PM to join [Inclement Weather] When the Going Gets Tough (Kovac)

[Azira]

55th of Fall, 513AV-Night The pounding music. The sweaty gyrating bodies pressed in close together on the dance floor. The claustrophobic feel of the place. The club scene had never interested her. There had never been any need for Azira to enter the Inclement Weather, the infamous Inartan nightclub. There was never anything there for her. It was such a social place and people weren't her forte. Plus there was dancing. The Avora didn't dance. She could see no reason to mimic the movements of the dancers, no matter how much attention such an action would bring her, it just wasn't her style. Plus she hadn't had alcohol before, something that was readily available in the underground club. But tonight she needed everything the club had to offer; she wanted oblivion. The girl felt as if someone had been stabbing her through the heart all day. She had found herself in tears at odd intervals. Regardless of what she was doing, the feeling would take hold of her and she would have to let it out. Most of the day had been spent in her room, expelling more tears than she ever would have thought possible for her body to produce. She understood why she was upset, the teen just couldn't comprehend why she would hurt so much. It was all that Endal, Lavira's fault. If she hadn't ordered her to the nesting aeries the previous day then she wouldn't have been reduced to this emotional mess. It had all begun with a misunderstanding two days previously when the huntress had offended an Endal woman by mistaking her for a Dek. She had ended up being roped into helping the woman in the nesting aeries the following morning, what was now yesterday morning, and she'd had to witness something she hadn't wanted ever wanted to witness again: death. A pregnant drudge had gone into labour and due to complications had lost too much blood, dying in the young woman's arms. The whole experience had reopened the raw wound of her own mother's death, something which she had also been present at, and it had broken her. Azira had gotten progressively worse until she decided to go to the club to forget everything. So now the teenager hovered uncertainly inside the door of the Inclement Weather, feeling self-conscious in her plain hunting garb. The idea of turning and running greatly appealed to her as she took in the packed club. Who would want to venture into that maelstrom of hormones, alcohol and narcotics? No, she was sure to be groped and mauled by male and female hands alike if she risked approaching the dance floor and Azira wasn't sure if she could handle that sober.  Instead the young woman squared her shoulders and approached the bar, trying to appear confident. The drinks were too expensive for her tastes, she didn't have a huge amount of money after all but she didn't want to try to get someone to buy her one. The girl wasn't naive enough to think that a man would buy her a drink without expecting something in return and she wasn't sure if she was willing to add such regretful behaviour to her emotional turmoil. She bit her lip wondering if this had really been such a good idea. How could she drink herself into oblivion if she wasn't willing to pay for it? Be sensible, Az. Just leave, she told herself but she remained rooted to the spot. The bartender spotted the Avora standing by the bar and came over to serve her. "What can I do you for?" he called over the pulsing beat of the music. She stared dumbly at him, her mind in total indecision. What should she do?

[Kovac]

"She will have what I am having." His voice lifted from behind the woman. Kovac lifted his cup to Tom the barkeep, who was very familiar with the brand of wine the half-bred preferred. Kovac usually just bought a bottle of the fine wine when he arrived, draining the bottle through the evening, but things had changed. He only bought by the glass now. His visits to the Weather were less frequent, finding the need to troll the dance club wane as he spent more time with Lavira. Kovac too found that he drank more temperately, though he had no intention of abandoning his love of wine.

The Lavira was grooming Mohya, an almost intimate activity between the bonded rider and eagle, so Kovac had let them be. Instead, he found his way to the Inclement Weather, where he enjoyed a glass of wine and watched the display of wantonness on the dance floor. He saw Azira slip in, obviously hesitant, almost disgusted it seemed, by the club's atmosphere. He hoped to make her feel more at ease.

Stepping up next to her, Kovac flashed a broad smile. "Hi Azira..." Turning back to the bartender, the hunter produced a handful of pinions. "Just give us the bottle and another glass, thanks." He insisted, laying the coins on the bar. As Tom fetched the bottle and a glass, Kovac turned to the huntress.

"What brings you here tonight?" He asked. The bottle and glass arrived, and Kovac poured the girl a drink and handed it to her.

Ledger :

Bottle of fine wine: 10 pinions

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[Azira]

   

The voice came out of nowhere making the huntress jump, her hand on her breast as if she thought that would quiet her frantically beating heart. Wide-eyed she stared at the hunter who had appeared at her side, a man that she had only recently become acquainted with.

"Gods, Kovac! Don't sneak up on me like that. I could have dropped dead from fright like a rabbit," she scolded her fellow Avora. His words finally seemed to register in her brain as she realised that he was buying her a drink. The teen wasn't sure if she should protest or thank him so she kept silent instead, watching him warily for fear that this was an attempt to pick her up. The girl mentally shook herself. Not every man was trying to bed her. She was just being paranoid and Kovac was being nice.

