Another One (Aello)

[Crismento Miren]

Her reaction to the mentioning of Lhex caught him by surprise, but he had to admit that it wasn’t an unreasonable one. After all she was right to say that they were always watching, always listening. As the girl went on describing what could happen when arrested by them, Cris wasn’t entirely sure if she was trying to scare him again, or was actually sharing her own fear with him, be it consciously or unconsciously. To him she certainly appeared to be shaken by those thoughts. ”I’m terribly sorry that my poor habit of twisting my thoughts into oodles of words appears to be a such a careless act,” he lowered his voice to match her whisper. ”It was not my intention to put us both in peril with my overly long tongue.” The con artist followed the girl trying to commit the images of streets and alleyways they passed to memory. He wasn’t sure how long they would stay there. During most of his time in Ravok he relied on ravosalas to get around, since most paths that could be travelled on foot led him nowhere, or on a luckier occasion to a ravosala dock. Today his guide appeared to know how to get around the city on foot though pretty well and Crismento found it to be a valuable ability. Certainly useful on a quick escape where one wouldn’t want to rely on anybody. When the girl spoke again, the swindler followed her every word trying to note emotions and feeling behind what was being said. Respect for Dira, fear and hate of Rhysol, contempt for his followers at the Ebonstryfe… And then Cris got confused as her story slowly trailed off. Did she just admit to killing one of them? Was she a criminal of Ravok? His companion carried on before he could go over that in his mind once more. She shared her views on Rhysol’s followers and the con artist surprised himself by finding that he agreed with them. Granted he did not hated the God himself, quite the opposite, since he so often lived by what the Defiler stood for, but the hypocrisy of the Black Sun and the Ebonstryfe amused him. Crismento remembered his own experience with them. Oh, how desperately they wanted to get in control over the mess that the Rising Dawn brought into the city, how uncomfortable Korin was when speaking of order. Ravok was a town of evil, but regulated evil, and he found that it was a poor way to worship the Lord of Chaos. ”Oh, but I am most surely a fool myself, as you had a chance to see, and yet even I don’t wander in Ravok with confidence,” he smiled. ”However, I wholeheartedly agree with what you say about them. I find that many here are prisoners of this faith and those who are not and choose it freely soon become ones. It is incredibly easy to give in to your moral weaknesses and the dark appeals of this evil lord, but should be unimaginably difficult to sustain the virtue of loyalty when you stand for betrayal. Not to mention how much they fear the threat of disarray, when in fact they should be welcoming it. Their pathetic ways tease me into laughing at them, and I would if I did not value my life.” Despite keeping his voice quite, Cris got a bit passionate in his short speech, somewhere crossing the line of his own ideas into the realms of his character of Nicholas Raes, who apparently shared the hatred with the girl. At this point, however, the con artist would have been hard pressed to tell exactly where that line was. He understood her gesture of taking his hand as a sign of growing trust and encouraged by it he was about to carry on: ”In fac-…” Crismento cut his speech short as he noticed her sign and immediately realized what that meant. As the girl anxiously looked around in the street his eyes too tried to catch a glimpse of anything, but failed. He got worried for a moment as a thought that someone was actually listening to what he was saying and was now planning to make him pay for those foolish words. Would have been a shame to get caught for an act, however close to reality it might have been… Cris glanced down for a moment to calm down, trying to replace the nervous thoughts with the sense of security. ’You’ll be alright, Crisy-boy. Everything is just fine…’ After nobody showing up for a few moments he dared to whisper: ”I don't think anyone's here.” The con artist was surprised and alongside terrified to taste djed on his lips when he spoke. Did it slip there by itself? Was he now not only trying to calm himself but also instilling his guide with a feeling of safety? It had never happened to him before. ’I don’t want to do this!’ he protested to himself. Cris wasn’t sure if the situation somehow got stressful enough to confuse his concentration and force him make mistakes or whether it was an unconscious decision, but now he was on full alert of what his mind had in store for him.

