• Closed • [Almund] I'll Have A World's End

[Kali'rial]

Kali felt the colour rise in her cheeks as Pash repeated her words in his steadily thickening accept, somehow making them sound far more like an inappropriate invitation than she had ever intended. His eyes were a rich blue as he replied, his voice sending goosebumps across her tanned shoulders and making her pulse thump in her ears. As he laughed and moved away to get their drinks, the young hunter took a moment to take a deep breath and compose herself. It wasn't like her to feel so pathetically overwhelmed by another person, but then to be fair it wasn't like her to be so social. With anyone.

Think of it like a lesson. The Sev'ryn thought to herself. A lesson on socialisation and the intricacies of the Scalvoris traditions. She should treat this no less than she would learning a new skill or lore. Pash was her tutor and he was not to be faulted for his approach. Yes, that was it. Focus on the lesson, not on the method. Taking another breath, she offered the slightly inebriated Biqaj a wide smile as he turned back to her with drinks in hand. Taking the flamboyant cocktail, Kali walked beside him as he moved towards the open beach, lifting the glass to her lips to take a small testing sip.

Delicious. Her brow rose in surprise, finer sweet notes of fruit offset by the slight burn of something obviously alcoholic. It left her feeling like she needed to shudder, but it was a vast improvement on the drink she had earlier. Listening to the musician talk, she took a much larger gulp of the brew, feeling cold droplets settle on her hair and skin. The storm was coming closer to the beach.

"I've never been to Ne'Haer before, I don't think? Unless it's on Eastern or Southern shores, it's all foreign to me." Taking another drink, she nodded as they walked slowly.

"It's amazing. Why would anyone drink that vile sludge when this is available?!" She took another drink, already half way through the beverage. Picking up the piece of fruit, she popped it into her mouth and sucked the juice off her fingers. Shooting Pash a smile, she picked up on his earlier words.

"So your away from home, a long way if I understand it right? A traveling, sailing musician? Seems like it could be lonely out on the ocean, all alone in a little boat. Just..flitting around the world all carefree and such." A wry grin suddenly came to her lips as the brunette took another sip.

"I couldn't survive without some sort of plan. Even just a loose idea of what I'm doing, it's enough to give me direction. Take tonight. I at least knew my plan was to visit this..festival..and maybe let some luck help me find this Familiar. Give me a direction at least, so I knew where to start." The quickly consumed drink was starting to affect her, only lightly for now, but the alcohol content for a first drink was possibly a bad choice. Her eyes felt it first, like they were focusing wrong but not quite. She also felt like she was warmer, despite the drink being quite cold. Kali glanced at Pash as she sipped more of the colourful beverage.

"Have you liked what you've found so far, out here in the Eastern shores?" Across the ocean a large crack of lighting split the sky with an almost immediate roar of thunder. The brunette let out a little short scream of surprise, before she laughed suddenly, cheeks flushed slightly from the alcohol.

[Pash Raj'oriq]

Pash was currently not a suitable tutor for much of anything appropriate or even remotely intellectual unless it involved musical instruments or drinking or dancing. Although, given his general geniality and experience navigating social situations, he could possibly be considered a guide at the most, but anything educational was really pushing the limits of his hedonistic intentions and character more than just a little. It was for the best that he had no idea what kind of excuses Kali was using to justify her moment of enjoyment.

The seafaring minstrel’s expression blossomed into a wide and knowing sort of grin at her surprise over the drink, aware that it was quite different than any of the bottom of the barrel stuff that was being handed out for free,

“Why? ‘Cause after a few o’those, everythin’ else doesn’t taste so bad.”

He chuckled, his told-you-so tone implying that the return on investment with fancy alcoholic drinks diminished over time and intoxication levels, although, a well-made ale was flavorful enough. He no longer needed anything fancy, but it was always better to drink something that tasted good.

He chose to walk along the beach just outside the pavilions and tables set up, still under the glow of lanterns and strung-up lights but away from the crowds and most of the conversational noise. The patter of rain on tents and the crashing of waves were both inescapable now, however, though those sounds were not quite as distracting as the din of other bodies talking. He was leading them back toward the large bonfire and the music and the dancing because that’s where he felt he should be during such a celebration, even though at the moment he cared very little for the location so curious was he about the company.

“Ne’Haer’s north o’ Desnind, actually, so, aye, it sounds like your trade routes weren’t that a’way. It’s about forty ‘r so trials by sea, dependin’ on th’ season an’ th’ weather.” The dark-haired Sev’ryn probably shouldn’t have got him started on sailing. Even with his thoughts blurred and his already few inhibitions drowned, he could wax poetic about U’Frek’s realm for far too long,

“Lonely? That’s why I sail places … an’ stay a while—“

The tall Biqaj paused to consider her comment, eyes shifting from their dark hues to a somewhat familiar and inviting bright green. He smirked from over the rim of his mug, his words teasing offense when there was none as well as implying something else entirely, “—An’ who says I’m alone all the time? There’s room for more’n one on my not-so-little boat, thank y’much.”

