Sins amongst friends (OPEN )

Sinsiew (click for info) was worn out. Having spent the entire day fighting in the open plains outside of Jeuno her legs and feet was ready to kill her now.

Walking through the gates, she nodded at the Galka who stood on watch as she made her way past the Inn and it's warm inviting light spilling through the windows. Sin wasn't in the mood for alcohol, but she decided she wanted some company so she went inside, nodded at the barman who was a friend with how many times she and Cru had stopped by there in the evenings for a drink.

Now she just slid down by a table in the corner and observed the other patrons at the Inn. Before Cru got appointed World Leader they would have been like these other guests; drinking and having fun after a hard day of fights. But now... Crucent didn't seem to have time for much fun anymore, she was always stuck in her new Palace, doing paperwork or meeting important people and Sin had come to realize that she missed her old friend.

Apart from Crucent she didn't really have anybody she could call her friend. Most women got jealous and angry when they saw her, and the guys just wanted to get into her skirts, not like Victor. Now there was a man who had peaked her intrest and then some. She had never met a man who was so... kind, or shy before.

Sighing a little SinSiew waved at the barman, indicating she wanted a glass of water, a few minutes later he had one of the barmaids deliver it and she took a sip, still sittling alone and thinking, all she wanted right now was a friend.

Tora was having a lazy day, which was kinda like most of all his days since he was more of a night person anyway. He was sprawled out building window looking out to all what was going on below. As he watched the people rush about their daily lives, he saw something he hadn't in a while, a mithran women. He watched her pass by and as she entered a building Tora accidently leaned out too far and fell from the windowsill. He wasn't able to catch himself and fell all the way down unto an unsuspecting tent vendor, feet first of course. The tent and all her merchandise was ruined, and boy was she NOT happy. She began to yell at him very loudly.
"How can you be so irresponsible, you fell right unto my stall and completely destroyed it."
She began to swing her arms at him though it didnt really seem to have much effect on him, but he had his arms over his head in defense.
"Sorry ma'am I can pay for the damages, see?."
He handed her a bag full of gil and began bowing repeatedly for her forgiveness, and she was bowing back in praise for his generous payment. Tora thought he would do something else to pay her back. He used his armors ability to climb the wall and went back into the room he was in returning back out with a guitar. Though it was not really the time or place he began to play a song as he walked leaned against the wall which drew in a crowd.(SONG)
The song seemed to get her some business as people gathered to listen to the music. The shopkeeper woman was almost in tears, not because of the song but because of all the money she was making because of it.

The dwarven woman walked through the crowd, not really paying attention to anything, but not letting anything go unnoticed either. Her long black hair was pulled up in a sensible tail to keep out of her face and her skin was the color of burnished copper, something she actually wasn't proud of.

Dwarven women weren't supposed to see the sun long enough to be kissed by it so dramatically. Ilserun, though, was an exception from her people in more ways than she could count. Not only had she walked aboveground long enough to burn red-brown, she'd lived with elves and trained with them as well.

And she'd found herself the adopted mother of a particularly troublesome, and adorable, little mithra girl. It was to better understand her "daughter" that brought Ilserun to Vana'diel this particular day. She wanted to learn more about Mithra in general, hoping it could help her keep Mairi out of trouble, though she rather suspected that she was on the losing end of that particular battle.

She walked past the performing musician, noting the music and the crowd, and made her way into the tavern, noticing that there was a single Mithra warrior sitting at a table by herself. She walked over and bowed to the woman. "Would you mind if I sat with you this day?"

Looking a little surprised; Sin looked at the woman and nodded "Cerrrtainly" Sitting up straight, she gestured to the vacant seat across from herself. Nice to meet you. My name is SinSiew, Sin to frrriends, who might you be?"

Ilserun nodded and sat down, settling the great axe she carried so that the handle didn't get in the way of the back of the chair. "Thank you. I'm Ilserun, formerly of Mount Duergar on the World of One, though I haven't been back to the Mountain in many years. I admit that I sought you out because I hoped that you could be of help to me."

