Ice Ice Baby (OPEN)

Even from fifteen yards away away Miranda could hear the jeers and clanking of the beer tanks. Sighing, Miranda gathered herself up and pushed into the crowded tavern. It was the only Inn in town (as much as she heard so far) and she was dead tired from travelling all the way from the Helios continent. Miranda swiftly walked to the bar counter and ordered a light alcoholic drink. It was the right time for a drink but she simply needed something to let her relax; nothing heavy.

"Typical behavior in a bar," the woman said as she observed all the other customers.

Most were men, drinking their bums off and harassing the women workers (some), and the women were either too straight laced to take a drink or drowning themselves in girly drinks. She shook her head and proceeded to casually look over everyone.

At the back of the tavern, there did seem to be one corner that was very much quiet and lifeless compared to the rest of the place. It was a booth that sat in the darkest corner of the tavern, the only light source in that area was a small candle that flickered on the table within the booth. The candle seemed to be enough for the individual that sat there alone, the faint light the candle gave off was just about enough to make out his facial features. It was clear he was wearing a hood which shadowed his face heavily, it didn't allow for hair and eye colour to be detected. However it was clear his hair was mid length and that only one of his eyes were in fact visible, the other seemed to be covered with some sort of device; hard to make out in the darkness, but it was clear that his right eye was hidden from view by whatever piece of technology sat on his eye socket. The rest of his features and attire were too hard to make out, his lower half hidden by the booths table that sat in front of him, his white tie stood out the most as it clashed with his black shirt and his grey leather jacket that covered the entirety of his attire was coming off as black due to the poor lighting conditions. He seemed to just sit there, raising his glass to his lips for a drink every now and again, but to look at him long enough it was easy to tell his sharp and precise left eye; which was visible, was scanning the room over and over. He seemed to almost be examining them as if they were animals, at least to him most of the people that occupied the tavern were. He continued to do so and his eye came into contact with her own, his focus seemed to linger on her for a bit, she certainly wasn't like the others int he tavern and it seemed as though she too was from a different place. His focus then shifted once more perhaps he had lost interest or despite the fact she too was obviously traveling, he didn't want to attract attention to himself.

A girl with short blue hair and blue eyes walked into the Tavern, she wore a blue and white top, blue skirt, long knee high white boots and a white cloak, she had two identical swords on her her back underneath her cloak. Her eyes scanned the room as if searching for someone, but once she found the guy in the booth, her blank face turned into a very happy smile, she walked over to him and sat down next to him, putting her hand on his and kissing his cheek. "Sorry I am late... had a few things to do..."

She looked at him, "whats up? why aren't you smiling?"

His eyes had shifted from examining the crowd to looking at his drink, he had almost but finished it and raised the glass once more up to his lips, drinking the last of the liquid inside. He then placed it back down onto the booths table and looked at it for a few seconds. He then noticed the girl walking towards him and he instantly knew who it was, his expression slowly changed into a soft smile as he felt her soft hand upon his. He placed his other hand on top of hers and gently returned to the kiss to her own cheek.

"It's fine I understand Reiki, so long as you're safe, well and happy, that is most important." He then nodded towards the drunken men and women that filled the tavern. "I find them all irritating and inferior, I do not understand the point of drinking alcohol let alone letting yourself get drunk on it." He shook his head before turning his attention to her, moving his hand from on top of hers, cupping her cheek softly with it. "How was your outing? Did you manage to get what you needed done?"

She rolled her eyes, "Typical you would say something like that, Phoenix... But some people are like that... unfortunately..." She sighed and looked down slightly, her hand shifted slightly in his. "I wish I could say that I did get everything I wanted done... but unfortunately, that didn't happen, had a fair problems with some more haters of the family faction... but I didn't get hurt too much, I promise, hurt myself more than they hurt me... Me and my clumsiness..." she smiled slightly

So, a half-demon and three pendings walk into a bar...

Kryn stood in a secluded corner, going total creeper status and staring at drunk people who walk by, obviously not in his best of moods. His demonic instincts were obnoxiously active today, for some inexplicable reason.

Kryn didn't even have a reason to be in here other than to finish fights if one started with him. He just stood there, staring at drunk person. He thought he was going to get a fight, but the man's sober girlfriend talked him out of it. He was half relieved and half annoyed.

He then saw something that made him chuckled: Reiki. He didn't approach her, but he saw her. He started getting thirsty and wondered if this place served non-alcoholic drinks that nobody seemed to be drinking. Normally, Kryn would have his weapons with him, but he didn't today. He was having them worked on; tempered and restrung.

He walked to the counter and asked, "Do you have any non-alcoholic drinks?"

