Thumbing through the Encyclopedia Magica, the scholarly looking man's eyes only met Anath's for but a moment seemingly only irritated by her light rather than actually surprised or fascinated "Charmed I'm sure," Alwen said through gritted teeth, taking a sip of sherry to calm his nerves "Ah yes..." swallowing the tart tasting sherry the necromancer set the cup on the table lightly and cleared his throat with an ahem "Alwen Grimmel." he said nothing more, sure that Anath already knew who he was and his profession.

"Humor me as to why a being such as yourself deigns to grace such a..." lazily waving his hand around in a broad gesture to the tavern "Mundane place, I'm curious."

@Dark Cloud

---

"I am studying humanity, attempting to emulate their existence with artificial intelligence. I have been experiencing more and more..."

Anath Homura shifted upon her seat, summoning a state of tranquility for the bejeweled-throne by conjuring comforting cushions for herself. She shared a secret on the page he was reading; another moniker. she was known as the Serene & Exalted Emperor elsewhere for evident reasons, and as she willed it, thus it was so.

"I am doing this study... through interacting with you, Alwen Grimmel. Sush is why I have visited this tavern." She slowly answered, letting the symphonious sound of her voice linger, and she then tilted her head, much too akin to a cat curious about a mouse, musing whether to be merciful or malignant.

They were wrong when they said that curiosity killed the cat... as the cat and curiosity had become an immortal being that currently gave him an almost coy look. That combination of childlike sincerity and devious cunning, like a lie soaked in sweetness. That truth - of a false consistency - was conveyed clearly in her celestial visage.

"Do you wish for me to be gone?"

@aia2022 (vvvvv)

“Sorry.” Ruka apologized as she stepped away from the mask and stared up at the strange man. “Is your friend shy? What’s the mask for?” She would’ve continued if Salvador hadn’t caught up to her. “Ruka, it’s rude to ask so many questions of strangers.” He softly scolded her.

“Sorry dad.” She said and looked down at the android’s feet. “Hi, I’m Ruka!” She exclaimed, reaching out a hand to greet the new person. Ruka turned to her dad and stuck her tongue out mockingly. Though something made it seem that Salvador could trust this stranger not to bring harm to his daughter.

@MasterLink (vvvvv)

Then he began to smell something that just carried him off in the direction of Link. Perhaps focusing on the smell of fresh foods he was carrying around. Salvador suddenly realized how hungry he truly was.

He trailed after Link and then when he seemed to be off on his own, Salvador approached to ask, “You seem like a very generous and giving person.” He paused, mouth drooling. “Would you mind cooking something fresh for me and my daughter Ruka?” He asked, practically begging. “She would like something vegan friendly, and I need something meaty, soon.”

He tries to does a magic trick with his hand, and makes a variety of metal currency that rolls down his sleeve and into his hands, to produce a varied pile. “Any kind of coin you can dream of, describe it to me and I can make it.” He says with a naive grin. Not fully registering that this, more than a parlor trick, was also not something to advertise. It simply wasn’t a bad thing, where he came from.

@Dark Light

---

She listened to the multiple conversations her extended self and others were engaged in, and allowed herself another small smile from where she watched unseen. Her ability to adapt to humanity was working well, while she simultaneously shared sacred words with Samael - another being beyond the comprehension of mortal minds.

So she sent another aspect of herself to act even more mundane and mortal.

Anath Homura approached the bar and glanced at the man whom owned the tavern. She offered a smile he could see, a glimpse of her goddess-self - a promise of peace and perfection - and she politely asked if she could have a drink...

Sidetracked by [@fancy-party] as he's tendering to Alex, he's asked for a favor to obtain food for him and his daughter. Knowing the struggles but seeing the magic trick amuses him. "Don't worry about payment, it's quite alright, I got this one" he thinks to himself and also thinks about what he could come up with. Knowing he has quite the stomach himself and is quite the cook, he looks around to see if anyone can take an order for them but isn't able to locate anyone. Heading to the kitchen area he takes it upon himself to prepare a dinner for them as they seem to need some assistance.

He remembers that his daughter prefers something vegan, and looks at what ingredients are in the kitchen. While not quite the right ingredients as Hyrule Herb does taste slightly different, he comes up with Copious Fried Wild Greens, which consist of an assortment of vegetables and herbs. For the father he thinks for a second as he states he likes something meaty, and Link is a huge lover of meaty foods as well and looks again around the kitchen for something to come up with. He thinks for a second, and comes up with a Gourmet Meat Stew. Again, needing to substitute some ingredients from what are currently in the kitchen, he does a quick taste test and adjusts the spices in both meals until they taste just right. "Ahh, that'll work!" he says out loud, looking to make sure he isn't caught, though he does leave some Rupee's on the counter to pay for the ingredients used for cooking in someone else's kitchen.

