Private Tales Old Friends

[Lynus Anireth]

Lynus stared between Elise and the bar keep with the shit-eating grin of a man only just able to contain his laughter as the woman attempting to 'blend in' asked for something more fucking sanitary. To the man's credit, he obliged, and Lynus' brow quirked as he eyed the mysterious concoction with curiosity.

"Careful, lady." he smirked, watching her with a daring look as she drank it down. His brows rose, impressed by her effort, until she was yelling and shoving him after one-fucking-drink. "Saints." he snorted with a laugh.

"Scared? Of alcohol? Never.. Of you? Perhaps a little." he mused and winked at her before downing the rest of the tankard and slamming the empty vessel back onto the counter.

"Each!" he corrected the barkeep and slapped a hand on the bar.

 

[Elise Virak]

Whatever concoction the bar-tender had put in front of her, Elise was quickly starting to realize it might have been a mistake.

It seemed that the man had mistaken the word 'sanitary', for the sentence; 'most alcoholic thing you have available'. Already she could feel her head swimming, the daze of drunkness looming over her mind as she sat upon the small stool.

A part of her was thankful for the swim of her mind, realizing that getting inebriated was probably the only way that she would actually manage to make it through the night.

This place was filthy.

Everywhere she looked was a thin layer of dirt, and the that included the people sitting around her. It was as though Lynus had somehow purposefully chosen the biggest pigsty of the three taverns in town, not that he had much of a chance to consider.

"Ey there pretty laaaaaaady." A drunken lout said as he approached the table, his ale spilling over his wrist as he did his best to strike up a conversation. "Don't look like yous from 'round 'ere!"

He said, slipping into the seat besides Elise's. His breath smelling of stale tobacco and rotten sick. "No, thankfully, I am not."

She breathed, resisting the temptation to claw the mans eyes out.

"Hehehe! Youres a funny one! How bout we go out back for a poke and a prod, eh?" The man 'offered', Elise beginning to turn absolutely crimson with rage at the very suggestion. Her nails digging into the table as the resisted the urge to turn the man literally inside out.

 

[Lynus Anireth]

Lynus paused mid-drink, his gaze shifting to the bedraggled man who approached Elise from her other side, and he choked on said drink as the lecherous offer was made. There was a laugh in there somewhere as he thumped his fist against his chest until he could breathe properly again.

"Though she does enjoy a poke and a prod in a back alley, especially with one with balls as humungous as yours clearly are, I'm afraid the good lady's company is spoken for, friend." he grinned.

 

[Elise Virak]

Rage. Pure unfiltered rage drew through every fiber of her being as the man spoke. Her entire body fuming with the power of the Well of her Ancestors as she nearly turned the man speaking into an amalgamation of flesh and pain.

"Yes." She hissed quietly, even through her drunken haze. "I think it best you leave."

The word carried enough weight to terrorize senators. Her demand echoing through the bar as the man who had struck up a 'conversation' slowly backing up away from her. Elise's expression that of a stone mask which had not been changed for centuries.

"Honestly, Lynus." She said, managing to keep her words together just enough to speak. "I don't know why you keep this..conversation up with the rabble."

The Nobless asked. "It seems they're nearly ready to ask us for any coin at all."

 

[Lynus Anireth]

Lynus snorted, taking a long draw from his mug of piss-water as he watched the male retreat. Wise choice..

"Because.." Lynus burped and thumped his chest. "My dear. Tonight, we are the rabble." he grinned and smacked his hand on the table for another round.

 

[Elise Virak]

Elise's eyes grew wide, and she stared at Lynus like a cat who had just witnessed it's bowl of food getting knocked over.

"May want to close that mouth, miss." The Barman said as he deposited yet another set of drinks in front of the two Noble Anirians. Having apparently already spied the coins that Lynus threw down with the efficiency only a tenured keeper of the local alcoholics could boast of. "Flies in this place tend to zoom right in. Can't seem to get rid of the suicidal buggers."

Almost immediately her mouth snapped shut. Chased by the mug that had been put down in front of her. "This place is horrid."

She said, taking a long, disgusting swig as the Innkeeper let out a loud and boisterous laugh.

