[The Golden Dragon] Beauty and the Thief [Jischa]

[Ash'eny]

Timestamp: 4th of Winter, AV 510 Location: the Golden Dragon

Ash'eny slowly stepped through the doors of the Golden Dragon, if you asked him an hour ago, he wouldn't have been able to tell you why he was here, for what reason he came, or even what he was thinking. If you were to ask him now, he probably still wouldn't have the answers. That's just the kind of man Ash'eny has become, full of questions, empty of answers. Today was a good day by his newly adapted standards though, he had recently bathed at Soothing Water, so he didn't reek of lingering alcohol and weeks' worth of filth, he hadn't stolen from, mugged, or swindled a single soul, and he had been painfully sober for at least two days now. He hadn't eaten in two days either. Ash'eny was in an interesting position where the though of alcohol, which normally drove him insane until he could get some, made him feel guilty, yet he couldn't go eat at the stallion because the temptations would be much too strong. He had to settle for somewhere new. And by the Gods, Ash'eny found this place very different from the stallion. From the moment he stepped in the door all of his senses were assaulted simultaneously. His nose was registering a variety of scents, both food, perfume, and incense, creating an odd, very strong, yet still pleasing aroma. His eyes couldn't remain in one place from the very bold colors that decorated the room, the various travelers that were populating the place, and especially the beautiful women walking around. As for touch, Ash'eny felt goosebumps prickling up all over his arms as he was in unfamiliar territory. He heard voices of laughter, a single voice somewhere in the back singing beautiful music. Only his tongue was missing out on this unique experience. Perhaps Ash'eny would feel more relaxed if he were used to such a place, but the thing he had ever seen that could even remotely compare was the whore houses in Sunberth, and even then those places were plain disgusting. This was actually charming, fun. Ash'eny didn't fit in here. He felt a need to leave. As soon as Ash'eny realized he had been standing in the entrance for some two minutes, he turned, only moments before he exited the place to visit his frequent place, the Rearing Stallion.

[Jischa]

As lavish and lovely as the Golden Dragon Inn was, sometimes it could be a bit overwhelming. The brilliant colors, the swirling smoke, it was a wonder anyone in there could think sometimes. Not that many people came here to 'think'. In fact it was fairly likely that many of the inn's patrons had come specifically to escape their thoughts; to supress them with savory food, or drown them in rich wine. And some chose to void their thoughts with good company. This is where Jischa and her fellow Companions came into the picture, employees of the inn that could and gladly would distract one so in need from their troubles and temptations - for a price. It was a delicate exchange, but Companions learned to make this exchange as painless as possible; or at least the ones who wanted to turn any sort of a profit did. Jischa was extremely interested in profit. So it was no wonder that even while on one of her many, albeit short, breaks she noticed the stranger approach and then enter the Golden Dragon, sizing him up with a practiced glance. He moved into the building slowly, he clearly wasn't sure of what to expect, meaning it was his first time here, interesting. She'd settled on a low stone bench on the veranda, her legs tucked up beneath herself. Clad in a flimsy white dress and a fur-lined vest, she sipped from a glass of wine, pondering her options. She could go back inside and find the newcomer, if anything she could find out what had brought him here tonight. She'd not noticed any luggage, was he a traveler or a resident? Briefly pondering her interest in this random stranger, she cracked a wry smile. She'd had too much to drink clearly, and her mind was running away from her. He was probably just looking for a drink and a quick romp in the bedsheets, nothing new or unusual, and in fact, he- Her thoughts on the stranger's predilections were cut short by his timely reappearance, was he really leaving so soon? Was he perhaps looking for someone? Had he lost his nerve? Had he not been impressed by the wine selection? She was up off the bench in mere moments, graceful legs unfolding as she moved to bar his path, hoping to prevent the loss of the stranger she'd for whatever reason taken such a marked interest in. "Leaving so soon?" she asked, gesturing toward the recently exited inn. "I'm not sure what they're charging for one minute naps these days, but I'm sure there's no way you spent enough money that quickly." Her words carried a hint of teasing in them as she looked Ash'eny over. He was tall, but not especially so, and his eyes were a curious shade of brown, even in the poor lighting of the veranda. "Or did you just not find what you were looking for..?" She let the question hang in the air, her eyes angled up toward him.