OOCI think I finally settled in, so my response time should get faster than 2 weeks. Sorry about the constant delays.

[Aello]

Aello stood stone still as she watched the shadows moving. As she continued staring, she could see a pale green smoke-like substance rising off of them, like steam rising off a hot surface. As she studied the glowing green light, she realized that Cris was surrounded in a light of his own. It was a deep yellow, denoting that he was fearful and rather uncomfortable. She could hear mewling off in the distance, and felt as though something furry was winding its way around her leg, another tendril of that warm, ticklish sensation trailing up her flesh as she waited. Definitely not someone who should be here, Aello thought, as her pupils dilated, not if something as simple as this makes him nervous. Aello sighed. Why is it that all we ever find are total and complete wimps? she wondered as she watched the green light flickering. She wasn't sure what it meant. Perhaps, simply, that the shadows were healthy. Or rather those they belonged to were healthy. Or alive. The undead never had green auras, after all. Aello was scarcely breathing as she hugged her body to the wall, wishing they would go by just a little faster, for whatever reason, she couldn't seem to discern much from their auras, and that made her uneasy. When the auras flickered all the more frantically, they seemed to swish, fading out in certain sections, before going out completely. They were gone, or at least, out of the line of sight of her magic, which she supposed, meant that they had at least continued on their way. That she and her companion would not be bothered by them again. Aello was just about to tell Cris as much, when he started speaking. "That's because they went off that way somewhere," Aello replied, simply as she began to walk towards where she had seen the shadows. When she reached the end of the street, she turned right, and continued walking. "Probably best that we let them go. This is a shady part of town... well shadier than most. We won't want to be running into many people down here. Unless of course, you're interested in finding yourself some trouble," she commented. "And considering how you seem to shake like a leaf, even at the sight of one's shadow, it seems unlikely that such a thing would be up your alley. No pun intended, of course," she finished, with a small smile. Hopefully, he wouldn't press the matter of his shaking. Especially when she hadn't turned around to see him shaking... or not. She wasn't in the mood to explain how it was that she came to know he was fearful of the situation, and perhaps even, trying to comfort them both. Deep in thought, the young spiritst kept to herself for several more blocks. She had forced the hypnotist's aura to fade away as she moved, gliding in-between narrow streets, and stepping over bridges. "We should be there soon," she announced, finally. "Just another few blocks and bridges to pass over." OOCDo you have any idea as to what to do when we get to our destination? Or... are we just walking around the city scaring the crap out of each other?

[Crismento Miren]

”No, I wouldn’t want any trouble,” Cris said as they began moving again. His still hushed voice sounded rather suspicious and he had troubles hiding that. Already concerned with his mind’s apparent determination to betray him, the con artist was now further worried with the girl’s seemingly near-unnatural observation skills. Granted Crismento was playing a part of an insecure man, but how much beyond that could she have seen? Tame her… Nicholas Raes was full of fiery enthusiasm just a moment ago, and she told him that he was trembling like a leaf… Was it simply observation or actually mind reading? The man decided not to question it, doubting he would get an answer. Or maybe even doubting if he wanted to get an answer. Perhaps leaving an optimistic possibility alive would have been more helpful today. When the girl informed Cris that they’ll be reaching their destination soon he automatically went over in his head what he knew of her by now and what could he possibly gain from this companionship. Give in to the temptation… The first thought was that he should leave her once the very first opportunity showed up. Even if she wasn’t crazy, she was certainly disturbed. Also, in a way, she knew more about the swindler than he was revealing and that was never a good sign for a person in that sort of career. Let your words bind her… And yet she was an enemy of this town. Alone and surrounded by the shadowy agents of chaos all around her, the girl could not have been signalling Cris a clearer path he should be taking to get close to her, to win her trust. Charm her with your art and break her… Whether he would betray her to Korin to score points with the Ebonstryfe or simply use her for his own advantage was a question for later. Who knows, perhaps some even more attractive opportunities would show up later on? Crismento’s eyes had been upon the girl like the ones of a predator watching its prey right until he realised that, quickly slipping into the mask of the careful Nicholas, and being glad that he was walking behind his companion. Sway her to your will… It was getting almost too distracting to think with the uncontrollable stray thoughts flying through his mind. ”Now that we find ourselves nearly at the point of establishing that you are not in fact leading me to my own demise,” Cris began slowly, trying to repress the voice inside. One that he might have even called not his own. The con artist’s tone was no longer suspicious and neither was it silent anymore, being closer to the way he spoke to the girl when they just met. ”I would like to repay you for your benevolence in a town where one would rarely find it. Perhaps I could treat you to dinner? A service or assistance of sorts? Please, request anything at all! I would feel absolutely terrible to be the parasite in this new and brief companionship.”

