Open (The Rearing Stallion) A long day turns into a long night

[Lucy Tides]

Spring 16 513 AV 20 Bell

Lucy glided into the rearing stallion, giddy and on her feet. She arrived very late and wasn't surprised to see all the tables by the fire taken up. So, she headed to a table in a corner that was a few feet away from the stage. A sweet lute played from on stage, enchanting it's listeners making the rearing stallion's patrons converse in low whispers. She sat back in her chair, more then happy to be out of the pastures but her sea salty smell seemed to have mixed permanently with that of a stables. She sighed, stretching her arms as the waitress came over to take her order. Instead, she asked the lady for the date because like most Svefra Lucy had a distorted sense of time where she needed the sun and the moon to tell.

"Why it's the 16th of spring." The waitress said and Lucy's hand nearly dropped the menu. 'I missed my own birthday!' She slapped her forehead and the waitress left, annoyed that Lucy had ignored her. "I forgot to go to the sea and give Laviku my blessings. forgot to pray at the temple, and forgot to throw myself a party. It's not like I know many people though..." She murmured to herself so only those near by could hear. Lucy sighed and leaned back in her chair, the low murmurs turned into loud shouts because the lute player was on break.

Lucy ignored the shouts and began to play with the ring on her left hand. 'I miss you, mother.' She ticked her tongue on the top of her mouth in distaste at her own thoughts. The waitress came back and asked for her order again. "A mug of what ever ale you have in stock." Lucy said and the waitress returned under a minute with a dark ale. Lucy gave her a small miza and she left. Lucy downed half the mug and set it down on the table, her vision already a bit fuzzy.

[Scarlet Evony]

The usual fuss in the Rearing Stallion made eavsdropping pretty dificult. However, there was not a doubt that the woman next to her mentioned forgetting her birthday. She was alone, drinking ale and apparently relishing in her own misery. Who could possibly enjoy a party of one? Scarlet would not let this happen, would she? Nobody seemed to pay attention to the proclamation made by the lonely woman. Searching her pockets, Scarlet took out the one gold miza she always carried with her. Seemed like a nice occasion to finally start spending her money.

She scooted her chair next to the lonely woman and called the waitress back to the table. "I'll have whatever she's having" she opened on a lively tone, handing her the miza. "So, I hear your birthday was right around the corner. Let me be the first to congradulate you on your anniversary." Scarlet usually despised alcohol, it dulled her senses and in a large enough dose made her do other stuff, even let her predatory instinct loose. Last time she tried drinking, she ended up in some unknown Akalak's bed. Not that there was anything wrong with that.

"Happy birthday, miss...?" Okay, it was perfectly normal to ask that of a person, right? As her own drink arrived, she gulped a few swigs, nearly choking on the potent aroma, awaiting for an answer. Coughing lightly, she turned to Lucy. "I'm sorry, I didn't expect this to be this strong."

[Lucy Tides]

The sound of squeaking chair legs pulled her out of her alcoholic trance. She watched the new woman with awe as she did as she wanted ordering herself something to drink then began talking to her. She asked for her name then coughed at the ale commenting on it's strength. 'Maybe I'm not a weak drinker...' Her eyes were blue but her petite figure leaned otherwise to being a Svefra though she did have the height.

"Lucy, Lucy Tides. Thank you, I'm nineteen as of the twenty third bell today." Lucy said and sipped her ale a bit as well. "I'm not one for drinking but I do enjoy the occasional ale." She said and decided it best to wait before she took another sip. She let her hands fall from the mug and she held the right one out. "What's your name?" Lucy asked and was glad to hear the flute player begin again.

[Scarlet Evony]

Well, this had gone to a proper start, for a change. It was nice seeing somebody so open, even though it might have just been the alcohol talking for now. The kelvic extended her own hand, gripping Lucy's lightly. "I'm Scarlet. Scarlet Evony. Nice meeting you." As their handshake subsided, Scarlet focused on downing the rest of her ale. As of now, she was completley broke, but did not consider in saying anything regarding that.

"I had no idea I'd be attending someone's birthday" she laughed lightly, looking Lucy in the eyes. She liked her, perhaps quite a bit. Or, yet again, the foreign vapours were making their way to her head." "So I forgot to get you a present. You'll have to excuse me being unkind, for now." SHe looked around, nobody really noticing the talk between them. So dull, always minding their own business rather than having fun.

[Lucy Tides]

Lucy chuckled at Scarlet, seeing her as a kind soul. "Ah, Most Svefra don't get anything for their birthday but tales of the sea from their parents or a day to do as they please." Lucy explained and smiled at the young woman feeling very much at ease. 'I'm quite thankful such a wondrous person stumbled upon me tonight. I wonder if she has a story to tell?'

"You know, you could tell me a story." Lucy suggested and seemed to be on the edge of her chair with anticipation. "That is of course, if you want too." She quickly added not wanting to seem to pushy but there was an obvious eagerness in the way she leaned across the table, putting her elbow on the table. She then put her head in her hand, waiting patiently, no almost expecting her to start right away without a seconds hesitation.

[Scarlet Evony]

Scarlet was surprised by the request. It was literally the first time in her seven years of life someone requested something like this. It would've helped if her parents had told her bedtime stories, or if her parents would've been there for her at all. "Well, I can say I do know one story, but I've never been a good storyteller." Taking a deep breath, she pondered a bit, trying to figure out a way to start her story.