"Water."

"Totes, I'll take it."

The bartender raised an eyebrow, most likely because he said totes. He left and returned with a cup of water, which Kryn began to sip. Kryn nudged the woman next to him, who didn't seem drunk if she was [you, Miry], and said, gesturing with his head at the rest of the bar, "Them, huh?"

He smiled a little as she rolled her eyes and nodded agreeing with her words. "Yes it is most unfortunate, sadly they won't learn however at least the tavern keeps them round up like cattle" He looked into her eyes as she continued talking, listening intently to her words, his thumb caressing her cheek as his hand remained cupping it. "Ah I see, there seems to be no end to them" As she mentioned she had been hurt, he turned his hand around under hers so his palm was facing up, his fingers wrapped around her hand and he gave it a soft squeeze, a sign of his concern for her. "Perhaps next time I should join you, I do not want to see you come to harm, even if it is of your own doing. I'm sure we can find away to complete our separate tasks together, I believe that is what we should be doing as a couple working together" His focus remained on her but for a split second his left eye sharply focused on the stranger that had entered the bar, it was a swift observation as he liked to keep himself updated about his surroundings, he then returned his focus back to her awaiting her reply.

She frowned and looked over at him, "hmmm... I feel like I have met him before... Anyway..." she smiled and looked at him, her eyes sparkled, she sighed slightly, "I don't see why not and I am really clumsy, remember when we first met? I looked at you whilst I was walking and tripped over my own two feet..." she giggled slightly and looked down at her feet. "You would honestly think that I had big feet, but I don't..." she leaned against him, her eyes closed.

Deep amber eyes drank in every detailed action of every patron in the room. No matter what happened Miranda always remembered what went down. The words thrown like vicious weapons and the stench of permeating from the bodies (well, if she had been close enough) were all imprinted into her brain. As such... she didn't miss the heavily shadowed figure in the corner and the extremely and brightly colored girl meeting him.

As she idly brought the glass to her lips Miranda observed them for a bit longer before rolling her eyes. Of course. A couple. Cute but not the right place to show affection. Some of the drunks might get jealous and throw a fit. That was none of her business, however. And the man and young girl seemed to be well-armed. Feeling that they weren't quite as interesting anymore, Miranda turned her attention to some other figure in a corner.

She almost let out a smile at him. He might have looked like it, but she had felt his immense agitation from her position at the counter. Miranda followed his movements till he stopped next to her and ordered water. Raising an eyebrow at his little nudge she then shrugged and replied casually, "Indeed."

As a trained knight Miranda had gotten into the habit of sweeping the scene every few seconds. The couple were still being a couple, and everyone else continued to drink their lives away. "You'd think that with this noise would bring down the prices for staying in the room here but no. Everyone's out to get money." The statement was directed the newcomer beside her, but her eyes continued to take in scene after scene.

[unsure of posting order DX]

"Totes," Kryn replied. Then he suddenly thought out loud, "People pay for that crap? I always thought drunkards were just test subjects or something." He added, joking. Then, seriously, he said, "I've never found any point in killing your brain purposefully. Alcoholic drinks have no purpose and are thus pointless, rendering them useless, which means it's good for nothing but raising a flame."

He chugged his water just as someone on the far end of the counter chugged his beer. He slammed the cup on the counter and yawned. "Why am I even here, this is so annoying," He mumbled under his breath. He was mostly here to pass the time until his weapons are done, which would be in the next few hours or so.

He began to assess the room, rating the drunkards on how well they would be in a fight. On guy would fall on his face before reaching Kryn. Another would reach Kryn, but then fall on his face. The next would reach Kryn and throw a punch, but end up falling on his face. He found a pattern and assess the less drunk people. That guy would lose, that guy would lose, that guy would lose, that guy would put up a fight-

He Found Reiki again and the guy she was with. He didn't seem drunk, though there was no telling whether or not that was the case without going up there. Kryn didn't move. He resisted the urge to start a fight. He and Reiki were a couple, and he wasn't the kind to ruin things for others, intentionally of course. A question seemed to reproduce in his mind like cells: Why do I want to fight so bad?

[Let's reboot it. It should go: Miranda, Kryn, Phoenix, then Reiki. I'm pushing Kryn up so we can even out the posts. Me and Kryn having two while Phoenix and Reiki have three.]

What kind of word is 'totes'? Miranda thought to herself as she listened to the young adult rant next to her. He had a point but simply shrugged her shoulders again. The reasons for drinking also eluded her, not that she would ever give it up now. She never drank excessively that she would end up drunk or have her senses clouded, but now she didn't think she could live without having a glass of wine or some other tasty alcohol every two weeks or so.

