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

[Ash'eny]

As Avalona laughed at him, he couldn't help but return with ignorant giggles, apparently he was hilarious, that or she was laughing at something else. Regardless, her laughter was so laugh-worthy that it was probably a sin not to laugh with her, or at her. With her at him? Whatever. As the redheaded woman bent over to help pick Ash'eny up, he complied, actually pushing off the ground and using the stool and mostly Avalona herself as support structures. Ash'eny was too out of it to realize his arm that was draped across her shoulders had a hand that was gently sleeping on her right breast, of course there was clothing of hers separating skin from skin, but the man, only all too ready to pass out, was completely unaware of it. Her turned his head, now confident that he was in fact standing, and best of all he found the floor underneath his feet. Look at this Avavava. Tee hee!" Ash'eny broke into a series of giggles again as he nicknamed Avalona, which wasn't even close to being clever really. After a few moments of private laughter he stopped and continued his speech. "There's the floor, right there. You see it? Yeah, how about that. We've been looking for it this whole time, and it was right her. It looks familiar too. Doesn't it look like the place where Huck Thurmick cut off my finger? I bet he stole these floors when he did that. Woulda been noice if the boys woulda helped me out then, wouldn't it have been noice Avalona? I think it would have been noice. They was scared though, I sp-sp'ose I suppose suppose that they supposed..." Ash'eny grumbled lightly at himself as his own speech was beginning to confuse himself. "Weren't they scared though? Not as petching scared as Ash'eny was. Nearly soiled himself that little Shyke. Little Shyke! What's it going to be little Shyke? Evens or odds..." Ash'eny blinked slowly as he stared at the barstool he was sitting in minutes ago, it felt so far away for an object literally an arm's distance from him. His speech, though obscure, mumbled, was obviously recollections of memories in Sunberth, scarred he was. Scared and Scarred. "Evens or odds... I'm odd aren't I? I'm odd. Maybe I need to find Huck, get even... maybe then... I need to sleep..." Slowly, Ash'eny's eyes trekked across the room and planted themselves once again on Avalona, and without so much as a sign or warning he kissed her on the cheek and rested his forehead against her shoulder, almost like he could fall asleep standing right there. "You're too nice to me."

[Avalona]

Avalona had thought before that she would be perfectly capable of dealing with her drunken friend, but his antics were steadily growing to be more and more touchy--his hand resting over her chest was proof of that. After the brief moment it took her to register it, and the few seconds of embarrassment, she glared down at the offending hand, waiting for Ash'eny to realize his mistake. Unfortunately for her, though, he was far too busy looking elsewhere. She gave an resigned sigh, and with her free hand, the one that wasn't wrapped around her friend's waist, Ava moved Ash'eny's hand to a more suitable spot. "Watch where you're touching, please." She said, a little unsure if he was listening. This is a lot harder than I thought it would be...

The pair of them made their way across the tavern, Ash'eny blabbering, and Avalona nodding now and again to make it seem like she was actually following what he was saying. But that was before the man's talk turned to more serious things. Her friend began speaking once again about his finger story, talking about that miner named Huck and the boys from his old gang, and eventually discussing his own fear in third person. It didn't make a whole lot of sense to the redhead, but what she did hear saddened her. It must have been a traumatic event for him to be remembering it now, as inebriated as he was, and Avalona couldn't help but think about some of her run-ins with a gang, who had managed to do their business out of the eyes of the knights. Her free hand moved to the back of her neck, tracing a three-inch scar with her fingertips.

Avalona was pulled out of her thoughts by the brush of lips against her cheek. She stopped in her tracks, looking over at Ash'eny in shock, before her eyes made their way onto the floor. Throughout her whole experience with this man, she had never turned as red as this. Butterflies erupted in her stomach, and Ava tried desperately to hang on to what little composure she had left. He's just drunk. Ignore it Ava, it means nothing. She thought to herself in an attempt to calm down, and then lifted her hand to touch her cheek, as if searching for the warmth left behind from Ash'eny's kiss. Ava forced herself to begin walking again, letting her hand fall back to her side, and swallowed in an attempt to find her voice. When she spoke she sounded quiet and slightly embarrassed. "You can never be too nice to someone...and I care about you, so of course I'd act like that."

By now they were out in the street, Avalona doing her best to support Ash'eny in his drunken stupor, and trying to keep him from falling asleep before they reached her home. After several minutes of rather unsteady walking and winding through castle corridors, they finally stopped in front of Ava's door. She searched for her keys for a moment, before sliding them into the keyhole and unlocking the door with a satisfying click. Ava only opened the door a bit, peeking her head in to make sure she didn't have any potentially embarrassing items laying around. All clear. She opened the door all the way, pulling Ash'eny in and closing the door behind her.

