Love and Hangovers

Log Info

• Title: Love and Hangovers

• Emitter: Ravenstongue

• Characters: Dolan, Ravenstongue, Taran, Telamon

• Place: A06 - Lower Alexandrian Gardens District

• Summary: Ravenstongue, Telamon, and Pothy are stepping out of a bakery in the Lower Gardens District on a very nice spring day when they run into Dolan and Taran. Dolan is simply passing through, whereas Taran is trying to nurse a wicked hangover from a celebration the night before. The group discusses a bit of everything from booze to relationships, although Telamon ducks out early to go to his Shining Chalice meeting. The social gathering concludes when Pothy demands snacks and Ravenstongue needs to return home, lest she incur Pothy's wrath.

-=--=--=--=--=--<* A06: Lower Alexandrian Gardens District *>=--=--=--=--=--=-

The city is divided, unofficially, into Upper Alexandria and Lower Alexandria. The Upper resides further up on the slope of the mountain, and rests to the east of the great river. The Lower resides to the west of it, and if the Lower could be said to have a heart, this verdant park might be its center.

Amid all the bustle of the Lower City, its Gardens District provides a peaceful respite. The warmth of Althea holds sway here, and though Daeus receives the occasional nod, this is clearly Her domain. She shares it with Dana, in the verdant green of this area. Vines and trees, remain green no matter the season and numerous flowers bloom along the park's walkways. Faerie-light lanterns hang from branches and along hedgerows.

A number of shops may be found here, most notably the city hospital, for which the park was originally built. Though now open to the public, the gardens by and large, remain underneath the hospital's care. However, in the Althean tradition, much of the work is provided by volunteers.

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- Dramatis Personae =--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- 
Dolan                5'10"    174 Lb     Human             Male      Brown-haired human with scars down his face.                               
Ravenstongue         5'0"     99 Lb      Half-Elf          Female    Short half-elf girl with violet eyes and black hair.                       
Taran                7'6"     308 Lb     Giantborn         Male      Luxurious flame colored hair and dark red of skin.                         
Telamon              5'6"     140 Lb     Half-Elf          Male      A platinum-blond half-sil man with dancing dark eyes                      
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- Passing Through =--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
Acedia               3'4"     39 Lb      Goblin            Female    An ebon-skinned Goblin in leather armor.*                         
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
*Was not ICly present due to ongoing involvement in a staff plot, just contributed two poses about a violin player.

Lower Alexandrian Gardens District, noon.

Yet another wonderful spring day is upon Alexandria, perfect for a stroll in the gardens in the heart of the lower side of the city. The air is clean and fresh, although it carries the scent of freshly-baked goods from a bakery not far from the gardens. Somewhere in the distance, someone plays a calming melody on a flute.

There's a half-elf woman who emerges from that bakery with a rather large cinnamon roll in hand and a white raven on her shoulder, a stark contrast to the half-elf's dark hair braided neatly to one side. She looks up at the raven with violet eyes as he tears away a piece from the cinnamon roll. "Pothy!" she complains. "I kind of wanted the first bite. I paid for this with my own coin, you know."

"Early bird gets the worm," Pothy replies, mimicking the half-elf's voice as he swallows the cinnamon roll bite in one smooth motion.

Telamon just shakes his head, as he walks alongside Ravenstongue. "I do recall suggesting you get one for him as well." He tries not to look amused. "Hence, why I bought two."

He offers one of the still-wrapped rolls to Raven, his eyes dancing. "I'm glad I got to come out here with you, though. The Chalice meeting tonight is probably going to be boring as hells and I definitely need some encouragement before I endure it."

He eyes Pothy. "Which means, of course, you need to behave, Pothy."

And soon the sound of music joins the smell of baked goods, and the heat of the ever-warm Gardens. A violin, accompanied by some low beat, seems to wander the gardens, hidden by the greenery.

