Winter's Chill

by **Seven Xu** on December 6th, 2011, 11:09 pm

Winter 4, 511 AV
Half-past the twenty-first bell

The Sun and Stars Tavern: most would walk past it in the darkness of night. It often found itself nestled between two larger buildings, its narrow black and chipping front nearly melting into the alleys that surround it. Its silvery name was painted in expert hand on the front door. Inside, the taverns appeal was immediately obvious; the ceiling of the ground floor was made of thousands of tiny glass tiles, varying in shape and color, shining and moving with the face of the sky above. This particular evening had a swath of violet clouds on display, hugging the hoary face of a rising quarter moon.

Thunk.

Another log hit the thick stone mouth of a burning hearth and sent up a glittering wave of angry sparks from the blackened remains of former kindling. Winter in the City of Illusion was mild at best, but the evening had brought a frost chill and the halfblood crouching before his painstakingly built fire couldn’t seem to warm his toes.

It had taken him four separate attempts to get the damned thing lit. Customers had shot him sidelong glances and disparaging remarks at his incompetence while he fussed over a dwindling pile of wood and a shame-reddened face. Seven’s shoulders sagged with a sigh of relief and he stood, brushing rough remnants of bark from fleshy white palms.

With Victor at the ‘Wager and his Ethaefal counterpart silent behind the bar in the wraith-guise of a Symenestra, Seven was left to tend the four haphazardly strewn tables that made up their small Sun and Stars—all of which seemed to be filled with patrons. All but one, where a young man sat nursing a wooden tankard Seven had brought him a bell earlier with a polite smile and an exchange of coin. On his second passing, they made eye contact. Seven’s thick lids flared in mild surprise when he caught the glint of bright jade green and on instinct his leer darted into the narrow crooks of his eyes before he reined them back and pushed a thin smile across his waxen lips.

“Still on that one?” The dark-haired halfblood’s voice carried a hint of the mountains, placing him as a foreigner in Ionu’s city; his face was too pale and his eyes were the color of fresh blood; when his mouth opened, two shocking white points grazed his clumsy tongue. Not a Symenestra, but close enough for most familiar with the cave-dwelling race to balk at the sight of him. Seven tilted his head, and used the back of the chair opposite the stranger to hold his weight as he leaned. “Do you need anything else? Water, maybe? It tastes terrible, but it’s free.”

by **Gale Bridges** on December 7th, 2011, 12:48 am

Gale sat while he ran his finger on the tip of his glass he looked around as the man who was just a minute ago tending the fire stand and brush his hands off. Gale took a small sip of the drink in which he had purchased just a few moments ago. He looked up at the man, who seemed of Symenestra descent, walk past him. As the man pasted Gale they made eye contact, and it seemed like the guy was caught by surprised with Gale's eyes. Gale thought to himself it was just how bright his eyes were, alot of people made comments about how his eyes were abnormally bright for a normal human but he got used to it after a while.

The man stopped and smiled a slick smile and spoke with an accent as he asked some questions. Gale smiled a little bit. "Yeah, no offence to your brew but I don't drink much so I take it slow," Gale answered smirking just so slightly. He listened to the rest the man had to say as he leaned on the chair across from where Gale was sitting and asked if Gale wanted some water with some small simple comedy at the end. Gale let out a laugh and spoke quietly not to take away anyone's attention to their own conversation, "I can take down the drink no problem, and thank you for your oh so kind offering to bring water, but I will be just fine."

Gale motioned towards the chair that the man was leaning on, "My name is Gale Bridges, from Syliras, I am new here. He paused letting what he said sink in a little. "Oh, I am forgetting my manors, please sir have a seat, stay away and talk, if you can of course." Gale smiled at the handsome face of the man he was speaking to, forcing just a small hidden smile to creep on his face.

by **Seven Xu** on December 8th, 2011, 4:51 am

“No offense taken. Do you always speak so openly to strangers, Gale Bridges from Syliras?”

The chair creaked its protest as Seven drew it away from the table and sat over a bent knee. Service, the ability to appease guests and draw out baseless conversation was not something that came naturally to Seven. He could weave words to persuade and placate; he could engage in philosophical debate with the best of his peers. He could not, however, suffer through one more halfhearted exchange about the weather. Two bony elbows propped Seven against the worn tabletop and he offered a toothy and amiable smile, stolen from the collection of a venomously charismatic Ravokian.

