[Rearing Stallion] Winds of Change:A Beggar's Coins [Closed]

[Ash'eny]

'Why yes, I do have interests, as does everyone. I tend to assume the identity as a beggar during the day so that I can earn a little coin without hard work, play on the guilt on those that shouldn't be toyed with, and it makes a great disguise for when I snatch a purse from an old man's waist or break into a house. Oh what? I didn't tell you I'm a thief? Well sure, I do it all the time, it's an addiction really. Every few days I feel violent urges to swipe something of value that doesn't belong to me in any way, shape, or form. Rings, gold-rimmed mizas, surgical tools wouldn't be out of the question, small expensive glassware, deeds to land. You know, anything that can fetch a little money. What's that? What do I do with what I steal? I buy food, waste it away at this tavern, toss money into the well to chase Syliran superstitions, act all kind and generous on the outside so that people will be convinced that I am who I lead them to believe I am. In essence, I love to rob, steal, swindle, and lie, it makes great fun, pumps the blood through my veins and lets me know I am alive...' Ash'eny slowly looked down at his right hand, which was resting on the top of the bar counter, the fingers were trembling, inadvertently tapping sporadically against the wooden surface. His face must have been red, he could have sworn that the large monologue he just thought to himself was said out loud, but with the silence that remained reminded him that his lips were shut, no, not shut, pressed tightly together. He felt a painful knot swelling in his throat, he knew that the time frame a natural answer was passed, his hesitation was obvious now as a sign of hiding one truth and thinking up a mask that would fit his face. Ash'eny lifted his left hand to his head, pressing his knuckles, he wasn't hot, his face wasn't red, but it was cold, pale. He didn't have to look into a mirror or smooth clear water to know his naturally tan skin just took a slight brightening. Was he panicking? Yes. Why? No... He didn't know. Why didn't he know. It must have been thirty full seconds before Ash'eny managed to do something almost productive. He reached for his mug and took it in both his hands, took a deep breath and began to down the mug, and within seconds, he had drained the beer. His color would return shortly, his composure would mend, though be sloppy, different, the effects of alcohol. At least he would be calm. "Beer." Ash'eny winced as he tried to fight the nauseating feeling in his gut, but he managed to speak his single word lie. Would she believe it? Ash'eny didn't know, but the beer was making him feel like he was a petching big deal better and more confident as it settled within his body. He sighed at himself as he motioned for another beer, his third mug. He knew he wouldn't be able to drink this one and remain standing, but he had it anyway, in case he needed another stroke of courage, or to just trash himself to a point where lie and truth all sounded like shyke to even the best of lie detectors. "But that's not anything like painting and sketching. Right? Inspiration isn't needed to do anything though, I usually just have urges to..." Ash'eny shut himself down swiftly, perhaps the alcohol was a bad idea after all. 'I don't need inspiration to steal. I have urges that forces me to do so regardless of how I feel before, during, or afterwards. What I do isn't an art or a job, it's enslavement. A slave is never inspired to work the mines or harvest the crops, he is just helpless to fight against the chains that bind him. I am helpless to fight against it.' "Shyke."

[Avalona]

Avalona waited patiently for Ash'eny to respond, blinking innocently curious eyes at him. it appeared that he was thinking carefully. She cocked her head to the side, puppy-like, and wondered what was taking him so long. Moments passed, and on overwhelming silence covered them like a sheet. Ash'eny began to fidget, his face taut with anxiety as he swallowed. Even someone like Ava, whose social skills were seriously lacking, could tell that the man was starting to panic. Her question had made him nervous...why, she thought? Was he secretly some sort of...of...necromaniac or something? Did he store assortments of disembodied parts in his closet? No...that was highly unlikely...he probably kept them in jars on top of his dresser. Oh, get a hold of yourself Ava!, she scolded in her head, There your imagination goes, running away again. Really. Ash'eny isn't that kind of person. And yet....here he was, panicking over a simple question.

