A wild night (Ardan)

[Brandon Blackwing]

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The 40th of Spring 514AV
The Star’s shadow



Darkness had cloaked the celestial city already when the bat entered the small building constructed from skyglass only, walls and ceilings, none were wood or stone. A magnificent feat, truly amazing what people could do with the special substance Lady Zintila had blessed Lhavit with. Due to the nature of the divine glass, the small bar seemed to emit a dim glow, making it easy to spot when walking about the Shinyama peak. Why exactly the bat had come here? For drinks of course! But that was the only reason he could think of, sometimes he just did things, not thinking about them. If he felt like it he did what he wanted, and otherwise he didn’t. It had been a spur of the moment thing.

Brandon had been in the neighbourhood, looking out for possible homes to break into, ones with not much security, in places where most Shinya patrols didn’t come. For that of course he’d had to study the guards, which was what he had been doing today. The reason to do so wasn’t that farfetched, really. For once he’d like to stay out of trouble, out of the Shinya’s sight, but he still had to live, so he still had to steal. Not that he disliked what he had to do to earn his wages, no in fact he deemed it to be the most interesting and thrilling job to practice, the only problem was the side effects. The paranoia that came with it, the increased feeling of insecurity, the knowledge of how easy it was to get in a place you didn’t have the key for, how easy it was to lose some of your possessions due to greedy fingers sneaking taking them away. He couldn’t say that he was able to go to sleep without wondering if he’d wake to find his home empty, robbed from anything he owned. Maybe that was one of the foundations of his insomnia, that and his confused biorhythm.

Maybe it would have been better if he’d adapted to the strange pattern the city followed when it came to rest, but he hadn’t. Instead he just slept when he was tired, be it during the day or at night. If he chose the former he actually was able to sleep quite well, most of the time falling into a slumber with ease, though there were exceptions. Sleeping by night was more difficult. Not impossible, but just hard. The dual nature of the city should make it possible for him to venture out during the night times only, however something also made him active during the day, and that phenomenon was called adaption. A wry smile parted his lips, a cocktail was ordered. Two kina was quite expensive but apparently it was quite strong, so in the end it probably came down on the same sum spent when drunk.

But yes, adaption, the process that helped him get used to being awake in order to receive lessons in combat and other stuff during the time Syna reigned, now hindered him, stealing his rest. The semi-constantly present bags of purple or blackish skin that could be seen under his eyes were the proof of that. Well, at least he should be grateful that his insomnia didn’t torture him every night or day, its scheme irregular. And so was the thief’s. Randomly going out to scout the area, a random area he’d picked to target, and then break in to steal, also at random. His whole live was one huge irregularity, or so it seemed. He shook his head wistfully and reached out his hand to take a sip of his newly arrived drink. It glowed faintly, the light reminded him of the skyglass Lhavit was rich. The cocktail really deserved its name. Strong it was too, the rumours he’d heard hadn’t been lies, it burned in his throat while streaming down, and even after it took a couple of chimes before it had faded away. With care Brandon placed the glass back down on the counter’s surface. Two kina, eh? How much did a pitcher of ale cost at the Demise? Eight? Hm, maybe this cocktail wasn’t that expensive after all.

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credit goes to Euthisa

[Ardan]

How long had the panther been her? It felt like a season, though he hadn't paid much attention as time passed. His stay in Lhavit was intended to be temporary, but something about the skyglass city made him want to stay. Despite his instincts telling him to leave and drift once more, something made him want to remain grounded in one place for more than a year.

Of course, the drinks helped. True, he had gotten completely inebriated more than his fair share of times back in Syliras, but there was something... exotic about Lhavit's night life. Not that he knew much about its day life, being almost entirely nocturnal. He had to be so, for his profession. His human mother had always questioned his sleeping habits, but always decided his panther blood was to blame. While that was a part of it, his mild kleptomania and love of stealing was the main cause.

