[Inclement Weather] A Fire Yet Unseen (Alori)

[Kovac]

Timestamp: 40th Day of Summer, 513 AV

The Kalean summer heat of the past few days persisted, making working through the day nearly unbearable. Those lucky enough to work at Thunder Bay, or able to hitch a ride with a rider to Water Reach, stayed as long as they could manage. Kovac, not one of those lucky ones, resorted that evening to the deeper depths of Wind Reach's warrens, where the stone kept a balance of temperature. The heat within the Weather would increase, certainly, as the night wore on and the press of bodies within the club would drive the temperature higher. For some reason, no one minded that kind of heat.

For the moment, the activity in the giant oval room was still gaining steam, the crowd still manageable, only a small cluster on the dimly lit dance floor and a few claiming tables in the alcoves around the edges of the room. Kovac had already acquired his bottle of wine, found an alcove at one of the ends of the oval, and was contently strumming his lute as he leaned back in his chair, his low boots on the stone table. Two young Chiet had stopped by, familiar faces that had hooked up the last time Kovac was at the club. The Avora had agreed to serenade them as they got better acquainted in one of the curtained alcoves.

"Hey!" the half-breed greeted the couple with a smile. He picked up his bottled and leaned forward to tap the neck against their drink glasses. "Enjoys yourselves, but maybe not as much as the other night." Kovac winked and flashed a wry grin. The man laughed and the girl giggled, shooting back at the Avora "You are one to talk!" The boy shot a suspicious glance at the girl, then gave Kovac a short nod before hurrying his date across the room.

Ledger :

Bottle of fine wine - 10pn

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[Alori Sai]

There was a saying amongst the young Avora's in the city, and that saying was, "When work was away, the Avoras would play." That was exactly what Alori had planned to do, she wasn't hunting that day, nor would she be the next. It was her down time for the week and the little huntress was ready to let loose. The Inclement Weather was a regular hang out spot for her, whenever she wanted to let her hair down and get wild. It was still early in the night, and the floor wasn't as packed yet. But even so, it was the perfect end to a fun day. The pulsing drums, and the warm bodies, comforting and vibing off each others sending an electric charge throughout the club.

Alori stood in the middle of the dimly lit dance floor dancing along with the others that surrounded her. Some of their faces were familiar, regulars to the club just as she was. It was easier to dance along with people that she knew, and made it more fun when she completely let go. The music was hypnotizing and the mood infectious. The tune was lively, as it vibrated it's way across the floor, banging and echoing off the walls of the giant oval room. Alori continued to dance along with the crowd, bouncing and swaying as the sound of the music consumed them all.

The dancing grew steamy and more erotic as the participants themselves became hotter and more excited. It was normal for Alori when she found herself in the moment, to dance with her eyes closed. This allowed the teen to completely release her pint up energy and emotions through dancing, while having no idea who she was dancing with, or who was grinding against her. The little Avora tossed her head back, her arms lifting, fingers combing through her hair as she swayed her body to the music.

There was a new dance that she had been learning from the better dancers in the club, and as they started to perform, Alori followed along as best as she could. The teen turned her head slightly to glance over her shoulder at the person behind her to make sure that she was doing it correctly. Her hand rose and fingers slipped through her hair, her back arched and she bent her knees while balancing her weight on the flat of her boots. Flipping her hair back so that she could see behind herself, Alori allowed her arms to hang limp at her sides, and continued to sway her legs in and out as she rocked her hips back and forth to the music. The repetition of leg movements resembled the wings flutters of the Akvatari.

Once the dance was over, the teen Avora hugged her dance partners and gave something of a high-five, before she moved off the dance floor and headed to the bar where the bartender returned her guitar to her. Every since she was given the musical instrument, the girl couldn't do without it. She took it with her most days, unless she was going to hunt, or some other place where it might be damaged. With her guitar in hand, the little Avora slipped off and found an alcove to relax in near the end of the oval. She leaned back into her seat, lifted and crossed her legs to where she could easily hold the guitar in her lap. Nimble fingers began to pull at the strings, while more fingers pressed down and danced between the strings at the neck.

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[Kovac]

The bottle of wine was lifted again, Kovac taking a healthy draught. Leaning back, feet still propped on the table, the Avora watched the dance floor. It was dark, as usual, but the the full evening crowd had not formed, making it easier to pick out the obscure forms of individuals as they danced. The half-breed peered into the small mob, able to identify some of the men and women by the familiar way they moved their body. Kovac enjoyed watching his lusty Inartan kindred dance, almost as much as he enjoyed dancing himself. But that would come later in the night.

