[00:21] * Drache glanced up over the back of the couch when she heard footsteps on the stairs. She was pleased to see just the man she had been waiting for, but his post-sex appearence kept her from calling out to him. Not that she disapproved, but under those circumstances her intended topic of conversation could potentially get very awkward. She sat up and watched him, tugging the large book into her lap and closing it. At this rate she was never going to finish it! Sighing slightly she decided that the awkwardness would only be compounded if she waited until Fred managed to spread more rumours. She secreted the book away, picked up her warm bottle of wine, and prowled swiftly across the bar to join the Bard. When she came near, she greeted him quietly with a sly grin. "Des. Have a good time?" Her wings flexed after being pressed awkwardly against the back of the couch and her tail gave a nervous swish behind her.
[00:28] <Descant> Descant would blink a few times, realising that someone was trying to communicate with him. Well, it wasn't the barmaid, she wasn't back with his bottle of wine yet. So he'd turn about and there would be Drache. Far out, he had to work on his ability to pay attention to his surroundings if even the dragoness was sneaking up on him. There'd be a quick grin at both her appearance -
[00:28] <Descant> - and her words. "Ever and always, Drache. How are things going on your end?" He certainly didn't appear to be too worried about her knowing what he had or hadn't been up to. Why, he'd barely seen her since she had reunited with Kira and the few times he had, she'd been rushing off to take care of some thing or another. The maid would return with his bottle right about then and
[00:28] <Descant> Des would accept it gratefully.
[00:29] <Zilliah> Oh lords! The opium was wearing off and he’d not had enough wine to keep his senses dulled to miss out on Drache calling to Descant. He resisted the urge to swivel around and opening gawk at them. Faint recent memories flooded his mind, the entire conversation she had had with Fred being remembered and enacted in his mind’s eye delayed but clear as a whistle. Must. Not. Do. It. He’ll never get --
[00:29] <Zilliah> -- to hear any music if he makes an ass of himself to Descant again in front of Dali. There would only be so much abuse the woman would put up with after all. And the handsome bard as well. Actually, he probably has reached the Zilliah bullshit threshold by this point. Screw it, he knew it was going to cause her to worry and fuss when she saw the fresh nail marks on his palms but he had to feel her --
[00:29] <Zilliah> -- flesh and warmth with his fingers instead of letting the sensation be dulled by the gloves. He peeled them off slowly and went back to doting over her. --
[00:31] <Zilliah> openly gawk.
[00:36] * Drache smiled at both Des's delayed reaction and his reply, amused at the former and genuinely happy for him for the latter. But she was clearly concerned about something and the smile didn't last long. She leaned closer to him at the bar and curled a wing around his back, not touching him but still close enough to be warm. "Ideally I would have liked to ssselect a better time for thisss, but we need to have a -talk-," she said apologetically, pointedly referencing a previous conversation. "Privately if posssible."
[00:38] <Zerdali> If Zilliah had wished to have someone comment on the condition of his hands, he never would have been wearing the gloves in the first place.  Politely, she will keep her mouth shut when they are peeled off before he resumes the lovely affection.  Besides -- she threw away the make-believe key!  Of course she notices the wounds, questions them .. but will say nothing of them.  Her skin,
[00:38] <Zerdali> like it had been the night they enjoyed each other's company, was warm.  Perhaps a little warmer than your average person's might be .. but then again, who here was average?  It wasn't feverish.  It wasn't uncomfortable ... just warm and welcoming.  Like sunkissed sand before the sun while it was still enjoyable - before it is baked too greatly by the sun.  The smell of clean, lemongrass
[00:38] <Zerdali> soap scents the hair he pets.
