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 Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2012 10:35 am
"I told you t'would be a good time, didn't I?" Forty minutes in, and Aufidius was already drunker than he ever had the right to be. Clutched in his hand was the fourth, or maybe fifth, pint he had ordered from a nearby vendor, and he had gone ahead and signed himself up for the singing competition that he would no doubt lose in dramatic fashion. The young singer wobbled on his feet, straightened up, and sloshed ale down the front of his shirt as he tried in vain to drink from the mug without spilling anything. "You're enjoyin' yerself for a change, I can see it!"
How much Aufidius could or could not see was heavily debatable. Beside him, Patrek stood and hung onto the younger man with a vice-like grip, all but holding him upright as the singer stumbled left and right. "Yes, and you're more drunk than you usually are, and I don't think that makes you any more right than you usually are," the soldier grumbled. He might have been having fun and enjoying himself in he hadn't been forced to babysit Aufidius.
There was no doubt about it, the festival was in town. Tents and vendors lined the streets, and everywhere people were hawking their wares. Shouts arose as prices were projected across the road and men and women like walked the streets, visiting the tents. Some as drunk as Aufidius wove their way precariously through the crowd, and many more sat on the roadside sloppily downing more alcohol. There was even a ring set up for a swordfighting tournament that Patrek would happily have joined.
But the best part that Patrek could see was that the festival brought out people of all sorts, and oddity was by and large the norm. It meant that, for once, Careo could trail along without fear of being spotted or considered out of place. The fawn had been happy to comply, though Patrek could tell that the hustle and bustle was getting to be quite a lot for the young deer to handle. For a creature so used to slowly and carefully analyzing movements, seeing so much at once must have been a bit of sensory overload. The soldier kept feeling odd bursts of emotion and images sent to him at odd intervals, whenever something strange struck the young deer.
"Ah, you'll be alright, lad," he said, reassuring the fawn. "Him, on the other hand..." Then again, Aufidius was quite used to being incapacitated. Maybe it was all for the best anyway.
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Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2012 7:15 pm
Chinua enjoyed the festive mood that had settled on Oldcastle. She had been in the town for a few odd weeks and although she had suspected that something was about to happen, she had no idea that it would be a town festival. Or that it would be this spectacular.
Early this morning the young foreigner had unknowingly ventured out from the Berry-lantern Inn to investigate the noise that was coming from the streets, and had been more than surprised to see so many people out and about. The vendor's stalls had popped up overnight, along with stages, competition rings and other oddities that Chinua had never seen before. Firebreathers, jugglers, hawkers, and singers could be found on every corner, and dispersed throughout the town were contests of various sorts. Chinua had ended up spending a full hour watching 5 regular folk eat a full pig in an "eating competition". It had seemed like a waste of food at the time, but she did admire the unending stomach of the winner. She had also been pulled into watching a few puppet shows and a short play in the middle of a town square. All of it seemed utterly strange to the foreigner, and yet, she loved it.
And so, when Koke had caught wind of all the interesting things outside the Inn's stable, she had demanded that Chinua come get her. The girl had never had such sharp mental images sent over from her bonded, and the doe had some very inventive ideas what she would do if she wasn't let out immediately. It had Chinua chuckling under her breath.
So here she was, a young foreign girl in the middle of a crowded town festival accompanied by a full grown doe decked out in a bright red harness. For once, they fit in. And it was definitely worth bringing Koke out. It was like having a second set of eyes helping her take in all the spectacles. The doe filtered everything over to her chosen. While Chinua was busy watching a violinist strike their first note, Koke was sending her images of the swordfight across the yard. It was brilliant. It was enjoyable. It was fun.
Something sparkling caught the edge of Chinua's eye. She turned her head and was seized by the beauty in front of her. Drawn to it, Chinua approached the vendor's stall. A set of earrings, blue sapphires twined intricately in copper wire, beckoned to the girl. She needed these earrings that reminded her so much of her bonded's eyes. She turned to the vendor and started bargaining, a skill that she had perfected in her home country, putting aside her bonded's thoughts to focus on the task at hand.