His eyes settled on a particularly petite woman as she gyrated and danced with fluid motion. The woman was lost in the music, and the raunchy atmosphere that inevitably drenched the Weather's dance floor. Kovac was convinced that a significant number of Wind Reach's children were conceived right there in the middle of the club.

Though details were obscure, the movements of this particular girl were sufficient to garner his attention, the small frame writhing with the driving thud of the drums, limbs snaking high and low gracefully, hips swaying generously. Her dance partners too, enjoyed the woman's dancing, sharing some bump and grind with her as they all smiled, obviously having a good time.

The song ended, the dancers laughing, hugging or still groping one another, ignorant that the music stopped. The girl stepped from the floor into the more illuminated room, where Kovac could finally get a good look at her. He knew her.

Alori, he though her name to be. She was a huntress, at least that was how he knew her. She was one of the Avora hunters, like himself. He had never been assigned to hunt with her, so their paths had yet to cross. He didn't know much more about the woman than that. Kovac had no memory of seeing her before the Djed Storm, though he never really thought about it before.

Alori was an attractive girl, though Kovac had always thought she was kind of young. But seeing how she danced, the mongrel hunter decided he may have misjudged Alori, whom seemed a more mature woman on the dance floor, enough to catch the randy half-vanthan's attention. His eyes followed her to the bar, where she received a guitar. A musician? That was even better.

Kovac had waited too long to introduce himself to his fellow hunter, and decided there was no better time to rectify that. Snatching up the wine bottle and the lute, the Avora made the short stroll to the alcove where Alori had lighted. He started with a wide smile.

"Hi Alori. I don't think we have had a chance to meet, not having hunted together. I am Kovac. Care to share a drink?" He offered. "I think we have more than hunting in common." He added, lifting his lute in his other hand.

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[Alori Sai]

There was a new song playing now, a slower, more romantic tune for the lovers in the crowd. Alori hugged her guitar close and lightly plucked at the strings as she tried to create the tune and play along with the band. She paused a for a moment and listened to the song, mentally separating the sounds that were made by the drums and those being made by the guitars. Once she thought she had a grasp of the flow, the teen started to pluck at the strings again. Her thumb rose and slipped over the tip of the strings, while others created the musical vibration at the other end. The young Avora's talent wasn't anything close to those playing, but for the time, she only played for herself.

Alori now had an appreciation for the talents of musicians more so than ever before. For a time, she had a crush on the lead guitarist at the Weather, and watched him closely whenever he played. It looked so easy, the way he played the instrument, as if he had been born with the skill and did it without even trying. It was incredible to watch, the way he danced, his charismatic style, and the music always got the crowd going. It was always a good show, but now she truly understood how much hard work learning to play an instrument was.

It was a challenge for her, and the tiny Inartan was happy and ready to take it on. She continued to pluck at the strings and try to her best to mimic the sounds that were coming from the band. Lowering her head, Alori watched her fingers as they danced about, her hazel brown eyes following the key strokes and committing them to memory. She had been so into her music that she didn't notice the man approach until he said her name.

Combing her hair away from her eyes, Alori glanced up in mild surprise to see the man standing in front of her. He was handsome, nice hair, and holding a wine bottle. She didn't recognize his face, but the city wasn't short on cute guys, so she assumed that they'd never met. "Hey." she responded with a cheerful smile. At the mention of hunting, the tiny Avora became more curious as to who he was. He knew her, and knew that she hunted, but she still couldn't place his face.

"Oh, right, hey." She recalled the name, this Kovac being one of the older, more experienced hunters from what she heard. Hearing that there was no wonder they had never hunted together. Alori's eyes shifted from the man to the bottle that he held and she had to agree. She was planning to get a drink soon enough after she had played a bit, but a free drink was even better. "You play too? That's great, take a seat." she offered with a smile and flipping her hair back once more as she raised her guitar for him to see. "It's pretty rad am I right?"

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[Kovac]

Kovac felt a bit crestfallen as the girl replied to his greeting, the fact that she didn't even recognize him a bit disappointing. He was, after all, a dark-haired, olive skinned man in a sea of pale redheads. There was a boon to her unfamiliarity, he surmised, in that she was not aware of his reputation, whatever it currently was. Regardless, Kovac garnered an invitation to sit with her, and he gladly joined Alori at her table.