Pash laughed again, warm and loud, one inked arm straying upward so he could run fingers through the rain that was now soaking into his sun-kissed hair. He tucked a few stray strands that had fallen out of his tied-back locks behind his ears,

“I s’pose my sense o’ direction isn’t somethin’ easy t’explain. It’s not like th’ stars ‘r a map ‘r someone tellin’ me somethin’. I jus’ … I dunno … feel things.” He paused, gaze wandering over the dark-haired Sev’ryn and then past her to the bonfire and the crowd, “An’ I’m no’ good at plannin’. I plan to make it to th’ next port, an’ then to make sure I’ve got some nel to live on while I’m there. An’ I plan t’enjoy what I find until it feels like a good time to move on …”

This was an unfiltered, accurate description of how the Biqaj had mostly lived his life since leaving Ne’Haer a handful of arcs ago. He was not embellishing or hiding at all who he was or what he cared to do—he wanted to see what he could see, feel what he could feel, do what he could do, and taste what he could taste all while making lovely music that pleased people wherever he went. Experiencing things was how he’d come to define his own existence, but also how he felt useful to others, how he felt like he could connect to others and find his place in the world,

“Sometimes, y’gotta jus’ get goin’ with a good wind ’n your sails before y’can really see th’ direction to sail in … D’you need luck to find a familiar? It doesn’t want to find you, too?”

This confused him greatly, and had he been more sober he may have even felt a little sad. He chose to finish his ale instead of think too deeply about it all for the moment, prone already to broodiness if he wasn’t careful. Feeling a toasty, abstract amusement about everything meant he was mostly just concerned for the pretty huntress who seemed so serious about this creature he couldn’t at all wrap his head around in his current state.

The lightning caught his attention and he could feel the rumble of thunder through his whole body, stealing his breath for a moment and bringing his thoughts for a flash to Ilaren, though he was too distracted for thankful prayers or other devotionals. The noise made him grin instead of jump, and when Kali startled, he was already so close that he thought little of how one of his hands reached out to catch her or hold her or steady her or just touch her in her surprise. It lingered, wandering to rest again in the pleasing curve of the small of her back, a warm anchor to the salty current of his inebriated thought process,

“Aye, Scalvoris seems to be a pleasin’ isle so far for me. I’ve only been here for some ‘f Ashan, mind you,” If there were layers of meaning to his words, Pash was not of the mind to find them inappropriate or embarrassing. He’d met some fine people, had thus far enjoyed a rousing celebration on the beach, and was pleasantly intoxicated in the presence of someone equally pleasant to look at, “but I’d say I’m feelin’ a bit inspired. An’ yourself? Is this isle where y’think you’ll find what you’re lookin’ for?”

[Kali'rial]

Kali's startled laughter faded in to giggles and finally a smile, her blue eyes ensnarled by the ethereal way his own shifted to a bright emerald, sipping her drink and relishing in the way her head felt all light. As his hand rested on the small of her back, the brunette didn't pull away or frown, the alcohol cutting through her anxiety. It felt good, like being released from the grip of a tightly wound python. As the thunder died down, she stammered over her reply.

"I didn't mean to imply you were..I mean..you don't appear to have anyone with you..I just thought...oh." She suddenly realised what he meant about the room on his boat, and with a blush the Sev'ryn forcefully tore herself from his gaze to look down at the glass, needing to find respite from his intense eyes. Swilling the drink into a muddy orange, she took a large gulp and forced back a shudder. It was getting less fruity and more alcoholic, but she'd already had enough of the intoxicating mix to push past the intensity of the taste.

Her smile had faded as she thought on his comment about her familiar. Indeed it was true, the Bond couldn't be forced, the Familiar had to come to her. However, going through the journey was how the process began, well for some at least. Something about his words made her feel a sudden empty sadness.

Maybe it doesn't want to find me? What could I be doing to make my Familiar not want to find me? The brunette Sev'ryn looked out over the groups dancing around the bonfire, suddenly thankful the Biqaj had led her away from the more pressing bustle of people. The warmth of his hand could be felt through the thin hide of her dress, bringing the young woman safely back from the depressing possiblity that her familiar didn't want her. Smiling again, she took another drink before looking up at Pash again.

"Inspired? I don't know if I'd say I was inspired by Scalvoris. It's not a bad place to pick up some new skills." Pausing, the hunter leaned closer to nudge him gently with her shoulder.

