Open [Rearing Stallion] To drink, or not to drink.

[Rose Heckleburg]

Noticing Naiomi's hand rose remembered that she told the girl she would show her one of her gifts. Taking Naiomi's hand she closed her eyes. A hum from within started to sound. The room got quite. Concentrating an eerie calm settled in. All the sudden rose opened up her eyes. "Your favorite animal is a wolf. " she said calmly. Rose stared at her her head slightly tilted curious of what the kelvic would think of her gift.

Looking around the room suddenly got loud again and the eerie calmness was gone. The sudden chill was gone as well and rose smiled at the kelvic. Oh she loved doing that to people seeing the shock on her face as she got their favorite animal. How many bets she's won using that. Smiling at the good ol times she chuckled lightly.

[Feonr]

Feonr went speechless for a moment. Just a while ago he had been thinking that his life was hard, but Naomi life was …to cruel. He knew there were many people like her but it was still shocking. He looked at her and said

“After hearing your story. I must say …I’m moved, Altough it’s probably the last thing you want to hear, That’s why …well I might able to show them to you tomorrow morning if you are still interested” It was the only act of kindness he was capable of. He then said to everyone:
“I guess my history won’t be as interesting as yours. I’ve seen many events and took part in many adventures. Some people call me wanderer. Some call me adventurer. To me I’m just simply travel. I’ve came to this city in search of certain person. It is said this inn is good place to gather some information. They saying people here are rather talkative. “He then looked at Aerion “Especially after drinking some alcohol. It is another reason why people drink. Though you must remain sober in order to learn something useful. “

His monologue was interrupted by sudden movement. When he looked around he saw the cheetah sitting nearby. It was definitely weird sight. Thrilling and frightening at the same time.
‘Isn’t it very bad for animal to be drunk? He asked.

Sudden change in mood caught his attention. Everyone went silent. Rose was holding Naomi’s hand. But what was the most frightening was another girl’s expression. It was fear, happiness and understanding at the same time. After a while this weird feeling disappear.

[Jubilation]

Jubilee looked around after the moment of silence. We're all telling our backstory, I suppose, She thought. This was a strange bunch here. A slightly mysterious man with a hood, a cheetah, a traveler, a former prostitute and slave, a Konti, and herself.

"Well, I suppose I'll go next then, Hm?" Jubilee started. "Though my life won't be as interesting as yours. My name is Jubilation, but you can call me Jubilee. So, I lived in Zeltiva with my mom, dad, and brother before I came here. And then one day, last summer, while I was out buying food, my house just caught fire. That killed my mom and dad before I got home. And then my brother... Well, he died too." Well, Jubilee didn't mean to make it sound like a sad sap story. "Uh, and then I came here." She shifted in her seat a little, wondering what she could say to lighten the mood.

"Aha, but you know, it's all in the past, Hm?" Jubilee laughed nervously while waving her hands. Yeah, she probably should have just stayed quiet.

[Naiomi]

This was turning out to be a fantastic night for Naiomi. Feonr had offered to show her his horns the next day. He felt sorry for her, but she was unsure as to why. It didn’t matter. She happily accepted his invitation and, draining her ale, grabbed one of the ones Rose had pushed away earlier. Her wonder at Konti magic increased infinitely when Rose grabbed her hand, went silent for a few moments, and then calmly told Naiomi that her favorite animal was a wolf. That was something she had never told anyone before, not even Simon. It was a secret that she kept from a time when she had met another Kelvic whose form had been just that. Her eyes widened, partly in shock but mostly in awe. The tales about the Konti people and their abilities were all true. She clapped her hands and laughed, her child-like wonder reaching its peak. “That’s amazing.” She was content with the way the night was going, where it had been, and how it would end, whatever that may be. Absently, Naiomi reached over to Aci and scratched behind his ears. She hoped no one considered the gesture to be awkward; she just knew that when she was in her Kelvic form nothing felt better than being petted by someone. Through much begging and experimentation, Naiomi had found all her favorite spots, and behind the ears was by far the best. Perhaps, this was her way of dealing with not being able to comfort the two people that seemed like they needed it most. Rose seemed immeasurably happier since demonstrating her powers, but Naiomi had not forgotten the sense of sadness she had noticed. And now, there was Jubilee, her entire family killed by fire in a single day. Naiomi didn’t have family and so didn’t quite understand the bond, but the thought of losing everyone she knew was unbearable. If she was in her Kelvic form right now, she was unsure whose lap she would rest her head on. The only thing bothering her now was that the more she found out about her new friends the more questions she had. Who was it that Feonr was looking for and why was he searching for them? What was this immense sadness that hung over Rose? How had the fire begun that claimed Jubilee’s family? But one of her biggest question was about Aerion. Who was he? What did he look like? She could see a little of his face, but he had remained hidden behind his hood all night long. It was the lightest of her questions, and the mood needed lightening. She pulled out the first coin she could find in her pocket and slapped it down on the table. It was a silver miza. Sliding it toward Aerion, she addressed him. “I bet you’re handsome. One silver miza says I’m right.” Her sudden statement caught everyone by surprise and bought more than one confused look, so Naiomi went on. “You’re among friends, but all night, you’ve been hiding beneath that hood of yours. Take it off and prove me right or wrong.” Naiomi flicked her head toward the cheetah Kelvic. “Aci here stripped completely for us. The least you could do is take off a hood.”

