Ro's Announcement

The Dragon's Head Tavern and Inn, Vorland, 1439 ATC

"Venserrrr! Where the fuck is he?! I know he's here!"

Looking over as a light flashed to her side, Nuikia's crystal blue eyes widened slightly at Ruari's actions. She'd never seen her so upset, and wasn't sure whether she should stay quiet or try and console her friend. So, with no other other ideas, she put more silver on the counter to quietly order a piece of cheesecake from Brea in hopes in might make her feel better.

Before taking the new coins, Natalie the redheaded barmaid said something she didn't quite catch as she appeared to drop off Nuikia's tea and she removed her face mask, grabbing her cup to take a nice long drink.

"Thank you Nat. You're the best."

As she spoke next, she almost whispered, as she did not want to anger Ro further, for whatever the reason was.

"Umm.... Do you want to talk about it?"

"Yeah, maybe talking about it will help?" The burgenday haired, fox faced barmaid asked, before adding, "I can ask Brea to make you fresh cheesecake if you'd like."

The islandic elf huffed out a laugh, positively seething. "No, no, I dont think talking would help me much... Cheesecake would almost do it... You know what really would, though? A good, old fashioned... Murder." The islandic elf sat down on the counter instead of in a stool, facing Nuikia with a fake smile.

The wild elf recoiled slightly in her chair, not looking directly into the other woman's eyes like she normally would. She didn't want to see the anger in her sapphire eyes. Whatever had pissed her off, Nuikia was glad she wasn't it... But the way Ro was looking at her made her feel very uneasy, so she fidgeted a bit in her chair. Natalie Nash didn't say anything either, just slowly wiping down the bar.

"Oh, it's simple really. Just try not to panic when you hear sudden screams of agony and then the sickening sounds of breaking bones." Rauri grinned, looking around for a certian someone as her sharp ears twitched.

"Speaking of which, have you happened to see Venser at all? I think he's been dodging the tavern, that son of a bitch."

Nuikia's eyes darted nervously around the room, she hadn't seen him since... A fee weeks?

The wild elf was not sure. Time worked so strangely.

Taking a deep breath, she finally brought herself to look at Ruari's face as she spoke in a soft voice, deciding not to comment on what she had said about screams and breaking bones. "No, not at all. It's been what, two months? Three? I honestly can't remember, Ro."

With a scoff Ruari leaned back on the counter, her overbearing rage now down to mild anger.

"Of course not... Well, I guess I'll just have to kill him at a later date. Or find where his farm is in Pryldahn." Rauri stated casually, shrugging as if it were just a small inconvienence. "Anyways, did something new happen that I should know about? Nat? Nuikia?"

"A lots happened. You never know who you're gonna meet here or what's gonna happen." The barmaid said with a shrug.

Nuikia raised a brow at how easily her mood could change, tilting her head to the left in curiousity at her question. "No, not that I'm aware of. Why?" She leaned forward and reached out to grab her glass, taking another general drink of her tea.

"Oh, no reason." The islandic elf swung her legs as she awaited someone's arrival, much like an impatient child would wait for a meal.

"I was just curious. Plus, it takes my mind off of fighting, which I apparently need to do. A little cutlass action... A little... Beating Venser's brains out with my staff!"

''OHHHHH! Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name! And they're always glad you came!'' Outside, Venser sang to himself while he grilled steak on the brick BBQ pit he had made years back, intoxicated. Joffery the giraffe was just sitting on the ground watching him cook.

''Hey urggggh... Joffery, ya want some with secret sauce?'' Venser asked looking to the tavern's pet giraffe as he flipped over a steak, gesturing to the plastic bottle of dark green liquid beside him. There was no response.

''Alright, let's top it off with a good bourbon!'' He picked up small, bright red capsules and pulled the tops off them, then poured the contents onto the grill.

''Oh this is gonna be- Hic! Great!'' A fireball blew up in Venser's face and he fell back.

''Ah fuck I'm on fire! Ahhhh!'' He screamed running around in circles outside.

The wild elf's long ears perked up at the sound of Venser's screaming outside.

"I think I found him." Nuikia then continued to drink her tea, still wondering what the man had done to anger Ro and out her on a manhunt, but with him, there was no telling.

Ruari's long, pointed ears perked up at the sound of Venser's cries. An evil grin graced her lips as she turned to look outside.

"Speak of the demon..." She muttered, hopping off the counter to open a window and call out to him.

"Burn, bitch, burn!"

''Hoo hoo! Arghh! Arghhh!'' Venser fell to the ground and rolled about on the grass, setting it on fire too.

''Get some water!''

He yelled clapping his hands together twice, summoning the shadow tendrils. One threw a bucket of water on him and another on the grass. Venser got up, his beard and outfit singed but still intact.

''Ah ha ha ha! That was exciting!'' He mumbled walking back over to the grill, putting a few on a plate.

"Awh..." Ro sighed, dissapointed that there was no lasting damage done. "Hey, Ven! I need to have a few words with you!" She yelled out to him, the anger that had simmered down now coming back.

"Preferably NOW!"

''Come down here I just made dinner!'' Venser called back walking over to a picnic table. ''If Nuika is up there bring her too, uh everyone in the tavern! I wanna use this pit as much as I can before the snow falls!''

The islandic elf grumbled for a second before turning to her concerned friend, the fake smile returning. "Hey, Venser made food. Do you want some? I promise I won't kill him... At that moment..."

