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 Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 11:18 pm
Who: Kai Edalai (ex o ex Snoof) and Sizwe Magoro (Gekokoko)
When: Late afternoon/early evening on a late September (like that summer to fall transition season) night
Where: A tavern in Fallacre
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Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2012 4:03 pm
Sizwe pushed open the tavern door, a gust of cold wind following him into the tavern. He quickly made to shut it, seeing the glares of two ruddy-faced men sitting by the door, obviously very unhappy with the sudden cold air. He was still in awe of how big Fallacre was, which was to be expected, since it was one of the more popular towns in Auvinus. He felt very self-conscious, as if everyone could tell he was just a simple farm boy from some tiny unknown place in the middle of nowhere. He avoided eye contact with the tavern girls, one of them giving him a smile and wink, feeling the color rise in his cheeks. Sizwe cleared his throat, striding up to the bar as confidently he could, looking at the barkeep in the eye, "I'd like a room for two nights. Please." he quickly added at the end, digging through his satchel for his coin purse.
"That'll be two tuppence and a shillin'." the barkeep grunted, and placed down the goblet and polishing cloth onto the bar table. He held his hand out for the coins, looking Sizwe up and down. "I'll trust ya keep out of trouble." he said, sliding a key over to Sizwe. "Rooms are upstairs. Yers is second on tha left."
"Thanks." He couldn't help but wish that his father had gone in his stead, since his father was much better at things like this than he was. But of course, he would have to learn to do these things eventually since his father couldn't keep doing things like this forever. He took the key, making his way up the stairs to his room. He was very hungry, but felt it was a smart idea to drop off his things first before he ate supper. Tomorrow, he would have to attend some sort of meeting in the town, where the Scientists supposedly enhanced a wheat grain that would provide a more fruitful bounty; which was excellent news if it was true. It was even better that he would be given the seeds for free, since it was still undergoing some other things that Sizwe couldn't quite remember what it was. It was still something to look forward to; it would help make up for their horrible winter from last year that they were still trying to recover from.
Sizwe fumbled with the lock, not sure how these types of locks worked, but after a few minutes of jiggling around he finally got the lock to open. It was decently furnished; there was a bed (much bigger than the one at home), a desk with a quill and ink fountain (things he probably wouldn't need) and a chair, and in front of his bed, a trunk for his possessions. His window looked over the stables and the town, which was nice, but he couldn't really form an opinion about it. He shut the door after him, dumping his satchel onto his bed and draping his cloak on the chair next to his bed. He opened his bag, taking out his coin purse, and a small object bundled in a sweet smelling cloth, though one could smell the faint smell of death underneath. He unwrapped it slowly, staring at the small stone icon, the creature carved onto the surfaced staring sternly back at him as always. It wasn't damaged much to his relief, because earlier today he had accidentally thrown his bag onto the ground. He carefully wrapped it back up, and slipped it into his pocket and his coin purse in the other. He couldn't trust the small stone being by itself, in case someone would come take it. The little people he had met a few months ago had told him that it was of great value to people with power, and maybe there would be someone who would break into his room and take it.
He closed his satchel and making sure he didn't leave anything behind, locked the door and tucked his key into his boot. Ready for a quiet dinner by himself.
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Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 1:10 pm
This was a bad idea. A very, very bad idea. Though Fallacre was not recognized as a public hub for denizens of the House (that title thankfully being taken up by the Council of Sciences which had been working closely with the Guard for over a year now), nor was it far from the edge of Imisus, these details were not comforting to the Helios private's mind. The closest he had ever been -- and wanted to be -- to Auvinus territory was in Roserock, Mishkan several months back. Their mission there was one of simple reconnaissance but even in an area not recognized as part of the Southern region, it was still full to bursting with cultist activity.
After the meeting in Helios between the factions, he was less eager to set foot in this place. The realization of how prolific not only the disease was, but also the creatures it birthed, made his skin crawl and stomach churn. Plagues, and the House that revered them, were absolutely frightening.
