Day 65 of Winter 515AV
The Scholar’s Demise was filled with people, as it always was. Night or day, people just kept seeping in and out, the crowd rarely seeming to diminish one bit. Still, there were a couple tables free, though most chairs had been taken. A storyteller had arrived only a chime or two ago, but already a major part of the patrons had flocked around him, waiting for him to start to spin his tale. Many of the eagerly waiting had grabbed a chair from tables that had not yet been occupied. It seemed most of those people had come just to see the storyteller, which of course was good for the Demise’s business.
Brandon was not quite interested in hearing stories, nor in the Ethaefal bringing his drink. He just paid the one Kina he owed her for it, then started sipping. The refreshing taste of mint filled his mouth, maybe not the best choice for a drink with these cold Winter temperatures outside, however, due to the warmth of the burning hearth fire combined with the body heat of the people present, it was not as strange as he’d have expected it to be. Though if he had to be honest, he did like the Full Moon quite a bit more. Nothing did beat sweet beverages.
Aleah stood behind the bar again, conversing with a couple of the customers seated at the long counter, more than happy for a distraction. Brandon focused on his drink, not quite sure why he kept coming to places such as these just to drink alone. Maybe he should just buy a bottle of liquor from the Azure someday, and just drink at home, it be cheaper that way too. Though, he supposed that was quite sad, to drink all alone. Damn, if only Sal was still around.
Bah, he’d been doing this for a long while, and even he knew that this going out to drink was just an excuse to go out and meet people. To mingle with the population of Lhavit, to fight of loneliness. This was the crucial difference between Lhavit and wind Reach. Lhavit might be his home turf, his thieving territory, but that did mean he had to be cautious. Wearing a mask was not enough for him, not at all. Perhaps it was just the idea of stumbling back into the pitfall of someone like Kriegsfelt that made him keep people at bay. Even those that had come to Lhavit he’d been avoiding for almost the whole of the season. In some way, even though he’d hated Wind Reach, and had wanted to return to the Crystal city, he’d been happier there. A Kelvic could not deal with loneliness, oh the irony of his existence.
Still, if he wore a mask, if he wore different clothes during his heists, as he always did, there was no way the Shinya could catch him by day, now was there? He even did not fear going outside, but why did he fear connecting with people? Why was it that he was hesitant to go look for Dru? Kriegsfelt, no doubt about it. It was the only reasonable answer? Though the man was dead, the thought of losing someone close to him was dreadful. As was the idea of his relationship to those he was close to be used against him. In Wind Reach there had been no thread of that happening at all, but here? Kriegsfelt’s hands still held the bat’s soul in their grasp, and only through effort would he be able to free himself completely. Damn.
Right then, a new customer entered the building, a girl, pale and fishlike, and oddly familiar. There was no way he could not recognize her, not after all those bells of staring at her face until she awoke. This form or the other, he would always be able to identify her. The same would hold true the other way around; with her auristics she’d be able to spot him in a crowd, or so he’d been told once. There was no hiding from her gaze. He sighed and waved her over, not that she had much of a choice, if she wanted to sit, Brandon’s table was one of the few with a free chair.
“Well, isn’t this a surprise,” Brandon spoke when as she reached him, his face displaying anything but the claimed emotion. “The Councilor in the flesh… Or so I’d say, if you were not removed from that position.” Despite the words, there was no grain of mirth or joyous intonation in his voice at all. He wasn’t quite in the mood for laughing, though he supposed that might change fast, depending on the situation. It was doubtful however. “Lost your house too, I’ve heard. A shame really. I liked the place. Well, it was in need of some decorations, but still.”
The Scholar’s Demise was filled with people, as it always was. Night or day, people just kept seeping in and out, the crowd rarely seeming to diminish one bit. Still, there were a couple tables free, though most chairs had been taken. A storyteller had arrived only a chime or two ago, but already a major part of the patrons had flocked around him, waiting for him to start to spin his tale. Many of the eagerly waiting had grabbed a chair from tables that had not yet been occupied. It seemed most of those people had come just to see the storyteller, which of course was good for the Demise’s business.
Brandon was not quite interested in hearing stories, nor in the Ethaefal bringing his drink. He just paid the one Kina he owed her for it, then started sipping. The refreshing taste of mint filled his mouth, maybe not the best choice for a drink with these cold Winter temperatures outside, however, due to the warmth of the burning hearth fire combined with the body heat of the people present, it was not as strange as he’d have expected it to be. Though if he had to be honest, he did like the Full Moon quite a bit more. Nothing did beat sweet beverages.
Aleah stood behind the bar again, conversing with a couple of the customers seated at the long counter, more than happy for a distraction. Brandon focused on his drink, not quite sure why he kept coming to places such as these just to drink alone. Maybe he should just buy a bottle of liquor from the Azure someday, and just drink at home, it be cheaper that way too. Though, he supposed that was quite sad, to drink all alone. Damn, if only Sal was still around.
Bah, he’d been doing this for a long while, and even he knew that this going out to drink was just an excuse to go out and meet people. To mingle with the population of Lhavit, to fight of loneliness. This was the crucial difference between Lhavit and wind Reach. Lhavit might be his home turf, his thieving territory, but that did mean he had to be cautious. Wearing a mask was not enough for him, not at all. Perhaps it was just the idea of stumbling back into the pitfall of someone like Kriegsfelt that made him keep people at bay. Even those that had come to Lhavit he’d been avoiding for almost the whole of the season. In some way, even though he’d hated Wind Reach, and had wanted to return to the Crystal city, he’d been happier there. A Kelvic could not deal with loneliness, oh the irony of his existence.
Still, if he wore a mask, if he wore different clothes during his heists, as he always did, there was no way the Shinya could catch him by day, now was there? He even did not fear going outside, but why did he fear connecting with people? Why was it that he was hesitant to go look for Dru? Kriegsfelt, no doubt about it. It was the only reasonable answer? Though the man was dead, the thought of losing someone close to him was dreadful. As was the idea of his relationship to those he was close to be used against him. In Wind Reach there had been no thread of that happening at all, but here? Kriegsfelt’s hands still held the bat’s soul in their grasp, and only through effort would he be able to free himself completely. Damn.
Right then, a new customer entered the building, a girl, pale and fishlike, and oddly familiar. There was no way he could not recognize her, not after all those bells of staring at her face until she awoke. This form or the other, he would always be able to identify her. The same would hold true the other way around; with her auristics she’d be able to spot him in a crowd, or so he’d been told once. There was no hiding from her gaze. He sighed and waved her over, not that she had much of a choice, if she wanted to sit, Brandon’s table was one of the few with a free chair.
“Well, isn’t this a surprise,” Brandon spoke when as she reached him, his face displaying anything but the claimed emotion. “The Councilor in the flesh… Or so I’d say, if you were not removed from that position.” Despite the words, there was no grain of mirth or joyous intonation in his voice at all. He wasn’t quite in the mood for laughing, though he supposed that might change fast, depending on the situation. It was doubtful however. “Lost your house too, I’ve heard. A shame really. I liked the place. Well, it was in need of some decorations, but still.”
