Closed Facing Your Demons (Khara)

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Facing Your Demons (Khara)

Postby Azira on November 30th, 2014, 11:52 pm

Tunnels flashed by in a blur, the huntress not stopping to look at anything around her now that her destination was clear to her. She knew where she was going and she was going there in a hurry. Such a fast pace was hazardous in an enclosed space like the Inner Warrens, even more so because there were plenty of people in them. She wove in between them, bumping her shoulders into some as she darted around them. People stared as she flew past but Azira didn't even notice. They didn't matter to her, none of them so why should she pay any attention to them. She didn't scan their faces to see if any of them were Cedrin, hoping to remain unseen herself if he was in the tunnels that she passed through. If she was just a fast moving body with short hair he might not be able to pick her out in the sea of reds.

It wasn't long before she reached the club itself and found a few people dawdling outside its entrance, waiting for others to pass through. It was fairly quiet but then it was still early. She'd had had dinner before most people had and how long she'd been in that tunnel before Khara came along was a mystery. Enough time had elapsed for the club to attract its first revellers of the night and enough of them that there was a bit of a queue as people waited for others to pass in. The huntress had no idea what time it was but she didn't care either. There were people in there and she could hide among them. That was more than enough for her.

As the teen waited for the small crowd to pass through her eyes moved to the tunnels leading to the Inclement Weather. She was searching for the man that she so dreaded coming across, paranoid that he would have found and followed her. Someone had followed her though, someone coming down the section of tunnel that she'd just come from herself. The Chiet had followed her here. Why had she done that? Did she think that Azira was going here for a bit of fun and decided to tag along? No, she'd seemed worried, concerned even when she'd found her in the state of meltdown that she'd been in. Maybe the girl cared. It'd be nice to have someone who cared, someone who was willing to understand the situation. Not that she had any intention of spilling her past to the game scout.

Eyes fixed on the girl she remained standing outside the club even when she had the opportunity to enter, waiting. When the other reached her side the huntress regarded her with wide eyes. "Why are you here?" she asked softly, gaze quickly scanning the scout's face for some sort of explanation. "You don't need to be here. You can go off and do what you like, can't you? You don't have to be afraid of anybody." The scout was left behind as the Avora passed into the club, moving towards the bar before she knew what she was doing. Halfway there she froze, wondering what had gotten into her. Drinking was bad, really bad so why was she planning on doing it? It made her feel good for awhile. Feeling good would be nice and she could drink a little and still be alert enough to look out for the Endal if he should make an appearance.

The passage to the bar continued, the girl deliberating for a moment as she tried to determine what to drink. Not cocktails, especially not Ivak's Fire. Something simple that she'd had in the past. "Can I get a bottle of wine and..." She paused, eyes drifting to the entrance. She doubted that Khara was going anywhere. It was just a feeling that she had. "Could I have two glasses?" The bottle and two glass vessels were placed promptly in front of her and Azira collected them, holding the glasses carefully so that she wouldn't risk dropping them. The club was scanned as she searched for a place to sit. There was still plenty of space, the club hadn't filled up yet but she had trouble deciding. Her eyes finally settled on a table far from the door and as quiet an area as she was likely to get and headed straight for it.
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Facing Your Demons (Khara)

Postby Khara on December 4th, 2014, 3:15 am

Azira was making it too easy to turn away. Much too easy. Khara was unlike a lot of her fellow Inarta, reserved where they were loud, timid when they were boisterous, but there was one thing she did share with the rest of her race: a stubborn determination that couldn't be pushed aside once she had made up her mind about something. Leaving Azira to her own self destructive devices wasn't an option any longer. Even if it was stepping into something with seeming little care for how dangerous the situation was; okay, so make that two things she had in common with everyone else.