OOCWell, Cris doesn’t seem to be willing to let go off Aello just like that

[Aello]

Aello peered over her shoulder at Cris. Her eyes narrowing as she did so, her pace slowing only a little as she considered him. There is no need to use magic to analyze this. It is apparent he wants something. But what that could be is difficult to say. Some want money, others want power, others want relationships, physical pleasure... the list goes on and on, the young spiritist's mind whispered. Judging by how he is dressed, it seems unlikely he wants money, although, how many people truly believe they have enough of it? Even when they do honestly, have enough? And although he may desire power, he knows better than to seek you out for it. You hold none here. A relationship seems unlikely... and pleasure, well, there's the chance of that. But, only a fool would try with you, lest they lose a hand or two. There was a slight pause, and yet, to gain most of those things, if not all of those things, he'd have to fight you. If not kill you... he doesn't seem to have a weapon on hand, nor does he seem the type best suited for battle, she thought. Which means, he either wants something else, or is waiting for someone else to take you down for him... that, or he's a rather skilled actor. "Dinner would be lovely," Aello replied simply, as she turned her head back around, and crossed another small bridge. Her heels clicked against the wooden boards as she continued on her way, her grip tightening around her father's old bow. She found that not using her magic left her curious. Just like every other mortal being, she was left to wonder about her companion's intentions, what it was he wanted from her. It filled her with a sense of longing and dread, a sense of excitement. Magic was cheating. Yes, it kept her safe, but it also kept her from having to guess or figure out things on her own. It took away all of her fun. "If we can find a decent-looking, relatively inexpensive place to eat," she finished as she moved along, brushing past several people who on occasion, would bump into her shoulders and scowl at her for supposedly not looking where she was going. Besides, Aello told herself, if he does try anything stupid, you could always gut him, and anyone else he may be working for or with. A sinister smile crept across her lips, something Cris could not see from where he stood. It lingered there for a moment, filling the girl with a strange surge of confidence, before she cast it away, leaving her facial expression far more neutral. You haven't so much as bat an eyelash when doing so before. Surely claiming another won't present a problem now? her mind questioned as the girl ignored it. She took one final turn to the right, continuing down the street, before announcing "we're here," at the end of the block. "The plaza."

[Crismento Miren]

