Carnival of Fortune[Open/Sparring]

The Balbadd docks were usually bustling with all kinds of work and very little play. Trade from all over the world came to port in this centralized neutral democracy and goods were usually being loaded and unloaded from sun up to sun down. However there was a unique circumstance this evening as a lunar eclipse was scheduled for tonight and a great festival was being held in celebration. Docks that were usually filled with coolies and labourers were now lined with stands and performers. Countless exotic foods and wares were on sale with heavy discounts and every kind of entertainer from fire blowers to jugglers was out and about trying to earn tips. There was even a bearded lady or two!

Throughout all the good fun and cheer, one man among the crowd stood immune to the festivities. Crimson haired and dressed as if he too were a performer, Zafar strolled down the docks scanning the area with calm precision. The former assassin was wearing a mask with a bright smile on to hide his disgusted expression below. A festival like this seemed innocent enough on the outside, but beneath the surface he could see the truths binding this city together. The biggest and most extravagant attractions which were garnering the most business were funded by the most wealthy people living in Balbadd. People who happened to be running for seats on the democratic cabinet to advice the country's minister.

In the end it was all just a ruse for the strong of the world to gain favor from the weak so they might be used to gain more power. Yet even though Zafar felt repulsed by the hidden agenda's present, he was still doing a good job of seeming like just another cheerful entertainer performing card tricks for change whilst maintaining a strict silent act. The red haired clown just finished performing a slight of hand trick for a group of kids who cheered for an encore. Just as Zafar took a bow, one of the more drunk patrons stumbled backwards into him. Instead of being the one to fall over, Zafar stood standing thanks to his strongly centered gravity causing the man to bump off of him falling flat on his face.

The drunk took that to mean he'd been pushed and turned around to see Zafar's cold piercing eyes through the slits on the mask. Instead of fear, the inebriated fool only felt anger and began shouting at Zafar making a scene. The man broke part of his bottle on the dock floor before getting to his feet and pointing the makeshift weapon at Zafar. "You know who you're dealing with!? Why won't you say somethin' huh!? You wanna die!? I said to apologishe! The drunk slurred his words as he shouted but even under threat of a weapon Zafar did not break his silence and instead spread out open hands as he waited for the drunk to make the very poor decision of attacking.

Zafar wanted to play the chances of this event out. Would he have to waste his time dealing with this thug? Or would someone else step in and change the rules of the engagement? Only time would tell.

As Zafar stood defenseless before the drunkard his eyes remain locked on the man's as a killing intent began to brim from every fiber of Zafar's being. It seemed as though he would have to get his hands dirty but rather instead of taking the ordeal personally, Zafar really only saw the drunk as an annoying fly that needed swatting. A mere second before Zafar would have been attacked, consequently signing the drunks death warrant, a new face stepped between the two, 'Ho~?' Zafar silently and mentally expressed his amusement as the game of chance he'd chosen seemed to have payed off, a fool playing hero really DID show up! At least that is what Zafar hoped was the motivating factor the well dressed young man had in mind when he got between the two strangers to stop their fight. Zafar loved those kinds of straight forward people as their purity often lead to possessing strong resolves. On the other hand, the new man could be acting based on ulterior motives as well which would ultimately serve to annoy Zafar further.

Unsure of Arsham's intentions, Zafar stifled his excitement and simply watched as Arsham offered to buy the drunk a drink in a vain attempt to soothe his aggressions. The offer resulted in more slurred shouting from the man which was all but indecipherable as a spray of spit accompanied each syllable.  In his liquor fueled rage, the man rose his make shift weapon in preparation to make an attack, but the attempt would stop there. Spotting the hostile movements even with Arsham standing between them, Zafar reached out to one side with one of his long limbs and bridged a deck of cards between one finger and thumb. Fifty two cards would then be sent flying from Zafar's hand straight into the drunkard's face causing him to panic. The last card, an Ace of Spades, would actually stick to the poor fool's face blocking his vision and creating even more panicked fear in his movements. He would swipe his broken bottle blindly in hopes of doing something, anything to the targets of his spite.

