Open [The Rearing Stallion] Noisy Night

[Larka Faux]

Larka nearly let out a sigh of relief when the Moxie Konti woman smiled and began to giggle loudly instead of reaching for something to hit him with. He didn't want this conversation to end with the usual punishment as this was the longest he's ever actually held a conversation with someone so far. Outside of the troupe at least. Others would usually be so engrossed in the show that they would only answer with the simplest of answers. Some would just flat out not answer as if they've never been asked so many questions before. Even these two's reactions to his questions were much like some of the people he's managed to talk to in the past.

Is it weird to ask questions? He thought to himself while the Moxie Konti woman answered his questions. As it turned out Moxie was this woman's name and Konti was her race. Konti came from Mura the Isle of Konti. This answer only brought up more questions, but since Moxie was still answering his first questions Larka just sat there and listened eagerly. It turns out Moxie wasn't able to answer all his questions, but what she did answer left him thinking.

Cruel is bad? Okay, but what is cruel? Moxie was up late working so what was she working on? Is it fun? How come Asher wasn't able to sleep?

Larka's thoughts were interrupted when Asher cleared his throat and took a drink from his mug. Once it seemed he was satisfied he began to answer the questions that were left over. The strange noises he heard Asher make earlier was the language called Nari which was spoken by the Inarta. This particular language apparently rarely shared with what he assumed were those who weren't Inarta. As Asher began talking about his drink, which he called ale, Larka couldn't help but push himself up slightly so he could see over the top of the mug. Despite his enhanced night vision he couldn't see what the liquid looked like since the mug itself didn't let any light from the dim lighting shine through. While Asher described the food Larka was eating earlier Larka himself was craning his head in every which direction in a desperate attempt to get a better look at the Ale in Asher's mug. He was brought back to reality when Asher broached the topic of traveling which resulted in Larka immediately sitting straight back down normally and listening intently. What he had said, however, wasn't what he was looking for. However he himself was given a few questions to answer them.

Well it's only fair that I answer their questions too since I know the pain of not being able to have a question answered. How do I answer this though? What if they know Ringmaster Faux? I don't want him to learn I'm actually alive! What do I say?

"Ah, my name's, uh, Larka. Larka Fauns, yes." he nodded, "You mentioned that I look young. Do I look young?" Larka looked himself over ignoring the tenseness rising up through his body as he attempted to divert any questions about his travels and praying with all his might that they wouldn't notice, "I've seen sixteen springs, you know." he said with a small chuckle, "See, I was born in the spring so I thought it'd be convenient to track my age with how many springs I've seen, you see, since that's when the year turns over."

Larka took a small bite from his stew before continuing on with his own questions. This time he assumed it might be best to keep his questions slow and not talk so quickly.

Maybe that is why people keep looking at me weird. I talk too fast!

"I'm sorry about calling you a Moxie. Konti are from Mura the Isle of Konti. That was what you said, right? Where's Mura? Also what's an Isle? If cruel is bad then what is cruel? What sort of thing were you working on?" Larka asked while making sure to keep it slow, "Asher how come you weren't able to sleep? Also you mentioned that Ale gets you drunk. Where have I heard that before? Oh right it's alcohol. I've had that before I remember now. Yes, yes, it surely was interesting. Don't think it's something I would drink often. This stew, though, is pretty good. Is it made here often? I may have to come back tomorrow night and have it again."

Speaking about the food reminded him of something important. This meal was going to cost him money. Wait how much was this meal? he thought to himself, Silver mizas, but how many do I need? One, two, three, four, five, six, seven... No wait it was six! Six silver mizas. How do I pay for this? I assume I just give this money to the Ringma-- I mean the elderly man. Digging through his bag that he left in front of his chair in between his legs Larka managed to find the stash of coins he had tied up into several piles with strips of torn cloth. Finding the pile of silver mizas he untied the cloth then put six of them to the side before fumbling with the cloth once more. It had taken him a couple attempts to retie it before he was successful. Quickly sitting back up Larka puts the coins in a pile in between him and his plate.

