now there were two playing the game. he felt gratified, having pushed arlow's buttons, and it brought him some sense of control back. of course, having riled the sheriff up didn't meant conrad wasn't still irritated --- especially when the human unexpectedly invaded his space.

"oh believe you me, galavanting and waltzing were not on my agenda when i came here," he muttered, momentarily leaning back, bitterly retreating --- temporarily, he convinced himself. the kelpie crossed his arms, jaw clenched as he rapidly sought ways to spin fortune back into his favor. his gaze settled back on the drawer where the horse figurine now lied in wait, hidden, prey turned predator. a wicked idea slinked into conrad's skull.

ask nicely, huh?

conrad didn't have to play up his hope and desperation so much as he had to stifle his disgust, seething, and that damned little bit of intrigue. his arms uncrossed themselves and he found himself leaning back in and looking up at arlow in faux-earnestness. where the extra space to close came from, conrad had no idea, but nonetheless, his face was inches from the human's, to his chagrin. yet this was the way forward, to water, to winning the conversation, and conrad wasn't ready to lose. the word was softly spoken, nearly whispered:

"please?"

he held the expression for several moments, searching the human's face.

[kanni]

words hung in the dust motes between them, heavier with each passing second they remained unanswered. the cool sweat that beaded in the hollow of the sheriff's neck was oddly not from the heat that proximity caused, but rather something else. it was an unfamiliar reaction, one arlow hadn't experienced in a long time. it was especially odd for the occurance to be in reaction to this man arlow hardly knew shouting at him one moment, pleading with unfairly large eyes the next. it felt like standing on legs that weren't the same length, and it only further disgruntled the already near-to-boiling sheriff.
x
the blunt edges of arlow's nails dug deeper into the fists they had found themselves curled into, every inch of him on edge now that the careful hold he managed to keep upon his emotions had begun to slip. he prided himself on being tough, aloof, above the weakness that volatile feelings brought him. he was the sheriff and he had to be better than that. he was this town's shield, and he had to be better than that. but here he was, a mere moment from spiraling all thanks to one conrad abernathy. the words that dragged angry claws against the back of arlow's lips were not ones he wished to allow into that space between them, to lower him to the other man's level. the plead that conrad had given him, albeit syrupy in its false sweetness, was still a plead none the less, and he was the damn sheriff. he would suck it up, and he would help. what else was he even doing? a fat load of nothing. useless except as a glorified messenger boy with a pistol on his hip.
x
"fine," the word all but hissed about between arlow's teeth, dark eyes flicking down to the floor and back to conrad's face. he paused a second further, taking slow, measured breaths to attempt to retreat back behind the wall he kept between himself and the whirlwind of a temper his family was known for.
x
"if you got a plan i'll help. but i ain't doin' nothin' that'll put these folk in more danger than bein' without water does. no explosions, and no diggin' under the town." arlow dragged his hat from atop his head a moment, dragging a hand through still-bedraggled hair. "as far as what i can tell you, it ain't much. i don't know more than most people do."

[sinensys]

a part of conrad relished in what he assumed to be arlow's unease --- at last, the fae had shaken the man. arlow relented, that stalwart retreating. conrad felt his unfortunately fickle fae nature repartition another large portion of his temper into something else: relief. he won. the first stage had folded in his favor, and now all he had to do was continue his lucky streak of wit and cunning. hope and zeal continued to skulk in the corner of his vision, his fingers fidgeting. he was briefly reminded of the scab on his thumb but chose to ignore it once more, fearing it had been seen already. conrad had already lost control when he entered, even if it had helped him unsettle the human, but he was not yet ready to relinquish his identity.

he turned to lean backwards against the desk, crossing his arms and turning his head with a slight cant to look at arlow.

"thank you, sheriff. this won't be forgotten." by someone, he silently finished the thought. whether or not i will remember is beyond me.

he looked ahead and thought for a moment. "you wound me with claims that i'd blow up the town, but you were onto something with seeking oases. though i severely doubt you'll find any of them to be magical," he scoffed. conrad couldn't help but snark a little, given what he had to do to get this far. he also couldn't help but rub in that the human would have no way of knowing if the water was magical, even if the fae was the only one to know that he was rubbing it in.

conrad looked back at arlow, still with a cant but this time with an almost tired and unamused expression: "what do you recommend?"

