Relaxing in the Dark Tavern

[oakumnoble1]

"Free of charge, hm?" she grinned, picking up her refilled glass.

At this moment, she wasn't sure what she was doing, save flirting with danger. Then again, every day was worse than flirting with danger. It was as if she was trapped in a shell forged for her by her family and her responsibilities.

For once, it felt nice to not be trapped behind her mask, caught in that slow dance of a promise of a better world.

It felt nice to not be commanding legions to spill the blood that caused those selfsame dances.

It was simply moving from trance to trance. Maybe it was the vodka, the disguise. Maybe a desperate wish, something she was reaching for that she could never touch - a different goal than the Oakum family. One far more humble.

To be normal, like the people around her in this rundown little city. To be caught up in smaller ills - or perhaps one could even consider them larger - and yet still able to smile genuinely at what they had. For a moment, she would fulfill the whole of her disguise. A traveller.

"Well, I wanted to see it anyway, and if you say it is.. dangerous", she took a drink, "who better to have with me than a hunter, hm?"

[Adam Kohaku]

Adam gave a laugh and a shake of his head. One more shot of vodka. The wolf hunter drummed his shot glass against the counter as he looked over to the female noble. Well, if she was willing to go, then why not go to the lake? There was fun to be had in such a spontaneous gesture. Going out to Emerald Lake at this time of night with someone he just met, what’s not to enjoy?

“Well, come on then,” the Kohaku said as he stood up from the bar stool he had been sitting upon. “Let’s get going while the getting is still good. No reason to wait until the sun is rising.”

The wolf hunter stretched his arms a bit and rolled his shoulders slightly. He grabbed up his belongings, making sure his two katanas were firmly where they belonged. His attention turned back to the blonde as soon as his being was back in order.

“Shall we go, then?” he asked her, gesturing to the door. “The lake awaits us.”

[oakumnoble1]

She stood, still that uncanny graceful, yet there something about... ah, yes. She had just downed two tumblers of vodka in the name of a disguise that didn't hold up very well. It was obvious this woman was not much of a drinker. Perhaps she simply researched what she had to do and went with it.


"Yes, lets", she smiled. All of her belongings were already on her person - after all, she hadn't been sitting there that long, had she?

Emerald Lake... with someone who was very likely a Darcia noble, or something close... but what about the mission to... well... perhaps it could be done even under such circumstances... and I will even have a guide... of sorts...

She blinked, as if refocusing on his face. "Amber. Call me Amber."

The woman seemed prepared enough to follow the Hunter at this point.

"And you are...?"

[Adam Kohaku]

The hunter’s eyes followed the woman’s movements. She seemed unaccustomed to drinking so much vodka. Perhaps he would have to help her walk out of the tavern and then all the way to the lake. Oh, didn’t Adam have such luck?

“I will call you nothing but your real name,” Adam told her. “I do not think that Amber is your real name. I was definitely not born yesterday. I have lived in the streets, and I am no fool for such disguises.”

He knew that Amber was not her real name, but he would not badger her until she gave her real name. Nobles had their reasons for giving false information to those they did not know. Of course, everyone had their own reasons for such things. Adam felt as though he did not need to give a fake name, though. He was rather comfortable with people knowing who he really was. He, however, was not a true noble but an acquired one. He just worked for the big guys; he wasn’t one of them.

“My name is Adam,” he said to her. “Do you need help walking? You seem to be unfamiliar with the effects of the alcohol you just consumed.”

[oakumnoble1]

((pardon lack of color, on netbook, moving in 7 days.)

"Kangae." Her first name should be enough.

Turning in a wolf... money enough. But now all bells would ringing loudly. The true Commander the Oakum army? HERE? Not afraid of divulging this information after he gave his however was a a warning in itself, but she did speak it softly, which in in and of itself was another clue to the hunter, as inebraited as he might be.

Wolves... humans... was there a difference when it came to their deaths?

For this woman, perhaps.

It could start an all out war. Who knew how many stood in place in line for her position? Who knew how influenceable THEY would be? "So there you have it."

"Now with this knowledge", she met his eyes again, though thether it was a challenge for a fight at Emerald Lake, or a temptation to betray his family, or simply an innocent outing to satisfy what could be a cooped up nobles' whim, who knew. "Shall we go?"

(sorry about slow responses. Stressed beyond the max and ttrying to pack whole apt.in 7 days alone. Hopefully by the 21st ill be back to 1-2 a day, and more in dept Just pray. Srsly. To whoever you choose. Just nnot loa or evil gods, thevce already been dicks. Ask Payne. tel her tocheck this and i said it was ok to tell.)

[oakumnoble1]

((as an aide, im proud of my 15 min sigfile finally. :) w=wish i was as good as you though!))

[Adam Kohaku]

So, she was Kangae, a commander of Oakum. That would explain her odd behavior. Adam was not really surprised nor did he really care. At this moment, she was just some woman who he was going to Emerald Lake with to point out some possible wolves or romance, whichever would come first. The Kohaku was not too picky.