Kai Edalai walked alongside his team, still missing a fourth member under their team leader, Taiga. He, a cavalry man, lead along his large buckskin war horse by her reigns. They had only arrived a short time ago, having taken a carriage with the horse as its leader. The rest of their meager team was comprised mostly of infantry, himself by the sword and his comrade Ro by the polearm, while their quiet artillery head, Ureth, held one of those fancy arquebus'. In this time, within this large town, it had been difficult for them to locate proper lodgings which allowed for horses. Considering Fallacre was mostly comprised of scientific minds and those interested in progress, it seemed silly to Kai that, especially in a farming region like Auvinus, they wouldn't have thought to upgrade most buildings to include even a small stable.
It was nightfall by the time their search ended and the cold team mates huddled closer for warmth. They awaited their squad leader as he set things up for his horse, gusts of cold air hitting them mercilessly, before entering the wooden door and stumbling inside. Two men nearby glared from over top their mugs of ale and Kai closed the door with a firm hand and a nervous glance.
"Will she be alright with the chill?" he muttered to Taiga as the group walked toward the innkeeper. The young man was far from familiar with horses, let alone other livestock.
"She's sturdy," the dark skinned squad leader replied, his accent well at home in Auvinus, "There was a mule in there as well."
A short chuckle was given by the blonde in the group. "Jus' make sure it's not an arse instead, ay?"
When they approached, the barkeep didn't seem amused in the slightest. His voice was gruff and to the point was he and Taiga discussed lodging and the matter of his horse. The bar was scattered with a few men finishing up their drinks as well as some standing, waiting for food and drink orders to be taken. One such was a young man who appeared to be an Auvinus native, approaching from the stairwell. Kai offered him a short nod before looking away, glancing about the area until he received a quick jab to his ribs by Ureth. When he looked up, his mute comrade was rubbing three of his fingers together quickly before digging into his pockets and pulling out a few coins.
Letting out a soft gasp, Kai set to work scavenging for his own coins. "How much for one?" he whispered to Ureth, who promptly held his hand flat to present two shillings and three tuppence. The four of them pooled their funds, covering a few nights for the lot of them, plus the horse, no doubt with a subtle military tax. Ever since the riots, public opinion of the Imperial Guard had a distinct split; either they were looked to with hope for protection or they were seen as unnecessary troublemakers. Whatever the outlook, most people kept the more negative beliefs to themselves -- to speak out against the Guard was to speak against the Emperor.
"You'll not be eatin' here with yer weapons out. Lock 'em upstairs or do tha same te yerself," the innkeeper grunted as he passed the key on to their squad leader. Taiga gave the man a firm nod, pocketing the key and waving his hands for their weapons to be turned over. Kai did so with little fuss, removing the scabbard from his belt and offering it plainly so the owner of the establishment saw they meant no harm. Ro was a bit less graceful about it, keeping his polearm upright and leaning it towards Taiga with a quiet "Ye, ye." The only real pause came from Ureth who, after removing the holster and doing a quick check on it, stared at their leader from under his half masked face. When Taiga gave another beckoning of his fingers, prompted by the barkeep clearing his throat, their companion nodded and carefully rested the gun against his palm.
"I'll take these upstairs now. Thank you for the room," Taiga bowed his head, then turned back to his squad, "You lot find a table while I get things settled." And with that, he turned with weapons and bags cradled in his arms to head up the stairs to find their shared room.
Crossing his arms as the three of them stepped away, finally allowing the young man who had descended the stairs earlier room to speak with the barkeep and settle on his meal, Ro let out a disgruntled mumble. "S'uncomfortable already. Weaponless guards aren't very intimidating. Least th'uniforms would attract lasses, but th' place is lackin' in a woman's touch."
Ureth scoffed, staring at Ro with his piercing green eyes.
"Oh don' get after me. If'n there were, they'd be whisperin' sweet nothin's in yer ear."
"Maybe in Helios," Kai sighed, rubbing his forehead, "Look, let's just try to make the best of this. Have some food, drink, and rest. We can concentrate on the mission tomorrow. Besides, it's late. The lasses have gone to bed."
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Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 3:08 pm
As Sizwe descended the stairs, he saw there were a group of people, whom he instantly recognized; the military. He stood awkwardly at the foot of the steps, unsure of how to react. The most practical option would be to act casual, they weren't some kind of magical creatures that could sense a plagued item (though they could most probably smell it...hopefully the cloth's scent would last for the rest of the night). He merely cleared his throat loudly, walking as nonchalantly as he could to a table by the fireplace, though he couldn't help but glance at the military as he did so, accidentally making eye contact with one of them. The man merely nodded at him, to which the farmer sheepishly grinned back, which Sizwe couldn't help but feel as if that was a dumb thing to do.