[kanni]

the forced calm with which air left arlow's lungs did so at the same pace as he physically uncurled each calloused finger. the white half moons left behind in the darker skin of his palm provided a small reminder of the importance of control, the damage that could be done to himself or others if he cracked. arlow was by no means a small or weak man, and he often forgot it at the worst possible times. his grandmammy had been convinced her grandson couldn't have hurt a fly, and he'd never intended to, but it was arlow's grandpappy who had often swept away wood splinters and shattered glass in the aisles of the barn.
x
arlow was not a fan of being toyed with, of false nicities and coy metaphors. it was city slicker behavior. the mannerism of cold blooded liars who cared little for the ants that crawled across the earth beneath their feet and provided them with the honeyed luxuries they took for granted. it was no wonder he was losing his temper now, and with conrad leaning against his desk like he owned it. the other man was a poster child for all that arlow loathed, though his few redeeming traits did save him from a throttling that would send a chicken to the pot to be plucked and boiled. the way the shorter man flicked between honeyed words and spitting venom sent arlow's mind whirling as it spun to keep up, and it burned like a slap he couldn't allow himself to return.
x
you wound me like hell. arlow kept himself steady, rocking his weight further back on his heels. slow, steady, even breaths.
x
"reckon you wouldn't tell me if it was magic," arlow ground out, eyes burning into where conrad had all but draped himself over seasoned wood and discarded sheaths of paper. a small part of him perked up at the image, while the rest growled and hissed and spat, roaring for his property to be left alone.
x
"i'd suggest if you want to find water, you start where it used to be. we've got old wells, cricks that dried up, things the older folk will know more about than i do. i only came back pretty recent." arlow wasn't stupid. he knew the logistical answer was that they were in a drought. something similar to what caused the formation of deserts in the south west of the continent. there were plenty of reasons that the big cities had gathered along the coasts and moor lands, and the arid climate that had begun to take over this land was one of them. it was unusual for someone with supposed ties but no relatives claiming them to be burning this hot for the cause. especially when conrad could easily dance back off to one of those cities when the going got hard. there had to be some sort of ulterior motive, or some sick twisted play being put on.
x
arlow worked his jaw for a moment. "but i swear, on every old god there is, if you're sendin' me on a fool's errand there will be thrice fold to pay. i swear it conrad abernathy, i do."

[sinensys]

the rattling in his chest returned to him once more, that vague serpent settling within, coiled. relief remained, as did a sense of satisfaction at the image of arlow's composure lost, yet now in the foreground a reminder of conrad's imminent demise dominated. still laden with the weight of the morning's discovery, he became keenly aware of his skin, the way one becomes suddenly aware of a forbidden itch they know not to scratch. the water had done well to soothe the symptoms, but it hadn't cured him of the affliction --- it would never be enough. the kelpie was running on fumes, and so on fumes he ran, wrath carrying his rapidly dehydrating form. it was the only way forward he knew.

the fae snapped his attention back to arlow and stood to turn and face him, looking him in the eye with crossed arms. how dare the creature before him say such a thing?

"you'll have to get in line for that thricefold payment then, arlow cassidy," he impulsively spat against his better judgement. he took a deep breath, then continued, trying to soften his tone forcibly for the sake of moving things along, and succeeding only marginally: "i have a personal interest in acquiring this water, so no, arlow, this is not a fool's errand for either of us."

his thumb continued to be picked at; conrad let it heal, knowing it would be picked at again. the event seemed inevitable, a grim parallel. he wished his thumb to be an effigy in his place, a dull and wistful hope mirroring the dull and wistful hope to drop a bad habit.

the fae leaned sideways against the desk once more, keeping a steady eye on the human: "respectfully, i'm over playing chase with the people of your town, sheriff. you said it yourself: i'm an outsider. you know more about these old folk. let me come with so that you can talk to them. then we'll figure out where to go from there. deal?"

he silenced the intrinsic fae nature waiting with trepidation within.

[kanni]

"fine," arlow pressed the fingers of one hand to his temple, the throbbing pulse of an oncoming migraine caused by his emotional outburst quickly making itself known. joy of all joys. he could only hope that keeping the brim of his hat even lower would keep the sun from jump starting his ailment until the sheriff could be done with this whole ordeal. arlow inhaled slowly, attempting to steady his pulse and the frayed edges of his nerves as he dropped his hand. his thumb brushed lightly over the seam of his pocet, a motion the man subconsciously repeated as he recentered himself. he wouldn't let conrad get under his skin. not anymore than he already had.
x
it was unfortunate that conrad just had that particular air about him, on top of who he was and where he was from. arlow had thick skin, toughened not only by years spent under the sun but by living the way that he had, and yet all it took was just a few words from this man to peel it all away. it was aggravating as all get out. worst part was, arlow had let it happen. he could've turned conrad away at the bar, told him they didn't welcome outsiders point blank period. threatened him with pistol, badge, and a temper to match a bear's. told him to go play games in the city casinos. instead, here they were.
x
the ember of anger remained smoldering in that pulse point behind arlow's eye, but he had weathered worse before and would again.
x
"you come with, but i talk. the grannies hear too much of your accent they'll stop invitin' me for sunday dinners. we'll start with mine. she's less likely to threaten you with somethin'." arlow moved back towards his window, straining slightly to shove the time-swollen frame back down. it wouldn't do to come back at the end of the day to an office full of dust and gravel.
x
"she's been here longer than most, knows more than she lets on half the time," arlow hesitated. he may belong to dusthaven, but his family belonged to him alone. he didn't enjoy bringing them into this, though his grandmammy was one of the few people here who would never turn a lonely face away. she'd been having a hard time since his grandpappy's passing, and trying to run a drought-ruined homestead as a singular bones-old woman wasn't helping. still, if there was a chance this would fix the water problem, he'd have to pursue it. "chances are she's got stories that you can use for your wild goose chase."
x
arlow adjusted his hat brim one final time, flicking ever present dust from the corner. "cmon then."