Koke didn't notice her chosen's inattention and was busy watching the crowds around her; giddy and excited about all the new things she'd never seen before. She wandered amongst the throngs of people, though largely unnoticed, a few folk did give her curious looks. It wasn't everyday that a deer was in town, meandering around on their own.
Suddenly a delicious smell wafted into the doe's nose. Some kind of strange food was waving right in front of Koke's face and it smelled delightful. Like any creature, she snapped up the delicious morsel before it got away from her. Flavor erupted in her mouth and she savored the exotic tastes.
Chinua finished with her purchase, content with the final price she had haggled the earrings down to, and turned back to look for her bonded. Her eyes immediately focused on a scene across the road from her. A burly man, obviously inebriated, staggered around to face Koke. The hulking brute looked from his hand to the doe and then back to his empty palm. His palm clenched. Chinua gasped. Could she reach her bonded through all the people in time?
"Koke move!" The girl's frantic voice barely rose above the din of the festival.
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Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2012 12:50 pm
"How about we get you some food, you great oaf," Patrek said with a roll of his eyes, physically hauling the lanky young singer sideways toward a food vendor. The scent of foods from all across the land wafted and intermingled in the air, creating a haze of delicious, if indeterminable, smells. The very mention of food had set Aufidius to salivating, and he was all but staring starry-eyed at the array of delicacies set before him.
"It aaall looks wunnerful, and it... see that one..." Aufidius' finger pointed at nothing in particular as he swayed slightly on his feet, narrowly held up by Patrek's grip on the back of his collar. Oh, it all smelled perfect, and even looked perfect, though his sight might have been playing tricks on him at the moment. Aufidius wasn't too sure, but he thought he might have seen two vendors standing under the tent only moments before, when there was now only... one. Or maybe it was two. They all looked so similar, anyway.
"Will you just pick one, lad, or shall I do it for you?" Patrek grumbled, swatting Aufidius' aimless hand away from the food and grabbing two steaming buns from a platter. Fishing into his pocket, he found several coins and handed them to the vendor in exchange for the food. "Now eat," he commanded, stuffing the buns into his companion's hands and watching as Aufidius dully broke off a piece and placed it into his mouth.
He was just about to congratulate the young singer on not being totally incapacitated when a startled bleat erupted behind him, and Careo shot him a panicked image of a beautifully decorated doe and a burly, angry-looking man. Distress! The fawn's glowing, pale eyes were wide and he had pinned his ears anxiously. Patrek whipped around to find the source of the image, and through his shared consciousness with Careo, he dimly heard someone shouting, "Koke, move!"
"Where-" And there, in the middle of the street... Patrek let go of Aufidius' collar, and was only barely aware as the young singer all but crumpled to the ground. By then, he was already sprinting, driven by all his instincts as a soldier and by Careo's blatant refusal to let anything bad happen on his watch. "MOVE," he grunted, forgetting that it was a deer and that she probably couldn't understand him. His momentum carried him sideways into the doe, bodily shoving her out of the way half a moment before the burly man's fist came swinging to crack against the side of his jaw.
"... Shi- You bloody ingrate!" He snapped, driving a retaliatory fist into the other man's gut. "No, don't," he barked, lifting his shirt to reveal short knife tucked into his trousers when the man tried to swing again.
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Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 6:42 pm
Chinua started to push her way through the masses, eyes focused on her bonded, as the scene unfolded in front of her. A strange man, muscular in build with smoothed back dirty blonde hair appeared in the picture, shoving her chosen out of the way and taking the blow intended for the doe. Chinua gasped again and with even more urgency pushed her way through the crowds, ignoring the curses aimed her way.
When Chinua reached the spot of all the activity she came to a momentary halt, eyes scanning the area quickly, taking it all in. The rescuer, a man who looked military, had his shirt held up to reveal a rather nasty looking knife to the drunk. Chinua could assume by the way the drunk was wheezing slightly that he had already received a blow from this stranger, and that it wouldn't be long before he backed down. Although intoxicated, even he would probably realize that the odds were not in his favor.