In fact, he had just been scouting out houses when he noticed the faint glow of an open bar. He had not been to this part of the city in a while, and much of it remained foreign to him. However, he could smell a good drink a league away, and this particular bar practically emanated intoxication.

Ah, what the hell? You've scouted enough for one day. With that thought, he approached the tavern, entering slowly. It felt rather dead, only a few drunk patrons stumbling about. He knew the looks on their faces. They would fight without a second thought just for the hell of it if approached, and the thief almost wanted to test them. But, perhaps that could wait until his was in an equal drinker stupor. 'Twas only fair that, should they fight, they'd be on equal ground.

So, he approached the bar, sitting down next to a rather shady-looking fellow. The man looked about restlessly, his hands clutching his cocktail tiredly. Either used to being asleep at this hour or suffering from insomnia, likely the latter. One would not travel to a bar during their usual sleeping hours at the risk of falling asleep on the trip. No, this one gave off the vibe that he wouldn't sleep regardless.

Anyway, Ardan really needed a drink. He had no idea the prices of quality of the alcohol served, so he turned to the patron next to him. The cocktail seemed to have quite the effect, judging by his expression."That any good?" asked the panther, assuming a strong accent. It was always a good idea to be prepared, and to keep one's voice hidden from strangers. It was always possible that this was a guard, or one of his victims, or any number of people whom he's run in to.

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[Brandon Blackwing]

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The voice that suddenly sounded from the side startled the bat slightly, he had not expected anyone to start a conversation with him, or even ask a simple question. It had never occurred to the thief that there were people out here that would talk to anyone, and not only to folks they knew. This guy seemed to be one of those types, or maybe he really wanted an answer. Either way, he was welcomed by the usual grin on the bat’s face, turning towards the direction of the person who had inquired. Brandon was actually quite glad to have company, loneliness was not one of his favourite states of being.

A strong accent distorted the flow of the words, yet though the accent was indeed quite prominent, one could easily discern that he had mastered the Common tongue long ago. However, what kind was unknown to the bat, for he had not travelled a lot as of yet. Lhavit and Kalinor were the only two cities he’d been in, any other one was foreign to him. Though, with his keen ears he was able to state with utmost certainty that it wasn’t the ictus of the Benshira nor that of the Svefra, and not even the high pitched one of the Inarta. And the Silyrian accent of which Enggy made use wasn’t the one either. Then what? There was a simple solution with which he could find out with ease.

“It is indeed, it tastes like nothing you have ever tasted before, is what I would want to say, but that is not true. Though it is hard to describe, I guess that commenting that it’s better than any other alcoholic drink I have ever had will suffice. And it’s stronger too. Way stronger.” His reaction was a little belated due to his thinking and inability to make out the place of origin the man had, but he should be quite satisfied with it, after all, what he had wanted to know had been told. Now it was time for him to satisfy the bat in turn.

“And where exactly do you hail from? Your accent is strong, however I cannot link it to a place that I know of. “ A hand made it’s way to the glass, grabbing it and bringing it up to his lips, where the faintly glowing liquid flowed away into the stomach with a gulp. Again the warm and burning sensation spread through his throat, a look of enjoyment upon the features of the thief as he placed the cocktail back on the bar. Half of the liquor had already vanished, but Bran knew that it hadn’t disappeared into nothing. If it had he wouldn’t feel a thing.

He was aware that he was starting to reach the edge of drunkenness, his forehead felt warm and so did his ears, the outside world was staring to lose importance. For now he stood on his feet without much effort and he stood firm too. It would soon change, that he knew. It always did. The glass was raised to his mouthy once more and this time all of the remaining alcoholic liquid was being sucked into his throat, half a glass was gulped down, the burning appearing again but worse than before, and it didn’t fade as fast either. As he smashed his hand (which held his empty glass) on the surface of the counter, a sigh was uttered, one of satisfaction. “Ah….”