[Aerion]

Having listened to the introductions of those around him, Aerion felt it was his turn to reveal more than his name, he felt he could trust this group, despite just meeting them. They seemed to be lighthearted and kind, the type of people Aerion, and Teren, would gladly associate with. When Naiomi slapped the Silver Miza down onto the table, Aerion's eyes flicked down to it, then back up at her face. "Keep your money." He said, but he sat up and pulled down his white hood, revealing his piercing emerald eyes and his thick, brown hair that was just over a foot long, tied back into a knotted ponytail with strips of leather. "Teren has been trying to convince me to trust you all evening long, and I suppose it might be time for me to start trusting again. You have all told your stories, now hear mine." He told them as he sat up straighter, staring at each of them in turn, "I am a Drykas from the Sea of Grass as I said earlier, I traveled with my family with our tents along with others in a small village that now and then joined with Endrykas. The day I was born, was also the day that Teren was born, and I have been told that the day he was able to walk, he appeared in front of our tent. My parents must have realized how special this was, because they gave Teren to me, or they gave me to Teren, I have never been able to decide which. We grew up together and we had a natural bond that allowed us to communicate, simply or complex, depending on how close we are and whether we are distracted or not. This is the reason I have been quiet, I have been conversing with Teren as you all talked, for I have trusted the wrong people in the past, and I do not wish to do so again. I have no idea where our bond comes from, what it means, or why it happened to us, but what I do know is that we would fight to the death to protect each other, and almost have several times." Aerion paused at this, deciding whether or not to continue, at the promptings of those around him and from Teren, he continued, "My grandfather Elral was a blacksmith, and he taught me the craft when I was young. On my 10th birthday he gave me the sword that I now wear at my hip, it is stronger and lighter than any other sword I have ever held, and it has served me well. The week after my 10th birthday, my Grandfather died in his bed, another mystery of my life that I may never solve. As I grew up I had a natural anger problem, one that would lead to outbursts for little to no reason. My father, along with Teren have trained me and taught me how to control it, and channel it into my fighting, which allows me short bursts of strength as long as I do not stay angry too long, or I will pass out. I have sat here calmly and quietly because I choose to do so, so that I may be able to observe, and not overwhelm others one way or the other. This is another reason I have decided to try to understand ale before I drink of it, and seeing how Aci has reacted to it, it seems to have removed his inhibitions, something that I think no one would enjoy seeing happen to me." Aerion stopped once again at this, realizing that he had talked more about himself in the past few minutes than he had in the past several years combined. "Unless you wish to hear my sob story, I think I shall end my life story there." As he said this he leaned back into his chair, his eyes flickering around to each of their faces as he waited for their reactions and responses. As he felt how proud Teren was of him over their bond, he felt somewhat happier that he had shared, but he did not have a reason to smile yet.

[Acinonyx]