[Ash'eny]

Ash'eny did attract a few stares as he stepped in and merely stood like a statue, but why wouldn't he? This place was set up for customers, and he appeared to be one. With his back turned to the room, his intent to leave, Ash'eny merely stood there, for a brief moment he watched his feet as if expecting them to turn themselves around and force the thief back and into the room. He tried to think, he tried to sort the images, the tangled mass of partial messages, fragments of memory, the unsettled confusion that clouded his mind. Why was he here? Why was he here? None of this made sense. Nothing made sense. The Knights made sense. The Knights choosing him to do some of their dirty work they weren't allowed, or just preferred not, to touch didn't make sense. Adopting a beautiful daughter made sense. Adopting a daughter, only to have her mother disappear and the child die in your arms didn't make sense. Falling in love, it just made sense. But falling for one that vanishes without warning or word, didn't make sense. Enjoying your stay at the Golden Dragon made sense, but for Ash'eny to be here just didn't make sense. Not to himself. Ash'eny had barely stepped outside when he was attacked by a rather charming girl. Alright, so maybe attacked wasn't a good word, but Ash'eny did feel very violated in the past few minutes. Something was bothering him, he didn't know what or why he was so low. "Do they offer one minute naps?" Ash'eny questioned with a false smile and painfully weak chuckle. He wasn't even feeling well enough to hold up the deception of being happy or pleased. His shoulders fell slightly as he looked at Jischa. Who was she anyway? "I'm not even sure what I'm looking for anymore. It's been a long time since I've had what I wanted. I'm not even sure..." Ash'eny voice slowly faded to silence. He was spilling his guts to some girl he had never met. "I'm sorry, I don't think I caught your name. I'm Ash'eny." There was a pause as Ash'eny examined Jischa. He had seen plenty of beautiful girls, but it was rare that there was one so close. He had more or less avoided contact with women for nearly a full season. Her eyes in particular stood out to the rogue, bright, blue, strong, piercing holes right through his skull. Never before had Ash'eny considered 'sharp' to be an accurate description of somebody's eyes. Ash'eny had to divert his gaze from her eyes just to make himself feel more comfortable, though a quick search of the rest of her body told made it difficult to feel normal. "What are you dressed in that for?" Ash'eny took a step backwards from Jischa, as if she had just drawn a knife on him rather than him just noticing she was rather revealing in her choice of dress. He now felt ashamed, guilty for even glancing at her body.

[Jischa]

Jischa listened to Ash'eny ramble on without batting an eyelash. Despite her differences with those on Mura, there was no denying she'd been raised there if you knew the signs. Sharing of one's thoughts and emotions was second nature, and though Jischa made a conscientious effort to divulge little about herself, she was naturally adept at listening to others. Once Ash'eny gathered himself and stemmed the tide of his words, much too quickly for Jischa to garner just what it was he was clearly so vexed by, she offered him a smile. "A pleasure to meet you, Ash'eny, and if you didn't catch it, it's because you didn't quite give me a chance to throw it," she admonished the distracted-seeming almost-customer playfully. Her teasing smile faltered slightly as he took a step back; she had encountered many reactions since arriving in Syliras but no one had ever literally recoiled from her, and his expression.. Oh. She snickered silently as he posed his question; lifting her left hand to adjust the white silk rose she wore behind her ear, she discreetly jangled the bracelet on her wrist. "I'm in costume of course," she quipped, tugging at the bottom of the warm fur vest she wore, about the only thing making any sort of effort at covering her diminutive but shapely form. "Well, more like uniform, I guess you could say." She waved a hand in the direction of the inn again, as if that explained everything. "A little too warm in there to wear more, the vest I only dragged on to step outside." Determined to have a bit of fun with her new pet stranger, she took a bold step in his direction, closing the gap he'd created. "Ain't you never seen a whore before?" she whispered conspiratorially, even throwing in a cheesy little wink, clearly jesting. "Doesn't do a working girl much good if she's all covered up around here, and I have a pretty expensive wine habit." She lifted the glass in her hand to her lips as if to give her story credence. Where some felt shame in their shortcomings, Jischa tended to revel in hers - an alcohol problem is only a problem when you run out of alcohol after all. And working at the Golden Dragon was a great way to keep that from happening. Letting the top of the vest fall from her shoulders, she arched a brow, acting as though she'd drop the garment from her arms altogether. "Course, if you just don't like what I'm wearing, I could always take it off..?" Terrible, she was; and the worst part was that she knew it. But by the gods, he deserved at least a bit of ribbing didn't he, wandering into a place like the Golden Dragon without a clue.