Then he turned to the man next to him, and observed him for the first time, or rather, paid attention to the exterior of the guy, observed him and took in everything he could gather while he was still relatively sober. It would take a while before the alcohol kicked in and drowned his senses into a drunk intoxication. The man was tall, way taller than the short thief, and he wore his brown facial hair in a short beard, while the hair on his scalp –also brown in colour- was a bit messy and spiked. His eyes too were a dark brown, flashing from here to there, always flitting restlessly, as if attempting to keep everything in the immediate environment in check. The man was dressed in black, cloak, shirt and pants, and the bat liked his style, it mirrored his, well almost.

With a nod he tried to draw the man’s attention, pointing at the empty vessel that had previously served to contain his drink. “Want one?” Whatever he replied, it didn’t matter since the bat didn’t listen anyway, but merely gestured to the barman and ordered two of the glowing cocktails. “I’m called Brandon by the way,” he said without looking at his new companion.

x

credit goes to Euthisa

[Ardan]

Ardan was surprised at the man's eloquence, but not perturbed in the slightest. In fact, it was refreshing to be among one at this time of night, in this part of the city, in a tavern, no less, who could speak his mind in more than a sentence. He was satisfied with the answer, and allowed the other to continue to speak without interruption.

The man questioned his fake accent, causing the panther to cringe internally, though his face remained unchanged. The patron obviously was not a traveler, else he'd have recognized the accent as fake. Luckily, this meant that there was no chance that he was one of those that wished harm on Ardan.

There's always a chance, be it slim or broad.

Despite his inner chiding, the cat dropped the accent. While he did not trust this man, he also did not wish to risk alienating another with his own foolishness, even if said foolishness was born of good reasoning. Besides, the accent was far too guttural to maintain in comfort.


"I was born in Syliras, but have spent a long time on the road. Excuse my false accent, but it pays to be prepared. Mizahar is a strange and dangerous place to those who pretend otherwise, would you not agree?

If the stranger was taken aback by the revelation, Ardan did not know it. Wary of treachery, his left fell to his knee, though his intention for the seeming accident was to give better access to his knife. Luckily, many weeks devoted to honing his skills with the dagger had rendered him ambidextrous. One of the many things goals had neglected to act upon since arriving in Lhavit was to purchase a second blade. He despised allowing his skill in dual combat to go unused, but his funds were tight, and his grandfather's blade had raised his standards for weaponry high above that of the average criminal.

Despite his answer and incognito precautions, the stranger's mod seemed to shift from questioning and curious to welcoming and content. He ordered two more cocktails, pushing one of them to the panther. Ardan relished a free drink, nodding thankfully to the man beside him. He introduced himself as Brandon.

"I am called Ardan."

Unsure of the drink, he instinctively sniffed it, the stinging sensation in his nostrils eliciting a catlike growl. Despite his more primitive instincts screaming not to drink the strong alchohol, he decided that, at least at this moment, quenching his thirst and relieving his mind were more important than caution. He brought the glass to his mouth, forsaking all of his caution and inhibition, and drinking all of its contents at once,

That was a terrible mistake.

It burnt his throat like fire, though he did not let it show. However, it's strength quickly numbed the pain, and it's taste elicited an uncharacteristic - yet highly catlike - purr. He instantly felt the alcohol flood his body, everything growing fuzzy and distorted. He let out a hiccup, alarmed at how quickly the drink had rendered him nearly inebriated. However, the shock was overridden by the desire for another, and as quickly as he slammed down the drink, his coin pouch grew slightly lighter as he ordered another.

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Theme credit to Euthisa

[Brandon Blackwing]

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The man that had presented himself as Ardan did so without the strong ictus this time, what wasn’t something the bat liked, being deceived was not something he was fond of, though he himself wasn’t one to tell the truth at all times either. Maybe that was one of the reasons, or maybe just his naivety that annoyed him, either way, it was not something he liked, not even when the man apologised for it, claiming that one had to be prepared at all times. Even though that was a reasonable attitude, one could not simply live like that, otherwise paranoia would get the better of you and things would turn out terrible. The temptation to shake his head wistfully whispered in his ear, but he did not give in.