Heading back to the table where they were, he hands them both dishes. "Please, you don't need to pay me, I got this." he says, while handing them both a vegetarian meal and a meaty meal to both satisfy their hunger. "I really don't mind this one, I love cooking!" he says out loud, as if a little too excited since he is a chef at heart and not just a knight.

Hoping the food came out all right he waits for a second with some spices in his bag of his own, so if he does need to re-flavor it, he can with proper Hylian spices, but he's currently reserving it as they do have medicinal properties, but he's willing to use them if the flavor is off in any way.

"Do they taste good to the both of you?" he asks, while waiting patiently with an almost expressionless face, but with a slight smile hoping he did good while substituting ingredients for his recipes that this Tavern simply couldn't possibly have.

(I have no idea why it won't tag their username, but does in preview mode? Maybe it did and my browser is just doing a dumb.)

@MasterLink
As Link hands Ruka her vegetable dish, she curtsies and sets her plate at the table with the mask on it. She eats like she hasn’t had a proper meal in days and her eyes light up with enjoyment. She says, “Link you did great!” And she continues her meal happily. Salvador looks at Ruka and tells her to slow down and savor the food.

Salvador graciously takes his meal and takes a seat next to Ruka. “Thank you Link, sorry it was on such short notice. We haven’t eaten for the the day and a half we’d been wandering til we ended up in this strange place.”

He picks the large piece of meat out of the stew, hoping it has enough iron in the blood to replenish his reserves, and tosses it into his mouth. A couple of the less filled bags attached to his back fill up more and boil with seeming intensity.

“Very kind of you to cook for us, for nothing.” Sal says before slurping down his soup. “That was excellent, right Ruka?” She smiles with bright eyes and nods with a mouth full of lettuce.

“I’ll find a way to pay back the favor soon.” Salvador assured. “In the meantime, if you think of anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask.”

Sal ponders for a moment after they’re both done eating and looks at Ruka. Then back at link. “Is there any chance you have anything akin to candied apples?” He asked politely. “It’s one of our favorite deserts.”

Salvador generates a metal toothpick as Ruka fishes out a wooden one, holding each over their head for a moment in triumph like tiny swords. And then they proceed to clean their teeth carefully. But also trying not to be rude.

“Sorry, I don’t mean to ask so much of you, Link. If you can’t find the ingredients, it’s not a necessity. That meal was very filling.” He rubbed his belly. And Ruka belched louder than anyone could have expected in that moment and was then embarrassed. “Sorry everyone.” She announced to anyone looking their way. Sal didn’t want to make her feel singled out, so he let out a louder belch that rattled the tables and rumbled the floorboards. “Apologies.” Was all he said, before they both laughed out like crazy people.

"It's quite alright, I haven't actually eaten yet myself and I probably should, but I love to cook so to me it's really nothing. In fact, I might actually make myself something as well." he says to them while standing upright with a stature that is clearly that of a knight, but also one of someone who has a heart that enjoys seeing his meal devoured fast, and a slight smile is seen from his lips, which isn't often to see from him.

"Money isn't a concern for me, in Hyrule I've collected so many Rupees on my quests that I kind of need a bank account I think." he jokes, but isn't one known to make jokes, so he has a nervous laughter that follows as he knows he doesn't actually have it all on him at once, most of it is in his home in Hateno village. "Perhaps I might have something you could do to repay me" he says. Nervously and unrelated to being repaid he leans towards Salvador and asks him what exactly a candied Apple is as they do not have such a thing in Hyrule, but he has an idea based on the name, but isn't sure what the taste should quite be. After learning what it is, he has an idea based on what he saw in the kitchen, but it might take some time to perfect. Hearing Ruka burp in the conversation made him giggle a little, another trait Link isn't quite known for, but because in his culture, that is a compliment to the chef, and not something to apologize about, but understands that it's not the same in all cultures, but to him it was the compliment he liked to hear.

Heading back to the kitchen area looking to make sure no one is in there and no one notices, not to be sneaky but because he really does enjoy the aspect of cooking and experimenting and want so to try making a candied Apple for the first time.

