• Closed • Celebrate

[Nightshade Eld]

Ashan 100th, 718

She couldn't help but go back and forth on this little idea in particular. This would be the second arc of breaking an old routine that built up when she was much younger. Even them, she still stayed home and sulked. She didn't feel like doing that this arc though, which was why she was slowly meandering through the woods to a destination she'd walked towards just a few too many times. She should have stopped after the first time. Regret held heavy and weighed equally with desire in this case. She wondered why she was still doing this, why she reached out to him every chance she got, every spare trial she managed to scrounge up. He was toxic, and dear Immortals, it would be a beautiful death.

Her blood rushed around in her veins as her heart seemed to pound louder and louder the farther she progressed, ringing in her ears. She was about to ask her boyfriend on a date. Her murderous bounty-having-boyfriend. On a date. For her birth trial. She was insane.

The woman continued forward in complete silence though, unfazed by the thought. she urged herself a little farther. Would she try to convince him to let her in? What would she see? There was a morbid curiosity that came with her decision to seek him out at his home to ask him on this date.

As an early birth trial gift to herself, she'd gotten a dress. Custom tailored and made. It was without a doubt a new experience to actually have something so beautiful made especially for her to her specifications. She could still remember when hand-me-downs were given reluctantly. And yet here she was, wearing a dress that hung a couple inches below her knees, perfectly hugging every curve of her body and tailored in the back not to upset her wings. The fabric was a beautiful black satin which shifted around her form. At the bottom and around the neck was a thick fur trim, the gray working well to match the black of the cloth. At the bottom, golden flowers were embroidered with a careful hand. She wondered if maybe it was just a little too gaudy, but it had only cost 116gn give or take. At one point, that would have been her entire wage for a season, if not her life's savings. Now she almost laughed at the cost, throwing in an extra 100gn since it was made so beautifully.

There was a tiny part of her that said she'd definitely gone overboard with her demands for the dress. But, she pushed those thoughts out of her head quickly when she reminded herself just how much Noth would appreciate her purchase. She almost laughed aloud at the thought, a childish smile parting her lips for a just a moment. She couldn't find it in her heart to hate him, instead only find it fit to adore him even more. She'd spent time wondering if she really loved him or was obsessed with the idea of him, with the idea of another half-breed. But she was certain that she was genuinely in love. After someone shows you genuine care and affection for the first time in your life, romantic affection, how can you not fall in love? She didn't think she'd so willingly turn a blind eye if she didn't adore the man with every fraction of her being. And that was precisely what made it so terribly painful.

Approaching the telltale signs of her beloved's cave she tried not to take note of how different the path had become. More trodden one might say? She didn't want to think about that, or the implications it might lead one to find. Silence, she ordered her thoughts, silence. The familiar weight in her stomach started to cause things to churn, the gentle and almost constant pain followed by a slightly more intense pain which wreathed from the bottom of her stomach all the way to what was almost her chest. She didn't bring the jewel that had so dedicatedly chased away the feeling as of late, so she was left just dealing with the pain that she could almost call an old friend.

At the very least it was a beautiful day and she'd managed to keep her dress clean on the way to the cave. The wind brushed lightly against trees causing a shifting and rustling noise in recently grown foliage, the sweet scent of newly budded flowers hanging heavily among the rich scent of moss and the earth. The glare of sunlight trickling in places shaded heavily and glaring downwards in slight clearings where the trees grew far apart and the grass turned lush, in comparison to the thick pelt of shrubbery barely hiding roots that peaked up out of the earth. How deeply some of these trees must have reached, their lives stretching on into a vastness only imaginable by the few who could see all of eternity stretching before their tired cloudy eyes. What a man must trade in his life to catch a glimpse through that gaze.

As she approached the jutting maw of stone that she was so familiar with her pace slowed considerably. Before then it had been something a brisk stroll even if it was meandering. The half-breed moved faster than the average person. But how her steps slowed to an insistent drawling gait as she gave Noth ample time to rush out and meet her as she was sure he would. Her visit was unplanned, but he would know. He always seemed to know. And for all her morbid curiosity, she wasn't entirely too sure she wanted to know what kind of monstrosities he'd invited into his home. The woman wondered if she'd ever do that same. Not permanently, but for a night. She wasn't above letting him say. Then again, if she did, maybe she'd have to move.