She paused, gathering her thoughts. "I am a dwarf, and unused to the different races of people which are common on the various worlds, but I was... well, I believe the phrase is that I was adopted as a mother by a young Mithra girl and I am at a loss for understanding her." A serving girl walked up to take her order and Ilserun requested a lemonade. She didn't know if she dared try anything stronger until she learned more about this world and what, exactly, the beverages entailed.

She turned back to Sinsiew. "Mairi is a precious child, but I do not understand how much of her ways are her own oddities and how much is because she is a Mithra. Perhaps you would be willing to help me?"

The serving girl brought a glass of lemonade for her and set it down. Ilserun gave her the necessary coins and then turned back to Sin, curious about her response.

Intrigued, Sin though about it a little then nodded.

"Okay, I'll help as much as I can. What do you want to know?"
Sitting up in her seat, the Mithra felt curious, and a bit flattered cause normally most people just saw her as Cru's friend, instead of SinSiew the person. After analyzing the new feeling, she decided she liked it.

After the large crowd of people left the stand Tora was left guitar still in hand. Looking across the ay at the bar that the Mithra went into he thought for a second and then proceeded to go inside. The barkeep looked up and seemed to look at him with a weird face, which didn't surprise Tora since Mithra men were not very common anywhere, not even in Vana'Diel. He sat down a couple of seat from the two women and asked for glass sitting his guitar down next to him.
"A bottle of catnip wine if you got it."
The bartender gave him a funny grin, but a customer was a customer so she got him what he wanted. He paid her what he owed (and then some) and was given a glass. Tora poured a bit into the glass and swallowed it up. He didn't usually drink, but today was a day for him to relax and have fun and that's just hwat he planned to do. He placed the bottle back unto the counter and then got up picked up his guitar and started to play a short song once again. (SONG)

Still talking with Ilserun, Sin didn't really pay attention to the other customers in the bar, but then she heard the words "Catnip Wine" and smelled... hang on, that could be right! She Smelled another Mithra, a male! this was unheard of!!!

Looking up she saw a young man who started to sing, not her kind of music really, but he was a Mithra, for all intents and purposes, a male of her own Race...
She was too surprised to notice what Ilserun was telling her at first, and quickly glanced over at the other Mithra again, curiosity sparkling in her Emerald green eyes, before she refocused and returned to the conversation at hand.

Ilserun paused to gather her thoughts once Sinsiew agreed to her request. She actually paused long enough to notice that Sin was somewhat distracted by an arrival in the tavern. A... male Mithra?

Ilserun blinked in surprise. She wasn't entirely certain *why* she was surprised, after all, a race needed male and female in order to thrive... though that was one of the questions she needed to ask Sin. Still, she hadn't seen a male Mithra before.

"Sin, why is it that you're so distracted by a male of your race?" She paused. "And I was wondering if I might ask... is it common for the females of your race to pair with other females? Mairi speaks of having had two mothers when she lived with her Mithra people and it confuses me to no end."

Still looking at the stranger, Sin heard Ilserun's questions and said "Well, I'm so distrrracted because... in ourrr rrrace males arrre few and farrr between. Even back home on ourrr own continent, even morrre so herrre. So to answerrr yourrr last question; yes, that is perrrfectly norrrmal. Forrr ...comforrrt and convenience Mithrrran women tend to live togetherrr in pairrrs. We rrrarrrely mate with otherrr rrraces."

Sighing a little Sins thoughts drifted back to recent events in her own life before adding quietly "...it usually neverrr ends well"

Iserun frowned slightly. "If males are so rare, how does your race survive?" She could understand, in a strange sort of way, the concept. After all, dwarven women weren't exactly common. But they weren't "rare" either.

After all, every dwarf had a mother, even if every dwarf didn't take a wife.

The mere fact that a male was rare enough to cause this reaction in Sinsiew... was a matter of some concern to her, and the tone in her voice when she said that interracial pairings ended badly...

"So what would you suggest I do? She is fast approaching the age when she will need to find someone to pair with. I understand that it is likely not for a few years yet, but I do not know how quickly your people mature, and she is showing all the signs of reaching that age."