“Call me Seven.” People drank more when they weren’t bored to tears by wait staff, he concluded. He stole a glance over his shoulder, though failed to make eye contact with his partner on the other side of the bar, who currently seemed content enough to rub the finish off of a wooden tankard with a threadbare cloth. “I can talk.”

When he turned back to Gale Bridges from Syliras, Seven once again caught the iridescent jade that hugged those infinitely black pupils. His lips moved to comment, but he managed to quell the candid thought that could have bordered on the hypocritical. After all, his eyes weren’t exactly run-of-the-mill for the human guise he often and unwittingly portrayed. “Is it safe to assume that you came by boat? I’ve made the trip twice, myself; it was easier going east, than it was to come back west.”

Seven stole an upward glance at the ceiling. “What brings you to the City of Illusion?”

by **Gale Bridges** on December 9th, 2011, 1:17 am

Gale listened as the stranger asked his first of soon to be many questions. He waited for the man to sit, if he did, before he began to answer, "I'm not always this friendly, especially on the streets, you never know who you'll walk into, though the reason I am so open to you, is..." Gale's voice trailed off wandering why he was being so open to this man. "...I guess it just is something about you, whether it is your charming looks or your eyes just makes me feel it is safe to open up to you, in a way I guess." Gale added quickly to the end to make sure he didn't sound like a total creeper.

While speaking he watched as the chair squeaked in protest to being drawn out and sat upon. The man gave his name, seven, Gale rolled the word over his tongue silently. Seven said he could stay and chat which delighted Gale. "That is awesome, I mean not alot of people who work at the bars... er... taverns here don't want to ever seem to want to stop and talk to a kid like me." Gale explained to Seven.

Gale watched as Seven seemed to make little observations about him. He watched as Seven opened his mouth to say something but words had failed him from making whatever he was about to say to Gale, then he switched the topic asking about how Gale came about the City of Illusion "Yes I came by boat, much quicker not to mention a bit safer than having to walk all that way." Gale was surprised by the fact Seven had made the trip not once but twice.

Gale thought over Seven's last question more in depth. What was he going to do in the city, Gale didn't know the answer to that one, not fully and truthfully. "Seven, I honestly don't know what I am going to do in this city but coming here I can tell was already a good idea." Gale smirked a little bit.

Now it was Gale's turn to ask questions he thought silently to himself. "So, Seven how long have you been here? In the city?" Gale let the question sit in the air as he reached for the mug and drank a sip in and swallowed it down. Gale's face cringed a little bit to the unfamiliar brew on his tongue. "I can't think of much else to ask you Seven." Gale wondered what he should ask Seven. Gale pondered and rubbed the bottom of his chin thoughtfully as he took another drink. "You, uh... always worked here? Gale bit his lower lip a little realizing how stupid his last question must have seemed to Seven.

by **Seven Xu** on December 10th, 2011, 1:57 pm

“Since it opened,” Seven’s brows quirked as he lifted a set of clenched knuckles to the uncommon warmth of his lips. While his smile tipped from gracious to coy, his eyes appeared to be laughing. Just something about you, Gale’s words ruminated in his mind, makes me feel it is safe to open up to you. Normally, Seven would flinch at even the most veiled attempts at flirtation, but his reputation as a proprietor was at stake if the conversation turned sour. It wasn’t often people rolled over so easily; those bloodied irises and venomous peaks beneath his grin were enough to send most in the opposite direction, not open up. Instead of dwelling, he followed with an airy, “half a season ago.”

The halfblood let his fist drop to the table again, fishing for interest in a glistening wet crescent left by a sweating mug. “I came here in the fall,” the apple in his throat bobbed as he swallowed, considered, and let his smile relax and flatten into something of contentment. Seven was no stranger to the game they were playing; he’d twisted the rules more than once with a sharpened tongue and speedy wit. “I’m not that interesting, Gale. Just another barkeep in another city; there are thousands like me.” He shot a look towards the bar and traced his upper lip with his tongue thoughtfully. As he examined pint after polished pint lined up along a knotted wooden shelf, he inhaled a lungful of musty air and considered the comfort in silence that so many found awkward.

