Things Fall Apart( for bladeinthecrowd)

[blindingtrust]

It had started a while ago in Gotham. At least for Cedric and Ivy it had. Now dog and owner were separated. Cedric had found his way into the Nexus. For him it wasn't very hard. For a dog he was both fairly smart and held a decent memory. He was looking and sniffing around for someone who he deemed 'nice'.

And of course Altair was nice. He would probably pat Cedric. And notice the fairly fresh blood matted into his upper shoulder and the stains around his muzzle. He had been in a tussle and was seeking attention because right now Ivy was in no shape to stick her nose out and notice he had been beaten up a bit too. After all Cedric would never willingly let any harm come to Ivy. She was the nice lady who fed him and took such good care of him after all.

(( OOC NOTE: This is for future ploty fun times for anyone who happens to be following this. In Gotham that is.))

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[blindingtrust.livejournal.com]

Cedric is a very faithful dog. Knowing exactly what Ivy needs right now. She needs another human being even though she has locked herself away in the bathroom. He just knows and just knew to wander until this sort thing happened.

Cedric gives a low whine and turns and starts to walk slowly. Towards a door that was partly open. It actually would lead right into Ivy's home. He turns his massive head and gives a low bark to get Altair to follow him. He even noses at the door as if to let Altair know he was to follow him this way.

Cedric doesn't pay much more attention and keeps walking. Ivy's home is to put it simply nice but a little much for one person. And almost everything here is older than she is. It's the problem with inheriting a house and everything in it practically. But at least Cedric is going right for the closed door Ivy has shut herself behind. She can be heard shuffling around and cursing softly as something gets knocked over and she can be heard sinking to the floor.

"Oh fuck fuck fuckfuck!" Yeah, that's Ivy. Just a little foul mouthed right now. And for the record the door is locked but it's an older lock. Some applied force, even just a little, would force it open.

[bladeinthecrowd.livejournal.com]

Altaїr followed Cedric with little objection. He did pause just inside the door, however, and glanced back at the Nexus behind him. He knew this place behind the door was different. That was quite obvious. He glanced back and had to assume it was where Ivy lived. Or worked. Or some place in between or whatnot. The point was, Ivy was here and Altaїr continued to move forward as the dog led the way.

He kept a sharp eye on his surroundings. It was second nature. Between his training and his natural curiosity about the new place, he caught most of the details in his mind's eye for later contemplation. Subconsciously he recognized this place as old and expensive and classy; consciously he mostly noted its large size and cluttered rooms. (He thought it was cluttered, especially for a blind woman.)

The Assassin walked up to the door and placed his left hand on the smooth wood. "Ivy?" he called out softly, perhaps too softly to be heard. He glanced down at the doorknob curiously and jiggled the handle with his right hand. Locked.

"Ivy," he called out a bit louder, but still inexcusably soft. He pressed against the door lightly, feeling its weight. Then, without hesitation, he slipped his left hand to the knob and with a pneumatic gesture there was a shink sound and then the door opened easily as he turned the doorknob with his right hand. The hidden blade slipped back into place as Altaїr slipped quietly into the room. There was no reason to harm the door more than necessary, the Assassin reasoned.

He glanced around, uncertain of these new surroundings, but spotted Ivy easily enough in a corner. He walked half way to her and halted. He doubted she heard him despite her keen hearing, at least after the doorknob trick; he really needed to remember to make some noise with his footfalls but it was so natural not to. He made a bit of noise, stayed his distance so as not to get hit, and called her name again.

[blindingtrust.livejournal.com]

She hadn't heard him in here until she had heard the bit of noise he had made after he was in the down stairs bathroom with her. She had nearly hit the back of her head against the pale tiling on the wall behind her head. Her coat was on the floor too along with her shoes. Her cane though is just out of reach which might be good for him.

Her face turns in his direction and Atlair will be met by a colorful display of bruising on the side of one face. It looks like she did fight back though because there is a cut across her knuckles on her right hand. But alas her pants have fallen victim to whatever had happened. There's a tear up one leg and her knee looks a little banged up.

If there are any other injuries they might not be obvious or her clothing is doing good job of covering it up. But there won't be any broken bones for the blind woman here.

"Who is it?" Ivy's voice is sharp. Harsh sounding in it's own way. But Ivy right now is absolutely terrified. Her nerves are still twitching and her heart hasn't stopped pounding. She's expecting the worst.

[bladeinthecrowd.livejournal.com]

Altaїr wisely kept his distance despite his want to step forward and examine her more closely, not to mention just plain hold her in his arms. He refrained, perhaps too easily as far as effort was concerned. He stood still, silent, and stoic as he answered.

"It's Altaїr," he told the blind woman. He still kept his distance, waiting to see her recognize him and relax enough for him to approach without getting himself harmed. Not that Ivy could do him any real harm, but the effort was simply not worth it when he could just wait it out.

[blindingtrust.livejournal.com]

It was probably for the best anyways. She would have likely tried to fight him out of fear. It would be a far too natural reaction for her in this situation. And sadly that is more likely to facilitate her getting a little more hurt.

"Oh." She sounds confused as to why he's here. Not unhappy at all just pretty much confused. "How did you get here? N-never mind. That isn't very important, I guess."

She isn't likely to try hitting him right now. But she's a little confused as to why he might be here. His presence though isn't unwelcome.

