What Lurks Beneath the Sky

"Whahey!" exclaimed Asura as he watched Andy down the enitre beer in one go. "Now, THAT is how you drink." he said heartily. He lifted the crackling liquid to his lips and gulped it down and then slammed the glass down on the bar. He shivered for a moment, dischargeing electricity out into the metal beam that ran through the floor and safely into the foundations of the pub through the stool. "Haha! Brilliant, Pete! Another one perfectly brewed!" he looked over to Raven who seemed uneasy. "Oops... Sorry. I get a bit excited when I drink this stuff, and we both know what happens when I get excited..." said Asure who then gave a nervous laugh. "Your turn, love! Don't worry about the colour. It's twice as good as the rubbish the higher-ups drink!"
 
Raven smiled and slammed home the shot. The first thing that hit her was the taste. Bitter-Sweet. Just like a proper Cúrioc. 3...2...1 She felt the kick that gave Cúrioc its nickname. She was frozen in place for a moment, the only outward sign of movement was a twitch in her left eye. Another moment and she was fine.

She gave an approving nod as she set her glass down. "Impressive."
 
((sorry for no reply for a bit from me, work keeps me busy sometimes))

Veela just sat there, wondering if she should partake in the activities, but she was also leery of the dark Mage who walked in. Yes, he had helped save her, but she could have done it on her own. "You know what, Pete? Pass be the best of your dark beer and throw a shot of your strongest in it. It's time to drink. Let me show you boys and girls how it's done!"

((if there's replies when I get home tonight my next will be longer.))
 
Andy through up a "V for victory" sign and laughed. "Through me another beer," she said. She caught it with a smile and turned to Veela. "Alright ma'am, show us how its done!"

She smiled and lifted her beer in a small salute before downing it in less than a minute. "Another!" she called. "Anybody know any good drinking games?" she asked, glancing around.
 
Raven smiled and grabbed the bottle of Cúrioc while motioning for several more shot glasses.

"I've got a good one. Something we used to do back in Denin."

S he set the bottle and glasses on the table.

"It's a little something called Link Shot..."
 
"Sounds interesting, I'm sure. But before I leave myself in the hands of a strange and lovely group of ladies, I Would like to know more about you all."said Asura smiling as he poured himself another Curioc and touched the surface with his finger, making the liquid spark and fizzle loudly beofre he slammed it down. He shivered again and discharged once more. "Let me start." He said before any one else had a chance to reply. "At the age of eight, I started exibiting strange tendancies to throw lightning when I became angry or upset. My... 'loving' parents decidied that instead of protecting me, like any parent would protect thier own child, they decided to turn me in to the Council. Hunters came to 'collect' me. That was the word they used... 'Collect', like I was some kind of object... I was so distraught when they came to get me that when the Hunters picked me up I roasted them alive. My father and mother, luckily, happened to be within the discharge radius and they met the same fucking fate... Ive been running since then." Asura looked up from the bottom of the shotglass. "Now, anyone else wanna share thier historical tale of thier life?"
 
She grinned, "Awesome, can't wait to play."

Andy looked at Asura and listened as he told his tale. She was sympathetic and understanding.

"Well, as for me, I never knew my parents. I grew up in an orphanage, then, I attacked one of the other kids. He fell and at the scent of blood, I couldn't resist. Anyway, like you they called for me to be collected, but I managed to run off before they got there. I lived in a sanctuary for a while, then I started developing Claustrophobia, because it got a little too crowded. Needless to say, I left and have been living on the streets since then."

She cracked her knuckles and smiled a little. "I think it's easier than living in a sanctuary personally."
 
"I can understand why you grew up in an orphanage. Vampyres very rarely keep thier brood. Extremely territorial hunters normally to the point of abandoning thier young so that they don't encroach on thier hunting grounds. It's very sad... So, any one else?" said Asura sounding slightly saddened. He knew how it felt to be betrayed by the ones who've spawned him.
 