She presented her guitar, just as he had done with his lute, as if they were displaying badges of some secret society. The girl''s guitar was a fine instrument, from his cursory observation, though Kovac himself had never tried to play one. The hunter leaned his instrument against the alcove wall and set the wine on the table between them, gesturing towards bottle. "Help yourself, should I get you a glass?" Kovac never bothered with a cup, preferring to streamline the process and drink right from the source.

The half-vanthan Avora wore only his black bryda with low boots and a leather belt around his waist from which hung a sheathed knife. Around each wrist was a black leather sontav, embossed with arrows that pointed towards his hands. "So, do you know how to play that thing? I can tell by the way you dance, you certainly have rhythm." Kovac inquired with a wry, teasing grin, nodding towards the guitar.

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[Alori Sai]

When it came to meeting Foreigners, it was something of a normality for the tiny Avora. It seemed that she was meeting them more and more every day, and unlike the rumors had spun, they had all been kind and pleasant, which was more than she could say for a lot of Inartans that she knew. There was also her story, a girl who despite being born and raised in the city, was now being looked at as a foreigner. It was for the best as Sira had explained, and people would have wondered why no one knew of her when she returned to the city. So it came to pass that Aela the banished, became Alori the foreigner even though she was clearly Inartan blood.

Kova was welcomed company, and the fact that he was a musician was even more comforting. Alori had only just gotten her guitar at the start of the season and was still getting used to playing it. But there was something about it that made her happy, something about the music that soothed her soul. She guessed it was a musician thing, and she wondered if she could talk music with this guy. He had a lute after all, and even though the instruments were different they were also similar.

"Oh, thanks." the teen replied after the mixed blood offered her a drink. Alori turned her guitar upward so that she could cradle it between her legs, and leaned forward and took the bottle. "No, that's okay." she answered simply and sat back into her seat. She flipped her hair back again, and lifted her head as she raised the bottle to her lips. The girl didn't take the full bottle, and instead lowered it enough to touch her parted lips and allow the cool liquid to pass in between. Alori wasn't a strong drinker, and after a small swallow, she pulled the bottle away and wiped her mouth. "Good stuff." she added after a small cough and passed it back.

Alori looked him over again, she liked his dark hair, and his style of clothing spoke of the bad boy type. Now that she thought of it, she had heard that name somewhere else. She couldn't remember if it was Euthisa or Iosha, but one of them had mentioned a Kovac. Although the details were a blur, the teen could remember a fondness in the voice of who ever said it, and she had to wonder it this was the same guy.

"So..yea.." she started to say, before the dark haired man asked a question that he followed with a compliment. Alori smiled, her cheeks warming with a hint of blush, and she rolled her tongue between her teeth hugging her guitar again. "I'm getting a lot better with it, I'm even writing a song now, which is pretty wild because I just got this thing. So what about you? Are you any good? I'm guessing a guy like you get all the girls right?"

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[Kovac]

the girl shirked the offer for a glass, instead drinking straight from the bottle, as Kovac was wont to do. He liked that informality, and though Alori took only a small swallow, a shared bottle was an unspoken indication of her availability for friendship. The mutual interest in stringed instruments and the shared occupation of hunting firmed up the common ground. And, even if a little young, the attractiveness of the redhead added the icing to the cake. She should make good company, the Avora thought.

"I would say I am pretty good. I play on occasion here, usually earlier in the evening before the dancing starts, not quite good enough to play with the dance bands yet. I write some of my own music too, but my tunes are still pretty simple." He upended the bottle again, taking another deep swig before setting it down on the table between them. "I have been playing for quite a while," he lifted the lute for a moment, "...this belonged to my mother." Setting it back down, Kovac looked out to the dimly lit mass of writhing bodies on the dance floor. "And I don't get all the girls, I don't want all of them!" He shot a wry grin at Alori, then laughed. "And I am pretty sure they don't all want me!"

"I would like to hear some of your stuff sometime, I mean what you have written." Another swallow of wine was downed as he looked sidelong at the woman. He still found it curious that he had no recollection of seeing her before the last year or so, even though she was a fellow hunter. Alori certainly was old enough to be out of the Yasi for a couple years at least. Even so, Kovac could not recall her among the ranks of the youth, even though he instructed many of them in archery. She was pretty enough to be memorable, and if a hunter, her skill as an archer should have come to his attention. Perplexed, but not to distraction, the mongrel shrugged mentally and turned again to survey the activity in the club.

