Miyari looks around as it feels like everything is slowing down around her. The individual raindrops are easier to make out, no longer just blurry streaks. Her head turns towards the woman, though not as quickly as she's used to being able to respond to such things, to watch as she goes by. Her mind perceives what's happening, but her muscles just don't respond fast enough for her to properly react.
So when it seems that time speeds back up, she reaches to grab her forehead and ends up smacking herself in the face, just hard enough to make an audible 'pap'. She looks around quickly to make sure nobody saw her then moves further towards the Dragon's Rest with a few quick steps to see if she can make out where the woman and the girl have ended up. To the bard, she asks uncertainly, "Did you see that, Llewyn?"
Inside the Dragon's Rest
The clerks seem to be having quite the time, and as far as Armin can tell, they are not paying any mind to the rest of the room.
Llewyn hears the cry but thinks nothing of it. That man made his bed, he'd lie in it one way or the other.
He enters the Dragon's Rest and looks for a seat, perhaps one by a fire to warm the chill out of his bones.
The scarred woman's eyes seem wary as Llewyn finds a seat across from her in one of the plump chairs with high backs near the fireplace. The girl sitting in her lap holds what seems to be a much loved teddy bear. The stuffed animal has only a single glass bead for an eye. The other is missing and only bears a stitch marking the place like a miniature battle scar.
The urchin watches Llewyn and tilts her head slightly as he settles in. Her eyes sparkle reflectively like an opal, no irises or whites evident at all. Llewyn can't help but feel somehow he should speak to the girl...yes, maybe she would like that. A girl with eyes like that...Arielle would make a good nickname until he knows her real one. Llewyn realizes this is an odd thing to think, but nonetheless it feels right.
The woman clutches an arm around the girl as if she is anticipating Llewyn will attack them, but otherwise says nothing to him. She glances at the girl and seems to notice something she wasn't expecting.
"Arielle!" she hisses. "Your eyes...!
As if the woman's rebuke changed things, the sparkle in Arielle's eyes slowly fades and brown irises begin to appear. The desire for connection fades with it, almost draining out of Llewyn's mind. He may or may not remember what he had been feeling.
Looking up at her scarred visage, the girl looks at the woman for a moment in silence then says in a small voice. "Sorry, Corrie...I didn't mean to..."
The woman sighs and whispers, "I know, little one, I know." She ruffles Arielle's hair and smiles. "We just need to be careful. That's all."
As if suddenly remembering he was there, the woman called Corrie looks up at Llewyn. After a second, she smiles shyly and says, "Sorry about that. Things are a little strange for us."
Nothing within the Dragon's Rest seems to escape the android's steely, inhuman gaze, despite the special attention he pays to the three clerks. The more Armin watched them, the stranger their behavior appeared to be. Mostly on account of the scarred one, he observed. He was not entirely certain of what to make of him. Minutes pass before Armin realizes that he has not been blinking as frequently as a human should; he had not done so at all, for that matter. However, it is perhaps because of this slip that he manages to catch a glimpse of something moving into the tavern - something someone might have missed in the blink of an eye.
It is only then that Armin blinks, more out of confusion than any compulsion to patch up his facade. For a moment he forgets the clerks, his eyes instead shifting to inspect the rest of the room. Someone had not been in the tavern before the door had burst open. It does not take long at all for him to find the girl. Another person with odd eyes, but not in a way that was familiar. No, this was something else entirely.
Arielle. The name nearly escapes his lips, leaving him puzzled. He was all but certain that he had never seen this girl before, and yet, he could not imagine calling her by any other name. It was something he could not quite comprehend. Only with a great degree of reluctance does he tear his gaze away, his mind suddenly filled with new questions, none of which had to do with himself.
As he raises his cup as though to drown these strange thoughts, his eyes pick up on more mundane things. Moments that, if observed a second too soon or too late, would not seem so odd. It did not occur to Armin that he had failed to blink again. Something is going on here.
Glen comes in to the Dragon's Rest finding Miyari right away. "Ah Miyari, did you happen to see a young girl and woman come in here just now?" He considered they way the two had left him "They may have been somewhat difficult to follow."
Spotting the two over by the fire Glen smiles "Nevermind, Glen has found them, come let's see if they will share their spot by the fire." He strides confidently towards the two "Sally, Arielle might Glen and his companion sit with you? Glen would be pleased to continue our talk. Glen would be most interested in hearing your story young one. Glen and Miyari could tell theirs as well if you wish to hear, though Miyari is better at the telling."
