Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » The Tavern II (Open)

He smiled lightly. "Nah, I'm okay. You?"

The woman noticed Markal just as he was leaving, pipe in hand. She made a move to follow him, but before she'd taken a single step two others -- one of a sort she'd never previously seen -- made for the door as well.

Huh. Party on the lawn, I guess. She'd intended to return the cloak he'd loaned her, so he wouldn't be cold out there. Well, that was part of it, anyway. But she didn't want to intrude on their meeting, or whatever it was they were doing out there.

With a shrug -- and another glance at the jumpy boy -- she settled back into her chair and took another sip of her drink.

((Aw thanks Arashi ^^))

Markal looked up to see two more people come out, one of them the vixentaur(sorry for calling her a foxtaur so much). The other was the guy from the bar. One who had drank too much and one that hadn't drunk at all.

He took the pipe our of his mouth and had to raise his voice a bit to be heard over the wind. "Great weather we're having, huh?" He grinned.

"You're lying," Luna commented with a frown on her face, clearly upset that Arashi was hiding something...whatever it was.
"There is something more, your energy is getting darker..."She muttered, her usual kind tone of voice was gone and replaced with a more serious tone.
"Please, Arashi, tell me what is wrong with you. What lies behind your eyepatch? I could help you, if you wish" Luna pleaded, her voice still soft in fear that being louder would cause something bad to happen. Everything needed to be calm and for once Luna was happy that other patrons had left for the colder weather outside. The less people here, the less people that could possibly get hurt if this demonic energy reaches it's peak Luna thought to herself, catching a casual glance around the room. So far, so good...

Arashi sighed, a slight smile across his lips. "Energy...huh?" He said, quietly, nearly whispering. He looked down, lightly shaking his head, and then he looked at Luna again. "I guess...It'd be better if I didn't hide things from you anymore. After all...We are friends now...right?" He put put a hand into his hood, undoing the knot on his eyepatch, and carefully lifting it off of his eye, with his other hand. He looked now, at Luna, his left eye, a shimmering blue, and his right, a glowing yellow. The pupil turning to a slit in the light. One could compare this eye to a cat's, if not anything else. It was very inhuman, cold and observant in the way it looked at Luna, as Arashi gazed at her, a solemn look upon his face. Looking upon this eye, in his own reflection, even gave Arashi chills. This is why he covered it, it was a reminder that Arashi didn't fully walk in the light...That darkness would follow him wherever he walked. Demonic aura seemed to swarm around this eye, even pour out of it. Arashi sat, gazing at his friend. He didn't much care if anyone else had seen the eye, at least he had one less thing to hide. He then looked at the table, his mask still laying in the middle. It'll be my hood next, won't it?

((ooc: Of course ^^))

(OOC: I honestly, LOVE Arashi's eyes! Well despite the whole demonic energy coming from them )

She was terrified, never in her life had she felt such a huge surge of dark energy and power. It made her shiver, made her feel frozen in one spot as her heart pounded ferociously in her chest, made it nearly impossible for Luna to breathe without scratching a hole in her windpipe...Just how was this boy even human?!
"Arashi...what...how is this possible?" Luna stumbled on her words, losing any of the elegance she had possessed. It was his eyes, they commanded her to be fearful, to drive herself into madness until nothing else made sense and her soul was sent until the dark void itself. But Luna would not falter, that was what the demonic being wanted her to be. If she was to be the friend that Arashi saw in her, Luna could show no fear!

One of those heading for the door was a serving girl, though she wasn't exactly leaving. Markal watched in surprise and another good amount of people left out the door before recognizing the girl, Luella, and pulling her out of the small crowd. She hadn't grabbed a cloak or anything before coming out so the poor thing was already shivering. "Th-that c-couple at the t-table earlier...things a-are getting t-tense." Her breath came out in great puff clouds as she spoke.

"Ah hell. Why do I always have to break up fights?" The tavern didn't exactly draw the best crowd and Markal had shown exceptional ability in subduing the fights that cropped up. He suspected that was the biggest reason they kept him. He grumbled but ushered the girl back in, tracking a bit of snow behind them. He looked up, immediately seeing the horned boy--an obvious demon.

"Luella...I may need my kusarigama." The girl nodded and scurried off. Markal didn't take his eyes off the two. The boy didn't exactly seem aggressive but it was the girl's reaction Markal was worried about. That must have been one stupid demon to have revealed himself to someone who admitted to being a demon hunter.

Em gruffed "I'm okay." She looked him over for a moment, studying his features.

"Goddess..." Luna could barely utter anything else. Arashi had...was...
"Horns, you have horns" She mumbled, her hand reaching out on instinct to touch one of his horns. It hurt, stung like her skin was being lit aflame and almost melting off of her. But it wasn't, her hand only met a loud hissing sound as her purity clashed against the pure darkness that surrounded him.
"I...I want to help..." She mumbled numbly, her eyes almost lost in a daze of different emotions. Arashi had evil in him, something Luna had vowed to eradicate from existence until her dying breath. But, he also held light. It was bright and yet seemed to be crashing against and fading simultaneously with the evil darkness inside of him.
"I'm sorry," Was all she could manage to say for now, suddenly breaking free from her own trance and now noticing that half of the patrons had fled. What could she do now? What was she able to say or do? None of her training had prepared her for this...

