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A Forlorn Fortnight 【Complete】 - Printable Version

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RE: A Forlorn Fortnight 【Closed】 - Roen - 09-29-2014

On any other day, Roen would have refused the offer of a drink. She never did enjoy the burn of alcohol down her throat, nor the flushed dizziness that was left in its wake.

But today was not any other day.

She looked at the bottle long and hard, before snatching it up with a defiant frown. Why not, she thought to herself. Certainly not thinking about it was not working. Did she not bring the bottle to distract Daegsatz from his troubles after all? Besides, one drink could not hurt. And she did not want to explain to the First Mate why she was acting the way she was.

The paladin plopped down on the cot unceremoniously next to the Sea Wolf, uncorking the bottle. “Perhaps just a little. And only if you are drinking with me.” She brought the mouth of the bottle to her nose, then cringed as she felt its potent aroma nearly burn her nostrils.

Roen looked at the bottle nervously, reconsidering her decision. “Or...maybe no more than a taste.” She extended the bottle first to the Roegadyn, her inspired recklessness moments earlier suddenly draining away. “Would you like to try first?”

RE: A Forlorn Fortnight 【Closed】 - Nero - 09-30-2014

Daegsatz grinned, briefly taking the bottle and sniffing it himself. The Roegadyn's experienced nose told him that it was some kind of wine or brandy. The aroma was potent indeed, with the strong sweetness of plums. Privately, Daegsatz was glad that it was some form of liqueur; while the Sea Wolf was hardly adverse to whiskey or other such bitter drinks, it was fairly evident that Roen did not drink often, so a sweet drink would hopefully not stave her off the idea too much.

Still holding a smile on his face, he held the bottle out to Roen. "Nay, lass. Ye be breakin' first seal, so th' first swig belongs to ye."

RE: A Forlorn Fortnight 【Closed】 - Roen - 09-30-2014

The liquor was sweeter than Roen had expected. The warmth that permeated her chest as she took a drink from the bottle was surprisingly pleasant--enough so that she took a second sip to fully appreciate the taste on her tongue.

The paladin half-wondered if Momodi was exaggerating about the potency of the drink at first. It felt so...benign. But by the time she was done studying the bottle, trying to discern the fragrance and the color of it, she felt a the edge of her senses dulling just a little. She handed the bottle back towards Daegsatz with somewhat of a puzzled but strangely satisfied expression.

“I had expected something more bitter,” she idly commented. “I taste a hint of fruit...ripened fruit.” She smacked her tongue. “I cannot imagine this compares to a typical pirate fare.”

RE: A Forlorn Fortnight 【Closed】 - Nero - 09-30-2014

Daegsatz did his best to keep his expression from turning into a frown. If the chaste paladin was capable of taking a swig of it with a straight face, it was likely that the drink was not nearly as potent as the initial claims made it out to be, and that meant that its ability to make the bells pass by faster was probably not as strong either.

Still, drinking was always better with company.

"It prob'ly be best that ye nev'r be exposed ta Lominsan liquor," Daegsatz said amiably, taking the bottle and downing a large gulp in one swig. It was sweet, spicy, and slightly warm. The temperature bit the tongue and inside of the mouth very lightly, as if teasing, but it lacked any sort of kick to the texture. Unfortunate, but it'd have to do for now. The Roegadyn passed the bottle back to her. "It likely be knockin' ye right on yer feet. This likely be distilled from plums. Dinnae taste any sense o' long agin'." He shook his head. "Real shame, that."

RE: A Forlorn Fortnight 【Closed】 - Roen - 09-30-2014

By the time Roen took the bottle back, she found herself grinning for no reason.

After her third swallow from the bottle (which had themselves been preceded by tentative sips), she vaguely recalled something that Mistress Momodi had said about a flower in the liquor. Her memories all seemed fuzzy, though, and the room seemed to sway a little...

It is as if someone just spun me around and then made me sit abruptly, she thought, vaguely amused.

But she could not for the life of her recall the name of the flower. Was it... trillian? No, trolo...? No. Wait! Trillium! Roen snapped her fingers in imaginary triumph. Trillium! That was the flower that masqued the burn of the liquor.

