#ulrich.

Aw geeze. Was this one of those Men in Black, the dangerous ones that hurt Aelita? It couldn't be XANA, they'd just foiled his last attack.

Ulrich peered out from under the manhole cover to find a pair of shiny shoes and slacks. Well, he couldn't stay here forever and there wasn't another easy route to the Hermitage.

Ulrich stepped away from the manhole cover he'd just climbed out of, carefully moving it back into place. Nothing to see here. A middle schooler climbing out of a sewer in the middle of the park. Not the stuff of heroics. Or secrecy. But he stood straight, chin raised. Tensed for a fight he was sure he'd win. Well, maybe. Probably?

it’s rare to see another tiefling. a relief and a comfort in this foreign place, especially given he’s the first in a long time not in chains. even if he is a man.

at the very least he leaves glances split between them, dividing the scrutiny. 

they have been sitting in silence, a space between them at the bar that no one dares to fill. after a moment she eyes him carefully and finishes off her drink. when she speaks there is no formality or fanfare, just a tilt of the head and the weight of pale eyes. 

her lip curls, teeth bared, opal eyes reflecting back the black, roiling water. the ocean’s quiet, even as it churns, as if still deciding the delivery of its rage. her skin and the brine beneath almost seem to bleed together as she grips the rail. 

the wind lifts her hair and she turns, suddenly, to face him, voice surprisingly quiet, calm. 

“ if it is then i have been killing them too quickly. “ 

her words dip into infernal, the growl matched by a low roll of thunder. 

“ they do not deserve numbness. they need to hurt. “