[Ash'eny]

Movement through Syliras, on a typical day and under typical circumstances, was typically quite quick being as unhindered as it typically was. However, typically a person wasn't burdened by a man of larger size, weight, and thoroughly drenched inside in alcohol. Ash'eny had been, for the past several minutes, been clinging to Avalona like his life depended on it, which wasn't particularly true, not even close really. Give him a few hours and Ash'eny would be clear headed and sound enough to realize he had drunk himself to a painful headache, but until then, Avalona had taken it upon herself to almost carry the strange mysterious man. "I think I need another drink. It probably wouldn't be good if you drank more though, probably not. You might pass out if you keep drinking like that. Like that, like a fish swimming in water, except you'd be drinking the water, but it was beer instead of a fish. The beer would be... the fish would be drinking beer. Then people would get drunk off of eating fish. That would be strange. Wouldn't it?" Ash'eny burped lightly as he finished his short monologue, or perhaps his burp interrupted him to the point where he forgot what he was saying, or where he was going with his sentences, assuming he ever knew. "Hmm, you care about me. Pshhhh! You copied me, I was just about to say that, except to you instead of to me. Because... I care... You read my mind didn't you? Maybe you hypnotized me." Ash'eny was once again interrupted by a short faint burp, which again caused his mind to lose itself. Once Ash'eny was led into Avalona's small home, led to the cot, he didn't hesitate to collapse on the floor. His body was exhausted. He was tired, very tired. Drunk, very drunk. Yet he felt very sober at that moment, even if his mind couldn't gather a simple logical sentence or his motions wouldn't exist without severe wavering, shaking, or inaccuracy. However, his eyes, only half open behind his sleep provoked eyelids, continued to watch Avalona as long as he could. He wanted to sleep, needed to, but couldn't just yet.

[Avalona]

Great. Now Ash'eny was rambling about fish and beer. Ava listened though, her reason perhaps not very innocent. She would be slightly ashamed to admit that that just maybe she was hoping for him to let something slip about himself. Guilt flooded through her, yet she couldn't help it, she was a curious person after all. But as everyone knows, curiosity killed the cat. And satisfaction brought it back... She thought, in an effort to console herself. However, Ash'eny's next words made her forget about it. "Hmm, you care about me. Pshhhh! You copied me, I was just about to say that, except to you instead of to me. Because... I care... You read my mind didn't you? Maybe you hypnotized me." Avalona smiled to herself, a strange feeling filling her body. It was a mix of warmth, happiness, and...something else, something that Ava couldn't even begin to identify. As a person used to knowing herself, the redhead couldn't help but be a bit intimidated by this unfamiliar emotion. So, she spent the rest of their walk trying unsuccessfully to determine just what the unknown feeling was.

Upon entering her house, and letting Ash'eny go, Ava turned her back to him and stretched. She reached her arms up towards the ceiling, as if trying to touch the cool stone, and balanced on her tiptoes, arching her back ever so slightly. It felt good after supporting the man on the way to her home, because even though she only held up some of his weight, it had still been heavy, and her limbs were sore. She craned her neck over her shoulder, and catching Ash'eny's sprawled out form, giggled quietly. Avalona walked leisurely over to him, and sat down, before ever so slightly tilting her head to the side. "That doesn't look very comfortable." She said playfully, adjusting her body so that her legs were curled to one side. Then, smiling affectionately, the woman found herself brushing stray curls from his face. She really loved his curls. Without thinking, Ava leaned over and kissed his forehead lightly, brushing her lips against his skin. She pulled back slowly, blinking in surprise at herself, and slightly embarrassed. Each cheek turned a shade rosier, the slight blush not even close to the intensity of some earlier in the day. As she began to stand, Avalona couldn't help but wonder which she wanted more: for Ash'eny to forget this all when he sobered up, or for him to remember.

[Ash'eny]

Ash'eny's eyes slowly faded as Avalona sat there, stroking his head, playing with his hair. He couldn't remember that last time he had innocent, purely innocent fun. Today was more than that though, more than just fun. Perhaps it would have been better without drink, it was both a cure and a poison for the man. It helped him loosen up, to feel comfortable, to speak when he should and couldn't, yet it also made him foolish, simple minded, and he was going to pay for it in the morning. Ash'eny smirked lightly, his eyes were now shut entirely, and one moment later, his breathing told the tale of his slumber. Ash'eny, sprawled awkwardly across the floor, was only too happy not to be on the stone roads outside. He was happy right where he was.

End!

[Dusk]

XP Award! Asheny XP Award: Interrogation: 2 XP, Rhetoric: 1 XP, Storytelling: 1 XP, Subterfuge: 1 XP, Seduction: 2 XP Lore Award: Being pawed at, Panic attacks, Being rendered speechless, An Artist's Passion, Comforting a stranger Ledger: -8sm for breakfast, -8sm for beer Senre XP Award: Lore Award: Fiddling with your cloak Ledger: -4sm for breakfast Avalona XP Award: Interrogation: 1 XP, Rhetoric: 1 XP, Philosophy: 2 XP, Seduction: 1 XP, Investigation: 1 XP Lore Award: Unappatizing ale, Intimidating other girls, Overstepping personal boundaries, Strange promises, Finding inspiration, Dealing with a drunkard Ledger: -1sm for ale John Vicari XP Award: Lore Award: Ledger: -6sm for breakfast Additional Note Senre, if eating were a skill you'd have earned like four XP. Ash, Ava: Loved this thread! Ash is such a hot mess. It was a lot of dialogue so I couldn't give much XP, but you definitely earned some lore and a great story.