[Rearing Stallion] Tankard Tales (Open)

[Jischa]

Jischa laughed lightly as Khal's fingers brushed over her rear, her own hand catching his just as it began to fall away, and she ran her fingertips through his own digits before letting them fall, sashaying flirtatiously back to her chair. Her blue eyes were glittering with mirth as she gracefully sank back into her seat. Beat that. Jischa watched as Fade went to award Khal his prize, her bemused smile shifting into a stare of open hostility as the kiss lingered on, her fingertips drumming lightly on the table. Once Fade again took her seat, Jischa's expression cooled, and she turned her head toward Guido now, a smile dancing over her features as he spoke. She tapped her chin thoughtfully, the index finger of her other hand tracing the rim of her now-empty wine glass. "Dancing, I think I'm just sober enough to manage that nicely." The healer smiled inwardly, her confidence rising, if such a thing were even possible. She'd spent countless hours in Mura's famed pavillions dancing within Leth's embrace, visitors to the Isle looking on. "Is that agreeable with you, Fade? I'm sure as a contortionist you must have a few impressive moves tucked away." Her gaze was unwavering as she eyed the other blonde, the usual tone of challenge in her voice. "And dear sweet Gerdo, spinner of fine tales.. I do believe you owe me a drink." She rocked her glass on its base against the table. "Though I'll have to admit any dancing after another glass of this might be anything but nice." And with that she gives him a playful wink, turning back toward Fade. "Feel free to go first," she says in a tone that is more instruction and less suggestion than the words might imply.

[Fade]

Fade shrugged and nodded saying “I’ll go first, but be warned:I can’t dance”

She chuckled and smiled getting up, her eyesight blurring slightly she slipped of her dress to reveal her contortionist costume she had underneath. She stepped lightly onto the table, stood stock still the acrobat’s smile on her face, like a statue, well she was as white as a statue what with her general paleness and white leotard. Here she was on familiar ground her ground.

She suddenly started moving, holding out her hands and arching her back backwards till her hands touched the heels of her feet, she held for some seconds, shifted her weight onto her hands and hoisted herself up in a handstand, smiling as she did an over split. Her body moved seamlessly, moving from contortion to contortion with such grace it seemed so easy. She then returned to her earlier position and straightened to a standing position. She took hold of her leg with seamlessly hooked around her head, she lowered her self on one knee, bending backwards. Unhooking her leg and staying on her knees she arched her back, going backwards staying on her knees until her head was under her butt, the lower and upper part of her spine touching. She held the unholy position just to unravel like a snake. She smiled at Guido, who had never seen her perform. She paused groping for her bag and extracting a ball, she smiled and continued with some impressive but easy stunts: splits, over splits and various stretches that for her were just a daily routine, but for the observer were impossible fantasies. She made the ball run over her moving body like water, never making it fall: a foot, finger or elbow always catching it and sending it on its way. The secret was never to hold the ball but to treat it as an eh that could break. Then she took the ball in her hand stretched and bent down backwards till she was flat against her legs and deposited the ball at her ankles.

She silently hoped down regaining her seat pulling her white dress on again, replacing her ball in her bag, and pulling it under her chair. Once regained a normal position, she propped up her head on her elbows and said “But I do have other skills, skills which are not easily acquired, very valuable skills”
She almost giggled, her body pumping with stored up energy. She looked at the other woman “Your turn Jischa…” She said in a strangely flat tone.

[Khalzaan]

"Dancing and contortionism..." Khal said, his eyes fluttering a few times as it seemed as if he was struggling to keep them open. "Now those are some good selections." With a sigh the Vanthan picked up his drink again, nine, ten, eleven... He put it back down a little unsteadily, gripping the table with one hand as his body swayed slightly and he peered up at Fade as she performed. His head rolled from side to side as he tracked the progress of the ball dancing over the woman's form, still blinking regularly, his eyes a light shade of blue. He clapped when she was done, "Bravo." He stated, raising his drink in salute, twelve, thirteen... He kept track drunkenly before peering at her inquisitively. "What other skills?" he asked.

[Guido Faragas]

The eighth and ninth sips of the dark ale passed through Guido’s lips. Already he could begin to feel its effects, for every sip was three time stronger than the standard ale that the tavern served. After one more sip, he put the drink down on the table a little too severely and watched as a few drops of the liquid sloshed over the edge and made their way slowly down its side, finally congregating in a pool at its base.

He flicked a quick glance to a nearby barmaid in response to Jischa’s request.

“More ales, please,” he murmured as the young girl arrived at the table. He gave her a brief wink and she nodded, returning a few moments later with four mugs of the special ale.

Although he knew that Fade was a skilled contortionist, he hadn’t seen her in action and he couldn’t prevent his lower jaw dropping slightly as she went through her routine. He returned her smile, wondering at the energy and variety of her performance and then joined Khal in both clapping and drinking in appreciation.

“That was truly....remarkable Fade,” he said, with a hint of admiration in his voice, before turning towards Jischa, intrigued to see how the dancer would perform.

