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 Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2016 7:27 pm
For one who looked to have been born of ice and snow, Callum was having difficulties acclimating to the chilly conditions. It was a different experience all together, traveling across the Zenian landscape, but he found a sort of peace in the cold. Although he may not have been made for this lifestyle he had earned a healthy respect for those that called the tundra home. Callum had spotted several children having an easier time tromping through the calf high snow than himself, and they were nearly half his height!
The exorbitant amount of clothing he wore helped as well. There had never been a time in his life where Callum had been so thoroughly covered, and he found it irritating, to say the least. Once he had tried to crouch down to inspect a game trail; once. The resulting fiasco of trying to pick himself up out of the snow after discovering he couldn't bend his knees was enough to scare him away from it. Nimueh's concern was charming, really, but this...He didn't find himself nearly as appealing in the darker, furrier wardrobe as his lover. Nimueh had a way of making it seem as if it were an extension of himself, rather than a bushy cover up. Callum felt like a giant, pelted pastry that could easily be rolled down a hill if turned horizontal.
In reality the clothing wasn't excessively thick, but anything more than silk felt monstrous to Callum.
Which, was part of the reason he had jumped at the chance to spend some time in yet another tavern. He waddled inside the door and barely settled near a table before he started stripping down. First to go was the scarf that had been wrapped thrice about his head, leaving little but a tuft of hair and eyes uncovered. He was expecting some kind of disgruntled reaction from it, preparing for it even, but that didn't stop Callum. Not in the least.
"I feel-" He tugged at the outer most coat, and instead of undoing the clasps he settled on pulling it over his head. "-I feel like a mammu."
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Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2016 8:12 pm
Zenan settlements, by nature, were established relatively close together when possible, and so it wasn't strange to have a number of Zenan merchants passing through on their way to peddle their wares in Sauti. For whatever disdain the ice earthlings held for their traveling neighbors, it was hard to deny the symbiotic lifestyle the two tribes shared between one another. Long story short, often times patrons of the tavern and inn stayed only long enough to rest up for the upcoming trip to Sauti, or simply to thaw their limbs out before heading out the following morning.
Even so, it was much more common to have ice earthlings from the far east traveling through, or heading back home - and quite rare to have foreigners straying so far into the mountains. And so as the bright-haired, and overly covered outsider shuffled inside and began to hastily strip off the many layers he wore, he was fixed with a number of nosy looks, which quickly averted when he was followed inside by a huge, tall ice man (for that was how Nim appeared, from a distance, even with his dreaded hair and strange eyes). Nimueh had thought it would be 'fun' to stray off from home, and show Callum the sights. And if he had been a bit... zealous in his protectiveness over his half-frozen lover, could you really blame him?
Nimueh hadn't given Callum much chance to find his own clothing; odds were he'd stumble upon Buru's closet, and then where would they be? Even so, it was equal parts amusing and frustrating to see how displeased the older man was over the clothing situation. Sitting, silently, at the table, Nimueh dragged off his own gloves and set them on the edge of the table, raising a slim eyebrow as Callum fought to drag off the heavy layers of coats. "If you're at least as warm as one, then isn't that worth it?" He responded, his voice patient and tinged with the slightest bit of laughter.
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Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2016 8:29 pm
From a distance one could easily assume Callum was nothing more than a wind tribesman. The hue of his hair may have passed for platinum, while his curls hid the tips of his ears. It was only when faced with him up close that his genetics were called into question, but thankfully, this wasn't the case. The majority of onlookers turned away, at least those who were far too busy ingesting a warm meal, though it wasn't as if he wasn't used to stares. It came with just being...well, him.
Callum placed his gloves atop a growing pile of cloth in the chair beside his own. The pants he couldn't do much with at the moment, but at least now he was comfortable. His level of 'comfort' meaning a thinner long sleeved under shirt that clung to him like a second skin. Once he'd dragged off the final layer Callum shook out his curls with a pleased sigh, unaware of the attention his exuberant behavior was drawing.
Finally he sat down across from Nimueh with a little pout, one tipped with a half hidden smile "Maybe, but I still think I could wear less and be just fine."
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Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2016 8:45 pm
For the moment at least, Callum hadn't garnered far too much attention as of yet, beyond simply causing a ruckus with his entrance. Now that he was done extricating himself from his confines, the people in the bar lost interest - at least for the moment. Slightly flushed and out of breath from his efforts, Callum looked absolutely fetching to Nim, and much improved from the freezing and emotionally drained Callum of only a few days ago. Nimueh himself wasn't much affected by his state of undress, as he had seen Callum in less, and had spent his childhood around those less conservatively clothed. The question was, how was Callum NOT cold now that he'd dragged off his coat?