[sinensys]

conrad had never found himself to be someone to fidget this much, forced to ruminate and pace within the confines of some unseen terrarium for some human to peer into. it was humiliating, and he had no idea how to work with it. ordinarily, such altercations were dealt with some closure, the end result a clear victory or loss for both parties. this felt like settling, even if the fae held some sense of relief that things were finally moving, happening, changing. he wouldn't rot in hector creed's shadow, a puppet parroting niceties until the drought consumed him in a way no one in the town would comprehend --- yet still it wasn't enough.

he wished he could see himself a tarantula in that terrarium, some calculating and cunning thing with a sickeningly winding scheme; he knew he was only reacting on the spot, a flinch redirected just in time.

that mask portraying loftiness and boredom was easier to reach for now that he was no longer shaking as he had been when he first entered, overwhelmed by the raw fear of a long and miserable death by someone else's accidental hand. conrad rolled his eyes, "yes, i understand. and again, it's not a goose chase. i'd suggest a trip to creed's for your memory ailment but we don't have time for that."

then at arlow's hurrying, the fae huffed his annoyance at being ushered. he slinked out of the building, not looking at the sheriff, and headed in the direction he assumed to be the homestead of the elder cassidy. since there were several, he wasn't sure if it was correct, but he assumed it was from what he gleaned in his time as creed's shadow. he caught himself after a few paces, remembering the charade of the lost outsider, turning on his heel to face him and squinting against the sun: "where to, sheriff?"

[kanni]

it was like whiplash, watching this strange man go from all but tearing down his door in desperation for something, the next slipping between the cracks in arlow's calm demeanor with a smugness that poked and prodded at his soft underbelly. the taste that it left in the sheriff's mouth was bitter and wrong, and it made him long for the unwavering honesty he had become so accustomed to in knowing the townsfolk.
x
the door clicked with a sense of finality as arlow followed conrad out into the sun, the brutal rays twisting the ache in arlow's head into a ball of fire all its own. the sheriff sighed quietly, already regretting his decision to actually do his job. to actually try and help, to try and fix things. while he may be suffering relatively silently, his grandmammy was one to make her grievances known, and she had her own unique way of going about handling people like conrad. he wasn't sure if it was worse for him, or for conrad, to get the cassidy matriarch involved.
x
"this way," arlow brushed past conrad, too focused on ducking his head as far down and away from the cloudless sky above the two men to question the easy way the correct path had already been taken.
x
the cassidy homestead wasn't far out of town, the way that nothing much was. the farm had once been much bigger and consisted of many more acres, but over the years age and drought had shrunk the once impressive estate to little more than an oversized plot of dirt and shriveled family roots. despite having to sell of bits and pieces of the family home, watching her soulmate and child pass on, being part of the slow death crawl that had overtaken the town, arlow's grandmammy stood tall. there were still chickens scratching for seed in the front yard, a mostly-leafless tree providing speckled shade for probably the last standing flower garden in a thirty mile radius. she had managed, and would manage, for as long as there was breath in the old woman's lungs.
x
as the pair made their way up the winding drive, gravel gave way to dirt, trampeled grass and the ever present dust. the house stood cheery and tall, though the bright pops of paint and new windows that dotted the town hadn't reached the homestead. the green paint was faded, the fence crooked. arlow let his steps crawl to a stop in front of the gate, the shiny metal he had replaced the latch with the only new thing about this part of the place. the sheriff turned slightly to meet conrad's eyes, doing his best not to squint against the raging of the ever growing migraine.
x
"she'll be in her library most likely. it's cramped but i'm sure you'll fit just fine, scrawny as you are."

[sinensys]

the fae felt himself weaken, but this time not from magical strain. the thrumming within waned as they walked in silence --- where it went was beyond his knowledge. all he knew was that less than an hour had passed since his initial skin condition discovery and now he was exhausted again. irritation still skulked about, a mouse in a storeroom, but it held less amusement now --- conrad had to reach for seelie court masks to add that lilt to his snark for now.

the drought devoured the landscape around them. while the granular empire staking its claim on every surface was the same as the town's, the quiet distance was a stark contrast --- he welcomed this development. the kelpie found himself growing more at ease the farther they strayed from the town, from human civilization. while he still was stuck among them, it was at least between fewer of them. a sad little respite.

after meeting arlow's eyes, conrad blinked and made a face, leaning back. "wh- scrawny? you-" catching himself, he clenched his jaw and took a deep breath and rolled his eyes. a moment passed before the kelpie collected himself and continued, studying the house: "i know how to act in a library. we agreed you were gonna talk and i was just going to be here, so i am gonna let you talk and just be here. now are you ready to go in or what," a pause and side eye, "sheriff?"