Brokk's eyes beam like Nevylle for Bentello. For the first time in a long time he has someone to listen him. He doesn't pay attention to anyone or anything (Armin included). "The nobles of Brevoy have set up heirarchy excluding any Dwarven members! They hate us! Did ye know Choral the Conqueror used a band of dwarves to take down the might of Issia and Rostland? It was them, or so a Rostlander would tell ye, that took the Golden Road between Restov and New Stetvan. A road made of gold bricks! Can ye believe what these morons would believe?!"
He takes another drink, using his sleeve as a napkin. "Ye ever here of Gerrold the Giant?" He pauses but not long enough for Armin to respond if he were paying attention to the dwarf. "Ye haven't. Let me tell ye then. He wasn't hill giant or anything like that. Gerrold the Giant was more rare than...than...a flying moose!" His arms flew in to the air with excitement. Beer spilled out of his tankard and on to the table. As he slid his hand across the table, pouring the beer back in to his tankard he explained, "Gerrold was a giant dwarf! He stood about 6 ft tall and was completely hairless. Some say with out hair to grow his body just kept growing and growing. He carried a two handed axe, the axe head carved out of Obsidian. He called it his brother. He formed a strong but small band of dwarves dubbed the Obsidian Brothers and it was them who Choral used to create Brevoy. After Choral died they were kicked out of Brevoy and forced to be mercenaries. For hundreds of years the Obsidian Brothers sold their man power to the highest bidders, stripped of their right to land in Brevoy. I am the very last of those brothers and my only goal is to- Armin are you listening? Armin!? AR-MAN!"
As Llewyn ignores her question, Miyari's ears fold back and she looks around again, mumbling, "Perhaps I've simply lost my mind." The explanation makes sense, more than anything . She relaxes a bit when Glen asks her if she saw the two. She opens her mouth to give her answer and then clamps her mouth back down with a 'clack' when Glen presses on without waiting for an answer.
She crosses her arms and then walks towards the table, tapping her elbow lightly with her fingertips. She is unsure about approaching in the first place, but like her companion, she has some difficulty resisting a mystery. "Hello. Yes, as my friend has said, I am Miyari. It's a pleasure, though I hope that you forgive our rudeness for intruding here," says Miyari, still somewhat flustered by having gone completely mad.
In the street
The rain lightened a little, but the paving stones before the inn were already slick with water and cast the light of the street torches around the area. Ali could can plainly see that Bentello is merely toying with Ruvius now as the younger man made more and more desperate attempts to defeat the nobleman. Bentello makes flashy ripostes and over-embellished flourishes in order to make shallow stabs and minor cuts. Ruvius bleeds from several small wounds, and the toll they are taking on him is soon becoming obvious.
Bentello smiles cruelly and circles his opponent during a brief break, his breath shallow like he's getting a good workout. His fine clothes soaked with rain and sweat and the odd splash of blood from Ruvius' veins. Ruvius struggles to keep his feet, his own breathing ragged and his sword hand trembles as he fights to maintain his stance. The anger on his face slightly diffused by the growing realization that he's probably in over his head.
"Had enough, 'Rufish'?" Bentello taunts. "I'm still willing to let you out of this and run away if you promise to leave Restov forever. I guarantee Nevyl will get my full attention...at least until the next flower blooms." The last is said softer pitched more for Ruvius alone.
Ruvius face becomes still as he shifts his grip on the hilt of his sword.
"This will be the only petal you'll pluck anytime soon, Bentello," Ruvius says quietly, the menace in his voice evident. He takes a deep breath and then flourishes his sword in the Steel Blossom form.
Bentello sneers and advances. Ruvius' eye gleams in a calculating way and he charges forward. Their blades meet and the ring echoes around the street. Ruvius lets the momentum of Bentello's swing to push him down and allows his feet to slip from under him. His momentum carries forward, and Ruvius slides under Bentello's sword and arm thanks to the rain. A single lightning quick flash of steel causes a flower of blood to appear as Ruvius stabs Bentello's crotch. The angle of the strike doesn't look lethal, but it is most certainly...damaging.
Bentello's face goes completely white with shock, and the catcalls and jeers from the other younglings quiet down as they are all stunned by this turn of events. Ruvius' slide ends a few meters away, and he holds his blade shakily before him and slowly tries to rise while watching for a counterattack.