Still tense, but no longer concerned about another attack from the drunk, Chinua's attention turned back to her main concern: Koke. The doe stood off to the side, eyes wide and ears perked forward. Mentally she was strangely quiet, she wasn't filtering anything over to her bonded. Probably the shock, poor thing has never been in such an encounter, even though she managed to avoid being in the fight. Chinua made her way over to the doe.
Koke bleated quietly as she caught sight of her bonded, but made no move from where she stood. "It's alright, lightheart, you'll be fine." Chinua soothed the doe in her native language as she stroked the deer's cheek. She then checked the doe over, running expert hands over all four legs, making sure she sustained no lasting damage from the encounter. In a few spots Chinua received a muted pain sent over from the doe, but nothing that indicated anything more than a few bruises. Once her check was complete, she lifted her chosen's head and stared into her blue eyes. "You are lucky this time Lightheart. But you need to be more careful, especially in this place." She rebuked the doe gently, still in her native language. Koke looked away, obviously abashed and still somewhat distressed, but not as frightened as before.
Now it was time to thank Koke's rescuer. Chinua turned, noticing that the drunk had made his exit while she had been occupied. "Sir, Thank you so, so much for stepping in. " Chinua's common was not as good as her native language, but she managed to convey her thankfulness nonetheless. She also took this time to look the rescuer over. Tall, older than her, with a visage she found appealing, and strength to back it up. She blushed, suddenly shy now that she had a good look at him.
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Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 6:36 am
"Yeh, there you go, lad. Go piss yourself in a pigpen, why don't you," Patrek muttered darkly as the burly drunk lumbered away after shooting him a murderous look. He knew what the man was thinking, that it was a cheap shot and a cowardly move to threaten a man with a knife in a brawl. But the fact of the matter remained that even without the knife, Patrek could easily have subdued a man without combat training, no matter how large he was. The knife only shortened the process and saved them both a good deal of pain.
"Now bugger all, why did I do all that, eh?" Patrek said softly, looking over at Careo. The fawn and made his way over to his Chosen, hardly fazed by the narrowly avoided fight. He poked Patrek lightly with his nose, and the soldier knew the answer to his own question. The calm and satisfaction that emanated from the young deer, held in such sharp contrast to the distress he had been radiating only moments before, was answer enough.
Without much fanfare, Careo left Patrek's side and wandered over to the doe, who still looked somewhat stricken from her close encounter. Just as unceremoniously, he poked her with his nose in a gesture that Patrek assumed was meant to reassure her like Careo had reassured him.
"Oh, nothing to it, miss," the soldier answered with a nod. "I'm glad she's alright. And you," he added. "There's all sorts of drunkards when the festival comes through town. You ought to be careful, that's all."
By then, Aufidius had managed to sober up somewhat. His less than graceful fall to the ground must have woken him up. He had managed to climb to his feet and stand with minimal swaying, and now ambled over as if he had been a part of the conversation all along to pitch in. "Or she oughta go 'round with some company," he declared with a dazzling smile. "We've got company, in case y'haven't seen."
"Bugger your mouth lad, the lady don't have to do anything if she doesn't want to," the soldier snapped, fighting the urge to give the young singer a whack upside the head for being rude.
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Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 3:12 pm
Chinua's eyes rounded as she caught sight of the little grey and blue fawn that nosed up to the soldier, surprised. Even more so when it wandered away from the man over to her chosen. She could feel Koke's surprise echo her own...and then the doe's obvious glee.
This was Koke's first time meeting another guardian, outside of Shen, Tsaan's chosen. She chirped in exuberance. Her ears perked up and she touched noses to the little fawn, before nuzzling him enthusiastically. She pranced around the youngling positively ecstatic, before dashing over to Chinua, twining herself around the woman like a cat and bounding back over the fawn, obviously trying to tell her chosen 'look what I found!'
Chinua smiled before bringing her attention back to the human present. "Ahh, you're right. This is my first time at one of these... festivals. I must admit I was quite unprepared. I probably shouldn't have brought Koke out, but when she's adamant there's no stopping her." She shrugged slightly. Nothing she could do about it now.
