<h4>Out of Character</h4>Who: http://shadowlack.com/persona.php?id=12(Okkatteiru) Stormwing</a> and http://shadowlack.com/persona.php?id=542Koani Grader</a>. What: Part I of a (ground-breaking) secret plot. Where: The Watering Hole, a swanky bar in the Watani area. When: Late afternoon, Dyo Day 36 Year 81379 (5). Rated: PG-14. <h4>In Character</h4> The jutting Watani mountains knifed into the sky to the west, while the expansive Sumundra stretched into the wild blue yonder in the east. In between these great marvels of nature, on the rocky coast that acted as a median between them, stood Stormwing. The young thill was shielding her eyes against a sunny reflection off the salty ocean water, as she peered about at her surroundings. She'd wandered down here for a moment of peace and quiet, before she ventured back to the residential area to get a drink in one of the region's swanky bars. Her gaze wandered from the quietly lapping coastal waters, over the beach, and up towards the peaks to her left. Just behind the lower crags, the buildings that comprised the majority of the local community were hidden. Others, mostly larger mansions, could be viewed from this vantage point; they were nestled into the mountainsides, higher up, and Storm craned her neck to peer at them. She had partied in one of those grandiose abodes, though her memories in that area were a bit fuzzy. Shaking her head to clear it of bad memories, her eyes slowly slid back down the mountainside, until they fell onto the head of a path that was cut through the rocky slopes. It was the trail she'd have to follow to pass through the mountains and reach the residential area tucked behind them. Taking one last look at the natural beauty around her, Storm headed for the narrow conduit, digging her hands into her jeans pockets as she went. It only took a few moments to pass through the makeshift tunnel between the crags, and the female soon emerged into the bustling Watani township. Though the day was waning, many other pendragons were out and about. Most of them were young, and well groomed. After all, this area was known for its riches, and its impressive soirées. Trying her best to ignore the crowds, Stormwing turned northwest. She was headed towards a posh place known as the The Watering Hole, a joint restaurant and bar. Despite its cheesy name, it was a very impressive facility. Its decor was fairly fancy, decorated with a beautiful desert oasis in mind. The barstools were upholstered in green velvet, and were made to appear as stubby cacti. Several artificial waterfalls trickled throughout the building, making a musical backdrop of noise. Meanwhile, the walls were sponge painted to emulate an adobe building. While this fanciful decorating was lovely in and of itself, The Watering Hole was more famous for its drinks. The bartenders there knew every concoction under the sun, and if they failed to recognize a drink name, they'd consult their customer for ingredients, whip up the drink, anyway, and give it to the patron, on the house. Storm smiled as she thought about it, excited to be going there. It had been a while, and she couldn't wait to sit on one of those plush cacti seats at the bar. She'd once wanted to work there, but had never gotten around to applying. It was more fun to sit on the side of the bar receiving the drinks, anyway. The walk there took about ten minutes, and as the thill neared the notorious restaurant-bar, a grin could be found upon her muzzle. It was momentarily wiped off when a group of youthful males whistled and cat-called at her, obviously aroused by her tight jeans and her equally clingy tee shirt. But she shrugged them off, trotted the rest of the way, and yanked open the door of The Watering Hole with obvious pleasure and relief. Once inside, she immediately noticed that it was fairly crowded. That was to be expected, as it was a Friday night. Maneuvering her way through a cluster of tables, she made it to the counter. Several of the cactus seats were open, and trim rear slid easily onto one, while elbows propped on the glossy bartop. Her pleased smile had turned into an outright grin, and Storm's mismatched eyes wandered, drinking in the gorgeous embellishments that The Watering Hole offered. After admiring it for a moment, the young female then placed an order for a rum and Coke, then waited patiently for her drink. She was glad when it came, for the southwestern characteristics of this place seemed to cause a great thirst to parch her throat. After her initial sip of the bitter drink, Stormwing placed the Collins glass on the counter, and let her eyes wander again. She had been studying the decorations before, but now she gazed out over the sea of faces. Almost every table was occupied, and there was no shortage of attractive pendragons to be found. In a booth over near the entrace, there was a group of chic looking females, chattering and poring over a large catalogue. They were probably shopping for party accessories, as spending huge sums of money on parties was not an unusual thing here in Watani. Across from them, seated around a circular table, was a group of mixed males and females. They were all dressed for the theme of The Watering Hole, with plaid shirts, tight jeans, chaps, boots, and cowboy hats. Storm noticed a particularly attractive male amongst their ranks, but moved her eyes onward when a giggly female leaned her cheek on his shoulder, and hugged tight to his chest. Nearer to her, just a few tables away, was a single older male. He was way out of her age range, but she still admired his chiseled face and muscular frame. He returned her gaze with a nod and a wink, and she found herself blushing a bit and smiling. The last group she eyed before she turned back to her drink was composed of all males, and a single female. Storm wouldn't have taken any particular notice, except that none of them were talking. The lone female was nursing a drink, and staring about the bar, just as she was, but her masculine counterparts seemed to have nothing to say. Shrugging at this peculiarity, Stormwing then picked up her rum and Coke, and took another swig, smiling coolly as the chilled liquid trickled down her throat.