Bentello's free hand comes up and seeing the blood from where he had clutched himself almost involuntarily, his breathing becomes rapid. Then the rage appears. Pure hatred flows forth as his eyes land on Ruvius.
"You...cursed son of a whore! I will gut you like the river fish you are!" The snarl is almost inhuman and Bentello raises his sword and swings hard.
The flurry that follows is no longer toying, no longer for the amusement of himself or others, but wholly bent on the destruction of Ruvius. Ruvius natural skill shows as he fends Bentello off...for a time. Both hindered by their wounds, the fight goes on with furious earnest. Ruvius now slightly sobered from his own anger does his best, but he is clearly on the defensive, and despite his rage, Bentello's evident experience cannot be denied. Soon, an exchange comes, and Bentello's slashes the back of Ruvius knee in the backstroke of his swing. The youth drops to his other knee in a cry of pain. Another arc of steel, and a crimson tide of bloods courses down Ruvius' sword arm. His blade falls from his grasp to the cobbles with a clang.
Bentello's face is cold, flecks of spittle on his lips which are peeled back in a rictus of terrible anger. "Now...now the better man will pierce Nevyl this night, I promise you..." Bentello reaches down and grabs the arm of Ruvius that he had cut. The youth's breath catches as Bentello digs his fingers into the wound. Leaning close, his voice coarse sounding and quiet, Bentello says,
"If I cannot pierce Nevyl's flower with my sword, then my blade will have to do. I promise you this, Ruvius."
Then the noble thrusts his steel through Ruvius ribs with a passion born of hatred. Ruvius tries to cough and blood falls down his chin. Bentello twists the blade, and then jerkily pulls it free. He drops Ruvius to the street and painfully attempts to rise. Blood from his groin has clearly soaked one of his pant legs. The crowd is still quiet, but murmurs begin to whisper among the crowd. The half-orc is nowhere to be seen.
Weasel and the elf rush to Bentello, and between them they beging to hurriedly assist Bentello with walking. They loudly discuss getting him back to the family manor for healing immediately.
Ruvius, the fallen youth defending the honor of the woman he dearly loves, lies gurgling his last breaths while the red of lifeblood begins to mix with the mud and the rain, soon to be washed away...possibly forever.
Ali observes the duel in near-silence, letting out a gasp as the pair draw blood. The furious flashes of steel create lightning strikes in Ali's mind, driving the youth back against the wall with the violence of the scene.
Alone amongst the crowd, Ali decides to act despite any potential. Benito's cruelty and Ruvius' crude reproaches craft a crude vista that embeds itself upon the psyche - however Ali acts.
Focussing on the red pool of rage that is Ruvius life-line, a sense that Ali got from every individual encountered. An anima, or soul as Willow used to call it - that you could temporarily fuse yourself too. Willow promised; one summers eve when the blossoms were in bloom to teach Ali the way of seeing through anothers' anima.
Thus the clang of Ruvius' steel upon the floor draws Ali's attention back to the scene. Taking a cleansing breath, Ali's focuses on that strand, a thin life line that swirls about the misma of Ruvius' being. Reaching out a hand Ali ties their lines together.
Benito grabs the youths thin arm roughly causing Ali to gasp and as the sword pierces Ruvius' side Ali slumps into the gutter beside the the pub.
Not a single one of the nobles pays any mind to the ragged looking boy in the shadows of the second floor overhang who collapses and slides down the side of the inn. Blood begins leaking down Ali's side onto the wet stones.
"An impressive tale," Armin replies abruptly, sounding somehow distant. In spite of everything, nothing that Brokk said had escaped his attention. He was in fact an excellent listener, though in this particular moment, he did not exactly look the part. The android sets his drink down, forcing himself to focus all of his attention on the dwarf. He did not know what to make of the myriad distractions, but he could not forget his manners.
"I am no expert, but it sounds like your kin have long earned their keep," he says sincerely. "And it seems you have quite a legacy to live up to. I cannot exactly say the same."
From the gutter, Ali rolls over and summons the healing essence to help with their own wounds....whilst still maintaining the life-link to the bleeding Ruvius. Ears open they listen to see if Benito and their cronies are leaving or if any of Ruvius' friends are coming to help them.
