Knowledge is Power [Aranta]

[Aranta]

Aranta could tell that Snaeha was still upset, and she seemed to be working herself up even further. He decided to stay silent, although he let his hand settle on the small of her back, attempting to keep the Symenestra grounded. He wasn't entirely certain that it worked. As they entered the Hunter's Gather, Aranta didn't miss the way that Snaeha glared at all of them; her glare made him feel defensive, and he had to fight to keep from baring his teeth. That battle was lost when the other person spoke. "High-minded and nosy Symenestras," he growled, flashing his fangs. "That's her problem, and mine, too. Do you want to make it worse?" Part of Aranta-- the rapidly diminishing part-- argued that it wouldn't be very good for him if he got into a fight with these other hunters; the way that Zith fought meant that unless the Symenestra could bite him, Aranta would almost certainly end up throwing him into a wall or something else that would prove highly dangerous, and maybe even lethal. Aranta really didn't want to get kicked out of Kalinor for manslaughter.

[Snaeha Datura]

The feel of warmth on the Zith's hand on her back did indeed ground Snaeha; in fact it made her completely silent. The gesture was a sign of affection and comfort, even if her friend did not entirely understand the concepts of such feelings. She appreciated it nonetheless. And Snaeha also valued his outburst within the tavern, even if the rest of the Symenestra clientele were clearly disgusted and disturbed.

However, as much as she quite liked being the damsel in distress and Aranta posing as her hero, Snaeha knew that the Zith's anger would ultimately go against the to of them. She turned away form the tavern, facing only Aranta. They were standing close enough for Snaeha to lean up and whisper directly into his ear (or rather, as near to his ear as she could reach). "They're not worth getting in more trouble." She muttered under her breath, a careful hand placed on his chest -- the unscratched side.

A tick after speaking, and appreciating the feel of being so close together, Snaeha stepped away from Aranta and took a seat. When a Symenestra waitress approached them, Snaeha spoke before the younger girl had even opened her mouth. "Two wines, please. Big glasses."

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[Aranta]

Aranta transferred his attention to the woman in front of him when Snaeha laid her hand on his chest. He listened to her words and nodded in agreement, forcing himself back under control before he replied. "You are right," he said quietly, following her to a table and studiously ignoring the rest of the customers. When Snaeha ordered, Aranta looked at her curiously. "Wine?" he asked. "What is wine? Is it alcohol?"

[Snaeha Datura]

Snaeha's attitude brightened the moment she slid into her seat. "Yes. Wine is alcohol. It's my favourite type." Her smile widened as the waitress returned to their table, this time carrying two large glasses sloshing with red wine. Snaeha reached into her silken dress and withdrew four silver coins, placing them into the girl's waiting hands. The price had not even needed to be mentioned; she drank red wine frequently enough to know the correct price.

"It's made with grapes," she added helpfully, taking her own glass directly from the girl's hand and meeting the fine glass to her lips. Snaeha took a sip, feeling that slow warmth of the alcohol tingle on her tongue. She swallowed, the heat transferring to the back of her throat and sliding smoothly into her stomach. "Aaah." She sighed appreciatively, placing the glass back on the table in front of her. Her amethyst eyes, rejuvenated with excitement, flashed at Aranta. "You're turn."

.

[Aranta]

It took Aranta a moment to remember what grapes were-- they were a small, purple fruit that didn't taste like anything if you licked it, but were either tart or sweet when bitten into. Aranta liked them, so he supposed he would like this drink made of them. The Zith watched Snaeha take a sip of her drink after the waitress brought them over, and he couldn't help but smile slightly at the blissful look on the Symenestra's face. letting his smile grow at Snaeha's words, he lifted his own glass to his lips and carefully tilted it, letting the liquid stay on his tongue for a moment before swallowing. He made a face-- yes, this wine did taste like grapes, but only slightly. He wasn't quite sure what was wrong with the taste, but while it wasn't bad, he could definitely think of better things he'd drank before. Licking his lips, Aranta tried another sip; this one was slightly more pleasant than the last, but it still wasn't as good as Snaeha had implied. Perhaps the drink tasted different to Symenestra-- they did, after all, liquefy their food; it had to taste differently than normal, solid food. Maybe that affected how they tasted things. "This is... interesting," he said after one more sip. "Almost tastes like grapes, but not quite."

