PM to join [Inclement Weather] When the Going Gets Tough (Kovac)

[Alori Sai]

Alori sighed, combing her fingers through her hair and lightly tucking on the ends as she released. She was scared for Lavira and she didn't know what had come over her. At one moment they were walking together and talking as they normally did, and the next she in a panic. The idea that it had something to do with the club, would stay lost with her, because she didn't have any reason to think so.

She was glad to see her sister drinking the water, it meant that she was responsive and had heard what she had said. It was a good sign that Lavira was still there and hadn't gotten lost inside her night terror. Alori wasn't crying yet, but if the other Endal didn't start to change for the better in the next few ticks she would be. Suddenly the teen took the cup from her and drank it down til not a drop was left. Alori just stared at her, not sure what to do or say.

"Vira?..."

She wanted to say more, wanted to ask more, get something out that might help her to understand what was happening. Alori thought of getting more water, but the moment she turned to leave a strong hand grabbed her arm hard enough to make her whimper. "Ouch." She stared at her friend, worry burning in her eyes until the woman finally spoke. "Ok...ok let's go." Hooking their arms together, she hugged Lavira and led her towards the bar to sit.

"Hey! Can I get more water?" she shouted across the bar to anyone willing to help. It was then that her almost tear filled eyes turned and spotted Kovac seated near by. The question of why he was out partying without her sister would come later, as would the question of who he was flirting with. But for now, both teen's needed his help. "Hey, Vira. There's Kovac. I'll get him okay." Half way crawling on top of the bar, Alori waved a hand out to get his attention.

"Kovac hurry, get over here!"

x

[Kovac]

The Inclement Weather was typically a refuge, a place for the population of Wind Reach to turn a momentary blind eye to the stress and struggle of surviving their harsh environment. But now, for the second time, Kovac had found himself consoling a broken friend, first Lavira in the summer, and now the usually strong-willed Azira. His arm remained around the huntress' shoulder, rubbing slightly in an attempt to comfort the weeping woman. She seemed to have bottled up the full impact of the Dek's death until now, the whole event resurrecting the pain of her own mother's death, the sorrow now spilling forth at a most unlikely venue.

Kovac did not have words to ease Azira's sadness, and for the moment, he did not believe words would help. Azira seemed to be a bit of a loner, and what her fellow hunter wanted to give her was a willing ear and a strong shoulder to cry on. The redhead warned that she was feeling sick, and without a suitable receptacle to catch her vomit should she puke, Kovac simply gathered her hair in one hand and nudged her to turn away from the table. Vomit was not uncommon in the bar, and Deks were always on duty to clean up after folks who could not hold their liquor. "Do you want some water?" He asked.

It was then that a familiar voice lifted slightly over the music, the frantic wave of a hand by the nearest bar. Alori? Through the milling patrons, Kovac saw his friend, and next to her, looking like Hai, was Lavira. Kovac sighed, looking over to Azira to see how she was doing before glancing back to the bar. Why did she bring her here? Kovac and Lavira's first date was a disaster, as the Vira's trauma from her fall was still fresh, the claustrophobia caused by the enclosed, crowded club forcing her to relive her tragic accident. Maybe Vira had some way to go to in her recovery.

Kovac wanted to be two places at once. He knew Alori would take care of Lavira, but his heart broke for her. But he could not leave the broken Azira either. Looking back at Alori, Kovac waved her over. Hopefully she and Kovac help the girl's together.

[Azira]

Waves of nausea rolled over the girl and Kovac's hand had only just moved her head away in time. Burgundy liquid flew from her mouth, tasting no better the second time. The fluid seemed like liquid fire as it burned its way up her throat, through her mouth, up her nose. She felt like absolute hell. Luckily Kovac seemed distracted by something so he had probably missed her projectile vomiting. That would have just been embarrassing. Even so, the puddle on the floor and the acidic and alcoholic smell rising from it were an unfortunate reminder. She also noted that she shouldn't be get drunk now, empty stomach or not; there was no alcohol left in her system.

