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

[Ash'eny]

Timestamp - 29th of Summer, AV 510

Today was a new day, bright, early, and the fairly known Beggar, Ash'eny, came strolling through the tavern doors. His face, or his entire appearance in fact, was something different than his usual veneer of moroseness, hesitation, self-loathing, wicked grins, and anything else that was quite similar to said appearances. Today, he had a smile. Today, his cloak was not worn, brown, patched, dirt stained or anything of the sort, rather it was a dull black, obviously well used, but well taken care of. Ash'eny's presence was so different, so uplifting that he could have sworn he saw a few melancholy faces almost perk up in their own little impressed smiles just by seeing him. Or perhaps those were drunks, working hard at their well-earned titles even at this early hour of the day. A faint shrug from the shoulders and Ash'eny was strolling across the wooden floor, straight up to the bar counter, and sat down at a seat, leaving plenty of room, three or four seats away, from a person on either side of him. Today, he was happy, even though last night he was about to die from pure unrestrained insanity and not a single answer was acquired. He couldn't point out why, but he was very happy. "Excuse me! I'll have whatever you are serving for breakfast and a mug of beer. I'm feeling an appetite this morning." Ash'eny chuckled lightly as he set six silver pieces of Miza on the table, which was promptly taken up by the hands of the server as they walked by. Ash'eny took this moment to settle into his seat, wriggling around to comfort himself a slight amount as his right hand slowly ran itself through his short curly dark brown hair. It was just one of those days that Ash'eny simply could not explain. He was happy, had no idea why. Life would return fairly soon, surely, to kick him in the petching rear once again, as his own selfish urges were not so easily extinguished as his sporadic fits of sorrow and confusion. "Maybe the knight was right. I do need a job." Ash'eny chuckled lightly at the thought, though he was actually considering said though as well. He had been a thief since he was twelve, a beggar to almost as long, and was doing well enough to support himself and even give a little to his homeless friend, who had not such luck (Syliras was harsh on Beggars, something to do with it being illegal...), which all had a place in his heart. He understood them, felt for them, he was in their shoes once, and was lucky enough to be pulled from it so long ago. A few minutes later, and Ash'eny was staring, partially intimidated by, a large mug of beer. Last time he came to drink, he chugged and got sick. Ash'eny was a light-weight alcohol consumer, he enjoyed it, but simply could not handle it well. Perhaps it was time to get to work, training on drinking, what a worthy goal. Ash'eny smirked lightly as he reached out with his left hand, the hand with four fingers (a missing pinkie) and took hold of the mug. "Cheers." Ash'eny muttered to himself as he realized he was quite alone. Typically, he happened to run into people he knew, especially a particular Syliran Knight who was really good at both rubbing him the wrong way and forcing respect out of the beggar, and tended to share stories, or lies, with one another. Today however, Ash'eny seemed alone. What a shame to spend a good, happy day and share it with none. "Cheers..." Ash'eny repeated to himself, only in a whisper as he lifted the mug to his lips and took a sip. The mug was promptly lowered to the counter again afterwards.

[Senre]

Senre's slender fingers gently tossed back the hood of her cloak, her green eyes starring up at the bar before her. She was considered going in, her stomach was rumbling with the demands of food.. But she still was uncertain if she was willing to risks of being closed up with so many people. She had the money, for now that is, and she was possibly inline to get one. Her hands moved to pull up the hood of her cloak, turning to traveling on down the road, she had to get back to Aleksander. She had left him hidden secretly, but she stopped.. It's not like anyone would actually find him.. She glanced back at the bar. And if I don't go in I'll just continue being a coward.. Plus, Aleksander would kill before letting someone get anywhere near him.. She sighed, her form moving to the wooden door, she pushed it open, stepping inside. She nudged the door closed behind her, listening to the awkward squeal of the hinges. She quickly lifted her hands to push away her hood, her deep green eyes looking around. She wouldn't know anyone here, and she was sure no one knew her either. Slipping her fingers into the pockets of her cloak, she grips the smooth cloth inside of him, not wanting to show the rest of them just how much of a wreck she was venturing in her. She forced herself over to the bar, slipping onto a stool, making sure there was a least one empty stool on each side of her. She moved her hands slowly from her pocket, setting silver pieces onto the counter in front of her. "I'll have whatever is on the menu for breakfast, and some ice water.. " Her voice was soft, and she offered only a slight smile as she watched her joins being taken by the server. Her hands moved to her cloak, pulling the buttons lose, and pulling her arms through the sleeves. She let the cloak drop down to hang off the stool, reveling the curves that youth brought to her body. It also exposed her oddly ripped pants, well, what used to be pants. Instead they were shorts, stopping at her mid-thigh. Her hands grasped the cool glass of ice water that was set in front of her, feeling as if EVERYONE was watching her. In all reality they weren't, most hadn't even cared that she walked in. Her finger tips curl into the glass, her nails tapping against it nervously.

