Completed Kicking With Kelp

[Ricky Maze]

It had become the moment Ricky embraced the violence of his nature for the first time, and prepared to allow such a nature loose on another should things get out of hand. He had in fact been successful in the attempt of persuading this drunk to take the beer and go, but by the mere chance of misfortune the drunk knocked over his mug and found that the blame for the spilt kelp should be Ceira's. This was far beyond boding well now, as he made the attempt to punish her for his own lousy mishap. When Ceira had managed to pull away she had managed to throw a punch that landed on the mans chin, a devilsh grin took place now as he no doubt planned to hurt her even worse. However that wasn't the case anymore, Ricky provided only that one chance and he was now going to take control of the situation.

As the drunk stepped forward to attempt his next enraged assault Ricky stepped in with an arm to snake around his throat. Being a Wave Guard of Zeltiva he tended to abide by the laws of the city, but the fact this was a bar did in fact mean that brawls weren't shunned. However he knew the owner preferred that fights were settled outside, and while the sailors and other patrons began to cheer and revel in the scene, Ricky dragged the drunk to the door with pure a flushed face as the man tried to wiggle free, that was to say until a hook from his right elbow came into Ricky's left. This allowed the drunk to get free as Ricky grunted in surprise, a punch came to the left side of his cheek bone that sent him staggering back. The door slammed wide open as he stumbled out, he would've fallen on his back had he not regained his balance. His head still rang from the hit he took to the face, the entire left side almost numb as it throbbed with pain.

The drunk clearly felt Ricky was a better challenge than Ceira, this was good for Ricky considering things. He would rather the drunk think he was a guy friend or somebody close, what better way to put her to shame then beat on someone she might know personally. That was his assumption anyway, and all the same he cared even less now. Ricky had become pissed. When this happens he struggled with his internal nature to remain in control of his concious mind, but this time things would be different. This time he would once more release all that hurt and all that rage he held, and he would use it to put this bastard in his place. When the drunk came at him with a right swing, brought his left arm up in a defensive manner. The punch made contact with his upper bicep as the sound of skin bashed on skin could be heard, the patrons that were once in the bar filed out in eagerness to cheer on their fight and place bets on who would win.

Ricky wasn't sure about Ceira and he hoped well enough she wasn't watching as this brawl unravelled. His instinct took over once more as the world slowly became a haze, the bellows and cheers of sailors and drunks alike dulled down as his mind focused solely on the man he fought with. Just as Ricky blocked with his left he used his right arm to intercept an incoming punch, and sent it in the direction past his arm as the drunk started to teeter his way. This is where Ricky threw a punch of his own, his left hand tightened into a hardened fist as he sent it forward to smack the drunk right on the cheek. He fell back into the crowd as they propped him up, and encouraged him to get back into the fray. Ricky exhaled with fury eyes soley zoned onto the drunk, slightly crouched with raised arms for his defensive stance.

[Ceira Everwood]

