Shop, Shop, Little Shoppin' In Ilyamen|Haven, Ilya

[Deleted]

The insufferable Alexi was, indeed, still there, munching on some lamb, carrots and potatoes, all in generous helpings washed down with his favorite mixed drink: Whiskey, vodka, tekila*, and skotch**. His weight and the food were keeping him from getting entirely drunk, but he was anticipating a nice buzz from the mix.

Spotting Charminei, he smiled invitingly, but left any approaches up to her.


(Tequila and scotch, respectively.)

[Kender Bard]

Charminei smiled brightly in return, feeling far less stressed out than she had been and sauntered over, taking a seat next to him. "Hello again," she greeted, ordering herself a stiff whiskey in a few shots. She could use an extra fire in her belly in the chilly weather. On top of that, she ordered herself some helpings of fruit. Taking a bite out of an apple, she grinned at Alexi and said, "I think you'll find me more civil now. Locke's snoozing away and now we haven't any lightweights around to interrupt conversation hm?"

[Deleted]

Alexi grinned. "Well, I suppose not," he said easily, glad the young woman's mind seemed to be diverted from fighting. He held out a hand, making sure it was the right one. "Never did get your name, babe."

[Kender Bard]

Charminei smiled, taking his hand in a surprisingly firm grip as she shakes it. "Charminei. And sorry for trying to pull the "elder" card earlier. Some people think you're nothing without credentials." She rolls her eyes and shakes her head. "I should have known better with a fellow fire-kin, eh? So what did you have planned for the evening?"

[Deleted]

"Firestorm," Alexi corrected. "I'm not affiliated with any clan, really, so you were in your limits, I suppose." And you're cute, so I'll let it slide. "Well, I was going to find a nice woman to spend the night with," he stated bluntly, "but I decided to hang around here a little bit. Why do you ask?"

[Kender Bard]

"I'm bored," she said, not phased by his statement in the least bit. She certaintly appreciates the need for a tumble now and then. "You're fun, so I thought if I stuck around you I'd find something entertaining. Looks like I'm right, you are good company." Grinning, she asks, "So how'd you get to be a fire and a storm? Born with both or did you earn one?"

[Deleted]

"Born." Alexi took another drink. "Ma and Uncle are Storms, and Pops is a Fire." He held out his Signed hand, loosely clenched, so Charminei could see how he could make a fist and touch both Signs together. "They run the Rest A Spell inn outside Naurorod. Ever been there? It's a nice place. No one ever makes any trouble or they get their asses fried by Ma and Uncle." He chuckled fondly. "I'm surprised they all didn't disown me," he said, half to himself. "I'll have to visit again soon."

[Kender Bard]

"If there's one thing I know about family, it's that no matter how long you've been gone, it rarely feels like anything's changed at home," Charminei laughed. "I should know, I was away from home for twenty some years, and my brother's hugs still felt the same." The problem with bittersweet memories, though, is that one couldn't shake the bitter part. Well, at least not without some help.. Eyeing her shots, she hastily downs a couple to wash away any unpleasant memories that threatened to surface. "Got any sibs?"

[Deleted]

"Nah, I'm an only child. Ma said going through labor once was enough," Alexi laughed. "And Pops had to agree, or she woulda done somethin' nasty to his parts." He finished his meal and motioned for seconds. "So why be away from home now, if you were gone so long?"

[Kender Bard]

"Eh," she muttered. "Duty calls, yanno? Besides, I'm with my bro now. He's all the family I have left." Crap, don'tthinkaboutthekids. A third shot killed that little problem. Laughing more freely now, she added, "We're in Reave, muckin' around with the Clears. Talk about poetic justice, eh? That crusty ol' dragon sure knows how to shame a nation!"

[Deleted]

"Dragon?" Alexi set his mug down. "What dragon?" He had heard whispering rumors about dragons, but had not taken them seriously.

He was missing something, and he did not like it.

"I think you better explain from the beginning, 'Minei."

[Kender Bard]

Pushing her empty glasses away, and the fog in her mind with a little exerted willpower, she nods a bit more soberly and explains, "I think it was Summer.. Yeah during the past summer, this huge honkin' red dragon showed up and landed on the volcano. Some little twerp of a kid went up there and pissed him off so he took it out on the rest of us. Now all us clanners have to say a prayer to the Elements at dawn and dusk. Then, he said that if we want to receive a special blessing, we have to go help the Clears rebuild their city. Lucky for us, their dragon, Charisma, gave them a task too. They saw it through and they got their blessing. Now the Clears can't trap any elementals if they don't wanna. Needless to say, that made all of us pretty happy."

[Deleted]

Alexi drummed his fingers on the table, then rubbed them together hard and fast, frowning. "Was there a dragon for each Element?"

For some reason, this was worrying him. Although being two Elements instead of just one would have probably freed him from any responsibility, he found himself feeling a strange urgency to at least hear this out.

[Kender Bard]

"Dunno," Charminei admitted, furrowing her brow. "I know there's a Mind one too. I heard echos of it." It completely passed her senses that she just intimated to her hidden sign. "But I'm guessing there is one for all the elements."

[Deleted]

Alexi swore. "Looks like I'll have to make a trip to Maelstrom tomorrow," he grumbled, distractedly running a hand through his hair. "And then come help you in Reave. Damn! Just when I thought I could get away with doin' what I always did." He scowled darkly and finished the rest of his drink, completely missing what Charminei meant by "echoes".