Rose mentioned that she was a masseuse at the Soothing Waters, which naturally peaked Aci's curiosity, as it was yet another new thing to try. After he was sober. His head was currently being caressed by her and he was extremely grateful, his eyes closing contently and a smile showing. The fur bristled with each stroke from the masseuse. What happened next was most interesting... Rose had correctly guessed Naiomi's favourite animal! A wolf! A low and sudden huff of air exited his nose in slight disgust. After all, they are the animals that killed his parents, but realising the happy mood, he readjusted his behaviour and remained quiet. Rose's talents were far more engaging anyway and he would love to hear the explanation. To the side of Aci, Feonr raised a very appropriate question. "Isn't it very bad for an animal to be drunk?" To be truthful, Aci had no idea, it was his first time and he had never known any other animals to expose themselves to alcohol. Logic dictates it is probably very bad, especially for a cheetah... But hey, whatever... He couldn't reply in the common tongue, so he casually waltzed over in that catwalk like fashion, his whole body behind him swinging from side to side and reached up to lick his face. This was to show kindness and trust, that he wasn't a dangerous drunk cheetah. Human faces taste salty... Aci observed. Probably a result of some light sweat. Other than that, the taste was very neutral. Bland. He wouldn't hunt humans for meat if he wanted to if that's how they taste. Next to tell their story was Jubilee. Wow, yet another family loss. Mizahar is a tragically woeful place to live in right now, hmm? She looked rather unsettled by her own story and so looked sad, awkward and rather like someone who needs a hug. So, Aci walked over again in a similar fashion, but this time, did not lick her face. Didn't seem appropriate. Instead, he nestled his head into her lap to show remorse. He could identify with anyone who went through that. One last look up to her face was enough, Aci felt, to show his sympathy, before returning to his place and once more resuming his original pose. It was actually rather comfortable and he made a mental note to put his paws up and rest his head on tables more often, people permitting. Plenty more good things were to come his way upon resuming his place, for Naiomi was now petting him, only this time behind the ears. OHHHHH MYYYYYY TYVETHHHHHHH! It felt so good! How? How??? Why? What? His whole body slumped in sheer elation. How does this girl know how to pet me? Not even I know how to pet me. What is this sorcery? Purrs were now coming out of Aci, and he hadn't even realised. His whole world was now Naiomi's hand. Whilst purring, his body shifted ever so slowly towards Naiomi and in one smooth but very gradual movement, his body was bent over backwards over her lap. If he opened his eyes now, everything would be upside down. His back arced in on itself around her legs as she continued to pet him so wonderfully. He did not even realise that Aerion lowered his hood and was now giving his own story. Only when his name was mentioned did he pay half of his attention to his story. Oh damn. He just missed his whole story and he realised this when Aerion said, "Unless you wish to hear my sob story, I think I shall end my life story there." Oh well, I'm getting royally treated over here, and boy am I enjoying this.

[Naiomi]

Naiomi slid her silver coin back to herself. “I would have won it back anyhow.” It really was turning out to be a good night. She had won a bet, even if no one had taken her up on it. Furthermore, her expertise in petting seemed to be having a profound effect on Aci. Rather than stay where he was perched on the table like some glorious statue that even Navre would be in awe of, he had laid himself across her lap and twisted himself upside down, exposing his belly. This was Naiomi’s third favorite place to be petted, so she was sure Aci would enjoy it as well. As her hand glided back and forth over the Kelvic’s abdomen, her other hand slipped across his neck and scratched his chin. She was really just using the chin scratching as an excuse to feel his throat; no cats had ever let Naiomi near them. Maybe it was because they could sense she was a dog, but she had never seen an animal purr before. Naiomi almost giggled aloud at the vibrations as they tickled the bottom of her calloused hands. She felt like she knew a bit about Aerion now that she had seen his face and he had spoken at some length about himself. Before his hood had come down, she was convinced she knew more about Teren, another friend she couldn’t wait to meet, if Aerion was willing to show him off. Still, Naiomi was pleased she had him talking and hoped he would continue. Vaguely, in some shadowy corner of her mind, she felt sadness that this man would describe his life as a sob story. Her concern won over her happiness for possibly the first time the entire night. Naiomi looked Aerion in the eyes, a task that was much easier without the hood. “Sob story? I hope nothing too tragic has happened, aside from the loss of your grandpa.” She hoped she didn’t sound insensitive or, even worse, that her concern sounded faked. She was legitimately sad for her new friend. Naiomi also hoped that he would see her statement as a prompt and continue to talk about himself, but perhaps she had been too subtle. Her concern didn’t stop with Aerion. She still felt unexplainably that she needed to comfort Rose and Jubilee, though the former had stoically swallowed her sadness and the latter had laughed hers off. Their sorrow would have to be addressed, but Naiomi was unsure of how. Perhaps, she could walk with them when they went home, if the suggestion to do so didn’t sound odd.

[Aerion]

