Welcome to Gaia! ::

Lucian walks into the small Pub connected to the Inn, his metal hands behind his back and a jolly smile painted onto his face. He was here to grab a couple of Soldiers by the ears and haul them back to Training, but there was no harm in a quick beverage before those unpleasantries. He gently sits down on one of the bar stools, expecting to catch a venirial disease just by making contact with the cushion. "Drinks all round!" He shouted to a large cheer from the patrons, he hadn't bothered to count them before. "Well, Drinks all around this general area!" He shouted again, this time to an accompany of grunts and in one instance a bottle being thrown at his head, he turns back and says "I'll have Absinthe" He said simply, he always liked Absinthe, it was very flammable. He gave him a small shot glass which Lucian politely pushed back, "Try again son" He said happily, the Bartender handed him the bottle and he nodded. "You do have to pay you know" The Bartender said reproachfully, reaching for the bat below the bar. Lucian grinned and said, "I'm General 'Inferno' Lucian, don't think about it" The Bartender slowly put his hands on the bar meekly.

Raven was on another one of her early rounds, checking that the guardsmen where up to code and keeping the city safe. As an advisor, she hated doing this job, she was small compared to even the most lightweight guard and often felt pressured into giving good reports... Despite the fact that she rarely lied in them.

But today she had gotten sidetracked in market common, picking up a few herbs for a spell she had been working on for ages. And continuing with the day off theme she had wondered into the pub, a place she almost never went to considering that she was a lightweight in any competition, especially drinking. But why not? She might even find the generals here, both of whom where MIA today... Never mind.

Raven caught sight of Amnity, drunk off her a** as usual. Raven wanted to say something about it, but her shyness held her back and she walked up behind the general, who was so much taller than Raven that the little girl felt drowned out by Amnity's shadow alone. The little Arch-mage huddled close to her staff and mumbled.

"Amnity.... It's inspection day today... you really shouldn't be getting drunk again"

She said, barely audible as she clutched her staff, adding a mousy look to her as she was nearly drowned out by her cloak.

Raven gave a huff, her best imitation of actual assertiveness she could ever give. She hated being treated like a kid, just because she was small didn't mean she was young! for gods sake she was old enough to drink! All the same she held onto her staff, looking off balance and small as always. She didn't comment on the getting shorter part, the general wasn't wearing her arumor so she probably stood up taller making the little raven look even littler.

"Um... I was looking for you and your troops... I didn't see all of them on their rounds..."

She said, lieing as best she could so she didn't get in trouble for buying herbs and other goods for the summoning spell she had been preparing when she should have been checking the rounds. A ruffle could be heard from under her cloak where she shifted her bag of purchases to an even less noticeable place. Raven did her best to sound like a good little advisor who wanted to do her job, but naturally her lieing was less than the best... As always.

Raven wasn't too interested in going into the pub now that she knew all the heavyweight drinkers where already inside raring to go. Naturally she chose to stay where she was, and shifted her stance and her staff so she looked only slightly less shy, and just a bit more stubbornly closed off. She hated lying, so she was really bad at it but the general was more stubborn that she was so why not get it over with.

"I'm fine... I got sidetracked by some good herbs... I hope to finish my summoning by tonight."

She said, smiling a bit as she stared at the ground. Raven really did hope that she finished the summons soon, she felt so bad having to always barrow palace horses and the Nightmare she was hoping to get out of the summons would provide great protection as well as faster transit than any pure-bread of this plane.

(( Nightmare is a big winged horse. Kinda looks like the Threshals described in Harry potter, only everyone can see them. They usualy aren't associated with positive things.))

Lucian listened to these proceedings with glee, he knew that they knew he was there, but he just liked watching things rather than getting involved, he stood up eventually and said "Wonderful to see you two again" He said jovially, his eyes closed and his mouth plastered into a warm smile. He was holding the bottle behind his back; he didn't need high command knowing he was near highly flammable liquids, it would be that damn Training session all over again. He grinned as he watched Amnity grilling the Soldiers, it was a classic routine among officers and he admitted to doing it occasionally. He decided to dial up the Crazy Alchemist image he had carefully manufactured, insane and violent got you more respect than friendly and forthwright. "If you wouldn't mind Amnity spare them the Gallows, I haven't made something go boom in hours." He had a small twinkle in his eye that was only noticeable to someone looking for it. "This fine body of...respectable young Gents would make fantastic colours" He said absent-mindedly, turning back to the bar. It was one of his old routines, the conspirational comment to himself.

((If I get back to find three more pages filled up I'm gonna go round the loop; I'm away on Friday so the earliest I can post is early Saturday >_>))

Raven chewed on her lip a little as Amnity chewed out her soldiers. They really where quite good at their jobs when they all weren't raging drunk... Maby they should pay them in rum rather than silver and they might get better work ethic out of the lot. When Amnity winked at her, Raven did her best to look the dutiful Advisor and pulled out a bit of parchment and a bit of chalk. Pens where too hard to find, and chalk was good for more than just writing so she used that to scribble down some notes. One of the first being " check wages, Pay in rum might support work ethic". She added that one with a smirk as she took note of the other general being nearby.

"Lucian"

She mumbled under her breath, as she started writing down names of all the guards she recognized in the pub who she could practically smell where raging drunk already. She made some positive note about Amnity and Lucian, and their... 'negative reinforcement of poor behaviour'.

"You shouldn't be here either..."

She said with a sigh, finally thinking that a bar had too many flammable liquids for him to be here for just the drinks. She lowered her head when an idea came to mind. Raven would probably kick herself for it later, but it was something she would have to live with. Somehow she managed to look like wall paper as she walked over to Lucian's side.

"I might not report your 'relapse' if I am occupied by a summoning tonight... it might slip my mind"

She said, trying to sound sly. But somehow the way little Raven looked up at the general with a glint of childish begging suggested something more of a kid asking for candy money rather than an Advisor suggesting a bribe.

(( Call who Nightshade?... You? ))

Raven was cut short in her doings, probably bad karma for all she knew. She let out a little meep appropriate for her mousy stature as Lassan suddenly appeared behind her with orders. Her breathing dubbled in pace as she took the new information in. When it finally registered she sighed, it was probably some stupid noble kids throwing stones or something at the portal again.

She couldn't remember how many times she told people not to cross the portal without shutting the door to close the energies in first! If you didn't shut in the energies too much power went into the portal and it became unstable. It was just a door! Jeze, how much more idiot proof could she have made it?! She shook her head and looked up at Lassan, deer in a headlights all over.

"A-a-are you t-taking my r-rounds then?... Un-t-till I can f-f-fix the portal t-t-that is."

She stuttered, Lassan always scared her. Nothing against alchemists, but Lassan's history, at least what was known of it, wasn't exactly squeaky clean. The fact that she had to work with him scared the holy jezuz out of her. Usually Raven went out of her way to avoid him.