[IC] Act 3, Scene 2 : Journey of a Thousand Leagues... [Creation is your oyster]

Coriander's return atop her impressive and fearsome steed was rather dramatically convenient, even if the beast of burden still pulsating with the various elements was stained with still fresh blood in numerous places. With Coriander, it was not quite as easy to tell, due to the color of her kimono. Regardless, she saluted the cheering people with the distant amusement of one of the Realm's dynasts, this was after all easily her due.


Taking a drag from her kiseru, she jumped down from her mount, leaving it with instructions to quietly wait for her until she called for it. She felt exhausted somehow, this had been too easy. She didn't even get the opportunity to take out her real wrath on any one of them.


What a waste of time.
 
Misora sighed as she looked over all the villagers. "Is anyone hurt?" The Ledaal was easily one of the most compassionate of her peers, and she was going to make sure everyone in the village was alright before she'd relax.
 
As Coriander returned in victory, splattered in blood of those fallen before her, Misora's inquire is almost missed... but given that the villagers near her shook their head and no one appeared to be badly wounded beyond being scuffed up.


Truly, they were used to trouble and getting out of the way.


Of course, it likely helped that the attack hadn't lasted less than a minute.


As the cheering died down, an elderly man walked up to the victorious dragonblooded before kneeling down to them and bowed his head in subservience. From the murmuring of the villagers, it's clear to the dragonblooded that this was the village headman, who went by the name of Kano.


"My thanks for your aid, oh princes of the earth. It is as if Heaven itself had sent you here on this day. Please I entreat you all to be my guests. A feast shall be prepared for you, oh dragonblooded."
 
His anima burning with cracking sounds and the smell of hearth, Yoran stood aside, careful not to let his brilliant display of power ignite flammable materials or people... Towering, with swirls of fire dancing about his red jade dire lance, he seemed to take a liking to the mortals' gratitude. He even found Misora's concern about the wounded to be kind of cute.


Still, we scarcely did this just to relieve those mortals. We were under attack and merely defended ourselves - and our pride.
 
Telega took a moment to shake the blood from his blade, leaving it perfectly clean as he re-sheathed it. His expression slid between pleasure and annoyance as he looked at the other dragonblooded, noting a subtle lack of enthusiasm. At least Misora was tending to the villagers... He subtly moved to stay a little closer to the Air-Aspect, away from the more bored and irritated Circlemates such as Dujn, murmering to her in High Realm.


"The villagers seem to have escaped fully unharmed... Thank you for the assistance, Milady."
 
"Please... please come... this way, my lords," The headman gestured and led the dragonblooded away from the massacre by the inn, leaving the mess to be cleaned up by the villagers, and towards his home and the clearing before it that was clearly for village festivals and meetings.
 
Not knowing what the headman has in store, but hoping it isn't a reward, Dujn follows the old man to his home.
 
Letting his anima subside to a level that would be tolerated by houses and villagers alike, the Fire Aspect followed the chief leisurely.


______________


OOC: I lost track of how many motes I actually spent, but it might be that my anima level is not as high as I originally thought it would bee...
 
With a thong of villagers surrounding them excitedly as if in the presence of gods incarnate, it is easy enough to miss the instructions given by the headman, which soon resulted in the clearing before a slightly larger house transformed...


into not just a clearing, but one with long tables and benches. A pit fire started up, and from the looks of it, the spot was used as a pit fire many, many times.


In virtually no time, the clearing was transformed into a festival, simple and homely, but the emotions can't be denied as a fattened calf was slaughtered and roasted, with alcoholic drinks flowing freely and snacks offered.
 
This kind of worship was what the Realm had always been about, this was due respect even if one could argue that it wasn't fully genuine. Regardless, Coriander hadn't offered any resistance up to now and she wasn't about to start. At least she'd get something to drink and some good food out of it, so in that respect she'd done good to herself. Still, she was anything but happy or personable at the moment as she took her honor seat at the feast thrown in celebration of their great heroism.
 
Misora took her seat as well... She didn't really mind being treated this way. After all, she was a mighty Dragon-Blooded and she also helped save the village after all... Right?


She glanced over towards Coriander... Unsure if this is the right time to speak to her. Or even speak to her at all.
 
Telega eats, drinks and makes merry, engaging anyone who will listen in animated conversation, his social awkwardness washed away by the alcohol and the many other partygoers.
 
Yoran rejoined the feast as soon as his anima flux allowed him, and whenever he could spend some Essence safely, he infused some of it in the alcoholic beverages in order to increase the release of tension and make the event more memorable...


For better or worse.


Yoran himself would consume in moderate amounts - just enough to appreciate the vastly enhanced local wine.


___________________


OOC: can't resist... Sweeten-the-Tap Method ahoy!
 
