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Wineport Shenanigans [ooc welcome]

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Naunet Naunet Find all posts by this user Visit this user's website Leech of the Aeons Posts:1,749 Joined:Jul 2013 Character:Antimony Linkshell:Hipparion Tribe Server:Balmung Reputation: 108 Wineport Shenanigans [ooc welcome] | #1 10-18-2013, 05:31 PM (This post was last modified: 10-18-2013, 05:32 PM by Naunet.) ((Occurs some time after Interview with the Third.)) *** Antimony Jhanhi brushed water off the shoulders and front of her robe as she stepped into the winery nestled at the center of the very aptly named town of Wineport, her ears flicking up and down in an unconscious attempt to free them of rain drops. “Mm, just my luck with this rain,” she muttered to herself. “Clear all day and now this…” Sighing, she checked a satchel at her hip carefully. The leather had been waterproof, so the papers inside were thankfully dry.  A tall, tan-skinned elezen stepped into the inn only a few minutes behind Antimony. Her steps were rather heavy on the old floor boards for her kind, authoritative. She took a brief glance around, surveying the crowd before walking up behind the older Miqo'te.  Unknowing, Antimony continued shuffling through a few of the papers in her satchel before turning to the green-skinned roegadyn wine-master surveying his work from a near corner. She offered him a polite smile and, "Excuse me, if you have a moment, I am from the Commerce Regulation Agency and I'm here to look over your--oh, you're... ah, yes, I'm sure you're very busy.” Gestures and sharp words interrupted her attempted consolation and she could only try to interject, “But this is important--now look here--" The elezen remained a few feet away, merely watching Antimony approach the man. After a time the miqo’te fell silent in the face of a lecture about how Byrglaent was a Very Important Man and he couldn’t possibly be interrupted and why should the CRA be interested in his finances anyway, he will just send in copies at a later date, blah blah blah. Eventually, the miqo'te held up a hand. “Say no more, please. No, I do understand, your wine is very--yes, highly valued by the elite, I know. If you'll only... aah... I'll just be... over here if you get a chance...” She turned around, a huffy look on her face that fell as soon as she saw the elezen behind her. “Ah! Uhm... how long have you been there...?” Her features tightened in sudden worry.  The elzen had been watching the contact, with a rather solemn appearance, though a slight smile drew across her face as Antimony turned towards her. "Oh. Quite long enough, I'm sure. You should be rather more insistent with the man if you want to get your job done." The elezen, whom Antimony recognized immediately as Illira Carceria, one of the board members of the CRA, stepped towards the other woman and the chef. Antimony Jhanhi pursed her lips, "I can certainly handle it."  Illira Carceri looked as if she were about to talk to the man herself, "Oh? You can? Then please. Setup a time in which you may speak promptly with Mr..." She paused to catch the man briefly saying his name in response, "Byrgaent." She turned back towards Antimony, "Otherwise I suspect that he may continue about his own work undisturbed."  Antimony's tail twitched behind her a bit agitatedly. “What is... you're interrupting my work!” The other woman gestured away from the chef, indicating that they might speak away from him.  Antimony continued, “You're interrupting my... oh. Oh dear. You're here. Is something wrong? Did I do something wrong? I assure you, I made certain to complete all requisite travel paperwork before making my way to Wineport!” Illira shook her head slightly, "No. Nothing like that. You do recall that you are under probation, yes? As this is one of your first business trips for the CRA, I am here to oversee. Though from the looks of things..." Her tone and expression both spoke to disappointment.    Antimony 's eyes widened slightly. "Oh. Of... of course. Yes. Well, he's a rather, ah, difficult... You shouldn't worry about this. I've pulled papers from firmer grips before..!"  Illira Carceri smirks, "I am sure. Nonetheless, Byreglaent is a rather intimidating man. No one faults you for having issue." She delivered a confident smirk.  Antimony cleared her throat. "Well. He's simply... busy at the moment. I'll just wait a time until there are no more, ah, pressing matters.” Looking away from Illira, her ears twitched a bit anxiously and she scanned the seating area of the wine bar.  