The huntress ran a hand through her hair, feeling the sweat on her forehead as she brushed over it. It was ice cold but the teen certainly felt better, especially now that she wasn't thinking about that whole incident with her mother anymore.

Kovac seemed to be waving at somebody over by the bar. She'd never seen the woman before but she was horrified when she saw Lavira beside her. Now was not the time to see the Endal woman especially considering the state that she herself was in. However, the woman was looking a bit green herself. Seemed like they both had something going on with them. What a happy night this was turning into!

"Water would be good, yeah. My mouth tastes like...I don't even think I have the words. It burns anyway," she rasped. Her throat really did feel raw and the Avora wanted to wash her mouth out. "Maybe we should move though just so we can get away from...here. You could go to the bar to get me some water and check on Lavira at the same time. The girl doesn't look good at all."

The young woman waited for Kovac to move, hoping to have the opportunity to find a new place to sit once he was gone. Assuming he went to get her water, which he probably would. She hoped he would anyway.

x

[Lavira]

Once they had reached the bar, Vira practically clung to the seat, her eyes cinching closed and her palms flattened on the countertop to keep from clenching bloody half-moons into her palm. If she kept her eyes closed, she wouldn't have to see the club. She wouldn't have to see how dark it was, smell how much it stank. She'd be able to disassociate herself from the awfulness of just being in there right then.

Part of her was angry at Alori for bringing her here, but how could the other Endal have known? Of course that brought back the fact that Vira had explicitely asked they not go dancing, only to dinner. Her senses turned on high when Alori suddenly declared she was going to go get Kovac, that he was near. Her hand reached for the other girls and clamped upon the wrist, her fingers trembling against the pulse she felt and her single usable eye peeking out. "Please don't leave, Alori, please. Don't leave me alone here." It was absolutely absurd her behavior, but could she be blamed? Even Kovac knew that she was still on the mend.

From her vantage, she could not see Kovac and Azira a bit further nor smell the vomit that had been cast upon the well-used stone floor. Instead, she forced her mind to focus on her friend so that she could speak without stammering or trembling. "You're a jerk, you know..." It was the best she could do, still clinging to the others wrist in a vain effort to keep herself rooted outside of the nightmare and into reality. "Told you just dinner and now...we're here. Of all places." She shuddered, pulling herself out of the seat until she could wind her arms around the other teens tightly. ALori would be able to feel the violence of her trembling and the emotional high she was still on, though not in the good sense.

All of her senses screamed to run because she could, get out of this pit before it could consume her again; but Vira had to understand that this was not that awful hole. It was not summer anymore. This was now, not then...She groaned warily again, saying once more, "Just don't leave alone in here, please, please please..."

[Alori Sai]

"What is he doing? Gods.. Kovac!"

She didn't get it, she saw him and he saw her and that she was waving him over. Did the snarky male find his date that entertaining that he couldn't step away for just a tick to see what she wanted? "Kovac! I need to talk to you. Come over here!" the teen was getting annoyed now and the people staring at her close by didn't help matters.

It was just great, something was going on with her sister and she didn't know what, or how to help. The one person in the whole city that might know was too busy flirting his night away while his supposed lover was sitting alone. Alori was ready to stand up, march over and give him a peace of her mind along with a fist to his gut, but before she could a hand clamped down on her wrist so hard she thought it might break.

"Shyke! Hah..V-Vira that hurts."

The teen reached her other hand over, dainty fingers pushing at her friend's hand to try and loosen her grip. Then the young woman spoke, and her words cut through Alori's attempt to free herself and left her standing there dumbstruck. "Vira, I'm..I'm sorry I just...What is wrong with you? Why are you acting like this?"

