Completed [The Herald's Arms] A Little Heat in the Cold (Open)

[Orin Fenix]

Orin Fenix Food Equals Love Orin was rather startled when Vanessa uttered a sentiment so similar, and yet so different, to what he had been thinking earlier. Of course, it sounded as if her relationship with her father had been much more loving than the one Orin had with his father, but the underlying message of carry on with as light a soul as you could manage was one he could support wholeheartedly. As Vanessa reached out to snag his neglected mug, he smiled at her, and tried to speak as sincerely as possible. ”For what it’s worth, even if it’s not worth much since we just met and are basically strangers, I think that’s completely the right attitude to have. And if you ever need a sympathetic ear you can come find me.” Orin was shocked as he completed the statement, never believing he could open up enough or have someone who considered him a confidant. That just wasn’t who he was as a person and he wasn’t entirely sure he knew where that had come from. Not that he wouldn’t want to provide someone with a shoulder to cry on but everything he had learned in his life had taught him that he wasn’t worth having as a friend. Fortunately, the fire dancing was distracting enough that he didn’t have to do any more soul searching. He could just lose himself in the flames, the music, and the dance for a chime. When the batons were finally extinguished with a flourish and the dancer had gone to take their much-deserved break, Orin turned back to Vanessa, feeling extremely pleased with how the evening had gone so far. He was shocked to hear that Vanessa was slurring her words. She’d only had two drinks and it was tavern ale, not fine wine. Perhaps she was simply someone who couldn’t hold her liquor very well. Either way, Orin immediately and unconsciously fell into a state of guarded wariness. It was a holdover from his childhood, when being in the presence of a drunk meant he was in for a beating. Orin was really hoping that Vanessa wasn’t actually drunk. Maybe she was simply tired and feeling a bit tipsy, but that didn’t change his reaction in the slightest. He was beginning to regret his earlier offer. He didn’t see anything wrong with drinking but he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to be comfortable in the presence of a drunk. However, he did his best to answer her questions without arousing suspicion. And if his words came out a little clipped and short compared to his earlier ease, well, hopefully in her inebriated state she would notice. ”I would agree, I’ve never seen anything quite like it.” He nodded slightly to emphasize his pleasure in the dance, unable to speak too much without betraying his inner turmoil. ”Oh, nothing in particular, I cook a little bit of everything.” Feeling the urge to cut the evening short between one or both of them did something they’d regret, Orin feigned a yawn, then said, “I’m exhausted. I should probably head out soon. Do you need any help getting home? If not, it was lovely to meet you.”[/b] Orin didn’t expect her to actually need help getting home but it was the polite thing to do. He rose to his feet and stretched his back, using the motion to step slightly away from the table. He wasn’t the only one to be getting up now that the main event of the night was over.

[Vanessa Lawson]

The raven haired woman smiled warmly and thanked him. She appreciated that he was willing to support her, even if they were strangers. It was pleasing o see such a nice man. He seemed to genuinely mean it, so that comforted her all the more. Then Vanessa frowned deeply when the man got up. It was obvious he wasn't tired and that yawn was fake, even she could see that. He looked a bit tense as well, maybe she was making him uncomfortable? Well she was a bit inebriated, plus the man seemed to have a problem with the alcohol. Then it hit her. "Are you 'fraid of drunks?" She didn't know what to say to that. She had to be wrong, right? If that was true why would Orin be in the Herald's Arms, a tavern of all places? She chuckled lightly at her own stupidity. The man wouldn't set foot near the place if it were true. She smiled awkwardly and squirmed in her seat a bit as she spoke. "Sorry, that was stupid of me." She tried not to slur just in case it was proven true, but she wasn't entirely sure. She soon found the food very interesting. She didn't eat though, she simply pushed the food around the plate with her fork. She didn't want the man to leave because she enjoyed his company, but she didn't want to force him here if he was already frightened. It wouldn't be fair. "You can go if you like, but I'd be happy to have you stay." She said, finally able to keep herself from slurring the sentence. It was unreal how fast she'd lost herself to the alcohol, but she guessed it was simply a tiring day.

