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+---- Thread: Call me selfish when I say this (/showthread.php?tid=9669)
Call me selfish when I say this - Maea - 06-23-2024
The party had been in full swing since the last drop of color drained from the sky. Time had lost all meaning for the revelers and only those who worked to supply the customers with food, drink and fresh sheets could feel the passage of time in their aching limbs and the occasional stolen break.
Keen to lose herself in the blur of faces and forget that anything existed past the next line of drinks to pour, Maea had gone long past weariness. Her feet throbbed from standing for hours and in her back something like a steel rod must have been lodged into her spine and heated to a cherry red glow, because nothing else could explain the pain it caused her. Her body and mind screamed for a break - but stopping felt impossible. It would mean relaxing, thinking, remembering the long night and all the ghosts that waited for her guard to come down.
More importantly, stopping would also mean dealing with the eyes that followed her as she moved behind the bar.
One person in particular made her uneasy as she refilled their glasses. A red-haired man with cold eyes sat nestled up with a tall short-haired woman and a person who had colorful tattoos covering the entire neck. They were laughing and talking amongst themselves, but she could feel his eyes lingering and there was something calculating about it that set her skin crawling.
But it was fine. As long as she kept working, no one bothered her.
RE: Call me selfish when I say this - Astaroth - 06-23-2024
LongNight certainly was bustling with movement and people, and between flitting back and forth for the butcher, dealing with some paperwork in the back, he makes his way back out toward the front and toward the bar – dark eyes scanning the area to see if there’s anything going on that’s obvious, before his dark eyes settle on Maea as she diligently works. A frown crosses his face briefly before he steps up to the other side of the bar, hooking the cane over the lip of the counter, elbows braced against it as he leans forward toward her.
“[say]Maea, darling, I thought you would have been done by now?[/say]” He asks, dark brow rising with a spark of concern. “[say]Is everything alright?[/say]” She’d been here for a while now and he knows the bartenders well enough to know how their shifts worked and how the pale Ancient was certainly over the time the rest of them spent working.
RE: Call me selfish when I say this - Maea - 06-23-2024
Asta was hard to miss, even in the bustle of the dimly lit brothel. Greeting him with a hasty smile as he came up to her, his question earned him a half shrug as she waved off the concern.
[say]"Oh, I'm fine. Picked up a half shift to cover for one of the others, they weren't feeling well."[/say]
Reaching beneath the bar, she hauled up a glass and held it out for the Butcher in mute question. [say]"How is it going out there, any trouble worth mentioning?"[/say] It all looked the same from her vantage point; a wall of thirst and debauchery that blocked her off from anything less than the ceiling catching on fire. That only happened once so far - it seemed like a good sign.
RE: Call me selfish when I say this - Astaroth - 06-23-2024
She waves off his concern so surprisingly easily that Asta’s dark gaze focuses in again on her with a tilt of his head. “[say]Oh, I see.[/say]” He hums, before settling a little easier at the bar, nodding to the glass she brings up with her silent question, answering it with a soft little “[say]wine, please[/say]” because he can’t get too inebriated while he’s working. He wants to still function if anything does start to happen.
Casting another glance around the Dusklight, Astaroth shakes his head to her with an easier smile. “[say]No trouble so far, but with crowds like this that can change.[/say]” He admits a touch wearily, though the glint in his gaze seems to be daring anyone to try as he turns it back toward the pale haired woman. “[say]Have you noticed anything from here?[/say]” He asks curiously, content to pull Maea’s attention away from any of the patrons for however long he pleased – whether or not they took kindly to it.
RE: Call me selfish when I say this - Maea - 06-23-2024
Selecting a fruity, rich wine that should cater well to the man's sweet tooth, Maea poured him a glass and slid it across the counter.
[say]"True enough. It's getting close to max capacity, isn't it? At this rate we may have to ration the drink or risk running out."[/say] Not a problem she'd ever expected the Dusklight to run into; she had seen the inside of the storerooms.
Gazing across the floor at his question, her eyes went to the russet haired man and immediately bounced away when she accidentally met his gaze. Maea shook her head.
[say]"No, not really. At least nothing I can put my finger on? Just the usual oogling, a few squabbles over whose drink it is and one bright fellow who thought he could leave without paying. He's washing dishes in the back now."[/say] With several pairs of eyes keeping close watch over him, she might add. The smirk she shared eith Asta was amused.
Resting her elbows against the counter, she shifted her weight stiffly between her feet, grimacing lightly; the kink in her back just wouldn't come out.