It was then that the second man made his entrance. So much for the warning about drunkards; their rescuer seemed to in the company of one...or one who was recovering anyway. The man seemed to be in control for the most part, though his slight swaying indicated that he had tasted at least one of those mugs of beer floating around. She scanned the man briefly. The newcomer had that look. The look that she had seen on many of the performers on the stage this very day. Oozing charisma and charm, she could tell that he was an entertainer. She wondered what kind of talent this man possessed, but his lithe form could've been suited for a variety of tasks from acrobat to actor. Again, he was attractive, but in a more feminine way than his companion. Chinua preferred the soldier.
She pulled her mind back to the conversation, tracking the back and forth between the two men, adjusting to the accent on the second. She ignored the obvious flirtations of the second man completely, passing them off as result of the liquor he had tried earlier, though the blush from earlier remained on her cheeks. "Ahh the company may be a good idea actually, before anything else...untoward happens on this fine day." Chinua assumed that someone in the possession of a guardian had to be alright, and the soldier had saved her once already, so even though they were strangers she wasn't concerned about going off with them. Plus, she wanted Koke to enjoy the company of the fawn for a bit longer. "Peacefully met, my name is Chinua." She bowed from the waist in the tradition of her people, her long braid of black hair flipping over her shoulder to brush the ground. She tossed it back over her shoulder as she rose, paying it no mind. "Where are you headed, gracious sirs?"
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Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 10:45 pm
Excitement, Patrek gleaned from the emotions that Careo relayed to him, though he could see as much simply by watching the pretty doe. Her enthusiasm had begun to rub off on the usually stoic fawn, who lifted his little tail partook of several prancing steps alongside the doe.
Well, good, the soldier told the fawn. Careo was taking his first encounter with another guardian well in stride, though he seemed to do so with most new experiences. He was an analytic creature by nature, and anything that happened to confuse him could just as easily be sort out by careful observation.
He turned his attention back to the conversation at hand just in time to hear Aufidius declare, "Aufidius Marks, at your service. To hear it said in these here streets, there's plenty I can do for a pretty lady like yourself, just say the word!" The singer was about to execute a sweeping bow that would have left him face-first in the street. Patrek scowled and caught him by the collar once again, hauling him back upright. It was not the first time the drunken oaf had made a fool of himself, and it certainly would not be the last. The difference was that he usually did so at a more controllable state. Liquid courage seemed a constant companion to the singer (not that he really needed it; Patrek was convinced he was fool enough to not know the meaning of fear), but rarely in such copious amounts.
The soldier, on the other hand, had hardly a romantic bone in his body and the ways of flirting were all but lost to him. More than once, Aufidius had suggested that getting laid would erase the frown from Patrek's face and that drinking himself into oblivion would help with that process. Patrek was not convinced, though he knew Aufidius was right in saying that he had little skill in wooing women. Not that he tried to very often. Most days, caring for his sword and his deer were enough.
"Ah, don't worry about him," Patrek said by way of apology. "He's a harmless drunk, more like to hurt himself than anyone else." Aufidius was not quite built to inflict damage on others, in any case. The soldier released his grip on the back of his companion's shirt, looking back at Chinua. "Patrek Falconer is my name," he added. "We were just making our rounds, I suppose. This one here's too drunk to know the difference, and I'd be happy to escort you wherever you want to go."
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Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2013 7:54 pm
Chinua's eyes crinkled in amusement and a smile flitted to her face as she watched the soldier Patrek Falconer save his drunken friend from a near face plant. The man - one Aufidius Marks, was more inebriated than she had first suspected. She couldn't help but feel both respect and pity for Patrek for having to deal with his companion.
Chinua addressed Patrek first, her voice light and friendly "So I can see! The poor man can barely retain his feet, he's as harmless as they can get. How did he get into such a sorry state?" Without waiting for the soldier's reply she raised her eyebrows and gave Aufidius a look of disapproval, speaking slowly for his benefit. "And you sir, I doubt there is anything you can do for me at this moment, well, except maybe find yourself some water." To dunk your head in. She didn't add the last part out loud. She was still disapproving of the man's over-consumption of alcohol. Where she was from, alcohol was used for keeping warm on cold nights and treating wounds. She could not understand Sunderlanders abuse of the substance...also the recent experience with Koke was probably still affecting her somewhat.