"Maybe make some new friends." Her smile remained, slightly more a smirk in her now tipsy state. The brunette may have lingered against the warmth of his side a tad longer than socially acceptable for two near strangers, periwinkle eyes glancing up at him through thick lashes and cheeks flushed from what could possibly be more than alcohol. He smelled like the ocean mist when it sprayed across the coastal rocks, and he was warm like the sands of Faldrass. Under the soft lighting of the lanterns, his wet blonde locks glowed a soft muted gold and his emerald eyes burned.

Around the bonfire, a group of feisty drummers picked up a lively primal rhythm which drew some of the revellers to join in. Either dancing their own unique steps or bringing other sounds to the music. Clapping, whooping and someone with a wooden flute. It sounded a million miles away to Kali as her heart thumped the same in her ears, her smile now fallen to the wayside for simply slightly parted lips. She took a deep breath then, suddenly aware of what was going on. Blinking she pulled back, tilting her glass and finishing the rest of the now sickly sweet and overly alcoholic beverage in one large mouthful. Coughing and unable to hold back the tremor in her body, the Sev'ryn placed the glass none to gently on the sand close to a bleached wooden post holding up some of the lighting, before looking back at Pash with a slightly nervous glance. Her stomach twisted in knots, the embarrassment of the moment cutting through her tipsy state of mind.

"I think..that uh...maybe it's time.. I should.." She didn't get to finish the sentence as the sky lit up brighter than ever and a rolling thunderous boom rattled the festival. The whole beach seemed to stop, before the sky opened up to a torrential downpour. The festival participants cheered with delight and joy as the drummers around the bonfire put their all into the beat, the fire sputtering in the lashings of rain but to large to extinguish so easily. Some people were rushing down to the bonfire to join in the dancing or the music making and celebrate in the first rain of the season.

Kali laughed in surprised delight as the cool rain poured down across her warmed skin, turning her face to the sky before glancing at Pash with a beaming grin. They were going to be soaked through in moments if they didn't move, but Kali didn't care. She'd never felt so alive! Pushing her wet hair out of her face, the brunette gasped.

"Oh Pash, your..string thing!" She said, pointing at his lute. Reaching up, she pulled the tie on her wolfskin mantle and threw it over the lute hung on his back in an effort to save the wooden instrument for him.

OOC

Hopefully Pash can save his lute! Sorry, not sorry!

[Pash Raj'oriq]

“I’ll admit that I oft’ feel ‘s though I travel most for th’ people.”

Pash confessed, a husky rumble of words as the dark-haired Sev’ryn smiled warmly and leaned against him, revealing that her one unquestionably strong drink had been enough to erode just enough of the stoic, focused exterior she seemed so good at wearing. There was more underneath that anxious surface, he knew, but from her simple summary of her childhood, the tall Biqaj also realized that some of who Kali wanted to be was buried beneath the weight of obligation and duty. He understood in some ways, and then had no idea in others. Culturally speaking, their perspectives were literally a sea apart. Discipline and focus had it’s place—Pash could certainly learn more of both in his own life—but so did enjoyment and pleasure.

While he was not one to take advantage of anyone simply because he could, he found her sudden physical closeness distracting if only because it was unexpected and unplanned for. He’d come to play and dance, drink too much and have some fun, but anything more was certainly a welcome bonus, especially if that more was pretty and nice. His grin softened when Kali pulled away to set her drink down, but the lightning caused him to blink and the thunder that immediately followed kept him from finishing her sentence right away,

“—dance?”

Pash laughed, already beginning to unshoulder his lute before the Sev’ryn’s burst of excited worry, the cold wash of heavy drops shocking in a good way. The chill wasn’t sobering, per se, considering the Biqaj had been drinking for quite some time already, but it brought a little focus to his distracted, warm self,

“It’ll be alright, aye. It’s an ol’ thing, that lute, but it’s a good one.” The rain wouldn’t really harm the instrument too much in the long run, and the Immortals only knew how often he’d been caught in a storm at sea or playing on the streets in some town or another. Still, she’d handed him her mantle, which he took from her to wrap the wooden instrument in. They were still close enough to a small pavilion with a few tables in it that he could tuck his lute and her wolfskin safely out of the downpour,

“Let’s no’ forget those.” He teased.

He wouldn’t.

That lute was his life.

It took only a few trills, a breath or two really, before the heavy rain soaked everyone and everything celebrating on the beach—anyone not under a tent or some form of cover was drenched—and absolutely no one cared. If anything, the celebratory atmosphere exploded with the storm, the official opening of the skies intensifying the party with the sputtering persistence of the bonfire acting as a welcome call to come and dance.