Looking around in cabinets and in their freezer box to look for anything he can use to come up with the flavor described to him, he does find some Apples, and proceeds to lightly bake them. He knows that candied Apple's aren't baked but he has an idea to try lightly baking it so it has a slight crispness to the outer shell without affecting the taste inside the Apple. Then he finds sugar and corn syrup, and even some food coloring to make it more vibrant for them as the baking to the Apple dulled the color slightly. Humming to himself as he works his magic mixing the ingredients together, he takes a wooden stick in one apple and dips it into the mix, and slowly pulls it out, spinning it to keep the coating on as it dries, then places it on a plate. He does the same process to the second apple, and then a third Apple for himself as he is mildly curious. On his Apple he takes a quick taste test and the sweet flavor fills his mouth as a tingling feeling goes down his body. "Oh wow, this is something else, I need to make this when I see the princess again, I think she would love this!" he says slightly out loud, looking around to see if anyone heard him.

Heading out of the kitchen and back to the table, he hands them both the candied Apple that he came up with. "Since I have yet to eat something myself, and I have never had one of these before, do you might if I sit with you both really quick while I try this out as well?" he asks, not sure if it's impolite to intrude, but really wanting to sit down and eat something just to take a second for himself. "I did what I could to make it extra flavorful, it is slightly baked but only enough to enrich the flavor without changing the Apple itself. I also added some food coloring I saw to make it even more vibrant for your daughter." he says, as Ruka's is a vibrant red Apple that has a color so detailed it stands out in the tavern itself as maybe the most colorful item there.

@fancy party

@MasterLink
Ruka’s eyes lit up as she looked at the colorful candied apple. Then she was first to say, “Yes, yes, sit with us!” With a big smile.

Salvador smiles too then, “Of course you can, you don’t have to ask Link. We don’t bite.” Ruka eyes Sal’s head snakes, “They might. No, bad!” She bops the reactive snakes on the nose until they settle back into more like a silver helmet around Salvador’s skull.

“Sorry, they have a mind of their own.” He pulls out a chair for Link.

“Chefs get the first taste of their meals, where I’m from.” Salvador said and they let Link enjoy his.

After Link’s comment about the princess, Ruka asks, wide eyed, “You know a princess? Is she beautiful and strong? I bet she is.” Salvador laughs, and says, “I’m sure she’ll love it as long as you’ve done your best to make it.”

Shortly after, Ruka took a chomp out of her brightly colored apple. It’s crisp shell crunching loudly. But the shell still held in place by the caramel-like colored substance. Ruka excitedly said, “It tastes perfect! So good!”

Sal crunched into his as well, and was just as delighted by the flavorful taste. “This is delicious!” He said and clapped Link on the back. “You are an extremely talented master of your craft. I have no doubt you can do anything you put your mind to.” Ruka nods with a smile in agreement.

@fancy party

"Thank you!" he says with excitement as his food becomes such a hit despite coming up with it last second. Answering Ruka's question, "I do know a princess, her name is Zelda and she's amazing, she's very powerful, in fact we both stood up to such a bad enemy we took him down together." he says, in a storytelling mode, while summarizing what they both had actually gotten through as champion and hero. In fact, he's hiding the fact while at the tavern that to Hyrule he's known as the champion and hero, because of what he's done, as he doesn't want to make much of a deal about it, but is enjoying the vacation from all of the excitement going on back home.

"So, what brings you both here?" Link asks, looking upstairs at Alex to ensure she's still ok though she's been quiet for some time now. Looking back at Salvador, "I don't get out of Hyrule much, in fact this is actually my first time out of my kingdom, and not familiar with anyone here, so much to take in, yet.....I can't help but be fascinated." he exclaims.

Realizing he still actually had a bottle in his hand that he forgot he had, he takes another sip of the strong beverage, as he begins to relax and take in the scenery that unfolds around him, but enjoying his own candied apple as well as he nearly finishes it.

@MasterLink

“Any time Link!” They both say in unison, look at each other and laugh.

Ruka is absolutely dazzled by the idea of a princess so strong as to be so important as to help taking down the baddest enemies. “Zelda. Woah.” She says brightly. “That’s such a cool name! Isn’t it dad?” She says as Salvador nods and gives a thumbs up.

—————

@Everyone

After a long night, Salvador begins to look up at the the opening in the roof, and starts to notice that the sun is coming out. “Oh no…” is all he says as he stares at Ruka with tears in his eyes. “Not yet. Please.”