[00:42] <Descant> A dagger would come out of nowhere, though he doesn't brandish it in such a way to be threatening, no. He'd use it to pry the cork from his bottle of wine. It certainly -was- a more efficient way of opening the bottle. Mirthful expression would fade fast at her words though. A wary look in his eyes as he'd regard her. There were a few things he could say about that, she'd certainly
[00:42] <Descant> given him -
[00:42] <Descant> - mixed signals the last time he'd offered to bring up that particular subject. That was -before- there were any complications. Now she wanted to talk about it? There wouldn't be an answer straight away, he'd take a gulp of wine first and then he'd make an expansive gesture with his hands. "Sure. I guess we do. Wherever you'd like."
[00:48] * Drache watched as the bard dug at his cork with the knife and gritted her teeth. She hadn't wanted to bother him with this now, but hoped he would forgive her after she had a chance to explain. She was thankful that at least he knew what she was refering to. Her wing disappeared from behind him, gesturing to the front door instead. "Outssside would be bessst I think." His lack of enthusiasm caught her off-guard.
[00:51] <Zilliah> SEE? SEEEEE? They should have just laid it all out on the table when he told them to! Words just complicate things, don’t they? Just shut up and look pretty. Much easier. Disappointment at them going to talk away from his prying ears was weighed against his belief that he had been correct on the issue, whether he was off the mark or not, balanced each other out. Dali tipped the scales and he --
[00:51] <Zilliah> -- stayed put at her side. He uses the action of drinking his wine as an excuse to peek over the rim of his glass at the pair. The glass was cool to his inflamed hand wounds, soothing and near cold next to the heat that was Dali’s body pressed so close to his. He’d lavish another kiss on her, most of the taste of opium washed away from his mouth by the red wine.
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[00:54] <Descant> Said knife would disappear as easily as it appeared, it certainly wasn't his blade that he was waving around so casually of a sudden. At her gesture he'd turn about and make his way towards the door. It was rather difficult to be enthusiastic when he was entirely sure that with the way she'd been acting there'd only be one particular outcome from any sort of conversation such as this.
[00:54] <Descant> -
[00:54] <Descant> - He was also quite glad that he hadn't done anything like what Zill had suggested. That would've made the whole thing infinitely worst as far as he was concerned.
[00:59] <Zerdali> 6With the opium wearing away -- Zilliah will likely find Dali's company a relief.  There was no wash of thoughts to assult his mind.  There really was not much of anything rolling about within her head.  Oh usually were thoughts a-plenty but he had lulled her enough into a quiet state.  One of those sea colored eyes would peel open after the last sweet kiss, then the other before those
[00:59] <Zerdali> henna stained fingers would reach for a bit of the fae's unusual hair.  Very carefully, she was loosely braiding a bit of it while humming very quietly to herself.  She wasn't talking.  Humming didn't count, right?  Right.
[01:01] * Drache managed to reach the door first and held it open for the bard. The blackness of the summer night was a comfort and she relaxed some as the soft breeze tickled her wing membranes. She waited for Des to move out onto the porch and then let the door close softly behind her. She moved towards the same spot they had sat together once before. "Come sssit with me under the tree. I want to explain sssome things."
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[01:07] <Descant> There wasn't a whole lot for him to say at this stage and he wasn't going to get very far by not following her direction. So out the door they'd go. Off the porch and then over to the tree. He couldn't help the urge to tell her he'd rather stand, but being unnecessarily bitter about things wasn't going to help anyone so he'd settle upon the ground. "Explain away."