"Common"

"Ith'ession"

[Noth]

The season had been far busier than the hybrid would have expected, though he supposed that was the burden to bear when one was in charge of a sprawling criminal organization. A great deal had occurred, some of it which had been carefully planned, each potential hazard pruned away by the hybrid’s tactical mind, and yet other events had seemingly come out of the blue, assailing his senses and sensibilities with their suddenness in many cases. The Avriel recognized that this was the natural occurrence of things, that people often schemed and plotted their own designs behind closed doors, and that no matter the number of spies and watchmen he employed, there would always be those who had managed to outsmart him, but it was jarringly frustrating to actually encounter such persons. He had spent so much time on his treatises and tactical planning, and yet the thorns in his side had yet to subside from their irritation and harassment.

Next season, he whispered to himself when no one was around to hear. Next season he would take even further precautions to ensure that he would not be subject to the same issues as he had in the past. Next season he would hire assassins aplenty to continue their strikes against those targets which frustrated him enough to warrant death. Next season he would amplify the number of spies in his employ by a hundred percent, there would be ears waiting around every corner, whispers spoken within each wall. Next season he would ensure that his solders were finally nearing the end of their training, that they would be fully equipped for every work which required their service, for every violent confrontation, for every quasi-policing of his territory that was necessary, for every act of intimidation, or terror, or war.

The hybrid rarely forgot important dates, but he supposed that even he would inevitably fall subject to an explosion of information so grand that things which he had once considered indispensable fell into the range of being only novelty or kind to remember. Unfortunately, the birth-trial of his dearly beloved was one such piece of information which became little more than esoteric, and the hybrid found himself entirely unprepared for her arrival, still dressed in the harsh armor which he always seemed to don, sitting within one of his innermost offices and browsing over one of the latest reports given to him by a lieutenant. It seemed that recent attempts at racketeering involving a nearby family of cattle-herders had gone poorly when their eldest son had decided to take matters into his own hand. The soldier sent to collect the funds had been wounded in the assault, but their training had carried through in the end, and the farmer had been staked through the heart with a crossbow’s bolt. Unfortunately, that was not specifically the sort of thing that Noth wanted getting around to the public, since he was at least somewhat trying to prevent them from all siding directly with the Black Guard, but it had taken seemingly little effort to hire a reputable cleaner to fix the issue at the price of most of the valuables in the family’s home.

The first news that the hybrid had that anyone was approaching his cavern and the headquarters of Al’Angyryl was one of his watchmen calmly stepping through the office and informing him that a woman who possessed wings much like his own was moving directly towards it. Noth had very nearly had something akin to a panic attack the instant after the watchman had left, but he had managed in record time to order the hiding of those who waited in the woods, and the stowing away of any contraband material that might incriminate him from the very front of the cave. To hide away everything in so short a time would have been impossible, but so long as the entryway appeared clean of any illicit activity, he didn’t’ believe that he’d have anything to worry about, especially since Nightshade had never ventured into his cavernous home in the past.

Quickly, he removed the armament that covered him, allowing the metallic platemail and the chainmail chestpiece to slink off of his flesh, feeling the warmth of the air lash against his uncovered flesh in a way that had begun to grow unfamiliar. The only piece of armor he kept upon him was the Null Gauntlet upon his right hand, because without it he was uncertain as to whether or not he would be capable of using his right hand whatsoever, or if it would simply be gone. Nightshade was so cautious for the sake of his privacy, considered the hybrid as he stepped towards the entryway, crimson eyes spying her silhouette in the light even though he remained at least somewhat concealed by the shadowy dark.

She had changed, he mused, adoring the dress and the way that it clung to her form, analyzing her in much the same way that a jeweler looks upon a precious gem, adoring every small piece. That brought something of a smile to his face, but his thoughts quickly grew grim and melancholic as he considered the suffering that he had brought upon her, of the trouble that he had caused here and in other lands, and of the torment that it would cause her if she knew of all his deeds. It took him a solid bit to banish the thoughts entirely from his mind, and he stepped forward from the darkness, the grin having returned to his face as he moved quickly forward, fully intent on embracing her in greeting.

“Beloved. I wasn’t certain that you’d ever come here again.” He smiled, outstretching his fleshy hand towards her own in order to better clasp it, enjoying the sensation of warmth that it would no doubt bring.