Koani severed her mental uplink to the conference she had been in for the past three hours. With several deft movements, she carefully unhooked the small micro-sized earpiece plug-in that she had been wearing. She held it for a moment in the palm of her right hand, thoughtfully inspecting the minute device. The council members were perturbed. However, their general uneasiness did not go without warrant. Ever since the disappearance of Koani’s mother Karryasa, things had gone haywire. To make matters even worse, Zamfir still had not addressed the public about the passing of his wife. The Council members couldn’t even be sure that Zamfir was still alive. After the incident, he had been swiftly whisked away to some facility that only Koani appeared to know the whereabouts. So she said anyway. No one had seen or had even talked to the Arch Magos directly since the tragedy. Except for Koani of course. So now here she was. Acting as her father’s “go-between" and picking up on all of his duties for the past month. She’d been hoping to give him some time off. A well needed vacation in order to recuperate and come back to his senses. It appeared to be working… she liked to think. All that aside though, Koani was actually starting to enjoy her position as somewhat of a quasi-not-quite-official-political ringleader. The hours were long, the job itself was tiresome, sometimes it was dangerous… but at the end of the day, most days anyway, she was left with a deep feeling of accomplishment. Like today for example. Koani brushed her long pale aqua coloured hair over her shoulder and leaned over in her seat, various pieces of jewellery creating jangling sounds, to slip the earpiece into her shoulder bag that was resting on the floor. Although the uplink conference had left her almost mentally exhausted, Koani couldn’t help but feel that at least some progress had been made. Koani glanced up at her three bodyguards as she righted herself in her seat. The trio were dressed rather casually. Not quite how you would expect personal guards of the Grader regime to dress, yet here they were. They somewhat blended in with the crowd… if it wasn’t for their close proximity to Koani, their discreet but watchful eyes, and their general “don’t mess with me" silent attitudes, it would have been almost possible to mistake them for regular bar goers. Vythe Vidallyn was the eldest (though he most certainly didn‘t look it with his youthful face and semi-stocky build) of the trio and also the Grader's private Head Security Coordinator. Vythe gave Koani a polite nod as their eyes met. Everything was okay. Koani’s blue-green and pink tinctured eyes fell down upon the drink that she had her left hand held loosely around. What had she even ordered? She’d been so distracted at the time. With her other hand she gently swirled the drink’s contents around with the provided straw. She knew where she was at least. The Watering Hole. Her mother would have balked at the name. It was a decent enough place, quite private and meticulous when it came to who got in… though not nearly as exclusive as some of the other clubs and bars that Koani had been to in the past. At least the atmosphere was nice. The décor was somewhat tacky but interesting at the same time… and the bubbling water in the background was so soothing now that she could hear it sans the conference voices ricocheting across her brain. The chiefly blue furred female shifted slightly in her seat to observe her surroundings a little better. The tail end of her wildly patterned and coloured skirt caught under her feet so she carefully kicked it loose. Although Koani wasn’t dressed in regal attire, her entire getup was quite eccentric and out of the ordinary. Her skirt was for the most part black, though the small network of patterning it held was phenomenal. Small refined Aztec-like symbols wove throughout one another in various colours. Her shirt, or shirts, three for that matter were all differing in colour, material, and shape, yet all carried through with Aztec designs, some more prominent than others. The first was just what looked to be a black tank top. The second shirt was quite queer. It was lightweight, a darker green decorated with gold, and pulled over the tank top, yet only really covered Koani’s left shoulder area. Unbeknownst to most onlookers, this particular shirt served only one purpose: to conceal the gruesome scar that cut deep from Koani’s back all the way around and down her shoulder and onto her chest. It wasn’t that she was ashamed of it. She just didn’t feel like having to answer questions or have pendragons gawk. The scar tissue and the severe muscle damage had really limited the mobility and strength of Koani’s left arm. Yet she wouldn’t have it any other way. Her third shirt, which resembled more of a simple coverup than an actual shirt, was yellow, see-through, tied onto her frame with several strings, and again decorated in Aztec designs. These designs were special however. Several of them were lovingly punctuated with small sparkling gems. To complete Koani’s ensemble, she wore four differing necklaces, several bracelets on her right wrist, and multitudes of earrings. Then as if this wasn’t enough, several yellow bands and tribal tattoos wrapped themselves up and around Koani’s right hand and arm. All of these garments and items had been custom made. Some by herself and others by various prestigious artisans as Koani’s physical structure was somewhat unique. Unlike any of her siblings, Koani was a Lukuo. Large spikes adorned the length of her spine, from head to tail, having somewhat the flexibility and hardness of porcupine quills. Similarly to quills, these spikes could move in two directions: up and down. In addition to those, four spiked protrusions adorned each of Koani’s forearms. Unlike her back spikes however, these seemed to be made up of a thicker, sturdier material… and tipped with a poisonous potent substance that Koani’s body continually produced. Drink now in hand, Koani took a sip, her somber eyes still roving the bar scene from behind the glass. Vythe had checked it for toxins earlier. It tasted… fruity. Some sort of fruit blend that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Brain lapse. Underneath it all the burning taste of vodka was apparent. She’d had it before on multiple occasions. The name would most likely come to her eventually. She was “off-duty" now, and planned to stay so for the remainder of the day… not only that but she had purposely cancelled all of her appointments for the following day up until mid-afternoon. She wanted tonight to be fun. Maybe hook up with some rambunctious arden and thill (if she could find some that weren't discriminatory, or if a familiar face appeared in the crowd), hit up a party, play some drinking games, and just plain get wasted like she used to all those years ago with her close friends. The chances of any of that happening were slim to nil... luckily drinking oneself stupid didn't require the companionship of others. Just a healthy supply of alcohol.