"It's been a while, but I'll tell of my memories of my past. I really didn't have a home growing up. I mean, I did, but I never went home after the age of 16." Veela slammed back a pint with a shot of the strongest in it like it was water. "My parents were controlling. They knew of my abilities and how far I could go with them, but they never once allowed me to use them. They only know about them because once when I was 7, I had actually gotten so angry, and I exploded with rage. As I exploded, it had somehow acted as a bomb, and blew up our house at the time. I was impressed, and realized I was powerful." Veela looked down for a moment. "That day, I had accidentally killed my older brother. My mother died trying to save him. I stopped going home when I was 16 because my father had become hard. He wouldn't speak to me unless he had to, and my step-mother was just a complete bitch. I left them behind."

Veela looked at Pete, motioning for another drink, exactly the same as what she had before and slammed it back again, this time, it was as smooth as breathing. "You see, I turned to drifting and just sleeping on rooftops. It didn't matter to me anymore, since wherever I slept, was home. It felt normal, and right. I couldn't go home anymore. I didn't care about my family anymore. I've been alone for so long, that nothing phases me anymore."

Veela motions for a double of what she had before, and looks at Asura. "Your past seems so....I don't know, horrible. We seem like we could be great friends, as, in a strange way, we're the same." She slams one of the drinks back, and stares at the other one, swirling it around in the glass using her air magic. "I just need someone around now. Friends, or even just one person anymore. It's lonely running alone. You've gotta be so tough."
 
Asura looked at Veela, and felt a genuine connection. "W-well... You could always stay here with me and Pete if you wanted to. Plenty of room and it's safe too." he said, blushing. Pete smiled, also blushing and making kissy-kissy motions with his index fingers. Asura promptly threw his shotglass at him. Pete kept on smiling as he caught the speeding glass that was headed directly for his face and flipped it in his fingers before placing it down unharmed."Uh... Where was I? Ooh...Er, oh yeah!" he exclaimed tearing himself away from Veela's eyes like a band-aid. "How about you, Raven? What is your story?"
 
Veela blushes as she downs yet another drink, seemingly unaffected by the alcohol, but this time, she asks for a triple shot of the strongest, and ignites it in flame. While it's enflamed, she downs each shot, one after another, like they were nothing.

"I'm quite tempted to stay, and you know Asura, you make a compelling argument. I don't mean the whole safety spiel either." Veela looks down, clearly deep in thought.
 
"I take that as a yes then?" he said, throwing her a wink and a warm smile. "It does get pretty lonely here..." Pete made an even bigger smile and an even bigger kissy-kissy finger motion. He then turned around and did the whole 'making out with an invisble girlfriend' routine. Asura blushed heavily. "Oh, piss off Pete, you cheeky bastard!" laughed Asura. Pete didnt seem to be phased by this at all and gave Asura a nudge-nudge and then raised his eyebrows rapidly whilst shifting his gaze between Asura and Veela. "Damnit Pete!" shouted Asura with embarrasment as he flipped his hood back over his head to hide the blushing.
 
Grant was used to the stares. It's why he rarely went to the sanctuaries. Even among others like him he was still an 'outsider'. It wasn't that Grant was that odd to look at. At school he was always teased for the scars that covered his arms and face but even those could be concealed with a touch of illusion magic. No what cause the stares was his size. At 6"7' he had to duck just to get into door ways and if that wasn't enough, nothing stinks more to others mages than the smell of void magic. To tap into the very power that supplied the Life-Link was like telling someone their favorite pet just died. Controlling the void wasn't all it was cracked up to be anyway, just because Grant could give shape to that power, to create a towering dragon or a ferocious wolf was great and all but it tore at the very fabric of space and time and as such his own body had to take the strain. It was men like grant that didn't fit in. It was men like grant that weren't welcome on either side. "Would you get me a bloody drink" Grant growled. The air shivered around him as each person in the bar went quiet. The only one not staring was the bartender. A gentle smile on his face that said 'i know mate'. He threw a bottle Grant's way and time started again. Conversations started in stutters but at least Grant wasn't being shot at or having lightning bolts thrown at his face, not yet anyway.
 