While the supposed luck of the World’s End Festival was said to go to those who wed on this day, the vast majority of those attending weren’t all getting married. The ceremonies had happened a few breaks ago, at sunset, with the storm as a lovely backdrop to the whole affair. Pash had been playing music then with some of the other musicians, many of whom were the very folks picking up the beat with the rush of heavy rain,

“D’you dance, Kali?” The seafaring minstrel smiled, willing to continue taunting her after all her seriousness, calloused hands reaching up to run fingers through his hair and tie it all out of the way now that he was thoroughly wet. Instead of his arm, he offered his hand for her to take it, a broad grin of invitation spread across his face, tidepool eyes bright and vibrant in their color, “Or, perhaps I should ask, have you ever?”

The rhythm of the drums was already in his ears, the beat of it pounding its way into his eager pulse. Impossible for the inebriated Biqaj to ignore, especially with the press of people who’d come closer to the warmth and bright light of the roaring bonfire that dominated the beach and illuminated the other musicians, the orange glow of the flames reflecting wildly off of rain-soaked skin. He was swaying to the rhythm already, unable to resist the auditory tide, whether or not she took his hand, eager to move freely to the sounds and the distracting proximity of so many bodies. Pash was happy to stay on the edge of the crowd, however, for the sake of the shy, reserved huntress, so long as he could convince her to join him. Otherwise, she may very well find herself alone, the tall shipwright's son swept up in the motion behind them without her,

“Come on. Better me than a stranger, don'tcha think?” Pash winked then, grinning slyly, drunkenly aware he was still more or less a stranger, but at least he was a friendly one. To see her have a good time and maybe experience getting a little lost in the celebration had become his goal, though the downpour had left no secrets when soaking everyone to their very flesh and the shipwright’s son did his unlevel-very-not-sober best to not let his gaze wander lest he lose sight of the last of his good intentions. He was only marginally successful, “Well, a’ least better me than someone who can’t dance ‘t all.”

[Kali'rial]

Kali shivered as the chill rain drops played a fervent staccato across her now bare shoulders, rivulets of cold water running down tanned skin to soak into the hide of her dress. Running her fingers through her rich dark locks and wiping the rain from her face in a vain attempt to see better, she gave up as more water simply took its place. She smiled again at Pash, noticing that his outfit was rather more suited to being completely drenched then most of the people on the beach, herself included. It was easy enough to see the path of least resistance the rain took as it ran down his own mostly bare torso...

Blinking herself away from distractive outfit choices, the brunette crinkled her nose in confusion.

"Do I...dance?" The hunter repeated, glancing at the people moving to the music, before looking back at the Biqaj with his outstretched hand. Her eyes widened as she realised what he was asking her to do.

Immortals save me, what would grandfather say if he saw me now?!

She swallowed nervously, not entirely sure whether she was blushing or whether it was just the intoxication causing her cheeks to burn as she watched him gently swaying to the beat.

"N..no I don't. I mean, you're right..haven't. I haven't. Danced." Kali stammered through her reply again, awkwardly trying to regain some form of composure under his lagoon gaze. Something about the way he focused far too intently on her face made her feel more than conscious of the way dress clung to her wet form, and another small tremor tickled it's way up her spine. Briefly, his line of sight slipped toward the tattoo on her sternum just peeking from between the loosely tied laces of her dress and Kali felt a fluttering of butterflies in her belly. Dipping her tongue across the water that ran across her lips, the Sev'ryn took his hand cautiously and allowed herself to be led towards the bonfire.

As they walked, she giggled almost girlishly at his remark, painfully aware of how silly she sounded but unable to help it in her current tipsy state.

"I'm not sure if you've thought this through Pash." The brunette said in reply to his remark about choosing to dance with him rather than someone who couldn't dance at all, a shapely brow raised in amusement.

"I've never danced, that I can remember, ever. You might actually be a terrible dancer, and I wouldn't even know." She grinned at him as they moved closer to the dancing, quite pleased at her own little attempt at a joke. As they reached the quieter edge of the main event, Kali looked around at the other people, unconsciously moving ever so slightly in time to the music as a deeper, more instinctual part of her brain responded whilst the fiercely controlled part hovered in a state of slightly-more-than-mild intoxication. Turning back to look up at him with bright blue eyes, the young woman smiled shyly, unsure of what she was doing but willing to join in.

"Well either that, or I could be so awful you may just die of shame by associating yourself with me." Kali said with another laugh, acutely aware of the warmth of his hand still in hers as they stood in the chill night time rain that sheeted down around them. Vaguely, as though it was accompanying the music, thunder rolled in a grumble across the starless sky. Time seemed to be slowed down as the Sev'ryn hunter watched the Biqaj musician, trapped by his aurora-like eyes whilst she waited for guidance.