As the last of the rum and Coke washed down Stormwing's throat, she gingerly set her glass on the countertop, then idly peered down its length. At the other end, a male pendragon had just settled onto one of the cactus barstools, and he obviously knew the bartender. The two swapped large grins, and then the patron simply said, "Hit me up, Qukc!" Hybrid eyes flared with interest, and watched the tender move around behind the counter. First, he produced a cocktail glass, which he slammed down onto the bartop with a broad smile. He then conjured up a cocktail shaker, as well as the necessary ingredients. He scooped a spoonful of ice from an ice chest just beneath the bar into the shaker. He then added, in quick succession, an ounce of Triple Sec, and ounce of vodka, and an ounce of lime juice. Closing the cocktail shaker, the bartender grasped it, and began to shake it. He tapped his foot as he did so, and after a moment, slammed the shaker onto the bartop, obviously getting quite into character. One hand slid the waiting cocktail glass towards him, while the other poured the bitter concoction into it. A lime wedge was then added by deft hands, perched on the lip of the glass for an aesthetic effect. He then handed the finished drink to his regular customer, whom nodded and grinned, tilting his head back to down the glass in one gulp. The nearby patrons burst into mingling applause and laughter, and the bartender beamed. Stormwing just laughed and shook her head, both impressed and jealous of The Watering Hole's many impressive features. Once the bar had quieted down again, Storm lifted a white finger, and gestured towards the tender. Still grinning from his little show, he sidled over. "What can I get you?" he asked, and the thill ordered a gin and juice. Qukc nodded at the order, then quickly mixed the drink, awe-inspiring even when he wasn't attempting to be flashy. Swiftly, he found a high ball glass and a clean cocktail shaker. He mixed the two ounces gin, two ounces grapefruit juice, and three ounces of orange juice with a handful of ice, then dumped it into the high ball. He garnished it with a verdant lime slice, then slid it to her with a tilt of his head. "There you go, ma'am." A bemused smile was etched on her muzzle as she brought the glass to her mouth, and sipped. It was very tangy, and more refreshing than the rum and Coke. The alcohol soothed her, and as she continued to nurse the drink, mismatched gaze wandered the bar crowd again. Since her arrival, quite a few pendragons had left, while others had come in. The suave-looking group of females was still in the booth by the door, but the blended group of cowboys and cowgirls had exited. Their table was still messy, with dirty cups and crumpled napkins, but a bus boy was quickly tending to it. The solitary male that had been nearby had also left, but the group of quiet barhoppers remained. They still weren't talking. The males were looking about with shifty expressions, while the female stirred the contents of her glass. Storm fought the urge to raise her brow at this curious group; it simply struck her as very peculiar. But as she continued to gaze surreptiously over at the lone female, she suddenly felt sorry for this stranger. It was a Friday night, and she was sitting in a bar, surrounded by three silent lumps. Though she didn't look to be all that young, Storm doubted that made any difference about her desire to have a good time on this Friday night. Her escorts weren't being very fun, so the banded thill mused over how the unfamiliar femme would react if the younger pendragon were to approach, and offer a conversation. Stormwing only hesitated for a moment more. Then, she swung her legs sideways, and slid off her makeshift cactus. She left her drink behind, hoping that ordering a new round might break the ice. She then sauntered over to the table, with its four silent occupants. No longer hesitant, she placed her alabaster palms on the table, and leaned forward. The three quiet males' heads snapped around almost simultaneously, and they gave her angry looks. Storm merely smiled at them, then turned her face towards the only female. "I don't mean to bother you, but I noticed you over here, sitting around like you're mourning somebody or something. Who died?" This was obviously a joking ploy to kick start a conversation, and she was sure that the stranger would reply positively, perhaps be open to a tête-à -tête. However, if she had known what had recently happened to this female, about the particular death she was truly grieving over, Storm would have bit her tongue, and never started this conversation that would ultimately lead to such hostility and violence.
