Closed [The Star's Shadow] First Times

[Fraint]

Season of Spring, Day 90, 513 AV The cool, evening breeze embraced Fraint’s flushed cheeks, kissing his face. His eyes fell over the serene descent of Syna’s light, retreating behind the steady face of the Misty Peaks, bowing out for Leth to glow. It was a peaceful evening, the warm colours in the sky fading away to make way for the cool. However, in Lhavit, this merely marked the beginning of festivities and merriment. Fraint didn’t know why he found himself in the courtyard of the Star’s Shadow—especially without a drink in hand. He, despite already at the well-developed age of eighteen, still had not experienced the ecstasy of inebriation, or the dreadful hangovers one seemed to receive in the morning after a guaranteed wild night. He assumed he was too sophisticated to dabble in such uncivilized affairs, but on this particular night, he wondered if he was really just a coward. His troublesome and thoughtful nature had guided tentative steps toward the Star’s Shadow, which, according to various people he’d met and made small talk with, was a wonderful place for getting yourself drunk off your rear. Fraint’s eyes glistened with worry as he debated with himself, torn between worse and even more badly—the fact that he didn’t know which was which caused a bead of perspiration to glide down the side of his cheek and down his neck. After quite some time, he was walking into the bar, standing awkwardly behind the counter, watching as a muscular man with handsome tattoos whipped up an alcoholic storm with skillful dexterity. “You don’t look so sure of yourself,” he noted, a wry grin flashing across his face. He was a man of wit, as well. Fraint shook his head wearily. “Just give me the petching drink.” The man replied with a whistle. “First time, handsome?” The man’s accuracy was unnerving. He was met with a steely glare. “Well, here you go, greenhorn,” he chuckled, sliding a mug of ale across the counter into Fraint’s trembling arms and snatching the kinas that Fraint had dropped on the counter for the ale. The man behind the counter watched as Fraint ambled away, precariously holding the mug of ale in one hand. What am I doing? thought Fraint, silently chastising himself as he weaved his way through the drunken men. Muttering wordlessly, he didn’t see the woman’s figure until he’d walked straight into her, spilling the entirety of the mug’s contents onto her shirt. His jaw unhinged in shock. As Fraint stood standing there, a couple of nearby on-lookers guffawed at both the girl’s misfortune and Fraint’s clumsiness. “I—ah,” he started, not knowing what to say. “Words cannot express how sorry I am.” He flushed, head swiveling in search of something to dry her saturated apparel.

[Ai Shou]

It had been a long month. Longer than any Ai was used to. Just eight days prior, she had falled off a roof and hit the solid ground, luckily avoiding injury. Now she found herself in the mix of drunken slobs and nasty others that drank ale, wine and other alcoholic beverages. She didn't know why she'd chosen to come here of all places. She had mid-length black hair and slightly curved eyes befitting of a Vantha. She wore a white shirt that was neat and proper atop her simple skirt, which was a stark contrast of black. Her feet were bare, a pair of slippers sat on the floor beside her.

Why of all the places must I choose here? She asked herself, looking around. She had the sudden urge to stand and go to the bar and she did so, moving back her chair and turning. She blinked as she took a step forward and... WHACK! She ran right into the younger male, her eyes widening in shock as she fell back on her rump, the alcohol having stained her shirt as well as her hair.

She was stunned, mostly by the looks of the young male that had spilled his drink on her. Her mouth gaped like a fish for a moment as she stumbled for her words. Finally, she clenched her mouth shut and got to her feet again just as the man began to apologize. She held a hand up to stop him and gave him a soft smile, "It's quite... alright." She said in her soft, smooth voice, one that put on a front that she was in control of her shambling life. She met eyes with the man and her irises changed from a soft blue to a startling violet as her cheeks reddened and she cleared her throat.

"I hope that isn't how you normally introduce yourself." She said with a small smile, batting her eyelashes for a moment before extending her hand. "My name is Ai. Ai Shou." She said, hoping to make the first step into the conversation without fumbling. "And I do believe you owe me your name after spilling your drink on me." She smiled, letting a soft giggle escape from between her lips.