Still, it was hard to choke down her insecurities as she entered the dance club. Thankfully it seemed the revelers present were only interested in themselves or their companions, and so no one paid her any mind as she navigated her way through those that were collected within. Khara hadn't seen where Azira had gone off to, but she had a good suspicion. If it had been Khara who was scared, if she was the one trying to avoid and hide, she would have gone for somewhere dark and quiet within. Somewhere that still had a clear view of the entrance. Somewhere... like the table she spotted the single teen sitting at, her short hair leaving no question as to her identity. Congrats, sparrow. You tracked an Avora in unfamiliar territory, her thoughts offered mockingly as she slowly approached.

Offered or not, more to the point welcome or not, the Chiet sat down in a chair next to Azira at the table, making sure they both could watch the dance floor and the entry way beyond. For a tick she was silent, not even casting the slightest glance in the Avora's direction. She hadn't been able to speak earlier, and she wasn't about to explain herself, but suddenly the answers to the Avora's questions outside came rushing from her just the same.

"I know I don't need to be here. I know I can go do anything else. But you're wrong, though. I have people I'm afraid of, I know what that feels like. That's why I'm here. Because you shouldn't have to be alone to face such things, or avoid them, or try to forget about them. At the very least I can offer another set of eyes to watch for him. I'm here because I want to be," Khara paused and dropped her look from the door, her gaze caught sight of the bottle and two glasses, briefly flickered over to Azira, and finally settling on her hands in her lap. "I'll go if you tell me to go, but I'd rather stay and try to help however I can. I know you don't consider me a friend, more a pest than anything else, but you should know that someone cares about your well being, at least. Even if it's only a game scout."


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Facing Your Demons (Khara)

Postby Azira on December 9th, 2014, 12:08 am

Her eyes rested on the bottle but she didn't open it. She was almost afraid to open it, frightened of what its contents had the power to do to her. Her gaze moved from the bottle to the two glasses, wondering if the second glass would be put to use. There was no reason why Khara would follow her in. She might have stopped to talk to her and then followed her here out of some misguided sense of doing her duty. Azira had told her that she didn't have to be there though, had basically released her from any responsibilities that she felt that she was tied to. Why would she stay after that? If she really thought that the scout would then she was suffering under a terrible delusion. She didn't care about her, nobody did.

The movement beside her table drew her attention and for one horrified moment she thought that Cedrin had found her after all. It was a relief to see soft, feminine features of the scout rather than the cruel, rugged ones of her old tormentor. The relief was replaced by shock as the Chiet sat down, putting herself in the company with the Avora. Azira stared at her although the scout didn't so much as glance in her direction. The huntress didn't know what to say. She didn't know whether she should say anything at all or let the other speak first. Why had she stayed? Azira had given her a chance of escape so why had she remained?

There was a tense moment of silence on the Avora'a part before a flood of words spilled forth from the other teen, both in answer of what she'd said outside and her current thoughts. She could only continue to stare in disbelief as Khara said things that Azira hadn't expected. The huntress found herself biting down on her trembling lip as she fought back the urge to cry. Tears brimmed all too quickly in her eyes, not far away after the sobbing that she'd already done this evening. She looked away although the other wasn't watching her just now. She'd already seen far more of her tears than the young woman would have liked but in hindsight she found it embarrassing. She didn't want to do any more crying in front of Khara if she could help it. She wasn't making it easy on her though.

The girl had received nothing but criticism and sharp comments from the huntress. As far as she was concerned Azira wanted absolutely nothing to do with her but yet she had chosen to stay with her so that she wouldn't be on her own. So the Avora would know that someone cared about what happened to her. She couldn't speak, her voice wasn't trustworthy with that growing lump in her throat and the trembling of her jaw. A shake of the head was given to signify that she didn't want the Chiet to go but there was no guarantee that Khara was even looking her way; she hadn't been when Azira last risked a glance in her direction.

"I... Don't go!" she gasped out, her emotion coming through in her voice despite her attempts to control it. She didn't look around, trying to focus on thoughts that would stem the flow before it could properly begin. She reached for the wine bottle and opened it. If she started drinking then she'd buy herself some time to gather her nerves. Maybe the alcohol would even help if she gave it the chance. The red liquid was poured into one of the glasses, the other one pushed towards her companion although she left it empty. If Khara wanted some then she could pour it herself. The contents of her own glass was swilled around before being raised tentatively to her lips. The acrid scent filled her nostrils, her nose wrinkling in distaste but she sipped at it all the same. She swallowed it quickly before sipping again.