Vythe had partially risen to his feet with the initial advance of Stormwing. Perhaps with the intention of frisking the young female for weaponry or even strongly advising her attention elsewhere. His actions were stopped by a slight upward lift of Koani’s hand as she let go of her glass and halted him. Without a word he resettled himself. However the trio remained on high-alert as Koani watched the stranger approach them. The stranger was a young thill of an undetermined age. Dressed quite cleanly and certainly looked friendly enough. Koani didn’t recognize her though. She swam in an entirely different circle by the looks of it. A faint smile etched Koani’s face as she reached their table. She was half expecting the female to launch into a tirade about water quality, the environment and the state of the government. Perhaps even spew some angry sentiments about her parents or the rapine despite the friendly smiling front that she wore or even (there were still some that heavily supported the Graders) offer some condolences. Koani wasn’t expecting the stranger’s idle remark at all. Who died? Was she being deliberately rude and hurtful? At first Koani was unsure of how to respond. Her lips pursed together and her brow furrowed in confusion. Was it possible that this stranger didn’t even know who she was? It seemed unlikely but possible? Perhaps. She’d been quite successful in regards to avoiding paparazzi in the past. Half the population of Ramath-lehi still believed that she was dead for that matter. Maybe this stranger was innocent and merely just commenting on the deadness of her party. After a little while Koani coaxed a small laugh out of herself. It was a polite laugh to say the least. Koani glanced around quickly at the rest of the occupants at The Watering Hole. Everyone appeared to be having a good time. Drinking, smiling, laughing, flirting. She then spared a look at her comrades. They were all a rather solemn looking bunch. No wonder they had solicited this stranger’s remark. However, the trio wasn’t paid and kept for their conversation. They were kept because the loyalty and protection they offered was unsurpassed. They weren’t supposed to be entertaining their greatest asset. “Oh, these gentlemen are only my escorts for tonight. Would you care to sit down? I’m sure we could accommodate you." Koani at the moment was only being polite. She was hoping to at least make up for her delayed and confused reaction. What better way than to hold a little conversation with this young thill? Koani downed the last little remainder of her drink and twirled the blue straw in between her fingers.
Though initially devoid of uncertainty, Storm felt herself wheeling backwards as one of the bulky males launched from his seat. Her large ears flew backwards in a clear signal of aggravated distress, and her two-toned eyes flashed. Luckily, the lone female gestured for him to settle, and he did, without question. Nevertheless, the cinnamon female remained in her place, now two feet away from the table. She could barely be called a 'fraidy cat, but the male's sudden movement had startled her and gotten her heart pumping. And she wasn't too keen on repeating the episode. Thus, though the female she'd originally addressed seem to welcome her, Storm lingered in her position away from the table, still under the males' scrutiny, but well out of the range of their beefy arms. "I... ah. I didn't mean to..." She didn't even know what to say. Stormwing trailed off, and then a brief pause ensued. "Escorts, eh? Are you some VIP in disguise? These your bodyguards? If they are, they're damn good at the intimidation part of their job." A clipped laugh leaked from her ringed muzzle, one to match the strange female's own. She then paused again. Though completely confident when she had approached, she was now very disconcerted. She tried to get over it by slowly moving forwards ("I'm moving towards the chair. Just the chair. See... I'm not trying to kill anyone... just going to sit down now... I'm friendly, see?" were the words spoken to the three silent brutes). When nobody jumped at her again, she gingerly withdrew the last free chair from beneath the table, which happened to be at the thill's left. She slipped her rear end into it, tossing shifty looks around the table, but all the while forcing a small smile. As she settled into her seat, she tried to dispel the awkwardness, by lifting a white hand in the air and gesturing politely at a nearby waiter. "Well, how about I accomodate you, at least for the first round?" Storm joked. God, how she wanted the tension to ease. Alcohol could probably achieve that. "What would you like? And what would your, ah, escorts like. Assuming they're living creatures that need to drink, that is."
“Yes. I suppose I’m a VIP of sorts," Koani replied offhandedly. Already she noticed several couples and groups stealing glances at her table and it’s newest joiner. No doubt thinking to themselves that some sort of secret business deal was about to go down. Let them assume what they wanted. Koani rested her right elbow on the table, allowing her hand to prop her head up as she looked at Stormwing with an amused grin on her face. “Drinks? Accommodating me? Why, if I didn’t know better I’d think you were trying to hit on me. Are you going to ask if I’m married or seeing someone next?" Koani chuckled inwardly, lifting her head from her hand then indicated her escorts with a slight sweeping motion. “Just water for them if they wish anything. They’re still on duty after all. As for me… I‘m not even entirely sure what I just drank. I‘m not too particular about what I have. Just as long as it has some content, you know. So, do you come here often? Anything in particular that I should try?" she jokingly queried.