RE: Call me selfish when I say this - Astaroth - 06-23-2024
“[say]More or less. People should be leaving soon or retreating back to their rooms at this rate.[/say]” Already each room was accounted for, he’d seen the ledgers, he’d taken notes on anyone that may potentially be a problem, and had referenced those against ones he’d already wrote out as a trespassing list of those he’d already kicked out. So far, they were all good, each name staying wasn’t a problem, but that didn’t mean anyone coming in for just drinks wouldn’t prove to become a problem.
“[say]Good, good.[/say]” Flashing her a grateful smile for the wine, he sips from it with a sigh of relief, setting the glass down as she stretches after casting a glance around, sharply avoiding someone that Astaroth begins to take note of from his peripherals. Focusing on her instead, he reaches out to squeeze her arm gently in companionship before withdrawing to lean down to her level. “[say]You look stiff.[/say]” He comments quietly for her ears only. “[say]Is there anything I can do to help?[/say]"
RE: Call me selfish when I say this - Maea - 06-23-2024
It would be easy to brush him off again, to claim everything was fine and that she'd just had a long day. But the persistent concern was touching enough that Maea relented, sighing lightly before softening her serviceable smile into a quick grimace. [say]"Dunno. I just... need to keep busy. Did I tell you this is the first LongNight I've spent in the Grounds in about ten years? Not a fan."[/say]
The consistent opening of doors, the relentless darkness outside, blaring music and loud voices ringing into the night; it all rubbed her nerves raw.
[say]"It's probably silly, but I keep having this feeling like something is going to happen."[/say] If he knew anything that could help against that, perhaps she could get off her feet for a bit.
RE: Call me selfish when I say this - Astaroth - 06-23-2024
“[say]You did tell me.[/say]” He says softly, because he doesn’t want her to relive the situation if it brought her on edge. So instead, he listens as she explains how long it has been since she’d stepped foot around here, and he can offer his own little help in trying to relax. “[say]Those times were terrible, yes, but look around. People are happy, having a good time, coming and going as they please without a single problem in sight.[/say]” He gestures with a hand to the crowds surrounding them, one particular group off to his side has decided to use the table for some kind of acrobatic fun, something which he glances at and ignores as he takes a sip of the wine.
Humming a note to her as he sets the glass back down, his shoulders rise and fall in a small shrug. “[say]It may. It may not. You don’t know until it does and stressing about it will only make you look at old as me.[/say]” He tips her a wink, the hand gesturing to the crows feet at the corners of his eyes as he flashes her a wink and sits up a little straighter. “[say]From what I have read, nothing has happened in the Grounds during LongNight since the war. I think it is safe, and if it isn’t, that is what I am here for, darling.[/say]”
RE: Call me selfish when I say this - Maea - 06-23-2024
Drawing patterns with a finger on the countertop, she didn't look too convinced. Here was the downside to missing the end of the war and the years in between; the simply hadn't lived through the changes it wrought on the world. Maybe it really was different - she still wouldn't believe it until the sun rose again and nothing had happened.
It wasn't until the end that Asta managed to draw a smile from her. Looking up at him with an amused twist to her lips, a rare spark of mischief glittered in her eyes.
[say]"Awh, you're going to protect me from the monsters?"[/say] she teased, tilting her head with a dainty flutter of frosted lashes. [say]"Careful, Asta, or you'll end up losing your nickname and become the Paladin."[/say] At least the assurance seemed to have done its intended job in cheering her up.
Someone tapped her on the shoulder, causing the young woman to look away to hear what they wanted. Nodding, she sighed and pushed away from the counter. [say]"I'll be right back. Running out of glasses - again."[/say] Rolling her eyes, she patted Asta on the hand before ducking under the barrier to join a waiter in a dash around the booths to collect used dishes.
Unfortunately, she didn't notice when a figure peeled away from the bar and began to trail after her, concealed by the chaotic crowd.
RE: Call me selfish when I say this - Astaroth - 06-23-2024
Snorting to Maea’s own tease, he shakes his head – the firelight reflecting in the dark obsidian of his horns to give it that much more of a fiery appearance. “[say]No, no, my dear. I protect the Dusklight.[/say]” He winks to her with another amused smirk, before gesturing to the bar and herself. “[say]You happen to be a part of it at this present moment.[/say]” Therefore, no Paladin comments.
He was a butcher, at the end of the day.
He stands up a bit straighter as someone gathers Maea’s attention, though, watchful as he nods to her and plucks the glass of wine from the counter to take a sip precisely at the time he notices the very person Maea’s gaze had shot from, vanish from the bar. Curious as it was, he sets the glass down and collects the cane, his tall stature makes it easy for him to part the chaotic crowds, and his time spent in the Climb made it easy to pick out things in the chaos, and so he trails after Maea as well – eyes peeled for a red head that might have an idea of trouble in his mind.