He pushed out the wooden stool, and sat down at the table, deciding that he would not be paying any attention to the military for the rest of the night. They weren't a bad sort of people, his father had told him they had served the emperor, which was a prestigious duty, though some people back in Erlend seemed to differ. Either way, he overheard the innkeeper asking them to put away their weapons and the clinking of the weapons, meaning that there would probably be no trouble tonight. The serving girl that had winked at him earlier came over, pulling up a stool and sitting next to Sizwe. "You're new in town." she stated, smoothing out her skirt and then propping her elbows up on the table. "Where ya from?", she smiled at Sizwe, nudging his foot softly with hers.
Sizwe stiffened, feeling his face warm up uncomfortably, "Er...Erlend..." he replied slowly, shifting slightly to move away from the girl, but she merely scooted even closer to him. "Erlend...never heard'a that place. Must be down in the sticks somewhere, yeah?", she placed a hand on his arm, "Goodness, y'must do some sort of heavy liftin', yeah?", she exclaimed, squeezing his arm lightly and leaned close.
Sizwe retracted his arm, deciding it would be best to keep his hands on his thighs. What did he even do to deserve this sort of attention?! All he really wanted was a quiet dinner. But, alas Sizwe Magoro was a man who was very unused to these sort of situations, and did not know what to do. He cleared his throat loudly, wondering how to get this woman off his back, "M-Miss, please. he started, scooting his chair away from her, "I-I have a...a...wife." he finished very lamely, his face was flushed (though his dark skin had managed to hide most of the blush, thankfully). While it wasn't exactly true, it was true enough for him, though he wondered if she would fall for his very bad lie.
The girl looked at Sizwe, her head tilted to the side, though her expression barely changed, "Well, I don' see her anywhere? I'm guessin' you didn' bring her, yeah? It's alright she won' know, handsome. she cooed, scooting her stool even closer to Sizwe, to the point where her leg was pressed up against his. To make sure he wouldn't try to move away from her again, she held onto his arm closest to her, Wha's your name though? I'm Arabella." He wasn't quite sure if he was breathing anymore, but he desperately looked around the establishment, silently crying out for help, though no one really seemed to notice him. He stared at the military, though they probably wouldn't pay any mind to him (he didn't really expect them to anyways, but it was worth a shot), hoping that one of them would notice and help him out. Wasn't one of the men looking for a woman, he could take her!
"M-Miss...I really don't think..." he attempted one last time, talking slightly louder this time, in hopes that someone would notice.
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Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2012 10:59 am
While the guardsmen bantered between themselves in hushed voices, it became increasingly apparent that at least one lass was not in bed at all. Kai's assurances on the matter were quickly put to rest as the blonde haired, grey eyed private diverted his attention from his team mate and to the barmaid attempting to put the moves on an unsuspecting customer who, surprisingly, didn't seem to appreciate the attention. Tucking a finger into the collar of his uniform and pulling it looser, Ro held a hand out to shush Kai who proceeded to pinch the bridge of his nose and received a light pat on the back from their silent artilleryman. He approached casually, a grin on his face which only grew smoother the longer he listened to her sultry voice. Ro rested his arms on the table, standing between the farm boy and his feminine caller, and leaned in close to keep his voice low.
"Pardon me, miss, he started, ignoring Sizwe's presence for the moment, "but I couldnae help hearin' yer lovely voice. Now it seems te me yer castin' in a pond with no fish, ay?" One hand reached out and took hold of Sizwe's shoulder, though his eyes never left the barmaid's face. "If'n the lad's spoken for then yer efforts'r wasted. I'd hate to see ye not get the attention ye deserve, lass, but if'n ye'll permit me, there's m'self and three other guards of th'Emperor who'd love th'company o'a fine lass like yerself." Briefly, Ro glanced over his shoulder to Ureth and Kai who were still yet to be rejoined by their team leader. When eye contact was made, his own dark cheeks flushed the smallest bit and Kai averted his vibrant purple gaze to the floor while Ureth raised his brows in amusement. "What'd ye say, darlin'? D'ye want to get th'lad his food'n 'ave a pint with us?"