‘The tongue will lie to you, but your nose won’t,’ the Lalafellin proprietor had warned her with a mischievous wink. The paladin had not paid much mind to it when she accepted the bottle, as she had no intention of drinking from it at all. The drink was all for Daegsatz’s benefit.

Perhaps she should have paid some attention. Roen took another gulp of the drink and then handed the bottle back to the Sea Wolf.

“Mister Tragg…Traggblas...” Roen's tongue felt oddly thick, and much clumsier than before. She started again. “May I just call you Mister Daegsatz? Or Mister Daegz, perhaps. Or…"

She squinted. "Your captain calls you Satz, aye? That..." she paused for dramatic effect, "...is a lovely name.” She waved her hand into the air vaguely as she repeated his name in many different ways. “Soldier Dance. I like that one the best.”

RE: A Forlorn Fortnight 【Closed】 - Nero - 10-01-2014

Daegsatz did his utmost to keep from rolling his eyes. The drink was truly deceptive; the sweet aroma and cloying warmth hid the intoxicating strength. Even the Roegadyn was starting to feel his inhibitions lower; the drink's effect on Roen was clear enough as only after a few drinks she had begun to sway gently and slur her speech somewhat.

"Eh, lass, mayhaps ye be 'avin' enough," Daegsatz said, gently trying to herd her towards the cot, placing the bottle on the ground behind him. It'd be rather awkward having her rest on the cot that was ostensibly for prisoners, but it would be more awkward if more of Roen's sobriety left her.

RE: A Forlorn Fortnight 【Closed】 - Roen - 10-01-2014

“I cannot call you Mister Dance, though. Or...Mister Soldier…” Roen paused in her ramblings, her brows furrowing as she looked to the cot.

“This cot is very uncomfortable. I should know! I spent nearly a moon here. A moon!” Suddenly whatever thought that came to her mind was finding an easy release through her lips. This was a fairly new concept for her; she found it rather liberating, in truth.

“They found me innocent too...I keep telling your captain that.” Roen poked Daegsatz’s broad chest. “Justice can work! If he would only listen to me and not try to fluster me all the time. Flirting and kissing..." She grumbled. "How is a girl supposed to keep her mind on what is important when--oh. Whoops.”

Roen paused, wincing. Indeed, her tongue was much too free with voicing any thought the instant it came to her.

What a dangerous thing, this drinking.

RE: A Forlorn Fortnight 【Closed】 - Nero - 10-01-2014

Daegsatz raised an eyebrow, holding the bottle to her. "On secon' thought, mayhaps ye be 'avin' more," he offered. Clearly, not all was well, especially between her and Nero. The Roegadyn had always been aware of his captain's frequently coquettish behaviour--like father, like son, so it went--but this was the first time he'd become aware of it happening to someone he was relatively familiar with, and judging by her reaction, Roen did not take it all too smoothly.

In fact, the Sea Wolf was rather annoyed at this. The paladin was chaste, partially because Roen was, in her own way, innocent and unblemished, and Daegsatz felt oddly protective of those qualities, even as he offered her another drink. Alcohol would have been fine, but when he was free of the gaol, Nero would certainly receive a stern talking-to about his amorous advances. Part of the problem was that it was typically easy for Daegsatz to tell whether or not such affections were true on his part, and more often than not they weren't.

"Talkin' 'bout it be makin' it easier?" The Roegadyn questioned. Even with his disapproval, he was...well, curious.

RE: A Forlorn Fortnight 【Closed】 - Roen - 10-01-2014

Any consternation that lingered on her brows quickly faded as Daegsatz offered the bottle again. The liquor seemed to make things...tolerable. Better even! A part of her knew that she should be more wary of how the drink was making her feel, but with the warmth now spreading across her chest and her tingling skin...

She no longer really minded her loose tongue so much. Which, she reflected after a moment, should perhaps bother her. Roen gave a narrowed-eyed glance to the bottle in her hand suddenly, knowing where to squarely lay the blame.

“It is Nero’s fault.” The paladin nodded solemnly. “The man is infuriating. Arrogant! And..." She gestured. "He is strange and silly. Do you know he once threw himself against a pillar?” Roen threw one hand into the air, exasperated. “And devilishly handsome. I think he knows it too, curse him. Why does he not smile more often?” She lolled her head back toward the Sea Wolf. “And that smirk does not count!” She shook her finger in the air, not giving Daegsatz a chance to answer.