When Lavira hugged her, Alori gasped softly, eyes widen as tears rolled down her reddish cheeks. She was left speechless with the woman trembling against her, so much hurt and pain that it nearly caused her to lose her footing. "Okay..okay I won't leave. I promise I won't ever leave you." The tiny huntress was lost and afraid and the only thing she could do was hug her friend. Kovac. Please just come over here.

x

[Kovac]

Alori was insistent, obviously irritated by Kovac's delay, and probably a bit ticked that he was with someone that was not Lavira. He nodded to her emphatically, pointing to Azira behind the girl's back and making a face that looked like he was throwing up. Then he looked back to the Avora huntress once she had emptied her stomach and was able to speak again.

"Yeah, lets get out of this booth." The stench of the vomit was beginning to lift from the floor. Kovac stood to his feet, offering a hand to Azira as she navigated around the puddle of puke. "Just come with me to the bar, we will get you some water." He could not just abandon the lonely girl, but if he was right about what was bothering Lavira, Kovac knew he had to get to her. Whether Azira agreed to go with him, or find another booth and wait was up to her. The half-breed left the wine at the table, his appetite for it waning, and made his way to the bar.

Kovac shoved his way to Alori and Lavira, moving to stand on Vira's other side. He gave a worried glance to Alori, edged with a question as to why they were there, given Lavira's aversion to the club. Then Kovac's attention was all on his girl. His arm went around her. "Vira, Its alright, I am here." The Avora looked up to the barkeep. "Water." He ordered before turning back to the girls. "What are you doing here?" Kovac asked them, though his slightly accusatory tone was aimed at Alori. He knew his friend had no idea that Lavira would react so badly to the club, but Lavira was panicked and upset, and that made him upset, and he took a little of it out on Alori. The fact that Alori seemed to be giving him an equally accusing look at the Avora made Kovac a bit defensive.

"Azira...she is having a bad day too." Kovac answered Alori's unasked question about why he was here with another woman. "I am not sure this is the best place for either of them right now." He added, then turned again to Lavira, leaning close to her so he didn't have to yell. "Babe, we can go, we don't have to stay."

[Azira]

   

Kovac offered her a hand and she took it, carefully stepping around the puddle of sick as he led her from the booth. The hunter seemed eager to get to the bar and Azira could understand why. Lavira seemed to be completely overwhelmed by some intense emotion, possibly fear and with what she'd learned she realised that he would be concerned for her. 

She followed him reluctantly to the bar where he seemed almost angry with the strange woman beside the Endal but it didn't last long as he was suddenly totally wrapped up in Lavira. It made the huntress feel awkward especially as she didn't know what to do with herself but when the bartender put water in front of her, she pounced on it.

The liquid tasted unpleasant, the funny flavour that the water had taken on lately was present here too. It was better than the taste of vomit though an she found that horrible acidic taste leaving her mouth but her throat still felt raw from where the acid had burned it on the way up. Once she'd downed it, she took a few deep breaths to make sure that she was all right and wouldn't get sick again before turning to watch the scene between Lavira and Kovac unfold.

The teen didn't know what she was supposed to say or do so she kept silent.

x

[Lavira]

The heavy cadence of the drum-heavy song finally began to abate, the tempo softening until it no longer felt like thunder beating in her chest. Her skin was still slick and sticky with nervous sweat and she was sure, at any moment, she'd be just like Azira with her head bent over to one side, the contents of her stomach releasing onto the floor. But it didn't come and as the drumbeats slowed and the gyrating mass of humanity slowed with it, the Endal breathed out in sheer relief.

Still, she kept her eyes closed after Alori promised not to leave, her grip upon the other womans wrist finally relenting only to fold between her legs as she just sat there and trembled, continually telling herself that if she just kept her eyes closed, it would all be okay. She could just pretend it wasn't there and continue on the courase of self-imposed disbelief. Everything would be alright then. But gods if Alori wasn't getting hit once this was over! Her friend had lied to her and took her here of all places!

But she couldn't have known...We never talked about that.

The teen groaned when she heard the drums kick up again, not realizing that Kovac had come over now and yet another glass of water had been ordered. She hadn't even drank the first one yet! The main reason to keep her hands between her legs was so that she wouldn't fidget or scratch in that anxious way she sometimes did. "It's not the pit, it's not the pit, it's not the pit." She eventually starter murmuring. The tempo changed again and the pattern in the drums with it until it was the other instruments letting loose some shrill song that had those in the front bouncing and those in the back waving their arms to. It was like one giant orgy, a massive rut that those on the dance floor simply couldn't escape.