Kai sighed, reached a hand into his fluffy dark brown hair, and turned away from the table. A quick glance to the stairs offered him some relief as the Auvinian native came into sight and the two offered each other a sympathetic glance when Taiga saw Ro hunched over a table that was clearly not their own. To be fair, the noble Edalai son was the youngest of the group, possibly younger even than man getting accosted by the amorous woman, and his experiences with these types of scenarios was meager at best. The fact this was Auvinus only made things more difficult for him despite his own mother being born here, but all of the rumors, all he had seen, told him that this was the country of the House and the House wracked him with fear both logical and unfounded.
When Taiga descended, he placed an assuring hand upon Kai's shoulder, gave Ureth a quick pat on the back, then ventured over to Ro and the table's other two occupants. A firm hand rested on Ro's shoulder then and Taiga leaned his palm against the edge of the table, keeping himself upright and tall as he smiled to both the barmaid and Sizwe.
"Forgive the interruption," he bowed his head, blue eyes lowering humbly to the woman, "We'll be taking our seats now."
Though Ro gave a quick hiss of protest through his teeth, he smiled back at the barmaid regardless as he was pulled away and gave them both a jovial wave. Kai let out a sigh of relief, finally able to give a smile as he and Ureth crossed the floor and followed their teammates to the empty table near Sizwe's. Once again, he glanced and caught the farmboy's eye, this time giving him an apologetic look before taking his seat. He couldn't wait to get some alcohol in him so he could calm down.
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Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2012 2:04 pm
Arabella undaunted, opened her mouth to say something when Ro squeezed in between them. Sizwe took this as a moment to shift away from the both of them, but stopped when Ro placed a hand on his shoulder. He fanned himself with his hand, staring the soldier that had graciously interjected on his behalf. The man was much bigger than he was (though really anyone was bigger than him), and was chatting up the barmaid who had seemed to have almost immediately forgotten Sizwe, and was now enamoured by the guard. "Well, I was only talkin' to him 'cause I was hopin' you'd notice.", she said, batting her eyes at him coquettishly, "I'd only want t'have a drink with you,", she smiled tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear, suddenly very shy, "I-I'm flattered tha' a man of your good looks and reputation would be interested in me, just a lowly barmaid, yeah?" she didn't bother following his gaze to the other two men that stood there, and kept her eyes downcast.
Sizwe couldn't help but clear his throat, suddenly feeling very awkward and decided it would be best to shift even farther away, perhaps even to a new table. He stared at Kai and Ureth, realizing that the former of the two felt as uncomfortable as Sizwe did. He saw Taiga approach the two men, patting both men on the shoulder, as he made his way over to them. Well this was pretty good, they were here to whisk the girl away, and he would be alone for the rest of the night. Thank Panyma, he thought as he let out a small sigh of relief. Though his head snapped back to Arabella, Ro, and now Taiga, his heart dropping. "No, no please...", he said, shaking his head vigorously, "M'not interested, I'm...married..."
Arabella got up from her seat, ignoring Sizwe as she sashayed over to Taiga, "Oh...you weren't interruptin' us!" she glanced at Ro, but focused most of her attention to the team leader, "I-I've been wantin' t'talk t'you two all night, but I haven't had th'chance to..." she trailed off, blushing for added effect. The farmer couldn't help but be in awe, wondering how this woman could be so good at switching her personalities so fluidly. Whatever or however it was she did it, he hoped that it was more than enough to attract the guardsmen to want to spend the night with her. Sizwe turned to look at the youngest of the guard, smiling nervously at him. It seemed as if they were thinking the same exact thing about this woman.
She was frightening.
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Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2012 5:25 pm
Those fluttering eyes, her pouting lips, Ro was smitten and he grinned, leaning ever so closer to let her know as much. At least, until their team captain collected him and the four deposited themselves at the next table over. Fortunately, this woman would not give up easily and Ro watched eagerly as she followed the guardsmen to their seats. The farmboy was left alone and none of them knew if he had even been allowed to order his food yet.
How she blushed coyly but still managed to lay on the act thick intimidated Kai just as much as it did Sizwe and the young private averted his eyes, glancing everywhere but at the woman. Beside him, Ureth's green gaze was transfixed upon the wooden table as he traced the lines in the smoothed bark, hands steepled beneath his chin. The cloth mask on his face which hid from the bridge of his nose down was ready to come off, Kai could tell, but rarely did he lower it in front of women. Taiga sat to Kai's right and Ro across from him, both easily accessible to Arabella if she chose to approach and oh how easy it was to tell that Ro was trying to beckon her with his eyes. It was amusing, in some way, how differently they all reacted to this sort of attention and Kai scoffed quietly despite himself while his gaze was diverted towards his lap.