There is nothing better for a hangover than peace and quiet. Usually that can be found in the Gardens and that's where Taran makes himself go to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Yes, it may or may not be traditional wake up time for some folks but for the dark skinned and flame haired Giantborn it's peaceful enough.

Taran takes a drink from a flask, possibly some hair of the dog that bit him, but otherwise does his best to slowly meander to find a good spot to rest. The flute has him wincing a little bit, the added sound of a violin cutting through the air has him taking yet another with a slight wince, "Ow." The pounding in his head making him unable to appreciate music at the moment.

A fine spring day. There are few enough of these in the world not to take advantage of those with which one is gifted. Unfortunately, Dolan has had a few too many incidents of late to neglect the arms and armor, and so he sweats lightly as he wanders the gardens, the sun that peeks through the canopy casting shadows over a twisted and ruined right side of his face and a green gem set into what would have been the eye socket.

All the same, he wanders easily, stretches luxuriantly, and breathes deeply. The violin music makes a nice addition, and it is only after some moments that he realizes that the player is nowhere to be seen. Still, it is unlikely that they intend to be stealthy, and so he lets himself watch the byplay between the fey girl, her husband, and the bird, a cheeky grin crossing the non-ruined side of his features. "Every time I see you, Cor'lana, I wonder which of you is in charge."

"Well, sure," Ravenstongue replies to Telamon with a little bit of an annoyed look, "I know what you suggested, but I didn't want to encourage Pothy's gluttony too much. You know what people say sometimes..."

She does take the opportunity to take a bite from Telamon's offered roll, smiling a little. "It's good!" she says, after a polite swallow. Don't talk with your mouth full--someone has to observe that rule, because Pothy doesn't.

Wait a second. Pothy's gone. He's flapped his wings to land right in front of the flame-haired giantborn. "Merp," he greets the giant man.

"Oh gosh, he's making friends again?" Ravenstongue says with a tiny sigh and a smile, before she looks over at Dolan. "Honestly, I wonder that, myself. Nice to meet you again, Dolan."

The slender half-elf grins back at Raven, taking a bite out of his roll as well before replying. "I wonder, sometimes, if the 'hunger for knowledge' has somehow become changed into a hunger for, well, food. Might explain a few things."

Telamon blinks as Pothy leaps off Raven's shoulder, following the white-feathered bird's flight over to the giantborn. "Looks like it. At least he's not demanding snacks though."

Tel glances over at Dolan, then blinks, recognizing the fellow. "Ah, you're Dolan? I thought I recognized you. The Soldier's Defense, the egalrin with the dislocated wing. I was dropping off some documents there." He chuckles. "Oh, the bird is in charge. Absolutely. Then Cor'lana, then myself, in that order."

The music continues to wander the gardens, the player hidden from view, but their progress is obvious: the music is coming closer. The beat is more noticeable, and there's another sound now, a rhythmic clinking sound, like metal pieces being shaken together. And unlike the flute, the violin's song is more lively, a well known drinking song that regularly gets people clapping, and stomping their feet.

It seems to be moving right towards Taran and the Raven.

Taran had just found a tree thick enough and shady enough to sit at the base of when the white raven lands right in front of him. His head had fallen to rest his chin against his chest when the white raven lands right in front of him.

Blink.

Blink.

"If this is an omen I should quit drinking, it ain't going to work." He rumbles in a smooth and smoky baritone with a chuckle and taking another drink from his flask. Which he needs since the violin is getting louder. Especially in his ears. The talking of the others hasn't gotten through his haze yet to associate the cinnabon couple and the raven yet.

A bright laugh erupts from Dolan at Telamon's words. "Yeah. That's the way of it, my friend. She's in charge." Oh, he knows that all too well. "The bird's just in charge of her, in your case."

He pauses, some of the smile fading. "Sorry, I'm not recalling your name, although I remember seeing you there."

