A desperate need to drink (Open | louie )

[Mysteria]

It had been days, no weeks from the last time alcohol touched Mysteria’s lips. In fact, the blossom festival was the last time she had any drop of wine or brewed drink. Her head throbbing from stress and lack of sleep. The dark circles under her eyes betrayed that well on her pale features. Paranoia had finally set in; the weight of the crowns bounty crashing down upon her every night. The very thought of being brought back to the castle and the flooding dread Breton; Made her skin crawl and shiver, her head shaking in disgust. Plus she had encountered someone she had thought to dead, something that didn't settle to well with her already piling guilt. Not something she was willing to ponder without being some sort of tipsy.

Cloaked in a dark hood and robe, Mysteria made her way to the only place in Nova that didn’t have guards crawling around it. The only district that had a reputation of its own, The red light district, the Home of the only tavern where guards barely ventured..Upon entering the district, Mysteria could feel eyes upon her, though within the dim light of the ally she could barely make out anyone's face. Though she only saw a few standing out on the street, didn’t mean she couldn't’ feel the tension in the air. Finally mysteria made it to the Black Lotus. To her surprise the door opened on its own, before she could touch the the handle.

On the other side of the door, a tall man stood holding the door open before gesturing Mysteria to come on in. An with a bit of hesitation, Mysteria nodded her head and stepped pass entering the establishment that was… To her surprise not that distasteful with the decor, though she weaved through the patrons enjoying their entertainment and sat at the bar. Her head held low to keep the hood down and covering her face, she raised up her hand and held up two fingers for service. “ A Honey juniper berry ale for starters. “ Mysteria asked, looking from the bar maiden to the small crowd of people within the tavern. For a moment she relaxed in her seat, amused at the sight of humans and others alike enjoying their food, drink and live entertainment of masterful Bards and beautiful women. A pleasant sight to witness; Compared to the rumors of doom on the streets along with celebration and death. In here, it seemed like a different place not connected to the outside world and its troubles. People seemed to be at ease and carefree enjoying their personal fantasies provided by this strange establishment.

[vennessa]

Vennessa had been snubbed long enough.
The maiden forced herself to leave the safety of the castle. Her mind clouded with thoughts that made her emotions frazzled and chaotic. She couldn’t stand being at the Novian castle when rumors clouded her every step while cooped up like a hen. She was royalty damnit! She respected that much from the king to at least get a visit, A hello, something! Depressed and hurt, Vennessa dressed herself in a dark brown cloak and slipped out of her royal attire and into something more revealing. Tonight she was seeking trouble.

The curly hair blond snuck out of of sight; evading her guards and leaving them behind to guard a empty room. Down the first district she walked; Her head kept low and she kept to herself and off the main streets to avoid any guards. When she made it to the second district she stopped to look out on the bridge towards the ocean. At least she knew the harbor was somewhere close and once she spotted the docks and ships; Vennessa hoofed it down the streets towards the Third District.

With conflict in her heart, Vennessa stewed over the rumors and debated boarding a ship back to Kanto. However, her pride kept her from speeding her pace to the docks, doubt and further frustration causing her to fidget under her cloak.

How dare Noku snub and become betrothed to another! It wasn’t fair! King Galahad had promised so much and now...Now it was being snatched away from her, by a small chested common gold digger of all things! or at least that is the impression Vennessa had painted of the woman she barely knew.. Of course she had feared the two were courting during the dinner months ago, but she didn’t think it was this serious!

Vennessa tormented herself with the rumors that seemed to be true, feeling despair reach at the pit of her heart...Before suddenly she felt a pull in her chest and she turned to face the unfamiliar alley. Her chest feeling tight and warm the more she stared down the street; The pull becoming stronger drawing her in, forcing her to ignore the danger she first felt upon looking at the alleyway. Once she stepped into the red light district and walked to the destination where she felt the pull grow the strongest; Vennessa paused and stared up at the sign that read she read ‘ Black Lotus ‘. A interesting name for a tavern, She thought when opening the doors and slowly walking in. To her surprise, the place was lively and packed! Her heart pounding at the sound of the music playing and the dancing she could see on the tables; Her eyes wide like saucers closing the door behind her and gracefully weaving her way to the bar. Her baby blue eyes soaking in the decor with delight, before sitting down on a bar stool and looking to the bar maiden. “ Yes One of your strongest please.” Vennessa smiled, quickly taking notice that the tightness in her chest had subsided for now. Perhaps she just needed to step out of and cut loose for the night, To forget her woes.

[Louie Kanto]

The Music was lively and upbeat with lutes, drums, and flutes. Even the women were beautiful and full of themselves with skimpy clothes and marry smilies. It was probably the most partons the Black Lotus had ever had during the day, which meant a decent pay and full bellies all around. In fact, Louie was already full of himself, tucked in one of the back rooms with two lively young entertainers. He had spent the majority of the day locked away, but now his hunger and thirst drove him from the bed and his company.

