01 Winter 2019
Things seemed to be going well. Shoulders back, Laira took another swig of the drink in her hand while she waited for the hesitant man to return her handshake. She winced slightly once he did so, his large Isur hand engulfing hers and gripping just a little too tightly.
“Nico. Sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to spew ale in your face. This Isurian ale is a little different than what I’m used to drinking.” Laira was tempted to mention how she already knew his name, but worried she would likely come off as a meddlesome eavesdropper. After a beat Nico asked, "So, where are you from? Are you here to stay or just visiting?"
Just as she had previously feared, questions of a more personal nature arose, and despite her newfound confidence, Laira was immediately thrown off her game. “Where I’m from, well… I’m from...” Briefly, she considered lying, but decided it would be best to begin her stay with a clean conscience. “I’m from Sunberth.” Laira was all too aware of the kind of reputation her birthplace had earned itself, but she was determined to prove to herself and others that she could maintain a status of respectable character despite her corruptive upbringing. Responding to Nico’s second question, which proved to be less invasive by her standards, Laira said, “I’m hoping to call Syka home, if all goes to plan. I mean, not that I have a grand plan or anything, I just...” She trailed off with a flustered expression and raised her cup to her mouth nervously, taking a hearty gulp. Perhaps unhelpfully, Laira had seemed to turn to the cup as a sort of crutch for the moment.
Tapping her fingers against the cup idly, Laira followed Nico’s gaze to a chummy pair, one of whom she recognized as the pale-haired woman from earlier, and the other a minimally dressed man with distinctly inky eyes. She could tell the loose dress codes in Syka would be difficult to grow accustomed, even just having been there less than a few bells, especially with her personal affinity for privacy, and somewhat dreaded the idea of it. Though, Laira admitted to herself cheekily, she didn’t particularly mind the outfit the almost angelic blonde was sporting.
Still safely in the realm of small talk, Laira commented to no one in particular, “All these people seem so close.” She paused, casting a wayward glance at a few of the party attendees, one of whom in particular appeared to be an ungroomed loner who had little interest in interaction. “Most, anyway.”
Laira finished off her cup sooner than she had expected, and considered getting more. If she did, Laira figured Nico might appreciate some as well, and was oddly proud of herself for deciding to push herself socially. “Here,” Said she, reaching for his cup daringly and hoping she was indeed making the right move, “I think we’re both due for a refill.”
Trying her best to give him an affable smile, Laira turned and headed towards a table set with, among many other things, a respectable drink selection. Eyeing the various jugs of juice uncertainly, Laira doled out two cupfuls of ale. As she did so, she noticed the unkempt woman she had laid eyes on just a few chimes earlier only a few meters away, yet with the din of the party Laira found herself just out of earshot of the conversation. It seemed she was becoming quite the snooper in so far, but Laira simply couldn’t help but try to feel out her surroundings using all the resources available to her- even if that meant listening into someone else’s conversation.