"People are addicted and they'll pay whatever price to feed it," Miranda nodded in the direction as one man, haggard and bordering on looking like a homeless person, begging one of his friends to pay for one more drink. She snorted in disgust as she brought down her glass and began to twist it from side to side. "It's either in their genes to drink or they've taken a liking to the taste. Then again... It helps them forget about their lives outside of here." Out of the corner of her eye was a quiet man, sipping at his drink like he didn't want to leave. "... Or celebration. Commemoration. Parties."

Her attention went back to the kid as he chugged his water and then slammed it on the table. She shook her head as she finished off her own glass. "Probably... Hitsuzen." At this, she chuckled and shifted her sword at her hip.

[I'm terribly sorry for this post, I just don't have any ideas T-T]

Hitsuzen? He thought, Is that a name? He was going to ask, but decided against it. He noticed her sword. Not unusual. Boredom persuaded him to make conversation, for he still had a lot of time to kill. "So.... Hows life, and may I ask your name?"

He simply nodded as his left eye moved over to look at the young man at the bar, he seemed like an odd sort to Phoenix and Phoenix didn't particularly like him for some odd reason, then again he didn't like many people so he just assumed that was the same case with the young man. He looked back to her and chuckled softly as he remembered what she had done. "I do remember indeed, you certainly had your head in the clouds it seemed, silly thing, maybe not big feet but two left ones are a possibility" He said, chuckling a little more as his fingers lightly slipped into her hair; softly combing it and playing with it. Pressing his lips to her forehead giving it a soft kiss, before he rested his head gently against hers, watching the entire room with his sharp eye.

She smiled and leaned into him, "But as long as I have you, I am ok..." She frowned slightly, watching him look at everyone, "Are you still that self conscious about people attacking?" She rolled her eyes and sat back in her chair, she had that feeling, but she didn't make it obvious.

[No worries.]

"Hmm? Ah, I'm Miranda Grey. And you're...?," she replied as she ordered another drink. She wondered if she should have added 'of the Azure Knights' as the protocol decrees, but decided not to. Sometimes she just wanted to go out and not have people be wary or hostile to her because she was part of them. She then smiled and chuckled at his question.

"Life, huh?"

Miranda took her new drink and downed it in one go. "It's fine, I suppose. Just the same boring thing day after day." She then glanced at him out the corner of her eye, "What about you? Pretty exciting or what?"

With another sweep of the room, Miranda then nudged the boy and whispered loud enough to him, "Don't know what you did, but that guy over has been staring at you." Miranda stood from her stool and stretched so that she was able to keep an eye on the couple. The bright girl had just taken a seat.

"My name is Kryn Nenka Cluskio," the boy declared. "But you can just call me Kryn." He bowed his head slightly. "As for my life... Well, I'd rather not get into that. I have quite a bit going on."

After hearing the that guy sitting by Reiki had been staring at him, he nodded. "No surprising. I'd been sending hostile vibes towards him. Well, more like around the whole room. Not sure why I have, but I can't help it right now." He pondered the subject, "Maybe I just need something to do?"

He smiled at her words as he listened to them, his fingers softly continuing to play with her hair. He then pulled his head back away from hers and looked at her, before smiling trying not to chuckle as she rolled her eyes back. His focus turning to the woman at the bar that had seemingly placed herself so she had a view of them, his eye locked with hers for a few seconds before moving to the young man next to her. "I do not like any of these types, I bare no trust to those I do not know, it's just a principle I live by is all" He said as his right hand reached forward towards the plate with cut bits of cooked meat, he pinched a piece in his fingers and then lowered his hand down to the seating next to him. He large birds head then appeared from out of the dark shadows, as it entered the candle light, it nipped the meat out of his fingers and returned back into the shadows. Not wanting to disappoint Reiki, he removed his focus from those that inhabited the bar and gently he slipped an arm around her waist and cuddled her softly, pressing a kiss to her cheek. He raised his eyebrow a little as he looked at her, softly caressing her cheek with his hand as he did so.

She kissed his cheek and smiled then leaned into what looked like another kiss on his other cheek, so the two watching them didn't see her lips moving, or his face. "I have met him before... his name is Kryn... He saved my life once... But I don't know who the other is... And you thought I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings.... I seemed to be more discrete than you could ever be... It also seems that they have noticed you but not me..."

Just to keep up this hiding their speech with kissing, she kissed his lips slightly.

Miranda returned Kryn's slight head bow before jerking her head towards the couple, "Since you're itching to do something, why don't we introduce ourselves? Maybe you'll get some form of exercise." Normally, she wouldn't have made such an option of course but her eyes had met with the man's a couple of times throughout her time here. So Miranda knew that they wouldn't be immediately turned away if they were to make their way over there.

