"You shot your bolt in my establishment!" (solo)

[Carina]

Time Stamp: 55th of Winter, 511 AV What a busy night it had been. Hours passed like minutes and soon the sun would be rising over Sunberth, its people struggling again to survive another day. The outside was still quiet; no doubt the citizens longing to remain in the fake reality that dreams could bring. But the sound of barking dogs would eventually wake them. Carina was already awake though, finding herself inside a merchants shack in the Castle Commons of Sunberth. The merchant was a young man who, she was told, was just trying to make a few extra miza from his hand crafted crossbows. Honestly their quality wasn't very good, but they were affordable. When she saw him the previous night, drowning himself in alcohol, she thought he would be an easy target to gain a few extra miza. Laying beside each other, naked, it was obvious that her persuasion (with help from the alcohol) had worked. While she kept sober in an effort to maintain control over the situation, the man was still very much drunk. And having just finished pleasuring himself with Carina's body, his breathing was heavy as he started to rest and recuperate from that nights activities. Nether spoke until Carina rolled onto her side and propped herself up on one elbow. "Did you make that crossbow yourself?" It was obvious from its design that it was nothing like the handmade ones from the merchant, probably a gift from his father. Or maybe he had stolen it. The story behind it didn't interest her though. She was simply making conversation in hopes that by getting him to open up to her, he would leave himself vulnerable. "Naw.. my old man gave it to me," he eventually answered, content to leave the conversation at that. "Could I hold it, what do ya say? Hmm,?" If what he said was true, and she could get him to let her hold it, then she would take it as a sign that he trusted her. But he was reluctant when she asked. Only answering with an exasperated sigh. His reaction was a tell tale sign of the coming 'no'. She wouldn't let it go that easily though. Moving a hand to the mans head, she ran her finders though his hair. Locking her eyes on his for a moment before touching her lips to the sensitive skin near his ear and whispering. "You don't need to worry. I'm yours.. I could never hurt you." Maybe this would have been an obvious lie if the man were sober, but alcohol lowered ones defense and ability to think logically. And when a grin creeped over the mans features, she knew her words had worked. The man leaned over the side of the bed, and would have fallen out of it if Carina hadn't kept an arm resting over his abdomen. After picking it up and moving, again, to his back, he handed the weapon over to Carina.

[Carina]

It was a heavy thing, and awkward to hold for the first time. Carina had no idea a crossbow could weigh as much as his did. Holding it by its limbs, it was obvious she knew nothing of them. Her knowledge was limited to daggers, and even those she was still inexperienced in wielding. Looking it over, she wondered the role of each part. A dagger was simple most of the time; one side was the handle, and the sharp side was the blade. This weapon had many more parts, and though she had seen others use them in the past, she hadn't noted the methods to its wielding. At the very least she knew that it fired projectiles that, she thought, were similar to arrows. Running a finger over the thick string, she guessed that it was used in the same manor that a bows string was. Pull back and release. There was only so much she could deduce on her own though, but maybe trial and error would help. Casting a sideways glance at the man beside her, she wore a mischievous smile. One that drew the mans attention and made him wander just what was on her mind. "Could I see one of the crossbows arrows? I just want to try it out." With her request, a smile also found a place on the tired mans face. Leaning once more over the side of the bed and taking a handful of bolts from the nearby bag. Rolling back, he held them out to her, but pulled them away just before she tried taking them. "First thing you need to know, is that these are called bolts, not arrows. Arrows are for bows, not crossbows." Carina found it interesting that, even in his tired and drunk state, he was still able to speak clearly and in full sentences. Maybe the alcohol was wearing off. That thought leaving her mind, she reached out again in a faster motion, snatching them from the mans hand in a playful manor. "Ok, so these are bolts then. And you use a crossbow to fire them, right?" Only showing that she was listening, she didn't plan on waiting for him to answer the question. She was too busy trying to figure out just how the bolt was supposed to be readied. When she couldn't figure it out, she turned to the man with a smile and a laugh. "So, do you plan on helping me or not?" And he couldn't help but laugh in return. The sight of a naked woman in his bed, holding and trying to shoot his crossbow was an strange site.

[Carina]