[Avalona]

Day 29 of Summer, 510 AV

Avalona was not the kind of person who went into taverns much. She didn't really like alcohol, and sometimes she ran into people she knew. Which was actually a bad thing considering the fact that those people tended to be from the old group of kids who used to tease her. Now that she thought about it, the only reason that she had stopped being picked on was because she moved to another part of the city. So naturally, she supposed, when they recognized her they would say something. Ava shrugged mentally to herself, she would never really understand how people like that worked. Heck, she could barely figure out what was going on in her head half the time, much less someone else's. Especially when that person was huge, testosterone filled, and very very drunk. So to avoid that problem, Avalona stayed away from taverns. Today however, was a different story. For weeks now Ava had been without any inspiration whatsoever. IT. WAS. TORTUROUS. An artist without a muse was like a butcher without a knife--or any other sharp objects butchers happened to use. It was unnatural, and Avalona couldn't take it anymore. So how did she decide how to solve this problem? What any person down on their luck would do: drink. Maybe the alcohol would get the creative juices flowing again. It was worth a shot, and Ava was starting to get desperate.

Avalona sat down with a sigh at the bar counter, a seat away from a man in a black cloak. She tossed a silver miza at the barkeep, and ordered a mug of ale. For a moment Ava spaced out, staring dreamily at the whorls in the wooden counter, but was quickly jolted back to reality when the mug clattered in front of her. She stared at the drink for a moment before working up the courage to drink it. Hesitating only for a moment, Avalona reached out a grasped the mug by the handle, and then forced herself to take a huge gulp. She gagged, spitting the ale back into the cup and coughing. Snickering erupted from the people near her, but Ava wasn't really the type to care. Instead she was focused on the vile taste that was currently still wreaking havoc on her taste buds. It was the most disgusting thing she had ever had the misfortune of trying! Okay, well maybe it wasn't that bad...but it was still pretty nasty. She took another sip, small this time, and she nodded to herself. Yep, definitely an acquired taste. Ava set down the mug and tried to see if she was getting any creative vibes yet. ............Nope, nothing. Sighing, Avalona turned her attention elsewhere, and felt her eyes being pulled over to the cloaked man a seat to her right. She immediately noticed his curly brown hair, and couldn't help but smile a little--curls always made her do that. Cocking her head to the side, and oblivious of the fact that staring could be considered creepy, Ava observed him. The man was smiling slightly to himself as he picked up the mug a took a sip, but not before whispering a small "cheers". Ava blinked, surprised, but then found a grin playing across her face. There was something very interesting about this man.

Avalona propped her face up with her palm and asked with eyes full of mirth, " I'm curious, what is it that makes you smile so?"

[Ash'eny]