The half-orc returns to the table of the proper duelist. The tusked figure grunts a whisper in the man's ear and then calls for another drink. The man hisses a curse and flicks a glance towards the scarred man almost reflexively while his fingers twitch oddly. His gaze returns to his goblet, and he takes a long drink from it. Meanwhile, one of the gnomes begins to sing a strange song about the color of starwheels. The other gnome joins him in a round, but his song seems to be different, something about the smell of sunbeams on teardrops. Despite the oddity, the song is not nearly as discordant as one would expect. Their half-elf companion merely chuckles and sips from his mug of ale.
With a grimace youth pushes pushes himself out of the gutter, clothes stained by the heavy rain that plasters his dark hair lankly to his forehead. As a foal newly birthed Ali stumbles towards the centre of the duel and the dying man.
Putting a light hand upon the worried shoulder of Ruvius' Second, Ali speaks barely above a whisper to the duelists friend. "Act not rashly for does not your friends eyes still flicker, there is still life in him yet. For his spirit is strong..let me."
"Hey!" yells the young man who was trying to talk Ruvius out of his folly. "Wha-what do you think you're doing? If you harm him more, I'll...I'll-"
Ruvius' friend advances towards the fallen youth and where Ali leans over him. His hand rests on the hilt of a rather plain looking rapier. Definitely not the mark of a dueling school student.
"Does this place seem... odd to you?" Armin adds, chancing a glance away from Brokk. The strange girl and peculiar clerk aside, the inn as a whole seemed off to him somehow.
Llewyn snaps out of the daze.
"Mm. So it is." He turns away from the child and woman, facing instead the flame. Well, that was an odd experience. He averts his gaze from the two, they are obviously curious, and don't want his attention. That's fine, I don't want their trouble. Not tonight.
In the Streets
"Stay you hand and your mouth, lest Benito come back to finish 'im." Ali says softly putting his other hand to the young mans fore-arm. "I can help, if I'm fast. See his last breaths flow through the punctured wound."
The injured healer turns and focuses on the dying duelist, showing his back to the friend trusting it too will not be punctured.
"A giants shoes to fill for me!"
"Aye, these people can't stand us stouter folk but don't mind being served by 'em!" Brokk replies matter of factly. "Give me a week serving these ingrates and oh, the dwarves would have their revenge!"
Feeling those eyes upon him Llewyn turns to the child and woman once more. Compelled to speak by forces larger than himself
"You there, little one. A---Annie is it? And I suppose your friend is ...hmmm... Tibbers?"
Llewyn smiles to himself, sure he had the right name and that the naming of the bear was entirely genius. He looks again into the fire.
I don't have any more coin, I can't afford a room. If I can just stay here by the fire through the evening, I can leave early and get to that damn office. No more delays in this tale of greatness.
Llewyn sits for another moment before pulling out a small graphite pencil and begins writing something on the back of an old handbill.
Corrie looks at Llewyn almost puzzled, but he is saved from whatever she is about to say when a short figure whose unfortunate features are not quite completely hidden by the hat drawn somewhat low over his face. The other to join them is a catfolk female not often seen in these parts, but of whom are not wholly unheard. The woman's scarred visage looks at Miyari in alarm for a second having not expected to see anyone other than the shorter Glen. However her expression changes to one of utter surprise and the silence drags on as Corrie stares at Miyari, her mouth working but no sound issuing from it.
The young girl with the big brown eyes suddenly says,
"Look Mr. Bubbles. That lady has a tail."
She holds up the worn teddy so it can get a better view of Miyari.
Arielle looks up at Corrie's face and her transfixed expression, and then turns to regard Glen with a tilted head while drawing the bear back to her chest.
"Does your friend purr when you scratch her ears?"
Almost without warning a surprisingly comely female half-orc appears at Miyari's elbow. She smiles around her dainty tusks at everyone. "Evenin' to ya. Welcome ta the Dragon's Rest. Ye all needing some refreshments, I take it? We're also serving up some vegetable and mutton stew or some baked pork belly on toasted bread if'n that be more the matter on yur mind."
She looks bright eyed at each of them in turn and gives a little wink to the girl Arielle.
"Oh! And if'n ye want any a-com-ma-dations," the waitress says this last word very phonetically, "we be having some spaces available. Otherwise ye be welcome to stay in the tavern room all night. But ya got to order sumpin if'n ya want to do that."