"I really had no destination in mind when I came out this morning and -" A gentle nipping on her arm distracted Chinua mid-sentence. Koke tugged on her bonded's sleeve. " - but it seems that Koke has a spot in mind?"
Approval, agreement.
Is that a yes? She asked the doe wordlessly.
Approval, agreement. The doe pulled more insistently on Chinua's sleeve. The woman chuckled and took a few steps forward, following the deer. "I told you that there's no stopping her when she wants something. Should we see follow this silly creature and see what she has in mind?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2013 5:45 am
Patrek was as amused as Aufidius was befuddled by Chinua's rebuke. How many times had a woman - or a man, for that matter - thrown off Aufidius' advances with such casualty? The soldier was certain they could be counted on the fingers of one hand. People generally had no trouble falling for the young singer's clean face and charmed smile.
And yet.
Patrek turned his attention from his friend as Chinua's doe made her entrance, followed closely by Careo who had stuck to her like a burr and seemed more than pleased by the prospect of following her. The sight was so heartwarming that the soldier didn't think he could have resisted even if he had wanted to. Guardians were no doubt a different sort of company, but Careo had never formed much of a bond with any other animal; even though he shared a stall with Aufidius' horse Two-Step, the fawn still showed a practiced apathy toward the chestnut gelding. Patrek had grown so used to seeing his Guardian simply co-exist with others that it was a pleasant shock to see him interact so heartily with Koke.
"I think it would be for the best," he agreed as Chinua began to follow the doe. Throwing one of Aufidius' arms across his shoulder, he half pulled, half carried the singer in the right direction as he followed after Chinua.
Her rejection seemed to have had a somewhat sobering effect on him, meanwhile, and as they walked several steps behind Chinua, Aufidius turned his bright eyes on his companion, a knowing grin plastered across his face. "I've riddled this one out, my friend," he muttered, clearly being discreet about it all.
"You riddled what out, you great oaf?"
"Her," he hissed urgently into Patrek's ear. "She wants you, see, that was why!" Because obviously, the only reason anyone could ever find Aufidius less than completely doable was that they had their sights set on somebody else. Flat-out rejection? Not a chance.
At that, though, Patrek gave Aufidius' arm a yank, shooting a glance toward Chinua to make sure she hadn't heard all the preposterous things that had come out of the singer's mouth. "Don't be an idiot," he snapped. They had only barely met, after all, and the idea of anybody wanting anything (except in Aufidius' case; he was always after somebody) was clearly ridiculous.
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Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 11:43 pm
Chinua pretended she hadn't heard Aufidius' words. She had... well some of it, before she stopped paying attention to the two men's conversation. Let the drunk think what he will. It was beneath her manners, and her disposition, to call him out on his words. Plus, it wasn't like she could completely deny his whispers. Instead she focused on other things.
It was a glorious day and her curiosity was peaked by her chosen's insistence to go somewhere. Chinua mentally reviewed all the locations she had been with the doe, and so far she had no inkling on where they were going. She didn't remember ever traveling this direction with the creature before; but she kept quiet, staying within the bounds of her own mind, and waited to see where they ended up.
And it was slow going. The crowds had not thinned since earlier, still a steady stream of festival-goers, and it was cumbersome trying to fight through. Koke used her body as a divider, parting the crowds for her and the fawn at her side. Chinua, on the other hand, wasn't quite so fortunate and ended up with a few more bruises than she would have liked. More than once she uttered expletives under her breath in her native language. Every few minutes she'd be sure to sneak a glance over her shoulder and make sure Patrek and Aufidius were still behind them.