 

[Lynus Anireth]

Lynus couldn't help but chuckle at Elise's reaction, a grin spreading across his face as he watched her down the foul concoction with a mixture of disgust and determination. He raised his own tankard to his lips, taking a hearty gulp before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Horrid indeed," he agreed, his tone laced with amusement as he glanced around the dimly lit tavern. "But there's a certain charm to it, don't you think?"

He leaned back in his seat, the raucous noise of the tavern fading into the background as he focused on Elise, a glint of mischief dancing in his eyes.

"After all, where else can you find such colorful characters and lively entertainment?" he slurred and gestured towards the rowdy patrons, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips. "It's not every day we get to escape the confines of high society and experience life among the common folk."

He raised his tankard in a mock salute, his grin widening as he toasted to their unlikely adventure.

"Here's to embracing the unexpected." he said, his voice filled with genuine enthusiasm.

 

[Elise Virak]

"Yes, much the same charm as piglets rolling around in shit." Elise said, though even she had to admit there was something about the commons that was appealing.

It was not their rowdy nature, nor the entertainment they offered, but rather the anonymity she found here.

Here, Elise was no one but a well dressed tourist. Nobody cared about her name, nobody cared about her nature or her history. No one even knew to question why she was here. To the commoners in this little tavern, she was just a prissy pretty rich girl. They cared not for her motivations, plots, or plans.

There was something utterly liberating in that, and although she did not care for Lynus' libations, she had to admit there was some small part of her that was enjoying this.

Not in small part, because he seemed to be.

As she opened her mouth to speak, the tromp of a boot suddenly sounded out, the beats coming once and then twice as suddenly the room exploded into song. The stage in the back of the Tavern having suddenly been filled, and a band of commoners wielding lute, fiddle, and harp strumming an up-beat tempo.

Shock colored Elise's features for only a brief moment, twisting into a smug grin as she practically jumped from her seat. "Life among the commons indeed!"

Elise said as she reached over and attempted to drag Lynus from his chair, intending to whisk him straight to the dance floor.

 

[Lynus Anireth]

Lynus barely had time to process Elise's initial disdainful remark before the room exploded into song. The upbeat tempo filled the tavern, and for a moment, he was caught off guard. The sight of Elise's shock transforming into a smug grin was priceless, and he couldn't help but laugh as she practically jumped from her seat.

Before he could protest, he was being pulled from his chair with surprising strength. Lynus stumbled to his feet, caught up in her enthusiasm.

"Embracing the unexpected, right?" he shouted over the music, grinning from ear to ear as he allowed himself to be dragged to the makeshift dance floor.

The space was crowded with patrons who had already started dancing, their movements lively and uninhibited. Lynus glanced around, taking in the scene with a newfound appreciation. This was a side of life he rarely got to experience, and the infectious energy of the crowd was hard to resist.

"You asked for it, Virak." he said with a glimmer of a challenge in his eyes as he spun her.

 

[Elise Virak]

The call of her name was nearly lost among the crowd. Lynus’ voice so distant compared to the din of music that one might have thought they were a room apart. There would be no more snide remarks, no more teasing unless he truly shouted. But that wasn't why he had dragged him up here, no, the smile upon his lips was all that mattered.

That very morning she had found him a wretched lump in his bed. Stuck in a cycle of depression and rage. Elise knew she was far from breaking it, far from pulling him back, but this moment alone was a step forward. A second where he wasn't shoving drink down his face, even if he was already a few pints in.

”Then let's see if you can give it to me!” Elise said as she finished her twirl, snaking an arm around Lynus as she dragged him against herself and began to lead.

The two nobles quickly falling into a dance that seemed almost too perfectly placed to the raucous music.

Elise drawing Lynus to one side of the dance court, only for him to twist and then suddenly do the same to her. A strange sort of battle forming between the two as they slipped around the crowds. Some clearing space and beginning to clap to the beat as the band played their song faster and faster. Driving the two nobles to quicken their dance, feet slipping in an intricate pattern as they slipped further and further into musical madness.

The scion of house Virak forgetting herself, her station, and even Vel Anir as she found herself swung around on the dance floor. Laughter bubbling from her lips, as they danced.