Realization hit her as suddenly as a slap in the face. She was doing this to him--it was her fault! Ava: the girl who loathed causing anyone any pain or trouble was doing just that. It was because of her that he was turning pale, and it was because of her that real fear was evident on his face. Memories of her adoptive grandmother leeched slowly from the corners of her mind. Her grandmother: the woman who had taken her in and shown her nothing but kindness and love. The same woman that Ava had watched wither away in front of her eyes until, only days before her death, she had ceased to move and talk. And who had spent her remaining hours staring at the ceiling with eyes liked clouded marbles, which gazed as if they had died long before her last breath. And perhaps they had, for they never seemed to notice Ava, who had hovered constantly in their line of sight.

Abruptly the flashbacks ended, as the clatter of Ash'eny's beer landed in front of him, making Avalona flinch out of her thoughts. She did not know whether or not he had spoken to her, but he still appeared nervous. Her eyes locked on to the drink on the counter. Was that his third? Concern flooded through her. Before Ash'eny could touch the mug, Ava covered the top of it with the palm of her hand. It took her a moment to find her voice, but then spoke. "Please don't drink much more, friend, you--" Once again, an image of her grandmother flashed through her mind, and Ava swallowed. She paused, closing her eyes, only beginning to speak when they opened. "You worry me." She finished softly. Avalona's hand reluctantly pulled away from the mug, and instead, in an act of concern, rose to Ash'eny's forehead. The back of it rested gently on his brow for a moment, which was slightly moist from a cold sweat, before Ava reached inside of her bodice and pulled out a handkerchief. It was a shade of light green, and smelled faintly of apples. Coincidentally, one was embroidered (not by Ava) in the corner. Avalona handed it to him, not intending to treat him like a babe by wiping his face herself--which she almost did before realizing that she should stop fussing like some sort of mother hen. She averted her gaze (so that Ash'eny could compose himself if he wanted to) and her eyes took on a faraway look. When Ava spoke it was like she wasn't completely there. "You know...no matter how close one is to someone, they'll never be able to know everything about them. There's always something that a person hides. I think that...everyone wears some sort of mask. They might realize it or they might not, but they certainly have one. Why even I..." Avalona's voice trailed off. Yes, even she wore a disguise plastered on her face. All those times she had smiled when she had only felt pain were proof of that. "Even I wear a mask." She finished in a voice barely above a whisper. Silence followed. Then, Ava turned to Ash'eny, smiling thoughtfully. "They say that other people can sometimes see a part of a person that that person isn't aware of. I don't know at all how you view yourself, but in my eyes, I think that you seem to be a much better person than you realize. You know, I came to this tavern thinking that it would help my troubles. Of course, I was thinking that I would be drinking. Instead of that, though, I met you! Seeing you smile like that, and you saying 'cheers' by yourself, made me smile too." Avalona grinned. "Well, your curls had a small part in that as well." She bit the tip of her thumb. "I guess what I'm trying to say is thanks."

[Ash'eny]