Alcohol had already started to cloud his mind, and he chose to forgive the man, it was not such a big deal anyways. It was his own fault to think always the best of people, except for guards. That kind of scum didn’t even deserve a chance to ask for forgiveness, their fate was to be despised by the thief for the length of their lives. This guy was not one of them, so it was no problem, he had even taught the bat something, unknowingly; do not believe everything you saw, heard or sensed in any way. Deception was always luring people into traps, yet one could not question everything, else they would be incapacitated by and succumb to their own mind, paranoia pulling the strings.

Therefore, in his semi-drunk state of good will, the thief decided he should offer the man some advice, and not only about his wariness. Ardan should learn something about the way to drink cocktails too. They were not meant to ad fundum, you had to drink them slowly, enjoying their taste, but that could be said about beer as well. Ah well. But with strong drinks like this it wasn’t sensible to drink it all at once, something the black-clad guy now knew. The bat grinned at the feline purr he uttered, it reminded him of Engghaen. However, Ardan did not seem fazed by the strength of the cocktail, going right ahead and ordering a new one. It occurred to the bat that soon the man would not be able to hold his footing and rational mind any longer, liquor like this was infamous of clouding your brain when you were the least expecting it, even if you didn’t feel a thing five chimes after having ingested the drink.

“If I were you,” Brandon spoke while the bartender placed the requested drink in front of the customer dressed in black and asked for the coins needed to pay for it, “I’d take it a little more easy, if you don’t want to end up crawling on the floor within few chimes, that is. Drunkenness strikes faster and harder when you finish your drinks without pause, you know. Though I won’t stop you from doing it, I find it quite enjoyable to watch, I must say.” A small smirk adorned his face and without ceasing to stare at the man he took a sip of his own cocktail. “Oh, and if you feel like throwing up, do not do so while facing me, thank you very much. I’d like not to stain my clothes with the contents of one’s stomach!” A chuckle followed, making it clear that he was making fun of the situation, and so did the tone of his voice.

Another sip, and while the glass was being placed down, the thief swallowed the contents to start speaking immediately : “Umh, I was also wondering, doesn’t it tire you to treat everything as if it will try to kill you if you don’t pay attention? To always be prepared and think about your every action, whether it is just asking a stranger a question or … or …” Frowning, Brandon attempted to recall what he had wanted to say, surely he had known mere ticks before? Or was the booze already working its magic? “Anyways, you need to loosen up from time to time! I am not saying that you are mistaken to be wary, no the contrary, but assuming a fake accent is a step too far, just being attentive should be enough, no?”

x

credit goes to Euthisa

[Ardan]

Heeding Brandon's advice, Ardan avoided making the same mistake, this time only taking a sip. It burned more than before, but not so much as to make him stop. His eyes flashed as more of the liquid drained down his throat. Despite the steadily increasing intoxication, he listened to the other's advice intently. He had heard it many times, from stowaways to lords, that he ought to be less paranoid. However, the latter was usually a target and the former likely a hypocrite. Neither was a reliable source of advice. Regardless, hearing it from a stranger of which Ardan had no foreseeable affiliation with, felt strange. Or, perhaps it was just the drink.

"I appreciate the advice, Brandon, truly. However, I've simply gone through too much in my short life to not be paranoid. I wish it were otherwise, but I've lost things very important to me due to carelessness. What you might see as tiring and unnecessary, I see as simple, easy, and a part of life."

He trailed off, the drink taking hold. He had never been terrible at holding out against alcohol, but this was very strong indeed. Without really thinking, and out of desire to change the subject and perhaps make the conversation more interesting, he just threw a question out there. However, something about Brandon gave off the vibe that he was not entirely human.