So it was with more than a bit of relief for Chinua when Koke finally came to a halt. The doe cast an eye back at her small procession before peeling off the main street and into a side alley. Or more adequately put: an entrance. A brick arch, covered in ivy, introduced the small party to what could only be called an oasis amongst chaos. Broad leaved trees, brightly colored flowers, trickling ponds and plenty of grass. A park in the middle of the city, who would've guessed? Chinua could make out a stage set up almost out of sight, and a few other people lounging about watching whatever entertainment was currently performing. The sound of laughter could faintly be heard. Must be a comedy, Chinua mused, finally feeling a bit more like herself now that she wasn't being pushed this way and that. Koke too must've been feeling better, for she immediately bounded away, nipping at Careo in an invitation for play. Chinua smiled again. "I think the whole of Sunderland is in Oldcastle today. Does it go like this every year? "
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Posted: Fri Sep 06, 2013 8:31 am
Careo flanked the doe closely as they wound their way up the street. The moving sea of people seemed to hardly pay them any attention, which was understandable next to the clamor of the festival raging around them. The fawn continued to erratically project emotions and images to his Chosen, blissfully unaware of what he was doing as he pranced along after Koke. These occurrences had happened often enough that Patrek was beginning to grow accustomed to them, and the only sign that he had received anything from Careo was the rapid blink that it took for the soldier to process the extra information.
The walk was punctuated by Aufidius' repeated knowing nudges and winks, followed by whispered "tips" concerning how Patrek ought to move forward from here, now that they had apparently established where Chinua's interest lay. By the time the small stage came into view, the soldier was ready to dump Aufidius at the first convenient point and let the singer fend for himself. This he did when they reached the brick arch, ducking under the arm Aufidius had wrapped around his shoulders and sidestepping swiftly toward Chinua. A satisfied smile settled on Patrek's face as he watched his friend wobble, and then fling himself against the arch to avoid collapse.
"It seems that way, doesn't it? I don't believe I've seen this many people here ever before," Patrek said to Chinua. His gaze followed Careo as the fawn took off after Koke. Even such a serious creature as Careo could understand play, though it was not an activity he partook in often. "This is my first year here. I rarely find myself in Oldcastle in these months. But I've heard tell of this festival in Palisade as well. If those stories are to be believed, this is quite an event." That, he supposed, they had all witnessed firsthand as well. Given what he had seen so far, Patrek didn't find the idea that it was just as raucous a celebration every other year surprising. "Word has it that you can find all sorts of wonderful things here, and meet all sorts of fascinating people, which... well." He gestured toward Chinua, which was supposed to mean that she was proof that the statement was true.
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Posted: Fri Sep 06, 2013 10:26 am
"... meet all sorts of fascinating people, which... well." Chinua had turned to Patrek just before he completed his sentence, so she noticed his gesture. The blush returned. "Ahh umm well, yes - " Chinua's eyes widened as she looked closer at Patrek. She blinked and stepped closer, raising a tentative hand towards his face. Before her fingers touched skin, she drew back, catching herself. "ugh." Her face reddened further, but she quickly looked down, hiding it from him. She preoccupied herself by looking in her stomach sash for something. "Here....for the bruise" Chinua held out a little glass jar, a white cream inside. "It'll help, believe me. It works wonders." Chinua had long since learned that you couldn't travel half way around the world without having a remedy for minor injuries up your sleeve.
Now if there was only a remedy to create sobriety. Chinua noted that Patrek had brushed off Aufidius and that the poor entertainer was trying to keep his balance by clinging onto the brick arch. A small grin lit her face. It was time to change the subject and she had the perfect way to go about it."So Patrek, I'm sure your friend there has attended more than a few of these...festivals? What is he; actor, musician, or acrobat?" Chinua tried to be neutral but skepticism colored her voice at the last one. She'd never believe that with the grace he had thus far displayed. "Perhaps he'll be demonstrating his, hmm, skills later today?"
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Posted: Fri Sep 06, 2013 11:06 am
Aufidius' small hum of incoherence drew Patrek's attention and he turned away conveniently - or perhaps inconveniently - right at the moment Chinua lifted her hand. It wasn't until he heard her small "ugh" that he turned back and fixed his attention fully on her again. She was much more deserving of it, after all. Briefly, he noticed how red her face was and might have asked her about it, but seemed to decide it must be the sun - or something - and said nothing. He didn't seem to notice the effort she put into hiding it from him, nor did he seem to realize there must be a reason she was suddenly so fascinated by her sash.
