Closed [The Kelp Bar] Curious Circumstance

[Siral Avadur]

Siral was glad to hear how personal the lesson was to his drinking companion, as those were the lessons that would always be remembered, but more than that, he was simply happy to hear her speak about herself in a way that defied any stereotypes or characters. This was what Siral was always looking for; people with depth and emotion and stories of their own as opposed to the dramatic characters of the tales he spun. It was real, and it was pleasant, and for this young bard, he learned quickly to bask in the moment whenever those two aspects came together. However, Siral quickly forgot all of this, his head slowly taking on the familiar buzz of this particular form of revelry. Hearing Ayatah speak about the Myrian lifestyle, Siral tried to imagine his new friend battle-ready, clad with jungle-borne armor and the vicious expression that her 'people' were known for. It didn't take long for a chuckle to come from his lips, although not for a reason one would expect, and not one he'd care to share. His wits still about him, he simply smiled as she continued, speaking about a few hobbies Myrians would ever really care for. "The typical is by definition dull. It is only our interests and hobbies that can help alleviate the pain of the routine, but if you can apply those boons to the abnormal, to the fantastic, and the unknown, then your passions can take you beyond anything you could imagine." Siral returned her playful smirk from before as he took another sip of his ale, this time measurably smaller, as he continued rambling on. "And besides, I'm quite happy for one that you're not a typical Myrian, or a typical Epyharian for that matter. I get to enjoy the company of the best of both worlds, and I didn't even have to leave the city." Now, most people probably wouldn't find a bloodthirsty (And albeit learned) warrior all too fascinating, or even attractive, but Siral could not keep his curiosity, of all sorts, in check, and the ale did not help in that regard. His wit did not necessarily leave however, and he was always eager to put that into use for his playful purposes. "Well then, if you don't wish to elaborate on your more interesting preferences, perhaps a story would help? I have quite a few to choose from. There's the Tale of Sir Azuras, in which a gallant Knight rescues a princess who harbors a devilish secret, which she shares in quite a private manner. Or the Ballad of Baras perhaps, another story of lust and passion which even the most saintly maids blush at." Siral laughed aloud as a thought came back to him, and he slipped it into his words with only a brief pause. His voice carried on his entertained pitch, the memory fresh in his mind. "I remember this one time I shared that one at a fancy noble's dinner party, the whole room was split between laughing and fidgeting. The best part was when my patron's son and his wife excused themselves, quite flush." Siral went to take another sip of his ale, and found it empty. Pouring himself another drink, he wrapped up his train of thought, just in case his companion was not quite as extroverted on the matter as he was. "My point is, there's no topic more thoroughly written about, I assure you, and I've heard all kinds. You could say I'm quite open to the field by now, although perhaps these were not the kind of books you read back in Falyndar."

[Ayatah]

Ayatah hardly every flushed, but when the bard opposite her shared his joy at her being atypical, there was certainly a touch of colour to her cheeks. ”Thank you,” she said, truly meaning it. ”Few people share that opinion.” Then her sheepishness seemed to vanish, and a smirk replaced her otherwish neutral expression. ”Though be wary - you may well be sharing your company with the worse of the two races as well.”

She giggled at the idea of story sharing - especially the saucier of the two. It would certainly have to be a raunchy tale to make Ayatah blush (despite the fact his compliment had just done so). The Myrians did not tend to have conservative attitudes towards passions of the flesh (to put it politely). In fact, in some ways they were downright crude. But what was to be expected when you spent a large amount of time naked amongst your people?

Taking a sip of ale, then thinking about how that alcohol seemed to have loosened her tongue, Ayatah shrugged her shoulders. ”I’ve always thought the best stories are the ones about yourself.” There was a dangerous glint in her eyes now, which was most likely visible even in the poor light. Sure, she enjoyed narratives about Lady Whats-her-face and her stable boy lover (or whatever odd pairings authors threw together), but nothing was more entertaining than the lives of real people. Especially ones sitting opposite her.

