[Inclement Weather] A Fire Yet Unseen (Alori)

[Kovac]

Kovac's smile curled wryly at Alori's rebuttal to the question of friends, the teen equally coy regarding the subject, preempting any questions regarding her 'friends' with an ambiguous comment leaving her particular situation undefined. Still, the male hunter sensed that further probing would not be in vain, as Alori pursued the topic of his relationships further.

"Are my friends like me, or you?" Kovac repeated the question, its meaning, like much of the conversation so far, was ambiguous. "Well, if you are speaking of gender, they are more like you." He flashed a broader grin. "But since I know little about you, I am not sure I know how to answer that question. I have a feeling you and I are a lot alike." At a cursory glance, they were. Both were hunters, musicians, flirts. They enjoyed a drink of wine, at least Alori seemed to, and spoke to strangers, at least of the opposite sex, with ease.

As they conversed, Kovac picked up the tune the redhead was playing, a popular song in the club. Alori may not have had a lot of experience with the guitar yet, but the way she idly plucked it as they spoke, and the ease at which she had picked up the club band's songs, indicated she had a talent. "No, I won't laugh. If you promise to not be funny." Kovac stifled a smirk. "I am kidding, sharing music is nothing to mock. Before we part ways tonight, a date must be set." A warmer smile was directed at the girl before Kovac took another swig of wine.

He explained his main occupations, and upon hearing his tasks with the bow, the impetuous girl hinted at a challenge, his opinion on whether he could beat her arrow for arrow. Alori's suggestion made the archer laugh out loud. "I am certain I could beat you." He bragged boldly. Kovac's arrogance was not totally unwarranted. He was an expert with his composite short bow. Those who matched his skill were pretty well known, and Alori did not appear on that list. At least not yet. "But, maybe with my help, you might come close." A snarky smile softened the statements, revealing his boast as only half-hearted, but his offer to train with her was sincere.

The list of hobbies Alori revealed were not uncommon in Wind Reach, though the training of a raptor to accompany her on hunts was a good idea. The huntress' remarks about having fun and 'letting it all out' inferred a measure of inhibition that teased the older Avora. Dancing, especially at the Inclement Weather, was an infamous vehicle for 'letting it all out', and Alori had already demonstrated that she did just that on the dance floor.

"Yes, I dance." Kovac replied simply, his gaze shifting to the dim dance floor in the middle of the large room, the vaguely writhing mass of dancers fully enjoying the music.

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[Alori Sai]

Alori stopped a giggle by lightly biting her lower lip, but a squeak still slipped out once she started to speak again. "No, I mean...are they Inartan or?" The Avora was the type to ask personal questions, but she wasn't sure how he would take to being asked what he was. So far their conversation was going well, and they seemed to be connecting. "More like me huh? Okay." She teased, but let the words linger before saying more. At times, the teen became more cheeky and said things more bold than she normally would. But this time she held back, the snarky mongrel would have to wait until they were more familiar before he saw that side of her.

"You think we're alike? Hunters? musicians, what is it?" Leaning from behind her guitar, Alori reached out and wrapped her fingers around the bottle and pulled it towards her. She gave Kovac a quick glance and turned the bottle up, parted her lips and drank from it as she had before. Wiping her mouth, she smiled and offered him the bottle back, before leaning back against the wall again. "Good stuff, it goes down easier the second time." Alori was comfortable in the club, and talking with foreigners was something she enjoyed doing. It allowed her to show her Inartan pride, and show them the passion and fire of the mountain.

Kovac seemed to get along with her easy enough, and took his time plucking answers out of her. "Hah, I can't promise not to be funny, but I can promise not to be lame." Kovac was a sly one, still avoiding giving her direct answers to what she wanted to know. She wondered if she should just ask him directly, but she imagined that he wouldn't admit to being with one or the other. As he said...he had friends. "What day did you want to do this?" the teen asked pulling at the strings on her guitar to make long vibrating noises.

"Ah!" Alori squeaked before twisting her lips and arching a brow. The guy was confident and boldly so. He was positive that he could beat her, but this only made her want it even more. The little huntress was always looking for a challenge and to test the limits of her abilities. If Kovac was as good as he claimed, he could give her just that. "Alright then, Mr. super archer. Let's see what you can do." Alori was ready to jump up and fetch her bow right away but she didn't want to ruin the night. The tiny archer was sure that she would see him again sometime, and they could settle their bet then.

Alori was a bit surprised to his reaction when she asked if he danced. His answers and demeanor had been on the more cheerful side to her other questions. She wondered if he wasn't confident in dancing, or just wasn't in the mood. "So, do you know any other people here...like you I mean?"