"Hey, this will sound strange, but would you happen to be Kelvic? he let out a chuckle at the strangeness of the question, but continued. "I am, and I just get this gut feeling whenever another is around me. Besides, not a lot of humans, let alone ones as eloquent as yourself, can be found at this time of night." As if to aid in proving his point, one of the drunk, bumbling fools behind them let out a booming laugh upon seeing one of his colleagues trip over their own legs. Again, Ardan chuckled, the drink punctuating it with a chain of light coughs.

He hissed at the unpleasant feeling, which sorely contradicted the pleasurable taste of the cocktail. Normally, he would never allow so many feline sounds to escape him while human, but it was difficult to control while inebriated.

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[Brandon Blackwing]

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Ardan did seem to think that his way of viewing the world around him was ‘easy, simple and a part of life’. That last part was the problem that Brandon had wanted to point out, once paranoia became a part of life, didn’t that mean that your mental stability was compromised? Or already toppled? And it meant too that it had dominated the man next to him even more than he seemed to realise, poor fellow. Yet, there seemed no way to make this clear to the black-clad person, and a discussion was not something the bat wanted to start. He had come here to seek relief, to have fun and have a taste of the wonderful drinks served here. A shrug motioned his shoulders up and down in response. “Very well then, I am not the one to dictate what others should do with their life.”

With that he took in another sip of his drink, the pleasant warmth spreading through his body instantly, focussed in his throat. Even though he had said that, he couldn’t help but pity the fellow, if that was how he had to get through the day, if that was how he managed to survive in a city where the only thing that posed a thread were the few thieves or occasional drunks, then one could not simply state that it was just his problem. However, the only one that could solve it was the man himself. If he came to realise that he should not let his paranoia rule his life where it was not necessary, there was a chance that a change might occur. But the bat was not one to speak, even thinking that was pretty hypocrite. Even though his was evoked by lack of sleep combined with his occupation and the presence of the guards which caused him a lot of stress, it still was not up to him to tell the guy what to do. Maybe if he could find a way to rid himself of the thoughts that the Shinya knew he was the one entering through the front door when trespassing, a way he could feel safe, truly safe.

Those thoughts were interrupted by a question that flew his way, pushing the ‘conversation’ in another direction. It was a strange one, and his guess was spot on but the thief had no intention of letting a complete stranger know. Being a Kelvic was his trump card, the ability to shift he would use when there was no other way to escape the claws of the guards. Even though he had had the nerve to point out Ardan’s paranoia, his own had grown exponentially since the failed robbery back in Fall. Or had it been winter already? Didn’t matter, back then he had thought that another thief had been monitoring him, but now he was sure that it had been an agent of the Shinya, a Kelvic that was also a guard. They had been on to him, they had sent one after him, the agent had entered the same building the bat had to ruin his plans. And it had worked, the bat had panicked at the sight of the huge cat before him, and his target had awoken. There had been no choice but to run, he had injured his leg, failed to get any loot and his cape had been thorn apart at the bottom. A complete failure. Fortunately Yshul had shielded him, helping him to get away.

Bended over his glass, both hands holding it, the bat unknowingly had assumed an angry expression, his canines bared and brow furrowed, eyes narrow and blazing with silent rage. Both hands tightened their grip on the glass, but the bat did not notice. Ardan might or might not have noticed, continuing his speech and reasoning why he had come to the conclusion of Brandon being a Kelvic. During those ticks, the bat calmed down, anger fading and grip loosening, an answer calmly formed by his tongue, his silver tongue that had just been complimented and grinned. “Eloquent? Haha! Why, thank you. My stepfather was a merchant, so I guess I picked up quite a bit by just hearing him speak.” One hand raised the drink to his mouth while the other kept lying on the bar, a gulp of liquor sliding down. “But you are forgetting that this is Lhavit, my friend. The crystal city that honours both day and night, Syna and Leth as well as Tanroa, Governess of Time. Reigned by the Lady of the Stars, one cannot state that its residents ought to be asleep at this hour. The rests are designed for that purpose. I take it that you haven’t been here for long?”
Another sip from his drink, this time to rehydrate his throat which had gone dry after talking for that while. “And about your gut feeling, why don’t we play a game to find out?” Bright lights pulsed in his dark orbs, sparkles of anticipation, of excitement and fun. “ What I have in mind? I propose a drinking game, however, with this liquor I guess we both will end up in a state of deathlike sleep and there is no predicting when we will wake up. So maybe something less strong but as pleasant for the tongue. If you are capable of making me either give up or puke, you win and I will tell you whether you were right or wrong. So, what say you?”

