Return to the Southern Continent

[Drusia]

"Can get a drink an' a dance, can't we? Do... umm... elves dance, Dru?"

I smile at Tamina. "Yes, we do. Shall we?"

I lead her out onto the dance floor. We get some looks - why wouldn't we? - and I pull her close.

There are things I could say - I could comment on how pleasant she feels in my arms, how this isn't exactly how I expected our hunt for the Ralkin to go, or how this is only a temporary thing. I don't. I hold her and I dance. Slowly.

-- Drusia

[Jack Rothwell]

Tamina smiled happily as she swayed with the pretty elf, and wrapped her arms around the taller woman's neck.

"Usually a lot more, umm... bouncy than this back home." She said, tipping a smile at the men playing the instruments and the song they made. "The music, I mean." She clarified, fighting a blush.

Meanwhile, the red-clad man at the bar watched on with interest.

"Careful son. Your eyes might fall out."

The younger laughed good-naturedly and took another sip of his drink.

"I'm just observing, Dean." He replied. "It's strange to see her kind outside of the Southern Continent, and dancing with an elf, no less."

"It's strange to see them anywhere, if you ask me." The barman grunted. "...aren't you heading back there soon?"

"Tomorrow, alas, the spice trade doesn't wait for any man." He said.

"I hear the money's good."

The man laughed again.


OOC I figure that link might be more appropriate if anyone needs an audio cue./OOC

[Alberich]

Udo was starting to blush a little himself - he wasn't going to dance with Khoo-khoo, but he didn't want to stand bywhile the elf and sweet Tamina had all the fun by themselves! Although actually it was kind of hot...okay, actually, it was incredibly hot...but some of the other guys were eyeing them and starting to shift, and he sure as fuckin' weave wasn't going to sit around watching while strange men cut in on that action! So he turned to Khoo and said, "Hey - when they change sets, let's cut in. Good? Good!" Without giving the other a moment to reflect -- he looked like the kind of guy who'd do too much reflecting and too little moving -- he steered him out there, so as soon as he judged the fiddlers were on their final air, he was ready for them to act.

With a boldness he hadn't shown much in the past (not with the ladies anyway), Udo asked for both of them - "May we?" and offered his hands. And the band struck up a lively air right then. Udo's hope was to end up with Tamina, with Khoo for the elf, who could maybe school him if he was shaky. But he wouldn't really mind the other way too much either. With their background in non-contact Tsuirakuan school dancing, there'd probably be more bouncing and less holding this time, but if the elf wanted to teach them new ways with more contact, or there was a chance to twirl Tamina 'round, Udo was down with that.

[Jack Rothwell]

Tamina, with a final glance at Drusia, giggled and took Udo's hand as the tempo changed. The kobold let herself be swung around by her burly knight protector as she tried (with reasonable success) the unfamilar steps to the jig. She laughed, her worries seemed a long way away at that moment.

[Graybeard]

It was only moments later that Drusia felt a gentle tap on her hand, to discover Khoo looking at the elf. "May I?" he asked politely.

[OOC: Khoo would know how to dance as a Sashi Mu student would; he's been one for a few years, after all. He would also know the more -- boisterous style of a fishing village, having been a normally sociable young man in one of them before going to Sashi Mu. That might actually be closer to what's "fashionable" in Kiyoka. The problem, however, is that the guy playing him is a complete klutz on the dance floor, and has had the good sense not to venture onto it for over twenty years. Accordingly, don't expect any technical details on what Khoo is doing. If you want those, supply them yourselves.

Incidentally, he's expecting to come away from this cut-in dancing with Drusia, not Udo, in case there was any doubt. ]

[Drusia]

Tamina smiled happily as she swayed with the pretty elf, and wrapped her arms around the taller woman's neck.
"Usually a lot more, umm... bouncy than this back home." She said, tipping a smile at the men playing the instruments and the they made. "The music, I mean." She clarified, fighting a blush.

Okay, I'd be a fool to pass up a line like that.