"That old man said this costs six silver mizas right? Do I just leave the coin here or give them to him myself? Also what is that man's name? Does he make this drink? I'm pretty sure he doesn't cook the food. I haven't seen him cooking at all I don't think. Although I can't say I've been watching him this entire time. Also about this city, inns are a good place for tra-- people to rest for the night, but what about those who don't know how long they will be staying? Is there anywhere cheap I may for a, uh, for a." he paused trying to think of a word that would describe what he was thinking of, "I don't know how long I'm going to be here so for a long time. I have money so I'm sure I'll be able to pay."

[Moxie]

This little man sure was a hand full, he was filled with questions and she was shocked that he did not understand how the world worked around him. Her brow creased as the onslaught of more questions came at her. She was not sure how he did not know some of the most common of things. Asher said he was small, but not as small as her and she stuck her tongue out at Asher playfully. She may be petite but she thought herself to be bigger then Pycons at least!

He supplied hesitantly that his name was Larka Fauns, she raised a brow wondering if it was his actual name or not, but decided not to ask since so many questions were already being asked. He expressed how he was sixteen springs, and Moxie laughed behind her hand. He acted like that was old enough, it was quite adorable. She nodded as he explained how he tracked his age, though she wondered if he ever had a birthday since he did not mention it. The frown reappeared on her face as he was a confusing teen, this Larka.

Larka turned to her asking more questions, it just seemed to fall out of his mouth like a waterfall into a lake. On going and never stopping. The Konti brought her small hand to her nose pinching the bridge, then smiling and waving the barmaid over, "I neeeeed Ale please." She half begged the woman, the word 'need' coming out long and pleadingly, who left and came back quickly sitting the mug down before her. She took a generous sip of the bitter golden liquid, then decided that it was time to answer Larka's many question, or at least as many as she could.

"Mura is off the East coast of Sylira. A Isle is an island in the ocean. Cruel is someone treating you badly, hurting you. I fortune teller, tell people their future, of what to come." She tried keeping the answers short and to the point, hoping it supplied this boy with enough information to stop the onslaught of questions. She reached for her mug, taking a big gulp, as he began questioning Asher. She gave a devious smile, as now it was his turn for the hundreds of questions. She almost giggled out loud, deviously, but suppressed it as she watched the two interact, leaning back in her chair with a playful look to eyes matching the devious smile on her lips.

Larka dug in his bag and brought out money and placed it on the table asking about the food and payment. "You can leave it here. They serve what ever they feel like. Never know what they have." She paused taking another sip of the bitter liquid, "As for a place to stay they many places to choose from. White Swan Inn, Heralds Arms, and then Travelers Row is for those who may be staying a little longer." Moxie wasn't the best but she supplied the answers she could manage, she looked at Asher for confirmation on this as he lived in Syliras a lot longer then she had.

[Asher Claveson]

While Asher understood that the kid had some curiosity - okay, a lot of curiosity - about the world and the people, he couldn't help but freeze up when the boy asked why he wasn't able to sleep. He'd never told anyone about his dreams, about the terror that lurked in the shadows of those caves that he hoped he'd never have to set foot into ever again. Though if anyone had the slightest clue what plagued him at night, it'd be Moxie, not because she was one to pry, but because she seemed to understand his pain in a way few others were sympathetic about. If she ever caught sight of him, she would always make a line straight towards him and do her best at distracting him, though she never said as much. It was appreciated, but if he could have kept her out of the dark, if he could have kept from her that worry she held for him, he would have.

He let Moxie answer what questions she could as he tried to collect himself. When she ordered the ale, he couldn't help but snort, giving her a pointed look to highlight the bit of hypocrisy she had going on, but he smiled in amusement. When she had finished answering what she could, she turned a mischievous glance and a wicked smile on him, knowing he was next in this boy's interrogation. He sent back a playful glare before saying, "Yeah, if you're planning on staying a season or longer, I'd suggest Traveler's Row. I've been living there for... for a while now." He ignored the frown the Konti was giving him, knowing she was reading into that more than he'd prefer. "Their rooms are nice, and a good price."