When she thought she could trust her voice, she tried to get what she needed to say off her chest. "Thank you. For wanting to stay. Nobody cares and I don't see why you do. Not after how I've treated you. I'm sorry about that," she mumbled as more of the wine was swallowed down. It wasn't tasting as bad anymore. The more she drank, the better it was going to taste and she had a long night ahead of her to get used to it.
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Facing Your Demons (Khara)

Postby Khara on December 12th, 2014, 3:06 am

Of all the outbursts that Azira had done that day, the one asking her not to leave was the most surprising. Khara found herself again unsure of how to act, how even to react to such a thing. Sure the huntress asked things of her all the time but they weren't like that.

The empty glass that was pushed her way offered at least some sort of distraction and the Chiet cautiously poured some of the bottle's contents into it. The red liquid was eyed with distrust as she picked up the glass and looked down into it. It certainly didn't smell like the sweet drinks she had tried before, but that had been when she had just finished being a Yasi and was still practically a child. Maybe wine was the more usual for people their age, Khara didn't really know.

Before she could try a taste, however, Azira was speaking again and this time with it came an apology that the Chiet was entirely certain she wasn't deserving of. That was more than enough to encourage the girl to drink from the glass. The bitter taste assaulted her tongue and Khara couldn't hold back the flinch as she realized she probably had taken a sip far bigger than she should have. She swallowed the wine with a cringe and before letting herself look over to the huntress.

"You don't need to be sorry. You've actually treated me a lot nicer than others." Khara gave a small shrug, not of dismissal but at the simple certainty of the statement.

Azira hadn't exactly been kind to her at times, but she was one of the only hunters that didn't make the girl feel entirely useless and was the only one who actually asked for her specifically. But more than that, she hadn't exactly ever been actually struck by the Avora. That wasn't the truth for some of the others she had come across.

"Th-that's not why I'm staying, though. Like I said, I... I care. Maybe I shouldn't, but I do. I still don't think that needs thanks, though." It felt strange to be continuing to talk on it. Khara figured that by the end of her first explosion of words that she would have nothing further to say on it.

More of the wine was swallowed down, emptying the glass far quicker than Khara had expected. She wasn't certain that more was a good plan though.


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Facing Your Demons (Khara)

Postby Azira on December 22nd, 2014, 10:44 pm

The wine was helping matters, making her feel less like her eyes were going to start leaking tears down her cheeks again although they still stung from her earlier crying. They'd still have that wet appearance, the entire orb seeming to be drowning in water that would catch the dim lighting of the dance club. When she turned to Khara once more though her cheeks remained dry and the lump in her throat had shrunk. This time her voice wouldn't catch and she'd be able to talk to the other youth without betraying her emotions.

Golden gaze flickered over the features of the Chiet, amazed that she had been willing to stay. It was hard to believe that the teen had cared enough to not want to leave Azira suffering alone. It just seemed so strange for Khara to care about her. They had only interacted with each other a handful of times. They'd only met once the season before and had been on a few hunting trips together with an incident in the Enclave and a birthday celebration in the interim. That wasn't long enough to develop this willingness to share another's suffering, was it? Her friendship with Syveris had been a quick one, sure and Drusilla had welcomed her into her confidence almost immediately but that was different. The game scout was her subordinate something that Syveris and Drusilla hadn't been. The seamstress was a Chiet too but she had never worked under the huntress like Khara had. She'd wanted the scout to fear her, respect her authority and so this caring thing wasn't to be expected.

The other took a drink of her wine and the taste didn't seem to appeal to her. They had that much in common but the difference was that the Avora was desperate enough to want to drink it. She needed the effects that it would produce on her whereas her companion didn't.

