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 Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2014 5:31 pm
It seemed like ages since the last time Yera had been filled to the brim with people, at least to the group of dancers and performers who resided there. The village had been sooooo empty due to the war draining all of the men and women out for the forces, it was such a let down for those who wanted to entertain and cater to all those around them. Thus, once those tired warriors came home, injured or not, a large festival was established to welcome them all home again. It was hard work to coordinate, of course, so helpers from all over Tale came to lend a hand. From Rogues to Minstrels, to Tailors and Craftsmen, a whole mess of different professions came pouring in before the fighters were due to arrive in order to make sure the entire festival went smoothly.
Pahana had found herself amongst her old group of friends quickly, most of them younger than she was, and some of them with children of their own, and went about the same old routines. The men and women who returned to the festivities were delighted and relieved, which brought a smile to Pahana's face. However, her brother was still nowhere to be found amongst them, which made her sad. Where could he be?
"Alright, I'll get us a round to share, girls!" She cheered, prancing off towards where the drinks were being served. She wasn't that much of a drinker and hadn't much of a tolerance for it, but the festival was giving her a feverish sense of community that she just couldn't ignore. Besides, what could a few drinks with the girls really do? It couldn't hurt to have a little fun!
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Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2014 6:40 pm
Uquin had only been home for a few days, yet already the town was in full celebratory swing. The trees were decorated with bright crystals that glowed brightly as the evening set, colored cloth tied to the ladders that led up to the trees. The well-trod area under the arrangement of tree houses, where stalls were normally erected to trade, had been cleared, and instead comfortable seating places and fires were lit. The citizens of Yera, and those who had traveled from smaller settlements nearby, gathered around the fires - and Uquin could hear the loud buzz of conversations, and the occasional melody of a flute or lyre being strummed.
It was a sort of celebration he wasn't used to - and the rather withdrawn healer had initially opted to sit up in his ratty, dilapidated home with the slats up so he could feel the breeze. The party was still young, but already ale and liquors were free flowing - and so after only a short time he was coaxed from the tree and allowed himself a tankard, if only to celebrate surviving the battle - and coming of age in the same taste.
For the moment, he stood a bit awkwardly, holding the tankard and drinking at it, while holding his other hand under it to catch any fallen suds, wrinkling his nose at the strange taste, while simultaneously enjoying the burn of the alcohol against his nose and in his mouth.
He had just gone to take another drink when a woman came running up to the table. Uq blinked and side stepped away from her, but in the end his sudden motion sploshed alcohol from his too-full tankard, splashing out against her - but thankfully only soaking her feet. Uquin winced, but at first hoped she wouldn't notice - or that she was too wound up in the fun of the evening to mind. But he kept his eye on her, just in case.
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Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2014 7:02 pm
Of course, being the klutz that she was, Pahana had bumped into another person and knocked his drink about, some of the resulting splash landing upon her feet. Her face went a little sour, both from the feeling of the liquid against her bare feet and from embarrassment, and she made a beeline for the nearest free drink table. She bought her friends the round that they had wanted and brought it back to them, only to zip back over to the table and buy another two glasses.
"I'm so sorry!" She exclaimed as she made her way back to Uquin. "Please, here's another drink, on me!"
She smiled up at him sweetly, hoping that this would make up from the spilling of his drink, no matter how little had spilled.
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Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2014 7:24 pm
The girl made a face (presumably at him) and continued her course to the table. Uquin looked down at his drink, feeling inexplicably miserable at having annoyed someone, tossing back his drink and taking a healthy gulp. Once finished he set the tankard on a table, one of the many that had been erected in the square, running a hand across his embarassment-heated cheeks.
What he hadn't expected was to see the woman come back - passing by him to get to the table again, but then - stopping infront of him. He blinked, a bit wide-eyed and momentarily confused, but then jumped and slowly accepted the tankard, tilting his head at the woman in slight confusion. And she was... smiling?
He didn't understand until she spoke, at which point he jumped and gaped at her a moment, then shook his head. "Wh-- oh! No, that was my fault, not yours." He said, quickly, lowering his voice guiltily. He moved to hand the drink back to her, ducking his head slightly in deferral. "When you kept walking, I had simply assumed I'd upset you."
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Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2014 7:42 pm
Pahana blinked as she watched him finish his drink and seemed to marvel at how someone could down their beer in such a fashion. She glanced to her own tankard and then to the one she had offered him, pursed her lip a little, and giggled.
"Upset me? Nonsense!" She said, placing the drink he had refused on the table next to the empty tankard. "I'm used to getting a little messy, I was just embarrassed that I'd bumped into you!"
She raised her drink to her lips and took a big gulp, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. Whoa, this was nothing like the stuff her father had let Yaholo try, pretty strong. Still, she glanced to the empty tankard again, it wasn't that bad... She leaned her head back and drank the remainder of her drink, and smiled.