[Orin Fenix]

Orin Fenix Food Equals Love Orin froze in place at her question. It was nothing but the honest truth and Orin felt incredibly stupid at having his admittedly thin ruse discovered. Although it wasn’t exactly true that he was afraid of drunks. It was more that he always felt what was, in his mind, a healthy wariness around them. They were unpredictable and often underwent significant changes in personality. Their judgment was also not anywhere near as good as someone sober. For someone like Orin, who had trouble with people at the best of times, drunks were a wild card. And, he knew he harbored a slightly unreasonable amount of residual dread about alcoholics that stemmed from his father. Orin knew he should be making more of an effort to get used to people drinking but it felt easier and simpler to avoid interactions and hide from the world as much as he could. He rarely actually went to taverns or parties where people would be drinking heavily to avoid just this situation. The only reason he had come tonight was because he had heard that seeing the fire dancers were a once in a lifetime opportunity. They truly had been amazing, and Orin was still glad he had come out here, no matter how the night ended. Orin was saved from actually having to admit his shortcomings when Vanessa laughed at the idea of someone being scared of drunks. Though it sent a pang of sadness through him to hear her declare it stupid, he had to agree with her. It was such a silly phobia and yet, he couldn’t seem to get over it. However, it was unfair to Vanessa to leave her and make her think she had done something wrong. And she certainly didn’t seem to be a dangerous person while inebriated. Orin felt he should probably give her the benefit of the doubt. So, with just a bit of trepidation, Orin sank slowly back into his seat. ”No no, don’t apologize!” Though he gritted his teeth, Orin forced himself to continue. ”It is a funny thought, that someone could be afraid of drunks. I mean, imagine that!” Hoping that was the end of the discussion and that they could just move on to another topic, Orin asked, ”So what’d you think of the dancers? Kind of incredible, huh?” Orin watched her push her food around her plate in an almost eerie mirror of his earlier activity when he was unsure of what to do. Sudden feeling guilty at having made her feel bad Orin tried to grin to lighten the mood. ”Actually, I’m having a grand old time! I don’t mind staying up a bit later than usual if you don’t!” Her slurring had gotten worse and Orin abruptly felt an uncharacteristic responsibility for Vanessa’s well being. She been good company tonight and while she could probably handle herself better if trouble brewed than Orin could, she was vulnerable in her current state. Perhaps it would be a good idea if he made sure she was fine before they parted ways. So, he leaned forward and put his head in his hands and said gaily, ”So, are you going to finish that? Because if you won’t I will.” Orin actually was shocked to find he was a bit hungry. Two meals should’ve been enough to fill him up and then some. Maybe he was growing again. He always ate a lot more when he was due for a growth spurt. His guardians had certainly complained enough about it, muttering about Orin eating them out of ‘home, hearth, and their hard earned cash.’

[Vanessa Lawson]

Vanessa smiled gratefully when Orin decided to stay. It was refreshing to have carried ng company, even more so when they were understanding. She was relieved he'd decided to stay, but he seemed a bit hesitant. She would hold herself up as best she could until she actually had to leave. "Yes, they were very unique." The raven haired girl smiled and pushed over her plate, she wasn't very hungry so if the man wanted the food it was his. She couldn't put her finger on it, but he seemed a bit.. off again. Orin was distracted by something, but her inebriated state dismissed it. It was beyond her to understand at the point. "So do you do in you free time Orin?"

[Orin Fenix]

Orin Fenix Food Equals Love Orin settled into the task of keeping Vanessa occupied with just a hint of trepidation. His conversation skills were, well, nonexistent at the best of times and he’d exhausted many of their available conversation topics. But he’d agreed to stay with her for a bit longer and he would hold to his word. That didn’t make it an easy task though. The dancers seemed like a safe topic to stick to, and, honestly, they fascinated Orin. Leaning forward, Orin tried to sound eager. ”I’ve never seen anything quite like it! I wonder where they came from and where they learned to do that? I mean, I don’t really know how dancing of any kind works and this especially just seems like, well, magic to me.” The swirling of their batons echoed briefly through his mind, and Orin smiled at the memory. Whatever else happened, it had been worth it to see the dance. He idly wondered if the day ever came when he owned his own eatery, he could hire them. Of course, that set his mind drifting towards the foods he would serve. Orin wondered if entertainment would even be necessary, if he would have it every night, or save it for special occasions. Of course this would be far in the future. Digging into the remains of Vanessa’s food, Orin smiled. ”Thanks! I don’t know why I’ve been so hungry lately.” As Orin worked on finishing the last of the food on the plate, Vanessa asked him what he did with his free time. Luckily Orin was saved from having to answer immediately by the presence of food in his mouth and he chewed slowly, trying to come up with something that wouldn’t make him sound silly and would maybe impress the squire. ”Well, I certainly don’t come here often! Not that there’s anything wrong with it, I mean, it’s a wonderful establishment, but I just meant that I don’t get out that much.” Orin coughed to cover her nervousness, before continuing. ”My free time is pretty limited. Honestly, mostly I work. Nothing too exciting. Sometimes in the mornings I’ll get up and work on my rather poor fighting ability.” Suddenly lighting on a potential discussion topic, Orin decided to ask if Vanessa knew of Garland. He didn’t really know how close the squires were. ”Actually, another squire helped me the other day when I was practicing my dagger. Do you know Garland?”