Arashi winced when he heard the hissing sound, but made no other movement. He sat completely still, looking at Luna, a grave expression across his face.
"No, I'm sorry. I should have told you sooner, or else...stayed away." He let out an involuntary sigh. The voice seemed to be gone again, but he knew it was only a matter of time before it returned. He looked down at his mask on the table. "Nobody can help me." He muttered. Arashi suddenly realized, he had never thought about it before, but...he was unhelpable. "I am what I am," he paused, and let out a small huff of laughter. "And nobody can change that." His voice had grown slightly darker by now, completely void of the cheer it held earlier. "I'm not even sure I can help myself." He picked the mask up, and put it upon his face, securing the straps around the back of his head. "I'm sure the folk of this place will come at me with pitchforks and fire," he stifled a laugh.
Beneath his mask, he bit his lip, feeling troubled. The weight of what he had done, was finally setting in upon him. I've troubled a friend. He thought, guilt flooding over him, like ocean waves upon a shore. "Is your hand ok?" He asked, seeming to care more about her current state, than if someone was actually going to bring a mob, and hunt him down. Of course, he was aware of how bad confessing to being a demon was, but to him it was normal. He had been born one, though raised mostly human, because, he was, in fact, also human. This was incredibly rare, but not impossible, as he was living proof. Though living as both human and demon, is a terrible curse...That Arashi must bear, alone.

What a curse we are...

A bandage was strewn over his eye, covering it, and a strip of his long blond hair. That was the most predominant feature. He also had broad shoulders, and a strong figure. Almost as if he were a wrestler. (He's not.)

"Hey, are you okay?"

As minutes passed and nothing else happened, her focus had given way to quiet contemplation. As such, it was the scraping of chairs and sudden exodus that caught her attention, rather than the youngster's newly-revealed horns. Well... horn really, one of them broken off near its base. He'd removed his eye patch while she was distracted as well, and her breath caught at the combined revelations. His asymmetry was obvious now, almost as if he were two people stitched together.

Unlike the others who hurried for the door, she remained where she was, staring at the boy. After all, she'd met a tiefling in another life and he'd become a dear friend. She knew better than to judge by appearances.

Besides, where would she go? She knew nothing of this place. Too, having spent so much time in an abandoned tavern surviving a hostile land, staying put seemed more... natural.

Her gaze shifted to the door briefly as Markal came back in, following a serving girl who must have gone out to get him. He said something to her and she rushed off as he remained by the entrance, eyes locked on the boy.

She glanced between them, trying to judge the situation. Markal looked concerned, perhaps, but not angry that she could tell. Still, the tension was obvious.

Taking one more sip of her drink -- she really did need to get the name of whatever it was -- she stood in what she hoped was a casual-appearing manner and walked over to Markal.

"Is there a problem?" she quietly asked, dearly hoping not to hear "His kind's not wanted here" or similar.

(OOC @Arashi: I think your "long replies" are great! Just remember to throw some paragraph breaks in there and you're golden!)

Markal relaxed a bit as he heard the girl's response. Good, she was willing to give him a chance. Not all demon hunters would. Markal looked up to see that Luella had grabbed his kusarigama. The sickle and chain looked strange in the dainty serving girl's hands. Markal held up one of his hands, motioning for her to stop while she was still in the doorway. It appeared be wouldn't be needing it after all. Luella nodded, but put the weapon behind the bar. Well, if that made her feel safer to have it closer, so be it.

Markal turned around at the sound of another girl's voice. It was the one he'd given his cloak to. Markal shook his head. "I was waiting to see if there would be... We get his kind here occasionally and sometimes they start fights."

She frowned and opened her mouth to say something, but thought better of it.

Then she remembered something, and dug into a pouch hidden within her silks. "Here. For the drink." The coin she handed him was gold no doubt, but unlike any he'd previously seen. She thought she caught something in his expression as he looked at it. "Is it enough? I don't know how much..."

A pause and then, despite the lingering tension in the air, she giggled. "I don't even know what that drink's called. But it's very good!" she rushed to add. "Delightful after so long without... erm... I mean, after being out in the cold for so long."

She looked away from Markal as she said that, her gaze returning to the two in the booth.

"You said, 'his kind.' Are there many like him here?"

((OOC: Oh yeah, I often find myself forgetting about paragraph spacing oops, thank you for reminding me. It's a constant issue with me ...and Oh my God, I totally forgot Tieflings are a thing... That's sad...considering I've even played Neverwinter before, and that's D&D :u whoops...))

Arashi noticed a few people standing around and speaking to one another, in slightly hushed voices, by the entrance. I'm sure it's because of me. He thought. It'd probably be good if I didn't do anything more to alarm them... He looked away, trying not to pay them any mind.