[Nightshade Eld]

It was too late for that. For him to try and protect her from what she assumedly didn’t know. Most would assume the half-breed didn’t know about the true extents of Noth’s misdeeds. Yes, perhaps she’d seen his paper faces and that was enough to sting at her heart, but she knew more than she allowed herself to give away. She wore the same warm brilliance in her smile, the same graceful ease of her expression and movement. Every step though slowly and delicate exuded power. Her eyes glittered with the words she didn’t say, the tears she dared not shed, the accusations she forced into the back of her throat

“Why ever would you believe that?” She asked with a tilt of her head. Her tone was light, springish and fresh as her words brushed against the air to mingle with its grace. The half-breed happily brought her beau into a hug as she weaved her fingers into his flesh coated grasp. She ignored his missing appendage with the grace of someone who’d gained mastery over ignoring or running from their problems. She’d deal with the knowledge later when she could more safely vent the thoughts and emotions that came with seeing his hand in such a state as the strange glove on his fist. The fact he wouldn’t take the glove off forced fearful shivers racing up and down her spine, her mind wandered about what tale might be behind its existence, how much blood was seeped into its being. She was deft in her avoidance of touching it as she brought herself as close to her beloved as physically possible.

She hadn’t seen him for some time, so his comment in a way made sense. She’d been so occupied that she’d not had the chance to visit. And the last time she did… It was best not to think about such things. She needed the proximity so she’d moved into standing at a rather close distance, a heavy sigh wanting to escape her lungs just as badly as seething or hateful words. There was part of her that still quietly wanted to break it off, to run away from Noth and never look back because she knew. She knew that he was possibly one of the worst people for her to be dating. She knew that there was the chance of getting used, abused, misled, guided in every direction that was wrong, and being left without a trace of hope and a lack of a lover to boot. There were quiet boundaries and emotional borders she put up with these fears in mind, but she never voiced them. They were tiny pieces of her heart that she reserved for her work and her goals alone.

“Did you… not think I would come today?” She asked, a slight hesitance in her tone. She had wanted to come by on the 97th for his birth trial, but such an event had not come to fruition. In the end, she’d gotten caught up trying to organize everything in the Roost since she needed to be working by the next season. “It’s my birth trial today, and I wasn’t able to come by and visit for yours, so I thought that you and I could have a little date together in order to celebrate,” she said as she cast her gaze downwards. Her cheeks turned a furious shade of red as she tried to ignore the slight clenching of her chest. She didn’t ask him to guess why she’d decided to come by. She didn’t want to be disappointed. So she gave him a way out, let him know the answer if he’d forgotten then he could spare her feelings and pretend he hadn’t. There was no part of her that actually wanted to know if he’d remembered or not, but she couldn’t help a quick glance into his eyes in an attempt to gauge his reaction.

This terrifying, hideous, monstrous creature who seemed to carry himself with all the allure of a terror-driven god. This was the creature she’d fallen in love with. This was the man she wanted to marry. She wouldn’t admit it out loud in such crass words, but frankly, this was the man she wanted to take into her bed and wake up next to. And that hurt. It hurt more than words could possibly describe because she knew this was bad. It was wrong and dishonorable and it hurt because they were two very different kinds of people and eventually they would end up pointing weapons at one another’s throat or trying to force the other to submit to their ideology. It ripped at the very fiber of her being to know that the immortals she respected so dearly likely wouldn’t approve of her thoughts. It hurt. So. Feking. Much. Just knowing that she would never get the happy fairytale ending that her father would tell her about as a child. She wasn’t a princess or a damsel in distress. Noth wasn’t a prince or a knight in shining armor. Nightshade was a heroine drenched in her own blood, and Noth was a hero drenched in somebody else’s. At least, that was how they both saw each other. And she knew this. He was the hero of his own story and she was the love interest he wanted to convert to his ways, she knew it because that was exactly what she saw in him.

This little dance couldn’t go on forever.

She would enjoy it as long as she could. Dear Immortals, every moment she spent with the man made the knife poised to strike her heart just a little sharper, made the poison slipping into her lips during every kiss just a little more bitter. It was dangerous and painful and she would regret it. She knew that she would regret it when this little game finally had to end. When she was writhing in pain on the floor, bawling her eyes out because eventually, their goals had become too contradictory, their achievements too clashing, for them to keep ignoring the nature of each other. But it was so very hard to shake an addiction. Once you fall in love, you never stop. The day she walked into his home to help defend him from those half-breed hunters, that was the day she made her mistake. That was the cursed and blessed day that tied her heart up in bow strings and started to pull. Oh how sweet, how blissful the fire was before it started to burn. And how badly it seared at the very soul when it started to turn to ash.

