(SE) running red lights

i wanted to be ruined —

a little more than i wanted

— to be loved

He comments on the ningo aspect, of rather wanting to bother a dragon than the birds. And she can’t help but to snicker lightly to that as well, shoulders rising and falling in a light shrug as she regards him a bit more – taking in the tired eyes, the way he seems to know his way around the bar, the lingering glances granted toward the rest of the room as if nobody else were around to help him. She wonders if its exhausting, focusing on taking care of this. She wonders if he owns it, briefly, before stuffing those thoughts down to pick up the pen and write again. Death by dragon is something to aspire to, I think. At least when it comes to a shitty death by a bird. She retorts on the paper, gaze drifting up to look at him with a raise of a dark brow as the question hits.

And well? Wessex had told her about the Frost Giants, had summoned one if she recalls correctly. A member of my guild told me about them. I’m Kiada, guildmistress of the Monster Hunter’s Guild in the Grounds. She writes down swiftly, sliding the paper over toward him and placing both elbows on the countertop, gaze searching his face for any kind of reaction with that information – spinning the pen idly in her hands as she does so.

KIADA

KORBIN

Remember when I swore
That you and I would never die

Reading the reply, Korbin hummed and gave the girl another once-over. Woman, was probably a better term, in truth. She was older than him, but he couldn't really say by how much. Not enough that it really mattered, but apparently sufficiently to make her able to run a guild.

"Monster hunters? You'd be the type who actually would go bother a dragon then," he commented. His tone was neutral, as was his expression, making it hard to judge what he actually thought about the notion. "Pleasure to meet you, all the same... I'm Korbin Hale."

A name, was all he offered. No job titles, no affiliations... his presence behind the bar counter was explanation enough at the moment.

Remember when you swore
we had it all?

i wanted to be ruined —

a little more than i wanted

— to be loved

She preens under the attention granted, though not for the way some might think. No, she simply tries to make it seem like she’s exactly who she said she was, though the idea of it was sparked with some hint of anxiety within. She was young, but the Monster Hunter’s Guild had just burned down, and Ronin had given it to her with the promise to rebuild it – old sketches of the things he’d hunted to add to her belongings.

So instead, she offers him a sweeter smile, something that has a playful sharp edge to it as she lowers the pen to the paper again. Only if ever required. She hadn’t anticipated on it, not at the very least. But it was always an option. There was no in between, really, when it came down to the profession she chose. Still, he offers his name and she scribbles down on the paper again. It’s a pleasure to meet you Korbin. Then, after a moment of glancing up to his face and studying him a small amount, she writes beneath it a follow up question.

How long are you here for? An easy question, an equally avian tilt of her head to accompany the question as her icy gaze flickers up to him again.

KIADA

KORBIN

Remember when I swore
That you and I would never die

He wasn't sure that really reassured him. So she would go after a dragon if it was required. That was... equal parts foolish and admirable. Rather overconfident sounding too, when coming from a slip of a girl like this. Sorry, woman. Young woman. Korbin sighed lightly, and nodded absently when she returned the pleasantries. Empty nothings, that grated a bit on him - it felt like they'd reached the end of this conversation.

Straightening up again, he paused when she added the last question to the paper. "Until the owner comes to take over the bar," he replied. "Why?"

It was just as light a question, though some wariness had begun to creep over his features. A quick exchange was one thing, prolonged chatter felt a bit... well, not unpleasant, but dangerous. In a variety of ways.

Remember when you swore
we had it all?

i wanted to be ruined —

a little more than i wanted

— to be loved

She watches him pause as he goes to straighten up and away from her, icy gaze lingering along his face and back down to the paper to write her response, a bit of a brief smile ghosting along her face. Thought it might be fun to get to know you more. She slides the paper back over, gaze flickering up to see what he might think of it. Of course, she doesn’t know how long it would be until someone came to take over the bar for him, but at the same time she didn’t have anything else to do either.

So she steals the paper back again, smirking to herself as she does so. And maybe company to go antagonize those killer ningos. A cheeky smirk crosses her face at that, sending the paper back and leaning along the bar toward him – pale blue gaze lifting to meet his face again and flashing him another one of her winning smiles, though it edges with the curl of her lip in her own amusement at the joke she’d made.