”I suggest a game.” She poured herself another tankard full of ale, but did not drink. ”This is a game I played with my comrades when we first joined the army,” Aaah, the alcohol-infused memories! ”We take turns asking questions. If one doesn’t answer the other’s question, that person has to take a drink and then do… a dare… something, that the asker wants you to do.” A little juvenile, yes, but the game had certainly led to some… interesting scenarios in her experience.

|| Ayatah's speech || Ayatah's thoughts || Others' speech ||

[Siral Avadur]

Despite Ayatah's devilish expression and enticing game, Siral's mind focused on her words above all else. While he had a stable of poems and fables to tell, it was always the stories he had personally collected that resonated with this bard, and so to hear his own opinion voiced back to him was exactly the trigger he needed. Half of his mind quickly began to organize and sort through dozens of interesting tales, picking out ones he thought would be well-received, and discarding others who were a bit too dark for the mood. But all of the work going on inside his head came to a grinding halt once Siral heard his companion begin about a game. There was something Siral couldn't help but love about games, of all sorts. When he wasn't in the taverns for a song or a tale, he was mostly there for a quick gamble or two. The rules were never the same as long as Siral was around, and he always was looking for ways to innovate otherwise simple mechanics. It was another avenue for adventure in his eyes, and Ayatah's sounded quite fun, despite it's simplicity. Besides, the way the ale was disappearing, it probably would've been impossible to play one of Siral's designs. They usually involved deception and manipulation of some sort, as well as a touch of strategy. The former would be seen through quite easily with this pair, and the latter require much more attention than was to be given. So Yes, Siral quite liked the sound of this game. The storyteller nodded after she finished explaining the rules, and rose his tankard in cheer. His smile was as innocent and whimsical as ever as the words left his lips. "Then by all means, let's play, my rose."

[Ayatah]

Her lips split into a grin yet again, and Ayatah clapped her hands excitedly. It had been so long since she had simply had fun, and drank and laughed. Back home alcohol was not something drank every day, only for special occasions (or meeting with special people). But when it was consumed, it was done so in great quantities so the night would be a good one. Hopefully the night with her new drinking buddy would follow a similar suit.

Strangely, she had not realised just how much she had missed having fun. She had spent the best part of the previous season travelling to Zeltiva, and there had been very little opportunity for Ayatah to simply enjoy herself. Even the latter part of her time in Taloba had been wrought with sad goodbyes and final moments.

So it certainly was refreshing to just… have fun.

Nodding, she bent one leg underneath her, shifting her position to be the most comfortable. ”I’m glad my idea pleases you,” said Ayatah, chuckling and raising her tankard in unison with his.

Despite it certainly being her idea, she had never been very good at asking questions - Aya was far better at answering them, or doing the challenges that followed a failed answer. As such, she nodded to Siral and that dangerous smirk appeared back on her face. ”I’ll be kind and let you start.” ."

|| Ayatah's speech || Ayatah's thoughts || Others' speech ||

[Siral Avadur]

The young bard had no quarrel with starting off the game himself (Questions were Siral's specialty, after all), and so he took a sip of his ale before setting the tankard against the hard wood of the docks. Stroking the thin stubble of his beard, he was the epitome of dramatic stoicism for a moment, before his eyes lit up and his expression softened. Never one to dive into things too quickly, despite his nature, Siral decided to start with a relatively harmless question. He phased out a few more somber candidates, and tried to stick with the revelrous theme. While his curiosity pressed for details about her Myrian warrior-life or her adventurous travels, Siral chose a question more suited to the sensual theme that had been constructed on a foundation of alcohol. Not to say he was pressured into the question, of course. He was a man after all. "So, have you ever laid with a woman before, Ayatah?" Siral asked the question as casually as he would comment on the weather, and put on his most innocent facade while he did so. His eyes never left Ayatah's as the couple sat on the docks, the world moving on without them as they remained in their own bubble of time. Relaxation. Siral had missed this feeling, and was quite pleased to find such an interesting story in an unexpected person. As always, he never knew enough stories, and this game would work perfectly, for all sorts of reasons. They say a bard has a song and a story for every occasion, and Siral wondered for which one this night would end up.

[Ayatah]

His question made Ayatah almost choke on her mouthful of ale. She’d expected the game to take a raunchy twist eventually (it always did), but not quite so soon. But in truth, Aya didn’t mind. Those crude questions were almost the most fun, after all, and triggered the most laughter and salacious gossip. So before she answered, she nodded her respect to his question, raising her tankard as she did.

Unfortunately, her answer was not nearly as fun. Shaking her head, Ayatah replied, ”I have not, no.” Of course, part of the game was to give some sort of explanation, so she did not stop there, ”I guess you can say I’m a big fan of men, but not so much the ladies.” She shrugged; her reasoning was simple, but true. It was not that she didn’t appreciate women - she did - but did not find them attractive in a sexual manner.