"I know the girl," he informed. "The man, I do not know."

Kryn's hand instinctively moved to the pommel of his sword, but he didn't have his sword, so it swiped air and left Kryn momentarily confused. He blinked once, twice, thrice. He finally redirected his thoughts.

"So, you're not the only one who's curious about them? I know nothing of the girl but her name and that she can take a hit, but the man... I think I will go over there." Without waiting for a response or seeing if Miranda was following him, he slowly walked towards the table, but stopped halfway. He thought, Why am I not moving? The same drunk guy mentioned earlier had held onto his arm, preventing forward motion, saying something about "leaving that stick-in-the-mud." Kryn didn't feel like messing with him, so he placed a palm on the man's stomach and shocked him with a push into what seemed to be his buddies. It was just a mere shock, not nearly enough to kill him, as is he could with this ability, but it would feel as if some big guy had randomly slugged him in the gut.

The obstacle removed, Kryn continued onward to the couple. A few yards away, he realized he had no plan. Was he to confront the man, say hello to Reiki, slug the man in the back of the head. He felt as if saying hello was the only good option. He approached and said, "Well met, your two." He said. He then bowed his head to Reiki first, then her companion. "Ms. Reiki. Sir." Then, to Reiki, putting her condition before the knowledge of the man's name, "I trust that you're all and well?"

His smile sharpened a little as she kissed his cheek before he listened intently to her words as she spoke them whilst keeping her speech hidden, he then replied back with soft whispers. "I see, well despite the fact he saved you my dear Reiki, I do not trust him nor willing to befriend him, if anything I despise him at this current time and I do not believe that is subject to change." As she made the comment about his less than discrete manner when keeping an eye on the surroundings, he rolled his eye back since it wasn't his intention to be discrete, he chuckled softly as he spoke once more. "Do not proclaim you are better at it than I my dear Reiki, I didn't mention trying to be discrete whilst being watchful of our surroundings, I prefer to let them know I'm watching them, gives most the subtle hint to keep away, however they don't seem to be taking the hint." However despite the fact his subtle hint had not seemed to be effective, he was not the slightest bit bothered. Instead he just smiled softly as he felt her lips press to his, he responded by pressing his lips back to hers, giving her a soft yet loving kiss before he pulled his lips slightly away from her own. He then pressed his forehead to hers and looked deeply and lovingly into her eyes, a smile spread across his lips.

He hadn't noticed the young man making his way over to them or his trouble with the drunk man. His attention was only grasped when he heard the sound of the drunk man falling back into the group of other men that he was obviously a part of. The commotion made Phoenix remove his focus from Reiki's eyes and look over to the group, he raised his eyebrow a little before rolling his eyes. Slowly he shifted back to where his arm was around Reiki, cuddling her close to him whilst he sat beside her. His focus now on watching the young man before them, he remained silent for the young mans first set of words, before simply nodding to him from the greeting. As he listened to the young man speaking, his hand once again reached out to the plate of cooked meat, gripping a piece between his fingers before feeding the piece to the large raven that now sat next to him, no longer hidden by the dark shadowed corner of the booth.

His focus was still on the young man as the raven pecked the meat from his fingers and ate it. Phoenix found him not only to be a nuisance since he had disturbed the intimacy himself and Reiki were sharing, but also rude in the fact he had acknowledged Phoenix but then decided to shift away from him, without having the common decency of asking his name. However Phoenix wasn't all that bothered about the boy and his rather questionable manners. In fact he wasn't bothered about him or the woman at all, as long as they didn't stand in his way. He sat there with his left eye keeping tabs on both the young man and woman, now being close to him he could analyse the pair of them. Whilst doing so he remained at ease and calm and as he sat there and didn't find either the woman or the young man to be a threat to him, however that didn't mean he had to like or trust them and he didn't, if anything he had less trust for them than any other occupying the tavern.

Reiki smiled at Phoenix, then her face dropped slightly, she had a really bad feeling about this, even though Kryn had come over to say hello, she still had a really bad feeling of what was going to happen after this, she held onto Phoenix's hand and gave it a squeeze, a sign which those two had made up if they knew something was gonna end badly, she got a little closer to him and sighed then looked up at Kryn, smiling.

"Why hello there, Kryn... Its good to see you again.... How have you been doing?" she grabbed the cup on the table, putting her hand on it and filling it up with water, she took a sip and smiled a little more. A technique she had found when using water, where she can see things whilst no one else could, and whilst she was making eye contact with Kryn, only Phoenix was the one who knew of this technique as he was there when she developed it further.