“I suppose I can be proud that the Sun and Stars boasts the finest pisswater in all of Alvadas,” the Lhavitian was grinning when he swiveled back to give Gale a sweeping glance. “If you finish that one, I could treat you to something a little sweeter.”

The offer lingered in the air; four splayed white digits scrabbled across the table to push the wooden mug against Gale’s hand. Seven exhaled the dingy tavern in something that sounded like laughter. “People donnot cross the Suvan Sea just because, Gale,” it would have been a positively charming gesture had his voice not possessed a chilly, matter-of-fact lilt. “Give me a better reason.”

by **Gale Bridges** on December 16th, 2011, 6:05 pm

Normally Gale would be unfazed by the last thing Seven spoke to him but the voice used made an unfamiliar chill run down his back. "What is it that you are looking for me to be more... specific about here Seven... as I told you I don't know why I am here all I know is this city just, oh what's the word... drew my attention." Gale said somewhat pleading at first then at the end drew a little more bitter. Gale bit his tongue at the tone of his voice, "I'm sorry, I don't like my motives questioned, especially when I don't even know the answer," Gale added hopefully to take back his tone of voice.

He looked at Seven carefully trying to remember exactly what he said. His tone, the words, the face, all seemed to perfect like Seven was just jerking at his chain just as if Gale was a dog. Gale lifted the mug to his lips and tilted the drink and drank deeply as if he was parched which he knew he wasn't. A small heat rushing to his brain he felt it imminently.

Gale put the mug down on the table a bit different from where it was. "So back to that, uh, thing that is a little sweeter, please do... eleberate." Gale smirked trying to seem innocent. As Gale spoke he ran his finger over the small water ring left on the table.

He grabbed the mug and tilted it all the way over making him have to crane his neck to adjust to the liquid running toward his mouth. Gale finished the drink and felt the rest of the heat rush to his brain. He put the cup down gently. Gale looked into the mug looking at the drops still there.

"Maybe this is the drink talking but you have one of the most astounding eyes I have ever seen," Gale spoke kind of quiet, still staring at the bottom of the glass. "And, I don't mean to come on strong or be... flirty or anything it's just who I am ya know."Gale spoke his voice dropped very low and the tone changed to a somewhat more sad tone. "I'm sorry if you want me to leave, that is your wish and, as the bar keep it is your job to make the loonies leave." Gale said very ashamed of who he was. He stood up straight and turned as he spoke his final words "I'm sorry."

by **Seven Xu** on December 16th, 2011, 11:17 pm

He wasn’t supposed to balk.

There was a sudden flourish of movement, the screech of wood against wood as a chair rocketed away from a table. Seven’s impossibly white hand grasped for Gale’s receding wrist. An unreadable expression twisted Seven’s countenance as he wrestled with the quick turnaround; the Syliran was unpredictable. All signs pointed to letting him leave, there wasn’t enough invested interest in Gale Bridges to hold him down and demand he stay; Seven nearly relinquished his pursuit when a wooden mug and an elbow collided. The mug tipped, fell, and spilled the dregs of lukewarm ale across the wobbling table.

“There’s no need to be like that,” Seven’s thumb gave a critical sweep of a skinny wrist it caught before he released the arm, moving on to busy the same digits with the spent mug. “I asked you for a better reason, that’s all. Why would I want you to leave? Why would you leave?” Unless you were hiding something, he wanted to say, but instead he donned a honeyed smile and canted his head. “You haven’t even tried our wine.”

Seven gathered his chair beneath himself again and rocked over a folded knee. His elbows found the tabletop and he knitted eight gaunt fingers together to rest his chin upon them. “If you want to go,” he jerked his head in the direction of the door, “I won’t fault you, but I also will not be blamed.”

Those captivating reds stole another glance at burning green, living up to Gale’s peculiar compliment. They seemed to be asking him to make a decision. Seven consciously sucked his lower lip beneath his teeth and curled the slim corners of his mouth into a distorted, but amiable smile. Inwardly, he cursed himself; had he really donned the shameless mask of Ravokian charm, this wouldn’t have happened.

oocSorry I talk a lot about Seven’s Ravokian friend. While he’s competent in seduction he’s a terrible introvert and I attribute any ability to be suave to simply mimicking his bestie.

by **Mirage** on June 10th, 2012, 2:21 am

The Truth Within the Reality

Seven :

The Truth Hidden by a Mirage :