Illira nodded her head in a seemingly pleasant agreement, small smirk still present. "This is your case. You are of course welcome to handle as you see fit. Simply pay me little mind. I may as be a fish on the wall." Antimony 's ears swooped back against her head. "If I'd known you were to attend, I would have... well. Oh, I feel so underprepared..." She trailed off in a mutter and moved to one of the nearby seats, settling into it carefully. Illira followed Antimony to a seat just across from the table.  “If only Wildwood were capable of so well imitating a fish, but I've never seen one do so,” came a sudden, deep, and aged voice from a distance close enough that one was left wondering how they had not noticed the speaker before. Antimony, for her part, jumped in her seat, ears flicking forward. "What is--who--oh!" Her eyes went to the door where a towering, withered form stood just inside, blue skin shadowed from the lights set into the ceiling, and she reached up to adjust her glasses. There was no mistaking that wrinkled face and posture. Illira glanced up at the voice, "Hmm? Imitating a fish? Now why would I ever do such a thing?"  The elezen Antimony recognized as Megiddo pulled his floppy hat off and smacked it, sending a tumult of raindrops to the floor. "You just said. You might as well be a fish on the wall, didn't you? Forgive the rudeness of my having overheard. I sometimes forget others do not hear as well as Duskwight."  Illira squinted her eyes slightly, "Fish on the wall? Now why would I say... Oh. You mean when I said painting on the wall. Your hearing is abysmal old man...." She let out a laugh at Elder Megiddo.  Antimony looked between Illira and Megiddo and ventured, "I... ah, distinctly recall you saying you were a fish."  Elder Megiddo shook his head, "Well, I am old, as you noticed. Then again," he gestured to Antimony, and smiled. "I do trust this one's ears."  Antimony opened her mouth to respond, and then seemed to get rather confused by some thought and so simply frowned at a vague spot in front of her.  Illira Carceri seemed lost in thought for a time and then, “No... I seem to recall that I did not say fish. Now... let us not dwell on such trivial matters as fish or paintings.” “Well, yes, it is a rather unimportant thing to debate,” the duskwight conceded. “May I sit? These old joints don't take to the rain very well.” Antimony 's ears lilted a little sideways at a thought and then seemed to straighten very suddenly, looking at Megiddo. "Ah yes! Please, of course. Sit, I don't know how long you've been walking, but certainly it's been some time and it's raining what's more, and I couldn't forgive myself if you collapsed from exhaustion or weakness or just… Please, sit!” Illira narrowed her eyes slightly at the man, "There are plenty of other seats around to which you could avail yourself..."  Megiddo chuckled, giving Antimony a fond smile before setting his hat on the table and easing into the last available seat, his movements slow and his grunt showing the great effort this took. He looked up at Illira after settling in, and his gaze was not unfriendly, "I'm sorry. My father once taught me that as I Duskwight I should never presume to share a Wildwood's table. Do you take offense?"  Antimony's brow lifted. "What? What is that. Offense? Nonsense! You will sit here and that is... that is that!" Illira narrowed her eyes even more, giving her a slightly squinty appearance. "You have no business with us. And thus it stands to reason that you should occupy another venue."  Antimony's tail curled, her ears twitching as she turned to Illira, “Why would you say such things! To an old man, and a friend. Shameful! In that moment, a fourth visitor entered the winery: a short, almost pudgy form instantly recognizeable as lalafell, with wide ears poking out from under an even wider-brimmed hat. Ulanan Ulan stepped into the winery as all lalafellin enter a winery, or any place, really: using her feet. She stopped at the door and squinted at the three people gathered there. Megiddo threw Antimony a smile, "Now, Antimony, I'm absolutely not worth picking a fight over." Illira turned her attention to Antimony, "He is no friend of mine. So he is one of yours? Along for a joyride while you visit the vineyards?"  The lalafell with the monstrous hat turned to look up at Megiddo in his chair and said simply, "This brings back memories." “Of course you are,” Antimony responded to Megiddo first, and then more directed towards Illira, “I'll not stand for rudeness, not in a place like this - well, not in any place, really, but it's difficult to manage other people's behavior in certain settings, and I certainly can't expect everyone to just listen to me, as much as they should or--what was that?” Antimony blinked at Illira. "Joyride? I told you! This is strictly a business venture! I filled out all of the required paperwork."  