The face that Cris wore like a mask lit up when the girl agreed for a dinner, while inside his mind a merely satisfied grin appeared. ”Do not worry about the prices, for as a person who was saved by you from mindless wondering and quite possibly looming danger, I am fully liable for treating your heart’s desires tonight,” he said with a smile while smoothly navigating around the people that his companion didn’t seem to try avoiding contact with. The places already begun looking familiar to the swindler and before long the girl announced that they had arrived. While he stood beside her, his eyes quickly darted around the area to see from which side they had entered the plaza and the Silver Sliver tavern appeared to be the closest establishment of the sort that he was now looking for. ”This fine inn should be perfect for catering to our tastes, don’t you think?” Crismento glanced at her before moving forward, this time taking the lead. Cease your resistance… As he opened the doors and entered, the con artist’s look flew inside and around the inn, noting the clients and simultaneously identifying the types and categorizing them. Hopeless drunks, menaces to be avoided, the dull and useless, potential marks worth investigating… He did that more out of habit than out of intent and as a result his short observation was very rough and hardly fruitful, but from what he could tell, the most interesting group of people lacked in strong representation, as was often the case. Surrender to the urge… Cris quickly found a table for them to occupy and turning to the girl he gently motioned with his hand in an inviting gesture to sit down. He took his seat after her, a warm and quite confident smile not leaving his face during the whole time. It was a noticeable metamorphosis that Nicholas Raes underwent upon entering a zone where he felt and probably was relatively safe, though a lesser one for the swindler. When one of the necessarily pretty barmaids approached them, the con artist extended his arm across the table to show at his companion. ”The lady is ordering tonight,”he said looking into the girls eyes. Embrace your art… When the barmaid was sent off with the order, Crismento leaned back comfortably in the chair. ”I don’t think I am the first to reflect on this, perhaps just one of the few who finds an opportunity to put it in words, but the comforts a tavern provides holds an incomparable advantage over a murky alley,” he chuckled lightly trying to warm the atmosphere, keeping the whispers at bay. ”Now that our journey has come to an end,” Cris continued in the same blithe tone, ”would Yune’s dear friend be willing to reveal her name?”

OOCSomeone at Ravok’s Fairness of Competition Committee should look into the seemingly unhealthy monopoly that Silver Sliver appears to have established

[Aello]

"The Silver Silver?" Aello asked somewhat incredulously as she lifted a single brow in confusion. "A simple tavern which serves to turn even the most respectable of Ravok's men into complete scoundrels? Not that such a thing is saying all that much, considering the location, but still... a tavern? In which every remotely decent looking woman in sight gets her bottom pinched all night long, unless she decides to pull a knife on the drunkards and take off their fingers, and perhaps their tongues for good measure? Assuming she does not gauge out their eyes of course..." Aello's voice trailed off as she ran her right hand through her long brown hair, splitting the knots between her fingers as she dragged it through. "The only exciting thing about this place is the fact that there's a good old brawl every night, and the ale is silver. Although... it tastes just like every other pint of ale you've ever purchased, which could only mean that they simply dye the stuff, somehow..." the girl sighed and rolled her eyes as she watched the hypnotist push the door open and walk inside. It swung shut once, swinging a little on its hinges before she managed to take a deep enough breath to work up her courage, and past her frustration. "Here we go," Aello whispered as she pushed the door open reluctantly, and stepped inside. She stood just behind Cris, gripping her father's old bow rather tightly, as he searched for a table. She didn't bother, for in all honesty, she wasn't quite in the mood to sit down, and would much rather leave. She hated the bloody tavern, but if the hypnotist was hungry enough to settle, she supposed she could tolerate it, at least, for a little bit. When he found a table and strode over to it, Aello followed him reluctantly, keeping several paces behind. When she reached the wobbling piece of wood, she placed her bow atop it, as well as her bag, before settling into her seat. At which point, she pushed her bag under the chair, and rested the bow across her lap. More out of an interest to not appear rude than anything else. After she had gotten situated, Aello's eyes settled on Cris. When the maid came to take their order, she didn't so much as look up to acknowledge her. "A pitcher of wine, and loaf of bread with butter, for the table please," she said simply, as the woman nodded and ran off to fetch everything. She was drumming her fingers on the table as she simply stared into the man's eyes, wondering how on earth he could find such a place even remotely comforting. "Not really..." she whispered under her breath. "It's quite nice not to have all eyes on you..." For a long while after that, Aello remained silent, her pupils dilating as her magic came to life. She could hear the clashing of swords off in the distance, smell blood on the air. Sharp and metallic. She was certain she could see a few drops splash across the table, as though someone had been slain. He comes from a place of much unrest, where fighting is common, her mind whispered. He comes from one of the darkest places in this world. Yet, despite all the fighting, the clashing of blades that went on all around him, he isn't much for fighting. Aello was certain she could detect a slight glimmer, a few silver sparkles, thrown across the man's body. They seemed to drip down his dress, cascading down his middle from their lofty position, predominately, upon his shoulders. Instead, he seems to use magic to get by. As her mind whispered the "magic" word, Aello began to drum her fingers all the more ferociously upon the wooden table. She could hear them clicking, but paid them no mind. Her fingers weren't important, but Crismento's aura was. The things her mind whispered in her ears, were. Aello tilted her head slightly to the side, scrutinizing the aura. She was certain she recognized the magic she saw there. "Aello," she whispered, finally, breaking the silence as the gears within her mind turned, the cogs clicking against one another as she forced herself to think; to remember. It couldn't be...