Folding her hands on the table as she looked at the other woman Sin said
"We surrrvive by beeing long-lived. About once everrry hundrrred yearrrs orrr so, a male will come herrre frrrom ourrr continent deep down in the South, he will then trrravel all overrr this continent, visiting all the towns and cities, forrr mating with any female that wishes it. It is not the best way to do things I admit, but it's the one we arrre using.

Noting Ilseruns reaction to her words about interracial breeding she sighed and continued "The rrreason most mixed-rrrace couples don't last is ourrr possessive side. Since we do have so few of ourrr own males, when we pairrr up with a man frrrom another rrrace, we become verrry posessive as a rrrule. Needless to say, hume orrr elvaan males don't like that afterrr a while."

After she asked Sins opinion on what to do, Sin thought for a bit then said "now, therrre is nothing wrrrong in a young Mithrrra girrrl finding a man frrrom anotherrr rrrace as herrr firrst boyfrrriend, orrr even loverrr. We all do it anyway. If she does, don't trrry to prrrevent it, incourrrage it instead. Just be mindful of our jealousy. Talk to herrr about it, help herrr underrrstand herrr own feelings. All Mithrrrans arrre jealous, it's all a matterrr of degrrrees. The morrre she herrrself is awarrre of it, the lesserrr herrr jealousy aand fearrr of beeing left alone should become."

"Good advice Miss, young love is easy it's later on that it begins to get a bit more messy."
Tora scooted over next to the two young women and took his glass and bottle with him. He was a talker when he got drunk and usually forgot what he says soon after. He didn't even have a buzz, but he was a still a talker none the less.
"I fell for a young Mithran women, dark tan, silver hair, and a black mage to boot. She got to travel to different worlds while I was forced to stay cooped up in a building because I was a 'nessecity'."
Tora took another swig of his catnip wine and placed the bottle back unto the table. He looked up at the ceiling and sighed.
"One day she didn't return, they told me she died in action. A week after that I found out they had left here on some other world because she wanted me all to herself, and I have been looking for her ever since."
Tora was almost doen with the first bottle and was about to order another one when someone else came into the bar. He was a tall dark tan man wearing clothes similiar to Tora except for he wore a pair of black boot. He walked up and grabbed Tora by the collar and stood him up and slapped him in the face.
"Where the hell have you been Tora, I have been waiting for hours you frickin idiot."
The man was Bernhardt Rhodes and he was not very happy person if you made him wait.
"OUCH, Rhodes this is where we were suppose to play later tonight."
"Oh, sry for hitting you then."
Rhodes looked up at the two young women and bowed his head. He noticed one of them was a young Mithra woman.
"Is she the one you've been looking for Tora?"
"We've been through this Rhodes, just because she is a woman of my race does not mean she is her."

A little perplexed Sin moved over and made room for the young man to sit down with them. Before she had much time to address him tho, he started talking.
Looking bemusedly at Ilserun, Sin could smell the Catnip wafting from the bottle and shrugged a little then rested her head on her fist and simply watched the other Mithra and tried not to laugh as he chatted away. He seemed friendly enough and the Catnip wines' aroma had already started to work on Sin as well, relaxing her and brightening up her mood quite a bit so she didn't mind him sitting there for a bit.

Then suddenly a complete stranger came in, walked up to them and slapped the Mithra to Sin's displeasure, and she was considering sharpening her claws on him when he asked if Sin was her.

After the young Mithra denied it, she relaxed as much as she could, not wanting to ruin the evening, and said instead "Frrrankly; i have no idea who eitherrr of you two arrre, but you are both welcome to sit herrre if my frrriend doesn't mind. My name is SinSiew; my frrriends call me Sin. Who might you be?"

Ilserun nodded at Sin's advice considering Mairi's potential development. "Jealousy can be a tricky matter to deal with. It exists, to one degree or another, in all people regardless of race." Sadly, it was something she knew all too well herself.

Their conversation, though, was interrupted by the arrival of the Mithra man they'd been watching and Ilserun watched his behavior very carefully. She knew about alcohol and its function as a social lubricant, but she was astonished that the presence of even an open bottle of the stuff was already having an effect on Sinsiew.