x

credit goes to Euthisa

[Ardan]

The panther raised an eyebrow as Brandon seemed to grow rather aggravated, his grip tightening on his glass. However, as he continued to speak, the man's composure relaxed, and he informed Ardan that his father was a merchant. A quick pang of excitement rushed through the thief as he imagined the riches exchanged by those who barter as a profession. They always posed the greatest challenge, their valuables located at the busiest stalls in the busiest areas of nearly any city. Bazaars, markets, whatever they were called; he loved them. Not only the prospect of a payday, but also just the feeling of being around others in a place that was so open. His paranoia escaped him in markets, where he could relax, knowing that no one would dare attack with the Shinya, or any other kind of guard, watching.

His exhilarating thoughts were interrupted when Brandon suggested a game. He could see that the man was trying to hide that he was in fact Kelvic; why else would he try and cover it up? A simple "no" would suffice were the thief wrong, but this was slightly too far. Despite his doubt, Ardan thought that a game like this would do him well, and allow him respite from his usual, grueling work. And while he did not quite relish the idea of making Brandon vomit, the jaguar would enjoy the look on his face if he won. When he won.

"You're on," stated the cat, a smile spreading across his face. Seeing as Brandon had purchased him a cocktail, he saw it only fitting to be the one to supply this game. He ordered two mugs of ale which, supposedly, would not be too strong. Well, relative to the cocktail at least. "Perhaps we'd best start off light, would you not agree? I'd hate for one of us to drop dead before our third drink."
without waiting for Brandon to reply, the cat took a long drink, the ale filling his stomach and entering his blood like poison. Again, he felt the world around him grow slightly harder to see, even the man next to him growing fuzzy.

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OOCSorry about the wait. Stuff at work wore me out more than usual. Also, might I say you did an excellent job at incorporating our last (unfortunate) thread into this? At least, that's what I assume you were doing.

[Brandon Blackwing]

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OOCThanks, I tried to indeed. I like doing that kind of stuff, gives some more depth to stuff that is happening and all, but you know that I’m sure. I must say though that you gave me a great start with bringing up the Kelvic topic.

While the man had a look of scepticism on his face, he still went with the idea, his lips broadening into a smile. If the man had figured out already that his nature was indeed that of a Kelvic and hadn’t let his confidence in that be swayed by the bat’s response, than that was fine. It wasn’t like he was really trying to hide it from the man, no in fact he would have just spilled the secret then and there, but he loved games and a game was what it would take to get him to give the answer. The whole trump card business was already forgotten as he swallowed the last bit of his cocktail, his thoughts jumbled up and the caution switch turned off. The alcohol at work, no doubt about it.

With confidence brimming in his brown eyes, Ardan accepted the challenge and ordered two mugs of ale. Hopefully it wouldn’t be too bitter of a drink, the bat disliked those, but there was no complaining when something was given to you for free. Plus, this was a drinking game, taste did not matter, only the quantity that one could absorb before throwing it all out or collapsing on the floor. Hopefully none of those happened, none were very appealing, though the vomit was probably the best option. One felt sick, true, but afterwards they would feel better, whereas collapsing would leave one vulnerable. However, a simple shrug dismissed the scenarios, he would not lose, he would not puke nor collapse.