In the Streets
Leaning over the the bleeding young man, vitae mingling with the rain as it pools under him upon the cobbles, Ali peers sightlessly at Ruvius as if examining his soul.
Bringing a delicate hand across Ruvius' open staring eyes
Ali whispers softly into his ear; "I'm giving you a second chance, a second chance to live with thought rather than die impetuously."
"Talk to your lass next time. Tell 'er how you feel, if she cares for you she wouldn't want to see you blood on the streets for her honour."
The ugly stump looks towards Llewyn for a moment "Apologies sir if Glen is interrupting your conversation." Despite the apology Glen doesn't appear to have any intention of yielding the conversation to Llewyn "These two have piqued his curiosity, he couldn't simply stand by and let them fade away" The goblinoid shifts his eyes over towards the one he's dubbed Sally "Again."
The woman's shock at seeing Miyari was curious, certainly it would be a surprise that a hideous wretch of a creature like Glen would have any friends, but the dumbstruck speechlessness was more than expected. Miyari seemed somewhat put out as well "There seems to be something going on here that is unsaid perhaps Glen will learn of it."
Glen turns his attention again to Arielle as she asks about Miyari and scratching her ears "Well Glen has never attempted to do so, she keeps them primarily out of his reach, and it seems to him that it may not be appropriate conduct for our partnership... though he must admit it never occurred to Glen to ask if she wanted her ears scratched Though he does not understand all social interactions..." Turning to look up at the cat woman towering beside him Glen asks "Miyari did you want Glen to scratch your ears?"
Glen removes his hat deciding that they were accepted and could stay and talk with Arielle and 'Sally' and keeping the hat on indoors would be considered rude. His unfortunate features now fully exposed, he had a sickly almost green complexion ears that were pointed, but drooped, his eyes were tinged pink with beady black pupils, and a large bulbous nose was set almost directly between them. Glen's mouth was small and thin and his lips almost indistinguishable though they didn't seem to have any problem forming the words when he spoke. The small mouth seemed out of place on the large head, which Glen's small thin neck seemed like it must strain to keep up, on the other hand maybe his head was too small that depended on what race you assumed he belonged to with his features it wasn't very evident. Most people tended to assume he was a gnome maybe with some kind of horrible hereditary disease, but if one would really study his features closely they could come to the conclusion that he's in fact a Goblin.
Glen is just setting his hat down by the fire to dry when the waitress appears "Ah! yes accommodations... What is the charge for such things? Cases haven't been paying much recently Glen is a bit short. Miyari perhaps you would share with him and split the cost?"
"Of course," Armin replies dryly, without being terribly specific about what he is replying to. He finds himself distracted once more by the clerk. His every action seemed so... deliberate. There is no mistaking it, then. The android nods to himself, resolving to meet with the man. But not at the moment; after all, it would be rude to leave the dwarf on his own now. He was certainly a strange one, but Armin had found his tale genuinely interesting. He could not recall hearing many stories in the relatively short time he has been around.
"You were saying something about your only goal? I take it you have to win these humans over, somehow."
Miyari stares back at the bear for a few moments with an expression very reminiscent of a cat who has just had something unexpected dropped in front of it.
"No thank you, Glen. I can reach my ears very well if they ever require scratching," says Miyari flatly, before she speaks to the girl. Her expression softens and becomes a bit more friendly. She grabs her own tail, gently of course, and brings the tip a bit closer to the girl. "Yes, I do have a have a tail. I'm not sure if you've ever met any catfolk before, but that is what I am. There are not many of my kind around these parts, but I am very much like anybody else. Purring is not something that I do much of, sorry to say. Though I am pleased to meet both you and Mr. Bubbles."
Her slitted, golden eyes turn towards the scarred woman and she remarks, "And you are her caretaker, I presume?"
To Glen, she simply nods a couple of times and says, "So long as you allow me some time to myself to prepare for the night and the day."
"Ah, forget about it. A tale for another time I suppose." Brokk said soberly. He looked in to his emptying tankard. He hadn't told anyone yet his true intentions and who would believe him. "I owe nothing to these humans. Fact is, nothing will impress these fools prancing around and stabbing each other!"
"Good, then Glen assumed correctly" Glen responds regarding the scratching of Miyari's ears.
His slightly flopped ears waggle as Glen nods to agree "Yes of course, Glen will require his time to make his preparations and his formulae as well." Looking back to the waitress he conveys his order "Glen an Miyari shall need one room together, and Glen would like the stew for himself please. Are you wanting something to eat Miyari?"
