Floral Stripes [DragonSong]

[Juno]

He watched as the animal was hoisted up, looking it over to try to find something he could help with. He settled on a single leg, gingerly grasping it by the prickly fetlock to hold it slightly up and away from Akio's shoulder. "This should be fine," he murmured, stepping closer so he could follow him easily with his pathetic attempt at "helping."

[DragonSong]

A kitten. I've somehow adopted a kitten. Akio bit back a frustrated groan and muttered a few curses to himself in Thanati as he lugged the boar around to the back of the shop.

"Here." He dropped the animal without any preamble and rocked back on his heels, rubbing the back of his neck.

[Juno]

The tiger-man still didn't seem very happy, but Irah was beginning to think he was just like that and there was no pleasing him. Perhaps he would have an easier time in his company if he just accepted the surly attitude. But... No, there must be some way to get through to him. No one could be that moody at all times. Right?

"Good work," he praised with a smile, wiping his hands together and stepping back to look down at the boar as if he'd truly participated and was admiring their handiwork.

"What's my cut?" he teased with a sly smile, elbowing Akio after a pause and chuckling with a shake of his head. Couldn't have the grouch taking him too seriously, after all. "What do you normally do now? I don't want to interrupt your day too much, I did kind of just...spring this on you. I'll just be your shadow."

[DragonSong]

A growl rumbled in his throat and Akio almost snapped at his hand when he elbowed him.

"Just...keep quiet, will you?" he muttered finally, turning and starting off again. Maybe he could pawn the man off to someone else in town...

[Juno]

Keep quiet?! Irah frowned, following after the taller man but decidedly troubled. Now why would he want to do that? There was so much he wanted to see and discuss and their day had only just begun!

"Do you have a headache?" he finally guessed in a sing-song tone. "Is the sun hurting your eyes?" Or perhaps he was just dehydrated. It was so hot.

[DragonSong]

"No and no." He shot a glare over his shoulder. "Inima's sake, do you ever stop talking?"

[Juno]

He tilted his head thoughtfully, never having heard Inima spoken aloud though he knew of the Thanati goddess from his reading. So that was how it was pronounced!

"Of course I do!" He did have to sleep, after all. And his studies often took quite a lot of his concentration. Really this was the most he'd spoken to any one person in weeks but he was just bursting at the seams.

"You just seem rather...agitated, if you don't mind my saying," he pointed out with a shrug, unwilling to believe it had anything to do with himself at all. Was there some sort of taboo about speaking in public that he didn't know about?

[DragonSong]

"I am agitated," Akio growled. The coins he'd obtained from the butcher were burning a hole in his pocket- if he could stock up on some supplies, he wouldn't have to come back to town for a while, he could stay in the forests alone.

[Juno]

Irah sighed, lips tightening into a thoughtful line as he tried to figure out the obvious tension in the shifter beside him. He desperately wanted to ask him why but...he kept quiet, just waiting to see if the silence might let him relax. Instead he eyed the shops and their merchants with unspoken interest, curiosity bubbling within him for everything he didn't recognize from home.

[DragonSong]

Taking a roundabout path, Akio led him to the only inn in the small village, shouldering his way inside without much preamble. "Come on- find a seat or something," he grumbled over his shoulder.

[Juno]

Finally a building he recognized! He stepped inside after Akio, looking around with interest. He'd been in such a rush the day before he'd hardly seen what the place looked like under the cover of night.

Selecting a seat at a small table he settled himself down, folding his hands together atop it, tangling and untangling his fingers in anxious excitement as he looked around. "So why are we here?" he asked openly, tilting his head slightly as he looked up at him.

[DragonSong]

To get drunk enough that your yapping is less annoying. Akio managed to bite down on the comment and closed his eyes, breathing deeply.

"I'm getting a drink. Order what you want."

[Juno]

Irah furrowed his brow at the suggestion. Did that mean he was buying? What a kind gesture, he hadn't expected such a sense of hospitality from what he'd heard about the islanders before.

"I'll have whatever you're having, then. I prefer wine at home, but-" He shrugged, thinking the fact that he was unfamiliar with the offerings of his country was normal, though it was ironic that his favorite type of drink happened to be favored among Akio's people as well.

He eyed the middle-aged woman that approached them with interest, recognizing her as one of the innkeepers from the night before and sitting up a little straighter. She was looking at them...strangely, though, almost wary as her eyes darted between them with unspoken questions.

[DragonSong]

Not even looking at the woman, Akio leaned back in his seat with his eyes closed, eats pressed close to his skull in a combination of irritation and an attempt to block out all the noise.

"Sake. Two," he grumbled, barely cracking an eye.

[Juno]

The woman nodded with a mumbled, "Of course," before stepping away to prepare their drinks.

Irah watched her go but eyed Akio curiously once she'd disappeared. "You're doing that thing again," he pointed out, holding out a hand in gesture towards the ears upon his head. He seemed so tense. Was it really such a bother to be in town? He'd seemed so angry since they'd left the trees behind. Although...he'd seemed angry about his ineptitude out in the wilds, too.

Before he could ask anything else the woman returned, gently setting down two weird-looking pots and two laughably small cups before she stepped away from them without a word to watch from behind the safety of the inn's bar. He couldn't quite hide a chuckle of surprise. Was he meant to drink out of the larger one? Was the smaller one just decoration? The mage didn't really understand the customs or purpose surrounding the drink.

"What is all this?" he wondered aloud, pulling one of the taller pots closer to peer inside at the clear liquid within.

[DragonSong]

"Sake." Akio pulled the pot away from him to fill his cup. "Rice wine." He downed the cup in one gulp- not exactly polite, but he didn't really care- and arched an eyebrow as he refilled it. "What thing am I doing?"

[Juno]

"Oh." He watched with interest as the shifter drank before filling his own cup to drink it in cautious, tasting sips. Relieved to find that he liked it he poured another and gestured at the side of his own head in reference. "Your ears are back. You look...tense."

Irah wondered if his tail would be swishing, too, like an irritated cat, and leaned over to peek under the table.

[DragonSong]

The tail was easier to control than the ears, and Akio had managed to get it down to a twitching tip, foot tapping impatiently as he grumbled something in Thanati and downed his second cup.

"I'm not tense. I'm irritated."

[Juno]

Irah laughed softly at that as he righted himself, not really seeing a difference between the two but still puzzled. "Well why? It's a beautiful day, you're made some coin, and you've found a new friend!" He raised his cup in gesture with a grin. "And we're having this delicious...sake stuff." Considering the circumstances he thought things were going pretty swell!

[DragonSong]

"Sake," Akio corrected his pronounciation in annoyance. "And I think friend might be a stretch there, mainlander."