[Ash'eny]

Ash'eny was never raised with manners. He had no mother to teach him how to treat a woman, he had no father that stressed the importance of respect for the prettier sex, he had nothing of the like. Perhaps it showed, since it was fairly common for people to know that staring blatantly at someone was rude, but Ash'eny either didn't know better, or couldn't help himself. His deep brown eyes were focused on Jischa's own stunning blue irises, he was just frozen there, staring. Ash'eny didn't seem too uncomfortable, though there was a since of awkwardness that hovered around him like a cloud. Then it shifted. When Jischa stepped closer, Ash'eny recoiled lightly, stepping backwards again, only to find his back against the wall of the Golden Dragon, right next to the entrance. He felt very cornered, yet was having mixed emotions about his situation. "In uniform then. Like the knights in their armor?" That was a foolish question, she held nothing in common with the knights, except perhaps a few 'meetings' with some of them, those without families and such. Ash'eny shook his head slowly, realizing how stupid he must have sounded at that moment, a nervous chuckle softly emerged from his his throat. "I've seen whores in Sunberth... They're different though." Different, Ash'eny claimed, though his choice of words was far off. He meant something along the lines of them being disgusting, broken, miserable girls practically in Slavery. Jischa either wasn't that, or was a damn good actor to not appear so. There was a brief silence. "I... I still didn't get your name Miss." There was another moment of silence before Ash'eny pondered, and eventually caving in. "I could use some wine. Is it strong?" Ash'eny had some stuff he needed to forget, wine, beer, ale, it all helped for a while. As long as he was drinking more, or unconscious because of it. Ash'eny wasn't sure where to go from there, so he just remained with his back against the wall. His eyes only breaking from hers to observe the slightest of movements she made. The flower by the ear, the bracelet on her arm (which he had no idea what it meant), the slip of the vest. The latter had to be thoughtfully looked away from, the others only snatched his attention briefly. "Please don't do that. There are people out here. They might see you..." Ash'eny almost felt his own foot kick him square in the butt as he said that. He was obviously worried about something that she more or less welcomed. Attention. Even though Ash'eny was having much difficulty controlling his actions around this blonde headed woman, he was still thinking fairly well. He could see what she was doing, or at least what he believed she was doing. Seduction was a strong weapon for women, all too strong against the opposite sex. Ash'eny would have to be careful around this one.

[Jischa]