13th Day of Summer, 513 AV Ceira watched as the drunk stumbled forward towards her, his furious smile still plastered onto his face. To be completely honest, she had briefly forgotten about Ricky, having to focus on the person in front of her. Yet, when the man decided to take another step forward, he was jerked back again by an arm that could only belong to Ricky. Ceira faltered her own advance, watching as the Ricky dragged both himself and the stranger out of the bar, earning a good few hits to the face as he did so. What the...? Ceira didn’t have time to think as the struggling pair left the bar, the door slamming shut behind them. She heard yelling and realised the bartender had returned, her face was slowly turning ripe with anger, her grey hair was escaping the confines of her bun, giving her a crazed and wild look. “What in the blazes of hell is going on here? Out! Out! Take yer bets out of ‘ere! We are a civil establishment and I don’t want yer sorry excuse in here any longer! Out!” Many people ignored the old woman, being too focused on getting outside to place the bets. One person was swarmed by many, he seemed to be the one who had announced the odds, although Ceira couldn’t hear them from where she was, nor did she care. She just wanted to get outside, to see what the hell was going on out there. The noise was increasing in volume as cheers broke out outside, people were yelling like animals, shouts of both glee and bellows of encouragement for both participants could be heard over the din. Ceira stumbled forward when someone knocked her on the back, a burly sailor pushed past her, not even noticing the person he had just pushed. “Watch it you petching overgrown dirtbag!” She huffed, but she shouldn’t have bothered with the insult as the man just kept walking, ignoring her completely. “Out! Out!” Ceira could still hear the shrill voice of the bartender, Jeez, she has a set of lungs on her! Ceira made it to the door, but was blocked by a flood of bodies all around her. It was then that she realised her mistake, she was now surrounded by a large throng of people and her fear was slowly creeping to the surface. She started to take shallow breaths as numerous individuals pressed against her, all of them clamoring for a glimpse of the brawl. She felt someone step on her foot with a heavy thud and she let out a growl of annoyance, W-Where... Where’s the exit? Her black eyes darted about everywhere, but all she could see was a mass of clothing and flesh. The crowd had formed into a monster of arms and legs, the loud uproar of shouts was its voice, one that was deafening to Ceira’s ears. She gasped as she felt an elbow clip her in the stomach and she shifted backwards, only to get rammed from behind. She let out a strident howl, one that a couple people next to her took notice of, but then ignored as they continued their rowdy cheers. Ceira pushed against the swarm, her fear reaching new levels as she imagined the possibilities of being trampled being very real in this instance. Ceira was outside now but the crowd had still flooded out onto the streets. The moon was shining down on the scene and through a gap in the crowd, she saw the drunk from before tumble into the crowd, only to be pushed back in with encouragement from the people around him. Ceira couldn’t see where Ricky was through the multitude of people. Through her panic attack, she had a brief moment of worry for the Wave Guard, but that was cut short when she was thrust aside by a portly man trying to make his way to the front of the mod. Her breathing was still shallow and it she was starting to get light-headed and dizzy, from both the alcohol she had ingested before and from her current panic attack. She could feel a slight ache already coming from her shoulder, from where the drunk had punched her before. Ceira took another shallow breath and pushed someone out of her way, she glimpsed the edge of the crowd and she found a sliver of hope start to form in the recesses of her mind. Now focussing on making her way there, she scrabbled and pulled against people, ignoring grunts and shouts of disagreement, right now, she couldn’t care less what other people thought. She just had to get out.

[Ricky Maze]

Ricky just wanted this whole thing to end. To be done with this scrap and go back home to sleep with Telion in his arms, he knew of course he would be sore as a mother petcher in the morning once this was done. For now though he had to focus on the task at hand, defense against the drunken bastard that barked up the wrong tree. As the drunk came at him with wild swings from both sides, Ricky's eyes flicked left and right to each arm as they picked up the motion. There was only just a moment before he could pull his arms up in defense, but thankfully the adrenaline rush that hit him must've done so hard. His mind clearer, sharper due to the excitement, Ricky timed his arms movements to where he could stop the punches midway. He gripped the arms of the drunk as harsh as he could and pulled them away to create an opening in both of their defenses. Ricky's initial response to this was exactly what came next, a relentless head bash to the mans face as his forehead crashed into the nose of the drunk. It was a hard hit that dulled his senses to a numb moment, but he couldn't let the advantage he created slip past his grip.

The drunk staggered back hands to his nose, a muffled cry out as the crowd boo'd and oo'd at the move. Ricky brought his left fist in a underhanded midlevel punch into the mans gut, his right one to follow right after as it collided into the mans left side. As he leaned forward with arms on his stomach and rib, Ricky nearly almost went to smash him in the face with another punch until his eye caught something. The drunk looked like he was about to be sick, signs of pain and heaving were present as he fell to his knee's. In a matter of moments the crowd cheered as the man blew chunks on the ground before him, the stench of Kelp Beer plagued his vomit as he coughed amd heaved. Ricky, who was now disgusted, decided this little shindig over, and turned to push through the crowd. Most had the decency to try and avoid being in his way after what they had witnessed, others were just quickly nudged aside as he wormed his way out of the crowd.

His thoughts went to Ceira, and where she might have gone. As the roar of the crowd still cheered and revelled at the sight of a drunken man who lost his stomach's contents, Ricky circled the outer ring of the group and searched out for the woman by detail he knew. "Autumn colored hair, look for that and ye'll find her" He reminded himself as his eyes scanned the crowd. "Ceira! Where're ya lass?!" He called out with hopes she would answer, and in turn show herself so the two could pull away from this madness.