KIADA

KORBIN

Remember when I swore
That you and I would never die

His response was a half smile, barely more than a brief tug at the corner of his mouth. He downed his water in a single pull and sent the glass off to the kitchen with a few others that had been left on the counter while he slacked off.

"There's nothing to know, really," he told her, a distance creeping into his manners - more from the way he carried himself, the growing tension of the shoulders than by tone of voice. "Best leave the Ningos be for now. We're gonna need them before the season is through."

The jest was gone. Only solid practicality remained, a quiet reminder that Deepfrost had only just begun. None of the great storms had bared down on them yet, and while the temperature dropped further with each day, it was nothing yet to what it would be in a few weeks.

Better not waste resources just yet.

Remember when you swore
we had it all?

i wanted to be ruined —

a little more than i wanted

— to be loved

Oh, she can see the half smile that crosses his face – and she swallows it down as he finishes his water and she lifts her own glass to her lips, downing the contents though it has little affect on her. She’s not drunk, but pleasantly content, enough so that her hands are warm and there’s the briefest flush of red to her neck and her cheeks as she watches him when he speaks. She steals the paper again, twirling the pen in her hands as she goes to write on it. I heavily doubt that. You live here after all. She replies, underlining ‘here’ with a swift stroke.

But as for the comment of the ningos, she makes a dramatic show of sighing – a brief pout crossing her face, puffing her lips out a bit as she regards him again. There’s a bit of a narrowing of her gaze as she considers him and continues to write on the paper. Ugh, fine. A pause as she considers what else to add, pen lifting to tap against her chin as she thinks on it. Know of anything else to do for entertainment? She slides the paper back, folding her hands beneath her chin and peering up at him with an amused look.

KIADA

KORBIN

Remember when I swore
That you and I would never die

His brows furrowed slightly. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, not sure if it was meant as an insult or just a statement. His life and story wasn't all that different from any other Halo resident; she could chat up anyone in the room and get roughly the same storyline, give or take a few family tragedies.

Korbin had to turn away for a moment, to fill up a few tankards brought up by one of the patrons by a table that had grown tired of talking. It took only a moment, and when he returned, he threw a glance at the added scribbles on the notepad, and snorted quietly. The young man gestured at the bar, the many tables and the roaring fireplace.

People were gathered in small groups and sat talking, more or less loudly, their words emphasized by wild gesturing and the occasional roaring laughter. A quartet of young hunters about Korbin's own age had taken to throwing knives against one of the walls - Weaver would probably kick their asses for it later - and a few Snowcloak matrons had brougth their teapots and needlework and occupied three tables all on their own, chasing the rowdier men away with mere stern glares and a few pointed words.

"This is the entertainment, miss. Welcome to Halo." There was no trace of jest in his voice; it was honestly spoken. Didn't get much better than this. Wouldn't, unless someone brought an instrument or decided to regale the others with a story or two. But really, it was too early in the season; no one was that bored yet.

Remember when you swore
we had it all?

i wanted to be ruined —

a little more than i wanted

— to be loved

His question is aired with a sheepish grin, pulling the paper back to scribble on it before he takes off. It means that you probably have a pretty good story. She slides back and then settles back to fiddle with the pen and the book, glancing around the bar as he tops off a few mugs in the area, moving to drop them off before he returns to her – her gaze flickers around and spots the variety of people that have gathered, before landing on him and following the gestures.

And well, yes, it is interesting. She even has her throwing knives on her. As a girl who was also born in the mountains, there’s more to it. She writes back, giving him a flat look with a raise of her brow, though amusement lingers in the bond that extends out of her – uncaring if there were other attuneds in the area that could feel it. What do you do for fun, Korbin? She writes a bit more clearly, tilting her head up and giving him a calculating look as if she’s trying to determine what he was good at.

KIADA

KORBIN

Remember when I swore
That you and I would never die

This was getting a bit too personal for him to be really comfortable. Thinking back on the many funerals, the hard work and sacrifices made to keep food on the table and a fire in the hearth, he wondered which part she would find entertaining.

"Not really one worth telling," he replied, brushing all the probing off as airily as he could manage. "I'd say that scar on your neck makes for a better tale. Why don't you amuse us both by recounting it?"