"Quit drinking," Pothy echoes, mimicking Taran's voice perfectly. Followed by a peal of what's surely a parody of a nobleman's laughter. "Haw-haw-haw-haw-haw-haw-haw. Haw-haw-haw-haw-haw-haw-haw." The white raven then preens his feathers.

Ravenstongue gives a little sigh, although it's paired with a playful smile. "Pothy definitely is a major factor in considering where we go, what we do, where we're eating... Can't do anything without considering him. Sometimes I have Grandfather play babysitter so Telamon and I can go on a date without needing to worry about him. Sometimes I think Pothy's preparing me for being a mother later on in life, although that's certainly not in my plans for anytime soon."

Telamon bows politely to Dolan, dark eyes glinting merrily. "Then let me remedy that: Telamon Atlon, at your service, sir. A pleasure, of course." There's polish there, the kind that comes from spending time with the upper crust; but it's tempered with plenty of pragmatism.

He grins at Cor'lana again at her comment. "Ah, but I think you're going to be an-amazing mother, personally. I have my own moments of self-doubt, but you? I think you're going to surprise even yourself." He reaches out to take Cor'lana's hand, squeezing it gently.

His eyes flick back to where Pothy is harassing the hungover giantborn, and he sighs. "Pothy, don't abuse the fellow. I've been in that situation a time or two myself and it's not nice to give someone hell over it."

It's fine. We're all fine here. How are you?

At least it was fine until the bird laughs in that raucous way at which point Taran winces. The giantborn takes another pull from his flask and then stands up. Especially with that violin getting louder and he grunts in annoyance.

Rubbing his temples with his free hand Taran pulls his hair free from where it got half stuffed behind his cloak and then contemplates the size of his foot, and the size of the albino bird, "If anyone owns this blasted thing. Claim it now before I have a pigeon dinner!" He calls out.

Foot lifting slowly.

Until Telamon's words sink into his foggy throbbing brainmeat. "This your bird sir." He rumbles with annoyance.

"A pleasure." By both sound and words, Dolan is a good bit rougher, but is not a total stranger to society. He shuts up, though, when Taran makes his displeasure with the raven known, and just looks at Telamon and Ravenstongue, the flexible side of his face pulling up in a smirk. Who's got a magical eye and isn't getting involved? This guy.

Ravenstongue makes a tiny "eep!" noise as she turns around to see poor Taran threatening to punt Pothy. "Sorry! Sorry, that's my Pothy. I didn't realize he was bothering you--usually I pull him away if he starts asking people for snacks, and he wasn't doing that so... Come here, fuzzball."

She walks briskly over to Pothy and scoops up the bird, putting the pale-plumaged friend onto her shoulder. "Sorry again," she says, looking up at Taran with a genuinely apologetic tone and expression.

"Snacks," Pothy says, finally, looking at Ravenstongue. The half-elf sorceress sighs and holds out her cinnamon roll to Pothy. He begins to tear at it. Silence has been bought... for a time.

Telamon just puts his hand over his face wearily. "Pothy..." He looks up, gauging where the sun is in the sky, and mutters something. "Damn. I need to get going." He bows to Taran politely. "Sorry about that. The bird's incorrigible and has the mentality of a five year old."

He kisses Cor'lana on the cheek, and smiles at her. "See you this evening, dear. I should be home at a reasonable hour." Tel nods to Dolan as well, before heading off at a swift, easy pace.

When the bird is rescued, Taran sets his foot back down and looks down at Ravenstongue, rubbing at his temples again with his free hand, index finger and thumb circling the spots he sits back down and rests his back against the tree in the shade. "It's fine... just noisy." He rumbles softly, "My apologies Ma'am, I am not normally so quick to anger or violence." This is also said to Telamon, but the other man's withdrawal necessitates a refocus.

"You're also not normally as hungover as you are right now, if I don't miss my guess," Dolan answers, the smirk fading into genuine sympathy. "With the rat piss they serve in some of these places, I'd be grumpy too. You could always puke all over the bird," he adds with a wide grin and a look at Cor'lana. "I'm joking, of course."