[Ceira Everwood]

13th Day of Summer, 512 AV Ceira was nearly out. The edge of the mob was so close, yet two burly men were arguing angrily, blocking off any chance she had of escaping the volatile crowd. Even now she was dizzy, the alcohol still hadn't left her system, nor would it run its course for a while yet. Trust me to get in this mess the first time I try go have a drink - never again! I'll stick to water or juice from now on. Ceira's breathing hadn't slowed down, still continuing its rapid pace - hyperventilating if you will. Although all it did was make her more lightheaded and unfocused. She briefly remembered the last time she had a panic attack, she recalled the exact same side effects and feelings of suffocation. Dimly, she was aware of the crowd's cheers growing louder, peaking to almost a roar. Ceira took it as a sign that someone was out for the count and she wondered who it was. Ceira watched as the taller of the two men in front of her glare at the other and stalked off, but not before placing a couple of silver coins in the shorter one's hand. He left a gap in the throng that she wasted no time in squeezing through, accidentally stepping on someone's foot as she did so. There was a shout and someone pushed her from behind, effectively throwing her out of the throng. Ceira didn't have time to be angry, if anything she would've kissed the man - kelp breath and all. She was out of the crowd and that was all that mattered. She landed on her knees, her arms outstretched to break her fall. Ceira felt fresh air enter her lungs and she finally started to relax, her breath slowing down in tiny increments. Ceira knew she must have looked a sight, the knees of her tan pants were caked in grime, her auburn hair was mussed, the curls knotted and matted. Her cloak pulled around her, seemingly better off than what she would've expected, only a few stains of mud adorning the bottom. She felt bile rise to her throat due to the lingering smell of dead fish, but she stifled it, taking control once more. "I'm out..." She whispered to herself in an attempt to reassure herself, "It's all good now." The crowd was starting to disperse now, some people having been satisfied with their winnings went back inside the bar, most likely to buy a round or two. The others who didn't have their luck with them tonight were already walking away, kicking up dust as they did so. Ceira allowed herself a sigh of relief, no one paid attention to her and for that she was glad, she doubted she could have handled anymore excitement tonight - if you could call it that. "Ceira! Where're ya lass?" Scrambling to her feet, Ceira was met with a dizzy spell. Grabbing hold of the wall beside her helped a bit, allowing her to lean on it for support as her vision blurred momentarily. She had faintly heard Ricky's yell, yet a small part of her thought she may have imagined it for a moment. Ceira turned around, catching a flash of a white shirt and dark blue pants. That has to be him. Slowly, she stumbled her way towards the Wave Guard, although she gave the remaining stragglers from the previous crowd a wide berth, not wanting to have a repeat panic attack once more. "Here!" She voiced haggardly whilst waving her arms over her head, in an attempt to get his attention.

[Ricky Maze]

Ricky searched for Ceira as the crowd dispersed, one by one the group slowly fanned out with boasts and revelry as they did what they chose. This being either returning to the Kelp Bar, or heading home now that their fun had ended and their spare mizas were no longer in their pockets. Ricky weaved through clusters of two men to three as he looked and looked for the woman, worry started to develop for her as he couldn't seem to pick up any sign of her. Until... "Here!"

Ricky looked out in the direction he could make out the voice, it was definitely feminine compared to the sounds of laughter and drunken men all around, yet it was rather exasperated compared to earlier when they talked. As though she had experienced a different ordeal other then the fight that just happened. Ricky took notice of arms waving in the air that pretty much pointed out Ceira was there, and he thanked the Gods she had at least been nearby for him to notice her.

When he approached her it was in a swift concerned manner, his eyes revealed worry while his face still seemed flushed from earlier. The left side where his cheekbone was had swollen but it was hardly noteworthy to him, he was more invested in making sure Ceira was okay. By the looks of it something had to happen to her, because she looked rather rugged now compared to her earlier appearance. When finally came close enough he looked into her eyes just this once, and asked her the one important question of the night. "Are ya okay?" He waited for a response before he suggested walking her home, but he had made up his mind that he would do follow through with it. First came the "I'm okay" or "No I'm not okay" he needed, and then he would focus on the getting her home part.