[Fraint]

The young woman bumped into his taller figure, landing with a muffled thump on her rear. Humiliation flushed his cheeks red. Fraint bent down to help her up, another tasteless apology ready to fire, but she quickly picked herself up from off of the wooden-paneled floor with petite agility and grace. A delicate hand came up to silence any more of Fraint’s rambling, followed by a quiet assurance, effectively ensuring the abrupt end to Fraint’s apologies. “Um . . .” A temporary moment of confusion flickered across his face. He had expected raw anger, or at least some display of annoyance, be it a low curse or a brief expression of vexation. However, the woman had taken it with complete kindness. Suspicion began to creep in. However, before his thoughts began to show on his visage, he assumed the air proper to an ashamed gentleman. “I spilt my drink upon you; I hope you don’t expect for me to go about my life with a healthy conscience. I’m . . . sorry.” His apology was more of a passive-aggressive gesture to test the woman’s true inner feelings. True to his interior, he half expected (and half wanted) the woman to address him with a little less enthusiasm. As Fraint studied the woman with muted interest, her eyes transformed—a velvety blue hue became a deep, vibrant purple. His eyes widened in shock, ignoring the pink tone thrilling the maiden’s cheeks. What exactly had he just seen? He leaned in closer, blinking dully as if to clear whatever fog had been plaguing his eyes, but the shade of purple remained. He could’ve sworn it was blue just moments before. He’d clearly witnessed the change. She cleared her throat. Fraint eyed her warily. His ignorance of the Alvanthian race was a queer one. A little comment was followed by the extension of her hand. Fraint took it with caution. “Of course,” he replied, grasping the hand warmly and giving it a firm shake, before releasing it and letting his hand fall slack. “You may call me Fraint. A pleasure.” He paused hesitantly before continuing. “I do believe I owe you a drink, as well. Come, come.” Assuming dominance over the scene, he ushered the woman to a table away from the others, sitting on the edge of the border. Pulling up a seat before settling himself into the one opposite of it, he leaned against the polished surface, resting upon his elbow. “So—” “Good evening, and welcome to the Star’s Shadow. How may I help you?” A fair woman clad in black appeared from the shadows, flashing rows of white. Golden waves of hair cascaded down her back, and her jade eyes looked down on him expectantly. Fraint clenched and unclenched his fist, eyes flickering to the mystery known as Ai Shou, back to the waitress who stood erect with duty. His patience wore thin. “Ale for both her and I,” he stated quietly, nodding in Ai Shou’s direction. The waitress looked at her with an expression akin to mild disgust. “Certainly,” she replied, strutting away with her curls bouncing. Fraint heaved a sigh, returning his attention to Ai Shou. “So, Ai Shou,” he said. “I couldn’t help but notice your eyes.” Typical Fraint, diving straight to the point. “Do they normally change colour like that, or are you, ah, some sort of—” he flailed his hands in an attempt to describe the word that was slowly forming inside his head. It was certainly not appropriate for polite conversation. “—I don’t know, magical being? Enlighten me—my curiosity couldn’t bear to go unquenched.” Noting the interest in her eyes for him, he allowed a tight grin to grace his features.

[Ai Shou]

Ai's smile widened as he spoke his name. It was a nice name, that much was certain. It was not an average name that you hear everyday and it had a soothing roll off the tongue when it was said. Fraint. The word almost made Ai giggle, but she stifled the laugh with a hand. "That's a funny name... Fraint."She said with a smile, one that spread from her lips to her eyes. A simple bob of her head was her answer to the drink, allowing him to lead her away to a table further from the crowd. She smiled as she sat, smoothing her shirt over her chest and about to speak when he spoke first. All he got out was a short word before a waitress interrupted. Still, he took control and ordered the two of them a drink. Ai had already had an ale before Fraint had cleverly introduced himself by toppling his drink onto her. She was a light-weight and the alcohol was already numbing her thoughts. The mention of her eyes, however, caused her smile to brighten even more so, the color of her eyes changing back to that startling blue from before. "I take it you do not know very much about my race, the Vantha. Our eyes tend to change colors to mock the feelings we are unable to express."She said with a smile,"Pink normally represents interest, love or desire. Purple is shy. Blue is my neutral eye color. And lastly, any shade of silver tends to be the color that appears when I am fearful or curious."She explained with a smile, folding her hands under her chin and propping her head up on her arms as she looked interestedly at him. Her eyes flashed pink for a long while again,"You are cute."[googlefont=Milonga] She said with a sinister grin, one that Fraint might realize as a smirk born out of an alcohol stupor.