Ghis (closed)

[heartofcourage]

"You only need ask, panther." Rissa said as he paused in his retreat and looked back at her as if to ask if she might follow.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Join me?" He asked quietly, any shyness long gone in the wake of what had happened that day. He didn't want anything from Rissa necessarily, but he knew he didn't want to be on his own at that moment.

 

[heartofcourage]

Rissa said nothing as she joined his side, walking with him back towards the castle. If she could convince him to stay, no matter how she needed to convince him, she would consider it time well spent.

 

[KieranSoares]

Qira brought her to the kitchens, picking up two glasses and fetching the cellar key, clearly searching for something specific in the cool underground area. He perused along some dusty shelves til he found a dark bottle with a faded label made of a strange type of paper, Chinese characters written across it and wax sealing the top over a cork.

Qira brought it over to a small table and pulled up two chairs, pouring the two glasses. The alcohol was a bright golden color, and smelled strong but sweet. It had a honey and berry flavor, and lightly nutty.

Qira downed a glass immediately before sipping on the second, staring down at the glass and considering all that had happened that day.

 

[heartofcourage]

"What is this?" Rissa asked, looking down at the glass that he had poured for her.

When he was quiet, she looked up at him and let out a long sigh. "Qira, you need to let this all go. Letting the doubt cloud your mind isn't going to do anyone any good."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Rice mead from China," he murmured at her question. But at her comment, he added, "It is not so easy. I cannot just decide to be fine with what happened to Kate."

 

[heartofcourage]

Rissa took the drink and downed it, pouring herself another and looking up at Qira. "Drink. We're going to finish the bottle and find some more. Then you can forget all of your troubles."

 

[KieranSoares]

"We will see." Qira took her advice and downed the second. By the time they opened a second bottle, Qira had become a touch hazy and quieter, but he was far from drunk thanks to his size.

 

[heartofcourage]

Rissa was having trouble keeping up with him, but she didn't complain. She held out her glass for more as he opened a second bottle.

"You're too uptight." She said, her words slurring slightly. "Far too serious. I guess that's how it goes for someone who doesn't know how to have fun."

 

[KieranSoares]

"You are not wrong," Qira muttered, only pouring her half a glass as she held hers out for more. He was too responsible to let her get black-out drunk.

 

[heartofcourage]

"All the way up, panther. I can handle it." Rissa said, noticing that he only filled her glass halfway up.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm sure you can, but you will hate yourself in the morning if you keep going like this." Qira set the bottle aside. "I should not be drinking this much either."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Keep going until you can't think anymore." Rissa said as he put a limit on himself. "It would do you a world of good. She's with the lord protector tonight anyway. She's protected."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I prefer to stay lucid. I already know what it is like to be drunk, and I do not enjoy it." He set his glass down then. "I used to drink like whiskey was water. It did not help me escape my problems. It made them worse."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You simply can't stand not being in control." Rissa said bluntly. "You can act meek and mild, but you're not."

 

[KieranSoares]

"In control of myself, yes," Qira met her gaze, his own stony and disturbed. "Being uncomfortable talking to people has nothing to do with that."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I don't believe any of that for a moment." Rissa said, meeting his stony gaze as he tried to convince her otherwise. "You're an assassin. You always have control of a situation. If you don't things get messy."

 

[KieranSoares]

"It depends on what you consider 'control'." He set aside his glass. "Discomfort is not a lack of control. But you seem set on proving everything I say wrong."

 

[heartofcourage]

“Because I’m a drunk and contrary woman. Do you need to know anything else besides that?” Rissa asked, knowing that she could make him very angry if she pushed too much.

 

[KieranSoares]

"You are beginning to sound far too much like Kate." He sat back at regard her for a long moment. "... Why is it that you think that I have not lost my job, even though I have failed at it? Where is that belief coming from?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"Are you serious?" Rissa asked as to why Qira didn't see it himself. "He admires you. It's clear when he looks at you. I dare say he might have other feelings for you too. He trusts you with the thing that is most precious to him and I don't think that this one moment is going to change that."

 

[KieranSoares]

"That moment is exactly why it should change. Kell would be a fool to keep me to protect what he loves most."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You'll never see otherwise." Rissa said, exasperated by the panther. "And he'll never replace you."

 

[KieranSoares]

"We will see." He then shook his head. "I am sorry. I did not ask you to join me to annoy you. I enjoy your company."

 

[heartofcourage]

"As you've said in the past." Rissa commented as he spoke about enjoying her company again. "And I've tried my best to discourage you. Perhaps I shouldn't try so hard in the future."