Would a drunk man make a very good teacher? It seemed he was going to at least attempt to explain some crossbow basics, but when he reached over to try and take the weapon from Carina, she pulled it just out of reach. Maintaining her playful demeanor, she still insisted that he try and teach her. "Don't just show me how to use it, help me understand how to use one myself." This supposed quick lesson was turning out to be a bit more difficult then the man had thought. Rubbing his hands over his face in an effort to wake himself up just a bit more, he took a deep breath and begun. Sitting up in the bed and leaning back against the headboard, he pointed at the butt of the crossbow. "This part is the butt, or stock. I us it to keep the crossbow steady. The part you were holding onto are the limbs." His words were tired but professional. Maybe from repetitive explanation of crossbow parts to onlookers browsing through his weapons. While he pointed out each part, she ran her fingers over them; taking note of the names and trying to put them to memory. And while she seemed preoccupied with memorization, the young man leaned in to her and wrapped one arm around her. Resting his hand on top of hers, he guided her it through a groove on the flat top of the crossbow. Finding no reason to pull away, she leaned into his chest and allowed him to guide her hand. "This area is called a deck. The groove here on the top is where you place the bolts when your getting ready to shoot. I call it the flight groove." Moving their hands from the groove, towards the back of the deck, he stopped at a small metal contraption. "This is the retention spring. It holds the bolt in place until you fire it." Then he leaned forward, forcing Carina to move with him. Bringing her arm forward, he rested it on the weapons string and had her run her fingers over it. "You should know what this part is. Its explains itself." Glancing at him from the corner of her eyes, she was still smiling. "Of course. Its the string. It works just like the string of a bow, doesn't it? Firing the bolt forward." Only nodding in reply, the man moved her hand down to the underside of the crossbow to another metal piece. "And this is the trigger. Only pull it when your ready to fire." Picking up a bolt from the folds of the blanket that covered the two of them, he placed it in Carina's hand and guided it to the flight groove. "Put it in the groove." After doing as he instructed, he pulled the stock of the crossbow back against Carina's ribs. "When you first start using a crossbow you'll probably bruise yourself a lot while getting used to preparing the string and bolt for shooting." Then pulling the string back towards her, he cocked the string. The strength behind the pull forced out some of the air in her lungs, accompanied by a growing pain from the pressure of the stock against her ribs."Don't let go of the string until your certain its firmly in place. If you do it right then the front of the bolt should be resting in the groove and the back should be tight against the pulled back string." Using Carina's hands, he pulled the string back and readied the bolt. "Then when your sure the bolt has been fitted properly, put one hand under the crossbow to steady it, and keep the stock against your shoulder." With those last words he guided Carina's hand to the trigger and pulled, firing the bolt and burying its tip into the wooden wall across the room. With his help, she had fired her first bolt. "Now its your turn. See if you can do that without my help."

[Carina]

It was Carina's turn next. After the young merchant had guided her hands through the process of firing a crossbow, he leaned back into his pillow. "Go ahead and try it on your own this time. But first give me the names of each part I just told you about." Putting her memory to the test, she began resiting the names, and pointing each part out. "First, this is the... butt. Used to keep the crossbow steady. Then this part here is called the.. deck," she asked, glancing at him for a moment, before returning her eyes to the crossbow. "The bolt goes right inside this groove on the top, but I'm not sure what its called. This part holds the string in place before you shoot the bolt," she said, pointing at the retention spring, forgetting what the man had called it. "And this is the trigger.... How did I do?" His only reply was a nod, and then he handed her a bolt. She had forgotten the names of a few parts, but it seemed she still understood the purpose of each part. "Now set the bolt where its supposed to go." Perhaps this was the most simple of all the steps in preparing the crossbow; simply placing a bolt in the groove along the top. The rest would prove more of a challenge. Once the bolt was in place, Carina started looking over the weapon; what did he say the next step was? But after a process of elimination, she found that trying to use the other parts were pointless until she pulled the string back and locked it in place. Taking a deep breath before doing so, she readied herself in anticipation of the weapons stock jabbing into her ribs as she pulled the string back. It took more strength then she had realized when the merchant had helped her the first time. "Now your ready to fire. Aim at the wall, then once your sure, pull the trigger." Nodding in reply, Carina moved one hand under the crossbow and pushed its butt against her shoulder. When she thought she was ready, she pulled the trigger. But to her surprise, the bolt didn't stick into the wall across the room; it, instead, piercing the roof on the other side of the room. For a moment the room was quiet, both wandering how she managed to shoot the roof. Carina sat biting gently on her bottom lip, amazed at how off her aim was. Turning to each other, they both burst out laughing. "Your a horrible shot," he said with a smile. "Try again." Handing her a second bolt, this time Carina went through the list of parts silently. Listing the name, or use of each part before placing the bolt in the groove. When it was in place, she started pulling the string back one more. But the pain from the first attempt was still in effect. To fight the pain, she welded her eyes shut and held her breath, and couldn't help but grind her teeth a bit. When the string was set, she readied the weapon, supporting it with one hand, and pushing the butt against her shoulder again. This time though, she tilted hear head to line her site with the flat top. Holding her breath just before pulling the trigger, she shot the bolt and hit the top of the wall across the room. It was a slight improvement. "That was a little better," he said, still smiling. Having had enough of the crossbow and wanting to rest, she handed it back to its owner. After he placed it, and the other bolts back down on the floor next to the bed, he turned back to see Carina offering him some more alcohol. He was quick to take it from her, not ready to let the night end just yet. And soon after taking the drink, he rolled over on top of Carina and their lips met in a hungry kiss. Followed by the mans groping hands as they wandered over he body. But after just a few moment, the man passed out drunk on the bed. His head resting on her chest, and his hand still groping at her chest. Smirking at the situation, she rolled her eyes at the passed out drunk. She had been in this situation a time or two before; often using alcohol to make her escape. It was easy to free herself from the unconscious man, pushing his hand up and away from her, then slipping out and off the bed. When she was free, she took a moment to wipe some saliva off her lips before gathering her clothes. In moments she was dressed and ready to leave, but she had one more thing to take care of. On a nightstand that stood on the other side of the room sat a pile of thirty or so Miza. Tip-toeing over to it, she was quick to scoop them up and into her own Miza pouch. Now that she had what she came here for, it was time to leave. "Thanks for your patronage, I'll be sure to put it to good use," she whispered before closing the door behind her and venturing out into the dark streets.

[Archelon]

Thread Award "..." And the Results!!!!: Carina : SkillName 1-5 How/why? Seduction 3 Negotiation 1 Crossbow 4 Lores: Whoring for a theft. Loot: 35 gold miza Would you like some extra turtle sauce ? : Interesting thread .