“If you’re occupied we don’t have to or anything. I just thought it might be fun and a little sweet. We haven’t been on a date in a while,” she hesitated. Did he even still love her at this point? Did he ever even love her at all? Did he revel it just as much as she did every time they kissed or was she just pretending her own feelings were shared? Was she just a tool, or did a piece of his heart belong to her? She almost flinched as the thought she might not be the only one blindsided her. “It’s okay if you have other things to do that are more important to me,” there was something so broken and uncertain in her voice as spoke. It was a noise akin to panic and heartbreak. “It’s okay…” She repeated once more allowing her voice to trail off. It was okay if he loved someone else more than he loved her. It was okay if she wasn’t his beloved anymore. It was okay. It would be okay.

It wasn’t okay.

"Common"

"Ith'ession"

[Noth]

Noth

Feathered Fiend

Noth for all of his vile misdeeds was kind in at least a few areas. He treated children well whenever they were in his company, and he attempted to ensure that their safety was taken into consideration during any of his criminal operations. If they ran across a family caravan which they decided to strike, he always ensured that the children were separated from the battle as quickly as possible with at least a single caretaker to ensure that they would be able to find their way back to civilization and safety and not simply be abandoned to the wilds. In a way, children served as a protection for their parents in such a manner as well, though few outside of the organization were aware of the Prince’s edicts on such matters. Perhaps another of his kinder traits was that he noticed the emotional turmoil that would be caused if those he cared about, specifically his beloved, ever discovered that his tyrannical exploits had never ceased and that he cared more for his work than for their relationship, and so despite the fact that such things were entirely impossible to conceal, he made every effort to disacknowledge them.

He was happy that Nightshade didn’t seem to feel any sort of irritation or anger at his statement, and her relatively cheery attitude soon rubbed its way across his mental psyche as well, forcing a brilliant smile from his face and a tightening of their embrace. He did notice ever-so-slightly the way that she tugged herself away from the touch of the metallic gauntlet upon his hand, and whilst he could certainly understand that it was not nearly as pleasant as the touch of organic flesh, he also questioned whether or not she had somehow managed to hear of its powers from someone of her acquaintance such as its creator and thus learned to fear what it could do to others upon contact.

She questioned whether or not he had thought that she wouldn’t appear, though the hybrid refused to answer the question, thinking that his prior statement was enough of an answer as it was, and knowing that to admit it would potentially hurt her sensitivities. The Avriel was actually quite happy that she had left him alone on his own birth-trial mere trials beforehand, because he had went about his annual ritual of visiting the gravesite of his father, and informing him of all the events which had occurred since his past visit, and such… pure things would be marred by the presence of others who did not share their distinct history.

She spoke of how the trial at hand was her own birth-trial, and how she had thought it would be quaint for them to go out together for a date to celebrate their existence. Noth smiled, though internally he wondered why anyone would choose to celebrate their coming into the world. From his perspective, all he had ever been subjected to was suffering of one form or another, and until he had gone through the process of saving the world from itself that was all that would continue until infinity itself deemed the world unredeemable and condemned it to annihilation. Nevertheless, he supposed that even he had seen kindnesses in his lifetime, and pleasantries which had touched both mind and flesh, and he had no intention of denying his lover from her jovial mood.

He spent a long moment simply analyzing the woman, crimson eyes musing over some unspoken thought as they considered her. He was well aware that things could not continue forever as they were, because they were on two very opposing sides of morality. He sought to save the world, but recognized that it would require drenching a fair portion of life into blood and pain, and she believed that it was better that they prevent as much pain and agony as possible, but in doing so prevent any opportunity of ending it once and for all. He was a surgery which rippled across healthy flesh to remove the tumor underneath, and she was an ointment which numbed the meat, but did little to prevent the underlying cause of symptoms.

But… things were different now, chastised the mind of the twilight hybrid, and the gentlest fluctuations of a new grin broke across his feathered visage. Nightshade began to speak of how they didn’t need to go anywhere, and how things were alright if he was too busy, but he could tell by the pitiable noises that escaped from her that she would take a great deal of offense and suffering from it, and he wouldn’t allow such things to grip the heart of his lover. As the final words escaped from her, he leaned across, stealing a quick kiss from her as though the non-verbal action was answer enough.

The Beast was a sneaking and conniving entity born of an unknown genesis across a reality that mortals dared not enter, and it was subtle in its ministrations. The implantation of the image which it cast upon the woman was one which was easy to rise to the surface, one that was easy to conceal as her own thoughts. The Beast showed her a paradise, a proverbial Utopia of peace and satisfaction and joy, and it attached the mental image with the same kiss that the hybrid had initiated, the two working quickly in tandem.