She watched with envy as the man handed a handful of coins to the bartender, clearly having money to burn, and watched as he poured her some wine. Staring mutely at him, she took the glass from him with shaking fingers and sniffed at it gingerly. The scent was sharp and alcoholic and she almost didn't want to drink it. It didn't smell particularly appealing. Taking a sip, Azira's lips twisted in distaste but she forced herself to drink more, hoping to grow accustomed to the strong and bitter taste of it.

"I thought I'd um..." the Avora mumbled, trailing off, somewhat at a loss for words. How could she explain the incident from the day before without bursting into tears? The mere thought of it had made tears spring to her eyes so how could she discuss her true reason for being here without making a complete and utter fool of herself?

"I thought I'd get absolutely roaring drunk," she told him before drifting off in the direction of one of the alcoves. The first's occupants were engaged in...things so the huntress moved to another, thankfully empty, one. She slipped into it, wondering if the man would join her.

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[Lavira]

Vira had taken her time with the grooming process, humming quietly to the eagle as she washed her feathers by the handful (otherwise it would take too long), rubbed special dust beneath her plumes, and then set a wash bath up for her to rinse in the warmth of her aerie. It had taken a few bells, but the ritual had been relaxing.

When Kovac had told her midway through the process that he was going to the Inclement, she nodded and kissed him in parting, sharing a moment's embrace before letting him go on. Vira knew he would return to her after he'd had his fun at the revelry club. He had since he'd moved in with her, and for that, she trusted him to again.

What she didn't expect as she soaked in the bath was the incessant knocking on her door, interrupting her relaxation. Mohya's grooming had helped to clear her mind some of her friends death, but not as much as she would have liked. So, in an effort to avoid another nightmare just yet, she was now trying to soak and relax in the comfort of her own bloody home. So why the petch was someone here knocking and interrupting that peace and quiet?!

"Petchin a...COMING!" She shouted, wincing as she got out of the bath, grabbing a towel off the ledge against the wall and wrapping it around her. Vira made her way to the door, swung it open and beheld...."Alori?" What did the other woman want? Was it really necessary to beat her door down!?

[Alori Sai]

It was that time again to let down her hair and for the party to start. Alori really enjoyed going to the dance club and dancing the night away, or practicing her guitar. But this wasn't the time for music lessons, the little Endal wanted to dance. She prepared herself well, combing out her hair so that the blonde streaks were layered ontop and a few under the fiery red to make it stand out more. She dressed herself nicely and wore her short leather boots that were better for dancing. Putting on her Katinu, Alori fluffed out her hair and headed out for the evening, leaving Skye irritated once again.

It wasn't too far to Lavira's place and in truth, it was worth the leg work to get the woman out of her home once in a while. Raptors were wonderful big and small, but a girl needed to get out and be with her people. Her adoptive sister seemed to have forgotten that, but Alori was more than happy to remind her. The teen Endal made it to her friend's home soon enough and knocked loudly on the door. She knocked loudly because she didn't want to wait forever for someone to come to the door.

She could hear squawking and chirping from the inside, and sighed. At least the birds acknowledged her presences. Finally Lavira came to the door in nothing but a towel and the huntress arched a brow wondering just what had she interrupted "Hah! Well it's nice to see you too Vira. Gods did I interrupt you or something? You know what, never mind just get dressed because we're going out." Smiling, Alori tugged on the fur of her Katinu as she slowly swayed her hips from side to side to let the woman know exactly where she planned on taking her.

OOCHope it's still ok that we join.
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[Kovac]

Kovac did have a habit of sneaking up behind Azira, it was never intentional, but the little startle she exhibited each time was entertaining enough to continue the practice with more intention. The huntress' gilded eyes still looked at him warily, as if still questioning his motives. Maybe because, even after being trapped at Thunder Bay during the ice storm and working together on the hunt for the Blue Elk, they still had a sort of like-hate thing going on.

A warmer smile assured her that his intentions were friendly. The corner of his grin lifted a bit as he watched Azira sip at the wine, making obvious her inexperience in drinking. Though the young huntress' hesitation in her answer may have been an after effect of the stringent alcohol burning her throat, Kovac also knew what had happened. Lavira had told him of Azira's bonehead misunderstanding, and then about the tragedy of the pregnant Dek's death. Lavira had been close with the woman, and was still grieving. It was one of the reasons Kovac had let her have her time with Mohya.

Wine bottle and glass in hand, the half-breed trailed after Azira as she wandered into the club. He too glanced at the couple in the alcove as he passed by, blurting a little laugh and a commenting snarkily, "Get a room, Darenda."

Kovac stopped at the alcove Azira had selected, sliding into the seat opposite of her. He set the wine bottle on the table between them, within reach of either Avora. He eyed Azira as he took another sip, trying to gauge just how deeply the incident had affected her. "Must be pretty bad if you intend to get that wasted. Have you ever been roaring drunk, Azira...or drunk at all...or even had a drink?" Kovac was starting to wonder.