[01:07] <Zilliah> The bard’s decision to ignore his advice was probably a good one. The fae had failed miserably in the past at juggling too many lovers at once. No amount of being able to hear thoughts would make him any better at it. Socially, Zilliah was lackluster at best. He had spent the majority of his life in seclusion and never really taught himself how to act proper with other people. His affinity --
[01:07] <Zilliah> -- towards vice muddled the moral line somewhere in his head even further. He was too busy trying to pick one of a thousand different excuses to tag along for the show to listen in on what she might be thinking. She was exuding an aura of wanting to please him and that’s all he cared to know. Opium could cause other people to lower their inhibitions but it had an opposite effect on him. Be still. --
[01:07] <Zilliah> -- Enjoy. Touch and caress. He stayed perfectly still for her to braid that strand of hair. It would take her a while as it nearly touched the floor when he stood. His mane was enough to make many a women hatefully envious. Lucky for Dali she had a fine head of hair of her own to be proud of and no matter how his hand might wander here and there it always found its way back up to play with --
[01:07] <Zilliah> -- it. --
[01:18] <Zerdali> Dali will continue to braid -- patient with the extreme length of the lovely hair.  Crooning softly still, she remains unaware of the drama unfolding about them.  Of the reason that the dragon-woman stepped out of the tavern with the bard she has yet to properly meet.  Heck, she likely did not even realize that he had reappeared -- happily lost in the little quiet world seated right
[01:18] <Zerdali> before the tavern's hearth.  Then again, she seems pretty unconcerned with most things.  When all the others worried that Drache might have been about to gobble up the merc woman right then and there a few nights back, she had been content to sit back, drink her ale, and shuffle her lovely cards.  When she gets near to the end of the braid, fingers dip into one of her pouches .. roots
[01:18] <Zerdali> around until a bell is pulled out.  One of the very ones that had fallen off her when she, in turn, had falling off the table.  The little silver object is carefully woven in.
[01:24] * Drache fairly drooped at the surly attitude coming from him, but it was too late to stop now. She lowered herself gracefully to the ground and sat beside him, angled so that she could see him without turning her head all the way to the side. Her tail almost crept up to curl around his leg, but flopped the other way at the last second. She took a deep breath, held it for a long moment as she looked up at unfamiliar stars, and then let it out slowly. "Forgive me for not telling you about Kira before. I thought her dead and didn't want to dwell on the pain. Essspecially when I had found sssomeone new I wanted to pursssue. You. Sssince her return, nothing has changed in that regard, at leassst as far as my own feelings are concccerned." She paused at the admission and would have blushed furiously if she'd been able, and then continued. "Many dragons have ssseveral partners, usually not exclusssive. I share that trait. I think a bard might enjoy sssuch easy accomodations," she grinned briefly, "but look at me..." Her clawed hands opened palm-upwards in an all-encompassing gesture. "I want you, but if you're not interesssted jussst sssay ssso and we don't have to ssspeak of thisss again." When she was done, she watched him shyly, mentally preparing for a curt dismissal.
[01:26] <Zilliah> The little gifted bell meant more to him than that whole heaping bag of gold he had given her. She’d push all the right buttons with it, even though it was so tiny and simple. Quick learner indeed! There was hope for her yet! He was inspecting it and ever so delicately turning it over and over between thumb and forefinger. The look on his handsome face is one of pure delight. He’d even do away --
[01:26] <Zilliah> -- with his wine glass and grab her up to pull her into a big happy hug and shower her with a smattering of kissed all over her freckled, dimpled face and neck.
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[01:34] <Zerdali> It really was a small thing, that bell.  She had many of them!  He seemed to enjoy them, so why not gift him one?  She had more expected him to be upset that she had woven it into his pretty hair .. had hoped he would not be but was prepared for the gesture to not be appreciated.  That is why the little traveler wore an honest expression of surprise when he quiet suddenly gathered her
[01:34] <Zerdali> up to smoother her in affection.  "It's just a little bell," she'll laugh out loud while holding on to the excited fae.  "But you're welcome .." she will struggle out between the assualt her face was under as kisses rain down.  Nose wrinkles, mouth laughs, and copper curls quiver.  If one little bell made him this happy ... well.  As said before, she's plenty more where that
[01:34] <Zerdali> came from!