[Jischa]

Jischa watched Fade perform with an appreciative eye. Much more talented at moving than talking, she mused inwardly, her gaze following the moving ball with a childlike wonder - Fade's performance was truly remarkable, especially considering how much they'd all had to drink by now. For her part, Jischa joined in the applause, looking at the mugs of ale Guido had procurred with barely veiled distaste. There was no way she was drinking that, after all she'd firmly stipulated that it was wine she'd be drinking. Turning away from the amber liquid in the mug, she rose to her feet unsteadily, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "Right, dancing." She giggled, swaying slightly, the fingertips of one hand reaching for the edge of the table for balance. "I..." she begins, the world swaying before her eyes. "I don't think I'm really up for dancing after all," she says apologetically, her eyes roaming over those still seated. A less accomplished drinker than all those present apparently, Jeiki giggled again. "I..should be going now. Fade, I conceed this contest to you, you're truly talented in your own way." Gracious in her loss via forfeit, she gave the woman a genuine smile, perhaps the first one bestowed in her direction the entire night. "And you, sweet Gerdo, I'll have to hear another of your tales one night, one when the tavern isn't..upside down?" She tilts her head to the side, her hair falling over her shoulder as she peers about the tavern suspiciously. "Golden Dragon.." she murmurs quietly, looking toward the door as she turns to move away from the table. "Which direction is that in again? Am I upside down too..?"

[Fade]

Fade grinned at the compliments, she strived for that, and secondly of course of the money she got by performing, but it was the admiration, the respect, the applause that would drive you on, or of course a slavers whip. She shivered slightly.

Fade waited for Jischa to perform just to be let down, it seemed the woman had enough of it all, especially the drink, come to think about it Fade didn’t feel so well either. She opened her mouth to voice a concern for Jischa’s safety “Are you sure you can manage?”

[Khalzaan]

Fourteen, fifteen... Khal counted inside his head as he took the last of the drinks he was obligated to, sighing in relief as he rocked on his chair a little unsteadily, his gaze swivelled to watch Jischa before he frowned as she ended up declining the dance. The Vanthan still turned to watch her leave however, resting the side of his head on the table as he watched the tight golden pants make their retreat, suddenly he frowned, his eyes shifting towards green. "Uh, excuse me for just one moment..." The drunk man said as he stood up and staggered for the door, just barely making it outside before emptying his stomach onto the pavement just outside. Bending over with his hands on his knees he groaned and sucked in the cool night air before pushing himself upright and staggering back towards his sweet, sweet bed.

[Guido Faragas]

A wry smile crossed Guido’s face as he watched Jischa’s abortive attempt to start her dance and then struggle to leave the bar. He raised his glass to Fade. “Well done, a well-deserved victory. I did not realise that you had such talent.” He spoke in obvious admiration.

The reimancer continued sipping his own ale until he had met the requirement of the contest, noting that Khal had finished his own forfeit and was looking decidedly drunk. Guido felt light—headed himself, grateful that he hadn’t drunk more of the strong ale.

“Good to meet you Khal, you are a fine storyteller,” he remarked as the charming man staggered towards the door. He sat back in his chair, his thoughts turning on the events of the evening. Oh, well, no point wasting good ale. Taking his half-empty glass in one hand, he drained it with one deep gulp.

[Fade]

Fade was not immune to alcohol it just affected her a bit later than other people. She watched Khan stagger out of the tavern her eyebrow raised a faint, maybe a bit bewildered, smile on her lips.
She eyed Guido, her senses getting fuzzy.
“years of slavery” She replied only to think about what she had said and correcting herself “training I mean, forgive me” Her mind head completely given her the slip even though both were true she absent minded voiced her thought “actually...both”
She looked bleary eyed at her not-so-finished as a pose to saying not-to-started drink.

[Ataraxia]

Khalzaan XP Hypnotism +2, Storytelling + 3, Drinking +3, Negotiation +1 Lore Playing the field | Entertaining a table | Losing your lunch -2sm (1 drink) Guido XP Obersvation +3, Meditation +1, Drinking +3, Storytelling +3 Lore Offering the gift of a hangover | Playing Mindgames with a drunk | Beckoning Djed | Subtlely moving a conversation along | Recognizing the arcane -4sm (2 drinks) Fade XP Rhetoric +3, Drinking +2, Acrobatics +2 Lore Concealing a Gnosis | Resisting Nakali's influence | Putting on a show -2sm (1 drink) Jischa XP Drinking +3, Seduction +1, Rhetoric +2, Observation +2, Negotiation +2 Lore Clothes make the woman | One upping the other woman | Chicken! Bawk bawk bawk! -1gm, 4sm (1 glass of wine, 2 drinks) Celina XP Observation +2, Rhetoric +2 Lore Sweet talking a bardmaid | Chastizing adults | More than meets the eye Comments Haha, the ultimate irony of this thread is that with all their bravado, Jischa and Khalzaan are the ones who stumbled out and lost their cookies first. I really liked the storytelling segments of this thread, though I do wish I could have seen Jischa attempt to drunkenly dance about to match Fade's performance. Good show, everyone. This thread was pretty long, so if I missed something you feel is deserved just let me know. Peace out!