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[Kovac]

The girl seemed to be getting at something, beating around the bush with her questions of categorization, was he like 'her' was he like 'them'. She was coy, in a casual way with a hint of flirtation. Aside from the woman's pursuit of some hidden nugget, The two hunter's seemed to be getting along, already agreeing to play some music together, and to a challenge to determine the best shot. Alori seemed quite eager to prove herself over the veteran archer, her confidence attractive, if not a bit overstated. Kovac's own confidence barred him from even considering defeat at the teenager's hands.

"Next week, you pick the range. Hopefully we will get paired for a hunt soon and we can display our skills in a realistic contest." His smile was cocky but friendly, looking forward to spending more time with the petite redhead as much as he was to showing her up. After Kovac peered at the patrons on the dance floor, he looked back at Alori. He certainly would dance with her, especially if she danced like he saw her doing earlier. But her next question drove at the line of inquiries that had threaded through their conversation. Finally, Kovac decided to help her get to the point, he was beginning to understand her confusion.

"People like me? What do you think I am, an outsider?" There was an accusing edge to his voice. "I was born and raised in Wind Reach. My father was an Inartan bowyer. My mother was a Vantha, I have her skin and hair color." Kovac chuckled derisively. "I am as much a child of Wind Reach as you are, Sunshine, whether I look like the rest of you or not." The mongrel Avora had faced prejudice from certain people in Wind Reach since he was a child. Realizing he may have overreacted, Kovac leaned towards Alori and amended his attitude with a snarky retort. "But, if you are into foreign guys, I am at least half outsider." He smiled, an open smile that let the girl off the hook, and he hoped him too, if he had offended her.

Taking a swig of the shared wine, Kovac looked at Alori again. "You don't have to dance around things with me Alori. If you want to know something about me, just ask. If I don't want you to know the answer, I won't answer." Standing, he reached out to take her hand. "Further interrogation can take place on the dance floor." He flashed another wide, inviting grin. If willing, Kovac would lead Alori to the center of the room to join in the dancing.

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[Alori Sai]

Alori combed her fingers through her hair again, feeding the strains to loop behind her right ear. Kavoc was sure that he could best her, he was certain, as if no force on the mountain could aid her in giving him a defeat. She liked the confidence in him, but it was also annoying. Much like that of the older hunters who refused to bring the teen into their party because their arrogance assured them that she would slow them down. But she wouldn't hold it against him, not completely. This was another chance for the Avora to show up her supposed betters, and she would enjoy it.

"Next week? Okay so...." Alori thought for a moment, and as a dangerous idea came to mind, she smiled and gently bit her lower lip. "How about the one the Endal use? You can pass for one right? I can." she added a giggle and leaned back further against the wall. He had been so sharp during their conversation, but what would he say to this? She was a bold one, and her challenge wasn't a bluff, if he would agree she would hold up her end and meet him there. "Hunting could fun. I don't know if we'll get paired though, normally I hunt by myself."

Alori was surprised by the sudden change in his demeanor, it even sounded a bit angry, and accusations, though minim, they were also there. The tiny Avora folded her arms and narrowed her eyes towards him in return for his serious retort. "Gah, what's with you? So serious." She wasn't mad, but she didn't like the attitude that bordered on arrogance and pride. Luckily for him, she was in a good mood and had been enjoying his company so no harm was done. "Alright Mr.Sensitive I get it."

It seemed her plan was a bust, he knew that she was after something and wanted to get it out and over with. It was worth a shot, and if he didn't tell her, perhaps she could tell if he were lying. Alori removed her guitar from her lap and placed it in the seat beside her, before taking his hand and standing up. "Do you know a woman named Euthisa, or Iosha? They're friends of mine, you probably know them. You seem like you get around a lot." She giggled again as she looked up at him wondering what snarky comment would come next. Once on the dance floor, she turned to face him as they danced. "Let's see what he can do."

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[Kovac]

Things were going fine, the two confident Avora hunters bantering back and forth their good-natured challenges. Alori finally tossed out a daring one, having a shooting contest at the Endal range. Kovac could not pull off being an Endal, no one would believe him, and most of them new him already. But, he was also an instructor, so he was given access on occasion to give lessons. Together, they might be able to pass the young huntress off as an Endal. The plan was deliciously devious. "Deal!" He concurred.

Kovac's sharp retort had come off gruff, and he could see in Alori's features that he had put her off a bit. That was not what he wanted to do, not now that they were getting along. He shook off his misstep, armed himself with as charming a smile as he could and lead the young woman by the hand to the amorphous grouping of patrons on the dance floor. The energy of the dance floor, warm and sensual as they were surrounded by dancers, many already engaging in rather intimate choreography, and the heavy beat of the band's music, helped usher Kovac into a smooth rhythm. The half-blood began to move, his motion subtle at first but fluid. Looking down at Alori in the shadows, Kovac answered her question.