[bladeinthecrowd.livejournal.com]

Finally Altaїr dares to step closer. He stands next to her as he answers her question anyway. "Cedric showed me the way," he said emotionlessly. He was getting too good at hiding emotions these days. Or so he was beginning to wonder.

He knelt next to her after the words were spoken. The white-robed man began to examine Ivy's wounds with a carefully touch and keen gaze.

[blindingtrust.livejournal.com]

"Oh." Ivy was a bit surprised but it wasn't really expessed. Her voice was just pretty much subduded right now.

It was difficult for Ivy to not flinch. But she was sore and the few things that could be called actual wounds were tender. The bruises though were still fairly fresh. "I've been trying to clean up. My hands just aren't so steady right now," Ivy admits while ducking her face away feeling embaressed.

[bladeinthecrowd.livejournal.com]

Altaїr knew the basics to medic care--there were plenty of times where he had to patch himself up after a deadly fight. Modern medicine, however, meant nothing to him. Here though that didn't really matter. What Ivy had lying about was plenty enough, and coincided with what little he knew anyway.

Altaїr glanced around and found the first aid supplies sitting--mostly unused it looked to him--on the counter shelf. He didn't recognize the plumbing system for what it was, naturally, and after gathering a few things in his hands, glanced back down at Ivy. "Where can I get water?" he asked.

[blindingtrust.livejournal.com]

Ivy scoots along the fllor and reaches up without standing to put the stopper in the drain in the sink then switches on the water testing it for a temprature that won't be too hot for her right now.

"Here. Um. Getting water here is much more safer than you'd expect, I suppose. " She moves her hand back down into her lap. Right now she's just going to stay on the floor. It's not uncomfortable.

[bladeinthecrowd.livejournal.com]

Altaїr watches her with half an expression of awe, half of pure curiosity. He's intrigued with the device, and doesn't feel any need to hide it, but he also has a task at hand. As the water fills up in the basin, he wonders if the flow will stop itself. When he doesn't appear this will be the case, he mimics Ivy's actions, at first watching the water flow gain in intensity before reciprocating the movements in the opposite direction and being satisfied with the results.

The Assassin would have preferred cold water, but in the hot land he resided, water was water and it usually didn't come cold (except when taken directly from a very deep well), so he didn't complain. He dipped a cloth in the water and then began his work on Ivy's wounds.

Some time later he finished applying his rudimentary medic skills, and stood back to observe both his work and Ivy's general well being. He cocked his head to the side and mused silently.

[blindingtrust.livejournal.com]

Ivy looks tired. At least her expression reads tired. She was still on edge though and felt like she might jump out of her own skin. The young woman looked restless too. Like she needed to do something with her hands, even if one might not be in the best shape to work with.

"I...need. I need to get out of here." Ivy moved to fetch her cane and slowly got up. It was very likely she was going to go find a place to pace around. Which one she moved past him she did just outside of the bathroom. It was clear she was upset but had no idea how to funnel her feelings.

So she began to almost stomp down the hall way. She could be pretty loud when was upset and in the walls of her own home.She was going to the study because that's where it would be easier for her to get angry in there. The sound proofing was better in that room.

[bladeinthecrowd.livejournal.com]

Altaїr followed the blind lawyer out of the bathroom and down the hall to the study. Again he glanced around curiously as he passed through. He slipped in the room behind Ivy and stood to the side of the door, close to the wall, out of the way. He observed Ivy some time before finally speaking up.

"I need to know what happened." Not 'what happened to you?' or 'I want to know'... but, need to know. He didn't sound particularly pushy in the matter, but the simple wording gave it that feeling despite his neutral tone.

[blindingtrust.livejournal.com]

The room looks comfortable. But a bit stuffy at the same time. It looked like Ivy hadn't added any personal touches of her own. Except for an old coffee mug with day old coffee waiting to be poured out at some points. That and a stack of papers that Ivy almost shoved off her desk while trying to calm down.

"I..." Ivy as a someday-lawyer had noticed what he had said. She rubs one hand over the other then sits down on a couch against the far wall. "Cedric needed to be taken out for a walk. I had walked further than I had intended so I was taking us back. I had the feeling I was being followed. So I stopped near a street light. That's when I was approached. These two men said their boss, the Penguin wanted to see me. That... made no sense. I had been told I was to be left alone. So I told them that. I didn't believe what they said."

[bladeinthecrowd.livejournal.com]

Altaїr listened intently, staring at Ivy with an intensity he used for gathering information about a target. In a way, that was exactly what he was doing. If there was any ulterior motive behind the white-robed man's questions, it was to hunt down and punish those responsible. That made them targets, and that made this information gathering on a whole other level.

He shifted slightly. "The Penguin?" Altaїr had never heard a name quite like that before. He probably wasn't even pronouncing it right, a horrible accent lining his already accented Briton when he tried to new word on his tongue. He didn't know what it meant, if it meant anything. "Who is this 'Penguin' fellow? How, exactly, did his men respond?"

[blindingtrust.livejournal.com]

Ivy wasn't fully aware that he was planning on hunting those responsible for hurting her. She was just willing to talk to Altair about what had happened. It was making her feel better.

"A crime lord. One of several in the city. He was one of the ones who made sure the others left me alone because of the information that was left to me by my Uncle. They...laughed. They said new players were coming into town. So the truce was off. He needed me there and...I tried running. I couldn't let them take me there. Even if the Penguin might not hurt me I can't trust that he won't hurt me if things don't go his way. I can't give him what he wants."