[Pash Raj'oriq]

The drumming and other instruments were loud. The crackling and roaring of the fire were loud. The rumble of thunder, the celebrating voices, and the rhythm of his pulse in his ears were loud. While Kali took his offered hand, she was talking, nervous and warmed by the somewhat over the top amount of alcohol in her drink. Pash saw her lips move, became mostly distracted by them moving in the rain, but managed to catch most of her words between drum beats and breaths. For a moment, he just smiled and continued to sway to the beat, leading her with his whole body and not just his hand. It was a wide, goofy sort of smile that revealed just how little he cared if he was made a fool of, intoxicated in a crowd of other intoxicated celebrants, just how little concerned he was about whether either of them was a terrible dancer.

He most certainly had not thought this through at all and that was fine by him.

Pash had some natural talent, sure—he understood music and rhythm and melody—but he certainly had no serious practice or training in dance. The seafaring minstrel was usually responsible for creating the kind of sound that others danced to, but he enjoyed the mingling with others, the touching, and the motion of it all when given the chance to dance instead of play. It was still a form of expression, and it was fun. Well, it was supposed to be.

Reaching up his free hand, he gently placed a finger on her lips: one, because he simply had to touch them after staring at them for far too long and it was perhaps a little too forward at this point to kiss them; and two, because he wanted to shush her. Mostly to shush her. Mostly.

The tall Biqaj blinked away rain and distracted threads of his own thoughts, tidepool gaze rimmed with a warm gold. For a moment, he just looked at the lithe huntress, studying her face and all her worry in the warm glow of firelight off water, as if he could see all that was tangled up inside beneath the surface of her expression.

The truth was, he could, but drunk and distracted as he was, he found it hard to focus, only briefly glimpsing the threads of Kali’s emotions that would have otherwise been invisible.

Because they were touching, everything was almost blindingly vibrant as if he was staring into the bonfire instead, but he was even more overwhelmed by the tight and complicated weave of threads that made up the tapestry of her inner being. It was foreign and different, but he could see the warm yellows of her fear and the darker hues of her worry. He could also see the inviting greens of her interest and the violet of her distraction in his presence. Pash was too intoxicated to knot away her worries, but he couldn’t resist the temptation to strum, just a little, at the emotions that would allow her to relax and perhaps enjoy herself with the music and the celebrations. Plucking threads like he would a lute string for a chord, he fumbled at her desire and her curiosity. Then, quickly overwhelmed by the effort which only took place in the span of a heartbeat or two, he blinked again and chuckled. Lastly, he leaned in closer, aware that the motion required their bodies to be touching while dancing in order to talk so that he could be heard without shouting, unconcerned that his own lips may or may not have brushed her ear as he did so,

“I don’ really care ‘f you’re a good dancer ‘r if I’m a good dancer,” Pash admitted huskily, removing his hand from her face in a slower, lingering motion to wave playfully at the other bodies dancing and cheering in the pouring rain around them, “Half th’ crowd, m’self included, is way too drunk to notice. Th’ point is, Kali, to jus’ have some fun. All th' travelin' an' frettin' will be there tomorrow. Or th' next day. So, look ‘t me, no’ them, an’ jus’ listen to th’ music. Celebrate a lil’ all th’ way out here at th’ world’s end.”

The seafaring minstrel leaned away then, still grinning and a little flushed despite the cold Ashan downpour. He was happy to lead her in the rhythm until she got the hang of things—if she got the hang of things—entangling his fingers with her hand that he still held and using his free hand whenever he felt necessary (which was perhaps often) to touch her in guidance.

OOC

Note to Graders:Kali’s permission to experiment with Empathy.

To Kali:Feel free to run with it how you like. Kali can notice something odd or she can simply feel interest and excitement clamoring to be felt above her doubt and worry. You know I’ll roll with whatever with you! <3

[Kali'rial]

Kali stopped moving when out of nowhere, the seafaring minstrel pressed a finger gently to her lips. She felt her heart beating rapidly in her chest, banging like a drum against her ribcage and echoing in her ears like another musical interlude. Her gaze never left his, irrevocably captured by the now by the warm gold that encompassed the deeper blue that just flittered into being. It felt as though he was searching her very soul, in the space of merely a heartbeat or two. The sev’ryn felt slightly light headed, and her cheeks burned warmly.

Suddenly, the people around them and the noise didn’t matter. None of it mattered. She wanted to stay in this moment, captured by kaleidoscope eyes and a singular warm finger. The biqaj was the focus of her attention now, his features and his words. Curiosity peaked inside of her. What was he like as a person, what was his story. These thoughts and feelings had been simmering there, hidden away by the overwhelming force of her ingrained need to be sensible and the infuriating social anxiety her trader childhood had re-enforced, but now they bubbled up to the surface like a rising up-current. Her breathing became shallow, almost as though she was holding it in anticipation of..

Something.