Ardan went right ahead, gulping down his drink in mere ticks before placing the empty vessel back, his eyes already clouded. Heh, start off light huh? So much for that plan, it seemed that indeed, one of them would not succeed in making it to the third drink, but it wouldn’t be the bat. With his confidence receiving a boost, he too grabbed his drink and raised it to lip level, after grinning “Bottoms up!” he let the mug touch his lips and the liquid streamed in, small but swift gulps making the ale disappear within the same time Ardan had finished his drink. When no drop remained, the mug was slammed back on the surface of the counter while another hand wiped clean the bat’s lips.

Instead of feeling a burning sensation like the cocktail had given him, a huge and distasteful bitterness clung at his tongue and back of his throat, an aftertaste he did not want to experience again. A wild shiver shot over the bat’s body, his face twisting and limbs slightly spasming, but he remained standing while he could feel the alcohol racing to his head, handing over a slight feeling of nauseousness. A grimace was with what he turned to the Kelvic next to him and asked if he had any desire to give up already. Of course that was not the case, the bat was well aware that neither of them would give up before the third drink, the borderline they yet had to cross. So he let out a burst of loud and drunk laughter, slamming his company on the back quite hard and ordered two more ales. The bartender eyed them warily but obliged anyways.

As soon as they had arrived, Brandon took hold of the handle and raised the mug once more, his eyes big and sparkling, he was having loads of fun right now. The cylinder shaped container was drained of its contents too, though this time it took the thief a bit longer already. Though one could not deny that he was still drinking fast, too fast for his own good in fact, but he did not notice himself, just as he failed to notice that his legs had become a tad bit unstable, though he wasn’t swaying yet, and that his way of speech had been affected too, making him speak slower than usual. “Saw that? Now you!” And he beamed him a smile as radiant as Syna’s bright rays.

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credit goes to Euthisa

[Ardan]

Brandon's drunken enthusiasm was not surprising, but his booming laughter did make Ardan flinch slightly, due to his enhanced hearing. Once the next two drinks were out, however, his discomfort faded into excitement. Picking up the mug, he gave a nod to his companion, before draining its bitter content with zeal. He had consumed quite a bit of blood, sweat, stale beer, and a great assortment of bitter food and drink in his day, so this hardly bothered him. However, he could see that it was not so for the other, as a slight spasm shot through his face upon tasting his first ale.

Good, good. It seems like I've chosen the right drink. he knew now that they would make it well past their third drink, and his coin purse would grow significantly lighter.

"I see that you are not exactly... fond... of the drink. Order what you will, I care not of the taste. And besides, you've obviously been here longer than I. Perhaps you know of some foul 'acquired taste' drink that will make an alien such as I give up on the spot."

Despite his rapidly progressing inebriation, the panther remained coherent of his surroundings, albeit far less so than usual. For instance, where he would normally hear the sound of blade striking wood due to the drunken fools behind him playing five finger fillet, and then think of at least six ways to subdue them in the event that their knife turns on him, he simply heard the dull thud and yelps of pain in the back of his mind, thinking nothing more of it.

However, he did notice something. Whilst the other jovial patrons played their game, oblivious, a group of four large, human men remained completely sober, with glared on their faces directed towards himself and Brandon. The longer they stared, the more cautious Ardan grew, and the closer his hand moved to his dagger. He knew not why they would be angry at him, he had hardly stolen anything in this city and, as far as he knew, had not been seen once.

However, despite the obvious danger of the men (who sat out of Brandon's view), Ardan elected to continue with his drinking game, happy to retreat into drunken glee, even whilst each of his three minds roared at him to turn away.

The moment that Brandon finished his next round, Ardan did the same, his eyes remaining on the four men. He silently finished, gesturing for the bartender to bring two more.

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Theme Credit to Euthisa