Jischa laughed as Ash'eny hesitantly stumbled over his words, the unassuming personality of this stranger a refreshing change from the self-assured regulars of the inn. It's easy to feel important when pretty girls like you, after all, and with enough gold in their purses, the regulars could be made to feel quite confident indeed. So it was no small wonder that Jischa was quite pleased as Ash'eny gave in to the allure of wine; it wasn't something she could resist for long either - not that she ever really tried. "I'll tell you my name if you can prove you'll actually be using it," she leaned up to whisper cryptically next to his ear, before giving him a playful tug toward the nearby entrance. Slipping inside, she spun around gracefully to face him, crooking a finger in invitation with the intent of luring him further into the inn than he'd traveled previously. She headed toward a nearby alcove replete with cushioned pillows and a hearth with a low fire burning. She resisted the urge to look back at him again; if he was truly interested in her company he'd pay at the desk and come over. If he wasn't... She tossed that thought from her mind with a self-assured little smile, lifting a blown-glass carafe of deep red wine and slowly pouring it into a glass, red-tinged bubbles forming at the surface. Was the wine strong, he'd asked. Was it indeed. The Golden Dragon was a place of jovial rest and relaxation, but it was also a place of business, which required money of its patrons. Drunk patrons were a lot more generous with their money, so watered down wine wasn't generally on the menu. Unlike at the White Swan, a possibly-slanderous claim made by some employees to further promote the Golden Dragon's superiority. The wine still in hand, Jischa made sure she was still in view as she slipped out of the vest completely this time, leaving her arms and back bare. The flimsy white dress she wore didn't even come close to approaching mid-thigh, and her short stature afforded her frame more curves than a girl of her small frame might normally possess. Jischa knew this and used it to her advantage, every movement she made as she removed the vest nearly lyrical with the message of enticement she aimed solely in Ash'eny's direction.

[Ash'eny]

Ash'eny questioned Jischa about the strength of the wine, and though he obtained no such thing as a verbal answer, the look Jischa gave him almost said 'would you expect anything else?' He grinned weakly yet stood up tall, feeling some hint of strength returning as the prospect of wine lifted his spirits. With drink, Ash'eny could always forget, or at least accept, the things he had done to himself. Today, again he would forget, if only for a little while. Perhaps, even there was more to gain than to be lost. Certainly a few gold miza were bound to vanish from his pockets by the time he chose to leave, but money wasn't something he was exactly ever worried about. Most of it was stolen, and much more could be obtained in the same manner. Ash'eny was again startled as she leaned in, continued to move closer, and whispered rather enticingly into his ear. It was, in a sense, a promise that he could, in fact, learn her name at the price of 'using it'. Ash'eny wasn't exactly sure he knew what that meant, or at least wanted to believe so. He assumed it meant something, but he really didn't want to believe that this young woman was exactly what she said she was. Ash'eny thought that there could have been many better jobs for someone like this, even if nothing really came to mind. Ash'eny himself was already trapped without the will to turn away or shun the girl. Perhaps this is what she was meant to do. What was he supposed to say in that situation. Whatever it was, if there was a right or wrong thing to say, all the thief could manage was a soft "Okay." Ash'eny barely had the time to say anything else before Jischa started moving, holding on lightly to his arm as she led him inside once more. Ash'eny made no effort to stop or fight, which probably could have been done easily if he had truly tried. Once inside, she was beckoning to him, almost like she was teasing him, daring him to follow. Like the good old days with Tolby when the two of them would chase each other through Sunberth, daring one another to mimic each other, except this place made Ash'eny more nervous than Sunberth ever could. Yet still he moved. Ash'eny was in the same room with Jischa moments later with roughly ten less gold miza already missing, and enough wine to kill a grown bear paid for. Ash'eny just stood there, staring at Jisicha for a long moment, watching helplessly as that vest of hers slid completely away, leaving a much more revealing 'uniform' on her body as the only article of clothing she wore, if it could even be called clothing at all. Ash'eny only stood in the doorway, looking confused and lost as a child separated from his mother in the great bazaar. His eyes both said 'I want to go home' and 'I could die happy right here'. Perhaps it was because he was still scarred by the events that happened not even a full season's time ago that pressured him into two extremely contradicting paths, one of hunger and one of regret-soon-to-come. Ash'eny needed to stop thinking, he needed some wine.

[Accolade]

Ash'eny

Experience

Skill	XP Earned
Observation	+ 2 XP
Interrogation	+ 1 X

Lores

•	Lore Earned
•	The lure of the Golden Dragon
•	The mysterious, nameless blonde woman
•	A night to remember
•	Shying away from a pretty woman

Notes :

I will add Jischa's grade if she returns, and Ash'eny be sure to deduct 10 mizas from your ledger.

The Sylir has spoken

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your grade, please send me a PM and we can figure it out.