Markal took the gold coin, looking at it curiously. "Huh? Oh, no this is enough. I've just never seen a coin like this." He watched the other people in the tavern. While some were sending nervous glances at the couple at the booth, the rest-mostly regulars-had gon back to minding their own business.

Markal nodded as she talked about the drink. He watched her with a bemused expression as she stumbled over her words. "It's a common favorite among our patrons with lower alcohol tolerance. It's called velvet mead."

He nodded again at her last question. "This is a shady place and it tends to draw shady characters. Actually I don't think we've ever had the tavern full of just 'vanilla' people. That is, just humans. A few of the workers aren't human." He grinned, knowing he was one of them.

Still studying the couple in the booth, she nodded absently when Markal remarked he'd never seen such a coin, "No reason you should've. It's... I'm not from around here." She said the last bit with a sigh... maybe a disappointed one, possibly sad, perhaps just tired.

"Velvet Mead," she repeated quietly upon learning the drink's name, as if committing it to memory. "I should've known, it's a bit like Golden Horn." Then she tore her gaze away from the booth and smiled at him. "Sorry. A fermented drink from my homeland, made from honey, tea and spices. I don't think it'd do well served hot, though."

When Markal commented on the tavern's wealth of non-human clientele, she shrugged. "Some of the best people I've ever known weren't human," she said. Then she frowned. "And the reverse also is true."

Her gaze returned to the pair in the booth. "Judging by appearances is risky business; looks can be deceiving."

"What's worse," she added, "you can't know what you're not seeing." The borrowed cloak and her hair stirred gently, as if disturbed by a gentle breeze, and she muttered something under her breath.

"My hand?" Luna mumbled absentmindly. Why did he care about her hand all of a sudden? But Luna knew why...He is trying to hide behind a wall now. I have gotten a glimpse into his world but now he is shutting down, Luna thought to herself.
"My hand should be fine..."She lied and knew it wasn't convincing anyone. Her hand felt like it was burning, like all the flesh had melted off, yet Luna wouldn't voice her pain. Arashi was already in pain, it was clear to see. The burden that he carried, though Luna could probably never understand it, was extremely heavy and all Luna felt that she needed to do was be his friend and accept him as he was.

"I am not afraid, Arashi." She told him with a genuine and gentle smile.
"If you fear a mob will come, then I'll defend you. That's what friends do, after all..." Luna told him the truth, glancing around the tavern. Once again they were the center of attention, the gypsy like lady and the tavern worker were watching them as if they were waiting to see if she was going to decapitate Arashi or if he was going to explode and slaughter them. They had a relaxed stance but Luna could still tell they were wry of the two...Hopefully nothing dire would have to happen...

Markal nodded as the girl talked. It was a bit difficult for him to focus on her words as the general conversation started up again. He got the gist of what she was saying though. "Yeah. You don't actually see a whole lot of good hearted supernatural creatures here. I like to think I'm kne of them though." He grinned.

He noticed when a ghost breeze seemed to rustle the girl's hair. He wondered if maybe she had some power of her own. He sniffed the air. She smelled human enough. It was probably some skill I'm magic that she had.

Markal glanced at the couple at the booth, meeting eyes with the girl sitting there. "I think we're making them uncomfortable..." He stuck his head outside. "Hey you two, don't stay out here too long and freeze." He said to Emily and Dawson. He pulled his head back inside and headed for the bar. He did still have to work after all and it didn't seem like a fight would happen. Yet.

Arashi looked at her hand, as if unsure she was telling the truth, but if she said she was ok, he might as well take her word for it. Though the mask was obscuring his face, one (who can see aura...) could tell he was smiling through his aura, which had lightened up a bit. Her words made him happy. "You are truly a good person, Luna." He told her, And I'm not.

It seemed as if Arashi didn't care if he and Luna were the center of attention. It didn't matter to him what people thought about him, simply because, he couldn't change it, and wouldn't try to. Though Luna seemed to accept him, Arashi was still worried that the more she looked at him, the less she'd start to trust him. And not to mention that other form of ours. The dark voice hissed. He was right...Arashi could never let anyone in the tavern lay eyes upon his other form, especially Luna. He wasn't all too sure of much at the moment, but if just one thing was to be for sure, it was that he would never let that happen.

"Luna," Arashi said, in a hushed voice. "What do you make of them? The server and the brightly dressed woman?" He couldn't help but look at them. A few words from their conversation had reached his ears, as he had good hearing, and most of the noise in the tavern had died down after folk had left. From glancing at them, he could tell that they were keeping an eye on his table, as well. It was obvious to him. He quickly directed his attention back to Luna, attempting to act like he hadn't noticed them.
Why don't we go over and introduce ourselves? Have a little fun? The voice continued. Arashi gritted his teeth, Now you're just becoming a nuisance, Hakai. He replied, losing his patience with the voice. He waited to hear back, but nothing was said in return.