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[Azira]

   

Sipping at her wine as he sat down, she nearly choked on the mouthful at his words. He couldn't know. There was no one to tell him. He couldn't know that she'd been there yesterday, or how it had affected her. There was no way. But she still found herself panicking.

"What must be pretty bad?" she squeaked. She hadn't meant for her voice to rise to such a pitch, to show her terror that he might know. Showing emotion was bad, she knew that but she suddenly worried that he could see through her guise of surly normality. It was something that Azira couldn't risk him getting an inkling of so she got defensive. Gulping her wine, something she immediately regretted as the tartness of it burned her throat. Shuddering, she reached for the bottle to pour out another glass.

"And what are my drinking habits to you?" she snapped, her voice returning to a near normal pitch again. "I didn't ask you about your drinking habits. I didn't make any assumptions about you though if I had to analyse you I'd say that you came here to get away. Nobody goes to the Inclement Weather to just sit drinking by themselves unless they want to forget. You'd been here long enough to drink a glass of wine already and you haven't looked around once in search of some companion you left behind. Even a conquest would gain a moment's glance but you didn't do that so you're here to get away from something, same as me. So keep out of my business and I'll keep out of yours."

Her gaze was cold as she regarded him. The teen didn't care that he'd bought her wine. That didn't give him a free pass to watch her like that. So what if she wanted to get drunk? So what if she hadn't had a drink before? It wasn't the Avora's business!

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[Lavira]

Embarassed beyond belief, Vira's cheeks had gone scarlet and she waved Alori in only to slam the door behind her so nobody would go peeping on her.

"Nothing but a really nice bath after a really bad day which is now getting cold." Which wasn't true. Like most of the baths in the city, it drew from the many springs that wove through the city, heated regularly by the volcano. It made them balmy and relaxing. "You seriously want to go out?" The look on her sisters face said it all. There would be no getting around it.

"Puh...fine...help me dry my hair. Just to dinner, though, okay? I just got done preening Mohya and I really do just want to relax while Kovac's out." The teen didn't reveal where he'd gone, though, turning to head to her bedchamber. "Go pick something out, I guess." There was little to be said or done about it, it seemed. Alori would not be deterred no matter how forceful Vira was in return.

oocSorry, been sick all weekm trying to get back into posting normally again.

[Alori Sai]

"You had a bad day? Poor baby, well that's a good reason to go out and forget the whole mess right?" It was just like the young falconer to want to spend her evening in solitude while the rest of the city enjoyed the night life. But Alori wouldn't allow that to happen, she was there for Lavira and planned to get her out of her shell eventually. That's what family was for, even if they were adopted.

"Sure, just to dinner. Now let's go." The sparky teen followed her sister through the chambers. She wondered why Kovac had left the woman alone with her birds, surely he could be as persuasive as she could and get Lavira out of the house. "You know Vira, I enjoy the baths too, but..when your skin starts to wrinkle, I think you've been in long enough."

Alori laughed and pushed through to the bed chamber and went into the wardrobe. The teen pulled open the doors and looked around. It was easier to pick out an outfit than she had expected. This wasn't to be an big deal and they were just going out for a bit to unwind. Then again, how often did she get the chance to doll up her best friend, and with that thought in mind, she picked up one of the dressy outfits.

"Oh Vira, you should wear this. It makes a statement."

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[Kovac]

Since Kovac's 'rehabilitation', that is, the warming of his personality under the influence of some of his friends, most notably Lavira, the half-breed had not met such a sharp-tongued rebuke from anyone in response to his new, outgoing attitude. Azira was as snarky and ill-tempered as he was reputed to be, and Kovac did not like being on the other end of that bristling behavior.

He took another drink from his wine glass, eying the sassy teenager. Azira became almost defensive when Kovac suggested there was something particularly bad that drove her to the Weather. Apparently, she did not know how close he was with Lavira, and that he would know what had transpired between them, and in the aeries. The male Avora sat and absorbed the verbal venom, trying to convince himself that the huntress had gone through a troubling event, to give her the benefit of the doubt. But his newfound congeniality only went so far.

His emerald eyes narrowed as he looked at the fiery red head. Kovac chose not to yell, as he was inclined to do, but to maintain an even tone, even though it was difficult to restrain. "Listen, you ungrateful brat. I don't know what your problem is, but every time I try to help you, all I get is a shyke attitude from you. Just days ago we survived the hunt for the blue elk, and we managed to get along. Now you are jumping on me like a pissy little kougara, after I buy you a drink and offer some company."

He shook his head and glanced out at the crowd for a moment before turning again to Azira. "Lets just get it out here. I know what happened between you and Lavira, and about the tragedy with the Dek. For gods' sake, I live with the woman, don't you think she would tell me? And I have no problems telling you why I am here. Lavira needs some time with Mohya after what happened, so I came down here to enjoy a drink. So get off your high eagle and petching let me console you!"

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