"Were you?" Taiga mused airily, dark, scarred face set in a calm and warm smile despite the cold blue of his eyes. He knew this to be false for they had only just arrived a sparse ten minutes ago. "How flattering. In that case, we'll buy you a pint, shall we?"
Ro grinned and slapped his knee. "Pull up a seat, darlin'. Th'night's still young."
Kai rubbed his neck beneath his ponytail with a hand, shifting somewhat uncomfortably in his chair. Letting out a quiet sound, the private pushed his chair out and leaned against the table while avoiding eye contact with Arabella and glanced around at his team mates. "I'll order for us. What does everyone want?"
"Beer."
"Beer."
Ureth pointed a finger at Kai with a sly look. Beer.
"So four-- erm -- five pints of beer and what food?" Each man dug through their pockets and coin purses, sliding over the amount for their individual beers while Ro paid double for the maid's. Their orders were simple; rolls, what meat was available, and a stew -- the rolls were to share with Arabella, rather than paying for a whole separate meal. Perhaps they were generous, but they still didn't have much to spare on others. Information in order, Kai pushed his chair in, gave a polite bow to the woman without looking at her, and stepped back toward the barkeep. This was going to be a long night.
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Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2012 9:07 pm
Sizwe got up from his table, rubbing the back of his neck as he did so. Thankfully the barmaid had left with the guard, and now Sizwe was free for the night. The other guests didn't seem to notice the commotion which was a plus; he would hate diverting attention to himself, especially in a new place such as this. He got up from the table, deciding it would be best to order some dinner now before something else interrupted him. He walked over to the barkeep, noticing that the guard he had been exchanging looks with during the encounter also got up, perhaps to order food as well. He was debating if he should say something to the younger guard, though he wasn't sure if he was even in the mood to talk; he looked uneasy even before Sizwe had met Arabella.
"Thank you, kind sirs.", Arabella continued in her soft tone, choosing to sit inbetween Taiga and Ro, but situated herself closer to Taiga, though she took the time to periodically glance at Ro with a coquettish smile. The maid smiled at Ureth, "And what's your name handsome? Y'look so mysterious with the cloth..." she cooed, fluttering her eyelashes at him. Arabella paid no attention to Kai, since he didn't seem to be paying any attention to her in the first place; after all she had two, maybe three other men interested in her now, she didn't need a little boy when she had men around her. "So, where are you men from?", she asked, though her question was most likely directed towards Taiga since her gaze was focused on him more than anyone else.
Sizwe saw the guard approach the barkeep, stopping a few feet away from him. He gave him a smile and small nod in greeting, the farmer shoved his hands in his pockets, his hand clenched around the small icon, "Sorry 'bout that lady...she's quite the woman." he glanced over at the table the guard were sitting at, seeing they were quite engrossed in their conversation.
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Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2012 9:43 pm
When the barmaid joined them at the table, Ro chanced leaning back and putting an arm over the top of her chair. It was fair enough that he didn't touch her outright but close enough that she could lean against it if she rested back. He might have dared to put his hand on her waist if she weren't so enthralled with Taiga. It was difficult to tell whether he was playing along or genuinely flirting with the barmaid but he certainly hoped their team leader was understanding enough to know that he totally saw her first.
At first, Ureth didn't notice she was referring to him. He had taken to resting one arm on the table, leaning his elbow against the edge and resting his face in his palm while closing his eyes and listening to the conversation. At the mention of cloth, his bright green eyes opened and he stared in surprised at the woman before swallowing, furrowing his brow and averting his gaze.
"Tha's Ooreth," the blonde answered for him, receiving a quick glance of thanks, "No' much of a talker. Ye can call me Ro, lass. Th'one fetchin' our meal's Kai and tha's--"
"Taiga," he smiled with a humble bow of his head. "We're all from Helios," a hand reached up and fiddled with the blue gem on a gold chain resting upon his uniform's shoulder, "but I was born here in Auvinus."
"Mishkan fer me."