He glanced over to where Kevith was standing, and continued, "Kevith is the one who manages the tavern. He makes the brews he sells here. His wife, Remi, is the one who cooks the food. The house special changes from day to day, depending on what they have in stock."

[Larka Faux]

Larka tiled his head to the side as Moxie pinched at the bridge of her nose which was a sign he recognized due to how often Ringmaster Faux would also do it. It meant there was something he was doing that was wrong, and soon the crack of a whip would snap just outside his ear. Almost instinctively Larka flinched ever so slightly and with sheer willpower was he able to reduce the noticability of the flinch. Punishment never came, but instead Moxie cried out for ale which was attended to shortly after by a barmaid. Once Moxie had her ale she then started on Larka's questions. Like the last barrage of questions Larka noticed that Moxie was not able to answer them all, but what she did answer was interesting nevertheless. The island, which was known as an isle, was to the east of Sylira off the coast. However what Moxie had to say about cruelty was what really dragged him into thought, and his face reflected the confusion in his mind.

Cruelty is treating others badly like hurting them? Was Ringmaster Faux cruel? His punishments may have hurt, but he was still a good father. He gave me a home, my penknife, and even praised me when I brought him lots of mizas. Is punishing your family for being bad and making mistakes not normal?

Moxie's explanation of her job was interesting, but he was still bothered by his sudden revelation. Despite the fact that he would do anything to never return to his father, and the manner of his escape, Larka still never would have imagined that his father was cruel. Larka was so engrossed in his thoughts that he nearly missed Asher's answers. Pushing away all the confusing thoughts Larka went back to gleefully listening to what Asher had to say. So far both Moxie and Asher had the same thing to say when it regarded to where he could find a place to live. Traveler's Row, from what they had to say, was a good place to live for cheap. Which was great for him because he didn't have an enormous amount of mizas on him. The man at the counter was named Kevith, and his wife, Remi, was the one who cooked his meal. He nodded knowing full well he would be spending many a night here for his meals.

"Could I get directions to this Traveler's Row? I had assumed this entire area was known as that, from what the guard out at the gate told me, but I didn't know it was really a place where I could go live. I still wish to stay at the White Swan Inn for the night as I'm quite interested in seeing them both." He said while thinking of what he wanted to ask next. Fatigued addled his thought process, and he nearly yawned but managed to stifle it, "What about this Heralds Arms that you mentioned, Moxie, what kind of place is that?"

[Moxie]

Moxie could not help but spew some of her ale out of her mouth at the boy's question. When she mentioned Herald's Arms she did not realize that perhaps he was too young for it, or that he would not understand what exactly happened there. She carefully wiped her mouth as her cheeks turned a light pink, "Uhm.. Well it..uhmm" She stumbled over her words as she began to knead at the fabric of her skirt, thinking how she could explain it to someone who was confused about the world around themselves, and honestly it was a bit nerve wrecking to explain that it was where men could seek companionship. The Konti cleared her throat and inhaled a breath, "Well I heard that.. Uhm.. Men seek out women there.. for uhm.. companionship." She explained not meeting Larka in the eyes. She nibbled on her lower lip wondering if he understood exactly what she was saying.

Moxie turned towards Asher a slight frown on her face, "Right Asher?" She asked her friend, hoping she did not mess up the explanation of the place, perhaps since he lived her the longest he would know more information about the Herald's Arms. Maybe he even visited it before, this thought made her blush deeper and she quickly looked away realizing she had really made things awkward, again. "I'm sorry.." She mumbled peering down at her lap hoping that they would forgive her for making it weird.

The Konti's small hands shook slightly from anxiety, as she brought the mug of ale to her pink lips, taking a small sip, then a deeper one. She had a knack for making things awkward socially it seemed, she had done so when she first met Asher, perhaps he was used to it by now, or then again he was still learning of her as a person. She kept her eyes down at her skirt, fiddling with the fabric as she was at a lost of words now.