[01:40] <Descant> He'd wait for her to get started, nursing his bottle of wine and watching her intently. Here he was, expecting something completely different to what she actually said. Out of all the scenarios he'd pictured, this was certainly not the one he'd have picked as being likely. It all seemed rather farfetched and entirely...too easy of a solution to the whole thing. Easy solutions were
[01:40] <Descant> always -
[01:40] <Descant> - bad in his experience. Bland look would be replaced with a frown, in thought rather than unpleasantness. It had taken quite the mental shift to even consider the thought of becoming attached to her and just when he had thought that it might be a possible thing, as against the grain as it was, Drache's past had interferred quite spectactularily. Now he had to reconsider what he had
[01:40] <Descant> discarded -
[01:40] <Descant> - and there just was no ready answer springing to mind. "Re wux vern?" Apparently the bard was quite adept at more than just getting himself into tricky situations.
[01:45] <Zilliah> With all the attention he’d be giving her you’d think he would be dragging her right on upstairs to thank her properly. But ohhhh nooo! The very idea of doing that to the sound of Treadwell’s snores would be way too off putting and there was no way he would let her come back to his place. He’d made the mistake of letting a woman in his door before and that caused all sorts of trouble and --
[01:45] <Zilliah> -- heartache. He intended it to be a boy’s only club from that day forward. He would give her one last earnest kiss so that she wouldn’t be angry at him when he would suddenly be rising and gathering up his gloves and heading for the door with out and no open invitation for her to join him.
[01:49] <Zerdali> At least he left the bottle of wine behind for her!  She'll forgive him for that.  Oh and there was the plump little purse of coins.  Zilliah is allowed to excuse himself.  Untangle himself from her and scoot out the door.  With the bottle in one hand and coins in the other, the gypsy lass will pull herself up onto that horrid striped couch ... enjoy a drink and maybe get a little shut
[01:49] <Zerdali> eye.  Unless the staff shoos the freeloader out.  She's not giving them any coin for a room, nuh-uh!  That's all for a new instrument.
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[01:53] * Drache watched, silent and broody and smouldering, waiting for the blow to strike her somewhere in her chest. His reaction seemed to get worse and worse, and then words in her own native tongue rolled quite unexpectadly out of his mouth. Her head jerked back in surprise, and if she hadn't just spilled some of her heart to him, she would have been pleased and intrigued. "Abhlek, zi vern. Sjek wux rigluin tairais ekess siofme si tepoha tairais ekess itheik. Shar wer annyo youwe si tuor ekess tir ui svent hesi thurirlkal." She seemed to sense his disbelief, but had no way to know how she might explain things further, so she simply waited.
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[02:10] <Descant> Her reaction would bring a bit of a smirk to his lips, did she really think he was that...well, maybe not as bad as incompetent, but it certainly did surprise her to see him talk draconic. A gloved hand would raise to rub at his cheek, running her words over in his head. Thoughtful. The bottle of wine would be hefted so he could take a long drink. It'd appear that he would be taking
[02:10] <Descant> his time -
[02:10] <Descant> - considering how much of her word he was ready to accept at face value. His draconic would be passable, but seeing as how he had never had to use it before it wouldn't be anything close to her natural ability. Maybe given time. "Si geou rigluin tairais. Si tira ti siofme wux halkiva."  He considered trying to explain more, but explaining further doubts and possible reluctance on
[02:10] <Descant> his behalf -
[02:11] <Descant> - would require digging into things that he'd rather not have to go into at the best of times. There was an awful lot to process of a sudden. The best he could offer was a smile, he didn't trust himself to do any more or less at that moment.
[02:29] * Drache was very surprised. She'd never known a bard who could speak Draconic. It wasn't a very pleasant language for singing, or even conversing, unless you had the vocal chords to match. She was confused and hurt by his reply, her face falling at the accusation. Hadn't the elf managed to lure him upstairs after nothing more than a brief exchange of words while she'd been working on him for a week or more? She didn't know how to take that and couldn't help coming to a rather depressing conclusion. Her own past held some very poor experiences when it came to rejection. But just in case she was wrong, one of her wings moved around his back, touching gently. "Take your time then, but know that I would very much enjoy showing you how interesssted I am." Ah, there was a hint of that lascivious glance, offered with a shy sort of grin.