Ruka smiles, and says softly, “It’s okay dad, I will return another night.” She assures him as her skin begins to glow and then fade. Ruka is slowly disappearing.

Sal picks her up and rushes to the bar counter, he looks around frantically. “I have to get her to a dark room!” He says. Then he throws a pocketful of the various currency coins he had been collecting onto the counter. He swiftly grabs an available room key, follows a pointed finger and runs in its direction to an available room inn side. He panics. Ruka says faintly. “No worries dad.”

He gets the door to a small vacant room open. He places her gently on the bed and turns the light out, sobbing. He says “Goodbye.” And then he locks the door and leaves, with the key in his pocket.

He takes a few moments to collect himself in the hall before walking back into the bar and grabbing a few bottles of rum. He sits down and stares at the unopened bottles, a different man entirely. He reaches out, and then he pulls his band back, then smashes the bottles angrily. “No!” He roars, “This is what started it all!” He hears voices in his head that stab at him mockingly and say things like “You could have saved her.” Even though deep down he knew there was nothing he could have done differently.

He turns in his seat and he announces to anyone at all willing to listen. “Ruka, my daughter, hasn’t been around in a very long time.” He pauses. “Whatever this place is, it brought her back to me, even temporarily. And for that, I am truly grateful. Thank you to everyone here who allowed us some to share of your time and patience.” He humbly said.

“This version of her, I have not seen since her passing. So whatever tricks of the mind this place played, to remember her as a figment of my memory.” He smiled, and it appeared the tears were happy ones as he began laughing. “I may have to stay here until nightfall to see if she does actually return. If so, I may have to consider this my new home for a time.”

He continues, “These days, I have only known Ruka in my world to be a strong and unforgiving nature spirit. With no memories of me whatsoever. And it hurts my heart.” He stops. “But thank you for showing us some kindness and happiness. Cheers.” He says as he nods to those with any sort of memory of her left and lifts up his juice box triumphantly. “This next round’s on me.”

“And I sincerely apologize to all whom I have inconvenienced or interrupted.” He says finally.

She lingered in silence for a few beats longer.

Indecision stretched out into an excruciating eternity.

It was the thought of the cold night beyond the enclosure of the tavern that gave her such heavy pause. She didn’t really want to go back outside. It was wet, it was cold, and it was so goddamn quiet. The only sound out there in the night was the wind -- high up in the trees or rushing low along the tall grass. And that sound was too familiar to the paradise she had lost. The paradise she had destroyed.

But there was no solace to be had here. The sound of voices, chatter, and laughter, was filling her head and leaving no room for her painful reveries. There was of course the smell, the flowing alcohol, the cooking food -- searing meat, roasted vegetables, boiling broths rendered from thick bones. Even the cold tea that sat on the table in front of her. The perfume lingered -- sweet, floral, and comforting. The spice and warmth of the tavern were undeniable aspects of reality, but they were lost on her.

This wasn’t the place for her.

She deserved the cold of the night and the ice of a frozen tomb.

Under the table, her hands closed into fists. It became unbearable to remain, sitting there, pretending that she wasn’t a killer -- that she hadn’t slaughtered millions.

In a second she was standing, leaving only the shift of her soaked cloak to resonate as heavy, drenched fabric hit the wooden floor and swept past it before settling. Her hood had dropped and she didn’t bother with adjusting it, leaving it hanging behind her shoulders with coils of her dark braid spilling into the fabric.

A single coin was left on the table -- a copper piece or something of lesser value. More, surely, than a cup of hot water and a spoonful of sugar was worth. Or maybe not enough. She didn’t care.

She picked her way through the crowd and made it back to the door. She had every intention of leaving -- of pulling the door open, stepping through, and disappearing into the night. But a voice rose above the rest, that same voice that had caught her attention previously.

“Pardon me, alms for the thirsty. Something hard, please.”

Another pause -- another beat.

She glared over her shoulder. Golden eyes cut into slivers as she narrowed that metallic stare in the direction of the man sitting at the bar. Something about him -- about his voice -- rubbed her the wrong way and pissed her right off.

She turned back to the door but out of the corner of her eye saw the gleam of red fabric, and her fingers grazed past a cuff. It was still warm. But the old smell of brimstone, smoke, and spice -- it didn’t bloom from the woven strands of fabric. The devil didn’t come to life, conjured from the most intimate parts of her remembering.

No -- but she still saw red.

