In want of a guide, must be straight

[Anonymous]

The kitsune in the back of the bar was drunk.

Selene's human shape was usually very intact, though one could tell it was an illusion from her shadow. Rarely, however, did she show her bushy grey tail, considering it overkill and especially hard when she wanted to be subtle. Now, it brushed lightly against a guy's face as she sat on the counter and laughed at a joke that wouldn't have been funny sober.

She hadn't intended to get drunk at a tavern in Arca, but the fact of the matter was that Selene was way too lightweight to hold her drink. Discretion counted for nothing, and the alcohol was stronger here than her slightly more frequent haunts. Her olive eyes, though they wandered groggily, occasionally grew sharp and focused on some object in the room before roaming again. While her judgment and reactions weren't the best, when intoxicated she retained just enough alertness to keep herself well out of a sticky situation.

Which was why she continued to fuss over the cat-eared man sitting at the stool close to her, flicking him again and again with her tail, which he stroked boredly as he drank. He'd told her up front that he didn't swing her way, and while she'd thrown a fit at first, the kitsune treated him as insurance now. No other guy would take advantage of her (unless she so chose) if they assumed she was with him. (Luckily, he was too drunk to be annoyed at the fact he wouldn't get much action sitting with her, too.)

Selene continued to sip her tea, which she'd switched in for the beer, and looked around the room again. The fact of the matter was, she had come in looking for directions and rumors. Wandering was only fun if you came across interesting sights once in a while. There were a few interesting places in Serendipity, but getting there wasn't going to be easy with the highlands in the way. Anything that lived up there—wolves, mountain lions, flesh-eating sheep—would be able to take her down. She needed a big, strong, handsome traveling companion who didn't play on a different team.

"Stop talking to yourself, foxy," Cat-Ears muttered. He pulled on her tail, causing her to lose balance and topple into his lap. "Or at least tell me what you're mumbling. You're rude."

Selene swatted at one of his orange ears then hopped off him, balancing with some effort. Her shadow arched its back in a stretch as she lifted her arms above her head, her shirt coming up slightly to show a rather thin midriff before she looked around again.

"I said, I need someone to guide me through the mountains." She glanced at him; he offered a pronounced shrug in return and went off to flirt.

The kitsune sighed and sipped her tea again, looking for someone else to bother.

[Anonymous]

"There was a Man who wanted to become
A Creature, a monster of sorts never before seen;
He did it for all of his Kingdome
But the commotion, it created a scene.
For this man was no longer a man at all,
But something his people no longer trusted.
Though the world was his he spiraled into a great fall
Until he hit the earth and lay until he rusted.
But one day his people cried out in need,
Their Kingdome was in pearl once more.
And though they feared the Creature indeed
The Shadow was coming to their door."

This wasn't necessarily one of the best stories to tell. Everyone knew how it ended and the only people that actually liked it were the elderly or the men off at war. It was an old tale from the time when the world almost ended. Definitely something Shahin wasn't very fond of. But there were times when one's life and career choice left you with little options. Money was short, and these types of boring, dull stories did a great job of bringing in funds.

The tavern here in Arca was one of his favorites. Normally these places had the smell of beer, vomit and metal, but not here. Well, it still smelled like beer, but the place was well maintained and the throw up was non-existing and the metal smell was replaced with that of wood varnish. This tavern also had much better company. Even the loud drunks didn't seem so loud here.

Shahin didn't really mind drunk. Drunks often made for the best company. They definitely had interesting stories to tell, and there were always good laughs involved when dealing with people that had little self control. Oh, and lets not forget that a drunk was much more daring with his coin then when he was sober. At this point in time, one drunk in the bar caught his eye. She seemed to be upset about something and he could venture to guess what it was upsetting her. But he knew better than to say anything.

"They needed the Creature
And prayed for his assistance
And at first it seemed their future,
Would be left in the hands of the resistance.
But the Creature felt their prayers,
And couldn't bear to sit by watching;
So his body transformed and his rusted layers
Dissolved until a lone man was left standing
For he was reborn again with power;
Power to vanquish the Shadow with light.
And so he climbed the tallest tower
And destroyed It during this final fight.
For now the world was saved it seemed,
And the man's soul was forever redeemed."

The Poem was over and he was relieved. People left their tips and thanked him. He couldn't help but look over once again to where the woman was sitting at the bar. She seemed to be bothering a man with cat ears. At least this was how it seemed to him. The man didn't seem very interested. He couldn't help but laugh. He knew his gut told him to stay away, but lets face it, he was as curious as they came.

Shahin gathered his money and strapped the lute to his back before quietly making his way to the bar. He stood within earshot of the two when he raised his hand to the waiter.
"Oh John, when you get a chance. The usual for me." He put down the cost for his drink, plus a little more on the table for tip and to thank him for allowing him to play in his tavern. Tavern owners had the right to send him along his way, and though most didn't do so, he still felt thankful.

"I said, I need someone to guide me through the mountains."

Shahin's ears perked up at hearing this. His attention moved once more to the two. The man was now completely ignoring her and she seemed as frustrated as ever. Part of him wanted to smile and laugh, but the other part of him told him to try and help. But then there was this really annoying and loud part of him that was telling him stay away. For some reason, Shahin never really enjoyed listening to that part. He leaned back in his stool so that she could see him when he spoke.

"Aye my lady, and what mountain would it be you need guiding through?" Shahin smiled and waited for her response with a sip of his rum.

[Anonymous]

Something was missing.

Selene cocked her head; her shadow flexed its ears to find the source of the absence of sound. Some background noise—a rhythmic voice and an instrument—had trailed off and left the bar full of the usual chatter. She scowled and sat down, wrapping her arms tightly around herself as Cat Ears staggered in the direction of potential dates. What the hell was she going to do now? She was going to need a meal before the end of the day, and her scarce coins had run out. At least she preferred flesh and blood prey to this odd cheese and bread, which tasted neat but didn't agree with her stomach most of the time.

She sighed again, melodramatically, getting her some glares from tavern patrons that had wanted peace from other people's problems. However, someone else instead grew interested.

Selene's olive eyes snapped to the painfully handsome man, her expression growing clear again as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped on her. She swallowed and averted her gaze coyly. "The Wester Highlands." She smiled slightly at him, as if unsure of herself, though had she been dog rather than fox her tail would be wagging.

"I would call myself a traveler, though I've seemed to have hit a snag in my sightseeing. This is a gorgeous kingdom, and I regret that I'm not strong enough to travel through it alone. As you can see, I'm about as sturdy as a twig."

Her eyes went unfocused again, though more because she was focusing inwardly than her tipsy state of being. If she didn't play him right, or if he wasn't the least bit gullible, she would never get what she required. She needed a protector to help her keep moving; the fact that he was a heartthrob (which she categorized most of the opposite sex as) was merely a bonus.

Somewhere the cat-eared man grinned with delight when he saw his burden had turned her attention away from him.