The taller man leaned closer, his body resting against hers as he swayed to the music and his lips brushing almost impeccably against her ear. Kali held herself in check as his breath danced across her skin, goosebumps washing over her and periwinkle eyes closing to stop the shudder that threatened to come forth. His words were all she could hear, intimately close and in a tone that served to further push the warmth into her cheeks.

As he pulled back, Kali swallowed hard and opened her eyes again to look at him, her gaze slightly dazed. She looked down vaguly at his hand entwined in hers, before closing her parted lips and looking up at him with a warm smile. Following his lead, the young brunette huntress stepped into the rhythm, smiling and laughing as she moved. The touch of his free hand against the saturated hide-covered swell of her hip, or the small of her back was a welcome intrusion and Kali found herself resting a hand on his shoulder or arm as they moved.

As the rain poured on, and the music continued, the sev’ryn found herself caught up in the moment. She let go of Pash to spin away for a moment, arms up to the sky with a cheer as thunder and lighting complemented the sounds of the party. Grinning at him, she surged forwards to press closer to his warmth, wrapping her arms around his neck with an intoxicated laugh and standing on her toes so she could speak to him.

“Pash, you know. You’re just lucky I’m not as sev’ryn as my grandfather.” Kali murmured against his ear, giggling again as she thought of the elder now in some distant foggy mindscape.

“He isn’t very fond of biqaj you see. The ones that he’s met are all…” Waiving a hand very flippantly as she struggled for a word.

“Fishy.” She said, before bursting into laughter again. As she swayed with him, laughter dying into giggles before fading into a pleasant sigh, Kali pulled back to look into his eyes with a smile still on her lips. The rain continued to sweep down on them, and although the closeness of their skin was warming, it was still the tail end of the cold season. The brunette shivered suddenly, her teeth chattering ever so mildly.

“This has been…fun.” The young sev’ryn said with another shiver, arms wrapped around his neck and drunken state uncaring how closely pressed they were. Her periwinkle eyes dropped from his own, to his lips for a moment, then back up again.

“Will I see you again, after this is all done? Or are you planning on sailing off to another city to dance with other lonely girls you find on the beach?” Kali raised an eyebrow as she spoke, smile casually laid across dusky lips.

[Pash Raj'oriq]

Well, she didn’t hurt him, so that meant his magical lapse in judgement hadn't become cause for notice. In fact—quite the opposite—it was most pleasing to note that he’d managed instead to convince the dark-haired huntress to dance. He'd strummed the right chords despite his distracted state and Kali smiled and laughed and touched him while he led them around the bonfire to the rhythm of drums and melody and rain. It was, of course, what he'd been hoping for, though her less filtered enthusiasm perhaps wasn't as genuine as it could have been, and that was on him, or it would be, when he was sober.

Pash quite enjoyed watching the lithe huntress forget her obligations and lose her burdens for a quarter or half a break, tidepool gaze drawn to travel over her whole body under the wash of so much rain while they moved with the other celebrants, some of them still dressed in their wedding attire. He laughed and cheered and raised his hands with the crowd as she spun away to another flash of Ilaren’s light, eyes not leaving her despite the momentary glare.

The cold rain and the dancing may have slowly began to ebb away at his intoxication, washing him back toward more sober shores, but he still did not anticipate the dark-haired Sev’ryn’s quick but strong embrace, her arms around his neck and body against his warm and comfortable. She couldn't see the tall Biqaj close his eyes at her lips against his pointed ear, though she may have already been able to feel his heart race in the hull of his chest like sails flapping in a stormy wind. His grin widened and his calloused hands moved to curl fingers into the soaked hide of her dress near her waist lest they be tempted to stray further into uncharted waters without permission,

“Fishy? Hmm ...” He hummed quietly, grin turning stupidly amused against the chilled skin of her arm as he spoke, “Well, I've had my fair share o’ angry run-ins with a gran’parent ‘r two, but I’ll have t’ say that’s for totally diff’rent reasons. I assure you I wash on th’ regular. This rain counts too, right?”

The seafaring minstrel laughed at his own joke, watching Kali’s periwinkle gaze travel his face briefly, satisfied to hear the word fun fall ever so gracefully from the enticing curve of her lips, close as they were. Maybe his hands wandered a little, feeling her shiver in the rain despite how she couldn't possibly be much closer. The baritone of his voice was both attempting at humor but also taunting her on a much more physical level, “Fun! See, it's no’ so bad, is it? I thank you for humorin’ me with a bit o’ dance, Kali. Fun looks good on you, y’know.”