The waiter soon weaved through the crowded sea of tables, and stopped by their table, a thick notepad in one hand, and a pencil at the ready in the other. Momentarily postponing any responses to the newly-acquainted female, Stormwing turned to face the waiter. She ordered three ice waters, and a jug of cactus juice with two glasses of ice. The waiter scribbled the order onto his pad, then nodded politely at the five pendragons. He then scrambled away through the melee, towards the bar. He'd order the drinks from the bartender working the counter, then bring them back as soon as they had been mixed up and put on a tray. Meanwhile, Storm propped her elbows on the table, steepled her fingers, and turned her attention towards this so-called VIP. The other's joke had caused a flare of shame flicker in the young thill, and her uneasiness had only multiplied. She stared at her momentarily, then tilted her ears forward at a sheepish angle. "Sorry if it seems that way. I actually have myself a boy toy..." Storm replied, trailing off at the mention of her 'boy toy.' She didn't want to divulge too much personal information. "So, you can see, I'm not trying to hit on you. I just felt bad, seeing you over here, not talking. I'm a naturally conversational being, myself. I also felt like you could use a drink. No innuendos, I promise." Just as she held up her hands in an 'I'm innocent, I swear' sort of way, the waiter returned. In his hands, he expertly balanced a tray. In quick succession, he placed the five glasses of ice — three full of water, two void of liquid at the moment — on the tabletop. The ice chinked against the class. He then gingerly set the jug in the middle of the group. Next, he proffered a basket with fresh tortilla chips and chunky salsa next to the pitcher of cactus juice. He then whisked off after a quick "Need anything else?" Winger didn't waste a moment. She immediately grasped her glass, and put it on the place mat in front of her. She then stretched an arm out to clutch the jug's handle. Deftly, she poured some of the contents into her glass. The liquid was a bright green, a shade that matched the cacti barstools perfectly. It looked sort of sickly, but as the banded pendragon bent her head back and downed the entire glass, it was obvious that it tasted better than it looked. White fingers reached out for the pitcher again, but Storm did not fill her own glass. Instead, she grabbed the "VIP's," filled it to the brim, and then slammed it down in front of her, a devious grin upon her muzzle. Some of the green juice sloshed over her hands and the table, but she didn't seem to mind. She gave the other a conspiratorial look, then gave herself a refill, easily draining the glass once more. She was well on her way to getting completely shitfaced, and there was no looking back now.
“Too bad," Koani chuckled, although she wasn’t even the slightest bit disappointed. The trio of males quietly took their ice water one by one. Koani didn’t feel the least bit sorry for excluding them from the consumption of any alcohol or from letting them have a good time. They understood, thankfully, that while they were with her it was a time for work and not play. “Naturally conversational you say? Plus you drink like a fish. I like that." Koani commented, downing her own drink in response to Stormwing’s guzzling. She then carefully grabbed her own left hand and pulled her arm off of the table so that it could remain out of the way by her side. The muscles in her upper shoulder and on the left side of her neck were aching somewhat. It’s a good thing that she happened to know a remedy (even if it were only temporary). Koani refilled Stormwing’s glass and then her own. She lifted her own glass partway to her mouth, paused, and asked, “So do you live around Watani?"
Although Stormwing was no lightweight, four drinks and counting was already beginning to impair her faculties. She suddenly felt very loose, and sort of giggly. A bubble of laughter swelled in her chest, and at the "VIP's" comment about drinking like a fish, it burst out in an airy round of snickering. The female soon silenced and regained her composure, partly due to the three males' severe looks, but only really long enough to empty her glass and then fill it to the brim again. This fifth refill was the last of the cactus juice pitcher, and an alabaster hand scooted it to the edge of the table. Any learnt waiter or bus boy would know the universal signal of an empty jug or glass on the edge of the table. Hopefully, it would be refilled in a few moments. In the meantime, Storm would warm up to this hospitable older thill. "Yeah... drinkun's fun. Mm." She hiccuped momentarily, then covered her mouth and apologized. "Don't you think so? You know..." Another hiccup, this time louder. "I never caught your name? I've been thinking of you as 'VIP' in my head. Hum. For that matter, I don't think I really gave you mine, either. Stormwing, at your service." With her introduction, she held out a white-fingered hand, and grinned openly at the blue thill.