A small sound of disbelief issued forth from the arch, where Aufidius still leaned and where he surveyed the scene before him with uncharacteristic silence. Perhaps his friend's reaction - or complete lack thereof - to what he considered very obvious clues had rendered him temporarily speechless. Or perhaps the alcohol still had him indisposed.
Patrek ignored him adamantly. He fixed his gaze upon the little jar and took it from her with as much care as a soldier could muster. It was a... cream of some sort. He couldn't remember the last time he had used any such remedy for a cut or bruise. "Thank you," he told her sincerely, unscrewing the jar cautiously and realizing he had no idea how much he ought to put on or whether there was a certain way to apply such healing remedies. He hesitated. "Uhm. Is it bad? I mean, I don't... ah."
It felt odd discussing a bruise, so he was as eager as Chinua was to change the subject. Still clutching the jar as if he wasn't quite sure what to do with it, he said, "Oh, Aufidius is..." Patrek shook his head with the air of someone who didn't quite understand something, but had long since come to accept it. "A lot of things," he said finally. "He fancies himself an actor, but I've never seen him act, and then he fancies himself a singer but... well, if you could call a c**k a singer, then this country would be full of them."
The soldier eyed the nearby stage with concern at Chinua's next words and said, rather ominously, "Don't you put any ideas into his head, or he'll be demonstrating his lack of skills for us sooner than you'd like."
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Posted: Fri Sep 06, 2013 2:46 pm
"Ahhh a c**k, I see..." Chinua pondered a moment, clearly not realizing the double meaning behind the word. "...but it is a day of humor, is it not??" With a twinkle in her eye, Chinua pitched her voice to carry. "Aufidius, Patrek tells me you have quite the enjoyable singing tenor? It's unfortunate that in your condition you won't be performing for us." Dropping back to a conversationalist tone she said to Patrek, "Don't worry, if he falls off the stage, I'll help you carry him." And she would. Living on the rugged plateaus of Mongolia she had done more than enough lifting, carrying and hard labour to know that she could handle carrying the man if need be.
Chinua expected her words to bring the entertainer over, eager to display his skills. Which would give her a few moments to address the other thing bothering her. Patrek still held the little jar she'd given him. Internally she itched to smear it on the bruise herself, but she resisted. Having looked after reindeer and rambunctious little boys growing up, she knew that it was best to use medicine early. But Patrek wasn't a child and it was not her place to care for him, so she left it.
Well, almost left it.
"The cream, you just rub it in...it's perfectly fine, should help with the discoloration and pain..." You're aiding him, nothing wrong with that. He got that bruise because of Koke, it's the least you can do. Chinua berated herself and steeled her will. "If, if you'd like, I could put it on for you." The woman didn't turn away this time, and looked directly at Patrek though her cheeks were still pink. "Please? it was, after all, my inattention that lead to it." MoonRazor Hehehe he's hilarious. xD
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Posted: Fri Oct 25, 2013 10:17 am
"You haven't heard a good song until you've heard mine!" Aufidius declared, hoisting himself upright and stumbling over. In his drink-induced delirium, he somehow managed to locate the stage and began to amble over, already humming a song made all the more out of tune by the copious amounts of alcohol he had consumed.
"You don't know what you've gotten yourself into," Patrek warned Chinua, watching his friend stagger toward the stage. The smile playing around his lips betrayed his feelings, though. Aufidius was never more entertaining than when he was well and truly uninhibited, which was something Patrek would never admit for fear of pushing the singer's usual alcohol consumption over the edge.
"Oh," the soldier said, looking down at the jar that he had all but forgotten about. "Oh, there's no need, I can... well..." He paused. Saying that he could do it himself was something of a lie. No doubt Chinua would know better than he if there was a proper way to rub ointment into a bruise, and... well, perhaps it would be nice to be taken care of for once? The soldier in him said no, but another, less calloused part thought otherwise. "If you wouldn't mind terribly," he conceded.
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