Aerion's eyes glossed over as Naiomi asked whether his life was really like a sob story or not. He let out a quiet sigh as he wondered whether her question meant she wanted to hear the rest, or that she had heard enough. Despite his feelings about sharing this story however, and at the promptings of Teren to open up a bit more to these kind people, Aerion looked at her with eyes that had not shed a tear since that day. "I shall let you decide then." He said as he sat up again and gave a slight shuddering sigh, the only sign of his sadness besides the look in his glossed over eyes. "Many years ago, after my Grandfather had died, my father was teaching me to hunt, since my childhood was filled with Blacksmithing. While we were away however.. A pack of Glassbeaks attacked our camp, my brother and a few men were left behind while my father, myself, and many other men from the village were off hunting. We came back several hours later to a bloodbath, Glassbeak, horse, and Drykas bodies alike were lying on the ground..." Aerion trailed off at this and stared angrily at the table, then continued, "One of them was my brother... He stayed behind because he was older. However, once we got to my mother and asked what happened, she told us that they were taken by surprise while tending to the horses, and they never had a chance. By the time the remaining men had rallied together.. My brother, the other men, and the horses were dead, leaving half eaten horse corpses lying on the ground. The pack seemed to be larger than a Glassbeak pack should be and a few more good men fell before the beasts were pushed back and they ran away. If I had made different choices.. Maybe.." He trailed off again as he held onto the last bit of information that he had never shared with anyone except for his parents and Teren. After a few minutes Aerion looked back up at Naiomi, his eyes dry and clear, but looking a bit angry, saying, "That's about it, you hear everything you wanted then?" Aerion felt Teren's sadness over their bond, the horse was thinking Aerion could have been a bit nicer in his response to this kind young woman. Aerion sent back his reluctant agreement, but he couldn't change what he had already said, so instead he softened his expression, calmed himself, and told her, "I'm sorry... Whenever I think about what happened, I get angry, angry at myself.." He said and lapsed into a sad silence, Teren trying to console him over their bond.

[Jubilation]

Jubilee looked down at her lap. We all have such sad pasts, She thought. We came from different places, but still, things happen. And we lose people we care about. No matter where we go. We lose? It was confusing. It was sad. But still we lived on. And tried to enjoy life, somehow. We get new people we care about. But who is to say we won't lose those people too? The world is cruel. She just realized that. The world is harsh, and doesn't play fair. But still, we find things that make us happy.

"It's hard, not blaming yourself for your loved ones death, is it not?" Jubilee asked. "You feel that if you had done something, or at least been there to do something, that you could have saved them. You try to convince yourself that it wasn't your fault, you try to at least find comfort in knowing that there was nothing you could do. But that just makes it worse. Your mind automatically thinks of ways that you could have saved them. And you would all be sitting here, a happy family. And as much as you want to stop thinking about it, you can't. And it hurts. It makes you sad. It makes you angry." She took a breathe. “But what can you do? They’re not coming back.”

Realizing what she had just said, Jubilee didn’t even bother looking up from her lap. She didn’t want to see the faces of the people before her. Her cheeks flushed a slight bit of red as she couldn’t help but be embarrassed over the total nonsense she just spat out. I should really learn to keep my mouth shut. But to an extent what she had just said was true. For her at least.

[Naiomi]

Aerion took the telling of his story roughly. To call it a sob story was demeaning to what it truly was and failed to capture the sense of sorrow and the nature and immensity of the loss. It was a tragedy, plain and simple, and Naiomi was sorry she had asked. When Aerion responded, he was bitter and angry, and though he apologized and said his anger was directed at himself, Naiomi was certain some of it was reserved for her. She had been the one to press. Curiosity was not one of her finer traits when it came to meeting new people. Jubilee’s response was eloquent and beautiful, though equally burdened. Naiomi was convinced that though there might be sadness in the world and in their lives there had to be more times to be grateful for than not. Perhaps, she was wrong though. Perhaps the tragedies of her new friends were too close in their memories to make room for joy and happiness. She set each hand gently on Aerion’s and Jubilee’s arms. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought such things up. Maybe, for tonight, the past should stay where it is, ya, no matter how recent it may feel to our hearts?” She smiled, not her jubilant, excited smile. Rather, it was a softer smile, one of comfort. “Besides, there is so much in life to be happy about.” Naiomi had thought the night was going so well, but somehow, tragedy after tragedy kept surfacing. She reminded herself that she had already determined she would be satisfied with how the night would end. Using what meditation she had been taught, she acknowledged the sorrow, the anger, and the frustration. Each one, she gave its due attention, and once she had accepted what she felt, she let it go. She had to release each of them several times, as they kept coming back. “Perhaps, we should think of happier times. Fond memories make for better company than sorrowful ones. I’ve lived a life of happiness. That’s not to say that I haven’t struggled or had any hardships, but in the end, I’ve had far more moments that brought me joy than have brought me sorrow. Sadness and the memories that bring it have their place. They should not be forgotten, but we should embrace our moments of joy and allow them to define us. “I live life with those memories, the good ones, always close at hand. When sadness or fear or hate or anything bad threatens, I think of one of those memories. Lying in front of a warm fire with Master scratching my ears, the warm hugs of my closest friends, the thrill of the hunt, the perfect ale, kisses from Simon. These are the things that make life worth living, even in the hard times. “We all have these memories, these ones that comfort. We just have to remember we have them.”