"I'm sure we can manage some bouncing a little later," I reply serenely. I don't leer or wink or do anything else suggestive - I act as if I have said nothing at all out of the ordinary.

And here comes Udo. And the waiter. Udo cuts in with Tamina.

Khoo looking at the elf. "May I?" he asked politely.

I nod with equal serenity. I was kind of hoping Udo and Khoo would take care of one another like good Tsuirakian lads, but it seems Udo plans to be competition. Unwise of him. I've been playing this game a long time - I know how, and when, to play dirty. I've crushed better men and women than him. Older too.

On the other hand, Tamina doesn't represent possible genetic material for Snamish. Pleasant as she is, she is incompatable with half-elven breeding. I... think anyway. Gotta be. ... right? Hmm.

I dance with the waiter, wondering idly if Tamina has any brothers and if she'd mind me testing their genetic compatability with elves.

-- Drusia

Edit: OOC: Playing Drusia is always a tad weird. She's a two thousand year old assassin, matriarch of a large town that is 90% her genetic line, and a petty teenager - all rolled into one.

[Alberich]

Udo did what he could with the jig. Khoo knew it right enough, but Udo, alas, knew only non-contact school forms. He sped them up, took her paws, and twirled her kind of clumsily - but after a few minutes it was plain to the onlookers that he just didn't know this kind of dance and wasn't picking it up fast enough. Some of them started to laugh. One voice called out - "This isn't the prom, you know!"

"No, no, no," said one of the fishermen, cutting in. "Not like that, like this..." Udo tried to follow along, but it was no good - he wasn't fast enough at this - and soon his place was taken by one of these strangers. His face went bright red behind his blonde beard but there was nothing he could do. Tamina was quite obviously having a very good time - and if he started something nasty, her fun would stop and she might even cry. That was out of the question. Khoo-khoo was jigging very nicely with the hot elf chick, and she either knew it already or was a lot faster than he was at learning new styles. Mere minutes after summoning up the courage to try his luck, Udo's luck was out, and he was a wallflower.

Steaming by the wall, he started looking around for whoever-it-was that had a ship to Grendell. Meantime, the happy young fisherman was guiding Tamina through the brisk steps of a fisher-folk's reel, and flirting with her too. (His words may have been puzzling to her. She hadn't seen any horses or cattle around here, yet every ship's cabin and upstairs bedroom seemed to be full of hay, and they all wanted to show her...)

[OOC: I hate to do it to Udo but...I think this is how it would be.]

[Jack Rothwell]

A few minutes after being 'hijacked' the kobold found herself being launched into a spin by one of the dancing locals that was a little too enthusiastic. Tamina let out an involuntary cry as disorientation overtook her and she stumbled, and fell directly into the arms of the blonde man in the bright clothes who'd moved from the bar at some point during the festivities.

Tamina extracted herself with an embarrassed grin and began brushing herself down.

"Thanks. Nearly fell."

"<You danced those steps well, Killikah cub. Are you living here, or just on vacation?>"

The humanoid's mouth dropped open at the man's reply.

"<You speak Kobold?>" It was a redundant question, but it was all she could manage in her surprise.

"<I'm a student of languages.>" He replied. "<It's an advantage in my line of work, makes trading easier with the natives.>"

Tamina beamed at the strange man. He held out a hand to shake.

"Captain Moriarty, of the ship The Curious Narwhal. A pleasure to meet you ma'am."

"Tamina Nallaki." She said, shaking the man's hand with a giggle. "<Likewise.>"


OOC Whatever Drusia is, she's got a fan in Tamina. /OOC

[Graybeard]

OOC: Khoo isn't going to have anything to say for the moment; he'll just be sitting back and politely watching Drusia dance with the man who cut in on him, and trying to make sense of the exchange between Tamina and this newcomer.

[Alberich]

Udo hustled up to that scene in short order. No doubt this was a sign of his eagerness to find transportation to the Southern Continent. Yes, that had to be it. "Good afternoon, captain!" said Udo, casually taking Tamina by the paw. "As a matter of fact - we're travelling together and looking for a ship to Grendell - do you know anyone who's sailing that way?"