Megiddo very gradually noticed the miniature person next to him, and threw a smile down her way, "Ah, I shouldn't be surprised to see you still following Antimony. Thank you for that. I hope she hasn't been trouble."  “Yes,” Illira nodded, not having noticed their lalafell visitor just yet, “You filled out paperwork, but you have yet to do any actual work.” Ulanan spoke lowly, trying to not interrupt the argument on the other side of the table, "Apparently she only gets in trouble with her employers." Antimony wrinkled her brow behind her glasses. "What accusations are... I am waiting for an opportunity to speak with Mister Byrglaent when he is not otherwise occupied!" Her ears seem to disappear into her hair.  Megiddo nodded, "That... would follow the pattern. They argued initially about my presence. I don't mean to be trouble, but how do I avoid it when I cause conflict simply by saying hello?"  Illira quirked her eyebrow slightly, "And when will that be? You don't seem to have gathered any such information or promises from him..."  Antimony cast an extremely anxious look over towards Byrglaent.  “I'd say it's a matter of proper attire. Is that linen cloth?” the lalefell queried. “Not enough time has--Ulanan!” the older woman cut herself off to exclaim in great shock, “What are you doing here?”  Megiddo pawed at his sleeve, "Well, yes. Is this inappropriate for hermiting in?"  Ulanan raised a hand to greet Antimony. "Could I convince you this is clearly a coincidence?" “Did you finish those new books already?” Antimony’s brow knit together in thought, “Oh, I knew I should have spent more time at the arcanists' guild, but they already were growing tired of me, and I so wanted to bring you back something useful, but why should I expect you to remain cooped up all day! How presumptuous of me, I'm terribly sorry, I'll never do so again and—“ Megiddo turned his attention to Illira, and said, "You see, Antimony has a rather magnetic quality about her. If you sit at a table with her, you're very likely to have several visitors. Oschon favors her in that way."  Illira followed Antimony's turn of attention, letting out of large exasperated sigh. "And is that supposed to be a good thing, Duskwright?" Antimony had paused her rant towards Ulanan to seemingly catch her breath and waved a hand dismissively at Megiddo's words, "Oschon has nothing to do with it, I'm sure.."   “Well. She is never wanting for company,” the duskwight shrugged. “Many wish for such fortune.”  “There are times I wish it would leave me be...” Antimony shrunk suddenly, "Oh, that was horrible of me to say..." “Poor Oschon!” Ulanan declared. “All he wants is to drop a pile of strangers at your doorstep. You should try teaching them mathematics, if you want to scare them off.  “Ah, it certainly hasn't frightened you off... Not that I wanted to! Certainly not…”   Illira sighed again before leaning back into her seat. "Well. If the insistence is on being unproductive... Perhaps one of you should make yourself even slightly useful and fetch drinks."  “ Melting my mind requires much more than maths,” Ulanan comforted and then looked at Illira, but found a lantern, bottle and other random platery in the way. So she tilted her head various ways until she decided to just walk over to the other side. Illira watched the lalafel walk around towards her, "Yes?"  Antimony looked anxious again, "I assure you, I wholly intend for my stay here to be both brief and productive!"  Ulanan lifted a hand, one finger extended and shook it. "Make yourself useful, woman! Fetch us some drinks!" She then proceeded to smile at the wildwood.  Antimony seemed to want to both hide and flee and explode at Ulanan's words. Instead she just sat in her seat and looked as though she was waiting for the world to end. “Me?” Illira raised one brow. “I am rather the only one here dong work at the moment, actually. So no." “What are you doing?” Megiddo interjected, perhaps wisely.   Illira turned her attention towards the duskwright and said briefly, "Observing her work." At this Antimony bowed her head.  “Ah. Yes,” Megiddo nodded, “That does sound very...” “Tiring?” Ulanan suggested.  Megiddo cleared his throat and muttered, "Well. I suppose I'll just get my rickety self up and get the drinks, then." Antimony looked up suddenly and said with much vehemence, "No!" There's a pause, and she cleared her throat.  “It can be, when the...” Whatever response Illira had intended towards Megiddo was stilled at Antimony’s outburst, and the woman raised her brows, "Hmm?"  