She seemed eager to set the mind of the huntress at ease but Azira found it hard to believe that she had been nicer to the Chiet than others had. After a few moments she thought better of it and regarded the other more closely. Earlier she'd given her advice about how to go unseen. She was a Chiet, she was attractive and so she was no doubt used to attracting unwanted attention. Was that what she had meant? Had others used their power over her to abuse her? To drag her to bed against her will? It was something that happened and something that the young woman wouldn't want to talk if it had happened to her. So of course lacking tact as she so often did the teen chose to probe into it?

"Am I nicer because I don't drag you to my rooms to have my way with you? I can't see how I can be nicer than that," she responded bluntly. "If that's the sort of treatment you're used to then I'm not surprised you're choosing to stick with me. I'd seem like a nice alternative if that was the case. I'd think so if I was in your position." The huntress watched her for a chime, her lips pressing tightly together. She swilled the wine around in her glass and finished it off before she spoke again. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. It was quite crass of me, wasn't it? I don't condone it, I think it's disgusting. I wouldn't normally talk so lightly about it. Sorry. That isn't a nice way to repay you for being kind to me but then I am a horrible person so it's to be expected."

Her glass was refilled and she took another sip of the bitter liquid. "I don't like wine, you know. I don't think you do either. If you want something else I can get it for you. It's the least I can do for you hiding here with me." The Avora looked questioningly at the other woman.
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Facing Your Demons (Khara)

Postby Khara on December 24th, 2014, 4:58 am

"I..." Khara began, stunned a bit by the huntress' comments. "N-no. Nothing like that has happened to me." Yet, her mind cruelly added.

It was something Khara had tried her best to avoid. Of course, all attention was to be avoided as far as she was concerned but the reality that a higher caste member might some day make such demands of her was always a lingering possibility. It might not even be so bad, really, maybe. That sort of thing was supposed to be enjoyable after all, and Khara guessed with the right person it very well could be, even if it was someone else who made the plan of it happening. It was the horror stories that lingered in her thoughts, though. Of Dek girls found beaten near death in the warrens after they had been used in such ways. Occasionally it was a Chiet instead, though, and Khara had had one too many nightmares of such a fate befalling her that it had wormed it's way into a proper fear some days. It was a fear that was only fed by the fact she kept seeming to run into the same Avora craftsman more often than not as of late. Not literally, he just always seemed to be where she was. Granted that was the ranges more often than not but there was something about the way he looked at her that unsettled her enough to...

Another drink to entirely finish her glass off chased away the thought as Khara chided herself for being overly paranoid. There was no way anyone was taking an interest in her. Not like that.

"You aren't horrible. Just... sharp. Kind of like a blade, I guess. You can cut when you want to but that doesn't inherently make you bad or cruel. It's not like you've ever hit me. Right after I was assigned to be a Chiet an Avora completely thrashed me just because I was in their way. I ended up having to use my first real wages to bribe my way into the Infirmary." Khara stared into the empty glass and shrugged her shoulders. "I've met horrible people. During the riots last winter. I guess that was as close as I came to anyone doing anything like you said. But that was my own caste and one of the drudge. I guess they thought the game scouts were getting preferential treatment from the upper castes or we were getting more food or something silly like that. They were horrible. Probably still are."

The Chiet looked up at Azira briefly, a half a smile tugging at the corner of her lips for an instant before she tugged the wine back towards her and refilled her glass. "This wine, however, is pretty horrible," Khara said jokingly. " I don't know anything else to drink, though. I haven't really come here before."


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Facing Your Demons (Khara)

Postby Azira on December 27th, 2014, 2:08 am

She'd been cruel and she knew it from the expression on the scout's face. Azira didn't know what had gotten into her that she had spoken so lightly about such things. It was probably a very real fear for the girl and the huntress had played on it most unkindly. The way that she so suddenly drained her glass seemed to add credence to her thoughts. She didn't think the other had lied about it or else she would no doubt have shown more emotion. Instead it appeared that she'd stunned the girl into temporary speechlessness. Khara was the only person who was willing to be her ally and so she had no desire to upset or offend her in any way. Just because she thought a certain way though didn't mean that she was always able to put things into practice. The more she watched her companion and thought over what she'd said, the more she worried that she had crossed a line.