No, not everyone was looking at Senre, not that there would be too many pairs of eyes on her if they ALL were anyway. It was morning, most people worked during the day, those with jobs of course. Others, like Ash'eny, and a few others with night jobs, were in the tavern at this time. Ash'eny, however, was not intoxicated, and did take notice of Senre from the moment she stepped into the tavern. it wasn't so much her figure that drew his eyes towards her, but more that she was, at first, another person in the tavern. What kept his attention for a few moments was she was obviously a female, which made her the only patron with breasts in the room at that moment. Third feature, the eyes, deep and green. They reminded him of a young man he met a few weeks prior, but never again had seen since. Ash'eny, though by no means was an expert in reading body language, could pick up the obvious signs of hesitation, perhaps fear, discomfort. He had felt the very same emotion various times, he could somewhat pick it up in others as well. The fourth thing, or was it fifth? Ash'eny lost count. Anyway, the final thing that caught his attention, and ultimately finalized his staring, was when she actually pulled the cloak away from her body. She was young, very young. Ash'eny shrugged his shoulders lightly before finally breaking his gaze and returned to his mug. Slowly his four fingered had took an embrace of the glass and lifted it to his lips, sipping lightly (since sipping was the only way he could keep himself from feeling completely nauseated from the stuff). After a few moments, he replaced the mug onto the table and sighed, then turned to face Senre. He smiled lightly. Perhaps he could make a new friend, the girl looked like she needed a friendly comforting face anyhow. "Hey there! My name's Ash'eny. Have you been in Syliras long?" Ash'eny slowly leaned over, reaching past the empty seat that separated the two of them like a small creek, and offered his right hand to shake in greeting. 'I'm curious, what is it that makes you smile so?' Ash'eny turned his head slowly to see another woman staring at him. She wasn't just glancing his way and turned her head. No, she was staring straight at him, as if watching him, expecting him to do something so strange that no other person in the room had the ability to hold such attention from her. Ash'eny's smile quivered lightly as it become almost embarrassed, for whatever reason, he wasn't sure. His cheeks took on a very faint pink color as he moved his left hand behind his head, gently scratching at the back of his scalp. "Me? I wish I knew myself. I'm just having a day of... smiling?" Ash'eny chuckled faintly as his blush slowly faded from his face. "I'm sorry, my name is Ash'eny, I've been here in Syliras for almost a whole season now. I don't think I've met you before though Missus..." Ash'eny broke off, obviously leading for Avalona to fill in her name were the 'blank' was settled. It was only moments later that the bartender placed a wooden plate in front of Ash'eny, it held something, a slab of some kind of meat, what it was Ash'eny wasn't quite sure, but it had bread and even cheese on the side. Simple, but he would devour it the same. It was breakfast, and he was hungry for it. But he was, at least today, somewhat gentlemanly, and would not eat in front of these ladies until they were both offered and, if they so chose, were eating food, whatever it was.

[Senre]

Senre's finger nails tapped at the glass of ice water in her hands, she couldn't stand the thought of being in this place, but her stomach was going to keep her here until she had eaten. Slowly she brought the the glass of water to her lips, taking a slow drink. "Hey there! My name's Ash'eny. Have you been in Syliras long?" She blinked, stepping that glass down to turn her head towards the hand that was extended to her. "Um...." She swallowed hard, she didn't want to show the male any disrespect, but she didn't want to touch him.. She didn't even want to look at him. A deep sigh of relief pasted her lips as a women at his other side spoke to him, pulling his attention away. She turned back to glass of water, her hands grasping the glass tighter, they were shaking now. A few moments pasted and she quietly listened to the male and female talk, not making out most of the words. Her attention shifting from her glass of water to the plate set in front of her. She didn't care what it was, as long as it was eatable, she lifted up the fork and knife that was brought along with her plate, digging into the food. She sliced the meet into bite size pieces, guiding a piece to her mouth. Her teeth closed around the fork, pulling off the meat. She slowly started to chew, finding it to actually be quite good. She was glad, she didn't want to end up coming in here for nothing.

[Avalona]

"I'm sorry, my name is Ash'eny, I've been here in Syliras for almost a whole season now. I don't think I've met you before though Missus..."

"Avalona." She paused, hesitating for a moment before adding, "Ava, if you like." A rose bloomed on her cheeks. Avalona wasn't the kind of person who gave out her nickname that easily. Actually, no one had ever really called her it before, since her grandmother had liked using her formal name. Briefly she wondered why she had told him. Maybe it was because he made her feel comfortable, not like everyone else she tended to meet, or maybe because she hadn't messed up yet. First impressions weren't exactly her strong point, she could recall one incident where she had gotten slapped for no apparent reason. All she had said was that proportionally, their eyes were too big for their face. Ava hadn't meant to insult them, she was just commenting on some of their facial features. Suddenly she remembered something. "Oh, and you can drop the Missus. It's a little too..." She wrinkled her nose, "Formal." Ava held out her hand, setting the name Ash'eny into her memory. While she was waiting for him to shake it she added with a smile, Go ahead and eat, by the way, I didn't order a meal."