Then, there was an arm around her and she jumped, eyes opening and a startled yelp escaping. When she turned her head towards the 'assailant', the teen let out a great, near sobbing, breath, and threw her arms around the bowman. Her trembling was still there but not nearly as intense as it had been. At first, her arms would be locked around him, holding her there with all the strength she could muster, then they eased off and she put her hands back between her legs and shut her eyes once again.

"What? No. No, I-I'll be okay." She said in almost a whisper. "Just trying not to think of it as there and then and that this is not that place and that I won't really lose it because that would be terrible and I would be really embarrassed and I would hate to be embarrassed around you guys because you're my friends and I love you and I don't want you to think less and maybe if I just keep telling myself it's not like it, I'll be okay." She babbled, giving a shrill little laugh at first. Vira desperately wanted to not be afraid of this place. She'd never liked it much because it was such a risky location in Wind Reach, sometimes as bad as the Lost Sense in terms of drugs, booze, and sex. Darker pleasures went to the other location, of course, but everything else happened here where the drums beat like thunder in a storm.

The booming returned and that little laugh became a whimper as she hunkered in on herself, reaching out to her right on instinct and grabbing the first thing she felt, clutching it to use as an anchor in reality. It wasn't Alori or Kovac or some random stranger: it just happened to be Azira's hand she grabbed. Vira hadn't even known the young woman was nearby. She'd heard Kovac say her name, but had no idea that she was so near. Her little chant resumed. "Not in the pit not in the pit not in the pit."

[Alori Sai]

Alori stared hard at Kovac, she couldn't believe how he was acting. First it took him forever to come when she called him, and now this look, blaming her for something she had no clue about. It was turning out to be a horrible night, Lavira was upset and wouldn't tell her why and now Kovac was blaming her. They were both blaming her but neither would tell her what she did wrong, and it really hurt.

It wasn't fair to treat her this way, and all she had wanted was to spend more time with her best friend. It was torture and she felt like they were purposely leaving her out just to make her suffer for this unknown crime. It was all too much, and she couldn't take it any longer. Her cheeks burned red, tears streaked down from her eyes, and when she tried to speak again, she found her voice gone.

The teen looked at Lavira again, then back to Kovac and shook her head. Then without a word, Alori turned and left the club. She had to get away from it, all the pain and misery, not only what she felt from Lavira but another source close by. She had to get as far away from the club as she could until the feelings pushing against her chest went away. And so she walked, out into the night, and alone.

x

[Kovac]

Kovac found the situation spiraling down ever faster. Azira still lingered with her sorrow, smelling of vomit, Lavira clung to sanity by a thread clutching Azira's hand, and then Alori gets offended. Kovac saw it too late. Neither he nor Lavira meant to hurt Alori, they were just caught up in the emotion of the moment. The Avora saw tears welling up in the girl's hazel eyes, the hurt apparent in her youthful face, then she turned a began to run out.

"Alori! Ah come on, I didn't mean..." Alori slipped out the door. "Petch!" He blurted out, torn now about what to do. He cared for Alori, they both did, and Kovac wanted to go after her, feeling like a heel, but Lavira was a mess. The hunter looked at the Avora huntress, Azira looking as helpless as he. Hanging out in the club no longer appealed to Kovac. It was noisy and crowded. Lavira wanted to earn some victory by sticking it out, but Kovac felt a need to help their friends as well.

"I think we all just need to get out of here." He said to Azira. Kovac then leaned down closer to Lavira's ear. "Lavira, Alori ran out, lets go, we all need someplace more quiet, I have wine. " He looked back to Azira, lightly brushing his hand against her shoulder. "Would you go back to the table and get my bottle, please? I think they need it, and we all need to be with friends tonight." Maybe, once the could sit down together, they could comfort one another.