Oh, he had been unable to change her before, because simple persuasion was difficult in itself to use on those who perceive that they hold the moral high ground… but how could one resist when their own thoughts told them of what would come if they remained loyal, and they carried on with whatever burdens they saw.

“I’d love to join you. Where shall we go, darling?”

[/font]

[Nightshade Eld]

How that kiss did ever so hurt. It stung her mind and her heart was Noth’s lips moved against her own, and she suppressed the urge to allow tears to gather in her eyes. He would certainly become suspicious if he saw them, and the woman wanted to try her best and disguise whatever internal struggle she was having at the trill. Oh, Immortals did it ever hurt! She smiled brightly at her beloved trying not to let the pricking nettles shatter her heart as they jabbed and poked. The rosy thorns almost felt as good as they did painful thanks to the internal war Noth had stirred at the center of her being.

Part of her so dearly wanted to indulge, to let go and allow herself to belong to her beloved, to just fall into his arms and forget about the rest of the world. To let him do as he pleased. There was a portion of her mind that was telling her this was okay, this was okay and there was nothing wrong with the idea. But that part of her mind almost felt sticky, like she was bogged down with thoughts that weren’t completely her own. It hushed her and told her that everything was okay, that she belonged wrapped in the arms of the stronger and fiercer half-breed, her savior and her kind, her most dearly beloved who trumped every other facet of her existence with his importance. But… that wasn’t right? The woman was strong and more capable with a blade. She didn’t need a savior. Hush the little voice said, hush and be still because this is the right thing to do. She felt sick with those thoughts and quickly began to hate the voice inside of her head.

She pressed a hand against her side, a little gem sat there on a chain that acted somewhat like a belt. It was decorative and added to the ensemble. But the important part was the fact it was her Peacekeeper’s gem. She hoped the little jewel would help to clear and mind. And to an extent, it did, and she clung to the thoughts she knew to be right with a certain ferocity.

Walking into this, she was well aware it would be dangerous. Indulging the company of Noth was also as self destructive as drinking herself halfway to death, which is what she’d done ever since she turned 21. She didn’t do it last year, it was unhealthy and a horrible action to take. And she wasn’t doing it this year because a couple realizations she’d come to at the ending of the last season. But this? This could possibly be even worse. So she clung to the one string of self-control she had left. And even though it became taught and seemed to strain against the force of whatever this sensation was, it didn’t snap. She shivered as she grabbed even tighter at the little string, and she could feel it become stronger turning into something more akin to a rope. And she was okay again. The voice was still there, whispering her sweet words, but she let it. She wasn’t strong enough to completely resist it, falling into a horrible indulgence, but at the very least she kept control enough on the strings of her heart to keep herself apart from the voice. She would not be devoured by her beloved.

This deep moral issue only took place over the span of a couple trills, no longer than the kiss itself was taking place. While she was deeply in love with the man, she was able to keep a certain amount of control over her actions, enough not to throw herself at his mercy or his feet. She was long past the idea of reforming him, but it wouldn’t hurt to play the game back. Of course, she had nothing which with to manipulate his emotions other than the place she held within his heart. What was it that made his actions so powerful? Empathy? The thought was almost revolting that he might have Empathy, let alone use it on her. She ignored it, wrapping her arms around his neck as soon as he gave his answer, leaning close and letting her lips hover near his.

“Perfect,” she purred in a husky growl as her eyes flashed almost dangerously. The smirk on her face was serpentine as she pulled back tauntingly, not giving the kiss she’d so implied her beloved might receive. The smirk on her features grew a little wider as she danced backward a couple of steps. “Let’s go, my beloved, my dear!” She cooed in a sing-song kind of voice. “Come on,” she chirped with a bright little squeak as she danced away, farther out of grip, taking the lead.

Her laughter was light and almost even more taunting than leaping away from a season kiss as she did her best to always stay a little out of reach. She wasn’t entirely sure where the pair was going, but she intended to make Noth chase.


"Common"

"Ith'ession"

[Noth]

Noth

Feathered Fiend

Whilst Nightshade underwent her own anguish at the sudden pressure of their lips joining together, Noth himself was affected by a similar personal suffering. His own suffering took on the form of a mind-boggling guilt which threatened to creep into each of his individual digits and force them to curl into the air in a desperate attempt at regaining control. He thought back to those moments in Scalvoris, the good that he had done when he had slain Skinny Jim and freed the island from his wretched clutches. He considered the violence which he had created when he had battled with the noble boy… Aeon, was it, and he could distinctly remember the crackle of fire as it lapped away at musculature and fat, snapping them asunder into little more than unrecognizable ashes.