"Whoa, this stuff's pretty strong!" She laughed. "I guess they really stepped it up for the festival, huh?"
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Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2014 7:54 pm
Well yes, drinking - no, rather, guzzling it in such a fashion had definitely left him gasping and watering at the eyes. But it had tasted good nonetheless. He eyed the drink that she had set aside, but he didn't want to lay a hand on it until he'd made sure he had cleared up this misunderstanding properly. But she seemed nice, despite having had ale poured down her legs.
"Embarassed...? No I..." He trailed off, blinking, then snorting in quiet amusement as she drank the ale so heartily, while also seeming so confused by it. And when she expressed how strong it was, he couldn't help but crack a small smile, nodding his head in response. " Mm. Then again, most coming back from the battle probably don't mind it." Ah great, now he'd brought down the mood.
Clearing his throat, Uquin leaned forward and reached for the set aside mug, then stepped forward and lay his hand over her's on the cup, holding it still as he poured half of the drink into her mug so they could share it. "My name is Uquin - I only moved here recently. ... Are you a local, or..." He peeked up at her a bit shyly from behind the messy fringe of hair, tilting his head in question. If he was going to live here, he'd have to get over his usual reluctant to socialize - and what better way to start than with this very friendly woman?
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Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2014 8:23 pm
"Yeah, you're right." Pahana replied, nodding. "They're all so tired and worn from fighting, all they want is a meal, a nice cold drink, and the comfort of their own beds. They won't mind how strong or weak their ale is."
She took her glass up again with a smile and sipped it, before facing Uquin again. He was rather cute and shy, she thought, something she would normally never think about when looking at a man. It was probably because he was new to the town, shyness was like a plague for anyone who decides to move places. She knew that all too well, after all, she had tried to fit in with her brother's people, the Alkidikes, and that had been a miserable failure.
"I'm Pahana! I live just past the market square with my father!" She exclaimed, pointing off to the side. "He's probably out hunting with my uncle and our town elder, Kuthun, he had wanted to have some small things to roast with some of the fighters he knows well. What village are you from, Uquin?"
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Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2014 8:32 pm
Now with half a tankard, Uquin sipped at his drink, taking this one slower after throwing back the previous one so quickly. His cheeks were still flushed from it - definitely from the drink, and now the girl infront of him. He nodded slowly as she elaborated on his point, watching her as she spoke, but then he furrowed his eyebrow and set his cup down, tilting his head. Pahana - that name. It was ... it seemed familiar to him, but he couldn't think of why.
As she spoke about her father, and even the town elder, whom he'd never even seen, Uq realized that she must have grown up here, in this village. "Where am I... Isd. I came from Isd." He answered reluctantly, but he didn't have a reason to lie or evade answering. It just wasn't tied with too many happy memories. "So you're celebrating with your family when they return, I take it." He said slowly. For some reason, he felt disappointed - surely as soon as they enjoyed the drink she would go back to whatever fire she was situated at, and he'd get to watch these people, who grew up together, enjoy themselves with one another.
He supposed he could go sit with Ishtu, but the aldabuk was still healing and the noise was likely to have upset him. No, maybe it would be best to retire and sleep off the small amount of alchohol he'd ingested??
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Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2014 8:50 pm
Pahana sipped at her drink as Uquin did and soon realized that her face was becoming flushed as well. Was this something that happened when you drank? She didn't really know, honestly, she had only drank ale a few times before this, and it was never something this strong. She placed the glass down on the table and peered at Uquin. He seemed a little sad, didn't he? Was it because he was new to town?
"Isd... I've never been there." She said, her eyes squinting. Why was she getting so woozy? She tried her best to focus on what he was saying, and quickly began shaking her head. "No, no! I'm with the dancers right now! ...Not celebrating with family, they're not... Here yet."
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Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2014 9:11 pm
Heh. Well at least he got his answer. Before too long, Uq noticed the tinge of pink on Pahana's cheeks, and he was sure it wasn't from demure flushing - she didn't seem the type. No, it must have been the ale, right? Finishing his own glass, Uquin hesitated before setting it down as well, hearing it clank against the wood with a sort of finality.
He turned back to Pahana, and wrinkled his nose a bit with a soft smirk at her words, giving his head a shake. "It's ... very small, more closed in." He said with a shake of his head. Her reactions seemed somewhat strange - as if she had missed part of what he'd said, and was catching up, speaking with a quick necessity. Then again, she seemed as unused to alcohol as he was, so that wasn't a surprise - at least in his case he knew what sort of effects it had on the body, and knew what to attribute his floating feeling to.
Her next words made him blink once more, his mouth opening in surprise. "Hn?? Dancers? Are you a dancer, too??" He asked, moving to cross his arms loosely at his middle, his head tilted towards her curiously.