Adam had no worries in making the acquaintance of one of Oakum’s nobles. Darcia held no true ties around the hunter, and even so, Adam was not going to outright betray Darcia. He was simply hanging around one of Oakum’s, nothing more.

“Yes, we shall go,” Adam said with a nod. “Just be sure to watch your step and not fall all over yourself. You may be a noble, but I think you have enough alcohol in your system to stumble. I did offer to help you, Kangae.”

The wolf hunter held out his arm to her, a gentleman’s gesture. They may have been with battling families, but that did not mean they had to be enemies this night. There were other nights and days for such rivalry, and maybe one day they would meet on the battle field. The Kohaku was not too worried about this at the moment; he just wanted to enjoy himself.

[It's alright! There's no need to apologize. I understand that you have a lot going on in your life. I definitely know the feeling. I am sure you can get everything done, and all will be good. Just focus on what you need to get done in the real world! So, don't worry about replying to me if it helps you get everything together.

Awe, and thank you! ^-^ I do like your siggy.]

[oakumnoble1]

She took his arm; in this, the movement was graceful and a rote movement; she was, after all, nobility. It was almost as if she was inviting him to a dance, but there was that noble coldness to it, as well.

"I assure you I will not fall over myself. There are methods to prevent this afterall." She laughed. "So let \'s see what there is to see, hmm?"

This would work, after all. It was part of her mission to find out those who could try to take her Lord's Flower Maiden, and Wolves were the prime target. In fact, this hunter could become an unlikely ally, as long as she didn't reveal her true intentions for going to the lake besides merely seeing a near mythical creature for herself. the Oakum's had as much to lose as the Darcias in this respect -- if not more.

[Adam Kohaku]

“There is always much to see when you are on the trail for a wolf,” Adam said with a slight smirk as his eyes shifted over Kangae’s features. “It’s always interesting when you come face to face with your first encounter with a wolf. To me, they are just big dogs with a want to kill.”

The hunter led the noble out of the bar and out into the street. The roads were dark with very few streetlamps in sight. One would almost have to be nocturnal to see the city around them. Adam was use to such darkness; he found the dark nights inviting. He could see in the blackness as if he was some sort of wolf. He needed no lights to guide his way.

The Kohaku led the commander down the street, minding her movements. Adam had not expected to see one of Oakum’s in this city of all cities. He had not imagined that he would be taking such a noble to Emerald Lake. He could not complain; however, he was enjoying this little encounter. Perhaps he was enjoying it a bit too much. Where had his cold, isolated behavior gone? Down with the vodka.

“Why do you find yourself within this city, Kangae?” he questioned. “I doubt it was to find male company.”

[oakumnoble1]

She laughed softly. "I am sure you could use your imagination." How could this Adam fellow possibly expect an answer from her?

Even in the darkness, she could Sense their presences. It could be considered comforting, if she felt she needed their help, but perhaps the vodka made her less concerned about the current situation. "Let us simply say that I have interest in this Lake, and now have developed an interest in seeing it with you."

She let her words hang in the air, spoken lightly, nonchalant, with little emotion behind them other than whimsical.

Yes. Let this Darcia show her what she needed to see is what her tactical mind spoke. Her dreaming mind still hung onto her dreams of that possibility of a simpler life, made sharper my the softening edges of darkness that clung to the worn down buildings around them as they walked.

Impossibility. But perhaps, tonight could be made into enough of an illusion.

"Perhaps you shall have the opportunity to show me how it is you do your hunting."

[Adam Kohaku]

“I am simply making conversation,” Adam said politely with a smile. “I know you are on some sort of business for Oakum. You nobles tend to be concern with only one thing and that is whatever your lord makes priority. You never live for the moment.”

Adam was one of Darcia’s, but the hunter still did as he pleased. He lived his life the way he felt like it even if he hunted wolves. If he was showing something that one of Oakum’s desired to see, he had no care of it. If they would see anything at the lake, they would seem creatures that anyone could see. Wolves weren’t too hard to find. They were everywhere; people simply needed to start opening up their eyes.

“Maybe I will show you how to kill a wolf, though; I would not understand why you would want to watch such a grisly act. I am a wolf killer, I do what I do shamelessly, but that doesn’t mean my job is pretty. Of course, you do command an army. You should be use to watching bloodshed.”

The Kohaku gave a laugh, continuing to led Kangae down the streets of the city. They soon started to reach the outskirts. The lake was not too far from where they were; the trip would be a rather short one. Of course, Adam had the whole night for such mischief.

[oakumnoble1]

"Of course. We all move like pawns on His chessboard", she stared off into the dark as the left the small city center, obviously referring to her Lord, "and I am not unused to bloodshed... of any kind." Her voice was cold, hollow, yet almost... small.

Her motives were of course as thin as her disguise, there was no point in hiding them, only their details.

"I shall either see what I came to see, or I will not."

