"No, you aren't making me uncomfortable. I am worried that I might have made you uncomfortable. Most people don't enjoy being observed so thoroughly. They try hard to hide things and don't appreciate it when someone can see through them. Alai would be angry if he knew what I could see about him, probably even angrier at me if he knew I had told you such things. He hides his pain because he doesn't want anyone to know it's there." He shook his head slightly, and leaned forward a bit. His eyes on her. "Why are you so worried that I'm disinterested in you? Is it because of the way I'm always looking around, at others. Or is it because I don't make my intentions very clear? I think it's because I don't make my intentions clear enough. I assure you, I am not disinterested, I just don't know how to go about courting someone who isn't worthy of my attentions at all." He sounded so sure, so certain that he really wasn't worth the attention she gave to him. "I have nothing to offer you but honesty and astute observations."

She started to say that she was unsure about being so observed but that part of her enjoyed being noticed but he had continued. She blushed as he began to muse aloud about why she thought he may be disinterested in her company. The blush only deepened as he continued and for a moment she couldn't speak. He wanted to court her? She felt her heart leap in her chest and she wasn't sure how to respond. Part of her was afraid of loss again, but part of her felt so excited...an end to the loneliness... She shook her head, however, and blushed deeply.

"I... i have nothing better to offer you... you are not unworthy of me. You are gentle and kind..." Nara trailed off, unsure what to say. She bit her lip and blushed. She reached out a hand slowly and put it over his even if she didn't look up at him. She wasn't sure why she wanted to say yes, she just knew that she couldn't say no. He was so warm...

He had been so forward with her, and it made him worry slightly that it would scare her off or make her uncomfortable. It didn't, and he smiled lightly at her. "Gentleness and kindness are not my only traits. I can be frightening and vicious when times call for it, though if I have a choice, I would choose gentleness and kindness every time." When she put her hand over his, he looked down at their hands, then back at her. Smile still on his lips, though for once he looked the tiniest bit uncertain, that uncertain look was gone very quickly though. Perhaps it hadn't been there long enough for her to see it. He turned his hand over, so this fingers could curl gently around her hand. So he could hold her hand firmly but delicately.

"I don't think ... you would ever find the need to be frightening or vicious to me. Even if some others do...But...I would like to get to know you." She whispered softly, her eyes searching his thoughtfully. She caught the moment of uncertainty and started to pull her hand back only for him to capture her fingers. She let her hand relax and clutch his slightly, even as it made her blush. She took a sip of her tea, her throat feeling slightly dry. Just such a simple touch... but it still made her heart beat faster and her eyes did not leave his.

"No..I'm only frightening and vicious to my enemies. Even so, I would hate for you to see me in such a state. I would never let anyone be vicious or frightening towards you." He held to her hand gently, his purple eyes staring deep into her eyes. He was sincere, he was always sincere. He liked the way she blushed, he liked the way he could feel her flames, passion and otherwise, leap about around her. Flames that he knew he caused, his touch fueled them and he enjoyed it, his own fires of passion were burning, though he had a tight control over them. Control over how they showed or didn't show. It was exciting on so many levels, and the Eladrin let himself relax completely. He didn't let go of her hand, had no intention of letting go of it any time soon but he would let her go if she pulled away. "I like it when you blush." He spoke those words quietly, very quietly. His voice meant for only her ears and no others.

She started to say 'but he barely knew her' but his sincerity made her fall silent instead. She simply held his hand tightly, so helpless to his touch but not really understanding why. She couldn't pull away, not when he touched her. The simple gentle touch was stronger then an iron chain to the young woman and she knew it. She wanted to be protected by those strong hands, held by them, loved by them... and that was a first. She had always been the one to protect, not the one to be protected. She was good at it, she enjoyed it, but as he spoke those words and held her hand being protected instead suddenly sounded so very appealing.

As he commented on her blush she couldn't help but blush deeper. She slid her head forward so her hair protected it from being seen from the other patrons but as her eyes did not leave his and their was not much to make shadow over her face he would see it still. He would know the effect of him liking anything of her would be. Her prior lover had not so enjoyed her being so easy to blush, it made her seem more innocent then she was but she couldn't help it.