[Ash'eny]

Senre may have assumed Ash'eny did not notice her hesitation, that subtle urge to turn invisible, to vanish from sight, and ultimately, his attention. Ash'eny was kind, a simple human, not even the slightest knowledge of combat experience, yet there was something about him that frightened, or disgusted her. 'So be it.' Ash'eny thought to himself as he was looking to the friendlier woman on his other side, he smiled lightly. He was not without company after all. If the first did not want attention, Ash'eny would not go out of his way to give it to her. And with that, the attention was shifted all in the favor of Avalona. Avalona, Ash'eny's lips slowly mouthed the words, mimicking the very movements her own lips made as she spoke her name. Twice in silence, one in a faint whisper. "Avalona. Ava is simpler, easier to speak." Ash'eny's subtle smile slowly grew, almost taking on a sadistic playful appearance to it as it coiled like a snake. Wicked smile. "But Avalona is prettier. Ava, I like that one a lot. I may have to trade off until I find one I prefer, Ava." Ash'eny chuckled lightly at his comment as he reached out and graciously accepted her handshake, which in itself is a motion he would take notice of. In his experience, at least with human women, they did not often take the lead in offering a handshake, it was a man thing, or so he thought. Perhaps his base assumptions needed a little reconstruction, or maybe she was just bolder than the average woman... or not human at all. "Avalona, would that be a Mrs. Avalona or a Ms. Avalona? I guess that's stepping a bit far. That was a bit rude of me, I take back my interrogation. Here, let me buy you breakfast, I'd rather not dine alone." Ash'eny stopped short of muttering something along the lines of 'and this other woman has shunned me as if I carried the curse mark of some greater God.' No, Ash'eny was not going to be rude, hurtful, or anything of the sort, he was better than that. From his pouch, Ash'eny pulled a gold Miza with his four-fingered left hand and place it on the counter-top in front of Avalona and looked up to the serving man/woman that was behind the bar. "Whatever my friend here wants, it is on me." Ash'eny, proud of his little act of kindness, turned back to face Avalona once again, still smiling. "That is as long as you don't eat as much as a Glassbeak." Ash'eny couldn't help but chuckle heartily at that comment, of course it was a joke, a simple teasing remark, but it was one of friendliness. Ash'eny, the beggar and thief, had a fairly easy time considering others friends, like Avalona for instance. He wanted to get to know her more, since all he knew was her name at the moment. Why wouldn't he want to know more about somebody he considered his newest friend? "I'm glad you showed up. I thought my blissful mood was destined to be swallowed up in me being alone today, which, I suppose, would be easier to stomach today than most." Again, Ash'eny left off that he had to disappear sometimes, due to his 'actions' in Syliras. Let's just say the Syliran Knights weren't too fond of beggars, and thieves were no better. "Thank you Ava."

[Senre]

Senre fiddled with the very tip of her fork, chewing at her third chunk of meat. She was still listening to the pair off to her side speak, but tried not to listen, thinking to be rude. Guiding the tip of her finger away from the tip of the fork she guides the fork into another slice of meat. Her mind drifting off towards Aleksander, thinking that she'd pick him up some fresh vegetables. She twisted the piece of meat around against the plate, spacing out. Her thoughts were wandering on where she would end up next, as she did this, her form began to relax. Pulling the fork away from the plate she bites off the chunk of meat, one of her legs crossing over the other. She lightly tapped the edge of her boot against the bar in front of her, looking up at the server as they refill her glass of water. She gave a wider smile as a thank you, her fork jabbing into another chunk of meat as she swallowed down the other.

[Avalona]

Avalona was not the best at guessing what others were thinking. Ash'eny had a look that reminded her of someone who just discovered a particularly bitter ingredient in his meal. Nervously, Ava wondered if she had something to do with it. She didn't think she said anything particularly insulting, she had barely spoken a sentence to the man, but Ava wasn't really good at judging what kind of effect her words had on people--until they retaliated that is. She was quickly relieved, though, when Ash'eny smiled slightly at her.

"Avalona. Ava is simpler, easier to speak."......"But Avalona is prettier. Ava, I like that one a lot. I may have to trade off until I find one I prefer, Ava."

Avalona couldn't help but blush when she heard her name spoken from another's lips. She relished the sound, and ducked her head to hide a small smile. Ash'eny had used her nickname. After chuckling for a moment, he reached out and took her hand. His hand was warm and welcoming, and Ava responded herself with a firm handshake. In her belief, a person's hand told a lot about them. For example, a person with clammy hands was probably nervous, and a person with scars was probably a fighter. Avalona's hands often held paint or callouses from holding a brush too long, although not today. She always, however, gave confident handshakes.