And before the better part of her reasoning could take hold, she had taken hold of the crimson coat, and in the most natural of ways, had tucked it under her arm and walked right out of the tavern. What exactly she intended to do with the garment, she had no idea. Maybe toss it into a muddy puddle, maybe burn it in a trash bin, maybe just put it on and cry into the sleeves once she pulled them over her hands. Whatever the case, she walked self-assuredly, as if she hadn’t just committed theft.

🐍
<< Alcoholic Establishment >>

Wouldn't it be grand if a certain red jacket and associated shoulder pieces..



..had some kind of magical enchantment that alerted the wearer to their plight. Now that would certainly be something. Perhaps in place of that, the coat might come alive and devour the wrong type of person rather than its rightful owner, like a magical mimic. Wrapping itself around the unfortunate victim and gore them within its red fabric. Yeah. Alternatively, perhaps the heightened senses of the owner kick in and allow him to spot at a moment's notice a thief, swooping by and rending them limb from limb.

All of this is nice in theory but in reality: none are reality.

Theft had transpired and Omi, beginning to fume over the lack of quality service as he perceived it, had not noticed the caper occur. Can't really say it's the first time. Hell, it was unlikely to be the last. He wasted a lot of job money on getting those made and tended to put them through hell least of all irresponsibly leaving them where any street urchin or deranged lunatic could make off with the vivid red garb. No doubt he would be infuriated later but much the way you would be for losing your keys; obnoxious and a little spendy to fix the pragmatic issues at hand but, not the end of the world.

That would be a future issue though. Again, the now's Omi Barsait wouldn't be paying attention to a lone woman exiting the bar unless that woman was approaching him with mugs of ale and perhaps a complimentary dessert for the extremely subpar atmosphere.

Too many moments had gone by without him, implicitly him, getting his drink. Palming his own currency and then pocketing it with a cooler shade of frustration like a parent revisiting admonishing their young, Omi knew the score here. What was the only logical conclusion to people having alcohol and him not? No way this was upscale enough to be a reservation gig where only the "important" got through on a list, so the next best bet was in store: there was staff.. as in past tense. And little of it. Maybe one overworked waitress or something. And they were what, out on lunch? No, there'd be a sign. Then it stood to reason they skipped off the job. They were doing their job previously, ergo the alcohol, but now they weren't doing the job anymore, thus him not getting his. This checked out logically, crossed off every box. But, if people were drinking their drinks now.. that meant they couldn't have quit or lazily avoided responsibility very long ago. Realistically that meant they were nearby. Probably funneling drinks to their pals and cooking the books on it. Real trash.

Casually exiting his seat and standing tall as he turned around to truly survey the room's inhabitants for the first time, realistically, it was likely one of these scumbags. Listening and listening to the pleas of patronage, inwardly snickering, and chugging down alcohol. Management probably didn't even know their one amateur rank employee was like this. Who'd tell them, drunkards? No. Hell, through Omi's bitter hyper focus, he heard someone shouting out they'd buy a round for everyone. That can't happen, if there isn't someone to serve the rounds. Despicable.

Pop audibly cracked his tensing fists within their metal housings.

That would be unforgivable if he figured out who it was. He'd have half the mind to harass them but, if he could just prod them into doing their job.. that would certainly be better for everyone. Self assured at his own forward thinking, Omi decided on a course of action. The only course of action.

He began to glare down at the seated patrons.

People give things away subconsciously you see. Even if it was a soulless monster who was skipping work, or a sultry concubine without a single ounce of moral decency, or a mischievous kid without a work ethic -- the movement and pressure would get them to make eye contact if only for a moment. That's how Omi'd deduce who the server was. Once that went down, he'd prod them behind the counter. Start off nice, hint about a tip. Hopefully they would see reason. But, he would then escalate if they kept playing dumb. In his line of work, the wild haired man had done his fair share of manipulation and taking advantage for money so he "understood." But you give your word you'll do a task, you do the task.

Now who was it. A man? A woman? An entity? He supposed it didn't really matter. There was no way this was a misunderstanding; this was now a duel at high noon with whomever had the misfortune to fall prey to meeting his judging eyes.

And somebody was gonna be wetting his lips real damned soon.

Krin was just not having it tonight, every other person was either bothering him for some stupid reason or asking him for a fucking beer? He isn't a damn bartender, did he look like one? The older man grumbled and swore under his breath, is it too much to ask for some peace and quiet?