She made a personal note to keep Mairi as far away from that particular concoction as possible. There was no telling what it would do to her.

Ilserun nodded to the Mithran at his complaints of being confined due to his gender. "That is a matter I know all too well myself. Dwarven females are not common and so many clans keep their daughters closely guarded. I rebelled and by an accident of fate ended up banished forever from my people. It is not a pleasant path to take."

Looking at the dwarven woman Sin had a thought and vocalized it "perrrhaps it can be arrranged sometime so that I can meet the young lady in question? maybe it would be easierrr all arrround? but that is entirrrely up to you of courrrse."

Leaning a little off to the side she waved her hand furiously to waft away the worst of the wine fumes to keep a clear head, as Catnip wine tended to give Sin quite the hangover the next day as she waited for ilserun's reply.

Ilserun nodded at Sinsiew's suggestion. "Yes, that seems to be the path of greatest wisdom. She seems to be an extraordinary girl in any event. I have not noticed any jealous tendencies in her behavior, but that does not mean they aren't there... she might simply be lacking the proper trigger for them."

She paused for a moment. "If I might be so curious, what is that particular beverage that even the smell of it affects you? I have never seen any alcohol which could alter behavior on scent alone before."

Even as she waited for the reply, she considered how best to introduce Mairi to Sinsiew. The girl had an energy that could overwhelm just about anyone, Crystals knew that she overwhelmed Ilserun regularly simply by running into the room...

Smiling at Ilserun Sin explained "It is because that parrrticulairrr drrrink does not only have alcohol in it. It also has a verrry strong... drrrug I guess, that seems to affect Mithrrrans morrre then otherrr rrraces. It is called Catnip, and for Mithrrrans it can make us rrroll on the ground, consume much of the plant itself followed by drrrooling, sleepiness, anxiety, leaping about and purrring. Some will grrrowl, meow, scrrratch, or bite other perrrsons when exposed to the scent orrr plant forrr long enough. Some will eat drrried catnip. Often, eating too much can cause us to be overrrtly aggrrressive, typically making us hiss orrr worrrse..."

Frowning a little she continued " even in it's diluted forrrm in alcohol, I just rrratherrr keep away frrrom it all togetherr, as I don't want to loose myself to such an extent rrreally."

Rhodes noticed that tora had the bottle of wine in his hands and snatched it away from the Mithran immediately.
"Tora you know what this stuff does to your kind yet you drink it anyway, no more."
Tora growled a bit at Rhodes and then began to lean in his chair a bit as he reached for the bottle only to have it pulled just out of his reach by Rhodes.
"Come one, quit being such a party pooper we dont have that gig until tommorow."Tora looked at Sin and cocked his head sideways a bit, as the catnip was actually starting to take effect. It wasnt the alcohol that was doing this nope it was every feline natural 'weakness' catnip. Which was the subject of what the two women were talking about.
"Catnip is the only way I can sit and listen to this guy here drone on about his money and business proposals he keeps going on about, me and Skitt are here to have fun and that is it."
Skitt, for those of you who dont know is a squirrel with mutantgenic abilities that he was born with, and has passed unto his offspring, giving birth to a new race called the Squiggle. Tora whistled and Skitt came running into the bar chattering away a small sucker in his mouth.
"This is Skitt the Squiggle."
Skitt jumped unto the table, looked at the two women, and bowed to them both. The proceeded to chatter away at Rhodes. Rhodes seemed to understand what he said because he looked at the two women and politely asked them a question.
"He says that relationships usually are triggers for jealousy. He likes to watch of daytime television back at HQ, so if any questions he wants to be of help if he can.

Laughing just a little when Skittles arrived on the table Sin nodded her head too him politely and said "why hello therrre. it's nice to meet you Skittles, yourrr carrrtainly a cute guy."

Watching the squirrel, Sin was no better then other girls and had a soft spot for all things small, furry and cute, and Skittles was adorable as he chattered to Tora.

Then she managed to focus on what he had just said and asked curiously "what kind of gig is it?"