Ash'eny stared at Avalona for a long time as she spoke, and even afterwards. She was talking as if they were old friends and very close. Ash'eny felt very close, almost like she was the sister he never had (he actually had a sister, but she was not really family to him), full of insight, wisdom, caring, and he had nothing really to offer her except worry. He was making her worry wasn't he? That couldn't be allowed, not when she was being nice to him like this. He felt a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, which soon pulled itself towards a smile. He realized he was ashamed that he was a thief, well he was but just not enough to change, but it was the thought that he couldn't tell her, and he so badly wanted to. Ash'eny was too honest for his own good, and one day, being a thief, it would ruin him. He couldn't help but wonder just what was under her mask, but he wouldn't pry, maybe someday they would share that knowledge with each other, assuming the knights didn't kill Ash'eny anytime soon. "A mask. I like that. I don't mean that I like having this life I can't talk about, but I like how you word it. It's so, artistic. Ava, I want you to know that I really do want to tell you, but I can't. I hope you understand that, I'm really sorry, and I know the curiosity may be eating away at you, but I ask you a favor. In twenty days from today, on the forty-ninth, I will tell you. I promise to you I will if you still want to know. If you will be my friend, no matter what happens, I promise I'll tell you in twenty days. No sooner, and unless something unforeseen happens, no later." It was bold, but Ash'eny couldn't do this. He had too many secrets, too many experiences, he had to share them with somebody, they were tearing him apart inside, which was not healthy. It was then that Ash'eny gave a faint, almost croaking hiccup. He blinked wildly as it both caught him off guard and startled him, such a serious moment, and all of a sudden this happens, how odd. "I guess what I'm trying to say is thanks." Ash'eny stared at Ava for a long time, again, as she complimented him, assured him, and even coaxing a smile on his face when she mentioned it. This was a little embarrassing, totally childish, but Ash'eny began to blush faintly as she did. Ash'eny had never heard someone talk about his curls, his smile, or about being a better person than he was. Typically people were judgmental, condemning him to crude stereotypes and offering little help and fewer kind words. This woman was different. It was then that Ash'eny was stricken by an emotion that had grasped tightly at Avalona only moments ago. Vulnerability. It hasn't been since his daughter was alive that he felt so weak just from somebody's gaze. This was either good, or setting Ash'eny up for death, proverbial and possibly literal as well. He, however, was mildly intoxicated, and such gruesome thoughts quickly found themselves push down his throat, and instead he was just staring, entranced by the painter with red hair. His smile would not fade as he was at a loss for words, this time it was not hesitation of admitting something or thinking up a lie. He was literally robbed of his words. He was speechless. 'I think I feel a change in the wind. Today isn't just a good day, it's wonderful.'

[Avalona]

"...If you will be my friend, no matter what happens, I promise I'll tell you in twenty days. No sooner, and unless something unforeseen happens, no later."

Twenty days. Why twenty days? Was there some sort of significance to it? These were the thoughts that wove in Avalona's mind until the full force of what Ash'eny was saying hit her. When that happened the world seemed to suddenly go silent, listening for her answer, and Ava could hear the slow thud of her heartbeat in her chest. Then the noise returned again, in a sudden wave of voices and clinking of mugs. A small smile pulled at the corners of her mouth and gradually grew, as if morning itself was dawning on her face, until her smile was so wide that she could feel the strain on her jaw. Of course, Ava didn't notice, no, she was too busy trying to contain the happiness that was blooming inside of her. When she spoke, her voice was filled with warmth. "You could have offered me nothing but your friendship and my answer would still be the same." Her grin stretched impossibly wider. "I would love to be your friend, Ash'eny." No matter what happens, she added silently in her head. A moment later he hiccuped, his expression so comically surprised that Avalona had to keep herself from laughing by covering her mouth with her hand. And as Ava's shoulders trembled ever so slightly, she got the feeling that this day would be forever etched into her memory.


When Avalona had finished talking, she turned her attention elsewhere. But that sixth sense that everyone occasionally has, that feeling of someone's eyes on them, kicked in. Her eyes were pulled, almost magnetically, back towards Ash'eny. He was staring at her, as if she had him hypnotized by her words, and he didn't make a sound as he did so. A blush crept up Ava's cheeks, and she wished that he would stop. No one had ever looked at her so directly. Most of the time gazes avoided her, and if she ever caught someone staring they would quickly glance away. But not Ash'eny. Ava looked down at the ground, hoping that her hair would hide her face enough so that he wouldn't see how pink she was getting. Perhaps she had said something odd again? Was that the reason he was so mesmerized? She lifted her head only enough so that she could look at him through her lashes. Finally, after a moment, she asked nervously. "Um...was I perhaps to presumptuous, Ash'eny?"