Llewyn listens to the half-orc's words while his eyes are enchanted by her figure. Whether she was that pretty a sight or if Llewyn's bar had been battered down by long weeks on the road and in the villages it didn't matter. At this moment, at least she wasn't covered in scars. Well, that's something you don't see every day. 'Course she'd have to be to get work as the serving girl "Oh! And if'n ye want any a-com-ma-dations," I sure wouldn't mind. Maybe you might show me around... "we be having some spaces available. Otherwise ye be welcome to stay in the tavern room all night..." Perfect. "...But ya got to order sumpin if'n ya want to do that."
Well, there it is. As if the woman could read my mind
He thinks over his options. Before coming to any easy solutions, the goblin speaks.
"Oh, no problem at-" it is immediately apparent the goblin has no interest in his words.
Back to his problem. He fishes his hand in his coin purse, hoping to find any sliver of metal.
"Miss! Might I have a word?" Llewyn hopes for the half-orc's attention.
"Yes, I would like something to eat. It's been a long day on the road, and dried meat hardly cuts it," Miyari answers Glen, and adds for the benefit of the barmaid, "The baked pork belly sounds lovely."
Ali turns to Ruvius friend, looking at him through pale eyes almost daring him to act or say anything. "I'll bring him back to t' waking world, but tha'll need to get him to a proper 'erbalist and keep it under wraps."
Meanwhile - Outside
Looking around from the corner of the Inn. Kalica returns towards the entrance of the Inn after checking on her horse. She spots Ali leaning over a hurt man in the street and their companion with their hand on their hilt looking down at Ali threatening. Kalica walks purposely over to Ali's side with hand on her sword and sizes up the companion.
"Release your hand from your hilt or I will strike you down where you stand!" Kalica places herself between Ali and the stranger. She glares at the youth with menace in her eyes.
"it's all reet miss. He weren't gonna draw on me, 'e's just worried about his mate." the young lad says nervously trying to defuse the situation.
"'ow's about I buy you a drink in yonder pub?" Ali asks the elf, vaguely recognising the voice, but during the tension of the situation not putting a name to the voice.
The appearance of the waitress seems to shake the woman called Corrie and Sally out of her daze. With a last blink at Miyari, Corrie/Sally looks at the waitress and says, "Some stew for the little one, baked pork for me, and two small beers, please miss."
The half/orc smiles and nods her head. "My name is Cerwek, if'n ya be needin anyten else, ma'am."
Acknowledging Glen's question, Cerwek says, "Broquart charges five silver fer a night's stay, but if ya buck up fer ten, tonight's meals and breakfast'll be included, too. Your ale, whiskeys, and wines are all on yer own coin though."
She then turns towards Llewyn who was trying to attract her attention.
"Unless I am completely crazy, you can see when I steal time. We should find a moment to talk if you can manage it. It's been a very long time since..." Her voice trails off, and the scarred woman moves away from the catfolk female. She glances at Llewyn as he seems to be digging in his coinpurse. She reaches over and pulls it open. Seeing its contents, Corrie/Sally shakes her head. She looks at the coins in her hand and then sighs. She takes a few silver and a gold or two and places it in the man's purse.
Miyari suddenly notices that the young girl is now standing at Miyari's feet, her eyes sparkling masses of opalescence. The certainty of the girl's name fills Miyari's mind. Arielle reaches out a hand and touches Miyari's tail. She looks up at Miyari and strange words flow out of her, distorted by the time manipulation.
"Dneirf ruoy dna uoy. Nam Gniltsihw eht morf em devas uoy. Ydal tac, uoy tuoba demaerd evah I."
"Arielle! Come here, you know this power is about to end." Corrie/Sally says. She has retaken her place in the plush seat and is gesturing to the girl. The girl's expressionless face looks back at the scarred woman, and then again at Miyari.
"Ti od ot yppah eb lliw I, dehctarcs srae ruoy tnaw od reve uoy fi." And then she returns to Corrie/Sally's lap as if nothing strange had happened at all.
"Y-yes, I guess you could say that," the scarred woman says in response to Miyari's question regarding her relationship to the brown-eyed girl sitting in her lap. "My name is Corinne. You will have troubling remembering it. Don't worry about that. It won't be your fault. And yes, this one is frequently called Arielle. By everyone, it seems." The woman shakes her head as if she says something she has trouble believing.