Humming in quiet disagreement, Nimueh's eyes glittered in amusement, even if the rest of his features remained much more restrained. Before he could give a proper answer, a breathless waitress appeared - a young, but buxom ice girl whose thick hair was pulled back at the nape of her neck, even if a few waves fell around her face, brushing against her bared shoulders. "Drinks?" She asked, her voice raised slightly to be heard in the din of a busy tavern, looking between the two. It was in this look that she realized the strangeness of the two visitors - lingering with some surprise on Nimueh's strange eyes, then sweeping slowly over Callum's own state, flushing somewhat as she took in his appearance.
The perked ears, shorter than those of the ice tribe, accompanied with the pale skin and silver hair - and the peeks of crystals that the thin shirt adhered to all caught her eyes, and caused her to stumble slightly over her words. Nimueh noticed the stare, but wasn't unused to it - even if he didn't realize just what sort of glance she was sending Callum's way. "There's a sap drink we have here. Sweet, but it warms you up." Nimueh pondered, tilting his head questioningly towards Callum.
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Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2016 9:00 pm
He arched a brow Nim's way, before considering the situation at hand. Callum twisted in his seat, leaning on side of his body against the table, to give their waitress his full attention. He flashed her a brilliantly charming smile, and took in her appearance. A keen eye for detail served him well in that moment, giving him an edge on the breathless girl. She was youthful, obviously well endowed and likely harried from working long shifts. As Callum's gaze drifted over her form he vaguely wondered just how often that pert little rump had been squeezed by lecherous patrons.
She deserved something more, and hopefully, she could give them a little discount in return.
"Sweeter than you? It's hard to believe such a thing could exist." He rose just enough from his chair to perch a hip on the table. Callum brushed the rebellious locks behind her ear, touch as light as the air itself. "We'll take two, and preferably something a bit more...robust to eat as well."
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Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2016 9:24 pm
The smile was innocent enough, just a smile in the grand scheme of things. Callum was a charming, sweet person and Nimueh had seen how smarmy Callum tended to be with most people. Of course, all of thise had been before, when they traveled through Sauti - a time in which his affections had already been denied, and he had no claim over Callum's more flirtatious attentions.
However, while Callum gave her no more than a furtive once-over before speaking, the close attention he paid made his eyebrows raise slightly, before shooting down once more as Callum spoke. To the outside viewer, Nim's face was just as stoic as before, save for the downward turn of his eyebrows, but the slightly pinched lips made him appear much more stony-faced to those who knew his expressions well enough. His eyes narrowed the slightest bit, and he looked, very hard, at Callum, taking in a deep breath through his nose.
The behavior was no different than any Nimueh had seen before from Callum, although honestly in their exploits through Sauti they had only run into groups of people a handful of times, and had mostly been on their own one-on-one together. And while Nimueh didn't doubt Callum's confession from before, he'd be lying if the sudden flip hadn't dug under his skin. And having his own words flipped by his significant other, and turned into a compliment for another had definitely pricked at his mood.
The girl, for her part, was astounded - and yet ultimately receptive. Whatever tension she felt when she realized they were hybrids melted away, and the smile she shot back from the simple compliment was dazzling. Her cheeks flushed purple, and despite the utter impropriety of the touch, she didn't seem to mind if the pleasant shiver that shuddered down her spine was any indication. Clutching her serving tray close to her, she cleared her throat, barely able to tear her gaze away from Callum's alluring eyes. "Oh my! Well, I... I wouldn't want to disappoint such welcome guests!" She drew her eyes over Callum once again, this time much more thoroughly, then drew away with a soft laugh.
As she hurried back to the bar, whispering excitedly to another barmaid there who had been watching, Nimueh leaned back in his chair somewhat, one long leg crossing over the other, tapping his fingertip against the table. He wasn't looking at Callum - and instead had turned his head, his gaze following the girl across the bar, making it clear where his attention went, lips drawn taut into a frown. Oh no, he wouldn't bring it up, but his displeasure rolled off him in waves if you knew how to read him - and to others it simply looked like he was watching the maid with some impatience.
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Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2016 9:44 pm
The girl's refreshing smile warmed Callum's heart. His eyes became more relaxed the longer he look at her. For no matter how truly radiant this girl was, Callum still couldn't help being disappointed that her eyes didn't have that same ethereal glow that Nim's possessed.