[Snaeha Datura]

Snaeha nodded, once again assuring her friend that drinking alcohol was the best thing to do, "it tastes better the more you drink." She said eagerly, and a nearby Symenestra chuckled in agreement.

Now more relaxed, Snaeha wiggled in her seat to make herself more comfortable. She took another sip of her wine, a faint smile coming to her lips as the alcohol tickled her taste buds once again. When she set the glass down, she glanced across to her friend with a wide-eyed look. "Oh, I meant to tell you!" She said delightedly, [/b]"that missing child was found. In one of the abandoned houses."[/b] That second sentence was tagged onto her statement in a lower, sadder voice. The large number of empty houses in Kalinor was a constant reminder of the shrinking Symenestra population. And, as a woman who introduced many babies into the world, it was difficult for Snaeha to accept the inevitability of her people's existence.

I need more wine.

She took too hearty gulps of the drink, which was now staining her lips in a red similar to that of her hair. "He was unconscious, but safe." Snaeha had not been allowed to deal with the child when he visited the hospital after being found. Instead, her seniors had decided that the he was worthy of their superior care. Another bitter pill for her swallow, and Snaeha chased it with yet more wine. [/color]
.

[Aranta]

Well, that certainly seemed to be true-- with each sip, the taste got more and more pleasant. Aranta was a bit wary of that, though. He always was of things that changed. Still, Snaeha's next words made him smile. "That is very good, that the pup is home safe," he agreed. "Although why did he go missing? Who took him?" Snaeha's facialexpression, though, was currently far from happy-- the Symenestra seemed distant, upset almost. "Snaeha?" Aranta asked, leaning forward with a slight frown creasing his brow. "Are you all right?"

[Snaeha Datura]

"That... is not known." Snaeha said slowly. She had been tempted to add the word 'yet' onto the end of her reply -- but common sense told the young woman that the addition of the word was pointless. In reality, whatever had happened to the child had not ceased being a mystery upon his discovery. In fact, finding the unconscious child had resulted in the exact opposite: more questions had been discovered alongside the missing boy. There was only one way to sum up the entire scenario; "It's a strange one."

To his second question, Snaeha gave a fleeting, sad smile. Nobody openly discussed the shrinking Symenestra population - it wasn't exactly a happy topic - so it was strange for Snaeha to have the opportunity to explain it. "Those empty houses are there for a reason," She said quietly, so as not for anyone else to hear, "the number of my people is constantly lessening. Sometimes it is easy to forget about, but other times -- not so much."

Another swig of wine.

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[Aranta]

Aranta nodded; he was suprised that he had not heard about the pup being found, but if there were still questions surrounding his disappearance, perhaps that was why. Plus, the whole being-a-Zith, thing. Few Symenestra were probably willing to share their concerns with a Zith. The news, however, that the Symenestra population was declining was worrying. Aranta didn't like the thought-- Zith, with their high breeding rates, didn't really have to worry about low population numbers. Not unless the other races started actively hunting down the Zith rather than simply trying their best to avoid and shun the winged race. Aranta could see that this was a sensitive topic for Snaeha, so he simply made a murmured sound of sympathy before taking another sip of his wine. After a few moments of silence between them, he asked, "What are your plans for the next season?"

[Snaeha Datura]

The change of conversation topic was well received. Snaeha did not like being unhappy in front of others; it was too raw, too... naked. She liked keeping up appearances, staying cool and calm rather than letting others know what she was thinking. Snahea spent far too much time making sure she looked good o go and blow it on an emotional overload.

"I'm not sure." She tapped the side of her glass with her nails, making a high pitched, tinktink sound. The idea of next season was mulled over in the silence that followed her first words. Snaeha had long planned to visit Alvadas - the city of illusions, home of her favoured God Ionu. She had visited Alvadas once before, on a gleaning with her elder brother. Unfortunately, Dorav Datura had not let his little sister out of his sight -- meaning she had had anything but the freedom she desired to explore the strange, twisted city. "I want to visit Alvadas, but--"She licked her lips, not quite sure what followed her 'but'. In truth, she had spent far too long claiming that she was going to visit Alvadas, that the actual planning of her journey had fallen to wayside. "It's a long way." It was a feeble excuse.

With sharp eyes, she returned the question to Aranta: "What about you?"

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