Ulanan continued Antimony's shout with strange naturality: "She's right. They would never serve wine to someone dressed like that."  “No. Don't, ah, please, don't bother yourself with such things. Miss Carceri is my boss, and so I should... well, I will do this! I shall. I'll just go... request... some drinks. Please, just stay seated…” The besieged woman swayed almost imperceptibly in her seat and trailed with drooping shoulders.  Elder Megiddo inclined his head towards Antimony, "If you insist, thank you."  “Oh. So you'll get drinks, but not the work. Noted.” Illira smirked at the miqo’te.  Bowing slightly towards Megiddo, Antimony then cringed at Illira's words, casting a glance in Byrglaent's direction. “I will do such things when the time is proper.” Standing next to Antimony, Ulanan addressed Illira suddenly, “Excuse my effrontery and examination, but is your perception and position of this situation properly placed?”  “Are you asking me?” Illira scoffed. “I am not the one avoiding my duty.” “I'm certain I'm doing no such thing!” Antimony protested.  “Of course. You are sitting on it,” Ulanan nodded. Antimony Jhanhi huffs to herself and stood then, hesitating a moment before moving towards the bar. Ulanan Ulan smiled at the wildwood who now had her full attention.  Illira’s thick brows drew together, "Excuse me? I am sitting on what?" “On your duty. Because you are observing. Yet you are sitting. Therefore, I have to conclude your duty, observation, requires or implies, directly or intrinsically, sitting.” Illira Carceri 's brows relax slightly at that, "Sitting is not a requirement. It is merely easier too at this present time." Meanwhile, Antimony caught the attention of the roegadyn tending the bar and began to deliberate over wine selection. The roegadyn was patient, at first.   “Ah!” Ulanan Ulan made a pause, then added, "How is that different from what Antimony was doing?"  “Because she is not doing what she came here to do,” Illira stated plainly. At the bar Antimony 's tail twitched, her ears shifting about in indecision. The chef was growing less patient. Eventually she just exclaimed, "This one!" pointed to something on the list she'd been pondering, and then wilted as though the decision had somehow been insufficient. Two fingers moved up to pinch the bridge of her nose beneath her glasses.  “But what she's not doing is extremely dissimilar to what you are doing,” Ulanan countered smoothly.  “Hmm,” Illira pretended to give that some thought, though her expression belied her lack of humor towards the lalafell. “That is because I am taking mental notes for a report on how she conducts her work. Hence the observation.” Megiddo seemed content not to comment on the conversation between Illira and Ulanan, for the moment, listening instead to Antimony struggling to order some wine.  “Couldn't she be doing the same about her task?” Ulanan pointed out. Illira smiled at Ulanan Ulan. “Her work is rather different in nature.” Finally, Antimony returned to the table with three glasses of something red. The age lines in her features had perhaps deepened during this time, and it was possible she now had a few more grey hairs. She set the tray containing the glasses down and then took her seat silently, folding her hands in her lap. Having paused her conversation at the miqo’te’s return, Illira reached forward with long arms to pluck a glass from the tray, bringing it over to herself and holding it delicately in one hand. “Are they going to serve you some red meat?” Ulanan questioned, glancing at the wine.  Megiddo peered at the drinks for a moment, then to Illira, "I'm curious, wildwood. Why does it not sit well with you that Antimony does her job in a way that you would not? Is it because the results she achieves will be different, and you believe the results you achieve to be the best possible?"  Antimony chuckles a bit faintly and, rather than focus on Megiddo's question to Illira, turns instead to look down at Ulanan, “Red meat..? Whyever would they do such a thing?"   “Red wine,” the lalafell explained. “That means red meat or hard cheese.”  Illira swirled the glass a little, taking a small sip from it before responding to the duskwight, "I worry that she will not complete her work in a timely and efficient manner. There is no reason that she should not have dug herself into it by now." She looked askance at Antimony.  Noticing the stare, the woman pulled down into herself for several seconds before letting out a breath and straightening her posture somewhat. “None that you can discern, anyway. I believe that answers my question, though, thank you.” Megiddo leaned back slightly then, seemingly satisfied.  