With no shirt on and barely buttoned up pants, Louie shuffled his way down to the bar area of the Tavern. His dreadlocks kinked and his face sporting a five o'clock shadow, which showed his little concern of what his appearance looked at the moment. However, upon turning around to look back at the customers, his eyes met with two cloaked women sitting at the bar. He was going to take their order, but the bar maiden had already began to serve their drinks by this time. So he stood behind the counter with a bottle of rum in his hands, looking at the two with a bit of curiosity. “ Good evening. “ Louie smiled ear to ear, greeting both the girls. “ You ladies looking for any company this evening? Here we supply your fantasies and desires, for a price of course. “ He playfully bantered, reaching over to pop the cork head off the bottle and pulled out several glasses and sat them on the counter. He then tipped the bottle over to pour each glass a decent amount, before picking up one glass.

“ On the house if you are a fan of rum.” Louie added, placing the cup to his lips and took one large gulp to finish the drink off.

[Trésor de Lys]

Tres wasn't far from the third district, let alone the red light district. She had been spending most of her time in the second district or outer lands working on her flying, and her water and earth magic. She had been working herself so hard that she felt she needed a break. She recalled that during one of her meetings with the thieves, she was instructed to search for Vannessa, but had no such luck. From what Tres heard by word of mouth, it turns out that the beautiful blonde only just arrived in Nova alongside King Galahad. She wasn't sure how she'd manage to get into the castle, but before she could even think about it, she overheard some drunken old men who came stumbling from the third district speaking about a 'beautiful blonde woe-man' who 'hid behind her clo-oak', so Tres figured she'd start there, unsure of what she'd discover.

Tres dressed herself appropriately for the night life of Nova, wearing a low-cut white dress with slits down each leg to show off her long legs and full bosom, with her hair pulled back into a messy bun and sporting a pair of combat boots where she hid a very small dagger in a sheath - very well hidden to the keen eye. Tres threw a navy blue cloak over her to mask her ill-hidden body and made her way over to the third district. She followed any noise or music that she heard, and strolled down to the red light district. Tres walked eerily down a nearby alley, being wary of her surroundings. She came to a door, that opened immediately for her with a tall man greeting her on the other side. He walked her into the lively building, as she began to change her body language.

Tres began to strut over to the bar with a more sultry confidence in her walk. She thought that if she did come from Helena, who came from Ai, she could channel her... grand mother? Either way, Tres strutted over to the bar, leaned over the counter exposing her bosom further behind a man with dreadlocks. Tres felt something catch in her throat, she hadn't seen him since her close encounter in the market - so she knew he was still around Nova, just hiding in plain sight apparently. Tres waved over the bar maid, "I'll have a glass of your finest rum." she said in a playful tone, projecting her voice loud enough to try and get Louie's attention. She slurred the word rum, biting her lip and looking over to the man next to her. She wasn't looking for any trouble... well unless Louie was dishing it out.

As she looked over at Louie, her eyes wandered over to the blonde beside him... Vannessa. She didn't look for too long, but paid enough attention to Vannessa out of the corner of her eye, to ensure that she could over hear the conversation. Tres also caught a glance of the woman next to her, who caught her eye. She was beautiful, but also familiar in some way. Tres just had to see where this evening would go.

[Deleted]

Gyres took a long sigh. Behind him were three very loud men laughing nonstop to their own jokes. Gyres sometimes couldn't comprehend how annoying some of his men could be when they really put effort into it. Though now wasn't the time to ponder the annoyance that was his men, it was time for rum and women. Gyres had been having a pounding headache from having to listen to the constant jabbering of his men so he decided that the only way to do that was to get as drunk as humanly possible. He brought the three behind him only because they were some of the best fighters in the Black Daggers and Gyres didn't know what he would do while he was drunk.

As they four approached the door to the black lotus, the door opened, a tall man on the other side. When the man saw Gyres he had a twinge of shock before welcoming them in, gesturing for them to please enter. Gyres scanned the inside and immediately noticed three people. Two very beautiful women and his very own second in command Louie. Gyres motioned for the other three to go take a seat somewhere else and they quickly went off, going their own ways to try and woo some women or drink until the dropped. Gyres walked over to Louie and quietly sat down next to him. He looked at the two women and then turned his gaze to Louie. "Rum hm? Well I'm certainly a big fan of rum. Of course I will be paying for my own though. Can you tell me why you always find the most beautiful of women Louie?" Gyres grinned ever so slightly and turned to face the rest of the table.

[Rhys]

The broad shouldered grizzly looking ranger stepped through the swinging doors of the back kitchen and into the main lobby of the tavern. His long wild auburn hair covered his pointy ears and his thick beard aided in hiding his elvish blood line. His large head and heavily muscled and stocky build of a body did little to help hide the dwarvish half. Then again, he never had troubles with people accusing him of being a half dwarf since such was hardly heard of let alone mixed in with wood elf. Rhys was wiping his hands clean of deer blood with a wet cloth, his green hues scanning the cesspit of patrons. His sense of smell was violated by the aroma of unwashed bodies and the smell of sex that would waft down the stairwell. The smell of smoke and ale was his only grace which sure beat the indistinguishable flagellants of the slums beyond these wooden walls.