Taking a final sip of her drink, Ayatah turned the question to him - though of course changing one word. ”And what about you, my musical friend? Have you ever laid with a man before?” She smiled innocently, placed her tankard next to her and awaited his response.

|| Ayatah's speech || Ayatah's thoughts || Others' speech ||

[Siral Avadur]

Siral let out a chuckle as she answered, his expression one of sarcastic pity. He spoke as if she had been missing out on something all her life, and who was he to say, after all. "You really should try it sometime. It's quite the experience, let me tell you." In his travels, Siral was not averse to the brief intimacies afforded by his job. But those were stories for another time, even if they did fit the theme quite well. A quick sip of his ale ended the commentary, as Ayatah proceeded along with her turn, and Siral simply continued gazing at her with his too-innocent smile. Siral had asked his prior question already expecting it to be turned around against him, and so his mind had already framed a suitably dramatic answer. While hers was not exactly the devilish revelation he was hoping for, his was one that might not have been expected, but is in context not exactly surprising. "I actually have, if the stories are to be believed. If we're being honest, I don't remember most of that night, so there's no way to disprove them, and so I suppose I did. The truth lies with those who write the story, after all, and I was quite past writing anything after that stuff I drank." Siral left his story, moments ago started in medias res, as it was. An ambiguous answer belying an interesting story, which the listener would have to discern for herself. "I wouldn't be against it however. I'm quite confident in my ability to please, and if a man ever struck my fancy, I would see no reason not to strike his own." The young bard let out a solid laugh at his wordplay, still remarkably intact even as the ale whittled away at it. Siral had gotten quite proficient at keeping up his dramatics with a drink in his hand, and after years of it, so had his body. A couple stoic moments later, and Siral had his next question framed. His more whimsical side taking the reins for a moment, he decided to press the rules of this game a bit, and began to rattle off a riddle. "My house is not quiet, I am not loud. I am the swifter, at times the stronger, my house more enduring, longer to last. A times I rest; my dwelling still runs; Within it I lodge as long as I live. Should we two be severed, my death is sure." This was a game of his own design he had come up with at a court a year and some change ago, with the jester, and what interesting tales came out of that. Two entertainers by trade attempting to battle wits under the handicap of intoxication. Good times. "And to make things curious, let's up the ante a bit. If you can answer my riddle right, you can ask anything of my mind, spirit, or body, and I shall obey. But answer it wrong, and the coin shall flip." A simple modification of the rules, but a dramatic twist he hoped, nonetheless. Taking yet another drink from his tankard, Siral sat back and let his companion think through the puzzle, and idly wondered if she'd ever come across it before. Unlikely.

[Ayatah]

Now Ayatah burst out laughing, one hand covering her mouth in a lady-like fashion (or at least, it was what the ladies in her books did). His blunt words, twinned with that sarcastic look on his face had simply made her laugh.

”Oh, Myri!” She cried, struggling to catch her breath between her giggles. ”I will-- I will bare that in mind.” Finally, she managed to compose herself, though her eyes and lips still wore some secret smile that was trying to fight against her self-control. His answer, however, stimulated a different response. Her eyebrows twitched upwards in surprise, but no sooner had that happened did she begin chuckling once more. ”You think you’re quite the lover, then?” Now only a single eyebrow was arched, and she winked playfully, ”I suppose I’ll just have to take your word for it.” She left her words there, and took a sip of her ale.

Ah, now came the games. Ayatah had never been very good riddles; she preferred facts, and lessons as opposed to word games and puzzles. Nevertheless, her brow furrowed and her lips pursed together in thought. Slowly, she repeated his riddle, throwing in her thought process at the same time. ”’My house is not quiet’… Can’t be any kids in this place, then.” She shifted her position, the same befuddled expression on her face, ”’A times I rest; my dwelling still runs’…. So when this -- thing is asleep, it’s home is still active?” Well, that could be anything! When a Myrian slept, the jungle was still alive; the same for citymen and grassland-dwellers alike. ”’Should we two be severed, my death is sure… So when it’s parted from it’s home, it dies?” That narrowed it down, but not enough. Organs died if they were removed from the body they belonged to - but the riddle said nothing about the ‘dwelling’ itself dying.