Knowing that she'd overstepped a boundary as she had, the teen was downright shocked that the girl was still trying to make excuses for her on her behalf. She was trying to make Azira sound better than she had, to make her seem like a better person somehow. The huntress knew that she had a Chiet beside her of course but she had never considered just how far the lower caste member was willing to go to please an Avora. If she'd wanted to then her companion could have remained silent. She didn't have to risk incurring her wrath by agreeing with what she'd said but she didn't have to defend someone who had been nasty to her, someone who had threatened to kill her. So 'sharp' was to be her new adjective then although it apparently didn't necessarily mean that she was bad or cruel. Good to know but she couldn't see how the two things failed to equate.

Khara's anecdote of one of her first Chiet experiences made the young woman reconsider her previous outlook on the matter. She had never raised a hand to the girl that was true and such a thing had never been considered. The threat to kill her had been more of an encouragement rather than a genuine possibility. To have harmed her, especially on that first trip, would have been foolish. The scout had been needed for more than just her tracking abilities that day or else the teen never would have called upon her in the first place. Actually harming her had never been a part of the Avora's agenda. Sure she's been somewhat of a nuisance and Azira might have been tempted once or twice to give her a slap but it wouldn't have done any real damage. To thrash her for simply being in the way seemed a ridiculously excessive punishment, even to her. A Dek required a hit or two every once in awhile if they forgot their place but it was never anything more than a punch or a smack about the head, at least in the case of the huntress. Compared to that first aggressor though she really did appear to have been kind to the innocent Chiet.

Her mouth opened in order to apologise for what had been inflicted on her but a strangled gasp came from her instead as the riots were mentioned, the Avora's body giving a brief jerk as she tried to flinch and shudder at the same time. Oh, bad people during the riots were something that she knew all about due to her unfortunate first hand experience. The girl swallowed loudly, reaching for more wine to swallow down as she tried to get some control over herself against. It didn't help that she'd had her control shattered so completely already this evening or else the twitches never would have even been noticeable. Her gaze went anywhere but her companion's face and she attempted to pretend to herself that the tremble in her hands wasn't visible as she drank.

She managed to nod woodenly and to force the corners of her mouth to twitch upwards in an obvious rictus. "Sometimes people are unnecessarily cruel. Stupidly so. There isn't always sense to it. I know," she managed finally, a little bitterness creeping into her voice. "Last winter is something that will never be repeated." The huntress stared in the direction of the door for a chime, the expressions of those coming in ones that she couldn't see herself relating to now or in the past. Some people looked giddy with anticipation and excitement as they entered the place where they could relax, others entered laughing and joking with companions or with some purpose in their countenance. None of them were the face that she feared but she still regarded many of them with dislike, or rather envy. How could some of them look so happy? Why should they be happy when she wasn't and so rarely was? The Inarta shook herself, turning her attention back to Khara at last.

"The wine is horrible all right but as long as it does what I want it to I don't care. I've been here twice before and neither of them went well, particularly the last time so I haven't had much of a chance to sample drinks either," the teen mumbled, examining the chewed nails on one hand before affording the other a brief glance. "There was a cocktail that was nice. Sweet, can't remember the name but I think it had eagle in it. I really don't know, I had other things on my mind that night. I sometimes wonder if there's something in me that attracts trouble and misery," the girl told her companion glumly. She took some more of the wine, partly for something to do and partly to work closer to the effect she wanted. The teen hadn't felt anything yet. It was getting awfully warm though with so many bodies crushing in and it almost made her thirsty, almost made her need the liquid in the glass in her hand.
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Facing Your Demons (Khara)

Postby Khara on January 1st, 2015, 6:58 am

Azira's reactions weren't totally lost to her, but Khara couldn't tell if it was because of something she'd said or if the Avora was still rattled from earlier. The way the huntress spoke of the previous Winter was a good indicator though. Khara was foolish to think that she was the only one who had suffered any trauma, it was the upper caste members who had been the real target the first days of the riots, they were the ones the hatred had been leveled at. The girl could only begin to imagine what Azira may have gone through but knew better than to press the subject. Some questions were best left unasked, information that should only be obtained if the other was willing to give it.