Ravenstongue gives her fiance a kiss on the cheek in return as he departs. "Okay, love, I'll see you later," she responds with a little wave, the language of the fey lilting off her tongue like second-nature. <Sylvan>

Then she turns back to the giantborn and nods. "It's okay," Ravenstongue says, although her brows are still furrowed in worry from apologizing, and out of concern for the giantborn man. "Like Dolan says, drinking in some parts of Alexandria can be... not so fun of an experience."

She looks at Dolan. "If he does, then I get to do one of my favorite things with Pothy--watch him take a birdbath. Not that he needs it often, since he's a familiar, but it's... really kind of cute."

Pothy gives a quiet croaking merp between bites of the cinnamon roll, as though to agree, 'Yes, I am cute.' He receives a pat on the head for his troubles.

"Really, the best thing he does is in the winter. You haven't lived until you've watched a raven rolling around in the snow. So cute." Ravenstongue grins from pointed ear to pointed ear.

"I'm not really an animal lover." Taran says with the faintest hint of a smile, "I was out celebrating last night." He lowers his hand from his temples to smooth it over his face from forehead to chin. He takes one more drink from his flask and then slips it into a pouch on his belt. "So I will simply take your word for it. Cute for me usually involves those of the feminine and humanoid persuasion." He rumbles another soft deep chuckle. "I am Taran." He introduces himself.

Looking over at Dolan his eyes go to the scars first of course, then the eye, the sunburst of Deus. He hmms, "Think I lost track of what I was drinking. Probably mixed wine and ale." He grimaces.

Dolan grimaces in response, the look expressively twisted in its horror. "That doesn't even sound like it tasted good, Taran. B-*pause* Dolan's the name," he adds by way of introduction. "Hope you had a good time last night, at least. Where were you drinking, if you don't mind me asking?" He looks behind him, but there's nothing, really, to lean on within reach of the stone path, so he shifts from foot to foot instead and returns Ravenstongue's gaze. "Cute? I hadn't thought of a raven being cute - our Jotunborn friend here's got the right of it when it comes to women." A flash of a grin. "I guess he is, though, when he's not being a glutton with feathers. Besides, I've got all the woman I need."

Introductions are being made, and Ravenstongue seems to realize that she's been pretty rude by not offering them to begin with, as she looks somewhat bashful about the situation. "Call me Cor'lana Lupecyll--Cor'lana or Ravenstongue will do. They both mean more or less the same thing. What were you celebrating last night, if I might ask?"

She seems to have not realized that she fits into the definition of 'cute' according to her new giantborn acquaintance, as she looks over at Dolan and says, "I wouldn't know. The only person I've ever been drawn to in my life in any form just walked off to go to his meeting with the Shining Chalice. That's why I'm getting married to him. Who're you seeing, though, Dolan? What is she like?"

"The Explorer's Guild did a little get together." Taran answers both the questions, "Live fire weapons, steel, all that. Somehow I managed to not get pincushioned, cut, or touched at all. Saw a griffon go down, several armored... somethings. An Iron Hide Sith-Makar get hurt... but I managed to avoid everything thrown at me when we took that tower." He grins wryly, "So I was celebrating the lack of pain, and the lack of needing to buy new clothing."

His attention returning to Dolan, "Lucky then to have found someone in your life. I got pointed in a direction but I don't think she would even really take notice of me given her exploits." He rolls one broad shoulder in a shrug, "And I didn't mix them together, ugh." He almost looks green at the thought, if he could look green, judging by the grimace. "I meant I had ale at some point, and wine at some point, and that's usually the only thing that gives me a hang over like this."

Something about Taran's explanation makes Dolan throw back his head and laugh out loud. "That's something to celebrate, all right! I've lost track of how many shirts I've gone through since this werewolf thing in the city started." The laughter vanishes, though, and he sobers abruptly. "I joke, but I'm lucky I haven't grown claws yet."