“He said...he said he would try to be better,” Roen sighed suddenly as she sank into her seat, her voice turning wistful. She lightly brushed her lips with a finger as if to recall the memory there. “After he kissed me," she murmured, softer. "He said that.”

She slumped back onto her elbows, half laying on the cot. Her glazed eyes looked at nothing in particular, her cheeks suddenly feeling flushed again. She smiled just a little, her voice tinged with hope.

“I believe him too. Maybe I should not, but I do.”

RE: A Forlorn Fortnight 【Closed】 - Nero - 10-01-2014

He raised an eyebrow. "A pillar. Well, it not be th' oddest thing 'e be doin'." Daegsatz wasn't especially certain on how to react to this whole situation. On the one hand, the idea of a romance blossoming between Nero and Roen both piqued his curiosity and instilled some feelings of protectiveness in the Sea Wolf; the smuggler could not possibly be a good influence on someone like Roen. Conversely, the paladin might actually be enough to motivate Nero to actually change for the better, though Daegsatz wasn't sure if that was necessarily a good thing. Morality was all well and good, but often got in the way of things like, well, piracy. 

"So, eh...how that be makin' ye feel?" Daegsatz offered rather pathetically. He was not exactly a Casanova and as such felt as if he did not have much advice to offer on the subject.  Hopefully the drink was strong enough that Roen wouldn't notice his struggling to carry a conversation like this. He took another swig of the brandy and swallowed it quickly.

RE: A Forlorn Fortnight 【Closed】 - Roen - 10-01-2014

Roen continued to stare at no place in particular. Her expression had gone distant along with her thoughts.

“I feel…” she began then paused. It was not that she was holding herself back--she honestly did not know how she felt. There was an attraction there, this she could not deny. But what would she do about it? Matters of the heart was not a territory she was all too familiar or comfortable with. Her childhood had been spent mostly in solitude due to a grieving and estranged father, and her last five years had been spent with a family of four isolated on the far reaches of the Forgotten Springs in Southern Thalanan.

Roen had been content to help her adoptive family trade and farm, but having to hide her Garlean heritage from them and the rest of Eorzea...it did not give her much of a desire to socialize with the rest of the world.

It was only when she had decided to travel to Ul’dah to seek training as a gladiator and then a paladin that she had come across a myriad of interesting people. She had encountered some flirtatious personalities, some who even tugged at her fancy and attention, but…none like Nero had.

"And who am I, Roen Deneith? Who am I to you?” Nero’s words broke through her hazy recollections.

The paladin shook her head violently, as if chasing away gnats hovering nearby. “I should go,” she abruptly said and rose. Only her heels did not seem to want to find purchase on the stone floor. They slipped and Roen plopped back down onto the cot.

"Well alright," she muttered.

RE: A Forlorn Fortnight 【Closed】 - Nero - 10-02-2014

The Roegadyn patted her shoulder sympathetically. "Eh, I be thinkin' ye not be in a state ta be goin' 'ome, lass," Daegsatz said, a bit amused at her reaction. Truly, even with the strength of the drink being what it was, the paladin was not very well-versed in holding her liquor. Another baleful glance at the gaol burned from his eyes. "Though, from what ye be tellin' me, ye be plenty familiar wit' these cells already."

With a grunt, Daegsatz sat down next to the cot, leaning against the wall as he took the bottle from her. He shook it, giving a surprised look at the sloshing inside. "Ye be drinkin' far more than I be expectin', lass. Everythin' ta yer likin'?" His tone was half-joking and half-serious.

RE: A Forlorn Fortnight 【Closed】 - Roen - 10-02-2014

Roen blinked slowly, as if moving her eyelids took a great amount of concentration on her part.

“The liquor was sweet. Mistress Momodi did warn me that it would be a sneaky thing,” she said with a regretful shake of her head. “I do not think I will be drinking that again.” She said those words firmly as though to chide herself.

Before she knew it, Roen had come to lay on the cot on her side, her eyes going from the bottle to the Sea Wolf that held it. “Maybe if I just close my eyes for a little bit,” she mumbled, stifling a yawn, “I can get my bearings to leave. Ser Jojon will understand if I just rest here a little while, I am certain.”