Pash studied her expression as she asked her questions, slowing their movement to the drums as they swayed together at the edge of the crowd. His hands trailed upwards, fingers tracing up her arms that still rested on his shoulders and back down again as if in thought, though he was clearly also distractedly teasing her with his touch,

“I'm in no hurry to leave Scalvoris. I sailed alone all through th’ dark o’ Cyclus to get here, an’ I intend t’ see all th’ sights this place has t’ offer.” In her current state of mind, the seafaring minstrel’s purred layers of meaning could have made more sense to Kali, that he was both speaking concretely that he had no definite plans to leave the island but that he was also perhaps speaking directly to the dark-haired huntress about his interest in her person, “I don’ thin I've met a lot o’ lonely girls on beaches an’ convinced ‘em to dance. Maybe they weren't as—”

She shivered again, and he blinked, face close to her face, still holding each other even as the rain slowed a little and the crowd cheered more lightning and thunder. It was probably still a little too forward to kiss the lithe Sev’ryn no matter how lovely and enticing she was by firelight, though he realized he very much wanted to and was very sure if they stayed still this close that he would do so sooner rather than later, his pulse ringing in his ears above the blazing fire and the music which had slowed in tempo and volume noticeably.

Pash shifted slightly, hands moving back to rest on her hips and nodding his head to where his lute and her warmer wolf skin mantle were, “—ah, it’s cold, eh? As much as I don’ mind keepin’ you warm, an’ I don’,” He was as honest as he was mischievous, implying he wanted more not less of her with the sly expression on his face, “this Scalvoris weather’s weird. We can get out o’ th’ rain a bit if you’d like.”

The tall Biqaj was content to lead them back to the small pavilion by touch as much as by actually walking. He picked up and offered to put her wrap on her shoulders while indulging his own curiosities, not necessarily with the ulterior motive they could have carried, though admittedly his question was more immediate than hers had been, “What ‘bout you? Are y’stayin’ here in Almund ‘r Scalvoris? D’you have somewhere to stay for after all th’ celebratin’ is over?”

[Kali'rial]

The brunette laughed as Pash joked with her around her comment, her periwinkle eyes dancing with genuine amusement, his compliment causing her to blush again and press her forehead to his shoulder with a grin. Kali delighted in the feeling of fingers trailing across her skin, a languid smile almost permanently fixated on her face as she lifted it again, staring distractedly into Pash's brilliant eyes as they glowed in the light of the bonfire. He spoke words, nice words that make her stomach fill with butterflies that swirled and danced as though caught in a whirlwind. The words from his lips were more than just replies to her current questions, embedded with sly double meanings and tones that made the Sev'ryn giggle softly. Their faces were so close, if so desired she only had to tilt her chin and their lips would meet. It was ridiculously tempting, and the brunette wondered in her tipsy state whether the Biqaj tasted like the ocean as much as he smelt like it. She giggled again to herself, barely noticing the rain and music had begun to slow a little, nor the slight chatter of her teeth.

As the musician rested his hands on her hips and moved slightly, Kali was torn from her dreamlike state with a couple of dazed blinks and a realisation that it was actually quite cold.

"Yes please, I would like that." She said softly with a little shiver, allowing herself to be led back to their belongings with a smile still on her face and stealing glances at the Biqaj as they walked. He was effortlessly charming, almost gentleman like in his wordless offer to help with her mantle. Kali watched his face, captivated as he spoke with that infuriatingly warm voice. The alcohol from her beverage still flowed through her veins, but she was noticing that she felt less light headed as before. Perhaps it was beginning to wear off, or perhaps she was just getting used to the feeling.

"I'm currently boarding at the Four In Hand, in Scalvoris. It's...cheap." The hunter said with a slight wince, knowing full well the Inn was known for more than unsavoury going-on's.

"But it gives me a bed and a roof, and a place to water my horse, and so it serves the intended purpose." Her logical side had kicked in for a moment, smile fading in thought. Glancing around the festival, she reached up to push soaking hair away from her face, squeezing it out as she did so. Wrapping her arms around herself to fend off the cold, she shot him a sheepish smile.

"Can I be honest?" The blue eyed Sev'ryn released her warming arms from her body, hands tentatively brushing his own as she dropped her gaze, almost as though she was unwilling to break contact for long now that she'd been so close.

"I hadn't expected to stay in Almund for the whole evening. Once the rain started, I was planning on finding the next boat back to Scalvoris." Kali looked up at him again, hair and clothes dripping onto the red sand at their feet, taking a shivery breath and wincing again.

"Now that I see the festival in full swing, I think the possibility of a boat back is gone. There might be an inn open..." It was a feeble sentence that faded off with the slow realisation that she had probably just stranded herself on the beach till either the inns opened up or the sailors sobered enough to take passengers. The woman's smile had faded completely now, mildly frustrated that she hadn't thought this through completely. Again, a serious lapse in her judgement and a gap in her understanding of the festival.

