[center]

[img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/220927/23fb834f443fddf069b302a80ffae13a.png[/img]
[img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/220927/713c9ea7f90a3bccf2680492bc93671a.png[/img]
[img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/220928/bcf4c8fb894d886cf1f86d12d903935e.png[/img]
[h3]...Feat. [color=228B22][b]Iyen[/b][/color][/h3]
[color=1E90FF][b]Time[/b]:[/color] Evening
[color=1E90FF][b]Location[/b]:[/color] Banquet Hall
[color=1E90FF][b]Interactions[/b]:[/color] Charlotte [@princess]; Count Sebastian Blackwood [@Tae]
[color=1E90FF][b]Mentions[/b]:[/color] Stratya [@CitrusArms]
[color=1E90FF][b]Appearance:[/b][/color] [url=https://i.postimg.cc/kg2qwHH4/alkalinestingray-A-Malay-woman-sitting-on-a-tree-branch-adult-l-7ef98d90-03c7-4ee4-a849-9b32e06b7271.png]Iyen[/url] [url=https://i.postimg.cc/Fzw1wZ8n/alkalinestingray-Portrait-of-a-South-east-Asian-Chinese-sailor-52c337e9-3211-44db-8828-5fdc1044bd39.png]Sjan-dehk[/url]
[color=1E90FF][b]Attire[/b]:[/color] [url=https://i.postimg.cc/0QCZ6rQj/alkalinestingray-Watercolour-painting-of-an-outfit-for-a-male-s-312f5cf8-c1fd-4b90-8f64-d292f9b1da7f.png]Sjan-dehk[/url] [url=https://i.postimg.cc/bJfFDK9C/alkalinestingray-Watercolour-painting-of-an-outfit-for-a-female-4e7d7b50-e077-439d-b35a-05297e271a19.png]Iyen[/url]
[color=1E90FF][b]Equipment:[/b][/color] 
[hider]
Sjan-dehk:
[color=1E90FF]Sword and pistol hanging down his right thigh[/color]

Iyen:
[color=228B22]A short blade sheathed on her lower back
A coil of rope across her body[/color]
[/hider]
[/center]

The maroon liquid swirled about lazily in the strange glass. Sjan-dehk watched it shimmer under the warm light of the banquet hall’s many lamps, his hand cupping the glass’ bulb, its stem clamped loosely between his fingers. He brought the glass up and closer to his face. A sugary aroma, tinted with fruity notes, wafted into his nose – a notable difference from the subtle, earthy, and leafy scents favoured by most Viserjantan spirits. Sjan-dehk took a careful sip, and didn’t swallow immediately. Instead, he allowed the sweetness to soak into his tongue. Caesonian wine was meant to be savoured slowly, after all.

Or at least, that was what he assumed. He really was just mirroring what he saw from everyone else.

[color=228B22][i]“Too sweet,”[/i][/color] Iyen remarked, her voice strained as she coughed a few times. She set the glass on the table and covered her mouth with an arm. [color=228B22][i]“I think it needs some Sudhrayarn woodiness. Or at least a pineapple or banana to add to the flavour.”[/i][/color]

[color=1E90FF][i]“It’s already got grape in it, I think. Pineapple and banana would add too many flavours. It’d taste like what Avek brews at the end of every month.”[/i][/color] A wry smirk came across Sjan-dehk’s face as held his glass up to the light for a moment. Then, he placed it on the table. [color=1E90FF][i]“I’ve to admit, local drink seems a lot more colourful than what we get in the Commonwealth.”[/i][/color]

[color=228B22][i]“Doesn’t taste as good, though,”[/i][/color] Iyen replied, but proceeded to drain her glass anyway, in one long gulp. 

Sjan-dehk looked sideways at her, a brow raised. [color=1E90FF][i]“I think you’re supposed to sip it.”[/i][/color]

[color=228B22][i]“I know,”[/i][/color] Iyen said with a grin. [color=228B22][i]“But this way it gets refilled faster.”[/i][/color]

No sooner had she said those words than a serving girl appeared out of nowhere to refill Iyen’s glass with the same, maroon wine. The Sudhrayarn gave her a wide smile whilst saying her thanks. A faint, uncertain upwards twitch of the lips was the girl’s response, along with a quick bow, her hand holding her apron and skirt down. Sjan-dehk looked between her and Iyen. Then he sighed, shook his head, and gave the girl his own word of thanks as she turned to leave.

[color=1E90FF][i]“Really?”[/i][/color] He asked Iyen.

[color=228B22][i]“What can I say?”[/i][/color] Iyen replied with a shrug and a mischievous smile. [color=228B22][i]“She’s cute.”[/i][/color]

[color=1E90FF][i]“You don’t even speak the same language, Iyen.”[/i][/color]

She giggled and took a long drink from her glass. [color=228B22][i]“Won’t stop me from trying, Sjan-dehk. Just watch.”[/i][/color]

[color=1E90FF][i]“I don’t expect it to,”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk replied with a chuckle. He twisted around, and found Stratya standing next to a pair of nobles, a man and a woman. Her earlier glance towards Iyen hadn’t slipped the notice of either Viserjantan. [color=1E90FF][i]“Just don’t get too drunk. You’re already being watched. It wouldn’t be fun if I have to pretend to not know you for the rest of the evening. Or if I have to pick you up from jail.”[/i][/color]

Iyen turned her head to follow his gaze. [color=228B22][i]“She’s pretty, too. In an officer-ish way, like Idah.”[/i][/color] She then looked at him from the corners of her eyes, her expression playful. [color=228B22][i]“Shi’s still prettier, though.”[/i][/color]