'Welcome guests' was a good start, as was her soft laugh. He watched her leave, eyes lingering longer than what was truly appropriate before he settled back into his chair with an easy grin. For all the world Callum felt ridiculously pleased with himself; he had given a sweet girl something to smile over and was likely to get a bonus from it himself.
"So, after this I was thinking we could head west toward...are you okay?"
He drew his brows closer together as he got a good look at his lover. His coloring didn't seem off, though Nimueh was far too rigid; even for Nim. A little nagging thought poked around in Callum's brain, though he was quick to dismiss it.
For a moment he shifted his gaze to follow his lover's before turning back with a clucked tongue. "She'll be back soon enough, you just need to be patient." After all, what else could explain the firm set of that frown other than hunger?
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Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2016 9:58 pm
As Nimueh's eyes were incapable of sliding in their sockets, he couldn't roll his eyes as an earthling was wont to do in this situation - nor could he side-eye Callum to convey just how disbelieving he was. A good deal of Nimueh's stoic features came simply from the limited expressiveness of Alkidike eyes. Where he had turned his head to watch her go, Nimueh now settled in his chair and tilted his face back toward Callum, shrugging noncommittally. As much as he wanted to address it, he felt it would draw far too much attention.
It would be far more prudent to just.... poke at him, ask about it later in privacy as they rented a room and retired for the night. Besides, as much as the incident had dug into his nerves, he couldn't deny the warmth he felt, behind the layers of prickling jealousy, that came with Callum's pleasure at lifting the girl's mood. "Mm. West you said?" he coaxed, fighting to relax. But he could hear her talking behind him, and even if he felt no ill will towards the girl, knowing she had done nothing wrong, he still felt on alert having her where he couldn't watch her.
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Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2016 10:13 pm
And they call shifters shifty. Had Callum not been raised side by side with alkidike hybrids he might not have noticed the subtleties in shifting expressions. It wasn't like Nimueh to be so impatient over a meal, but what else was there for him to be miffed about? Surely if it were something big enough to warrant concern he would have shared it by now. Being in a relationship meant being open with each other, right? The thought brought some comfort to Callum, mollifying his worries enough for him to relax once more.
"I thought we could go to Tale. I'd like to learn how to fly with Faulina, instead of having her try to buck me off when she decides we're done." He chuckled and the sound carried through the open space. Callum drew his elbow back and allowed it to hang over the back of his chair, fingers casually touching the wood.
His eyes found their waitress once more, and ever so casually, he tilted his head with a little grin her way. She was busy, but hopefully not so busy that she wouldn't come to them a little quicker. Maybe that would chill Nimueh out.
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Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2016 10:33 pm
With the topic changed, Nim allowed himself to take a deep breath, exhaling what tension he could as Callum happily began to speak. It still worried him that such a thing had happened at all - that, and he was still rather terrified to realize that Faulina, the tiny bird from only months before, had grown into a beast big enough to cart Callum around. "I'm sure I could make some sort of halter for her, so she doesn't carry you off to who knows where." He offered, his tone somewhat more relaxed - playful, even. He allowed a smile to rise onto his face, only for it to drop as Cal once again averted his gaze. This time, Nimueh understood his ulterior motive, but he couldn't help the sour pitch his mood took nonetheless.
Having been caught up in last minute refills, as well as quiet plotting with her friend, Wynne the barmaid returned with one wooden tankard cradled in her hands (rather than balanced on her tray, as she could have done) - all so the second drink could be brought over by a second barmaid. This one was a bit taller than Wynne, and while not as buxom her chest and hips were accentuated by the tie of a practical, but still stylish corset. Wynne looked between the two men, then settled her gaze on Callum, lightly setting the drink infront of him. Everything about her posture indicated interest- from the minute way she puffed her chest out, to the tilt of her head and coy smile.
Her friend, meanwhile, slid the tankard she held infront of Nimueh, diverting his attention from where he'd been heatedly staring holes through Wynne's head. With the way the second barmaid stood, it was impossible not to drag his gaze across her as he tugged his attention away - and despite his best attempts, the simple fact that Nimueh appreciated a womanly figure just as much as he did a man's meant his eyes lingered more than he intended - hard to avoid since her chest was at eye level, with him sitting down. Even so, one he realized what he had been doing, he wrenched his eyes away and instead moved to pull the tankard closer, lifting it so he could take a long pull, which in the end was more a mouthful of heady foam than actual drink.