When Ash'eny asked if she was a Mrs. or Ms., so essentially if she was wed or not, Avalona blinked in surprise. That wasn't exactly something she got asked much. Before she could reply, though,he took his words back and offered her breakfast, turning to the barkeep and saying:

"Whatever my friend here wants, it is on me."

Avalona's eyes widened. He had called her a friend! The happiness was short lived, however, when she realized Ash'eny had offered her breakfast. Hesitation unveiled itself on her face. Ava was the type of person who grew up being very independent, so relying on someone else was a bit uncomfortable. She shifted in her seat, realizing that the barkeep was waiting for her, and bit her lip subconsciously. What should she do? Free food was free food, and she didn't want to offend anyone. That settled it. She turned towards the barkeep and said, "I'll have what ever you're serving for breakfast, please." Ava turned back towards Ash'eny, and gave a small smile in thanks.

"I'm glad you showed up. I thought my blissful mood was destined to be swallowed up in me being alone today, which I suppose, would be easier to stomach today than most."......"Thank you Ava."

Listening to Ash'eny intently, Avalona's face flushed when he thanked her, speaking her name once again. "Your welcome...although I haven't really done anything." Ava hesitated, her face turning a deeper shade of pink, and added, "And it's Ms." Immediately afterwards she wondered what the heck was wrong with her. She didn't usually get this flustered around others. Playing back their conversation in her mind, Avalona realized something. While most of the time Ash'eny's attention was focused on her, there were moments where she could see flashes of something else behind his hazel eyes. Contempt maybe? There was something bothering him, and Ava was too curious to just let things be. She thought back. What had he been doing before they had started their conversation? Talking to someone, right? She leaned casually from the stool, and peeked around the man. A girl was there, and she looked to be quite a shy and reserved person. Ahhhh..., she thought, as the most plausible situation clicked into place in her head. Biting the tip of her thumb, a habit of hers, Ava decided to try and include the girl in their conversation. She met Ash'eny's eyes, and said, "Sorry, but I think I'm going to move to the seat on the other side of you." Without waiting for his response, Avalona changed stools and held her hand out to the girl. "Hello, my name's Avalona. Care to tell me what yours is?" A few seconds went by and Ava raised her eyebrows. "Just so you know, I'm going to keep my hand here until you shake it", she threatened. She quickly followed it with a small, encouraging smile.

[Ash'eny]

Ash'eny may have been a simpleton at times, but he could tell this young woman was blushing like a giddy school girl that heard somebody admit feelings to her for the first time in her life. Hell, she even tried, quite unsuccessfully, to hide it by simply lowering her face, he was not so gullible, though he began to wonder if many he had crossed some sort of line. What, he began to ponder again, if she wasn't human and whatever culture she was used to, he had admitted feeling to her somehow? He would find these thoughts swirling about in his head for a good while as the day passed, surely. Regardless, he felt a firm handshake, that was a human trait after all, perhaps she was... Ash'eny had no idea. "I feel more comfortable with company next to me than eating alone anyhow." Ash'eny chuckled as he continued to watch her. Ava's constant blushing was almost comical, and Ash'eny himself was beginning to feel comfortable enough to where he wasn't particularly red-faced every moment now. "Your welcome...although I haven't really done anything." Ash'eny shrugged his shoulders and slowly shook his head from left to right, grinning as he did so. "Not true, Ava. Like I said, just someone being here makes all the difference to me. I can't even count on my hands how many times greater it is to have someone friendly here with me." He smiled again, but now his thoughts were wandering to the previous night at the well. The ghost woman he met, it was such a strange occurrence that he couldn't figure out if it was a dream or not. He had heard that it was real, the woman in the well, but seeing it for himself didn't quite convince him. Wasn't it possible that she was merely a figment of his imagination merely because he wanted to see her so badly? Perhaps, maybe he'd never know. His attention once again returned as Avalona mentioned she was a 'Ms.' rather than being married. He grinned sheepishly, he hadn't expected her to answer that question, and he almost felt guilty for asking in the first place. "Be my guest. I tried to talk to her but she doesn't find me suitable." Ash'eny chuckled, but saw that his remarked was mostly dead. He shrugged, perhaps the girl just didn't trust men. He couldn't say that it was a bad policy, but in Syliras, it was relatively safe here, the knights made sure of it.