[Ash'eny]

After several lengthy seconds of staring, even when the redhead lowered her face to ineffectively shield herself from his piercing captivated gaze, he managed to recollect himself, smiling faintly and he turned back to face his food. He had yet to touch it, and even though he had forgotten to be hungry (how does that even happen?) because of the shifting emotional atmosphere, he now realized the coast was clear to begin. Awkwardness was thrown out and left to die, at least for the time being. Ash'eny was quite confident that the rest of today, or at least as long as time he spent with Avalona, would be smooth sailing, in comparison to painful memories and disastrous fears. Ash'eny simply had to remember what Ava said. Everyone, Ash'eny and herself included, everyone wore a mask to hide their true selves. Did that make them secrets? Perhaps not, somebody always knew it seemed, perhaps there was truths, and those hidden truths that appeared to be secrets to most of the world, and sometimes even to the person him or herself. "Bah! Don't use such fancy words. I haven't been educated beyond what the streets of Sunberth and Syliras have to offer, which isn't much really. I can't even pretend to know what you are getting at." Ash'eny chuckled lightly as he cut the slab of meat, whatever it was he wasn't sure, and harpooned said cut portion with his four pronged fork, and in between sentences moved it between his lips. "However... (gulp!) ... I can't say you're being too anything really. Most people I meet here are boring, drunks, asinine (so much for 'fancy' words eh?), or looking for a fight. The concept of intelligent conversation is lost to them, so in essence, you are one of the more entertaining specimens of human I've met." Ash'eny chuckled lightly, purposely choosing a somewhat higher level of diction for his choice of speech. It was obvious he was teasing around with her comment about being 'too presumptuous', but more or less making a point that she was perfectly well in his eyes. He slowly got to work cutting the next part of the meal placed in front of him minutes ago, which he wasn't sure if it was warm or not then, but it was quite cool now. It was a good thing he was tipsy. "Did I mention you're better looking than most of the people too? I probably didn't, but you deserve that compliment for sure. I mean, I've had several interesting advances in this place, but not a single one that can stand to be within ten feet of me without being thoroughly saturated with beer or ale." Ash'eny chuckled lightly, but the fact that he, only if slightly, blushed when saying this meant that he actually, possibly, meant it. Ash'eny, or perhaps the alcohol in him, was actually coaxing him into flirtation! This was, not exactly a first, but it was extremely uncommon for the man. At this point, Ash'eny was staring intently at his food, as if he didn't then his eyes might be pulled straight to hers so that she could search into his very soul and read him like a post-Valterrian book. 'What am I doing?'

[Avalona]

"...The concept of intelligent conversation is lost to them, so in essence, you are one of the more entertaining specimens of human I've met."

Avalona blinked. Hadn't Ash'eny just said that she shouldn't use 'fancy words'? And yet, there he was--using them. Her eyes narrowed, and suspicion moved its way into her gaze. Was he teasing her? His chuckle confirmed this thought, but instead of being upset, Ava gave a small smile. She was almost glad. It showed that he was comfortable with her, and made her feel as if she hadn't done anything wrong. Her body relaxed, and Ava realized that Ash'eny was probably one of the few people who she could do that with. Usually even when conversations with people were going well, Ava would always be a little bit tense, waiting for the sudden dislike to show up on someone's face that meant she had said something wrong. But with Ash'eny she felt comfortable. He had wanted to be her friend, which meant that he had accepted some of her quirks, so Ava sensed that she would no longer have to watch what she said as much around him. It was a nice feeling. Ava smiled. She was so glad to have met this man.

"Did I mention you're better looking than most of the people too? I probably didn't, but you deserve that compliment for sure. I mean, I've had several interesting advances in this place, but not a single one that can stand to be within ten feet of me without being thoroughly saturated with beer or ale."

As one would expect, Avalona blushed, her heart fluttering like some sort of trapped songbird. Oh why did this man insist on doing this too her?! She felt like some sort of giddy little girl, flushing at every compliment that was thrown her way. It was ridiculous, although since Ava rarely heard anything good said about her, her reactions were understandable. Color still painting her cheeks, Ava searched for some words to respond to him with. "Oh. Well, um...thanks...I guess." She said sheepishly. "But...er...you're not as unapproachable as you think. I mean, you kind of drew me in when I first saw you." Avalona's hand found her mug and lifted it close to her mouth. "And, um, it's not like you're unattractive or anything." She took a huge swig, ignoring the taste and trying to find some sort of explanation as to why the gods had cursed her with a mouth that didn't know when to shut up.