Their eyes wandered to Ureth who had taken to leaning over his chair and watching Kai get approached by the young man from before. At the sudden silence, he turned back around to face the trio, wide eyed as he had missed the conversation.
"The lass wants te know where ye were born, mate." Ureth turned fully around, looking at his hands for a moment, brow set low in concentration. With some effort, he drew a circle in the air with his left hand and pointed toward the right with a finger before setting his hands on the table edge and looking frustrated. "Got no idea what yer sayin'."
"Imisus, I think," Taiga chimed. Though Ureth didn't lift his gaze from the table, he did point his index finger toward Taiga as confirmation.
Over at the bar, Kai was a bit surprised to see the guy from earlier approaching at the same time. He looked like the sort that wanted to keep to himself and stay out of trouble, which as of late usually meant avoiding the Imperial Guard. At his address, Kai lifted his head and gave a short, restrained laugh, then brought his thumb up to nibble the tip of its nail. "You could say that," he mumbled, turning just slightly to glance over his shoulder at the same time. Kai frowned, seeing Arabella's gaze on Ureth and the poor man's head hung. She must have been giving them a handful. Turning back to Sizwe, he gestured toward the bar and offered another laugh, this one slightly more genuine.
"Were you going to order? You're free to go ahead. I'd honestly like to take my time as it is." It struck him then that, since this was an inn, they may have to deal with Arabella's company for longer than just the duration of their meal. The idea of suffering alone in the awkward company of flirtation caused him to bite hard upon his thumb before he promptly corrected himself and held the other hand out. "Ah, pardon. Private Kai Edalai of the Guard. Pleasure to meet you." In his better interests, the Helian kept his noble heritage private. It made no difference on missions or in the field when a soldier was a soldier and he was the lowest ranked there was.
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Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2012 10:37 pm
Arabella ignored Ro's arm around her chair, keeping her gaze steady with Ureth, "'Ooreth'? I'm sayin' it right, yeah?", she asked, looking at him for confirmation. "Oh, he's a shy one, isn't he?", she cooed, leaning back in her chair, though not to the point where her back would be touching Ro's arm, though she did lock eyes with the blonde guardsman as she did so.
"Helios? What's it like there? I've been here in Fallacre all m'life.", but she brightened up at the mention that Taiga was from Auvinus, deciding to scoot closer to the Auvinian native, "Oh! Where from?", she asked, leaning closer to Taiga, clearly more interested in him than Ro, though one wondered if she was genuinely interested in what he had to say, or if she was teasing Ro. She merely nodded quietly when he said that he was from Mishkan, and giggled at Ureth's hand signals, though she made no outward remark about it.
Sizwe shook his head, seeing Ureth as equally flustered as he was a few moments before, "I feel sorry for your, uh friend there.", he said, wondering if he could somehow bring the other man to where they were, since the other two men seemed to enjoy her company. "O-oh thanks. I'm still decidin' what I want though." Sizwe said, grinning bashfully. In his defense, it wasn't often he came across meals like this, and it was hard to decide between a slab of meat or stew. Both meals were equally filling and delicious, but it was quite the task deciding between the two. The farmer automatically stuck his hand out, feeling ashamed that he didn't introduce himself sooner, to a member of the Imperial Guard, no less, "Uh, Sizwe Magoro, from Erlend.", he replied awkwardly, he didn't really have a title to his name and he never really experienced an opportunity where he introduced himself, "The, uh honor is mine, Private Edalai."
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Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2012 11:16 pm
To her pronunciation, Ureth offered her a nod. Her accent was prominent but not enough to butcher his name. Her all but ignoring Ro did not go unnoticed, however, by either man. As she leaned closer to Taiga, Ureth raised a wary brow to Ro who winced. Had he messed up somewhere along the line or was this the sort of woman more interested in power and failiarity? It was easy to tell just from looking that Taiga was the oldest, most experienced and physically strongest of the group -- the scattering of scars across his face told enough. Maybe it was the combination of dark skin and auburn hair tied back accentuated by cool colored eyes. Compared between the two, Ro was fair skinned, had short hair the color of wheat, and fluffy sideburns lining his jaw but was otherwise clean shaven and free of scars. Sitting next to Taiga must have made him look awfully baby faced.
