[SE] glass empty kind of gal

LongNight has been quite a bore for her. It seems that most people have traveled to Torchline or King's End for their various parties while she's made the mistake of shacking up here. It leaves few options for entertainment and fewer options for company. She found herself nearly sparking up a conversation with Toothless Beatrice just for the fun of it. Luckily, she was saved from her momentarily lapse in judgement by rumors of a special LongNight drink at a nearby bar. 

Settling into a stool, Thal waves over the bartender, a fanged smirk on her lips. "I'll take one of your Frozen Blood and..." she pauses, the smile slipping slightly as she tries to remember the second half of the name. When it doesn't come to her, she flicks her hand in a dismissive motion, her tail mirroring the movement behind her. "You know the one." And, in fact, he does, slipping easily into motion to make a fruity looking cocktail that smells deliciously of smoke and whiskey.

thalassa

so don't waste the time i don't have

Noe

It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me
At teatime, everybody agrees

Noe hadn't meant to be in the Grounds during LongNight. She'd meant to stop by on her way to Torchline to secure some supplies for the desert. But that had taken longer than normal, and one thing had led to another, and in the end, she'd ended up trapped here, few skyships willing to brave the endless night when they could simply wait for the inevitable dawn. At least her father had elected to settle here when Stormbreak fell, so she wasn't entirely alone; still, she was restless, used to the endless parties of Torchline.

In the end, she ended up at a bar called the Last Whisper, leaning up against the bar next to a pretty Ancient who'd just ordered something that looked interesting enough. Glancing at the drink sidelong, she nodded towards it. "I'll have what she's having," she told the bartender, who nodded and turned to make another. Grinning at the Ancient, she winked. "And if it's not any good, I'm blaming you."

I'll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror
It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero

Thal didn't know what to expect, but the name should have given her some semblance of an idea that the drink would be cold. Still, she pursed her lips when the drink became an icy slush of alcoholic sweetness, an orange circle placed fancifully on the rim of the glass next to a vibrant umbrella. 

She immediately regretted her choice, especially as the woman next to her seemed to assign her with responsibility for the quality of the drink. "I didn't make it," she scoffed, glancing spitefully at the woman. If she did, there wouldn't be a yellow umbrella in it. Shrugging her shoulders, she added more casually, "Plus, that's the risk you take when ordering the same thing as a stranger." She should know, she was doing the same exact thing. 

Luckily, when she took her first frozen sip, the drink was actually good. She wasn't a fan of the cold nip on her lips, but they'd somehow managed to infuse the ice and fruit with a smoky flavor she very much enjoyed. Lowering the glass, she ran her tongue along her lips to warm them, clearing the bit of moisture that lingered there. She tried not to smile or show any sign of liking it when she turned to watch the woman's reaction next to her.

thalassa

so don't waste the time i don't have

Noe

It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me
At teatime, everybody agrees

Oh, so this was going to be that kind of interaction.

The woman scoffed at Noe's good-natured teasing, and the girl shrugged to herself before turning to accept her own drink. Maybe the stranger was just in a mood. She couldn't blame her; as an Ancient, this had to be a difficult time of year, and LongNight was known for being unkind to those inhabiting this region. Or maybe she was stuck here like Noe, quietly wishing to be anywhere else. So Noe didn't take it personally, instead offering a casual: "High risk, high reward."

Either way, the engineer was keen to try the beverage. She sipped at it casually, brows rising at the surprisingly smoky flavor that reminded her of something she couldn't quite put her finger on. It was a strange sensation: cold nipped against her lips and tongue, but the alcohol in it warmed her all the same once it made its way to her belly. Interesting, and not at all unpleasant, even if it was a bit more whiskey-forward than Noe normally preferred.

Noticing that the woman was watching for her reaction, Noe tilted her head. "Worth the risk," she commented, taking another sip of the icy slush. "You happen to have good taste."

I'll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror
It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero

She gave another scoff at the woman's acquiescence of her 'good taste,' muttering under her breath, "Thank Dygra." In reality, she hadn't known what she was ordering either, just grateful that the person she overheard had decent enough taste not to burn her, even if the icy drink was slightly unpleasant for someone of her race. The person had been ancient too, but maybe they just liked the pain of it. 

This stranger, on the other hand, was not an ancient, and Thal scrutinized her. There weren't many non-ancients who lived in the Grounds, and most people knew the few who did. "You're not from around here," she stated, not quite an accusation, but not a question by any means as she took a long sip of her icy concoction.

thalassa

so don't waste the time i don't have

Noe

It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me
At teatime, everybody agrees

The Ancient muttered something under her breath, and Noe had almost decided to take her drink and find some better company, but then the woman spoke again. "Nope," Noe replied with a shrug, taking another sip of the smoky, fruity slush. "I'm from Stormbreak originally, but, well..." She gestured vaguely in the air, as though to say, we all know how that went. "I bounced around a little bit, but now I'm helping put Hak Etme on the map." She might have expanded further, but she seemed to realize belatedly that the stranger's words had been a statement, not a question, and she pressed her lips together to keep from oversharing.

Scrutinizing the Ancient in return, Noe wondered if the woman was from around here. It seemed like a good guess, given her race, but then again, she knew that other Ancients lived elsewhere in Caido, too. Or maybe she was a nomad, waiting out LongNight somewhere relatively warm and safe. "What about you?" Noe ventured, curiosity winning out. "D'you live around here, or just passing through?"

I'll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror
It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero

She swallowed the cold fruitiness, setting aside the glass to give her mouth a break from the icy chill. It came as no surprise that the woman wasn't from here, but she did raise an eyebrow to hear where she was currently residing. "Ah. You're one of Colt's people." Considering how much she'd been helping out in the region, she wondered how they hadn't crossed paths already. She supposed Colt knew her stance on moving to Hak Etme, so she might not have felt inclined to include her in the parts meant for residents. 

When the question was lobbed her way, Thal licked her lips and reached for another sip of the cocktail, her tail flicking slowly behind her. She wasn't eager on sharing her information with a stranger, but she didn't see the harm when it was a vague, complicated mess. Smirking around the rim of her glass, she shrugged. "Both. I have a place here, but I don't let it hold me back from traveling."

thalassa

so don't waste the time i don't have