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[02:39] <Descant> There was likely a lot of other things she might find surprising about this particular bard. His grasp of languages being only one of the things he was least reluctant about displaying in more private settings. Confusion and hurt he could understand, in some measure. He hadn't exactly given her the best response. He certainly wouldn't guess it had anything with how easy the elf had
[02:39] <Descant> lured him. -
[02:39] <Descant> - That had been impersonal, a flight of fancy and whim. The switch back to common would draw a raised eyebrow but he'd revert back just as easily. "If you're after no more than just a bedwarmer, I can offer that here and now. If you wanted more than that...well, for that you'll need to give me time to...think." There'd be a shrug at that, there'd be that frown again, confused
[02:39] <Descant> possibly.
[02:58] * Drache considered it a kindness to switch back to Common. She had no idea how proficient he truly was, only having a few lines and his rough pronunciation to go off of. This was too important for her to risk losing something in translation. After tonight, she'd be happy to converse with him in Draconic at every possible oppurtunity. It was the best way for him to learn it after all! His comment drew a genuine chuckle, the smoke from her nostrils almost invisible in the darkness. Still rumbling she leaned close, and if allowed, would kiss him fondly on his nose, radiating sultry warmth.  "I usually don't have trouble with -warmth- in my bed, Massster Dessscant, but company I enjoy would be very welcome. I want more yesss, but I don't ssseek to...." she struggled for a word, pulling away slightly, "...ressstrict you. By all means, continue to woo your elves and barmaids." Beginning to feel much better, she swigged from her own bottle of alcohol. "Oh, and Fred asssked me earlier thisss evening if I fancccied you. I told her I wanted to dissscusss it with you before giving an anssswer, but I think she has made up her own asssumptions. I thought you should know."
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[03:05] * Drache withdrew from him, respecting the bard's request for time to think.
[03:10] <Descant> He didn't mind, the less people knew of what he could or couldn't do. The more he could get away with. It was a vital tool of the trade and a difficult balance to maintain. At one turn being more than what you appear and at another being less. It'd certainly caught her by surprise. He certainly wouldn't move away as she'd lean in and kiss him on the nose and despite what she'd said
[03:10] <Descant> before -
[03:10] <Descant> - there had to be -some- reason why she kept doing that. "Company I can give freely. Restrictions I won't be bound by. Not even by you." And there'd be an odd look at that, threat, pain and fear all rolled into one. Though it'd quickly be masked as he'd drink some more of his wine. He needed it. He felt parched. It'd been another one of those days. "You needed to discuss me
[03:10] <Descant> with how -
[03:10] <Descant> - -you- felt? I can imagine why she'd wonder at that..." He wasn't to sure what to make of that either. Fred had certainly stated that she was -not- in love with him and had no interest in trying to chain him down either. Eventually he'd just settle on a shrug. "It can't be any worse than what is already being said about me. Whatever answer she came up with."
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[03:30] * Drache was thrilled that he didn't move away. Kissing him on the nose did have a reason, but it was an instinctive pleasure she hadn't really considered in depth. It was something to explore fully another time. She hesitated at his tone, giving him a searching look but asking no questions. She'd already told him he didn't want to bind him to her and saying it again wouldn't make him come to a decision any faster. She was slightly confused by his question and considered it at length. "I...even if you had refused me outright it would not have changed how I feel. It would not have made you any lesss charming or handsssom or decccidedly intriguing to me. But there would be no point to making ssssuch a desire for you public if I already knew it would come to naught. I have experienccced much rejection." She could only imagine how embarassing it would be for someone like Fred to attempt to pester the bard on her behalf. She didn't know if Fred really -would-, but she's seen that kind of unhelpful helpfulness before. "I sssuppose it was jussst a cassse of desiring privacccy and wanting to be sure if you wished the sssame." He did complain about rumours sometimes. Knowing that if she didn't resign herself to the excruciating wait soon she may alienate him by being too pushy, she rose to her feet.