[Crismento Miren]

Crismento wasn’t entirely certain whether the girl was joking or completely serious in her voiced opinion about the tavern. He had only returned to the Silver Sliver once after the time he had been drugged there, despite being willing enough to regard the event as something above the norm in the establishment. Other than that, he didn’t really share her expressed views, finding that standard meals there were decent and drinks went miles beyond what Kelp beer had to offer in taste. However, her lack of enthusiasm soon showed to be true as she was rather reluctant to follow and ordered quite meagrely. The way the girl sat there, the way she spoke, the drumming of the fingers… She was uncomfortable there. Perhaps uncomfortable with him too now? He felt like her impatience to leave was screaming at him. Slowly the smile faded from the swindler’s lips reflecting the genuine disappointment in his decision. He never had a chance to take someone for dinner during his time in Zeltiva given the lack of such establishments in the city, yet he imagined the process being so much simpler. Please… But apparently he made a mistake and now found himself being examined as if they had just met. Getting her name, even if it was a fake one, probably could have been seen as progress, but felt like more of a small recovery from a setback. As if taking a small step forward after having moved a couple of them back. Cris failed to notice when the barmaid returned with their order, instead fully focusing on the target that was slipping out of his hands. His eyes, however, captured wine and bread appearing on the table and sent signals to his mind to act. The man took the pitcher and poured the drink into the glasses, placing the first in front of Aello and the next one near himself. You want to… ”If…” the con artist was interrupted by his own cough. His throat felt very dry, smothered. He sipped a bit of wine to help him with that. ”If you really find yourself at the absolute displeasure by being here, we can leave right this very moment. There is certainly no need of tolerating something you feel to be repulsive… Especially when it is meant to be an expression of gratitude for your invaluable aid. You would have to excuse my ignorance though, for taverns aren’t my strongest suit in this town.” A small guilty smile found its way on his face before he added: ”Truth be told, nothing probably is.” Don’t make yourself suffer… The distant whispering, begging and whining was getting too difficult to ignore. It was a strange and unfamiliar experience to him. Cris had faced the need and compulsion to resort to his art before, but never did it feel so alive, so real… As his eyes were watching hers, it seemed that the ruins of his willpower were the final dam that kept the uncontrollable wave of hypnosis from pouring out in a complete devastation of his mind. He wanted to stay in control, he needed to stay in control, for he knew where the unrestricted indulgence was leading. And yet at this moment he wanted to let it go more. Unleash it, even if just a little bit… Just to satisfy this quiet pleading… And he did. Crismento’s blue gaze wallowed in hypnotic djed before spreading out through the established eye contact between him and Aello, spreading as a mist around her and then slowly wrapping the girl closer inside it. The magic was gently stroking her feelings to sooth and calm them. A few djed vines detached from the coat and tenderly drifted into her mind, twisting and tangling somewhere deep inside on their way through only leaving a simple thought as a trace: ”I am a friend.” Oh, it felt so good! Cris hadn’t realized the strain on his body and the pressure on his mind the resistance had put. It was a relieving sensation, one so pleasurable that he didn’t want to feel again, even if only because the requirements for it asked for so much deep inner tension. Still, the hypnotist did his best to not let any changes in his mind be shown outside, which was a difficult and hardly entirely successful task, given the experience. ”We can go and find a place that is more to your liking. I’m determined not to give up until I see a smile on your face, which I’d take as a sign that I am finally doing something right for once!”