Yet, for all of the work that he had accomplished on Scalvoris both kind and unkind, the thought that most often infiltrated through to his conscious consideration was what had occurred merely a night before he had abandoned the island nation and returned to his homeland. He had spent the night in the embrace of a woman he did not even know, of a savage and illiterate cur who he legitimately felt a hint of derisive disgust at for being so poorly formed in mind and heart. Oh, he didn’t doubt that he was equally responsible for the actions that had occurred there… but it was she who had taken the first steps, who had drawn him into that pitiable trap, that snare that even now latched onto his soul, a blemish that could not be removed.

The Beast whispered into his mind, spoke of the resistance being displayed by his beloved, and he gave an internal nod. It was perhaps an unfortunate reality that his lover was made of stronger material than most in terms of her mental resistance. Of course, it could easily be construed as a blessing, because it meant that she wasn’t liable to be misled… and yet, the power of misdirection and shifting focus was one which he possessed. Nevertheless, he considered, he would find a way to ensure that everything was right between them. He swore it. He called off the faceless entity in the same way that a professional hunter calls off their hounds after a prey has proven too difficult for them to pierce, and the Beast accepted, recalling the tendrils with which it peered into the minds of mortal beings and returning to its stagnant state.

The kiss was finally broken between the pair, and it seemed that his answer was satisfactory enough for his beloved. She seemed quite excited by the prospect of going out to celebrate, and the emotion was contagious enough that the Avriel himself began to grin, tearing himself away from the cavernous entryway so that he could follow her, out of the darkness and into the brutal light of the sun. He didn’t care whether or not any of his soldiers took notice of him from some unseen place, observing his actions, because he knew that they would never do anything about it. He could quite literally decapitate them with a flicker of his talons, and he had executed traitorous sorts in the past in rather brutish and dreadful manners. Next they would be burned alive, or perhaps fed to the necromantic worms which still thrashed upon the floors of the darker caverns, hungering still for the warm flesh of life.

She seemed intent to drag him further away from his home, and he followed without any sense of caution towards her, no mistrust for her deeds, a luxury extended solely to her. The Avriel was content to chase, the predatory inner-workings of his mind intent to hunt what he perceived to be very nearly a different form of prey.

[/font]

[Nightshade Eld]

"So, my beloved, where would you care to go?" She asked. Her voice was light and airy as she spoke, her steps equally so. They walked for a little while before she actually turned around to ask. Enough so that they'd ended up on something of a road. She dared not to walk the direction of the city. Noth's paper faces still dotted the walls in a way that wouldn't go over well if they pair were seen. Let alone seen together. The uproar that might cause was something the half-breed would rather not deal with, and assumably Noth wouldn't want to deal with either. When it came down to it...she wasn't certain what she'd do if the city demanded the death of her beloved. It would tear her in two certainly. If one of Her Ladies bid her to slay Noth, well, that would be a touch of a different story. Hopefully, it would never come to that...

As soon as she had asked her question her attention was drawn to something interesting. Her head tilted as she recognized the sound of... horses? Turning her head to face down the road she saw the approach of a cart. A merchant? She moved closer to Noth watching the cart carefully, unsure of what approach to take. Part of her really liked the idea of shoving Noth into a bush until the man in the cart passed. There was no way of telling if this person was aware of Noth, or his bounty, let alone if he was important or strong enough to do anything about it. Her fear spiked once more about being seen with Noth. He'd slowly turned into something akin to an embarrassing secret. One she wanted to keep far back in her closet if she had anything to say about it. Her secret guilty pleasure she had so much trouble getting rid of.

She turned to catch Noth's gaze, the question as to their join course of action in her eyes. She also moved back slightly, farther from the road, as if ready to hide in the woods at any moment. She also wanted to avoid confrontation as much as possible.

"Common"

"Ith'ession"

[Noth]

Noth

Feathered Fiend

The pair had managed to separate themselves some distance from the cavernous headquarters of Al’Angyryl before Nightshade decided to grace him with her voice. She questioned where he intended to go, and the hybrid found himself pausing for a brief instance, his step faltering. Had she not intended to go anywhere in particular? It struck him as incredibly odd that she would venture all the way out to his cave in the hopes of seeing him, and then invite him out to celebrate their births without having even the slightest modicum of a plan in place over where they would depart once they had left his home.