Ilserun tilted her head curiously at Sin's explanation of catnip and silently made a determination that she was not going to let that concoction anywhere near Mairi. The child might be growing up far too quickly for Ilserun's preferences, but there were some things she was safer not experimenting with any time in the foreseeable future.

It was going to be difficult enough for the dwarven woman if Mairi ever did find a partner, for however brief a time.

She had to smile, though, at the little squirrel creature. "Mairi has something similar to that little one. A tiny angel-creature she carries everywhere. They are irresistible, are they not?"

She looked up from the little squirrel at Sin's question to look over at the two males. She wasn't certain about the term used, though she thought it referred to some form of employment, and she was rather curious.

(Its Skitt not Skittles, Skittles was named after his daddy Skitt Cru XD)

Rhodes heard what the dwarven woman had said about a young girl named Mairi.
"We were the ones who gave Kibo to Mairi a little while back."
Tora was not paying attention much but answered Cru's question about the gig.
"Our group, The Brigade, is an oddjobs shop, people come to us with a problem and we fix it. Some though arn't exactly legal, but I'm usually the one stuck with those sorts of jobs because of my 'expertise'."
Rhodes rolled his eyes at Tora and began to speak low enough for only the two women to hear.
"Sry about this he's isn't usually like this, our paid job for here is a concert, we are going to be playing some celtic tunes out in the square, Tora is the instrumental expert and me well, I'm the voice. Tora's not bad a singer either of course."
Skitt began to sing a little lullaby-like tune that kinda mae Tora a bit drowsy. He was mumbling something about zombies and then was out like a light as he fell over unto the floor. Rhodes picked him up off the floor and unto a nearby table Skitt sat right next to Cru in a seat and started looking at the bartender with such big eyes that seemed to say 'I'll have what he had' The bartender however just gave the squiggle a glass of water.
"Well he wont wake for a little while, anywho he told you a little about himself so I guess I could do the same. My name is Bernhardt Rhodes, once revered scientist of my homeworld, unable to return due to being that some didn't agree with some fo what I did."
Rhodes sat down as he said all this and poured himself the rest of the bottle of wine, which wouldn't have as big an effect as it did on Tora.
"So what brings to young women to a bar in Jeuno?"
Tora jolted a bit in his seat and mumbled something about someone taking his fish and snored a bit loudly then drifted back to his catnip coma.

Smiling at him Sin replied "I come herrre because I live herrre. My frrriend Crrrucent has.... herrr worrrk herrre, so I keep herrr company."

Looking over at Tora she giggled softly as she pointed to him and said to Ilserun "and that's why I don't drrrink Catnip wine"

Ilserun had to laugh softly at the sight of the passed out mithra. He was, truly, a sight to behold.

Hearing that these two were responsible for the gift of the little angel-squirrel who was Mairi's newest constant companion, though, was something which brought a smile to her face. "Mairi is very fond of her newest friend. Thank you."

She paused for a moment. "As for what brings me to this location, it is quite simply that I was seeking assistance from one of Mairi's people so that I might better understand her. The child has seemingly reached an age when she is no longer merely a child and I wished to have a better idea of what was in store for me to face in being the mother-figure she has claimed."

Listening to Ilserun Sin thought about it a bit before responding
"Well... when I became a teenagerrr, I naturrrally begun to take an intrrrest in boys. Nothin serrrious until I was... 16 - 17 I think. Then I begun dating and flirrrting serrriously. Beforrre that it was just kissing and holding hands, that sorrrt of thing, allthough it was fun to discoverrr just how much me and my girrrlfrrriends could flirrrt with the boys beforrre they had to go take a cold showerrr orrr two."

Smiling she took a sip of her drink, having fond memories of those days before she sighed and continued "I think yourrr main concerrrn now is to instill into the girrrl that flirrrting and teasing is okay; as long as it is harrrmless and she doesn't end up hurrrting otherrrs. She needs to be told the consequenses and underrrstand them fully, hopefully beforrre you end up with a young man on the dorrr asking forrr herrr hand in marrriage... you'd be surrrprrrised to know how many young men think of flirrrting as a rrrelationship, so make surrre yourrr girrrl knows to play but not hurrrt or ignorrre otherrr peoples feelings."