'Pox rot it all, when will I ever learn?'

[Ash'eny]

OOCSorry it took me so long, I've been out of town

Ash'eny slowly pushed his plate away from him as he gave a sigh of satisfaction. The food wasn't particularly marvelous, but it hit the spot, and while he did so, he motioned for another refill. Was that his third? Fourth? Ash'eny lost count, he was happy and didn't mind spending a little now. He turned his head to face Avalona, about the time she ducked away from her compliment and buried herself in her own mug. It was painfully obvious for him to realize that she detested the taste, perhaps the concept of alcohol altogether, but why force yourself to take it if you didn't enjoy it? Ash'eny had theories, but it was probably better not to pursue said theories. He smiled lightly as he recognized the bashfulness. "Well, I suppose that's always a plus. Not being unattractive is better than being unattractive I guess." A faint smirk curled up at the corner of his mouth. "But it's not quite as good as being beautiful." Ash'eny then looked around, it appeared as though Senre, whom he had to admit he utterly forgot about, either disappeared, or made herself incredibly scarce, she, who didn't exactly paint herself as the natural outgoing type, had seemed to vanish. He turned back towards Avalona. "So, what sorts of things do you paint about anyway? People? Landscapes? Images that come to your mind? I can't say that I've ever had the privilege to paint. Wasn't really raised in a wealthy home to be honest." It was probably better off to leave 'Or any home for that matter', though Ash'eny wrestled with the hesitation of it. Twenty days, he would contain his secret for twenty days, that was his promise. Ash'eny blinked, forgetting entirely he was staring at her. 'A promise...' Something almost foreign to him. In Sunberth, promises were more to be untrusted than anything. Was he reverting back to those old ways? Hopefully not.

[Avalona]

(OOC: No problem. Hope your trip out of town was for fun rather than work )

"Well, I supposes that's always a plus. Not being unattractive is better than being unattractive I guess...But not quite as good as being beautiful."

Avalona wondered about that. She didn't trust her sense of beauty, being an artist made it kind of...strange, but she trusted her ability to judge people. Ava had seen many people who were considered to be beautiful, and yet were vain and self-centered in reality. In her opinion, outside beauty was just a layer of the mask that all people bore. A layer that when peeled away could reveal a completely different person underneath. Perhaps that's why Ava found people in general to be so interesting.

"So, what sorts of things do you paint anyway? People? Landscapes? Images that come to your mind? I can't say that I've ever had the privilege to paint. Wasn't really raised in a wealthy home to be honest."

Avalona quieted, pausing to take a few bites of her meal. "My family wasn't particularly wealthy. Well, my parents were, but they gave me up right from the start. Instead I was raised by a kind old woman who owned a small paint store." A small smile made its way on Ava's face. "I called her my grandmother, but weren't related at all. She taught me everything I know." A flash of emotion appeared behind her eyes, and Ava's smile twitched ever so slightly, before growing wider. She was smiling in a perfectly natural way, and even a person who knew her very well would have had trouble seeing the truth behind it. Someone would have had to be incredibly in tune with Avalona to sense that the memories of her grandmother were actually causing her pain.

It took Ava moment to push away the emotions, she'd deal with them later, but for now she would focus on having a good time with Ash'eny. When Avalona knew she was at the point where she could speak normally again, she did so. "Landscapes are better for artists with a lot of patience, which I have with everything except painting, so I focus on people for both painting and drawing. Landscapes can be considered 'alive' and all, but they can't really express emotions. Sure an artist could use darker shades to make the painting more melancholy, but the grass, or trees, or whatever is in it won't actually be feeling anything. But people, people can feel every emotion out there: happiness, love, anger, hate--you name it. What I try to do as an artist is capture those emotions on paper." Avalona laughed. "I'm sorry. As a future warning don't ask me about art unless you want to hear me ramble."