OOCSometime it is very tempting to use OOC knowledge. And yet I do my best to resist

[Aello]

Aello extended her left hand, reaching for the freshly poured glass of blood red wine. She wrapped her fingers delicately around the slender neck of her glass, the gentle curve of the cup's underside resting across the smooth skin that ran from her thumb to the tip of her pointer finger. It felt cold, against her flesh, causing the skin to prickle as she drew it closer to her. She was glancing into the pool of red, her brown eyes reflecting a need for blood, as she swished the liquid lightly, allowing it to swirl around the center, and splash up angrily around its glassy cage. "Thank you for the bread and wine," she whispered, as she stopped twirling the contents of her glass. The last of the bubbles she had created, which had glided smoothly across the liquid's surface popped, without making so much as a sound. Aello was simply watching Cris now, wondering if she had ordered wrong. For surely, men were far more interested in drinking until they fell over than woman. If they weren't the type to simply eat and eat and eat, until their belt buckles burst with the expansion of their chests. She had stopped drumming her fingers against the wooden table, and had since, lifted her right hand, and begun to follow the edge of the glass with her right ring finger. Following the rim, an endless circle; an endless dance. "No, that's quite alright. You seem to be enjoying yourself anyway... and besides, you're right, the food and drink here isn't all that bad. It's just the drunkards you have to watch out for," Aello commented. "They always do make a mess." There was a slight pause, "nothing would change if we went elsewhere- just the scenery, but the tavern's innards would be the same, filled with those who have nothing better to do than get drunk and hit on ugly women. Or even other men." With that, Aello pulled her right hand back, and set it in her lap. After it had settled just above her knee, right below the space where the tip of the dagger lay in its scabbard, Aello slowly brought the glass of red wine up, and pressed them gingerly against her her pale pink lips. They parted ever so slightly as she tilted the glass back, allowing a few drops of the liquid to spill onto her tongue, before she righted the glass once more, and pulled it away. She allowed the red liquid to slide across her tongue, giving her time to consider its taste, before she swallowed, offering Cris a small smile. "It's somewhat dry," she commented, as she placed her glass back down on the table, and reached for a slice of bread. She took a bite and chewed thoughtfully, taking the time to consider how odd it was that she was in a tavern with a complete stranger, and felt, strangely comfortable. It wasn't like this when you met the Kelvics, was it? Aello asked herself. So easy to settle into a life with them as your traveling companions... so easy to spend time with them. No, the first time you met Nex, you tried to kill him didn't you? With your dagger... in one of the alleys. Aello's head swam, knocking the thought into the recesses of her mind, as she closed her eyes a moment, trying to steady her thinking. The sudden onslaught of such a dizzy spell. She knew she hadn't had too much wine, and couldn't begin to discern what had caused her to feel so. Upon opening her eyes once more, Aello mumbled, "sorry," before taking another bite of bread. She chewed this bite more furiously than the first, hoping it would settle the churning of her stomach. Something was wrong, very wrong, and she couldn't quite figure out what it was. The sudden sense of unease unnerved her- why was she feeling like this when there was no reason too? What had brought it on so suddenly? Surely it couldn't be the kind gentleman sitting across from her, minding his own business? Hopefully enjoying the fruits of the barmaid's labor, the work of the Silver Silver's staff. When Aello had finished another bite of bread, she took another. She had finally managed to cast her gaze from the man's eyes, the unsettling way they seemed to look past her, or rather through her, and had once again, begun the process of scrutinizing his aura. She could see it sparkling now, as though a whole jar of silver glitter had been cast upon it. Or, perhaps, as though it were merely reflecting all the silver stars within the night sky. He has been using magic, a form you recognize... the form you hate most, one side of her mind whispered, while the other countered, no! No! Don't listen to them. This man is kind. He has bought you something to eat and drink. Taken you into a fine Ravokian establishment... No! the other portion of her brain hissed. They're lying! Listen to us! He's hypnotizing you! Playing you for a fool! You recognize the magic in his aura, don't you? The look in his eye? Aello shook her head lightly, trying to get her mind to quit fighting with itself, but it was to no avail. No, you two are friends... fast friends, new friends... the best of all, the other side argued, wrapping the girl in its embrace. The warmth of its words. The soft sound of them against the inside of her ear. She wanted them to be true. She wished they were true. After all, he appeared kind enough, worthy of one's trust. Worthy of one's affections. Of one's loyalty. Don't you listen! You hate hypnotists! Slit his filthy throat now! Now that you know what he is, before he has time to finish you... the other side of Aello's brain screamed, even though, only moments before, it had said that Cris wasn't much for fighting. Even so, he had to be using his magic for something... No... no... He cares for you. He wants to be your friend. You are friends... No! You should shed his blood in the name of Dira. He's a filthy hypnotist. Oh shut up you, he is not! No you shut up, you know he is! the other side hollered. Before each erupted into an endless stream of telling the other side of the girl's brain to shut up. All the words were swirling together, an angry whirlpool of hatred and confusion. Her head was swimming, she felt weak. What was going on? What was she going to do? Aello closed her eyes, her body trembling a little with the exhaustion caused by her own magic, and the war going on within her own mind. She didn't want to believe in it anymore. OOCHockay, so I went a bit overboard. I figured it'd be fair with both our levels being what they are.