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[Alori Sai]

Alori had her eyes on this one, a cute Avora hunter, who also was a musician. It was worth a conversation, and the teen was curious to see if this guy was the same one she had heard about. She didn't have anything to go on besides a name, and she still couldn't remember which of her friends had mentioned him. But Alori wasn't about to give up, not until she figured him out, at least in this. She thought for moment, trying to come up with the right questions to ask that would maybe give her a bit more info.

"I know, it's crazy how good they are. But I'm gonna get better, and you might even see me playing with them." Alori nodded when he mentioned that he had been playing a while. She imagined that he had to be pretty good, and the teen was getting more interested in playing with him. She could only smile when he spoke of where his lute came from. The idea of telling him where her's came from wasn't appealing in the least. For all she knew he could know all about the strange foreigner who got into trouble with the Endal. If he did, and he knew that she had helped him hide, it would mean big trouble for her...again.

"Uh huh, so what? You telling me that you don't have a girlfriend..or two?" Alori arched a cute brow while plucking at the strings on her guitar again. She wanted to get familiar with the strings and using them without looking. She had been listening to the songs played by the ban and tried to find the same cords they played on her instrument so she could play along. But multitasking was something she found easy, and she could learn the song and question Kovac at the same time. "Alright then, you play for me and I'll play for you. Unless you're too shy?" Alori winked and hugged her guitar again. "So what's a guy like Kovac doing, when he's not charming the ladies?"

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[Kovac]

Alori was young but confident, idly plucking her guitar as the two hunters became aqcuainted. He could see the redhead playing with the club band one day, she had rhythm, her writhing dance had displayed that quite well. And, the huntress was quite friendly. It took just a chime for Kovac to decide he liked the guitarist.

"I have...friends." The mongrel replied with a wry grin. "But don't we all have...friends?" He laughed shortly. Once he and Shayth had broken up, Kovac subscribed to the attitude that many Inartan's adopted, including Aidara. One could have many 'friends', some closer than others, some much closer. Maybe, Kovac was making a new one that night.

Kovac laughed again at the girl's sly wink. "Yes, I would love to play for you, if you promise to return the favor." A date already set for some future time. When Alori asked what he did, adding her snarky comment about charming women, Kovac took a drink from the bottle and shot her a smile. "I hunt, when assigned, and I teach archery at the ranges." He nodded towards the lute next to him. "And I...play in my spare time." Alori might have seen a twinkle in his eye.

"I knew you hunted, and now I know you can dance, and play guitar. Is there any other hobbies, or vices, that occupies the lovely Alori?"

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[Alori Sai]

"Friends? Awww, yea friends are great." Alori joked. Kovac was being sneaky, catching the meaning of her words but answering in a way that suggested both and neither. "Well...maybe some of us do, and some of us don't." She added feeling a stroke of blush rising in her cheeks. But the Avora wouldn't be put off, she was determined to find out if this was the guy who put the gleam in her friend's eyes..whichever one it was. "So, are these friends like you, or are they more like me?" Lifting a hand, she combed her fingers through her red hair and the blonde streaks that high lighted it, hoping that Kovac would catch her meaning.

Smiling from the exchange of comments, the teen plucked at the strings again and slid her thumb along the lines to create the tune that she heard the ban playing. The song was fairly used by the group and by now she had learned a set of key strokes. It was also the only set that she had picked up on so far, but if she could mimic their sound even by this, she was half way to being able to play the full song. "Alright, but you better not laugh at me. I'm serious." She let out a soft giggle, before releasing the strings and simply holding the guitar in her lap again. Kovac was easy to talk to, and had a laid-back feel about him.

Alori had always been curious what the outside world was like. Foreigners who came from other lands sometimes seemed surprise at their way of life and found a sense of freedom and something more. Still, by most, foreigners came to visit and others stayed. The young Avora wondered what was Kovac's story and why was he there. "Oh you must be really good if you're teacher. Think you can best me?" she asked with a sly grin and gently biting her bottom lip. The little huntress was nothing if she wasn't competitive. She was always up for a challenge and had gotten pretty confident with her bow skills.

" Vices?" Alori repeated and allowed the pause to linger. If only he had an idea, if he knew of her obsession with being an Endal and flying with the eagles. How her life's goal had almost killed her, and the actions that followed which shaped the woman that he was talking to now. "I'm really getting into my music, but I swim sometimes and I come here. I also have a raptor at home, I'm training him to hunt with me. He's gotten a lot better too so I'm proud of him. Besides that, I just go where I can have fun, and let it all out. So..do you dance?"

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