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[Lady LeFay]

Janus Tinsel glowered as he tossed the shattered crossbow to the leaf-littered ground,  then brushed a lock of ruddy hair behind a faintly pointed ear. This wasn't getting them anywhere -- and it was the third bloody time his band got ambushed while they were camping... unbelievable!

"Yo! How are you fellas holding up?" The Skald turned to his fellow adventurers, the brilliant malachite darkened with concern and then gave a soft, wistful sigh. They were lucky -- no one died in this skirmish... Dynaheir... Khalid -- The half-elf rudely pinched himself to keep from angsting over things that were beyond his control.  

  "I just removed all curses -- to be sure no one's infected by the Lycanthropic blight." Anomen nod faintly as he eyed the hacking Yoshimo with more then a touch of hestiation. "Have your wounds fester already?"

  "No... gack!" The Kara-tur thief spat out a claw. "The wolf shoved it's paw in my mouth..." He started to induce himself to vomit to be rid of the retched taste of blood and fur.

   "Oh... eeeeew!" Dante turned away, visibly cringing from the racking noise the bounty hunter made with each dry heave, as he brushed golden locks away from his soft azure eyes. "Anomen, Can you give some aid here? Nalia's wrist is broken!"

   "Shouldn't a Paladin of your rank beable to give aid, 'Sir' Alsin?" The Helmite Warrior-Priest snorted faintly -- how... how could this boy be a full knight!? It was almost an outrage!

    "I can't! I'm sorry... I can't, I've been trained entirely to slay the undead -- I haven't been taught the divine healing arts, Anomen!" The young Paladin called out apologeticly, with more then a faint hint of exasperation -- directed at himself.

     "Unfortunately I used the last of my healing craft in battle!" Anomen snapped as he rubbed his temple. It was true, during the battle, Anomen and Aerie had to constantly halt their activity to attend to their comrades to prevent casualities among themselves.

     "Oh Mystra...! Can we quit fighting and trying to patch up!" Janus sat down next to the Lathander-worshipper, as he attempted to wound a gauze about a bloody gash upon his unusually long hand; a finger pressed the end of it against the wound, as the half-elf attempted to wrap it around with the strip between his teeth -- but found it terribly awkward.

      "And these gloves of hand-laying lost their power for today... If only there's some sort of shelter nearby!" Dante sighed as he took small twigs from the ground. "Anomen, can you hold Nalia's arm straight?" He turned from Priest to Mage. "I'm going to set your wrist into a splint until Anomen and Aerie can cast spells again so it won't get worse then it is now... Nalia, please bare with me... but this is going to hurt like a wasp's nest, okay?"

      "Oh... okay." Nalia closed her eyes as she instinctively clenched her teeth as she felt the strong callous hands of the burnette held firm to her elbow and forearm, and the more slender, leather-clad ones of Dante upon her wrists... Anomen was really quite attractive in this light, she had to admit to herself. "AH! Yeow! That hurts Dante!" She yelped as tears sprang to her eyes as the dull pop fill the otherwise still air.

       "Sorry... sorry, I'm really sorry, but I don't have anything to numb it...." The former farmer boy sighed sheepishly as the warrior-priest checked over the splint to be absolutely certain it was set correctly.

       "Ahh.. dun apw--" The Bhaalspawn spat out the gauze after the nth failed attempt to tie it to his gash. "Don't apologeize so much, okay? It's not really your fault." Janus forced a chuckle as he look into the gentle azure eyes. "Hey!" He snapped his good fingers thoughtfully. "Who knows, that wolf that gotten away may turn into a Kara-Tur on the full moon!"

       "I do not find that too amusing." The raven-hair thief growl darkly as he rejoined the fellowship. However -- judging from the faces of the half-elf, and the other humans, it was a thought too absurd to keep out of one's mind.

      "Errhm..." The bearded Helmite coughed as he got up, finally suppressing a rare fit of laughter. "Excuse me... I'll check to make sure Aerie had woken up from her nap yet."
  
       "Janus, let me help -- you're never going to bandage your hand that way!" The blonde male exclaimed as he yanked the white cloth from the bard's lap. "Hold out your hand... okay?"