Raven laughed at the antics between Asura and Pete. After pouring a second shot, she paused to look at the hidden horizon.
"My story's not quite so tragic...at least not in the beginning. I was born and grew up in the port of Hiorn, on the southern edge of the Western Fringe. Both my parents were mages and were actually accepted."
She noticed the stares she got.
"Things are differant out in the Fringes. Your measures by your actions, not by some label others make for you..."
 
Andy laughed as she watched Pete. What made it funnier was that she was already on a slight buzz. "More beer! Two more for me!" she called with a giant smile.

When the tall man walked in, Andy turned to glance at him a little. "Chillax bro! Come drink with us!" she called to him.

Andrea grabbed the two beers as they were brought to her, downing one after the other. "Uno mas," she said as soon as she was done. "I feel like I haven't had a beer in forever," she said, "Of course, last time I was in a bar, Magehunters came after me and we ended up tearing the place down. Mind you, I would've payed for the damage, but I had to get out of there in a hurry."
 
(Sorry for the multipost. Damn mobile character limit)

"Anyway, when I was born, it came to light that I could manipulate water before I could walk."
She sighed and knocked back the shot, allowing time for the effects to pass before continuing.
"As I mentioned before, my parents were both mages, so I was taught how to control and if need be, supress, my powers..."
She shivered as she absentmindedly ran her right hand over her gloved left arm.
"Who could have predicted that that would have come in handy?"
 
"I was about 10 when a company of Magehunters came. Everyone knew what they were there for, well, everyone except for Toiry...poor Toiry...skilled with the 'Link' but stupider than a rock most days. Anyway, one of the Hunters saw him using his power, and arrested him right there. I could only imagine what they did to him, but soon after they started rounding up whole families..."
She wrapped her arms around herself, holding tight.
"Mine was among them...."
Her voice dropped as tears started to form.
 
Victor awoke coughing, spraying a light mist of blood across his white bed sheets. He rubbed his eyes, trying to avoid cutting himself with his claw like finger nails. His blood boiled and he felt fatigued after his long slumber, Looking at his ridiculously complicated clock trying to decipher how long he'd slept. Sliding his legs from beneath the covers that caused his body to convulse because of the heat and reaching for his cane and the ancient vampire propped himself up, and strode elegantly across one of the upstairs of rooms of the bar, despite his ancient stature. His two thousand year old legs had almost given out on him after the longest and most peaceful sleep in decades. However, even though he would have happily slept till the end of his fleeting days, but it was the voices that woke him up.
Victor walked through the door and began to almost silently move down the steps, trying not to alert Pete who would instantly send him back. Then, the dreaded creaking of the stairs occurred once again as he tried to get into the bar, curious of what was going on. But even without seeing him, he heard the slightest movement of air caused by Pete's arm pointing Victor back to his solitude. "Just tell me..." he spluttered, coughing up more of the red spray. "Just tell me how long I've been asleep" he sighed.
 
"Oh my gods, Pete, look who decided to crawl out of the crypt! Victor, you wrinkly old futhermucker! Nice of you to join us after all this time!" Asura said as he ran up to Victor just as Pete pointed around the corner for him to go back to the upstairs of the bar. "Oh, don't be a spoil sport, Pete!" said Asura as he continued his excited journey to where Victor was standing. He went to shake his hand and jerked away jokingly as he remembered his deadly sharp fingernails just in time. He polished his balding head and gave the now-sparkling globe a light slap that made the most brilliant smacking sound in history. "By my count, bucko, you've been hard at rest for ooooh..." he looked quickly around the corner at Pete who held up five fingers. "Five months! That's a long time without a drink mate, and it's time you got your tounge wet!"
 
Raven wiped the tears from her eyes, thankful for the interruption. She traced a random design on the table with her tears, her eyes seemingly far away from the sanctuary.