"Well, it's a story about a kelvic and a human. The human was a princess in some distant land, and was supposed to pick one man to marry. She was quite picky, and usually rejected each of the suitors shortly after their first discussion. It would have seemed that the princess would remain unmarried. The king began shortly growing tired of her capricious nature, and locked her in her chambers until she made up her mind."

"Here is where the story gets a bit fuzzy. I haven't had an occasion to re-memorize it properly until now. Beneath, in the royal gardens, there was a pond in which some kind of cursed kelvic lived. By unknown means, he couldn't shift to his human form, but he could use the human language naturally as a toad. He was pretty fond of the princess, and one day, he jumped to her window and asked her for a kiss."

"Naturally, the princess refused at first. The frog saw the punishment as an opportunity, though and started befriending the princess. Well, they got to eat together, sleep together, etcetera. AT first the human princess was repulsed, but shortly she began being closer and closer to her frog friend. In the end, when the princess got to kiss the frog, the spell was broken and the spell gave him a choice. He could either let himself be a frog, without the ability to speak or turn into a human and live by the princess. Here the story takes it to the brighter side, both of them living happily ever after."

Scarlet was sure she had missed the essence of the story, but it didn't really matter. The drink was slowly starting to get to her, and the details became more and more fuzzy as the alcohol instilled. "Sorry, I'm not a good storyteller, as y6ou might've justy noticed. I hope it's not that bad. It's the only one I can recall right now."

OOC: I know how much I suck on storytelling, so please judge me gently.

[Lucy Tides]

Lucy smiled at Scarlet's story. Like most Svefra, she didn't care about the details or how one could spice up the details, it was always about the lesson of the tale. She had comprehended Scarlet's story with ease even in her tipsy state. 'Ah love, I haven't heard a love story in quite a while.' She lifted her head from it's perch and gently gave the young woman at hit the back. "Don't be so modest, it was beautiful." Lucy said and sipped the rest of her ale. She let the mug slip on to the table, it struggled with gravity for a moment before settling upright. 'Well that wasn't a good idea, it never is.'

Lucy looked from the mug now to Scarlet and a goofy smile spread across her face. The dim light refracted in her bright blue eyes as they squinted as she laughed. "So where do you uh work? I'm working down at the stables, pretty nice place there." Lucy said and couldn't stop smiling. 'There's something about this girl that seems so friendly, like an animal almost. I wondered if I seem that way since I'm so open.'

[Scarlet Evony]

Scarlet's face got brighter than she would've liked. She couldn't really put her finger on the issue, really. It could've been the fact that she felt embarassed for telling the story this way. It could've been the fact that the girl was simply gazing at her and smiling, or it could've been the fact that she really didn't want to tell her the fact that she didn't get any job. "I... Don't really have a job of my own. I can sustain myself well enough on my own, and my diet only requires a small amount of moeny per day."

She looked away, trying to not fix the svefra in her eyes. She was nicer than most people she had met before, but this one felt a little different. "But I'm glad you like it here in Silyras. I spent my past six years around these parts and still didn't get to see it whole." Scarlet treid changing the subject, uncomfortably noticing the discrepancy herself. She felt somehow embarassed when looking at Lucy, almost as if her temperature abruptly rose a couple of degrees whenever she fixed those eyes. "How long have you spent around here?"

[Lucy Tides]

'No job and yet she can sustain herself well? I wonder... just what is this woman?' Lucy decided to drop the subject, noticing how Scarlet wouldn't make eye contact with her anymore. 'Must have made the poor dear feel uncomfortable.' Lucy felt a pang of guilt in her stomach for doing such a thing but she didn't know why she felt so guilty. She started to play with her mother's ring, too nervous to think of anything else to do. "I haven't been here long, it's a long tale." Lucy admitted and wondered if she could trust this new face. She shrugged to herself and decided to go ahead and tell her.

"My pod or my family to be more exact was destroyed last season in that awful djed storm. I have taken refuge in this city for the time being but I do wish to return to the sea." Lucy explained and looked away, as if in a different place. She only placed her eyes back on Scarlet a moment after speaking, snapping back to reality. "So you been roaming Syliras for six years huh? Where were you born?" Lucy asked and smiled at Scarlet, trying to ease the tension.

[Scarlet Evony]

Scarlet's first instinct, the one which she almost followed on the spot, was to go and hug Lucy immediatley. However, common human sense forbade such course of action unless she wanted to scare off the poor travelling svefra. "I... I'm sorry. About your family, that is." The least she could do was extend an arm and hold Lucy's hand warmly. She felt bad for steering the discussion towards this particular spot. She was probably one step away from making her leave, but Scarlet finally looked back into her eyes. "Well, I was born in Silyras, but I haven't seen this city for the majority of my childhood."

It was a particularly specific answer, yet there were no lies involved. She couldn't lie to Lucy, something about her prevented Scarlet to play her usual game."I was left to fend for myself, and this city has been my home after my mother let me go on my own. Haven't seen her ever since." Scarlet's throat felt suddenly dry. She didn't like talking about her parents, but it just felt right to do so now. A smile creeped slowly to her face, trying to show Lucy she wasn't bothered about the turn of their discussion. "I couldn't say I blame her. I haven't really been the model student. Nonetheless, I'm here now, and that's what matters."