"Yes, I know both Euthisa and Iosha, they are good friends of mine!" The hunter admitted. Kovac cared a great deal for both women, though the way he had expressed his affections were a bit different between them. "How do you know them?" Kovac's smile took a wry twist. "And what do you mean 'It seems like I get around'?"

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[Alori Sai]

Alori smiled, gently biting her lower lip as she fought a mischievous giggle. The teen hadn't expected him to agree, sneaking into the Endal's range could get them into serious trouble if they were caught. She watched him, wondering if he was serious or if he thought she was joking and planned to call her bluff. The tiny Avora couldn't have been more serious, she was bold and reckless and loved taking on challenges. "Alright, let's do it."

On the dance floor the teen watched him as he moved. He had rhythm, but going by the way he said he'd been watching her, she had expected a different type of dancing. But it wasn't a bad thing, she just wanted to have fun with nothing in mind beyond that. The beat of the music was easy to follow, but Alori slowed her dance and sway and shifted lightly while they talked with each other. Flipping her hair back and away from her eyes again, she looked up at the much taller man and yelled so that he could hear her. "I met Euthisa on my way to Thunder Bay, and Iosha during a spar! What about you?"

She giggled a bit at his question, reaching out and gently pushing against his chest. Alori could tell that he was pretending, so far he had been there tick for tick with everything she had said, he knew exactly what she was talking about. So instead of answering, the teen offered him a wink, turning her back to him and throwing her arms up as she continued to sway and bounce to the music. "Can't you feel it? The fire? It's...oh it's crazy right?"

x

[Kovac]

Alori knew both Euthisa and Iosha. If they found the young hunter worthy to befriend, so did Kovac. The older Avora had already taken to the daring huntress, though they seemed to be testing each other with dares that evening. Time would tell how far they would go in the contest, for Kovac was enjoying himself and the games they played in getting to know one another.

The rich atmosphere of the dance floor seemed to encompass the two as they danced, the heavy beat of the music, the bodies moving with primal postures in one big synchronized mob. Kovac kept his eyes on Alori in the dim light, attractive and engaging as she moved forward with her inquisition. His voice lifted above the din as he replied with a smile."I met Isa at Katshika Falls, I was playing my lute and she her violin. Io I met here, but then we went to the Yasi range after hours and practiced some shooting." And went skinny dipping...but he left that part out. He was not sure how much Iosha wanted to share about that night, when she revealed her magic.

With a flourish, Alori turned, her lean arms lifted above her head, subtle hips swaying suggestively. Kovac took an unabashed gaze at the girl's gyrating rear, small but nicely curved. He had been conservative in his dance to that point. But the huntress proved too tempting. As she posed her question, Kovac moved closer, his body brushing against hers lightly. The mongrel's hands moved to the bare skin of her sides, between the vinati and the low slung bryda. The hunter noted the warmth of Alori's skin as his fingers pressed into the soft flesh below her ribs. It was like the heat of fever, though she had shown no signs of illness, and her vibrant dancing certainly seemed strong and healthy. His body matched the teen's movement as he leaned in closer to reply. "Petch yes!" He assumed the girl meant by 'fire' the rising sensuality of the people dancing, though Kovac's answer stretched across several aspects, including his own growing excitement and Alori's curious body temperature.

"Oh, yes....I feel it!" He lifted his voice from behind her. "You are very hot!" That too had two meanings.

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[Alori Sai]

For someone who had spent most of her life, not going to the dance club, Alori had gotten in the swing of things quickly and easily. When she returned to the city after living in the wilds for so long, the teen completely through out her inhibitions and embraced her new life, throwing all else to the winds. She was wild and untamed, and even more reckless than she had been before. The little huntress felt invincible in a way, knowing that after all that happened she should have been dead, but she wasn't. She was alive and bursting with energy and life as much as she ever had been.

No longer was she the Avora who worked all day in the hot shop and took to sneaking out of work just to have an extra day to enjoy herself. Alori did what she wanted now, went where she wanted to go. If the Inartan thought her trouble before, they were in for a treat because they have only awaken the fire inside her. This was her scene now, her place to release it all. No one in the dance club thought about the food storage, no one cared about the squabbles between the Endal, they were all just having fun. "Euthisa is getting really good with it, we'd played together once. I think we sounded good, the wagon driver liked it enough."

Smiling she glanced back at him, and lifted an eyebrow after he told her what he had done with Iosha the first time they met. "The Yasi range, really? Wow..you must have been bored." she giggled, afterwards and continued on.

With Kovac's hand on her hips, Alori, swaying her hips a bit faster and almost in a circular motion to see if he could follow the rhythm. Her arms lifted above her head revealing the twisted vines wrapped around her wrist with a small egg resting in her palms. The teen whipped her head back, flaunting the blonde streaked, red hair to her dance partner and giving him a whiff of the strawberry hair wash that she used, as well as a quick peak at the entwined reddish flames on her neck.