Ulanan Ulan commented casually and apropos, "Have you observed you are occupying butchered barrels?" “Hmm. Happy to be of service, Mr....?” Illira trailed off in a questioning voice. Perhaps Ulanan’s statement had not been distracting enough, for when Antimony spoke it was to speak on something more daring, “Perhaps I would have gotten to my work had I not been interrupted by your judgment, Miss Carceri.” She said this while staring rather hard at the tray that contained the wine glasses. Megiddo responded smoothly to Illira, "I am Megiddo Defosse," and then fell silent, to allow Antimony's statement to have its full effect.  At Antimony’s interjection, Illira looked over at the woman, responding, "You had already made your decision to wait simply wait for the man."  Antimony turned a frown on the wildwood. "And you presume me so incompetent as to not be keeping tabs on the business of Mister Byrglaent whilst /trying/ to entertain your apparent need to interrogate me!” Perhaps it had been the adventure of ordering wine, or perhaps something had simply snapped, but she grew bold suddenly, “And to interrogate my friends, what's more. Rudeness is never appropriate. There was silence for a moment and then Illira burst out laughing at the puffed up miqo’te, against which the woman visibly steeled herself and continued frowning at Illira. Ulanan Ulan remained awfully quiet, but Megiddo eyed the wine, then looked to Ulanan, talking beneath the conversation, "Not a wine-drinker?"  Illira spoke firmly after letting out a laugh, "I call things as I see them Miss Antimony. Your specialty is numbers, and yet you have no ledgers from which to work from because you let Old Byrglaent bully you away. You have a seeming posse of characters following you about to distract you and insist that they take precedence over your work."  “I have insisted no such thing..!”  “I do not have it out for you as you seem to think, but I should like to see tangible progress on this case.”  Ulanan looked at Megiddo. "Mm? Oh, wine." She reached for the glass of wine still on the table and then looked at Illira, confusedly.  "Progress!" she yelled, and threw the contents of the wine at Illira very suddenly.  “You've hardly given me an opportu--aah! Ulanan!” Antimony reeled back, expression horrified. Megiddo smiled very briefly at Ulanan, before looking completely stoic.  Illira saw the stream of wine splashing towards her but was unable to react quickly enough to dodge the mess. It splattered across the front of her shirt in a burgundy spray, a few drops spraying across her chin. Antimony reached out a bit desperately as though to stop the wine, or take hold of the glass in Ulanan's hand, or just do something to prevent this from ending in disaster. But of course, there was nothing to be done. Very calmly Illira set her wine glass down and shook her arms, attempting to rid herself of some of the deeply staining wine. “Observation!” Ulanan declared, “You do not drink red wine without a loaf of hard cheese or a plate of red meat! That's rude in eighteen different societies.”  Antimony Jhanhi brought both her hands to her face finally and slumped in her chair with a weary groan, giving up.   Megiddo stood with some effort, cleared his throat again, muttered, "I'll retrieve a towel," and headed to the bar.   Still seeking to clean herself, Illira stared down coldy at the lalafell, "And it is universally abhorrent to throw wine at someone."  ”Lalafellin families throw things at each other all the time. It's a sign of brotherly love and mutual respect. Whatsmore!” Ulanan took a breath and continued, “You also don't stare at your employees while they do their work. That will just make them commit mistakes or overreact in their tasks, resulting in a large probability of failure in their given task! That's not only impolite in every society. It's also bad business!” Antimony attempted to become one with her barrel-seat.   Illira stepped towards the pair, with her linen shirt dripping wine onto the floor. "And that is not your business, Lalafel. You should Leave. Now. Before you find yourself facing charges." Megiddo made his way back to the table, walking over to Illira and holding a towel out to her, "For what good it will do. At least you are wearing a red shirt."  Antimony Jhanhi groans and then wobbled to her feet, turning to face Illira. Her features were drawn tight. "Please accept my humblest apologies for my friend's behavior."  Ulanan Ulan said only, "Nonsense!" to Antimony, then repeated it to Illira before adding: "I'm acting at the behest of /your/ business. See, for the reasons I have mentioned, I concluded and observed that the greatest hazard to Antimony's work is yourself! You are sabotaging your own business!"  