"I...I do not know what to say...I do not know why, you effect me so deeply. I can't... I can't stop blushing" She whispered softly, as she gazed at him. Part of her wanted him to have an answer, part of her didn't. She just knew that he had her trapped and she loved every minute. Was he always so gentle in courting she wondered inwardly.

Her golden eyes went to the woman as she smiled. "No problem." Everest hands them each a key to the same room before pouring a glass of whiskey for the gentleman. She looked at the pair while pouring a glass of cool water for the blonde woman. "Just let me know if I can get anything for you." Aquarius and Airey looked at the couple before preening themselves on their perch. The elf smiled at the pair as she looked to make sure the others were taken care of.

((Sorry, it isn't much to go off of.))

Jessie and Alvin took their keys and offered their thanks. As the elf topped off Alvin's glass he rested his hand on the bottle. "Just leave it," he said, feeling Jessie's glare burning a hole through him already. For the first time, he took in the elf's appearance. She was certainly easy on the eyes to put it in gentleman's terms, though his thoughts were far from gentlemanly.

He removed his sunglasses now and set them on the bar beside him. His dark brown eyes showed a life of hardship, as did the scar through his left eyebrow that prevented hair from growing, cutting the brow in half. His features were hardened but his eyes were kind, like his heart. A faint smile turned up one corner of his mouth and he looked away from her to see Jessie, fuming of course. That caused him a larger smile and he nudged her in ribs playfully. "I was only looking," he mumbled, for now...

Jessie rolled her eyes. If they weren't in public she would have slapped him for acting in such a rude way. She was glaring at him still as he tossed back the entire glass of whiskey and poured himself another. Jessie could feel herself grinding her teeth. She opened her mouth to say something and Alvin shushed her, not wanting the lecture. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a very large roll of cash and set it on the bar top. It was far more than the room was worth for the night and the bottle combined. In fact, it would probably pay for every room in the place for a month, and all of the liquor behind the bar.

He grabbed the bottle by the neck and his glass and moved away from the bar to sit at a table in a dimly lit corner of the Tavern. Jessie grabbed her water. Her knuckles were white from the angry grip she had on the poor glass. She also picked up his sunglasses, another of the many things he'd have long lost if not for her, and followed him to the table. He'd already finished off another full glass by the time they reached the dimly lit corner. As he sat, Jessie chunked the sunglasses at him, hitting him square in the chest.

"What do you think you're doing?", Jessie asked. Her tone was angry and she was clearly trying hard to keep her voice down. "You know better than to drink like this, you know how you get. Do you want to get yourself caught?" Alvin rolled his eyes and tossed back another glass. "Put a lid on it Jess. Why don't you have a drink and relax. This place is quiet, no one will find me here."

From anywhere else in the area, people would notice the two getting louder, angrier. Their voices would begin to carry and a lot of curse words would be heard. Jessie yelled, "This is just like you Alvin. Not giving a damn about how your actions effect anyone else!" Alvin glared angrily at her, "If I'm such a fucking inconvenience Jessie then leave!" Jessie looked clearly hurt, "Okay Alvin, if you want to run off the last person on this planet who cares if you live or die, fine. Just add my name to the list of people who finally gave up on you, just like Jenny."

Before anyone would see it coming, the table flipped over with the bottle and glasses shattering onto the floor and Alvin was in Jessie's face. "Don't you EVER talk about Jen like she willingly walked away from me." Jessie looked unfazed. "How could she? Thanks to you, she never had a chance." "It wasn't my fault!" In the blink of an eye, Alvin reached back and backhanded Jessie. Without waiting to hear another word, he stormed away, across the floor and out the back to get some fresh air. His eyes held back the tears until he was out of the Tavern before they began to stream down his face. He yelled out angrily and punched a hole through the nearby window to a back room.

Jessie knew she'd crossed the line, but she did it on purpose. She didn't know how else to get through to Alvin anymore. As he stormed away she was left standing there holding onto her cheek that had begun to burn. Tears streamed down her face, too. She was no longer aware of anyone else in the Tavern as she was consumed by guilt and anger, and sadness.

{{Maybe that will give a little something to work with?}}

Kry's lips parted, to say something. Probably something sweet, probably something else about how blushing made Nara look so cute. Those words never got the chance to leave his lips. His head jerked up, purple eyes watching the couple that had moved to a dimly lit table. The fires of fury were burning around them, swirling and growing hotter even as the two's voices grew louder. The Eladrin had let go of Nara's hand and was on his feet, just as the table went crashing over. The ancient creature took a step towards them and winced slightly as the man hit the girl. Kry grit his teeth, bit his tongue and clamped down on his own anger that had risen from that action.