Nevertheless, he supposed that he was more than capable of determining at least some form of activity for them to partake in, and he had seen at least a few taverns around the area that would likely cater quite nicely to their type of person. What was the name of the establishment built entirely for mercenaries? The name of it escaped him, but he distinctly remembered having visited there at least once in the past. He quickly found a potential flaw in the plan when he was briefly reminded by his accompanying Diri that he had a rather large bounty on his head, and that it would likely be posted in rather broad view in the midst of the mercenary establishment for any and all to perceive.

Perhaps somewhere less violently inclined, then, he considered, running through his repertoire of establishments until he considered the business where he had once dropped off a rather large supply of food-stuffs. They had, naturally, been stolen from a passing caravan in the middle of a raid, but he hadn’t required them in the slightest, and so he had simply dropped them off at the establishment for the sake of acquiring any interesting information that ran across them. They would likely be at least somewhat positively inclined towards him for his gift, he considered, and so he unconsciously began to direct their step towards the structure on the outskirts of Etzos proper.

“There’s a tavern I’m aware of, I don’t think they’ll mind our company.” He spoke with a grin towards his beloved, not even heeding any notice towards the driver of the nearby cart. In truth, he cared very little for whether or not he was sighted, because it seemed at least somewhat unlikely that the man would immediately recognize him. If he did actually recognize him, what would he do about it? He was very clearly pre-occupied with his business ventures, and the hybrid was a known brutal murderer, would he honestly attempt to cause trouble for himself, especially when it was so clear that he in turn had been seen? The Avriel sincerely doubted it.

Noth did take at least partial notice of the fact that his beloved began to slip ever so casually backwards, as though she were attempting to hide her presence behind him, and for the first time he wondered whether or not he was an embarrassment to her. After all, she swore her life to protect people, and she had done a great deal of damage to the criminal underworld, and yet, that was where the twilight hybrid resided. Could it be that she was afraid of being seen with him for the same reason that a person might be fearful of being caught conversing with an unknown Rhakrosii? Perhaps.

The trip to the tavern was relatively uneventful. The establishment itself was quite clearly having something of an off-day, and other than the slightest nod from the barkeep, there was little attention given to the pair of Avriel as they made their way inside. Noth determined to pick a seat nearest the corner of the room so that he could watch all sides without worry, and immediately his instinctive paranoia began to highlight the assorted entries and exits in the event of disaster.

“So, what do you want? Food? Drink?”

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[Nightshade Eld]

When they entered the tavern the female half-breed was no better when it came to paranoia. Though hers might have been of a very different breed. The woman often went to taverns for work or meals when she didn't feel like hunting out her own food. But the taverns she went to were in the city and usually crawled with mercenaries or bounty hunters. Yes, they weren't cleanest or most well behaved group when it came to things like order and law, but they were at least slightly above the common criminal and shady things were usually kept far from the kinds of taverns she liked, considering there was usually a blackguard or an honorable merc at every couple of booths or barstools. This tavern was an entirely different creature. It didn't feel good so to speak. Her skin felt like it was just about crawling as her eyes darted around a couple times to take stock of the place. Of course, a tavern that wouldn't mind the presence of herself and Noth would be at least something like this. But it didn't do much to set her at least. Her skin felt like it was practically prickling. She took a moment to wonder if Noth would notice the way her feathers slightly puffed up, but she wasn't sure if he would. It was subtle and wouldn't really mean much to a creature that didn't understand flight. After all, if one wasn't going to fly there was no reason to keep the feathers straight and perfectly preened all the time.

"Just something to eat," she said. She was ultimately hesitant to eat or drink anything from... well, let's just say this kind of establishment. Perhaps she was simply overreacting but it seemed like the kind of taverns where someone could get stabbed in the back corner and most of the other patrons would mind their own business without due reason. It wasn't that hard to take a leap of logic from stabbing to the potential poisoning or drugging of someone's food. Of course, the half-avriel was doubly cautious for the simple fact she was a half-avriel. It wouldn't be the first time someone had tried to poison her on those ground alone. Immortals knew that The Master tried it often enough she started to build up a tolerance against some lesser poisons. Mostly just the ones that weren't deadly. The kind that caused pain or confusion for the most part. Those small doses over time used as a kind of punishment had at least helped her build up something of a mild tolerance against various more irritant based substances. Even so, while she did have a very slightly higher tolerance against toxins it didn't bode well if someone did actually have the thought and conviction to try and poison her. Though, if they were trying to poison her they would also be trying to poison Noth, and that generally wouldn't blow over well. Was her beloved very good at dealing with poison? She somehow doubted it...