[Vanessa Lawson]

The raven haired woman smiled. The man was ecstatic about the dancers, and they had caught Vanessa's attention as well. She really did dance, the truth of the manner would actually be she couldn't dance. Or rather didn't know how. It was something she'd never been introduced to, so she'd never had the chance to learn it. Sure she could try, but she rather not do something that would make her look a complete fool. "They were lovely, but I'd rather leaving dancing to others seeing as how I'd make a fool of myself if AI tried." Orin seemed to enjoy the food. She laughed a bit before speaking. "Nothing wrong with eating a good meal." She was finally relaxing for once, but she still felt awkward when she spoke. It was as if she thought something she was saying was going to be wrong. The woman dismissed it as her socially awkward ways, thinking more about enjoying the rest of the night. "You don't? I come here a bit, but more so to the Rearing Stallion." She said, nodding for him to continue. She understood how busy one's work could get, especially since she was a squire. "Oh? You fight? Maybe we can spar sometime. I wouldn't mind helping you improve." She added. She shook her head when the he mention another squire. "Unfortunately I don't." Vanessa then moved to a topic she thought might be interesting to hear about. "So, do you have any other fighting skills besides using a dagger?" She asked. It was interesting to see a cook who could fight. Maybe he had something he could teach her. Either way she hadn't met many a cook, even less so one that could fight.

[Orin Fenix]

Orin Fenix Food Equals Love ”I rather doubt you’d looked anything but elegant out there!” Orin said then blushed once again. He’d simply meant to compliment her but it came out in a rather romantic fashion and he hastened to correct any misconceptions he might have had. ”Not that I think I’d ever get to see you dance or would want to dance with you, although I mean I’m sure you’d be lovely to dance with, I just meant you’re so graceful and strong from all the training and I find it hard to well, imagine that you’d be a bad dancer.” Orin was afraid he’d just made it worse, and he buried his head in his hands, mortified. ”I’m babbling again aren’t I?” Sighing, Orin forced himself to grin ruefully at Vanessa. ”You’ll never see me at a dance. I have been told every time I even tried that I had two left feet. Potential partners would flee at the sight of me!” Orin chuckled to let the raven-haired woman know he was having just a joke at his own expense, although it was true that he avoided dances and dancing. For one thing, he was incredibly awkward out there. But mostly it was because dances were too social for him and the people there would ridicule him whether he danced or not. He much preferred the solitude of the woods or the warmth of the kitchen, where he could be himself. Bringing him focus back to Vanessa, Orin had to grin at her comment. ”Of course I have to agree with you, considering my profession!” Then his eyes widened when she mentioned the Rearing Stallion. ”You go to The Rearing Stallion a lot? I’m surprised I’ve never seen you there! Well, actually, it’s not that strange, I don’t get to the front rooms a lot so I don’t see our patrons that often.” Realizing he had left out the most important part and Vanessa was probably completely mystified as to what Orin was talking about, he quickly mentioned. ”That’s where I work. I should’ve mentioned that first. Although I just started there so it still hasn’t quite sunk in if that makes sense.” Orin was still amazed that he had landed what to him was a dream job. Although he was still settling in there and finding the rhythm, it was an altogether magical experience. When the subject turned to weapons though, Orin felt a bit of panic and he held his hands out in front of him as if to stop Vanessa’s words with them. He wasn’t a fighter by any stretch of the imagination. Mostly the work on dagger was for confidence and not in the event that he’d ever actually be in combat. It was a laughable thought. Taking a deep breath, Orin tried to figure out how to explain to Vanessa why he was training in the first place. ”I’d be happy to spar with you but really, you’d be much better off in the hands of someone who knows what they’re doing. To say that I have skills in the dagger is a joke really.” Orin shook his head at the thought of him in a match with Vanessa who could probably take him down instantly. ”Really I don’t even know why I’m doing it. I mean it sounds silly but somehow I was thinking that just knowing I could protect myself would be enough or something. I just needed a boost for my spirits I guess.” Orin shrugged, hoping Vanessa would understand. Even though Orin didn't understand it himself really.