Purple eyes followed the man as he slipped away, then his eyes were on the girl. Standing there, holding her cheek. He was torn, should he go speak to them, if so, which one? Could he do anything to help? Surely he must be able to. He looked at Nara, suddenly feeling lost and helpless, even with the presence of his god swirling around him, the phoenix's voice whispering in his ear. He felt helpless and lost, but it did not show in his features or in his eyes. He was better than anyone at hiding his true feelings behind a mask. Understood all to well how best to do such a thing. He looked at the woman again, she had just been struck by a man, so perhaps it would be best if Nara tried to comfort her. Tried to help. For a moment he closed his eyes and opened them. "Nara, perhaps we should try to help?" He indicated the crying girl with the slight nod of his head, but he would wait for Nara's response before doing anything.

Alai had nearly jumped out of his seat when the table crashed. He had tried to ignore the angry loud voices, but he couldn't ignore the crashing table. Or the way the man had slapped that girl. Alai had let go of Noah's hand and he was on his feet in moments, his skirt and cloak swirling around him as anger flashed in his normally happy blue eyes and he ran after the man. No, no one hit a woman while he was around and got away with it. He gave Kry a quick glance, but the Eladrin didn't seem to notice it. Alai knew better, Kry knew exactly what he was doing and what he intended, of that the healer was sure.

The white haired nonhuman came out the back behind the man. Blue eyes were set in a glare, and his normally smiling lips were frowning deeply. He flinched when the man yelled and punched a hole in the window, the glass shattering. Alai shook his head, his heart pounded. This man was going to kill him for this, he was sure of it. "Look here mister. I won't let no one, and I mean NO ONE hurt a lady while I'm around. It's just plain rude." Alai came quickly towards the man, intending to pay him back the hit he had delivered to that girl, but Alai's hit wasn't an open handed smack, his fist was balled. Still he was just a slender and slight young man. Very feminine looking, and even sounding. If his fist did connect, he doubted it would do much hurt to the man.

She looked at the man and left the bottle for him. The elf ignored the gaze of the man and continued to inventory her alcohol as the couple moved away from the bar. Her ears picked up on their conversation as their voices and tempers flared. When the man placed the money on the counter, Everest accepted it as a donation to keep the tavern a safe place for everyone. The elf tried not to interfere in people's conversations. But when the man flipped the table and slapped the blonde woman, Everest considered it her job.

The elf jumped over the bar and looked at the woman as the man left the tavern to cool off. Her golden eyes went to the injured woman with concern. "Are you alright?" She asked before setting up the table again. Everest looked at the young man that had tried to hit the blonde man back. "Enough, Alai. There will be no more violence in this tavern." Her eyes went to the blue haired man as she caught his fist in her hand.

Alvin wasn't aware of Alai's approach until he spoke. Alvin turned around with nothing left but sadness in his eyes. When the fist began making it's way towards Alvin's face he didn't move an inch, he wanted to be punched, he deserved to be punched. When the bartender grabbed Alai's fist, Alvin was almost angry at her. He deserved that punch, what business of any of this was hers? Well, what business was it of Ali's for that matter? He turned away from them and sucked in a lung full of the fresh air.

Inside Jessie quickly made her way upstairs to their room and into the bathroom where she washed her face off. She stood staring in the mirror for a few moments at the bruise that had began to form on her cheekbone. It wasn't the first time they'd gotten in a fight like that nor was it the first time he'd struck her although that only ever happened when he'd been drinking, something he picked up from his father and something Jessie was used to.

Unbeknownst to anyone inside the tavern, a small group of men approached. They looked rugged and ruthless and they had a mission, to kill Alvin. As the three men stepped up to the door of the Tavern one of them, the biggest of the four kicked in the door. They all strode in with cocky smiles and five o'clock shadows. They were clearly equipped with weapons and looked like they could use them with their eyes closed.