Telega fell for the fortified wine, noticing the enhanced flavor but not the added potency, still downing it as if it was peasant wine. He drank and laughed until his head swam, the dragon's blood and his own vitality keeping him from such shameful behavior as becoming sick of vomiting (Though it will not save him from a hangover in the morning), but his actions continued to get more boisterous and pleased, eventually getting to his feet and walking over to the Sorcerer, humming a pleased tune to himself. "My friend! Yoran! You've barely drank any wine at all, come now! Relax, enjoy yourself!" He threw a drunken arm around the sorcerer, smiling happily at the other fire aspect, drunkenly getting slightly too touchy and violating the sorcerer's personal space.
 
Yoran subtly evaded Telega's drunken embrace, patting the Fire Aspect on the shoulder: "I'm already tipsy. I'm not a bottomless well, you know. Wouldn't want to appear undignfi... undginif... undignified."


Crap, I wanted more taste, not more problems! I'll have to taylor this Charm... when I get the time.


"Maybe later, when I've had more to eat. Burning so much Essence on the battlefield sure makes one hungry."
 
The intensity of the wine seems to have clouded some of the better judgement of the villagers. At least if one were to notice the way they paired up, and how certain of the youths would look at the dragonblooded heroes with admiration and lust that they dared not act on. Not yet.
 
Misora, known to be a very temperate one, barely drank any of the wine. It was way too strong for her tastes. Plus, she was more hungry than thirsty to begin with. But, noticing the drunk youths look at her like a piece of meat was... Unsettling to her.
 
Telega grinned hazily at Yoran, clapping him on the shoulder as well. "Hah, very well. Be warned, if you fall behind, there will be nothing left for you, though. No food, drink, or company..." He let his eyes fall meaningfully on the star-struck and impressionable youths watching them at a distance.
 
At the nudging and daring from her peers, a blushing village girl, in all likelyhood one of the milk maids of the village, approached Misora with a flower before darting back to her friends.


"F.... for you my lady." The manner she stammered out earlier indicated that the young maiden might have a crush on the air aspect.
 
It's quite clear that the young maidens and male youths were quite starstruck by the dragonblooded, even if it took encouragement from one's peers for one of them to approach the elemental gods incarnate in flesh.


It likely wouldn't take much to bed one of them, really. Even if the haughty glare by Emerk's concubine kept a number of them away from the water aspect. She would have no one poaching on her territory.


Still, it didn't take long before a rather... talented village girl blushed as she attempted to approach Telega and Yoran without appearing to do so. "M... my lord, w... would you honor me with a dance?"
 
Telega glanced over at Yoran, smirking, before turning back to the girl, making an effort to get his wits about him and appear charming rather than boisterous and drunk. "Of course, My dear." He offered his hand to the young woman, gently leading her out to the largest group of dancing revelers.
 
Under normal circumstances, Coriander would be one of the most boisterous revelers of this feast, enjoying herself thoroughly and engaging in every excess possible. Instead she'd wordlessly walked a little bit away from it all early during the celebration with a heavy jug of strong alcohol to drink herself stupid. At least that was the plan.


It didn't quite work as expected, while it was stronger than she'd expected and quite delicious, it also heavily clouded her mind. Not that she did much about it, sitting on a crate as she were, her gaze fixed on the bright purple liquid she kept swilling over and over. She felt distinctly hollow by now, her face showing no excitement or overt enthusiasm for the fête.


Of course, her eyes kept going for Misora over and over, they had a life of their own. So when the young milk maid approached the beautiful air aspect, she was there to see it quite clearly. In more auspicious times she'd have made her way to her best friend to tease her and humiliate the arrogant little human. But she knew just how Misora felt now and she wouldn't let herself be weak and allow her own heart to enslave her. She'd found out the hard way that even her lovely Misora wasn't any different from the people back home.


She swallowed the now slightly bitter wine, her expression heavy with regret and seething anger. Maybe she should consider just going back home when this was all over, she felt as if she'd already seen enough of the world outside the Blessed Isle.


No, she couldn't endure this. Lifting herself up from the crate on which she'd been sitting all this time, she took out her kiseru and lit it with some powerful intoxicants only to let herself drift away from the improvised festival in celebration of their bravery. Just like the smoke rising up toward the sky, she grew light and numb. Soon enough she found herself in a deserted area of the village with nothing but her kiseru and her thoughts keeping her company.


"I hate this." she whispered to herself with a scowl between long drags from her smoking pipe.


---------------------


Perception 4 + Awareness 2 + Opal of the Hunted 2 = 8 dice


8d10 → [1,6,8,9,9,2,4,9] = 4 successes
 



Given that she giggled at his jokes and the way her blushing stood out against her complexion, she likely thought he was a charming and debonair gentleman. Not that she had much experience in that regard. Still, she was energetic in her dancing, which implied good things if one were to pursue certain needs with her.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 4 (members: 0, guests: 4)
Back
Top