The Streets! - Yarti/Snakestone/Blushes

News or rather rumors came to us earlier in the week. Tales of a brown and red Argonian living in the streets of Riften. That alone wouldn’t be that odd, would it? But this girl was talk of the town not for her looks but for her intelligence. They spoke of her as though she were just local fauna. Some dumb animal. A real idiot. A laughing stock pilfering through the trash. A worrisome set of coincidences. Some time later, we finally found ourselves in the area and thought to have a look through town, just to see if our suspicions might hold true.

Arriving one humid day, we had a stroll through the streets. Stopping at a few shops along the way, we heard no mention of her nor saw any oddities. The heat and bustle of the day soon wiped any thoughts of the rumor from my mind and it became an ordinary day about town. Snake seated himself atop a railing overlooking the lower levels. I joined him, resting my head against his side as we watched murky stream below. The day grew hotter still and my eyes sought only a shady place to relax. Just below us, the upper levels cast quite the shadow, it would be perfect I thought. I told Snake and we descended the creaking stairs. At the bottom, the half rotten boards held us just inches above the waterway. There was a certain stench down here, but shade is shade and it was better than being in direct sunlight for the time being.

Finally beginning to cool down, I ran my gloved knuckle across his broad chest, eyes shut. Content. A much needed embrace. As my eyes opened, I saw an Argonian just across the way from us. She wore rags and sat atop post used to tie boats down. I appeared the rumors were true. Blushes stared at her wiggling bare toes, seemingly mesmerized. As our footsteps grew nearer, her head slowly craned upwards. Upon eye contact her brows lifted, mouth flying open. Instead of leaping up to greet us as I would have expected, she instead patted the top of the post beside her, urging me to sit beside her. It was such a tiny post, there was no way I could fit, even if she weren’t there. But she insisted so I gave it my best effort. Snake stood by, scratching his chin as we tried to situate ourselves atop the post. Giving me nearly the entire spot to myself, she was finally satisfied and stared at us gleefully. We asked what she was doing here and how she had found herself in this situation but she offered hardly an answer. She had been staying in Solitude and doing quite well the last we had heard. “Are you homeless? Where are you staying?” I questioned. She paused then spread her arms wide. “The streets!” she yelled at the top of her lungs, drawing the eyes of onlookers on the walkways above us. “Do you need some coin to get back on your feet?” I asked, overcome with worry. A look of surprise, she nodded disapprovingly. She seemed happy to live like this. Snake peered up at the beaming sun, sweat dripping down his forehead. Tilting his head, he took notice of the old apartment he had once lived in and motioned us toward it. Fiddling with his key ring, he spoke.

“This old place is still for sale, I guess nobody wants to live down in this rat den”

He turned and looked back at Blushes, only now realizing what he had said. But Blushes peered on, grinning, oblivious. Once inside, Blushes found herself a comfortable wall and leaned up against it, still staring at us. Speaking quickly but shortly, we learned little of her current situation. We offered her coin, fresh clothes, food, this very room if she would want it, but she declined them all. I tossed my pack to the ground and rummaged through it intently, at last emerging with an old dress I rarely wore. I held it aloft, drawing the attention of her amber eyes. She seemed entranced by the shiny blue fabric. “Will you at least take this? You’re wearing rags.”

She thought for a moment, and then for another, then nodded. Her thin fingers clasped at her tunic strings and without warning she had entirely disrobed. With some embarrassment and a bit of chivalry, Snake brought a hand across his face and turned to face the wall. I had forgotten that she tends to do that. Often. I helped her into the dress and for the time being, she seemed to like it. She twirled, running her hands along it, feeling the smoothness. With a wide toothed grin she slumped down in a chair and looked back at us. Not a very fitting outfit for her, all things considered. But it would do. We spoke again, but she seemed preoccupied. She looked down at her new dress again. Her mind far away. At once she stood and again, fully disrobed herself right in front of us. “Come see me again soon, okay?” she croaked, waving back at us. Before we could stop her, out the door she went, leaving her discarded rags and loaned dress behind. I peeked my head out the door calling her name but was already across the pier, rummaging through a pile of garbage. A lost cause for now, I shut the door and returned to that much needed embrace. Blushes always had luck on her side if nothing else, she’ll be alright. Probably. I hope. We’ll try again later.