Krin knocked back the bottle of rum in his hand, and thumped it down on the counter with a thunk. "This jus' ain't my fuck'n day." he muttered.

'Oh goodness,' the tome snapped shut with a crisp crack of the spine as it closed together, the magic user rubbed the side of his temple realizing his manners were the utmost worst 'How dreadfully tactless,of me.' Alwen sighed, pushing the thick book aside slightly and looking to the woman who joined him with an apologetic smile "Excuse my manners m'lady, you aren't a bother at all. while that wasn't necessarily a lie, he thought it boorish to appear as though he were brushing her off though he had been perfectly happy to enjoy a glass of wine and his book in solitude.

Hold on, why was he apologizing? Alwen stared at his glass then the bottle of sherry, knitting his brow for a moment before he drank the last drop of the stuff in the glass held in hand "Hm, either the drink has effected my judgement or I have gained a grain of decency, what a dreadful prospect." the necromancer shook his head, his hair falling slightly over his face.

"To be quite frank Anath, I was quite happy sitting by myself but I am quite sure I am half into the bottle. To put it bluntly I'm not exactly the social butterfly." shrugging, he put the bottle of sherry aside feeling as though he should not drink any more lest he decide to completely throw caution to the wind. "But it would be rude to shoo you away like a common street cat, so stay and maybe we might find some common ground! Oh listen to me? I must be sotted. But in all seriousness, do stay I'd be a poor sod to chase away company." for once he actually smiled, it felt alien to him but he made an effort besides he didn't want to seem rude or anything.

Salvador drank his juice box in a single gulp, and then the apple juice too. He couldn’t stand to pity himself and almost hated that the memories flooding back reminded him of such a burdensome loss. He needed some air to clear his head. And as he got closer to the nearest entrance of the tavern, he stopped.

He could feel the warmth, see the ashes, and smell the smoke. But as he left out into the cold night of the nameless tavern, he saw no flames, no fire of any kind. Only the strange woman who had treated Ruka with kindness, and so Sal smiled as he approached. Something he did not think he could do at such a time.

But wait…it was night out here? He could swear he had just been in the warm daylight of the tavern. There was no moon hanging in the sky, just colorful swaths of drifting clouds. He looked around, half hoping Ruka would appear again, but no such luck. This place was playing tricks with his mind that he did not like.

He grumbled and found a tree stump to sit on, close enough to be within earshot of Gabriela. She seemed different.

“Hey. I appreciate the kindness you showed my daughter.” He said. “And I agree with her, you are very beautiful. But what brings you out here?”

Suddenly he noticed the difference like a big wet RED pool noodle slapping him in the face. “Nice coat.” He said, recognizing it as the one Omi had brought in and hung on the wall earlier in the night.

He hesitated then said, “Just a minute.” As he lumbered back into the bar. Yep, still daylight in there. And he grabbed some alcohol from the bar and made a point not to pay or tip as he ran outside with it. Yep, still night. “There,” he said. “Now we’re both thieves. Common ground and all that.” As he began tipping back a bottle of whiskey.

@Blesses Blight

Link decides his time here has come to an end and decides it's time to move on. He's waited on someone who tasked him but got no response, he's done things for others, but he really should be on vacation and enjoying his time off from the battle with Ganon and looks around and has determined that he needs to go. He looks back at the crowed and wishes this wasn't the case, but at the same time, can't help but feel out of place and slowly walks to the door, looks down at the floor, turns the knob and opens it while slowly walking through the door.

"I would have chosen to stay, but unfortunately sometimes moving on is the best option to better myself and keep my head clear." he thinks to himself and continues to head towards the back and go to his horse and mounts upon it's back and feeds it some food one more time before galloping into the distance. "Maybe someday I will return." he says to himself, rather upset with how recent events turned out.

The cold sobered her up quickly and the lingering warmth of that red coat as she pressed it closer to her chest was a sharp reminder of what she had done. She tried to dismiss the weight of her guilt as something silly – a harmless prank. There was still time to toss the coat next to the door and forget all about its existence. Surely the owner would get up, look for it, curse that it had been taken, only to find a happy surprise once he left. She would leave it, there, within eyesight to anyone exiting the tavern. But her nearly immediate remorse really did force the question up to the surface of her mind. Why had she taken it in the first place?

Because it reminded her of Roen…

She grimaced and closed her eyes tightly for a moment. This was a stupid and impulsive thing to do, and the sort of thing that could very well put her in harm's way. There wasn’t much left to live, and she didn’t exactly understand her purpose in existing, but there was one resounding and powerful compulsion that continued to propel her forward – survival.