Sjan-dehk sighed and turned back to the table. [color=1E90FF][i]“Don’t even start, Iyen.”[/i][/color]

[color=228B22][i]“I won’t. Not yet, at least.”[/i][/color] The tease in her words were clear in her voice, and from her elfish grin. Picking up her glass, she raised it towards Sjan-dehk. [color=228B22][i]“Diya mesrempet iti, diya kaping saphateh?”[/i][/color] It was a typical Sudhrayarn toast: [i]‘If you don’t get drunk, you’re not going home.’[/i]

Sjan-dehk grinned, and answered in Jafin. [color=1E90FF][i]“Tsat heik’paansui, wak tahn’dah suwahn.”[/i][/color] [i]‘If you get drunk, I’m stealing your boat.’[/i]

The two laughed quietly, clinked glasses, and sipped their wine. Well, Sjan-dehk sipped. Iyen emptied just about half of her glass in one go. [color=228B22][i]“Duwah!”[/i][/color] She cheered, again in Sudhrayarn, as she set her glass on the table with so much force that, for a moment, Sjan-dehk wondered if she was going to snap the stem clean in half. He placed his own down in a gentler manner.

[color=#792A31]“I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure. Count Sebastian Blackwood. And you are…?”[/color]

Iyen immediately snapped her head around to face the man to her left, a look of abject surprise painted all over her face. She said nothing at first, and simply looked at his face, then at his hand. [color=228B22]“Hello,”[/color] she said in a small, almost strangely so, voice. Then, keeping her eyes on him as one might with a dangerous animal of unknown temperament, she leaned back towards Sjan-dehk. 

[color=228B22][i]“What do I do?”[/i][/color] she whispered.

[color=1E90FF][i]“Are you thick?”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk’s voice was dry. Sardonic, almost.

[color=228B22][i]“I feel like I am, right now.”[/i][/color]

Sjan-dehk shook his head, then looked at the man with as friendly a smile as he could muster. [color=1E90FF]“I apologise for my friend,”[/color] he said with a shallow bow of his head. This stranger’s attire, the way he spoke, and simply the way he carried himself gave him all of the airs of a nobleman. His voice did carry hints that he wasn’t a Caesonian, and his pale complexion made Sjan-dehk believe that he was a foreigner to these lands. [color=1E90FF]“I am Wasun Sjan-dehk,”[/color] he continued, and patted his chest. [color=1E90FF]“My friend, she is Rasehnyas Iyen Jodhesi. She is not yet good with your language or your ways.”[/color]

He then gave Iyen a slight nudge. [color=1E90FF][i]“This is all basic stuff,”[/i][/color] he whispered. [color=1E90FF][i]“You should know this. If they give you their hand, you shake it and introduce yourself. Then you say something nice.”[/i][/color]

[color=228B22][i]“Like what?”[/i][/color]

[color=1E90FF][i]“I don’t know, ask him how he is, or something.”[/i][/color]

Iyen nodded hesitantly. She took the man’s hand in a gentle grip, though not in the delicate meaning of the word, but rather in a way that made her seem like she was afraid of breaking it by accident. [color=228B22]“I am what he say,”[/color] she said haltingly. [color=228B22]“Rasehnyas Iyen Jodhesi. Of Sudhrayar. And Viserjanta.”[/color] She shook his hand with firmness, and only once, before pulling her own back. A brief, awkward silence followed, before she finally added, [color=228B22]“You are…You are okay?”[/color] She waved her hand in front of her face. [color=228B22]“Your face, it is very white. You are unwell?”[/color]

Sjan-dehk couldn’t decide if he wanted to slap her, or slap himself.

He was still in the middle of wondering whether or not he should help her, when he saw a familiar figure in the corners of his eyes. Charlotte. She was walking back to her seat, and for a moment Sjan-dehk thought nothing of it. It wasn’t until he was just about to look away when he noticed something off about her. About the way she moved. A strange slowness, unsteadiness, coloured her steps. Was something the matter?

[color=1E90FF][i]“Excuse me,”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk said.

[color=228B22][i]“What?”[/i][/color] Iyen exclaimed and spun around to face him. [color=228B22][i]“You can’t just leave me to handle this alone!”[/i][/color]

[color=1E90FF][i]“Yes, I can. Just watch.”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk gave her a grin. [color=1E90FF][i]“Just treat this as practice. You’ll be fine.”[/i][/color]

Iyen protested, but Sjan-dehk simply gave the man a nod and an apology for his parting. Then, he picked up his hat and walked over to Charlotte. The girl was already sitting by the time he got to her, and she had her gaze focused on her glass. Was she drunk, perhaps? 

He stopped beside her and tapped her gently on her shoulder. [color=1E90FF]“Hello, good evening,”[/color] he said with a warm, friendly, and hopefully, reassuring smile curling his lips. [color=1E90FF]“You are Charlotte, yes? I am Sjan-dehk. We have met before. Sorry to surprise you, but you look…”[/color] He trailed off, trying to think of the best words to say his thoughts in as nice a way as possible. [color=1E90FF]“Not very good.”[/color] It didn’t take long for him to realise how his words could be misconstrued, and so he quickly added, [color=1E90FF]“Sorry. You do look good, in the pretty way. What I mean is, you do not look well. You are…Are you okay?”[/color]

An awkward pause. He coughed into his fist, then nodded to her glass. [color=1E90FF]“You drink too much?”[/color] He asked, a look of concern about his face. [color=1E90FF]“You need…I mean, do you need water or something? Or to go some other place to rest?”[/color]