As they passed onto the road, out of the city and away from witnesses, Kangae lifted one hand to her lips mumbling. She swing her arm out to the side and dropped it gracefully, the glamour of her disguise subsiding, leaving her in green robes and proper dress, albeit with sturdy boots for the occasion. She seemed to move more properly now; it was the glamour of her disguise possibly changing some of ther movements to fit in with the spell - who knows. Her hair unfurled from beneth her disguise of a hat and scatted around her shoulders with the aid of the breeze.

"There is little defference between commanding a death and wringing that same life from a body with your own hands. You need to know how to do both, and do it well, eithout hesitation, without regret. An extension of yourself still leaves the responsibility upon yourself, be it an honorable battle or no."

[Adam Kohaku]

Adam watched her with curious eyes which were somewhat dulled in their hue as they were disguised to show no particular emotion. Maybe this was why he did not enjoy the company of many nobles. There was zombie-esque behavior that they expressed. All of them moved as if they were mythical creatures. Nobles simply did not act as truly living beings. They were distant in their own world, and they went by rules that were only created by them.

Kangae’s behavior was almost emotionless. She posed great beauty, and her movements were so elegant, so graceful. Yet, she seemed so dead inside. The wolf hunter could not help but want to shake her and wake her from whatever possessed her. He wanted to shake her and bring life back into the fragile beauty she held.

“Have you ever thought of simply walking away from all of this?” Adam questioned. “Have you ever thought of simply not doing what Oakum tells you to? You are your own soul; at least I would hope you are your own soul. Or does he own your soul?”

The Kohaku was having a hard time understand all of these nobles. The nobles had always been around, at least, for as long as he had been alive. He had grown use to the seldom appearances of nobles. They were a rare breed and usual were hidden away in their palaces.

“Why do you not free yourself?”

[oakumnoble1]

"Free myself."

There was along silence as tey walked; only the sound of their bootsteps in the interimttent gravel more interspersed with weeds from a broken down road than the parts still occupied by roadworks countless years old, once likely lovingly tended as a prize landmark of the settlement.

"Not all roads are as simple as this one, hunter.. and in some sitations, wishes such at those are.. purely selfish, at best." Her honey colored eyes stared down the ragged, worn down road as she continued to speak.

"Sometimes the bindings are deeper than simple loyalty. This why my family stayed with Him, and have sworn our allegiance to the boundaries of death itself." Her voice softened. For a moment, she almost sounded.. human.

"But this is, indeed, where the boundary ends. I do have my soul." The sentence hung ominoulsy; there was a 'but' unspoken at the end of her words.

She sighed, softly. "Some things weigh more than words, than honor... loyalty - both objects one can not hold on ones' hand or weigh on a scales, so other matters... can easily change the balance of such an unburdened measure."

She kicked a rock from the slowly disiontegrating road, which bounced merrily before lodging itself in a tuft of weeds. "Things which time can dulll, but never erase. Like this road, a memory still resides within it of what it once was, and the potential of what it can be again."

"It would not be the first time one has dreampt for this memory; to find our Paradise.. and to reclaim.." She shook her head.

Obviously her drinking, the darkness, and the current congenial state of her rather unlikely tour guide had loosened her tounge dangerously, making her not only almost human but about to spill a Noble family secret, even if it were only in metaphor and riddle.

"Sometmes it is not just a matter who you fight for... but why, in your heart, you choose to fight, to bleed, to kill, and ultimately, to die."

"My apologies" she said after a few moments, "What a sad conversation we are having."

[Adam Kohaku]

How deeply depressing these nobles could be. To think Adam had been given such a status as well. However, Adam was nothing like any of the other nobles he had met. He was still full of life, and he was not blinded by this dream of paradise. He wasn’t chasing wolves in hopes of stopping the wolves’ paradise from coming true. He was tracking and destroying the animals for his own personal need. He needed the money, and sure his killing was still selfish but he was not blinded by it. The nobles had all blinded themselves with their own need of a paradise.

“Have you ever thought that this is Paradise?” Adam questioned. “Have you ever thought that the end of the world is coming and that this is because of our own treatment of the paradise that has been given to us? Honestly, I am not really religious or spiritual, but why can’t this be Paradise?”

To him, there was no logic in this thought process. Kill the wolves to make sure they don’t open paradise. Then, the nobles come in and open their own Paradise. Yet, wolves were the only ones who could open Paradise. Of course, that was not simply their plan. They had to have a wolf; there was no doubt about it. Everything became confusing when it came to the nobles.

To Adam’s knowledge, no wolves were really hunting down paradise. Every wolf he seemed to run in had lost all hope in existing as a wild animal. They hid among humans and did not complain about what had been lost. If Paradise was truly real and a wolf was supposed to open it, the nobles would need a wolf who truly wanted Paradise.

“I guess all of this is very confusing to me. I am not a true noble, and nor am I a wolf. All I do is hunt down beasts and get paid for it.”

He fell silent for a long moment as they walked. Maybe this was all bothering him a bit too much. He never thought about such things, really. The only time he thought of such things about wolves and nobles was when he was talking to his brother Kaine. He talked to his older brother about everything really.

“I don’t understand how you nobles think you are going to open Paradise. I don’t understand why you would want to either.”