After a long moment, her shoulders slumped and Ayatah made a frustrated growl. ”I give up.” She muttered moodily, but soon there was a smirk on her face, ”give me my challenge, Bard. Do your worse!”

|| Ayatah's speech || Ayatah's thoughts || Others' speech ||

[Siral Avadur]

Siral simply maintained his polite and innocuous smile as Ayatah began to work aloud through the puzzle he had posited. It was one of the first his father had taught him, and always worked well whenever he needed to stump someone, or otherwise buy himself some time to think up a different path. After all, some scenarios required more than just a smile to end happily, and this knew quite well how troublesome people could be. Unsurprisingly, Ayatah gave up on the cryptic riddle, although she did not seem interested in the answer. Apparently riddles were not her forte. Her words did however gave Siral a chuckle of his own, the young woman almost eager to take on her repercussive task. As the minstrel began to stroke his chin once more, he spoke in slow, drawn out segments, even though the two both knew it was all just more dramatics. "Hmmmm... Well then. I suppose, I'll have to draw up something especially challenging for someone as formidable as yourself. A feat of strength perhaps, fitting for one of my stories... Or perhaps one of dexterity, sure to be interesting in your intoxication... Hmmm..." Now was where Siral had the chance to really play his game, and he prided himself on being as unexpected as possible. Of course the thoughts 'Strip,' 'Sleep with me,' and all the other lewd dares came to mind, thanks in part to the moral support that laid between his legs, but Siral was much too gentlemanly for that (In this persona), and still not quite drunk enough. Instead, he came up with a much more devilish challenge, and he let slip his playful smirk as he announced it. "Ah, of course! For the rest of the night, you must act as a noblewoman; as lady-like and refined as any in Zeltiva. Prim and Proper, as they say. That is your challenge, my rose." The last word was almost seductive in it's saying, but the real context was probably received more along the lines of a prick of a needle. Sarcasm to a fault, mixed with a healthy dose of romanticism. Siral quite enjoyed this. Siral fought hard to hold back a self-satisfied grin, and simply managed his small smirk in its stead. For while the two shared some similarities in how they viewed the world, and the relaxed nature in which they may enjoy it, Siral knew how to behave around the upper echelons, and wore it as easily as he wore any other of his masks. Ayatah, he suspected did not, and this ensured a good deal of hilarity for the rest of the night. Games were always Siral's go-to for spicing up a story, and this one was not about to disappoint on his watch.

[Ayatah]

To say Ayatah was less than impressed with his challenge would have been an understatement. ”You petching shyke-head!” She frowned, lips pouted but her eyes still glinted with hidden laughter. Oh, it was going to be a challenge for her to be lady-like, without a doubt, and that sickly-sweet addition of ‘my rose’ did nothing to ease her discomfort. For Myrians, such refined behaviour was synonymous with being a ferocious warrior, axe in hand and slaying some disgusting enemy. In Zeltiva though…

”I have to act like one of those highborn ladies? With the hats?” Her nose wrinkled at the very thought. Ayatah did not like hats, and they didn’t seem to like her any better based on her experience of trying them on. But the showy accessories of the fine Zeltivan women were far from the big problem. She had absolutely no clue how to be anything but the savage Myrian she had been bought up to be. Then again, Eypharians were a refined people, so maybe it was not entirely hopeless.

Letting out yet another animalistic growl, she folded her arms and rolled those dark eyes. Finally, she admitted defeat. ”Fine! Fine. I’ll act like one, but you said nothing about speaking like one.” Sighing, she shifted her position to take up her new role of a sophisticated city dweller. She straightened her back, crossed her ankles and placed her folded hands in her lap. She was uncomfortable, grumpy, but looked a damned sight more civilised. ”Better?”

Now came her next challenge -- thinking of a suitably embarrassing question to claw back some of her own dignity. Revenge was best served cold, it was said, so Ayatah thought long and hard about how to go about her next move. Her musical companion had approached the game with a new tactic by incorporating a riddle; the status quo was to ask personal questions about your fellow game-players. If she could be just as quick-witted and think of a question he was unlikely to know the answer to, then she could come up with an equally embarrassingly challenge….

”Out of my tattoos… Which is my favourite?” She smirked and continued with her explanation. ”I won’t tell you where they are, though some are more obvious than others…“ Holding up her left hand, she showed him the small tattoo lying over her thumb, imitating the bone underneath. ”But for this night only, you can search my body - not everywhere, mind you - for my tattoos, and then you can make your decision. There are seven altogether.” Perhaps it was a little too risqué, but the alcohol coursing through Ayatah’s bloodstream had obviously freed up her inhibitions -- to say the least.

|| Ayatah's speech || Ayatah's thoughts || Others' speech ||