Breathless from hastening to get their drinks, Wynne cast a look around the tavern and, finding the other customers content with their cups, shyly swept her eye over Callum again, and to the empty chairs on the opposite corners of the table. "We don't get many foreigners here - your food won't be done for a little while so, do you think... my friend and I would love to hear some of your stories about the west, if you would..." She flushed again and, mortified at her loss of words, she shot a pleading look towards her friend.
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Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2016 11:22 am
"Could you really?" Callum had certainly known that his lover was the creative sort, but this was something new altogether. It piqued his interest, even more so when Nimueh's demeanor seemed to lighten. And yet that too seemed to change. For one moment he'd seen a smile, and the next - nothing.
Choosing to ignore the shift rather than prod it, Callum turned his eye towards their charming maid, completely un-pulsed by the second female. The way they carried the tankards made their intent rather obvious, though for the moment he didn't mind. Maybe if they had a little company Nimueh would lighten up.
For his part, Callum couldn't avoid looking at Wynne's bountiful assets, not when they were so close. His eyes danced up her frosted skin, pausing only to return that oh so coy grin with a devilish one of his own. Every moment leading up to this one had gone fairly smooth in his mind, but as Callum turned, just for the briefest of moments to lift his tankard, a sight so profound caused time to stand still.
Nevah the barmaid's posture was still angled so that she would be noticed, even by shorter patrons. Her skin was flushed to near indigo shades, due to both a fast paced environment and the appealing company. Locks of straight cobalt hair rebelled against a practical, yet stylish, updo in favor of framing themselves around the crystals covering her skin like precious pearls.
Despite her apparent flustered state, Nevah took her time looking over the pair. She could see what had drawn her friend to the shifter, though her eyes couldn't seem to leave the alkidike. His markings held her attention for far longer than was appropriate, and unbeknownst to her, Nevah had begun nipping her lower lip while lost in thought.
She may not have noticed it, but Callum did. He knocked back a mouthful of the sweetened drink, and set the tankard back onto the table with enough force to make an audible 'thud'. It worked to distract Nevah, whose luminescent gaze retreated from his lover and over to him instead.
"We would just love to hear about some of your adventures." Nevah gushed. "A lot of the foreigners that drift through are merchants and businessmen. They have tales, sure, but I'm sure they can't hold a candle to the things you've seen." Her attention shifted from Callum and back to Nimueh, much to the former's chagrin.
He still bore his smile, but there was an edge to it that would have gone unnoticed by those unfamiliar with his behavior. Callum's lackadaisical posture was more focused now. There was nothing to differentiate Nimueh's actions from his own, but that girl seemed to be making herself a little too familiar.
You're imaging it. It wasn't right to see one with the innocence of a sweet maid and to view the other as a predatory beast. "I'm not sure that our stories can live up to the hype, but I wouldn't mind sharing a few." He looked to Nimueh, trying his best to ignore the female at his side. "If that's alright with you?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2016 5:40 pm
Oh, and what a happy moment it had been, before the girls came back over. And now, having been caught ogling this woman's chest (and with the reminder that Callum was just as happily admiring the other girl's features), the Alkidike angled his face up to look at her properly, nodded his head in quiet thanks, then turned with a flush of his cheeks back to his cup, taking a heavy drink just to do something with his hands. It simply wasn't like him to ogle anyone, and to have fallen into it without a drop of drink in his system horrified him! That, and the fact he was getting so prickly about Callum doing the exact same thing... had he done it, subconsciously, as some small act of revenge?
If she was eyeing him, Nimueh was unaware of it - instead, he looked over the rim of his tankard, raising an eyebrow in question when Callum set his cup down a little harder than necessary. While Nevah spoke, Nim tilted his head at his lover, fingers nervously fiddling with the handle of the glass in his hand, tongue drawing along his lips to capture any remaining sweetness the sap drink had left behind. It was alcoholic, but so sweet that it didn't taste like the normal mead or ale that Sauti drinks had. He knew that with many earthlings, they drank more than they intended because of how sweet it was, and could be overwhelmed with the alcohol in it. Nimueh himself had gotten tipsy quite a few times, but being as tall and heavy as he was, it took much more to get drunk and he had never crossed that threshold.
Which was a relief, because he really quite liked the drink!
"I don't know, your stories might. You did come back from Oba recently, after all." Nimueh responded, still tense, but getting more used to it. After the initial surprise, the realization that Callum was still treating him the same, and hadn't stood up and left with Wynne on his arm, reassured his frayed nerves. Although as she lowered herself to sit on the bench beside Callum, relieved at her friend's answer and at being invited to sit, he still watched her warily. "Oba? You went to Oba?" Wynne asked, wide-eyed and intrigued as she leaned over the table, hands smoothing out the wrinkles of her skirt.