Cringing, he looked over and gestured for Ureth to pull down his mask. Maybe if Arabella caught a sight of his frightful scars she wouldn't find the prospect so attractive anymore. His comrade responded by narrowing his eyes, pressing a hand against his mask to keep it in place, and gave a firm shake of his head. Clicking his tongue, Ro shot the other man a glare and turned back to the barmaid. "Certainly. Who wouldn' be with with a gorgeous lass like yerself sittin' near 'em?" He perked up when she shot him a glance, finally, but her attentions were quick to return to Taiga.
"Helios feels large and small all at once. It's very close knit, interconnected, where most of our villages are far apart. Everyone's busy there," Taiga chuckled, "I was born in Nylle. I've never been to Fallacre before but the reception's pleasant so far." Ro flinched as their leader smiled at Arabella. He could practically hear her girlish giggles before they even came out.
At Sizwe's mention of his friend, Kai glanced back again. This time Ro was looking a bit sour and he furrowed his brow. Things must not have been going his way in the flirting department, what with how the barmaid seemed positively smitten with Taiga. He couldn't tell nor did he honestly care whether or not his superior was merely being polite or reciprocating her advances but he turned back quickly to meet Sizwe's hand and introduction. "Likewise," Kai smiled sheepishly, nodding and offering a quiet "thank you" for the offer of honor, however awkward.
"Erlend... Is that near Fallacre? I, erm-- I'm not very familiar with Auvinus." He gestured vaguely to his uniform until he recalled that only privates with honors received their identification tie and the only private among their group with that rank was Taiga. Feeling silly, he coughed and moved his hand to rub one of his shoulders, pretending that was his intent all along.
Behind the two men, a gruff voice cleared its voice and drew their attention. The barkeep was leaning against the counter, looking tired from a hard day's work. "Are ye plannin' on orderin' or merely standin' in tha way?"
Kai grimaced, bowed his head in apology and took his place in front of the man since Sizwe was still pondering his meal. "Sorry, sir," he mumbled, digging in his pockets to procure the shillings given to him by the rest of the team and his own payment. "F-five pints, please, a basket of rolls, one order of stew, and three orders of what meat you have."
"S'pig," the barkeep announced, glancing to Sizwe to make sure he was aware as well, then held out his hand for the money. Kai thanked him and waited for the man to count the coins before bowing his head once more and retreating to the side of the bar nearer Sizwe so the two weren't in the way if others wanted to get their meals.
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Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2012 11:58 pm
Arabella couldn't help but smile when she noticed Ro's confusion, though she would have to show him some attention as she didn't want him to lose complete interest in her. She turned to him, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, "Sir, you flatter me so! Surely, you've seen prettier girls than me, yeah?", the maid's brown eyes scanned the length of Ro's body, her eyes moving back up to his face, biting her lip as she did so. If that wasn't enough to raise his hopes up again, then she didn't know what would.
Her eyes widened in surprise, "Nylle! Tha's pretty far from here isn't it?", she tilted her head to the side, genuinely flattered by Taiga's compliment of the town, "Well, everyone in Fallacre s'very welcomin' and pleasant. It's in our blood." Arabella smoothed out her skirt before replying, the tips of her fingers accidentally brushing against Taiga's leg, "Goodness, I don' think I could live in a busy place! I'm much too comfortable here, where we take thin's slow 'nd steady...", she said the last few words slowly with emphasis, her eyes slowly trailing back to Ro as she did so, giving him another lingering gaze.
Sizwe's hands remained bunched in his pockets, feeling awkward for Ureth, as he watched him stare intently at the table. The other man who had come to his aid earlier seemed displeased, though he hoped that was from something else and not the maid that was sitting next to him. "Oh, um Erlend, it's to the south of Fallacre.", he smiled, and shook his head, "Auvinus has villages and their cities pretty far apart compar'd to the other places I've heard.", he said, though he really didn't know if that bit was true, and hoped he didn't seem like an idiot to the guard.
"Oh, uh-- yeah.", Sizwe mumbled with Kai as he quickly decided that stew would be what he would have for dinner tonight, quickly pulling his hands out of his pockets to take out his coin pouch, his small stone also peeking out of his pockets as well. He quickly shoved it back in, his heart beat quickening, hoping that no one noticed especially since there was a bunch of men from the military around him. He glanced up at the barkeep, who seemed more engrossed in the money Kai was handing to him than Sizwe himself. "I-I'll take a stew and some rolls. And some mulled ale if tha's alright.", he too, handed over the coins to the barkeep, and quickly followed after Kai, slipping his coin pouch back into his pocket and patting his other thigh to make sure the small slab of stone was safely stowed away in his pocket and out of sight.