A dreamy, warm smile takes away some of the sober worry, though, when he turns his attention to Ravenstongue. "Andie's a spitfire, right enough. You'll know her if you meet her. Flame-red hair and an attitude to match. She's my princess, and I miss her when she's not around." A quiet snort. "I feel bad sometimes, getting into trouble when she's not around, you know? Don't like her seeing me when I get hit, but - promised I wouldn't lie to her, or run from her, again." His eyes go downcast.

Ravenstongue smiles at Taran, patting Pothy a bit more as the bird finishes off the last of the cinnamon roll. That bird is quick to polish off food, it seems. "Well, as an adventurer, it's certainly valid to celebrate simply being alive. Plenty of people aren't, after all. I admittedly usually only drink wine, myself, but Tel and I have a bottle of dwarvish whiskey we've managed to go through when the days are really rather something we'd rather forget. That's strong stuff."

She looks over at Dolan and nods, brows creasing back into worry. "Right--I remember that incident at the Temple of Eluna," she says. "Tel and I were there. We kept blinding the werewolves with our glitterdust spells--and I remember seeing you there, too. I was quite happy to aid you from afar."

Ravenstongue's face takes a more sympathetic look as she smiles, though her brows are still creased in concern. "I see. She sounds like someone who you absolutely adore--and it sounds like you've had some trouble in the past. I've... Well, I've had an incident where I wasn't forthright with Tel. Family issues," she clarifies. "Thankfully, he forgave me and we moved on, promising to be transparent and honest with each other. Is it a situation somewhat like that--where forgiveness has been given?"

At all the talk of relationships and the two start to go down that molasses road of sickeningly sweet talk of their potentially better halves, Taran begins to lose focus and he pulls up his hood on his cloak to cover his head and help shade his eyes from the already overly bright sun... of the shade from the tree he is sitting at the base of.

The talk of werewolves had his attention for a bit but that fades cuz, eww, relationship talk in front of single guy. More of whatever is in his flask is required.

Sip.

"I hope so." Dolan shoots a look at Taran and his hair of the dog, but maybe quiet and not too much talking is a mercy, so he turns his attention to the half-sil instead. "I think she has? But ..." He shrugs. "I dunno if I've forgiven myself, and I sure as hell don't want to think about what happens if I ever do it again. At the same time, though, I don't want to upset her, you get me?"

"That's understandable, I think," Cor'lana says, smiling at Dolan. "Sometimes the hardest-won forgiveness is the forgiveness you can offer yourself, you know?"

She spies Taran retreating into his hood and she purses her lips. "Umm... Jeez, I wish Tel hadn't scampered off so quickly. He sometimes keeps a potion on him that's helpful for hangovers. He's a bit of an alchemist at times."

Pothy nudges Ravenstongue's hair. "Snacks," he says simply, imitating her fiance's voice this time. And it just so happens to be that Ravenstongue is fresh out of snacks.

The half-elf sighs deeply. "Oh, okay, I guess I'll take you all the way home so you can have food, you little gremlin." She looks at Dolan and says, "You should come by and visit sometime. We live in the University District."

She rattles off the exact address and a brief description of directions. Then she looks to Taran and says, "I hope you recover soon. It was nice meeting you, Taran."

"Snacks," Pothy whines again, and this spurs Ravenstongue onward into the distance as she reassures her feathered friend that he's not being starved.

"Less that and more I have nothing I can possibly add to this conversation turn." Taran says smoothly, "The headache isn't helping I admit but it'll pass." He rests more firmly against the tree he's chosen to support him, and it's lovely shade. "It was nice meeting you both as well, my apologies for not being more pleasant company. Bad timing."

Dolan listens carefully, seeming to catalog Corlana's directions, but nods. "I'll remember that, thanks. I probably ought to get going myself. Get well, Taran, and I'll leave you to your quiet." With a wave and another of those grins, tinged with uncertainty, he turns abd takes himself off in the direction of the streets.