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2016 6:23 pm
The more Callum stewed the more he drank. Had he known it was alcoholic he would have gone slower, possibly taken his time to savor the sweeten flavor. However, it was that same saccharine mixture whose siren's call tempted him to drink more of the supposedly 'virgin' draught. Even before he'd begun his story the tankard was empty with naught but a thin layer of foam lining the bottom.
Callum caught himself watching his lover's tongue for far longer than he'd meant to before pushing the now empty tankard to the edge of the table. By now he should have been developing a chill, thus forcing him double up layers or leech the warmth from another. However, the rush of alcohol through his blood was keeping the cold at bay, leaving him with little more than a head rush.
Nevah settled across from Wynne, posture seemingly more rigid than her friends. It was a ploy; in order to get the most out of her wardrobe choices the barmaid needed near perfect posture. Her eyes drifted to the man at her side before returning to his companion.
"Oba..." He chuckled, shaking his head as a flurry of memories assaulted him. "I'll let the ladies decide; would you rather hear about the Noble's soiree or the day I was chased out of a tavern?" Callum turned his head to see a third barmaid exchange his empty tankard for a freshly filled one. Her serving tray was laden with a variety of glasses, though most were noticeably empty. She nodded her head to the men and passed a knowing sort of grin to the ladies before going about her business.
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2016 6:39 pm
Nimueh was slower with his own drink, and by the time Callum had hit the bottom of his own drink, he had only had about half of his own. However, it wasn't dangerous to drink as much as he was - and with the healthy flush that colored his cheeks and neck, Nimueh couldn't make himself care. His shifter looked absolutely fetching, glowing as he did, and the younger hybrid couldn't give himself a reason to interject. Instead, he shifted over on the bench to give Nevah more room to settle, one hand cupping his tankard while the other rose to the myriad of necklaces at his throat, twisting the fine twine around his fingertips thoughtfully. He hadn't heard either of these stories. They hadn't gone much into Callum's exploits in the south, and he was coming to regret that oversight, as he didn't like being as unfamiliar with parts of Callum's life as these women were.
Wynne shot a look at Nevah as Callum drank, amused. It was clear Callum wasn't used to northern brews, but even so to finish up a full tankard without so much as a slur... it was impressive to say the least, and said quite a bit about his tolerance for the stuff. Once he spoke however Wynne's attention was at once caught, sliding his empty cup for the other girl to take with an appreciative smile. "I've seen enough lovely men chased out of taverns to last me a lifetime." Wynne announced with a pout, scooting closer so she was hip to hip with Callum. "What do you think, Nevah, should we hear about how Obans throw a good party?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2016 7:18 pm
Callum's general lack of substantial carbs in his diet worked against him as the drink slowly started to settle in. If anything it made him more relaxed to the environment around him. He melted against Wynne's warm, supple frame and slipped an arm around her waist to pull her close.
While one pair seemed to be moving closer, Nevah couldn't help noticing Nimueh pulling away. "I'm so jealous. I've heard that Oban parties are wild and last for weeks. Is it true?"
"Every bit of it." Callum reached for his fresh tankard, nimble fingers latching onto the handle before bringing the cool glass to his lips. He took a few healthy gulps before setting it before him, noticeably a little less coordinated than earlier in the evening. "My caravan stayed in Kelv, which is this Oban city closer to the North..." Using his hands to illustrate, Callum began spinning his tale. He spoke of meeting a wealthy older woman in the market, of how he had assumed she was offering him funds for a night when instead she offered so much more.
"...there was wall to wall gold; gold jewelry, gold threaded tapestries, even tiles with golden designs. The entire villa glistened as if they'd trapped the sun inside of it. And the nobles-" Callum shook his head with a laugh, eyes bright and glowing. "-they were charming. Some were too forceful for my tastes, but as a whole they were a lot nicer than some of my other patrons." Callum went on about the process of bathing, dressing, and pampering he'd had to go under just to be in the same room as the nobility. "I thought...well, I...I kind of thought there would be more to it, you know? Like a catch and there was, if you were wondering; a big one."
He took another drink, but this time held onto his glass for a few moments before setting it onto the table. "They didn't want us there because of our talents or for company. The woman who offered me the position is a Collector; she and her husband have a wide selection of oddities and at their gatherings they like to show off their latest finds."
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