Nuikia stood and shrugged, sniffing the air a bit to see if she could tell what had been cooking. Barbeque. "I won't make you wait just because of some food. By all means, go right ahead." She bowed with her hands presenting the way outside to Venser. Even if it was seafood down there, she could just eat it while Ruari killed Venser.

The food was what was important anyway.

Ruari looked taken aback, tears pricking her eyes. "...I love you. You're like the best friend I've always wanted, and more." She told Nuikia before wiping away the tears and leaping out the window. She landed effortlessly on her feet, using magic to do so, and quickly walked over to Venser. She pulled him in close by his tunic and spoke low enough that no one else could hear her.

"Care to explain to me why Shaumea thinks I'm a fucking mother, you bastard?"

Venser, with a mouthful of steak shrugged and let out a clueless grunt while chewing on his food.

"Uh, who? And could you watch the shoulders please?"

Nuikia's cheeks flushed slightly and a wide smile grew on her face at the words other woman spoke, glad she could at least make her a little happy. She then turned and quickly went down the stairs to join to others outside, but she was cautious and kept her distance in case Ruari stayed true to her word and did try to kill Venser.

Her grip on his clothes tightened as she giggled at his answer. "Listen, when an elven god of fertility and birth tells me I'm a mother, I kinda have to take his word for it. And I don't know about you, but becoming a mother isn't very high on my to-do list. At all. So you better pray to your gods that this is all a joke."

She let go of him, moving to go sit at the picnic table.

Venser wasn't too sure what to say, or act. He just gulped and then cleared his throat. All he tried to do was keep cool for now, and let the two cool down themselves. It had been obvious he has been drinking.

But how many times had he had this conversation, getting a woman pregnant, really?

''That's what happens when we have sex. So, a medium rare, nuked, or one with secret sauce? You know what they say, you're not you when you're hungry! So let's all eat and then talk, yeah?" Venser asked Rauri serving himself a nuked one.

"... Fine. Medium rare, I guess." Ro answered calmly, as if that whole conversation didn't just happen, gripping her fists together.

Assuming that it was safe enough for her to move over to the table where Ro sat, she took a seat beside her friend and gave her a warm smile.

"What does nuke mean?" Nuikia asked.

''It doesn't matter, you don't want it. How about the secret sauce? C'mon, it's good.'' Venser urged setting one steak with secret sauce, if there was any on her plate. And then served one for Nuikia.

''Glad you can join us.'' He said with a smile sitting down. ''Don't eat too slowly or the secret sauce with paralize you.'' He said before a loud crash was heard.

''Seriously Joffery?'' He asked setting his knife down before he could dig into his food, walking over to the giraffe who knocked down his own home.

''How'd you do this?''

Ruari returned her friend's smile, anger no longer as prevalent. She looked down at the steak placed in front of her skeptically. "What type of steak paralyzes people?" She asked, poking at it with a fork.

She looked down at her steak and then back up to Venser with a raised eyebrow. "I'd like to know that myself. I'm not touching that."

Venser couldn't hear them while he placed Daryl's home right side up. The giraffe just ignored Venser and began to munch on some leaves in a nearby tree. He returned to the table and cut a piece of his steak, popping it into his mouth. ''So what do ya think?''

"I think you're trying to kill us."

"Or paralyze us so you can have your way with our bodies."

''What! Noooo.'' Venser almost whined, chuckling a bit.

''Here.''

He leaned over the table and cut some of Nuikia's steak, popping a piece into his mouth. He chewed it and then swallowed it. ''Ah. It's good. Getting paralyzed is just a part of it. It tastes amazing! But the secret sauce will paralyze ya.''

The wild elf cautiously pushed the plate away from her and put her face mask back on, tightening it around her face. "Yea, I'm not eating that."

With a curious hum, the islandic took a bite of the steak. Confusion took over her features as she chewed. "The flavor is so weird... Are you sure this is edible?"

''Yeah. Been doing it for years. I know it may be a bit sweet at first. But it's still great.'' Venser said swiping Nuiika's plate away. ''Fine. Go hungry then.''

She took another bite from the steak as she spoke. "So, again, what paralyzes people that you covered the meat in?"

"Eh, I'm sure I'll be fine." Shrugging her shoulders Nuikia looked over at the woman beside her, smiling behind her mask as a light flush appeared on her cheeks again. She looked away quickly and stared at the table, scratching her cheek to cover up any blush that might be showing.

''Something from home called anti-freeze. Can't really tell ya exactly what it is.'' He said popping another piece into his mouth.

"I highly doubt anything called 'anti-freeze' could be healthy... What the fuck, Venser?" Ro set her fork back down on her plate, coughing up her food.

"I have to agree with her. I'm rather glad I didn't try it."

''Well you're missing out. So, since we're all calm now let's talkkkkk- Venser froze up and fell forward, his face going right into the platter of steaks.

A grin spread across Ro's face as she watched him fall. "Serves you right."

She looked over at Ruari. "Wait, won't that be you soon?"

"Nah, I'm not really affected by poisons or toxins anymore." She shrugged, poking Venser's head as he lay in the steaks. "If anything, I'll just get a little headache or something like that."

"That's awesome." The blonde wild elf joined in on poking Venser's motionless head.

"Let's dump him in the lake or... Nuikia. Hand me your knife..." Rauri asked with a wicked grin at the helpless Venser.