"What about yourself Pash? Surely you have a plan, unless you'd intended on staying at the festival?" She smiled almost apologetically, not feeling quite so delighted now that she was cold and wet. A warm fur and hot drink sounded like a wonderful idea about now.

"Any recommendations on where a girl could go for the night to warm up? I've got some nel...if there's a place you know, maybe we could..uh..we could get something warm to drink? Together?" The brunette wasn't quite ready to leave the seafaring minstrels very enjoyable company, but wasn't sure if he felt the same. Her fingers still brushed his own, and she was standing closer than her previous comfort levels would have allowed.

[Pash Raj'oriq]

“Aye, well—” Pash had heard of the Four in Hand and had been told in no uncertain terms to ever eat there. While it was probably a decent place to play a tune or two for some nel, especially with gambling and drinking going on, he hadn’t been. He didn’t own a horse and had no real idea the responsibilities maintaining one required, other than that they were large and got hungry and needed attention. The animals mostly intimidated him, as he’d grown up around the sea and in it, not on horseback by any means. He reached for his lute to sling it over his shoulder again, the instrument pressing against wet cloth and warm skin. The shyness returned in her voice at her admission. He teased her, though, “Y’haven’t eaten there, have you? I’ve heard y’ shouldn’t. Jus’ a warnin’.”

The seafaring minstrel winked, then, reaching up to wring out his own long, sun-kissed hair and tie it back away while he listened to Kali reveal how poorly she’d planned her evening. The dark-haired Sev’ryn had obviously not been to enough parties. It wasn’t like this one was ending anytime soon. Was she just going to find a comfy, dry spot under one of the many torchlit pavilions and nap until sunrise? That was unsafe. Almund was still a much seedier place than Scalvoris Town, but perhaps she didn’t see that the way he did.

He had to chuckle, however, watching her brow furrow again. Pash wasn’t ready for her to be serious; he was enjoying her hands toying with his and the way she wanted to stand close to him. His grin was wry, speaking just as much for himself as anyone else, “I don’ think anyone’s quite fit to sail back to Scalvoris tonight, m’self included. Aye, there may be an inn open, but they’re prob’ly all full, y’know. This celebration seems like kind ‘f a big deal ‘round here. That said—”

He let his baritone, Rakahi-accented words hang there between them for just a mysterious moment, filling the very narrow space the proximity of their bodies allowed with just a few heartbeats of doubt, lagoon blue eyes warming to a brilliant emerald green as his expression turned mischievous,

“—I have a boat. It’s m’ home. My father an’ I built it arcs ago b’fore I left Ne’Haer. So, aye, I always have a plan. It’s how I got here an’ it’s warm an’ dry on th’ inside.” The tall Biqaj entwined their fingers again playfully as he spoke, watching her face.

Here, Pash had a choice in how he could phrase his invitation. He could simply offer shelter, give her his bed, and sleep on the floor. Or he could offer much more than that. While he was, honestly, without many boundaries sober, he was somewhere in between wildly uninhibited and slightly distracted. As much as he genuinely wanted Kali to enjoy herself at the celebration, he’d also found himself enjoying her. They’d danced and touched and his mind had wandered. It was wandering again. He’d peered beyond the shell of her very lovely flesh without her permission and seen the bright threads of her curiosity, attraction, and desire, all buried beneath cords of much more serious feelings of obligation and duty and guilt. He’d crossed a line of trust, but he’d also allowed the lithe huntress to smile and laugh and admit she had fun.

She could have more fun, if she wanted, and she clearly admitted she didn’t quite want to part ways, that she was enjoying his company as much as he was enjoying hers, no matter how much he was out of her comfort zone. Blinking, his grin softened a little, making his own decision and praying wordlessly to Zanik that should she agree to all he was asking and be willing to explore in the direction he was trying to sail, it would surely be an evening worthy to thank him for. He was very aware of what he was offering, and it wasn’t just a cup of tea or a blanket,

“Keep your nel. Th’docks ‘re quiet an’ a lot safer ‘n some places in Almund. When this party starts windin’ down, th’ beach won’t be that safe, either.” Pash laughed, warmth spreading across the back of his neck despite the chill of being soaked from the rain and pulse ringing in his ears above the music that was still being played around the bonfire,

“I can’t promise I’ve got anythin’ hot to drink,” He’d more than willingly keep her warm, though, that was for sure. The tall Biqaj didn’t even skip a beat with his very physical and hedonistic decision, voice suddenly quieter but still audible above all that went on around them because he’d leaned closer again, face to face as if he was about to finish his words with a kiss to make his offer that much more convincing. If she met him there, he would without question distract her doubts with his desires, but he wanted to be heard clearly first so that she could make up her own mind,

“But you’re welcome to stay with me.”