[Ceira Everwood]

13th Day of Summer, 513 AV When Ceira saw Ricky, she felt relieved, he didn't look as bad as what her overactive imagination had led her to believe. His clothes seemed a bit scuffed and ruffled, but aside from a bruised cheek, he seemed to be better off than expected. He seemed worried, she noticed, which she thought was odd seeing as they were both somewhat complete strangers, then Ceira realised that she too had been concerned for him as well. I seem to be losing my mean streak. She thought deeply, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. The street was nearly empty now, most of the participants from the earlier excitement had now left, the tension in the air leaving with them only to be replaced by the nighttime silence. "Are ya okay?" Ceira didn't know how to react to the question, so she just nodded, murmuring a little "Uh-huh," as she did so. She was fine for the most part, sure, she had her own set of bruises here and there, and her shoulder ached as well, but those would fade over the next few days - it wasn't that big of a deal. "What about you?" She questioned the Wave Guard, "You seem to be alright yourself, so I'm assuming the other guy won't show his face around town for a couple of days, eh?" She smiled then, even though her drunken haze would last for a while yet, she felt better. Her breathing was now relatively normal and the twist in her gut had vanished, only a slight shake is what was left of her panic attack. Ceira let out a yawn, rolling her shoulder's as she did so. "Well, I best be off, its getting late you know." She smirked, her dark eyes glinting in what little light there was left. "Even so, the next time I see you, I promise to buy you a mug of Kelp Beer - though you're going to have to excuse me for my rudeness, I'm not drinking that stuff again!" She shuffled back a couple of steps, reaching behind her to pull her hood up over her head, tucking in her auburn hair as she did so. "You should get going too, don't want to keep the Misses waiting!" She laughed then, bringing a hand up to her forehead in her signature mock salute, to fingers flicking across lazily. Turning around, Ceira started to walk off to where she had made camp on the outskirts of Zeltiva.

[Ricky Maze]

When Ceira gave the answer he hoped for he let a sigh of relief go, his breath came in slow pants as he exhaustion finally started to settle in and the adrenaline wore off. "I've been through worse." He responded with a chuckle to Ceira's concern. "I'm sure he'll be aight, I more so sobered 'em up if anythin'." As Ceira let out a yawn Ricky felt one creep on him as well, the notion rather contagious when others are seen doing it. Yet the both of them probably had a long day and a wild evening at best, certainly one Ricky did his best to try and avoid since he's taking on bigger responsibilities.

"Even so I'll still think it kind o' ya." He quirked with a slight smirk in regards to her buying him a round of beer later on. When she bade him farewell of course he just laughed at her mimicing the solute, and then he crossed his arms as she began to walk off. "The Misses knows I'm out and she'd prefer me to escort a lady home after such a triflin' evenin'. So that's what I'll be doin'." He called out to her as he approached with a humble grin. Regardless of her reaction one look at his firm confident expression could easily tell anyone that no matter what he wad going to escort her home.

Ricky made sure she got back to her camp and didn't think too much on it, people had their preferences on where they stayed after all and Ceira just seemed to prefer outside the city. With her back at her place to rest though he finally allowed the farewell to come, and wished her a good evening as he returned to the city. Of course when he got home in the Old Quarter he had to tell his beloved thd things that went on, but the best part was she commended his actions even if they were a bit extreme. Overall the day finally ended for Ricky and he was glad it did, and maybe soon he would meet witg Ceira again and get to know her more.

oocThis is just the closing post for Ricky, if you feel you need to post your's up for Ceira then go right ahead. Great job!

[Ceira Everwood]

13th Day of Summer, 513 AV Ceira watched Ricky leave, before turning and entering her tent. It was a small brown tarp, not much to look at, but it kept the weather away and for that she was happy. She was tired and lethargic, her mind was fuzzy and still had the buzz of alcohol swirling about her. Well... Today was eventful, thats for sure. She didn't bother with her lantern tonight, she wasn't staying up and her eyes were slowly adjusting to the darkness anyway. She managed to put away a couple of things, like her purse and her cloak, before checking that the flap was closed tightly as to not allow and wind or drafts into the tent. Because the last thing I need is a cold. Yawning once more, she curled up under her bedroll, not bothering to do anything other than promptly pass out. OOC : Well, Ceira's all good now - and the same to you!

[Eldritch]

Ricky :

Skills
Drinking +2
Teaching +1
Interrogation +1
Intimidation +1
Unarmed Combat +2

Lores
-Ceira: Foreigner
-Sticking up for Ceira and getting in a brawl

Other
-5 SM for the beer

Ceira :

Skills
Socialization +2
Drinking +1
Observation +2
Unarmed Combat +1

Lores
-The Kelp Bar: rather unimpressive
-Kelp Beer: Smells bad, tastes bad
-Ricky: Wave Guard and parent-to-be.

Notes :

Nothing to note.

If you have any comments/questions/concerns about your grade please PM me and we will work something out.

Keep on writing!