The girl Arielle hops off Corinne's lap and approaches Glen. "Your nose looks puffy." And she reaches up and pinches it slightly.
The concerned friend seems to relax slightly at Ali's words, his hand becoming loose on the hilt. "Well, if y-you're helping, that's goo-"
"Release your hand from your hilt or I will strike you down where you stand!" Kalica places herself between Ali and the stranger. She glares at the youth with menace in her eyes.
As the hostile elf suddenly interposes herself between Ruvius' associate and Ali, he starts and almost reflexively begins to draw the rapier a few inches. "Wha...who are you?" he sputters into the steady rain.
As Kalia makes her grand entrance, a couple of the other students see an opportunity to join in the fun they have been watching. Two step out from the overhang, a young man with a small thin scar above his eye, and a stout woman. Both dressed in the same style of uniform as the injured boy on the cobbles. Their swagger and familiarity with the steel on their hips is evident.
"Oy, elf! Whatcha think you and your friend are doing with our friend Ruvius there?"
"Friend?" the young man standing with his rapier partially drawn exclaims. "Since when has Ruvius ever bee-"
"You best shut your mouth, Greco," the woman says with a surprisingly deep voice. "We know Ruvius and you. What don't know is this she-elf and that raggedy boy. We don't particularly care for those who we don't know making threats against those we do."
"So, elfette, what do you and ragboy have to say?" the cocky young man says, pushing his now wet dirty blond hair from his eyes.
"it's all reet miss. He weren't gonna draw on me, 'e's just worried about his mate." the young lad says nervously trying to defuse the situation.
"'ow's about I buy you a drink in yonder pub?" Ali asks the elf, vaguely recognising the voice, but during the tension of the situation not putting a name to the voice.
"Is that right, Greco?" the blond man hisses dangerously. "You weren't 'gonna draw on' the lad."
"I-I was...ah..." Greco looks from the pair of dueling students to the elf and boy hovering over his friend.
The gnomish bartender returns and throws Brokk a flirty smile. She seems to be carrying something under a cloth.
She wipes the bar with a towel and looks around casually. She appears to see what she wants to see, because she suddenly pulls the cloth from off two small mugs and sets them down in front of Brokk and Armin.
She leans forward and whispers, "We're pretty hot in here tonight, so I can afford to let a few freebies go for our good customers. One for you and one for your friend here." She's clearly looking at Brokk. What did Brokk spend last night? "A couple small Fire Ales will warm you right up."
A little louder as if it was the reason she came over, the gnome says, "So you boys looking for any food? We got sheep in the stew and pig on the bread tonight. The name is Jellink, by the way, but most just call me Jelli." She winks and uses a hand to bat those magenta curls again as if it is a force of habit, but clearly, it is very intentional and very flirtatious.
In the Streets
"Cockiness, will get you killed" Kalica retorts to the dirty blond haired boy. "And insults will only get you injured." Kalica responds with utter disdain to the woman. "If you spent more time looking and less time yapping you might see that this "raggedy boy" here has just saved your foolish friend's life." She gestures to the fallen person on the ground.
She then turns to Ruvius' associate."I apologize. From the looks of it ...it appeared as if you were threatening my friend here but obliviously I have been mistaken." Kalica removes her hand from her sword. She then leans over to Ali and whispers, "We better get you inside before things get ugly." She looks more intently at Ali. "You seem to be injured." She then gently picks up Ali with one hand to offer support and then looks around at all of them. "Ali has done everything that he can to help. I suggest if you value your friend's life you quickly get them to a healer."
As difficult as it is to keep a stare inconspicuous, Armin does exercise some degree of caution. Whether it's occasionally averting his gaze to mind Brokk for a moment, or pretending that he is looking in a slightly different direction, he puts some effort into deflecting suspicion. He had already come to a conclusion, but he was still not quite sure what to do with it yet. Fortunately, the bartender's arrival gives him an excuse to halt his surveillance once more.
Armin raises a brow as Jellink sets the drink before them. It was a gesture he had become rather familiar with over the past few weeks, when faced with things unfamiliar. Alcohol was hardly new to him, but this was something different. He could not deny that he was... curious.
"Thank you, Jellink. The stew would be good," the android replies without looking at her. He holds a stare on his mug for a few moments before picking it up and taking a deep draught from it.