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Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2014 8:41 pm
Pahana guzzled down the remainder of her drink and plopped the glass upon the table as if it were a pile of feathers. Her vision was getting a little cloudy, but a few blinks managed to clear it just enough for her to refocus upon Uquin, even if for only a moment. Her mind kept telling her that he was talking and that she should be listening, but her ears seemed to be unresponsive to this plea. In fact, her body didn't seem to want to listen to her brain at all.
"Uh... I dance! Always!" She exclaimed, excitedly. "I can... Give you a show? You want to see me dance?"
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Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2014 9:04 pm
The girl, Pahana, drank the ale down so quickly and with so little decorum that Uq felt his brows furrow in concern, wondering if she had already been drunk before the one and a half flagons she'd consumed infront of him. But no - again, he got the impression that this was just her nature, and that made him relax. IT felt more... honest than a person who was daintily sipping at their drink, and also made him feel somewhat protective of her - because he was a healer, of course, and he didn't want her to suffer from a massive hangover from drinking so much strong ale so quickly.
Definitely the fact he was a healer, and nothing to do with the fact she was a a friendly person, and something about that name only further lowered his usual shy quiet - he'd heard it before, but where?? If he needed proof as to how drunk she was, it was obvious in the loud clatter as she almost tossed her tankard down on the surface.
Uquin paused then reached to pluck another cup from a passing ale maid. He normally didn't care for it, but the warmth that settled in his throat and stomach as he drank heated him from the inside in a way that relaxed his muscles, which had always had the problem of being too stiff and overly composed - and it was something he found he quite needed, after the battle and the endless regimens of training and healing he'd put himself through afterwards. He hadn't had a chance to actually wind down.
He was halfway through drinking a long gulp of the ale when Pahana nearly shouted at him that she DID dance. It didn't answer if she was a dancer, but it worked out. For once discarding his manners, Uq whiped some of the alcohol from his lips with the back of his sleeve, blinking at her and finding himself flushing deeply at the suggestion of a 'show'. "But Pahana. ...You're drunk." He said bluntly, looking at her pointedly. It wasn't a ... reprimand or anything, but being drunk didn't lend itself to fancy foot work. "Trust me. I'm a healer." He continued, extremely serious, but his words were slurred, and the fact he felt being a healer made him the divine authority on how to tell when someone was drunk was actually quite ridiculous.
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Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2014 9:25 pm
"Healer? My cousin does that!" Pahana exclaimed, a bout of giggles spouting out shortly after. She leaned against the table in an attempt to control herself, and to keep from falling to the ground, and tried to take a few deep breaths. Whoa! She hadn't felt this good in ages! What was this all about again? Was someone coming to town? Was it her brother? She laughed and reached out for another drink as they came around, gulping down half before continuing to laugh.
"I could totally dance for you! Like... Over behind those houses!" She said, pointing. "Super secret dancing spot, special shows only! You game?"
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Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2014 9:41 pm
It was a lot funnier than it should have been that the only part she picked up on was that he was a healer. His warning that she was drunk was ignored, since she was drinking even more ale now - and she didn't seem to put two and two together to realize that ....
... Realize what again? Actually why was Uquin trying to boss her around concerning her alcohol intake? She could drink as much as she wanted, it was a party after all, right? He nodded to himself, satisfied, and finished off his own tankard again, clanking it down onto the table a bit harder than he'd intended.
He grunted softly when she mentioned knowing a healer, furrowing his eyebrows and raising a hand to his heated cheeks. So this was being drunk? Pff he was fine, this was nothing. He'd been worried for a minute there. "Secret dancing??" He echoed, raising both of his eyebrows at her. All this from spilling alcohol on her? She must be a very nice person, he thought with a drunk bubbly sort of happiness. How had he not run into her before, when he was a prentice? Maybe he wouldn't have been so down on himself if he'd met her. Just like that Yaholo gu--
Oh. OHHHH.
Gasping, Uquin stood up quickly, having leaned heavily against the table without realizing it, reaching forward and grabbing Pahana by the wrists, wanting to share his revelation with her. "You!! You're auntie Pahana! He said, wide-eyed. That was right - she'd been there, from afar, when she met Yaholo and the man's sons. He'd agreed to help Yaholo by keeping an eye on his children and sister - but in the end he had instead decided to go to the battle himself, to help heal the injured. How could he have forgotten his promise??
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Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2014 9:50 pm
Suddenly, her wrists were being grabbed, and she was being pulled forward. Whooooa, the world was so blurry! What was he saying? Something about auntie... Auntie... Auntie Pahana? What? How did he know that? Was he friends with Yaholo? She tilted her head towards him and leaned further forward, her balance continuing to teeter.
"Two nephews! They..." She flung her arm in a random direction. "Live with the flower warriors! I used to... Like them, but... Not sure now."
All she wanted to do now was sit down... Or embrace Uquin, because he was her brother's friend. Either was good. She reached forward for Uquin and pulled him into a hug.
"Any friend of Yaho is mine, okay?" She said, giggling.
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