Alori giggled and bit her lip as she continued, taking in the meaning of his words, but more the one than the other. Most people didn't know that she was marked by Ivak, although a few were starting to realize that she sometimes looked to the God of fire for guidance or inspiration. "You sure you can keep up? Don't let me leave you behind." she called out as she glanced back at him again. The tiny Avora leaned further back against him, arching her back and swaying her hips against his body in a slower motion. "You ok back there?" She teased, dancing against him for another moment, before turning to face him again.

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[Kovac]

Alori did not disappoint, as she slid into the groove of the music easily, obviously not simply moving with the insistent beat of the drums, but feeling it. Kovac, his hands still on her slim waist, felt the dimension of her pelvic movement shift to a subtle circular gyration. Like the girl, Kovac was a musician, rhythm inherent to his being. The shuffled of his steps and the motion of his own hips easily adjusted to match Alori's mirroring the sensual movement behind her. He heard her mention playing with Euthisa, and a spark of interest arose. Having all three of them playing music together sounded like fun, and he would have to propose such a venture soon.

Even in the dim light, the half-breed was close enough the the dancing woman to see details, and he readily examined Alori behind her back. Her arms were slim but corded with lean hunter's muscle. The Avora man could easily see the designs entwining her pale flesh. Kovac found tattoos attractive. Euthisa's extensive ink was one of the first things that drew her to the Chiet violinist.

Visible too, for a tick, was the design on Alori's neck. Kovac had no idea its significance, flames it appeared to him, considering it another tattoo, which only furthered the mongrel's intrigue in the sharp tongued young woman. She was a spitfire, and sassy, as she taunted the older Avora. For his part, Kovac kept pace with the teen, flashing her a smile. As if to test him, Alori pressed back further, Kovac feeling the pressure of her body against him, shooting a warm heat through his physique. The woman's movement became slower, more deliberate and taunting. The Inartan called back to him again, knowing full how he was doing, for she certainly could feel it as the two of them were writhing against one another.

Kovac sighed shortly to himself when Alori relented, turning defly on light feet to face him again. A musician, cocky, sassy and a tease. Hmmm. Kovac was really beginning to like the girl.

They continued to dance closer now, Kovac matching the small woman's sway. When the song came to a flourish and ended, smatterings of applause lifted from the dance floor. One of the hunter's hands fell lightly to Alori's hip, his emerald gaze meeting her equally vibrant green eyes. He enjoyed dancing with Alori, she was certainly good, and he admitted she had a flare for seduction as she did it. But there was a lot more to this girl, Kovac believed, and they could peel back the layers of each other's onion in a more secluded place, and share in their appreciation of music.

"Lets grab the instruments and wine and find a place to play." Kovac suggested over the clapping hands, giving her a wry grin.

x

[Alori Sai]

Alori blushed faintly as she looked at him and the teen was almost sure that she heard him sigh when she moved away, or perhaps it was a moan of pleasure. It was an unexpected turn of events, and something that she had noticed every since her rebirth. Whether for her new look, or Ivak's influence, or even her own renewed outlook on life, but the guys in the city were noticing her a lot more now. The Avora had noticed before when Kovac had her in his arms that she was being watched by other guys.

It was a good feeling for her being wanted, to know that her presence in the club hadn't gone unnoticed and that she wasn't invisible. In the time that she had spent in the forest that was exactly how she felt, invisible. There was no one else around to talk to, no one else to share her feelings with and for all the city knew, the girl was dead. That was something that she never wanted to experience again. But back home, she felt alive and happy, a feeling that she had forgotten due to her ambitions. So she would take the stares, the compliments, and the mongrel's hands on her body and she would embrace it all.

There was something else pulling at the Avora's feelings and drawing her out. Someone inside the club was happy, they were very happy. The kind of happiness people felt when they were first in love, or something close to what she felt when she first returned to the city.It was a strong emotion and it overwhelmed the girl and united with her own passion. Alori's body was on fire, her heart racing intensely, and there was a sensation rising beneath her skin that caused her to shiver and the teen couldn't stop dancing if she wanted too.

Placing a hand onto his shoulder, she danced closely with him and held his gaze into hers. Lowering her eyes to their bodies, she was surprised to see them so close together without bumping against the other, which was a very different feel from the dance before. This dance was more a tease, bodies coming so close but not touching, as the other was more an invitation it seemed. Alori was surprised that he danced so well being that she'd never seen him on the dance floor and even this day she found him sitting out the dance.

Once the dance was over, Alori giggled at the applause and instead of joining in, she smiled when he took her by the hip, and flipped her hair from her eyes. The teen arched a brow and her lips curved upward after she heard his invitation. It was the perfect opportunity to see how he played and also a chance for her to show off. Stepping away from him, she headed over to collect her guitar and waited for him to get his and the wine so that they could leave.

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