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Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 1:27 pm
"Auvinus is very different from Helios," Kai mused as Sizwe joined him in their wait for food, "I've been to some areas of Mishkan and Imisus, myself, but Helios is my home. If I had to compare, Auvinus is most similar to Mishkan but..." The soldier trailed off, a strange and oddly familiar scent he couldn't place wafting by. It was weak and with a quick exhale through his nose, it seemed to be gone, "Auvinus is unique all the same."
Perhaps it was the mingling scents swirling all around him, those of the wet Autumn air, dozens of people, beer and ale, cooked vegetables and meat, but upon those, something else drifted in and out and Kai's nostrils flared accordingly. Crossing his arms, he tried to ignore it but once more, among the appetizing scents of alcohol and food, came something dark and fetid. His brows knit worriedly and the private glanced over his shoulder at the barkeep as he filled pitchers of beer and prepared Sizwe's mulled ale.
Hesitantly, Kai lowered his voice and leaned over slightly while keeping his head low. "Do you, erm... smell that?" he mumbled, a few fingers fidgeting with his sleeves. When he leaned closer to the Auvinian farmer, the scent was a little stronger. "It smells... rotten." Kai all but whispered the last word, not wanting the barkeep to overhear and think he was insulting the food. Tavern staff kept their eyes and ears open for that sort of thing and were diligent like hawks -- at least, the ones in Helios always were.
Back at the table, the maid's attempts at rekindling Ro's hopes were indeed successful. He shot Ureth a sly glance and the muted soldier quickly averted his gaze to the tabletop to trace small patterns and shapes in the wood grain with his fingertips. "Not so. Jus' th'truth passes my lips. S'not th'same just to look, real beauty's for all the senses, yeh?"
Taiga nodded, smiling at the woman's enthusiastic response. It wasn't often he was able to visit his home region and, even if this wasn't Nylle, it was the next best thing compared to Helios. "Slow and steady is the way to be," he added playfully to Arabella's response as she was turned away to glance at Ro. The double meaning was clear and he was sure to let his own voice smooth over so she was sure to pick up on it as well.
Following Arabella's rather blatant teasing, Ro took a chance and slid closer, pressing a hand lightly against her back and sliding it to her waist, letting his fingers trail against her hip. Hopefully that wouldn't set her off and ruin his chances but he was starting to feel pretty frisky. If she was still positive following their meal, he'd be sure to show her a good time while the rest of his team got comfortable. However, their team leader was putting it on too and the barmaid seemed awfully smitten with a fellow Auvinian. Ro would have to put on the charms, and soon.
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Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2012 9:20 pm
Sizwe nodded slowly, forming images of what Helios could look like in his head, "Wh-what's Helios like? It's all cities?" he crossed his arms over his chest, trying not to draw attention to his pockets. If he kept fidgeting with them, it would only make people suspicious. He had to be cool and calm. Cool and calm. "Auvinus is nice..." he replied, "Though I guess tha's not much comin' from me, 'cause I've been here all my life."
Sizwe froze up when Kai leaned closer, and cleared his throat, hoping he didn't sound too nervous, "R-rotten?", he whispered, "N-no...I don' smell anythin' bad..." He should've been more careful, Sizwe chastised himself, Kai was definitely not an idiot, and he would most definitely figure out what Sizwe was hiding if he kept being careless. He should've added in more flower petals and fragrances before leaving, or at least hid it somewhere within the confines of his room.
Arabella laughed at Taiga's response, and nodded in agreement and opened her mouth to reply, but instead let out a small gasp and jumped slightly at Ro's hand sliding across her back, as she didn't expect him to be so forward in his advances. Her cheeks turned slightly pink in genuine surprise, her voice shy and soft, "Oh sir, d-do control yourself, especially in front of your fellow soldiers..." she looked to Taiga and Ureth imploringly, though she made no effort to cast Ro's hand away. She was truly quite flattered by the amount of attention Ro seemed to be giving her, but she wondered how much more it would take before he became too impatient. Or if he would ever reach that point.
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