[Vanessa Lawson]

Vanessa smiled. So he thought she could dance? Well, he was dead wrong, however she decided not to point that out. "Thank you, Orin." She said happily. "I don't mind your babbling, I think it's cute. To be honest I'm not very coordinated with footwork." She added reassuringly. It was like she had said before. Even with all her training, dancing wasn't something she could see herself doing. Her footwork was already terrible in battle, but on a dance floor? Probably a hazard to her health as well as her partner. She laughed a bit before speaking. "That's funny because I think I'd be told the same thing if I were to try. I've never danced before." Her smile never left after she calmed down. She was much enjoying herself. "Wait you work there?" She said stunned. It was really funny because of were she thought he would be. "I thought you'd be in somewhere fancy cooking something extravagant." She said honestly. The way he carried himself made Orin seem shy, but he was very passionate about his work. She just assumed he was part of a fine dinning establishment. She was truly shocked that he'd be in the Stallion. She immediately changed her statement when she realized that might have been rude. "I just mean, you look like more the type to be in somewhere big. Somewhere refined." She added quickly. The raven haired woman smiled at his protests. "Don't worry, I won't force you if you don't want to." She said with a wink. She looked over at the doors, and saw it was getting late. "I hate to say it, but It's about time I got going." She said sadly, looking back to Orin before standing. She put on her cloak and spoke before turning to leave. "Thanks for sticking around with me. We'll have to do this again sometime."

[Orin Fenix]

Orin Fenix Food Equals Love Orin couldn’t imagine that Vanessa had poor footwork while fighting or while dancing. It seemed like the same control you needed over your body to train as a squire would translate well to the dance floor. However, Orin wasn’t an expert on anything physical. He did want to reassure the raven-haired woman in front of him. ”I bet you’re much better than you think you are and I would love to see you dance at some point.” Struck by a sudden inspiration, Orin grinned wildly. ”You know what? I bet that all that training with weapons makes you a lot better at controlling your body than you would expect.” Chuckling, Orin continued. ”And maybe if you train in dancing, it could, I don’t know, make you more coordinated on the battlefield.” Shaking his head, Orin added ruefully. ”Of course I’m just a lowly chef who knows little of the fighting arts, so, please, ignore my probably wonderfully ignorant advice.” Orin actually laughed to see his own awkward verbal backpedalling expressed in someone else. It actually was endearing in a strange way and it made Orin feel a little better to know that he might not be quite as weird as he thought he was. That didn’t mean that he shouldn’t try to watch his tongue whenever he caught himself babbling. ”No, I’m just a pretty simple guy when it comes to cooking right now. Hopefully one day I’ll own my own place and be able to make what I want but for now I’ve got a lot to learn.” Orin smiled at Vanessa. ”I appreciate that you think I belong somewhere more upscale. Actually, the chefs at the Rearing Stallion are really quite skilled and I’m lucky to be learning from them! Although it does make me incredibly anxious since I’m so terrified of messing up. Which of course tends to make me mess up more often, not less.” Orin was still trying to recover from the embarrassment of some of his more egregious mistakes. Orin hadn’t noticed how much time had actually passed. It had been so long since he had simply talked to someone that the simple pleasure made the time fly. Standing up so suddenly that only a quick save kept his chair from falling over, he smiled at Vanessa. ”The pleasure was all mine!” Orin was relieved he wasn’t going to have to pit his martial skills against hers. Overall, the evening had gone much better than he had expected it to. ”Definitely! If you’re ever in the Rearing Stallion pop your head in the back and say hello!” Gathering his cloak, he walked out to face the cold and the snow with a light heart, knowing that he had managed to get through an evening without making a total fool of himself. And maybe he had even come out of it with a friend.

[Matthew]

Orin

Experience Points:

• +1 Dance
• +2 Diplomacy
• +2 Interrogation
• +4 Observation
• +5 Socialization

Lores:

• Dance: Basic Fire Dancing
• Interrogation: Finding Basic Details through Casual Conversation

Vanessa

Experience Points:

• +1 Dance
• +1 Diplomacy
• +1 Interrogation
• +4 Observation
• +5 Socialization

Lores:

• Dance: Basic Fire Dancing

If you have any questions or concerns relevant to your grade, don't be afraid to send me a private message so that we can work it all out! Please remember to mark your Grading Request as Graded.

A shout-out to Ollic Rimesage, who was kind enough to make this template for me.