[Crismento Miren]

Soon Crismento could relax not only because of the vanished pressure of the obscure corners of his mind, but also because Aello seemed to settle down and unwind as well. He was confident that his art could achieve that, after all, that was why he so much liked it, but he hated the risks and feared the price. Thinking, or rather hoping, that they finally arrived at the area of interactions he was most comfortable with, the swindler took a piece of bread into his hand and a table knife into another. He sliced a bit of butter and spread it across the bread letting the knife glide the top of it. With the very first bite the con artist was reminded that it wasn’t since this morning that he had anything to eat, so the modest nibbling was soon followed by less moderate eating. Cris watched as the girl's fingers abandoned the table in favour of playing with the glass and listened how she once again expressed her dissatisfaction with Ravok. He took another small sip of wine and it wasn’t until she did the same and smiled that the con artist felt encouraged to ask a question he had been meaning to for a while now. ”It probably is,” Crismento smiled back deciding to first respond to the comment. ”Though it is much less offensive to the palate if one does not have any particular preference in wines, like my unsophisticated self.” He placed the glass down and reached over for another slice of bread, glancing at Aello with what he hoped appeared as hesitant look. ”Perhaps with my question I will be crossing the line of what is reasonable to ask, but the curiosity is a foe that sometimes becomes too great for me to fight.” His cautious look gradually faded as he flavored the bread with butter. Cris was driving the knife around slowly as if the process needed great care and his words slowed down too with it. ”It has appeared to me that you are not enjoying Ravok. No, to understate it like that would almost be lying. You seem to be repulsed by the city, how it works and how life goes in here. All this is understandable to the last bit and I even share my views with you in a lot of what you say. But then one is left with a pulsating question that is pleading to be asked.” He stopped spreading the butter and raised his eyes to Aello while placing down the knife. ”What brings such person to Ravok then? And perhaps more interestingly, what keeps her there?” The girl appeared to be deep in her thoughts for a while. Cris wondered what had caused that strange uneasiness she was demonstrating after the seemingly successful attempt at calming her down with hypnotic aid. Aello had shown a nearly unnatural ability of seeing though him, but this was an unnatural ability of his own, something that not every keen observer could catch. Just a few moments later his concern changed course as the swindler was given the impression that the girl's discomfort was more physical than mental one. Had she suddenly got sick? The very first thought crossing Crismento’s mind quickly shouted him that she had been drugged. The scenario was fitting given his experience in the particular tavern and likely given the girl’s views and opinions, but he chased the idea away with amusement. ”Are you feeling alright, Aello?” the con artist did his best to channel concern in his calm and caring voice trying to incorporate the slight surprise that was on his face into the same mask. ”Perhaps you want us to leave?”