Antimony held out a hand to Ulanan, "Please, you mean well, but this is not going to better the situation, Ulanan..."   Illira reached behind her to take the towel offered to her by the duskwright, patting it down over the front of her shirt and exposed skin. "No. Now you are more than a rude and uncouth being. You are an imposter."  Antimony looked a little alarmed at that. “No, this has gotten--this has gotten far too out of hand. Ulanan means no harm, only... well...”  Megiddo deftly took a glass of wine in-hand and walked around to stand equidistant to Illira and Ulanan, off to one side, innocuous. He swirled the wine in the glass, though the gesture was obviously one he was unused to and a few drops escape.  “My arguments are mathematically undeniable,” Ulanan asserted energetically. “Proof of this is that you have seen fit to answer them with petty unfounded observations about my person. Which only brings further question to your expertise as an observer in the first place!” “Ulanan, please,” Antimony begged. “This won't get you, or me, or anyone anywhere! Ah, Miss Carceri, I am terribly sorry!” Megiddo stepped forward then and removed Ulanan's hat. "Excuse me, miss Ulanan."  The lalafell just blinks at the Duskwight, thoroughly confused by the action. Without warning, Megiddo poured win on Ulanan's head, "In accordance with your culture, I express that I respect you deeply." He then dropped her hat back on her head. Antimony went very quiet and very wide-eyed at this. Illira only clenched her jaw tightly, watching the two in front of her, obviously fuming inside. Ulanan dropped her head as the wine splashed all over her hair. When the hat was back in position, she looked up to the Duskwight.  Antimony muttered a faint, "Oh dear," and half-collapsed back into her seat.   Silence ticked by until, “...thank you,” the small voice perked up. “Remind me to pour a whole barrel of wine on your head next time we meet.” Ulanan's upper body was now quite soaked in wine. While for other people a glass of wine is just a fancy stain, for a lalafell it is half a bath. Megiddo grinned, "Considering our past, I'll take that as a high compliment. Now, I believe Miss Carceri has further beratement for you." A glance to Ilira, "My apologies for the interruption."   Antimony dropped her head to her hands.   Illira hummed to herself. “I think I am rather done here for the moment. I find myself having to acquire a new set of clothes and a report to write.” The woman nodded to the miqo’te sinking deeper into her chair, "I shall catch up with you later Antimony."  Antimony couldn’t bear to look at Illira in that moment and so merely nodded into her hands.  Megiddo chuckled as he stepped around Ulanan, "A report to write on what? You're quitting early after having not done your job? Color me surprised." He set a hand on Antimony's shoulder, "If you yet live, I believe your contact stands aghast at our misuse of one of his better wines. This may be the ideal moment to engage him."   “Oh. I'm not done yet,” Illira warned. “I merely have the first notes to write. As I said. I shall catch up with Antimony later. I rather doubt she is in the present position to... carry on with her business." Piece apparently having been said, the wine-drenched wildwood turned towards the door and left the winery in a huff.   Ulanan looked suspiciously at Megiddo's hand. It looked as though she were trying to stab it with her sight.  Antimony 's ears drooped at Illira's exit, and she didn’t immediately look up, but Megiddo looked past Antimony to Ulanan, "You were quite heroic."  “Heroism requires danger. This was only a strategical decision!” Ulanan looked at Antimony and added a quick, "I'm sorry for that. But now you can continue your work unhindered!” A pause. “...and avoid drinking this awful red wine with no cheese or meat.”   Antimony Jhanhi mumbled into her hands after a moment, "Oh yes. Quite. So heroic that this, on top of the report they've already surely received of me assaulting a superior... I suppose I should accustom myself to living on the street! Or... in trees!"  “There are worse things that could happen,” Megiddo mused. “Don't many Miqo'te still live in tribes out in the wild? Surely I'm not so old that that's fallen out of fashion since my youth.”  “You wouldn't want to work with an Agency that sabotages its own employees, anyway,” Ulanan shrugged.  Antimony stilled and then, a moment later, just buried her face in her hands further. At this, Ulanan brow creased, her eyes wrinkled, and her lip trembled in tearful worry.  “Oh, Ulanan. I'm sure she's fine,” Megiddo assuaged. “If the Wildwood had ever given anything other than a negative report, I'd be surprised.” Ulanan placed both hands on Antimony's knee and started to push and pull from it intermittently. "Come on! It will be fine! You'll see! Just like when you though they'd fire you but then they didn't.” Ulanan was very motivational! Antimony sighed and, eyes downcast, took a moment to adjust her hair, her ears laid flat and her tail curling against her leg. "Well, she was right of one thing. There will be no work done today. Not after this... mess in his winery." She sighed again. "I'll need to return tomorrow to set things straight."  “Will you feel better if I show you my respect by throwing copious amounts of wine on you?” Ulanan looked up at Megiddo. "Apparently it's a thing my kind does."  Antimony cringed. "I would truly rather you did not, Ulanan, though that's not to disparage any... traditions."  Megiddo gestured to Ulanan, "I guess the wine thing was over-the-top. You probably should not do it again."  “And by that you mean I should practice my aim, correct?” Ulanan smiled at the duskwight.  “As long as you do so outside.”  “Outside!” The lalafell suddenly spun as though showing herself off to Megiddo. “I'm drenched in awful grape juice of fine quality! I need to wash myself!” Antimony looked at the empty tray. "Perhaps I should have gotten one for myself... well, no matter." She smiled slightly at Ulanan. “You do smell rather strongly.” That was putting it lightly. The scent of spilt wine practically burned her nose.  “It wouldn't hurt,” Megiddo acknowledged. “There should be plenty of water outside, since it just rained.”  Ulanan did not wait. Without another moment’s pause, she ran off out of the building exclaiming something about wine, rotten fabric, swarms of fleshflies and ruined weddings.  “... I wish I had been around to attend that poor woman's wedding. It must've been something,” Megiddo commented upon her exit.   Antimony wrinkled her brow concernedly. "I am... not certain you would have survived."  “I've survived worse. My work can often be dangerous, as you might guess.” Antimony 's posture slumped slightly again. "Indeed," she let out a sigh. "I suppose I should hope you were at least entertained by... what has happened tonight."  “Well, I'll be honest and say I was, but I very much doubt you have anything to worry about.”  Antimony shook her head. "You have not seen what a mess I've made of every opportunity so far." Her face perhaps showed a bit more of its age than usual when she looked up and slowly pushed to her feet.  “All that matters is that you get the job done, and I've confidence you will.”   Antimony pursed her lips. "Oh, I've no doubt of that. Though it will needs wait until tomorrow now." “I hope they have accommodations here, in that case. Otherwise you could end up sleeping in a tree.” Antimony looked to Megiddo and gave him a small smile. "Perhaps, though I'm not sure that is something my body would appreciate. It is not quite so accustomed to hermiting as your's."  “One does not adapt their body to hermiting. One adapts to the act. I could build you a nest more comfortable than any bed, and about half as comfortable as that I find for myself.” Megiddo chuckled at something, then turns to move towards the door, "I think they'd appreciate us not standing in the wine, that they may clean it before it stains."  Antimony started and looked down at her feet, at the small puddles of wine splashed across the wood, and, with an anxious glance Byrglaent's way, nodded and followed Megiddo. "Of course, right you are..."  Once outside, the pair were greeted with cool evening air and clearing clouds giving way to starlight. “It seems the rain has subsided. Hermitting's easier in that case.”  Antimony chuckled faintly. “I don't believe this is much of a tourist town. But... I will figure something out.” “And I will sleep among the vines, I believe.” Antimony cast a briefly worried look in Megiddo's direction, and he lifted his gloves, the berry-picking gloves, visibly stained with the juice of berries, "Don't mention it to anyone. They guard their grapes like Gridanians guard their wildlife."   She brought one hand up to her mouth to hide a somewhat shocked smile. "Of course. Not a word."  “Goodnight, then. It was good seeing you again. Try not to let any Wildwood get the best of you, hm?”   A smile at Elder Megiddo. “Don't worry about me. I will... manage.” She looked skyward for a moment and then moved off to try and find a place to sleep. "Song dogs barking at the break of dawn, lightning pushes the edges of a thunderstorm; and these streets, quiet as a sleeping army, send their battered dreams to heaven." Hipparion Tribe (Sagolii) -  Antimony Jhanhi's Wiki

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