 

[Lynus Anireth]

With every spin and twirl, Lynus found himself lost in the rhythm. He matched Elise's movements, their dance becoming a playful duel. They didn't dance like this in the Capital, everything was so structured and boring and rehearsed. Now, his heart raced, not just from the exertion but from the sheer exhilaration of the moment. The onlookers' clapping and cheering only added to the electric atmosphere, and for a brief time, Lynus felt like he was in a different world—one where his burdens were light and his spirit unchained.

Lynus laughed, a deep, genuine sound that felt strange. He caught glimpses of Elise's face, her own laughter and joy mirroring his. He swung her around again, pulling her close before spinning her out with a flourish, and with one final, dramatic spin, he pulled her into a tight embrace, laughter mingling as the music came to a thunderous end.

"Not bad, Virak. Not bad at all.." he grinned.

 

[Elise Virak]

Loud applause and whistles echoed out loud enough to nearly drown out Lynus’ words. The peasant’s around them practically transfixed with the performance they had just witnessed. ”I'm glad to see you haven't lost your step, my Prince.”

Elise offered with just a dash of sarcasm as she let herself relax in his arms for just a brief moment. Her chest rising and falling in a slow methodical rhythm, breath catching from the intense twirl that she had taken around the tavern. Her golden eyes smoldering with an odd sort of intensity until she finally pulled herself away from Lynus and took another deep breath.

The crowd around them seemed to watch them as she moved away, her boots clicking loudly. Some staring expectantly until finally…she spoke.

”I need a drink.” The Mistress of House Virak announced, uproarious applause following hot on the heels of the words as the room exploded into a cacophony of cheering, jeering, applause, and dance. The tavern transforming from a dingey dirt shack to something else all together. An energy vibrating through the room until the wee hours of the night, when the pin pricks of dawn began to show, and a Prince and a Baroness found themselves stumbling back towards their carriage.

”That was…” Elise began as she leaned on Lynus, half swaying and half hobbling down the alleyway. ”Very much more tolerable than I essspected.”

She slurred.

 

[Lynus Anireth]

Lynus laughed, the sound carrying a warmth that had been absent for too long. His arm was wrapped around Elise's waist, steadying her as they stumbled together down the cobbled alleyway. The remnants of the night's revelry still clinging to them both, and he could feel the echo of the tavern's energy pulsing in his veins.

"More tolerable than you 'essspected,' eh?" he teased, his own voice thick with drink and mirth. "I'd say that's high praise coming from you, my Lady."

They made their way toward the carriage, the first light of dawn casting a soft glow on the horizon. Lynus looked down at Elise, her golden eyes still smoldering with the intensity of the night. Despite her slurred speech and unsteady gait, she carried herself with the same regal air that always set her apart.

"I have to admit." he continued, his tone more sincere though still drowsy. "I didn't think I'd enjoy myself this much.."

They reached the carriage, and Lynus helped her up, careful not to let her stumble. He followed her inside, settling onto the seat with a contented sigh. The world outside seemed a little brighter, slightly less heavy than it had before, at least until the alcohol wore off.

As the carriage began to move, Lynus turned to Elise, his expression thoughtful. "Thank you for tonight." he said softly. "I needed this more than I realised. It beats drinking alone." he snorted. "And don't worry." he added with a playful grin as the carriage rolled into motion. "I haven't forgotten about the Platinum Parasol."

 

[Elise Virak]

”Ha!” Elise said, the drink bringing out the giddiness within her tone. ”Neither have I.”

The Baroness of Viret leaned back into the plush couch within her carriage, her hand gently stroking across the soft velvet as though it were the most sensational thing in the world. ”I may be-”

A hiccup cut her words in twine, a soft giggle escaped her throat.

”I may be drunk, my Prince.” She teased with a grin. ”But my mind is a steel trap.”

Fingers left to soft plush of her seat pointing at Lynus. ”I’ll remember that promise of yours…”

Elise continued, her eyes fluttering shut.

”Even…in…the…” A yawn broke her words, and as her lips pressed together once more, she found herself drifting off to sleep.