[Ash'eny]

"I'm sorry, I didn't particularly mean your family was wealthy or that painting is an expensive hobby (not that Ash'eny had any idea. For all he knew, it could have been extremely costly), I just meant that my... situation... it didn't particularly offer many chances to hold a paintbrush or mix paint. I've seen a few pieces of art since I've been in town, but nothing much. Not as much as I'd have liked." Ash'eny smiled as he spoke, he was enjoying the conversation. It wasn't so gut wrenching nor did it cause spontaneous meltdowns, which was always good, and surprisingly rare to be honest. Ash'eny seemed to draw awkward situations, that or they drew him in. One way or another, by divine power or pure coincidence, Ash'eny and the people he met tended to make a concoction of awkwardness. That, or even more often, he pissed people off. Beggars and thieves tend to do that, but a man that claimed both professions tended to carry the burden of trial by both types. "I like rambling. I mean, intelligent rambling. Painting sounds interesting, although I don't understand what exactly you mean about the landscape painting, I can understand nature doesn't have emotion. Very understandable. Do you make a living with Painting?" Ash'eny continued to poke the subject of painting. Avalona seemed to enjoy the talk, it was her element after all, and Ash'eny felt he was learning something. Not about painting in particular, to be honest he hadn't truly developed a love or even genuine taste for paints, but he was learning about Avalona, her desires, her hobbies, what she was in love with doing, her family, or lack there of. She seemed quite a bit like him. Ash'eny didn't really have a family. Did he mention that? He forgot, probably the alcohol was taking its toll. His mother, though far from rich, did give him up to a gang of boys just to get him off her shoulders. She may have had enough decency to keep him alive, but to keep him, that was a different story all together. Ash'eny watched Avalona as she spoke, he felt that he really knew what she meant, and he did. He had been there, situations so similar, he really did understand. And the way she smiled... She smiled when she talked about her 'grandmother', a smile that made Ash'eny smile just so she wouldn't see him frown. Why frown? Because that's where their stories became unaligned. Their starts were similar, being given away for the sake of simple answers or easy ways out, but she found someone to raise her well, to support her, to teach her something moral and legal. Ash'eny was raised by a group of boys ranging from days older, to about ten years older. Their morals were nonexistent, they were survivors, but they didn't know how to raise a child. They raised a brother like they were raised. Mature fast, support yourself, and don't depend on a single soul for assistance. That was petching ridiculous, and it forced Ash'eny to pity himself. But he smiled. He smiled so she would smile, and he continued the talk on paint to keep the subject away from family life. Where was his beer? Ash'eny was feeling like another mug was needed.

[Avalona]

Avalona winced at his question. "I wish I could use painting to support myself, but I'm no where near good enough, and it's too unpredictable of an occupation. To be honest I'm thinking of finding a job soon." The woman sighed, wondering if she should continue, but then shrugged off the feelings of hesitation and spoke. "My grandmother passed away a couple years ago, and I've been living off what she left for me and the money for selling the shop." Avalona pursed her lips, staring down at the hands clenched tightly in her lap. "But that's gone, and I'm glad. It felt too much like I was relying on her. You see, I'm a very independent person. I've been like that since--" Ava stopped abruptly, and images from a day that she had tried to bury long ago crept into her mind.

She had come home after running a few errands for her grandmother, just as the sky was starting to get dark. The door to the store was unlocked, but Ava didn't think much of it, as the old woman could be forgetful at times. It was only when Ava had called her grandmother's name several times without getting an answer that she began to feel that something was wrong. She ran to the bedroom, panic worming it's way into her mind as her feet carried her to the doorway. She looked in. There was her grandmother, laying in the center of the floor with her leg twisted in an unnatural way. A knife stuck out of the other one, the blood from the wound seeping out onto the ground. Avalona thought that her grandmother was dead...but she wasn't. The old woman lived, but was crippled for the remainder of her life. Ava was forced to grow up fast from this incident. She had to learn to take care of herself, and someone else.

During the whole flashback in her head, Ava was staring blankly at the counter top, until fear revealed itself in her eyes. Subconsciously, her body tried to cover it up, her nails digging into the back of her hand in an effort to keep them from shaking. But it was impossible to hide her emotions completely if her mind wasn't focused, and too late to recover.