Zafar would simply step aside and let the unknown "hero" decide how to react now that conflict was unavoidable. The cards were just as much to help Zafar by stopping the attack as much as it was to draw him into a fight so the assassin could observe him for strength beyond that of his character. However honestly no fighting would be needed to take care of the drunk as a simple side step in one direction or the other would leave the inebriated man to run himself right off the side of the docks and into the water below.

((Sorry for not being super interactive this post.))

There was almost no emotion on Zafar's face when his observation had begun. While Ashram's interjection had been an amusement, he was ultimately expecting to watch a pathetic exchange likely ending with both men injured. The finely dressed samaritan shattered the dull expectation with a swift back step just outside the drunk man's reach. The mastery over some form of fighting style revealed itself as Arsham calmly watched the trajectory of the belligerent attacks briefly. The execution happened so fast Zafar would bet that the drunk would have had no idea what had happened even if he wasn't drunk. The take down was clean, efficient, and dealt no serious damage to the victim. A fist that fights to protect the lives of others. "This one is pure~" the assassin silently thought to himself as a pleasured look overcame his expression.

Zafar was now staring intently at Arsham and said nothing even as the gentlemen introduced himself and made a gesture to shake hands. Zafar merely gleamed at him with a creepy glee. It was a mental struggle for Zafar had to hold back his killing intent. "Ahhh!~ I want to punch him right here and now!...But if we fight here there will be all sorts of interruptions..." Realizing that he needed to get the "hero" somewhere alone Zafar finally moved into action by making an elaborate flourish with one hand while bowing. The "clown" and his smiling mask took a foreign stance with his arms moving dramatically in a dance-like fashion. This display was followed by a few steps back from Arasham. Then without warning, the acrobat suddenly performed a powerful kick which caused his body to spin through the air in a flip with his body parallel to the ground in a seemingly inhumane maneuver.

Upon landing from his trick, Zafar made another elaborate bow. He was trying to keep the silent clown act and offered the dance as a "gesture" of gratitude. As Zafar rose from his bow he utilized his Fundamentals of Water ability to jumping into the air with another acrobatic flip. As Zafar's manuever carried him 10m/s through the air, the clown's swift hand would reach out and attempt to steal Arsham's hat. The acrobat would move a total of ten meters in and arc away from where Arsham was standing and landed between the passing crowd without hitting anyone.

If successful, Zafar would don the hat before waving to Arsham before ducking into the festival crowd to disappear from view. Surely, the man would come after the crazy clown to reclaim what was rightfully his. If unsuccessful then Zafar would still smirk beneath his mask and attempt to flee. Zafar's crowd walking skills would carry him swiftly past the traffic of festival goers moving along the main dock and disappeared into a dark alley where he would wait and turn to face the festival just withing the reach of light. There Zafar would look for Arsham among the many passing faces with a eager grin.

"Come on...soon..." Zafar would be able to hold back until he saw Arsham following after him, searching through for Zafar like a needle in a haystack. Had the well dressed fighter made it this far, then moment Zafar laid gleaming yellow eyes on him it would be clear to Arsham he was being watched. An incredibly potent killer intent suddenly poured from Zafar, surging up around him like some invisible phantom of death. Average people near by would feel a chill down their spine at most, but all of the intent was directed heavily on Arsham. If he was really worthy of attention his eyes would instinctively turn to the threat allowing him to find Zafar there. Waiting. Watching. Staring.

Zafar would flee once more, but for the final time. This alley led right into an empty lot surrounding on all sides by buildings. It was intended to be a park of some kind but was never funded leaving a flat and lifeless dirt mound. Once here, Zafar would run to the middle of the small 6mx6m area. There the clown would stop only to turn around and await his pursuer. The moment Arsham stepped out of the alley way and into the lot Zafar would reach up with one hand to remove the hat if stolen and/or the other to remove his mask. With his elated smile now almost matching the mask's expression, Zafar would bow again before finally speaking, "Greetings, I apologize for my poor manners. My name is Zafar Mushtaq, but please don't feel like you need to remember it. You won't be needing to~" Zafar ended his words almost playfully in a manner that made it clear he was insinuating something. But exactly what the clown meant would not be fully clear.

90/100 Magoi

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