Koani drank her drink, giving her head a small downward shake as she swallowed the rest of the liquid. “Mighty fun," Koani agreed heartily, taking Stormwing’s extended hand and giving it a firm shake as she supplied her name. “I’m Koani." Purposely she withheld her last name. If this Stormwing didn’t know her by appearance, or her first name (which really wasn‘t very common at all), the Grader last name would most certainly be a dead giveaway. Unless of course this thill was entirely behind in times… and didn’t follow politics at all. Which was possible. Whatever the case, Koani was rather enjoying being unknown by this newly met female. While turning over all of these thoughts, Koani realized that Stormwing hadn’t answered her question. However, she continued on as if she had been supplied with an answer. “I‘m not from around Watani myself. I just wound up here during business."
As the two thills shook hands, and Koani finally shared her moniker, a little light bulb somewhere in Stormwing's deep inner recesses lit up. Koani..., a cold voice hissed in the back of her mind. It was familiar, somehow. And not in a good way. In fact, the little alarm bells that were pealing deep inside the young pendragon caused a very intense shudder to pass through her. However, despite this abrupt uneasiness at the sound of the other's name, she just shook it off. She told herself it wasn't important right now. What was important was getting piss drunk, right? Getting piss drunk and having a good conversation with Koani, no last name. "Oh... sorry. I'm not from Watani. I live in a room at Janardan for now. I've got quite a bit of money saved up, though, so maybe I'll move out here when I finish school. It's my kind of town. I could see myself becoming a Friday night regular here." As she spoke, a waitress approached the table, picked up the pitcher, and scooted off towards the bar area. Storm watched her out of the corner of her eye, but kept most of her focus on Koani. She was looking forward to another round of cactus juice, but in the meantime, she began to quietly study the other female's appearance. She hadn't initially been drawn to her by the way she looked, but now that she noticed, Stormwing was fairly impressed with Koani's sense of style. She wore unique prints, and several layers. Definitely a trendsetter. What was more, she had obvious spikes on her shoulderblades, and it could be guessed that she had some along her back, as well. Though not completely surprising amongst the world of pendragons, Storm was intrigued. In her slightly buzzed state, she wanted to reach out a white digit and poke their tips. But she had enough sense to refrain. "What're the spikes for?" As she asked this question, the waitress returned. Just long enough to put the newly filled pitcher on the table, and scoot it towards them. Storm grabbed it, and refilled her glass. "If you see a bad guy, do you headbutt him in the attempt to stab him with 'em? Why do you need bodyguards if you've got an arsenal poking out of your body, anyway?"
“Ah, a student then." The mention of Janardan’s name caused Koani to rethink what she was about to say. For some reason Stormwing going to Janardan bothered her. It wasn’t because of Stormwing herself, but rather who her possible classmates might be. Koani’s youngest son both attended and lived at Janardan. When Koani had returned from “parts unknown" he’d opted not to move back in with his mother and stayed at the school instead. In her absence he’d grown attached to his Aunt and regarded Koani only as an acquaintance. The idea of this younger thill possibly being on better terms with her son than she herself was… well, that bothered her. After lightly drumming her fingers on the table, Koani continued. “I went to Janardan for a few courses. Not too many though. I wound up being pushed around through various private schools. Watani’s a nice enough place. Great night time life. The parties are alright… and there’s usually a nice balance between English and Ramathian speakers. It’s just not my usual hangout." When along came Stormwing’s headbutt remark, Koani actually laughed out loud. She refilled her glass while continuing to chuckle. “I’m afraid those ones wouldn’t be much use when it comes to headbutting someone. They’re really not all that strong. They’d probably be more apt to snap right off. They re-grow… but that’s a bit of a pain. These ones," Koani indicated the long rows of spikes on her arms, “are more of the dangerous sort. They’re rather venomous. As for having these fellows about… I suppose I just like the protection. Enough about me though! Tell me some more about yourself."
When Koani spoke about herself for a brief moment, then asked Stormwing to share some information about herself, it had most likely been more of a formality than a deep question. But alcohol does weird things to some pendragons, and the cinnamon female was one of those pendragons. Her hand was wrapped tightly around her half-full glass as she contemplated the question. Then, without another moment's pause, she launched into a very winded spiel, starting at the beginning and dragging all the way into the present (how sad for poor Koani and her three bodyguards). "I'm an orphan. Sometimes, I think I never had parents to begin with. I've no memory of them. I sort of have a memory of being loved, though not by a parent so much as by a companion. A godly companion. I don't know. Anyway, I've been taking care of myself since the start. I've been so many places, hopped between so many planes, you could say I'm quite a veteran explorer. I've been part of several groups, and I've had more mates than I can properly recall. Life has been bittersweet, both rough and fun. Presently, I'm an officer in the USR. A kugsuem. My ship was eaten by the Magi Lake monster a few weeks ago, though, so I don't even have ship. Um. Yeah. So... how'd you grow up? What are, or were, your parents like? What's it like to have parents? Assuming you're not some fetus that was hatched in a lab, like I probably was." After her long dialogue, Storm lifted her glass to her lips, and drained it. She was beginning to grow tired of the greenish cactus juice, though, so she didn't refill it. Instead, she burped politely, then began casting her eyes about for a waiter. She wanted something a little less fruity now. But something with just as much alcohol. Mm... alcohol.