The continued slight frown of concern didn't really fade any with more wine, especially when Khara noticed the other's hands shaking. There was an urge to reach out, to place a gentle reassuring hand over those of the Avora's, but the urge died before it even made a single muscle twitch. What was she thinking? She wasn't some good friend or even close associate. The fact she cared didn't give her any right to actually try and do anything more than what she already was.

Khara's eyes wandered from the glass in her hands to the doorway and back again as Azira spoke, the flickering suddenly halting as the huntress finished speaking again. Was that really what she thought? Luck had never really been something Khara could claim to have in abundance and she certainly seemed to attract trouble at times but that was nothing compared to how Azira seemed to describe her own life. It couldn't be true, it just couldn't. Those were words you typically heard from disgruntled or hopeless drudge, not an Avora.

As the Chiet studied the other teen's expression, trying to piece together what she was missing, it occurred to her that she really knew very little about the huntress.Maybe there was a reason for all that anger she always seemed to project, after all. Trouble was, Khara didn't know if talking about it would help any.

"Are things really that bad?" She asked quietly, hesitantly.

"Someone told me once that hardships only make us stronger in the end." It seemed like such a pathetic platitude when spoken aloud; just as unhelpful as it was cliche. "I don't know if I believe that. But whatever you have been through, you're still standing. You're here. You aren't..." Khara paused and scanned the crowd, eyes narrowing on one of those who silently moved throughout the club, picking up empty glasses to return them to the bar, quickly wiping down tables that were left so they would be clean for the next group of people that would use it. No doubt they would be cleaning up other messes before the night was over. "Like them."


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Facing Your Demons (Khara)

Postby Azira on January 11th, 2015, 10:39 pm

The Chiet's questions earned her a blank stare. Was it really that bad? Well it certainly seemed that way for the teen. She'd experienced one bad thing after another and couldn't really remember when things had been good so the answer to that question might possibly yes.

Her companion's attempt to make it seem better was met with a snort. Whoever had told the girl that clearly didn't know what they were talking about. Azira didn't feel stronger because of the things she'd experienced. On the contrary, she was fairly sure that what she'd been through had only made her more brittle, more liable to shatter under strain. Considering the way that she had reacted to the threat of Cedrin, it certainly seemed more likely. Khara had seen her like that and did she really see that as a sign of strength? Doubt had appeared in her eyes almost as soon as she'd said it so clearly she didn't believe it either. The huntress couldn't fault her for trying to make her feel better although the attempt had been a poor one given the evidence that was right before her eyes. Could she not have come up with something better than that considering the circumstances?

She was still trying though, reminding her that she wasn't too badly off given that she wasn't a Dek. The thought of being one of the drudges brought on an involuntary shudder and she shook her head in reply. "No, I'm not as bad as that. I could easily end up there at any time though. All I need do is make a mistake and injure myself in a way that makes me useless for my line of work and then I'll be... I'll end up..." She trailed off, swallowing loudly as she failed to finish her possible fate. Khara didn't need to be told, she knew well enough what was being implied. "If I turned out useless, I'd sooner off myself first. I wouldn't have the nerve though. Kill someone else? No problem! Harm myself? Forget about it," she remarked bitterly, starting on the wine once more.

It was growing quite warm in the club, so much so that the Avora found herself fanning herself with a hand. It didn't seem to help matters though, only managing to circulate more warm air. After a chime, she gave up and focused on trying to drain the whole bottle of wine. She was surprised that she wasn't drunk yet. She should be drunk because she wasn't used to it. The teen sniggered at the thought that she might be in some way immune to its effects. "I'm not that bad though, you're right. I have a good caste, which is the only thing I have going for me," she hiccuped. "Here's to having a caste where you don't have to clear shyke off the floor!" The girl made a move to chink glasses with the other. In her eagerness, she sloshed half the contents on top of the scout and sent it dribbling down the front of her vinati.

