2014.05.11 - The Shifter and the Swimmer

As soon as one runs up a wall, another leaps out of the waters with superhuman grace, water splashing the dock as Kaydin lands. He looks about before reaching to a satchel by his side and pulls a clear face mask. Once the mask is put on, he turns to look to the person who was there. Ricardo watches Jack climb away then focuses his attention back on a nearby hotdog cart, "Hmmm... Maybe another hotdog is in order." He starts moving towards the cart to just have his forward movement arrested by the surprise of seeing someone pop out of the water like that...

Kaydin takes a breath once the mask is on. He turns his head to see the man who seems shocked and bows his head. "Do not be afraid. I am not here to rob you." He says calmly as he tries to put the man at ease. his voice had an accent to it which wasn't familiar to the modern ear.

Ricardo doesn't really look all that nervous once his surprise is past. Actually he looks a little miffed as he says, "You pal Namor doesn't need any fancy masks to breath. Please tell me that you're at least not as violence prone as he is? Or so intent on 'recovering' old artifacts?" The recovering carries a substantial weight of sarcasm to it.

"Prince Namor is of the royal bloodline and thus can breathe on the surface. I am simply a former soldier." Kaydin explains as he narrows his eyes. "It depends if you stole from my people. Each artifact of Atlantis is important, carrying significant weight, and thus is meant to be recovered from the thieves of the surface."

Ricardo points vaguely in the direction of the main city as he says, "Well, all I can tell you is that he almost destroyed a museum to try and get some items recovered by a treasure hunter from the ocean floor. Violently and without trying to go through channels first. Couldn't he at least try asking first? Or hiring a top rate burglar?"

"Prince Namor, like all Atlanteans, are hot headed. He acted in what he believed to be right. He also believed Atlantis was wiped out, since his home kingdom was destroyed. If your memories were wiped, and when you recovered them, to discover your home destroyed and the treasures of your home on display like trophies, would you react calmly?" Kaydin asks curiously before chuckling. "My prince is too honorable to try and recover things like that."

Ricardo thinks about that for a moment then nods, "Fair enough." Restarting his walk towards the hotdog cart he motions Kaydin to follow, "You don't seem all that hotheaded. By the way, seeing as apparently you're an Atlantean too I'm not going to assume you've ever had a hotdog. Would you like to try one?"

"I have not tried your meals by carts, no." Kaydin says as he chuckles. "My father was one of the generals for Namor's armors, his father before him a general as well. Military service has been in my bloodline for multiple generations, since the founding of Atlantis. As such, I was raised with discipline, to use my fury to provide me strength towards my tasks." He explains as he follows. "I am the first to be banished from Atlantis." He says softly, as if ashamed.

Ricardo momentarily ignore the last comment and instead focuses on ordering two hotdogs with all the fixings. Once he has them he turns back to Kaydin, "Can you eat through that mask? Or at least take it off to take a bite?" He offers the other young man one of the hotdogs while he waits for the answer.

Kaydin nods. "To us, air is like water to you. We can eat and drink but not breathe in air." He says as he reaches into his satchel for a vial. He pulls the mask off and downs the vial. After a few moments of coughing and hacking, he takes a deep breath. "There." He says as he puts the mask away. Ricardo hands off the hotdog and returns to the more interesting topic of banishment, "So, if you don't mind my asking, why were you banished?" As he asks he uses his free hand to push his fedora a little further back on his head before taking a bite of the hotdog, leaning forward slightly to make sure not to get condiments on his Armani.

Kaydin takes a bite and chews it. "This is good." He says as he then nods when asked. Once his mouth was emptied, he simply takes a breath. "I am the oldest of three children. My brother and sister are twins and about four to five years younger then me. A man, not pleased with how my sister was better at the healing arts, forced himself upon her. Before that, she was happy, always dragging me and my brother to social events, because we act too much like our father: obsessed with duty and work to pay attention to social niceties. She...was probably the heart and soul of the family, alongside my mother....but now...she is little better then a living corpse. She does not speak...does not eat...does not even acknowledge this world. She moves about and sleeps. When she sleeps, it is not peaceful...The council of kings gave him a light punishment because she wasnt too damaged and could recover with time." He says truthfully but the next words seem to be too rehearsed to be truthful. "I approached the man...I wanted him to apologize in some way for what was done. He didn't...I got angry and struck him down. If it was not for me being a savant in the military, I would have been executed. My service however, made them simply banish me instead of kill me. If I were to return...I would be seen as an invader and struck down."

Ricardo powers through his hotdog as Kaydin tells his story. A deep frown creases his brow as Kaydin reach the part about his sister being assaulted and when the other young man finishes speaking he says, "Well, the scrub got what he deserved. And your people should take a hint from us. There is such a thing as a justified homicide and I would say that this case would definitely fall into that..."

"Killing another, is a terrible thing. I was willing to pay the price for my actions, prepared to die to make the one who done such harm to my sister, but...the council of Kings saw differently." Kaydin says as he eats his hotdog. "Scrub?" he asks curiously as he eats. Ricardo tilts his head as he thinks about this for a moment. After a few seconds he answers the question first, "Its slang. A scrub is someone that's unworthy, bad, basically a bad guy." Taking the little paper tray the hotdog was served in, he crumples it up and tosses it into a trash can. "And yes, killing someone is a terrible thing. But there are times, hopefully few and far between, where its merited."

"I see...Thats generally what we call airbreathers then. The dry." Kaydin says as he tells Ricardo their equivalent. "My people are very Xenophobic. All the surface has done for us is invade and try and take. In fact an entire regime tried to invade us during your world war two. That's what prince Namor fought in. Recently however, King Orin, of the kings of Atlantis, is trying to reveal to both sides that we are good peoples."

Ricardo snorts a bit, "And Prince Namor probably didn't help that any." Stuffing his hands into his suit jacket's pockets he smiles, "But it does sound like a nice idea. How have his efforts been faring?"

"As I last heard, he has managed to convince the group called UN that Atlantis is a separate country and thus if any country wishes for our aid, to negotiate. Normally the twelve kings of Atlantis would not care about the surface world but...See long time ago, an Atlantean was born with blonde hair. This prince, when he came of age, grew scales and claws, and became a monster to his own people, twisting the laws and rules to his own power. He was defeated but it was claimed that any born with blonde hair carried his curse of evil. Orin, was born with blonde hair and left abandoned along the sea beds. He was found however, by surface dwellers and raised by them. When he came to Atlantis, he claimed his birthright peacefully and has been trying to bring about a more peaceful rule. He has dispersed with many old superstitions." Kaydin says before eating.

Ricardo grins, "I approve. Well, I have to get going but if you want to learn some more about the city or try some more tasty surface dweller food look me... Look up Gabriel Togashi, in Harlem. Ask about in the homeless shelters, most of their staff will be able to tell you where to find him."

Kaydin nods. "Thank you and wish you good luck and good evening." He say as he begins to walk off now.