RE: Call me selfish when I say this - Maea - 06-23-2024
Weaving in and out of booths and tables, Maea got an up close and sometimes far too personal view of all the delights the establishment had to offer. Ranging from sloppy kissing to minor orgies to some downright obscene entanglements that should probably have been confined to a room, it did very little to improve her comfort levels in regards to intimacy. She did her best to simply ignore what her eyes stumbled over, kept her head down and stacked the increasing pile of shot/beer/wineglasses as she fished them up.
Ducking into a recently vacated booth, she struck gold. The clack and chime of dirty dishes rang in her ears as the began to load up the spoiled, so that she didn't notice when a figure slipped up behind her. The nearly jumped out of her skin when a light touch brushed down her back, tracing her spine with an intimacy that curdled like sour milk on her tongue.
"Hello beautiful," a voice purred in her ear. Spinning on her heel, she was snatched up beneath an arm and tucked up tightly against the side of a man, tall and elegant looking; his cold eyes glittered down at her, too blue against the red hair. He smiled, charming as could be. "You finally came over to my side. Are you free now? We should have some fun, you and I."
[say]"No - no thank you!"[/say] Straining against the grip around her waist, Maea shook her head firmly. At least, she thought it was; something in her mind had frozen, and she could barely hear herself over a keening in her ears. [say]"I'm just at the bar, I don't - not one if those – "[/say]
"Oh? That's alright, I don't mind."
He slumped down into the booth, and though she tried to fight, Maea was dragged along into his lap. Questing hands began to roam across her body, and all her incresingly frantic struggle to get up earned her was a soft, quiet chuckle in her ear.
Vaguely, Maea noticed figures stepping in to block the view of the rest of the room. What had been annoyance was quickly turning into fear, as all her practiced skills were rendered useless by panic and a simple, controlling tug on one horn whenever she tried to rise.
RE: Call me selfish when I say this - Astaroth - 06-26-2024
Hes the dark shadow that trails in the direction Maea had headed, slipping in and out of the crowds with the cane, enough of a warning for people to be a little more cautious of where they walk. Of course, it doesn’t seem to deter those with bad intentions, not as he notices a certain group blocking off the area of a booth, while his eyes remain peeled for a certain red headed man.
It piques his interest immediately, gaze focusing further as the bodies shift just a little and he can spy the flash of red hair, and it draws him that much closer, his stature threatening enough that the cane flips easily in his hand, the hook end immediately placed on one of the ‘guards’ shoulders, prying the group away from what’s occurring.
His nose wrinkles and he reaches immediately over to pluck Maea from the man’s lap, drawing some of the fire from the nearby sconces and oil lamps to create a little shield of flame around them. “[say]Get up.[/say]” He orders the red head and those trying to guard the sight from the rest of the Dusklight.
RE: Call me selfish when I say this - Maea - 06-26-2024
As though swallowed up by some nightmare, Maea found that she couldn't move. Locked up inside her head, hammering the figurative door of whatever part of the brain that connected mind and body, helpless to make her own hands obey. A numbness had set in and it wouldn't let her shake off the shock and leap into action the way she wished to. If only she could shift, or conjure a spark of fire - but beyond feebly struggling to shift the questing hands from places where they didn't belong, her voice had locked up in the throat, all but choking her.
It could have been hours, but in reality there was probably less than a minute or two that passed. Then light split the dark of the booth and a strong hand on her arm hauled her up onto her feet. Fire flared up around her, narrowing her view to nothing but light and the broad, solid safety of Asta's chest; she trembled in his grip, shock rendering her speechless.
As through a haze she could hear the russet-haired man's voice sounding from the booth, in a drawl that probably was meant to sound reassuring.
"Oh, come on now, we were just having some fun - I'll pay extra, yeah?" He made no move to get up, and met Astaroth's gaze with a raised brow as if this was nothing but another marketplace transaction.
The tall woman tried to pry the handle of the cane off her shoulder, glaring daggers at the Butcher, while the tattooed person was slowly inching away; no doubt attempting to melt into the crowd and make themselves scarce.
RE: Call me selfish when I say this - Astaroth - 06-26-2024
He keeps Maea precisely in a position of protection while he aims his focus on the red headed man, the cane hook digs into the tall woman’s shoulder and as the tattooed man tries to drift away, a lick of fire slips out toward him, blocking off his escape path to send him right back. “[say]No. Get up.[/say]” He says with another demand in his voice, a venom quite unlike his usual tones bleeds into his accent with practiced ease.
It’s a slow shift from the security he usually is into his namesake, but it begins to fall into place steadily as the sharp toothed grin starts to spread. “[say]I would rather not get this outfit dirty, but if I must…[/say]” He trails off with a dramatic sigh, giving Maea’s arm a little squeeze before a stream of fire licks up next to all three offenders, a threat and a dare.