As much as this nauseating sensation effected the ranger, it wasn't like he was not use to it. His nose was long ago attacked on his approach to the grand city. This was the smell of civilization, feces, vile body odors, death and rot. Rhys spat on the ground, 'they can keep it all' he thought to himself as he moved forward to the bar.

"What will it be Rhys?" The bartender asked, calling the ranger by name. Was no surprise that he was known for he does business with the taverns, bringing in wild game for them to sell to their customers. Was just one of the ways Rhys made income in this harsh world. Was one of the only reasons that brought him to the city.

"A pint ay swally an' nane ay 'at pig piss ye seel lae ay these city dwellers!" His thick brogue accent resonated deep from with in him, a tell sign he had spent time in Morgg amongst the dwarves. Each word like rolling thunder coming from far in the horizon.

[Serenity Caine]

Serenity had been sitting at the other end of the bar when the first woman in the cloak had waltzed in. She watched quietly as she made her order, trying to place where she'd seen the womans face before. It was vague, but she definitely knew it somehow. Moments later a stunning blonde sat near the cloaked woman, ordering something strong. Serenity sipped her wine in amusement, nearing the end of what would be her third cup. Serenity had been a regular since the Black Lotus had opened, prefering its alchohal choices to the Bloody mary; though the party scene was different from her tastes, it was nothing she couldn't handle.

The red head was dressed in an old favourite, an ensemble including a puffy white blouse sleeves hanging off her pale shoulders, a blue corset resting just below her breast. Beneath that was a light layer black skirt, a royal blue one under it, matching the corset. The blue tones matched wonderfully with the autumn tones in Serenity's curly hair, which rested against her back and shoulders, framing her freckled face.

She had just finished the cup she'd been working on as she overheard the bartender offer rum on the house to the two woman she'd been watching. Like flies to fruit, more people flocked over as if drawn in by the sound of something free, a brunette woman pipping in along with two males, the one of them didn't seem interested in the rum more as just something to keep his buzz going.

Serenity would flag Louie down when given the chance. Hey Handsome. Another of the wine if you please. She smiled, glancing from him to the woman in the cloak, catching another glimpse of her face. After a moment she called over to her, hoping to get her attention. If she got it, Serenity would move a seat closer to her, introducing herself. Hello. I'm Serenity. Though, I'm pretty sure we've met before.

[Mysteria]

Mysteria was pleased when the bar maiden handed her the ale; Her fingers wrapped around the cup’s handle, bringing it up to her nose and inhaling the sweet-yet-bitter aroma. She was about to take a sip when her attention was turned to the woman next to her. Her eyes wide at the exotic golden curls and her pale complexion. Far from a peasant class from what she could tell. However, something about this woman unsettled her. Not that Mysteria sensed anything dangerous or wrong, but just odd.

It took the voice of A male saying ‘good evening’ did her attention snap away from the woman to the man behind the counter. Her violet-teal eyes locked on the man as he spoke, catching his coy nature and glanced down to the rum bottle in his hand. “ I’m not much of a fan, but if its on the house I will not shoot down the offer...Sir.” Mysteria smirked, finally taking the glass she had bought for herself and downed the drink in a single continuous gulp. Her fingers placing the empty glass on the bar surface, sliding it towards Louie.

“ I see you used the money well to establish yourself... “ Mysteria spoke towards Louie, her eyes flashing under the shadow of the hood. By then another woman joined them at the bar, her hair brown like chestnuts. Then once the other woman ordered the bar’s finest; more people began to spill into the tavern. Such a lively place, Mysteria couldn’t help but laugh at her predicament. Her wanted posters were posted all over Nova and now her only lifeline to a possible existence of not living in complete fear; Rested in the hands of the ‘moral standings’ of the bar patrons that evening. She knew Louie’s for she had hired him for odd jobs in the past, but now…. Plus the man that entered who addressed Louie caused her to raise a brow in amusement, yet hesitate to look directly at Gyres. Yet another wanted face she had seen on the walls next to her’s.

Mysteria looked past Gyres to the other odd character that had walked into the tavern. His accent something that caught her off guard when she heard it yelled. Her long pointed ears twitching under the hood, pushing the fabric to move back a bit on her head. When she heard a female voice approach from behind, Mysteria turned her head back to look over hers shoulder at the familiar face. Her hood falling down to her shoulders, revealing her features that looked rather surprised and relieved to see the fated girl alive and looking well. “ Serenity.. It’s been a while.” She spoke calmly, not wanting to rise attention to herself before looking back to Louie. “ So about that free drink?”

[Serenity Caine]

Serenity watched as the hood slid down her head, revealing the face she recognized clearly now, from the Fated day she'd arrived. It felt so long ago now, like a distant dream. She arched a brow at the look Myst was giving her. Why do you look so stunned? The city isn't that big. She perched on the stool beside her, opposite of the other girl who'd arrived shortly after Myst.

It has been a while, though I must admit I'm surprised you recall my name. We didn't get much of a chance to speak last we saw eachother.