[Asher Claveson]

Asher cleared his throat, not sure what to make of the direction this conversation was taking. Sure, the Herald's Arms was rather infamous, but did they really have to discuss what they really did? It wasn't something that should really be discussed in regular conversation. It was a discreet business, as many within the city preferred to pretend it didn't exist. He especially didn't enjoy discussing it back when he was still married, as he felt such discussions were an attempt to persuade him to be unfaithful to Meyarra. She had laughed when he had confessed this, and gave him a kiss before she had said, "Such discussions will only tempt you if you let them. I know you love me, Squire, and I'm the only one you'd ever have to prove that to."

It never really changed how he felt about talking about the place, so he shifted in his seat as Moxie asked him to confirm details about the place. "Ah," he stammered, "I think... I think men can also seek men... there." He felt heat rising to his cheeks and he quickly tried to hide it behind the final swig of his ale. He doubted he was very successful. Shifting in his seat once more, he tried to turn the conversation in another direction by saying, "But yes, Larka, I am willing to show you over to the Traveler's Row so you may know where they are. It's not too far from here, anyway, so it's not any trouble."

[Aiyana Ottano]

Aiyana sat in the darkest corner of The Rearing Stallion. She had arrived little over an hour ago, clutching her cloak tightly about her as she'd slipped unnoticed into the tavern. Due to the hour, few people were there and the atmosphere was subdued, which suited Aiyana well given the current state of her emotions.

She had been there little over an hour, when, suddenly, there was a commotion. A chair was tumbling to the ground and a young woman was charging across the room to where a tall bearded man with a troubled expression sat alongside a queer looking, dark-skinned boy. The woman's hair pooled down her shoulders in silky sheets of white and her violet eyes glistened with fury. Aiyana recognised the young Konti as the woman who she had met at the orphanage some time ago, but she had seemed soft and gentle then. She thought her name might be Moxie, perhaps.

Aiyana frowned and shrunk further into the shadows, pulling her cloak up over her head. By now, she had explored every tavern in the city, and she had chosen the Rearing Stallion, at this hour no less, because she had thought it would be the place she was the least likely to draw attention. She hoped the Konti would not spot her, not for the first time cursing her blasted angular, feline features that always seemed to garner the attention she so desperately tried to avoid.

Her eyes again returned to the table of the confrontation. By now, whatever the argument had been seemed to be over, and the Konti's ivory skin was flushed scarlet, while the bearded man stuttered over his words as he explained something to the dark skinned boy. Aiyana was not close enough to make out the words, but it could only be something not considered polite in everyday conversation.

Her attention slipped as she called softly to the nearby barmaid, draining what was left of her first pitcher of wine and ordering a second one. The barmaid pursed her lips, but went to fetch the pitcher when Aiyana pressed the coin into her hands. It wasn't fitting of a woman to drink alone, she supposed. But then, Aiyana wasn't truly a woman. She wasn't anything at all.

Tonight she needed to forget. Usually, finding solace in her Lynx form was enough, but tonight she was plagued with thoughts of Vikar, from the way he used to brush her hair and of his lips leaving searing kisses down the length of her neck. The ache inside her chest was too strong for the Lynx to quell.

Aiyana had never thought to try alcohol before. As a child, her mother had always told her she was unsure how it would mix with Kelvic blood and should be avoided, advice which Aiyana had always followed until now.

She wasn't even sure what had made her think of it, but all the same her legs had carried her to The Rearing Stallion and now, here she was, on her second pitcher of wine. Unused to drinking as she was, a heady cloud was already fogging her thoughts, but rather than making her feel better, her memories of her bondmate were now more vivid than ever.

She took another sip of her wine, whispering Vikar's name to herself as she placed her head in her hands.

Ignoring the chatter going on around her, Aiyana began to cry.