Koani sipped away at her drink as Stormwing told her about her own life. What impressed her the most was the fact that she was in the USR. Those brutes didn’t let just anyone within their ranks. Not only that, but that meant that Stormwing would be well versed in Ramathian. Too many of the youth these days were abandoning the language. A pilot as well…? But with no ship. What hit Koani the most was the fact that Stormwing didn’t know her parents. To never even have known who brought you into the world? This made the weight in Koani’s own heart take on a few pounds. “I’m so sorry," Koani stammered at the end of her spiel. “I grew up with both my parents. Quite a few siblings as well. My parents for the most part were busy. Dealing with feuds, politics, property ownership and the like… they put me through school. Pretty much forcing me to take programs I didn’t really want to take." Koani smiled at this. “I surprised them though. Pissed ‘em right off. Instead of accepting the job I was offered after school, I went into business for myself. I became a Jeweller. Designing, making and selling… I married. Had a family." She put down her glass and brought her hand up to lightly press her fingers against her temples. “The family fell apart. Things happened." Koani winced visibly, her fingers leaving her temple in order to hold tightly onto her left arm. Her body felt numb all over. “And now… well. My Dad isn’t doing too well. That’s why I was here today. Sort of filling in as his personal secretary. Hence the bodyguards. Some would love to hurt him even more through me. My Mom though… oh my Mom." The elder thill let out a quiet, upset moan, the grip she had on her own left arm tightening. “I felt it all.. She was ripped, torn pretty much in two and swallowed up by The Nothing. I…" Koani’s voice tapered off into a mouse-like squeak. She shook her head, hand still clenched around her arm.
Large ears cocked forwards, and Stormwing herself leaned further onto the table, her weight propped on her elbows. Her mismatched gaze now trained fully on Koani, as the other began to speak again, now about her upbringing. It was drastically different from Storm's own, but she harbored no jealousy towards the older thill. Though the banded female had scarcely known family love since the beginning of her life all of nineteen years ago, she hadn't turned out too badly. She was educated, could speak more than two languages, and had enough prestige and money to last a lifetime. Hell, she was well off. And, as it seemered, better off than this Koani 'dragon, at least emotionally. Ears twitched tentatively as Koani's voice faltered, and then trailed off, just after she explained the fate that had befallen her mother. Storm offered the other a consoling look, then opened her mouth to speak. "I'm sorry to hear that... into the Nothing, though? How often does that happen?" There was a brief pause, and then Storm began to speak of the incident which had caused such pain and terror for this Koani femme in the past, and which would eventually lead to much violence and hatred in the not too distant future. And she was too drunk to inhibit herself, even from revealing the most incriminating things about herself... and others. "The Nothing... my friend has some experience with the Nothing, actually. She meddles in some of the darker arts. I don't think she was actually responsible directly, but I'm pretty sure she had something to do with this one Kiom being sucked into the Nothing." Her eyes flashed, almost conspiratorially. Storm leaned forward, in order to whisper. She wouldn't want those bodyguards to hear the next thing she had to say, although she somehow trusted Koani wouldn't mind hearing it. "It was actually high-profile... I'm sure you've heard... Karryasa Grader. Though I'm sure she deserved it much more than your mother did... I'm in the USR, but I never was a strong supporter of the Graders' politics." The young female leaned backwards after her revelation, smiling a bit stupidly. A flicker of uncertainty appeared in her eyes for a brief moment, as some sober part of her deeper being realized she'd just revealed something fairly dangerous to a near stranger, but then the drunkenness overruled her worries. She shifted her eyes away from Koani, and searched the crowd once more for a waiter. She was still thirsty.
Koani sat frozen, blue-green eyes wide, her breath stuck in her throat. Had she actually just heard what she thought she had heard? She paled underneath her fur, her body being hit by a wave of nausea. Fighting to regain her composure as well as breath, Koani leaned forward, doubling over so that her chin was nearly touching the table. Vythe leaped up from his seat, genuinely concerned. He faintly touched her back which caused Koani to shudder. “I’m okay…" she managed after a few seconds and regained her breath. “It was just a cramp or something. I’m… okay." She gripped the table ledge and slowly pushed herself up and away from it, first peering over at Vythe who had backed off and then looking over to Stormwing. “I think I need another drink. Something even stronger than this stuff perhaps." Her head nodded toward the pitcher still sitting on the table. “You’ve… intrigued me Stormwing. Very much so. I’d like to hear more about this," She said, lowering her voice and covertly raising a hand to shield her eyes and mouth from her escorts, “…friend of yours and the Nothing incident. I can‘t say that I‘ve heard of many incidents like… that. Happening. There‘s been some, but they‘re few and far between. This friend of yours though? What‘s her name? What‘s she look like? Do you know where she usually hangs out? Were you… er… were you directly involved with that Kiom Karryasa Grader incident?"