In the Streets
Startled by the duelling students, Ali senses from their tone of voice that they are spoiling for a fight - to 'prove' themselves like Benito did. 'Remember small and timid, not worth the effort.' thinks Ali going against his nature.
"I weren't doing nothing, as I said to me mucker Greco 'ere. I were just making sure Ruvius were not gonna die; and he were protecting me back in case of ruffians or the like." the words tumble out of Ali's mouth, in a swift brogue slightly thicker than usual. "Good to see that, Ruvius has so many mates t' 'elp him owt."
A sign of recognition briefly slips across Ali's face as he recognises the elfs' voice, followed by a brief strange look that's quickly suppressed.
"Aye, sweet Jelli." He takes the drink and gives it a sip. A little weak for his tastes but no use turning down free drink. "I'll have the pig on bread. Thank ye kindly. And with that he raises his glass and has another drink.
"Cockiness, eh? Get me killed, eh? Oh, I think I'd like to see this." the blonde young man says with a wicked smile. He glances at the stout young lady and nods. The two take a couple more steps towards the group in the streets, their non-sword arms grasping the lockets on the scabbards of their swords just below where the swords' low profile hand guards rest.
"Sure seems you ain't too clear how things work in Restov, lass. And one thing you definitely need to learn is respect for the lords of this town. I'm Hyrile and this here is Veronisa," the man named Hyrile says. "And we're going to make sure you become aware that taking that tone from the outset of a new acquaintance is just asking to see how far we've progressed with our Aldori dueling training. Then we can see who's cocky."
The woman's bass rumbles. "You claim your friend who looks like a ragged beggar is helping him and healing him? Then you say I cast insults when anyone can see he looks ragged and more like he's trying to frisk our friend's pockets than use healing magic. Unless you apologize now for your thoughtless words, we will be dueling, elf lady."
Ali squeaks softly to Kalica; "I'd apologise, then we can get inside and have a nice drink."
Miyari's eyes widen as time starts to move strangely around her. She tries to open her mouth to say something during this period and raise a hand to catch the attention of Corrie/Sally. But while her mind is sharp, the weight of her limbs and the thickness of the air around her prevents her from doing much but slowly changing where she is looking. She can only move her eyes enough to meet Corrie/Sally's eyes when she speaks to her, her normally slitted pupils dilating at the surprise of her surroundings. The catfolk moves her eyes once more when she notices Arielle at her feet, touching her tail and speaking strange words. While she understood the words were pronounced in a way that made little sense, somehow she understood them.
As time turns back to normal, Miyari gasps in the air that has suddenly become more breathable, like the sharp inhalation of someone who was just dunked underwater. The catfolk's ears fold back once more and she looks a bit panicky as she realizes how odd that will look and sound to passive observers, and she quickly tries to recover by saying to the half-orc, "Ten silver, okay, yes." She hands the waitress the coin and says to Glen, "You can pay me back your share when you are able. We can disuss, if you'd like." The felinoid tilts her head over to indicate that she'd like to talk aside to her goblin friend for a moment, and she is just making a flimsy excuse to do so.
"Ah good, Glen has enough, he will pass on ale though." The short man says considering the few coins in his pouch.
Glen pauses for a moment looking towards Corinne and Arielle, thinking he may have imagined something, but remembering how the two left the alley he blocks out everything else forces his mind into a state of complete concentration, something he learned to do while trying to figure out particularly difficult puzzles while on the case. With such focus on them he had no doubt the two were flickering
The homely goblin snaps out of his concentrated trance as a little girl reaches for his nose "Ah yes" he gives a small chuckle and says as Arielle gives his nose a light pinch "It does get that way, though thankfully it does not obscure Glen's vision. You must tell Glen how you do your trick. Glen is..." He stops to acknowledge Miyari's very subtle request to discuss. "Beg your pardon little one, Glen must have a quick chat with Miyari. Please do not disappear in the meantime." Excusing himself the pint sized investigator steps off a ways where he and Miyari can converse with at least some privacy.
Both the dwarf and the android quaff their ales and immediately begin to feel a rowdiness fill them. A warmth spreads from their bellies throughout their bodies. They both begin to sweat, and their lips and tongues tingle.
Jelli grins at both of them as the sweat begins to appear. "I'll go get that food ordered for ya lovelies. Then I'll be right back, and we can chat some more."