He didn't feel like talking about himself. Or telling her about all the things he could no longer do, the few enjoyments he was now barred from; flying, playing the lute, watching the light glitter on fresh snow a bright sunshine day.

It was only painful.

Remember when you swore
we had it all?

i wanted to be ruined —

a little more than i wanted

— to be loved

Her head tilts a small amount as he reads the words and begins to reply, and honestly? He’s making it relatively difficult, but Kiada had no qualms with her attempts to try and get to know people. So she lets him brush it off, sure she might find out later or at least be able to ask around perhaps. But he brings up the scar on her neck, and she pauses a small amount – a wicked grin crossing her face as she regards him and adjusts her braid a bit to give him a good look.

It’s etched into the side of her neck, quite deep, a cross between a wound and a brand with the way the edges are raised, though the inside remains dark as if it had taken ages to heal. It had.

She takes the paper and nods accordingly to him, focusing on the lines she writes. I wore an amulet when I left my first world, and when I arrived in the next it exploded. She writes simply, pausing to think on it. It took an entire year to heal and used to glow. She slides the paper back and lets her gaze linger on him, a bright smile to that as if it hadn’t bothered her. It doesn’t now, but back then it had.

Then, as if for added benefit, she turns a small amount, pulling at the furs that cover her shoulders to pull them down a small amount, letting him take a peek at the burn scars that peek over the tops of her shoulders and the deep puncture wound seen accompanying them, raising a brow to see if he’s interested in more.

KIADA

KORBIN

Remember when I swore
That you and I would never die

The scar hadn't looked that big from where he was standing. As she shifted the braid however, he could see that it was deeper and larger than he'd anticipated. Her written explanation earned barely a glance; he was too busy staring at the shoulder she revealed, skin puckered and punctured where it ought to have been smooth and soft.

Dark blue eyes lingered a bit too long on the curve of her neck, the gentle slope of the shoulders; mouth gone slightly dry he turned away, and cleared his voice. "That's... very interesting. Your first and second world? How many have you seen?"

Questions crowded in his mind, begging to be asked. What kind of amulet was it? Why did it explode? Why had the scar glowed, and why didn't it do so now?

But asking them would open up to more questions about himself, and he was stubbornly refusing any inquiries of that nature. Curiosity wouldn't kill him.

Remember when you swore
we had it all?

i wanted to be ruined —

a little more than i wanted

— to be loved

He takes a relatively long look, and she doesn’t mind it in the slightest. Not as she leaves it out for the open while he questions her and turns away a small amount, clearing his voice. And when she hears the question, she slides the paper back over toward her. Caido is my fourth. She offers, tilting her head in an avian manner, absentmindedly in such a way that’s opposite of which way her neck is exposed. Perhaps it was intentional, perhaps not. She wouldn’t say one way or another.

So instead, she closes the journal in front of her, moving to stand and brace her hands on the counter top, leaning a bit more toward him. She searches his face for a brief moment, lips pursing slightly as she considers it. A brief exhale, debating what she could do, but since she’d answered plenty of his questions and he'd answered hers about the creatures in Halo, she pulls the paper back and writes something after it. Could I barter for a room to stay in here? She slides it over, a bit too fiercely, soft scar-flecked skin brushing by his hand if it remained in place as she looks back up at him with a raise of her brow.

KIADA

KORBIN

Remember when I swore
That you and I would never die

Fourth? That was a whole heck of a lot. Too many for him to even comprehend, he who had barely seen three regions of this very continent. Who vastly preferred to stay within this single small region, snow-choked and hostile but oh, so beautiful in its stark ferocity.

Korbin was startled, and it showed. He had to close his mouth on all the questions, remind himself that he didn't care - oh great, he was back there again? - and actively looked away, scanning the room for things to do that might distract him from the young woman and her questions, her untold story. Unfortunately for Korbin, there was nothing to do at the moment. So he had little choice but to read her next question - especially since she practically shoved the paper back to him, making their hands bump.

Korbin calmly withdrew his, and reached for the rag he had used to wipe the counter. Folded it, stealing a moment to gather himself. Then he looked up at her, a bit wary. "You could," he said slowly. "Are the rooms provided by the Warden not to your liking?" A neutral question, loaded with implications depending on what she answered.

Remember when you swore
we had it all?