Had she been sober, Winger would not have revealed any of this. She wouldn't have admitted that she knew something of the Arch Magosai's disappearance, and she wouldn't have mentioned her friend's exact involvement with Karryasa's untimely demise. But she had consumed far too much alcohol at this point, and she had no sense of what should be kept secret, and would could be make public knowledge. In fact, her inhibitions were lowered so far, she had no problem sharing with Koani the exact name and location of the friend, as well as her description. Her tongue was very loose, and she didn't spare any detail. "Kakosenas Shriker. You know, we didn't start off that great. She... well, it's not important. We're buddy-buddy now. She lives around Janardan, I think. She sort of goes off wherever, you know? But sometimes she hangs out in the Viper's Nest, or in my dormitory," Storm explained. As she shared these facts, her hybrid eyes glowed. She was all too happy, in her drunk state, to brag about Kakos' and her grisly deeds. At least she didn't reveal anything more about the location of the Viper's Nest. "We've done some pretty naughty things around Janardan. No," she added pointedly, when she realized how that sounded. No matter how drunk she got, she would never let anybody think she was anything but heterosexual, "Not like that. Not sexually. We just did a few bad things... that led to other bad things... hey, where's the waiter? Anyway, Kakos. She's, like, my best friend. She's so weird, but she is. She really is. She's black. Dark as her mind. She has these odd scaled arms, and purple tufts out of her elbow and knee joints. Really long tail... she'd be pretty if she just took a bath once a year or so. You should meet her sometime. She's really an interesting individual..." As she finished off, a hiccup bubbled up from the thill's banded muzzle, and she excused herself before casting her eyes around for the waiter again. Where was that goddamn guy, anyway?
Koani frowned, trying to think deeply about the description that Stormwing had just given her. It was quite a difficult task. Although Koani had consumed less alcohol than Stormwing, she was still readily feeling the after effects. The name Kakosenas Shriker didn’t give her any clues. The last name Shriker wasn’t familiar at all. Koani supposed that the entire thing was just an alias. Something fabricated in order to cover up one’s true identity. The fact that Stormwing’s friend skulked around Janardan mortified Koani. It was all starting to make sense though. Specially that one eye-less and maimed body of the student that they had found on campus several months prior and had to hastily cover up. Karryasa herself had been alerted of that great misdeed. Perhaps even… Karryasa had known who the killer was and then had fallen victim herself? What was even more unsettling was the fact that Karryasa had known that she was going to meet an end. That was why she’d sought Koani out that particular night. To make sure that Koani would be ready… The physical description that Koani had received appeared to be ample enough. No one she knew was black, had scaled forearms and purple tufts. It was just the right sort of oddity that would make this creature stand out in a crowd. Just the right amount of information to— Koani stood up. The motion causing her to become light-headed. “I’m really not… feeling all that well," she stammered. “I‘m sorry Stormwing. I think I’m going to have to call it a night. Your friend does sound quite… darling though. I hope I do have the chance to meet her sometime. Vythe?" Koani looked around. Her trio of escorts were already on their feet. “Oh… good," she breathed. Koani reached back down and retrieved her shoulder bag from the floor in a bit of a rush. She then looked back to Stormwing. “I’ll cover the bill for tonight. In fact, if there’s anything else you want to drink from here tonight, I’ll make sure that’s covered too." Koani smiled but it was both a distracted and forced smile that looked both false and unnatural on her face. “You’ve been a great conversationalist. I really enjoyed talking to you. We should… do something like this again sometime. When I’m… feeling better."
The waiter still hadn't come, and the next thing Winger knew, Koani and her three counterparts were on their feet. A pair of mismatched eyes slid over them, full of wondering, and she frowned thoughtfully. The older thill claimed to not be feeling well. Had it been the cactus juice? Maybe Storm no longer wanted a refill. "I'm... woo," the younger female said, standing in order to wish her new friend farewell. She teetered as she did so, her equilibrium shot by her high BAL. "I'm sorry to see you go... so abruptly. I hope we can see each other again?" By the time these words found their way out of her muzzle, slurred and a bit shrill, Koani and her little team had pushed their chairs in and left. Stormwing tilted again, and her white hands shot out to splay on the table, supporting her weight. She peered blearily around the bar, realizing that several pairs of eyes were on her. Shame suddenly filled the female pendragon, and she pressed her eyes closed, trying to regain some focus. When she opened them again, she let go of the table, and began to walk towards the door. Koani had said she'd pick up the tab, so she didn't need to worry about it. She could just go, and hope she'd maybe seen the kindly older femme again some day. Oh, if she only knew.