OOCJust a small note: Cris introduced to Aello as Nicholas Raes, so despite that she knows it's a lie her mind would probably still wouldn't call him Cris in the line that claims that he is her friend

[Aello]

Aello raised her hands to her temples, and pressed her middle and ring fingers into her pale flesh. It felt warm, and somewhat slick. Covered in a thin line of sweat. She pushed her fingers into her skin, and moved them slowly in circles. Trying to ease the war in her mind, trying to get at least some of the pain to go away. "It's difficult to say really," she whispered in reply, just when the pain began to break. "Just stumbled across the place... found it difficult to leave after the darkness had seeped in. Once he had his eye upon us... my companions and I... it's so difficult to explain. But, it's so easy to get here, not so easy to get out, alive." Aello fell silent as she continued rubbing her temples for several moments. "Just a nasty headache," she commented absently. "Won't go away. Hopefully soon, no use in moving though. That won't make it go away," she muttered, as she let her hands fall into her lap. The right rested atop the hilt of her dagger, providing the girl with the slightest level of comfort as she forced her eyes back open. Aello's mind was still spinning. Sloshing back and forth rather angrily, as though she had had too much to drink. This is the last time we are going to this petching bar, Aello promised herself as she forced her dark brown eyes to settle on Cris. They followed the line of his body, until they met with his eyes. A deep blue, just like all the other hypnotists she had encountered. He must be one of them, Aello's mind hissed. He has those eyes. Those petching, bewitching, blue eyes. A sign of their power, their clan. Their link to each other. He's one of those filthy hypnotists. More than likely sent by their ranks to befriend you, before he leads you back to their den. So they can finish you off, end your threat to them. Aello's stomach lurched. Why was it that she could never have a normal day? A day in which she didn't meet someone she would be forced to kill? The young spiritist grit her teeth as she forced her magic to go away. She didn't need it making her head any worse. She didn't need it from muddying her thoughts; preventing her from thinking clearly. It was surprising then, how much better she felt when the colors; the whispers had disappeared. Although she still felt exhausted and her head still swam, the act had removed the straw that would have broken the camel's back. Slowly, so as not to ignite any suspicion if she could avoid it, Aello slipped her right hand beneath the slit in her dress. The slit of fabric that ran up the length of her leg. She inched her hand across her pale flesh, closer and closer to the dagger, until she reached the hilt. She snaked her fingers around the grip, and began to pull the dagger out of concealment. When the hilt had become exposed, she pulled the rest of the dagger out a swiftly as she could, and turned it on the table. Within a fraction of a second, Aello was sweeping the dagger downwards, towards the table. If Cris had let his hands rest upon it, she may sever a finger or two in her fury. For surely, she would leave her mark upon the wood, if not his flesh. Through grit teeth, Aello growled, "who sent you, hypnotist?" Managing to get the words out just before the dagger made its mark. Just after toppling her glass of wine over, and letting the red fluid drip through the spaces between the wooden boards that comprised the table. Just missing each of their shoes. Aello's eyes were blazing now, with an inner, deadly flame. Her muscles were bunched, coiled and tensed. Rippling angrily beneath her flesh as her heart pounded like a drum. Lines of sweat had appeared on her brow, and her body was shaking with frustration. "And don't you dare think to lie!" she hissed. All eyes were on them. OOCOk I fixed the last post so it reads "he" now. Also... Aello has a history with hypnotists. Especially blue-eyed ones. She bloody hates them. Good luck with that?