Upstairs Jessie jumped at the sound of the door being kicked open. Her heart skipped a beat, she knew they'd been found. One man stood guard at the front door to keep anyone from exiting as another strode to the back door to do the same. The third man headed up the stairs where the sound of doors being kicked in one by one could be heard. The fourth man held up a picture of Alvin. "We know he's here," he growled to the patrons. "Where?" The picture was of Alvin with his long blonde hair down and no sunglasses. At the top it read, "Rewarded $500,000 for the death of one Alvin Bennette".

Moments later a scuffle could be heard upstairs. The sound of a lamp breaking and the exchange of harsh words followed. A sound much like the one heard when Alvin slapped Jessie could be heard and then more harsh words. Something about a bounty and an accomplice, then Jessie was being dragged downstairs by her arm as blood trickled down from her busted lip. "He isn't here," she said angrily, hoping Alvin wouldn't come inside. "We split up days ago."

In the next moment the man shoved Jesse onto the ground in the middle of the floor and pulled out a gun firing off a round into the ceiling. Jessie's heart raced and she prayed that Alvin would run away. "You're lying," the man said to her as he pointed the gun at her now.

Nara twitched her ears at the sound of the arguing voices but before she could even turn Kry had released her hand and was whispering for her permission. She was already standing and looked at the girl with pity. She was tempted to start over there even before kry spoke so she nodded. Before either of them could get over there, however, the bartender was handling it. She placed a hand on Kry's upper arm and watched her in thought. She might have sat down but the group of men entered. Silently she leaned into Kry's back. She recognized hunters of two legged creatures on instinct, having experienced some in the mountains of her home lands and some once she was exiled.

"Something bad is about to happen..." She whispered softly, her voice having a more chilling effect then before. In fact the whole room seemed a little colder. The water in the air had cooled but also seemed slightly fresher somehow so it smelled like fresh mountain air. Nara could not help it as her power lifted and she watched as the girl was dragged downstairs. She jumped slightly at the shot and her ears lowered but she stepped out from behind cry, her eyes narrowing. Her voice would grow colder, enough that those listening would feel like a bucket of ice water was suddenly splashed over them.

"I do not believe you should fire guns here... Someone could get hurt." She said in a strange child-like, but emotionless voice, the freezing ice feeling in her voice wrapping around the men like coats. She stared at them, her feline reflexes ready to react if they shot at her though she looked perfectly relaxed with her ears down and her hands limp at her sides but her claws were released. Her fur seemed to be standing on end slightly but there was no expression on her face. Her words implied that she was concerned with innocents... but it could mean anything.

((Eeep! Sorry I haven't posted in forever! >.<; Life just kind of got in the way for a while.))

The waves of hostility had blurred both Seer's focus. Sunny shut her eyes, trying to keep her breathing even. Thoughts running at hundreds of miles an hour clouded Noah's own thoughts, and he barely noticed Alai's fingers slip out of his. When the table flipped and the glass shattered, the pair looked at each other, though neither were sure that they could form coherent sentences.

"Should we leave?" Sunny whispered.

"I-I don't-" Noah didn't want to, but when things got this bad, it was usually their cue to leave.

When they heard gunfire, Sunny's breath caught in her throat and Noah's heart almost stopped. They were on their feet in surprise more than anything. They couldn't ignore the situation any longer, but neither knew what they could do about it. Noah grabbed Sunny's hand. They were just going to have to tough it out, then. Their eyes were locked on the commotion in front of them. Whatever was to happen, they'd do what they could.

She flutters up to the building and flutters inside, deciding to stay in her small form. "Hello!" she calls happily to the other patrons, not even paying attention to the obvious hostile situation going on, accidentally flying into someone, thumping to the ground with a squeak, glasses flying off somewhere.

Everest let go of Alai's hand as Jessie ran back up to her room. But her eyes quickly to the group of men that kicked in her door and entered with weapons. She watched as they split up and one went upstairs towards Jessie's room. The elf looked at the men as they held up a wanted poster of the man that struck Jessie. Even though she recognized him, her eyes went to the man holding the poster and said "Sir, even if he was here, this tavern is a neutral place for all of my guests who stay within the grounds. I will not tell you if he is here or not. It is my job to keep violence and hate from entering this tavern. So if you will collect your friends and leave, before I have to banish you from this place."

She said as Aquarius and Aqua descended to her shoulder. Her eyes on the man as the energy within the building started to change.