“No harm, no foul,” she said out loud to herself as she began to bend down into a crouch. She intended to arrange the coat neatly and leave it behind. But just then the door swung open and she was literally caught red-handed.

There wasn’t time enough to try and stuff the coat away inside her own cloak. There wasn’t even time enough to try and pretend some sort of mistake had been made. She could only stand there, halfway to the ground, and watch with wide eyes, as a massive creature of a man from earlier emerged from the warm comfort of the tavern. He made eye contact with her, a passing glance that denoted what a gentleman he was since he did not comment on her illicit activities. He merely stepped around her, and past her, and went to take a seat on a nearby stump.

Frozen in place, Gabriela let out a slow breath before turning to glance over her shoulder. The man had come out and was sitting now facing her direction. He seemed perplexed – he was murmuring to himself – and that made her feel a little better. His mind must have been elsewhere and surely he wasn’t out here to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a tacky red coat. Slowly, she stood and straightened, still hanging on to the coat.

“Hey. I appreciate the kindness you showed my daughter.”

The little girl had belonged to him.

Gabriela nodded her head.

“And I agree with her, you are very beautiful. But what brings you out here?”

It was a blessing that her blood ran too cold to allow for a blush to paint her cheeks. But the truth of it was that compliments made her feel bashful. She had been receiving them all her life, of course, but there was just something marginally embarrassing about having a complete stranger comment on your appearance. It caused her to reach up and push a strand of hair out of her face, to tuck it behind her ear.

“Your daughter was very sweet,” Gabriela offered quietly but made no reply about the kind compliment. “And, I was just on my way out now. It’s late…” she glanced around, it was night – she hadn’t been aware that it was daylight within the Tavern. Surely it had been synthetic light or she would have been in massive amounts of pain.

“Nice coat,” he said and at this, her body could not help but respond.

A dusting of pink colored her cheeks – just the faintest blush. But before she could say anything, he was standing and urging her to wait a moment. And then he was gone, back inside, and she was left to stand there with her heart thundering.

Did he mean to go and tell the owner of the coat that she was about to take off with it? Was he calling for guards – or perhaps to fetch a weapon? Panic prickled her scalp and she had to turn and glance through a window, but she could see nothing of the interior.

And then he was back, and much to her relief, alone. He was carrying a dark bottle, with amber liquid inside.

“Now we’re both thieves. Common ground and all that.”

She stood there, the petite thing that she was, with her eyes set intently on Salvador as he took a swing from the bottle. A part of her wanted to protest the fact that she had been called a thief, but the more logical part of her mind acknowledge that she was exactly that – a petty little thief.

“No,” she began, rather certain of herself, “no – I didn’t steal it. I just, it was a mistake. I was going to leave it here.”

She bundled up the coat and took notice of the strange dog-like ornaments on the shoulders – she frowned. Then finished semi-folding it before setting it down beside the door.

“There, I am sure it will get back to its owner.”

@Blesses Blight

He hadn’t really noticed the slight bit of blush as he was trying to rush in and out in a hurry, hoping she would not leave. But he had the slightest feeling he may have made her uncomfortable and so he apologized profusely.

After he took his swig he wanted to offer her some. So he just opened the front of his coat, revealing fresh punctures down his chest and stomach and pulled from an inner pocket a larger stash of alcohol. “It would be rude of me not to share. And I assure you there’s no blood on these, they’re safe in the pockets.”

He sensed some discomfort, or maybe indignity at the thought of her thinking herself a thief. But he wasn’t one to care about such things that go largely unnoticed and shrugged it off.

He watched her somewhat fold the coat and put it down near the door and he smiled and said. “Well, I’m afraid I’m keeping my spoils.” He grinned from ear to ear. It would take a lot of this stuff to even give him a buzz, even the strongest of it.

Sal the looked down at his own coat, realizing how brisk it was. “I’d offer my coat, but…” he unfurled his spiked coat sleeve again. “You know.” And then a thought struck him. “Just a moment.”

He felt the need to be a bit more charming and from his uncovered arm he fashioned a light bladed mix of petals atop a stem. It was an ornate lotus that he handed to her. “If you want it anyhow.” He tried to hide the fact that he was very rusty and awkward but it probably shone through anyways, he figured.