The paladin let out a long sigh and gave Daegsatz an odd smile. “And then I can think of what to tell your captain. I will not have him continuing to test me. I asked him not to.” Her words were coming slower and quieter. “He said…just this once. He did. I am certain he will keep his promise…”

Her attention was starting to drift despite her best efforts to continue. She held up a finger just above the blanket for emphasis. “And." She paused for effect. "I will not have you stay here an entire fortnight… I will find Ser Crofte. I will…and…” she trailed off.

Roen was certain she was going to finish after she just rested her eyes a little bit.

RE: A Forlorn Fortnight 【Closed】 - Nero - 10-02-2014

Daegsatz raised his head slightly as Roen's words gave way to soft, rhythmic breathing; she must have fallen asleep. "S'pose it could 'ave been more awkward," the Roegadyn said quietly to nobody in particular as he swallowed another mouthful of brandy. The problem with spending such long stretches of time in the gaol, he found, was that eventually one ran out of things to think. All that mattered was the passing of the bells and the dimming hope of eventual freedom.

Day 13

The empty bottle clattered softly as it rolled across the stone floor of the gaol. The soft tink of it impacting with the wall shook the sensitive Roegadyn's senses awake. Instinctively he gave a spastic shake of his head, and the usual important questions filtered themselves through his mind as they usually did after a night of inebriation.

Where was he? A gaol in Ul'dah. What had happened? He was captured and brought here, then Roen brought some brandy. Who was Roen? One of the Paladins who had captured him who visited him daily.

Said paladin was now snoozing gently in the uncomfortable cot. Daegsatz was tempted to wake her for her dignity's sake, but decided against it.

RE: A Forlorn Fortnight 【Closed】 - Roen - 10-03-2014

“Deneith. Deneith!”

Ser Jojon’s voice brought her back to wakefulness.

Roen blinked her eyes blearily, her consciousness struggling through the thick haze that the strong liquor had left in its wake. For the first few moments, she thought that she was back in the gaols herself--that being exonerated and meeting Nero had all been a dream. A quick flash of panic pounded against her chest as she bolted upright, before her attention finally came to the Lalafellin jailor standing outside the barred door. He looked none too pleased.

“Spent the night drunk in a prisoner’s cell,” Ser Jojon said incredulously, his arms crossed in front of his chest and his eyes narrowed. “How far ye have fallen, Deneith.”

“Ah...my apologies! I did not think I would be here that long. I just thought to…” Roen rubbed her eyes as if that would chase the fog away from her senses. She glanced from Ser Jojon to Daegsatz, who had fallen quiet sitting against the wall. He had apparently woken up before she did. “It was my fault really. I brought a bottle of brandy and…I did not think it would be so…strong.”

Ser Jojon snorted. “Well, when I found both of ye passed out, I sent the night shift home. I wasn’t goin’ to explain why I let ye in here with a bottle of liquor. Especially after what happened to ye last time ye were in here.” The Lalafell rolled his eyes, still irked. “So I am off for the day. And ye are goin’ to leave with me.”

Roen nodded quickly then rose, something she immediately regretted. A lance of pain shot through her temples that made her wobble slightly. “I think I am...not used to drinking something so strong.” She winced. She held out a hand to Daegsatz, as if to reassure him that she was fine.

“Ye think?” Ser Jojon shot a glare toward the Sea Wolf. “I think bein’ around pirates is rubbin’ off on ye, Deneith.” He retrieved the key ring from his belt, unlocking the door. “And if anyone ever finds out, this was a conjugal visit,” the Lalafell snickered.

Roen had no response to that; she just stared at the jailor aghast. But she thought better than to argue the point, at least not while her head throbbed so. She nodded and quickly ducked out of the cell, giving Daegsatz a rueful expression and a sheepish nod in exit. She did not meet the Sea Wolf’s eyes for long; she was embarrassed as it was that she had passed out in his cell--on his cot-- the entire night. And some of the things that were said…

“Don’t even think about visitin’ until tomorrow!” Ser Jojon shook his finger at her and locked the cell door again. “I think ye’ve spoiled the prisoner already.” He gave the Sea Wolf another baleful glare before walking Roen down the corridor.