Her eyes continued to glance around thought while Noth's eyes remained on escape routes her eyes darted upwards, counting each and every window as well as trying to take stock of which ones were open and which ones she might be able to fit through. Plus those that looked easy to bash through in total last ditch effort kinds of situations. Okay... Maybe she was also keeping stock of possible escape routes but the ways in which she did it were a little different, to say the least. She pulled her wings in a little closer, betraying just so slightly the air of discomfort that surrounded her. It was almost claustrophobic despite being nowhere near the smallest place she'd even been stuck in. Not when compared to the time Ivan dumped her down a well. Or decided to lock her in a storage closet. All of those paled in comparison to the time the Master put her into the smallest wood crate he could find and left her outside for a whole night. It had been so small her knees started digging into her stomach and she couldn't even wiggle. There wasn't enough room and she was scared that she'd end up wiggling herself somewhere she didn't want to be if she moved too much.

This situation felt almost similar to that in some regards. She was scared if she moved even slightly then a flurry of wild beasts would descend upon her, noticing she wasn't in fact just a box but a piece of prey that was conveniently trapped for them. She couldn't help but let a stray thought to ask if Noth himself was one of those hungry beasts, but she didn't have the courage or determination to answer the question. Though it burned itself in her mind and refused to leave her be. "I wish there were more windows open," she muttered in a comment that was mostly directed at herself.

"Common"

"Ith'ession"

[Noth]

Noth

Feathered Fiend

It was a disappointment how much society had failed the halfbloods. Both of them lived completely different lives, one devoted to saving the world by means of destruction, and the other to saving the lives of the innocent using what martial capabilities she possessed. They stood on separate ends of an ideological struggle, using differing methodologies to attempt to gain the same peaceful resolution that most mortal beings sought. Nevertheless, despite the differences that they both exhibited, they were both treated with at least some semblance of disdain. Avriel had never been an entirely welcome sight within the city of Etzos, and whilst it seemed that the ladybird’s heroic deeds had bought her at least some measure of respect from the citizenship, there were always those zealous and psychopathic individuals who considered themselves drastically superior to the other races, and sought to showcase it by means of violence and bloodshed.

Noth had slain several such beings, primarily full-blooded Avriel, though on occasion he had tangled with the anti-mutant sentimentalities that had at one point become a point of contention in Etzori society. He had observed mob violence on a scale that was reprehensible to observe, and he had punished the malicious actions of those he saw with his own, slaying wherever he saw others in the process of slaying, wounding where he saw wounding, striking where others struck. He had not gained the same reputation for heroism that accompanied his significant other, but rather had become known as a serial killer, the leader of a violent and vicious faction of anti-governmental agents operating a campaign of terror against the population. To say that they had become revolutionaries and terrorists would not have been far from the mark… but their cause, whilst bloody, was noble, and Noth recognized that the struggle was worth the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel.

Nevertheless, the hybrid had located areas of mild indifference towards his race and his actions, and the tavern where they now sat certainly fit both categories. The owners themselves were somewhat desperate for nels, and they would not shoo away any potential customers on the grounds of racial or moral superiority. Nor would they allow any sort of harm to befall anyone who ate at their establishment, because to allow someone to be slain by their own food would leave an awful reputation for their business, and condemn them to a life of hardship and difficult labor when their inn inevitably shut down from a lack of customers.

The hybrid took notice of the slight pull of his beloved’s wings, and glanced upwards, following her gaze to the windows that were scattered hither and thither about the structure. They appeared to have been primarily paned with glass, likely an attempt at showing off the luxury of the inn, though a couple of the windows had been boarded over with basic wooden boards in an attempt at replacing broken glass with a less expensive substitute. Gently, the twilight hybrid stretched his hand across their table, laying it softly upon Nightshade’s and grasping it in a reassuring gesture. He understood that she felt… confined, and he could certainly understand why. She was, after all, a being used to flying throughout the skies, whereas he was one used to the confining tunnels of the Underground. It was a different lifestyle, and it was plain to see how it had affected them both in their reaction to the cramped tavern.

“It’s alright, Nightshade. I’ll protect you.” He whispered, tightening his grip briefly in a show of strength, his thumb massaging the top of her hand in order to calm her. “I love you, after all. Wouldn’t do to let you be bothered by anything.”

The presence of a boisterous innkeeper silenced his affirmations of affection, and he quickly placed his order for a soup composed primarily of red meat and potatoes with a few additional slices of vegetables which had been taken from the local area.

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