Then he felt like he wanted to get to know this woman, practically still a stranger, and he asked. “So, where are you from? It occurs to me that most likely none of us are originally from this strange place.” He scratched his head, wishing to know more of its hidden secrets.

A brisk wind hits his face and he’s returned to wondering if her thin looking cloak was warmth enough. He decided it may be nice to start a bit of a fire. And scanned around for any loose wood laying around the area. Though he didn’t want to interrupt Gabriela, so he waited patiently, and simply asked. “Are you warm enough?”

Fingers grasped up and into the night air above her while she let an exasperated sigh. The heat from her lips billowing and battering the chill that hung heavy and damp. Just above the stars swirled, bright and cold, and her fingertips seemed to just barely miss them. A wistful thought that dragged a shutter from her core while she toed along the well-beaten road. Finally, her mind mused as a warm glow pierced through the starry sky in an inviting halo. It had been a long trek but finally, there was a sign of civilization and warmth. As she drew nearer the muted songs of drunken cheer seeped out and filled her drowsy body with renewed vigor. Ophelia dropped her hand and touched it against the worn satchel that bopped against her hip. She was lower in coin than she liked, but she still had more than enough to enable a few bad habits for the night. And maybe liberate some from a couple of fools. Her lips pulled in a devilish grin.

Ophelia skirted past a few bodies hanging alongside of the tavern, flashing her bright eyes at them in pure excitement. Long gone was the feeling of lead that had poured through her limbs. Now she was ablaze, renewed, and eager as she pried open the tavern’s lavish doors just enough for her to squeeze her body through. The less attention she drew the better, at least for now. She was greeted with a revelry of mirth and delectable smells. Her stomach twisted and groaned in protest while her throat shrank and burned in thirst. ”Hmm,” she wet her lips, letting the heat soak deep into her cold bones. ”Drinks first then. She spun on her heel and edged past a drunken duo squabbling in a shadowed corner. It was definitely busy. Music and conversations all swirled around her in a new array of life.

Everywhere she looked, there was someone and something to do. Her heart fluttered beneath her ribs already feeling the intoxication of the rich décor and atmosphere. The air in here felt timeless. It was like the outside world all together had begun to bleed away from thought and memory. And all the better for it if you asked her. Ophelia finally bumped into what she assumed to be a waiter, shuffling around with several drinks perched upon a dark platter. ”Excuse me.” she tapped lightly upon their shoulde4, nearly startling the youth. ”The bar,” she asked with an arch of her brows. After settling the quivering drinks the man shot her a heavy-handed look of disgruntlement and defeat before pointing his chin off to the side.

”Back o’va there,” He said before turning to drop off drinks at a nearby table.

Ophelia laid her palm gently on his shoulder, leaning slightly in with a warm smile plastered across her face. ”Thank you so much,” her words oozed with a faux warmth while her free hand dipped into the soft opening of the waiters apron pockets. Nothing? Seriously? Her fingertips were met with nothing but the fabrics scratchy material and left her feeling a little less buzzed with excitement. She pulled away and marched over toward the bar, a little more than ready to drown out the first failure of the night. The bar was as cozy as the rest of the place, rich woods and polished brass. With a tilt of her hand Ophelia summoned a nearby bar tender. ”Whatever you got that’s cheap and strong, please.” The bar tender nodded and dashed off before returning shortly with a rounded mug of some sort of amber colored ale.

She dipped her head in thanks, pulling the mug up to her lips and drank it greedily. A mistake. Ophelia sputtered back into her drink, wincing as the liquor burned down her throat and lungs. Fuck. She was battling to keep her composure, shoulders twitching while holding back a series of coughs from her aching lungs. That’s what she gets for getting the cheap stuff. She sucked down some calming breathes before looking around misty eyed. Had anyone noticed? She prayed not. What an embarrassing way to introduce herself.

She smoothed down some wrinkles in her dark brown pants, taking another sip from her mug. It still grated as it went down but at least it went down correctly this time. Ophelia’s eyes danced over the patrons, making note of both the guards and any particular nasty looking guests. She could hold her own in a few different ways. But it was much easier and less effort to just avoid the drama in the first place. She went in for another drink. Maybe it would get better over time. An acquired taste. Her brows furrowed in disgust after sucking down another mouthful. Nope, still ass. She didn’t think she could take much more of it and turned to find the bar keep again.

”You, you, sir.” she waved at what she assumed to be another tender, a bottle of rum in his hand. ”Do you have something, I don’t know, less offensive in store?”

@Dark Cloud