"Oops!" she choked out, set giggling instead of apologising to her. She searched around her for something to clean the Chiet up with but failed to find anything. She waved at a Dek instead, certain that the drudge would carry cloth of some sort. When it arrived the teen didn't even bother to ask for help, simply snatching some material from its hand, checking it was dry before she started dabbing at the Chiet's chest with it. "Sorry about that. Terrible waste of wine. It's all right though, I paid for it," she commented, what she was doing not seeming to really register in her mind.
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Facing Your Demons (Khara)

Postby Khara on January 16th, 2015, 1:55 am

Khara wanted to protest Azira’s declaration that her caste was the only thing going for her, but it was hard to put into words exactly what it was that made the Chiet believe in her. Nothing that would end up sounding meaningful, anyway. Every attempt at cheering up the huntress so far hadn’t gone so well and the girl was starting to realize she was getting ever closer to the possibility of just making things worse.

It had been a poor choice of words, that was for certain. Khara knew all too well the very real possibility that just about anyone faced in how quickly you could end up a drudge. One accident was all it would take and while the fear was ever present, it was something the Chiet believed to have come to terms with long ago. Of course, the reality was more likely that she would end up dead before Dek should something go wrong while she was out in The Unforgiving. That was no doubt true for the huntress as well, but for once Khara decided to keep the idea to herself no matter how much it bubbled up and threatened to leave her. Wine silenced it.

She was slowly nursing her current glass, watching a bit uncomfortably as Azira hit the bottle far harder than her. The Avora didn’t seem drunk… Yet. Her determination to become so, however, was plain and Khara wasn’t entirely certain what she would do with the other teen once she reached her goal. Drunk people were unpredictable, and Azira seemed the type who could be prone to explosive outbursts even on her best days. Maybe she would be different, maybe she would be more subdued? Gods, please don’t let her start crying again. She didn’t think badly of the huntress for her earlier upset, but the thought of having to try and console a sobbing Azira again was all kinds of uncomfortable. Khara just wouldn’t know what to do!

Being lost in the thought that came on rapidly as Azira made the mocking toast may have been partially to blame for why she ended up covered in wine, or at least, that’s how Khara would remember it later. As it happened though, she was too shocked, a small yelp leaving her as the contents were spilled, more from surprise than anything else. The "Oops" and the - giggle? - that left Azira covered up the startled sound, though and were more than enough to draw attention away from any embarrassment Khara may have gotten from letting it escape. Since when did Azira laugh like that? Especially at a time like this?

Drunk or not though, Azira’s instincts were still faster than the Chiet’s and before she knew it a Dek had delivered a cloth and the huntress was reaching over and blotting at her vinati. Oh well, another stain to add to the faded but not entirely gone ink stains and other marks that she had earned during the season so far.

"At least it’s not ink, right?" Khara offered jokingly, her smile faltering a bit as Azira continued to try and wipe away most of the spilled wine. A sudden flush of crimson reached the Chiet’s neck and spread upwards as ticks went by. Sure there was the usual discomfort felt in the fact that she was pretty sure she should have been trying to clean up the mess rather than Azira, but then there was an added element that Khara couldn’t quite place but she was fairly certain she wouldn’t be feeling if she hadn’t drank anything. Clothing was just clothing, after all, but it wouldn’t have been the same if it had been a sleeve or something would it have? It was where Azira was dabbing at and… and…

Khara felt like she was going to somehow blush herself to death if she didn’t say something. "I-it’s fine. Y-you don’t have to," she began timidly, uncertain as if she should even try and take the cloth away from Azira. Alarms seemed to be going off in her head against making any sort of movement because, gods above forgive her, she accidentally offended the huntress somehow. Not that she believed the Avora even remotely so fragile or that this was intentional or… or… That’s it. No more wine for me.


"Nari" | "Common" | "Pavi"
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