        Malachite eyes fluttered closed as he felt the warm, steady hand clasped onto his right wrist, then of the cool -- and faintly damp material twining up, and around the palm of his hand. then he slid them open faintly... to check the progress of the dressing. The soft, wavy locks of flaxen-hue framed the youthful face, the brows knit together into an expression of worry.

        Moments like these... silent, unhurried, reveal an inner-tranquility of the youth... and yet, those eyes exhibited a sad maturity he had only seen in someone like Keldorn. By the way... were Keldorn, Jaheria, Minsc, Valygar, Haer'Dalis, Jan, and Kesley all right in Windspear? He can only hope.

        Dante's breath caught in his throat as he tied off the gauzing. Janus had... nice hands, soft and agile... but there were faint callouses on the tips, and palms, how much of it was battle-born, and which ones came from the lyre that the half-elf was oft to took up in the few moments of solitude the bhaalspawn believed he had. The young man never quite realize that hands could be pretty... why was that?

        The tanned digits wiggled partially from impatience as the lush eyes fully opened.

         A faint hint of rose grew behind the splash of freckles on Dante's temple... for a moment their fingers laced together by the constant squirming of Janus' own.

         "Ah, there's you go..." Dante quickly tore away, his palms suddenly calmy and wet under the leather gloves. "I... I'll go see if more help is needed.

         The half-elf cocked his head in puzzlement as he stared at the dressed palm. "He had nice hands under those gloves." The redhead chuckled to himself... then nervously brush his own against his jerkin, eyes darting. Now where did THAT come from?


----

One-shot, shouen-ai-ish.

Cute blushing Dante for your pleasure.

Questions? Comments? It's welcomed.

Edited by Lady LeFay, 21 August 2004 - 12:48 PM.

[Lady LeFay]

In the soft rosy dawn that crept slowly, tentatively over the rooftops of Athkatla ? a lone figure bask in its gentle warmth; the youth stretched lazily, working out the kinks that the previous eve?s toil brought to his tired muscles.

Dante rubbed the last speck of sleep from the sky-tinted orbs, a faint half-smile appeared over the slim lips as he felt the Morning lord?s light warming his body in the early hour. Unconsciously braided the flaxen locks, the Paladin gave silent prayer to Lathander as he did so. Finally, just a morning without some desperate pitch-battle to precede it, and with no plans to engage in conflict? When was the last name the youth had a moment such as this since leaving Winsera?

A peaceful morning.

Calm serenity without battle....

A tranquil, unspoiled? The Paladin paused as something appeared from the corner of his eye. huh? what was that shadow?

?Ahn!? The boy leapt back, pressed against the wall of the Five Flagons as a small, athletic form dropped from above him. ?Yoshimo! Don?t do that!?

The Kara-Turese Bounty Hunter grinned faintly as he perched upon the rails like a great hunting cat. The raven hair flitted in the minute breeze as the almond-shape eyes of cocoa hue eyed the blonde with more then a small amount of mirth.

?So young Samurai, greeting the sun are we?? The exotic tenor chuckled as he folded his hands across the knees.

?My Diety is the Morning Lord after all.? The Paladin let out a sigh of relief. ?And what about you Yoshimo? What are you doing out so early?? Dante questioned innocently as he allowed himself a weak chuckle; leaning his weight on the rails ? peering up at the leather-clad man.

?Scouting the region ? after all, we can not be too careful.? The rapscallion leapt onto the balcony, and joined the young man in leaning on the rail ? the sunlight glinted harshly off his eyebrow-ring and the intricate dragon-etched crossbar of his katana. ?Why don?t you have your sword at your side? I would have believed a Knight would never go unarmed.? He cocked the aforementioned brow.

?I just got up? and who would attack us in an inn?? The azure eyes looked over at the older man in disbelief, as he ran his fingers through the messy locks.

?Any of our enemies really, Alsin??

?Please, it?s Dante.? The blonde automatically corrected as he took in the damp morning air.

?Dante?? The dark-hair one corrected himself as he shook his head. How naïve can this boy be? ?Not everyone is bound by an kind of honor, young Samurai, many would leapt at the chance to slitting our throat in the middle of night?? Yoshimo paused. ?Or sink their fangs in.? He added ruefully.

That brought out an immediate reaction; a freckle-splattered hand flew to the Paladin?s throat, those innocent blue eyes flashed with great loathing and disgust, the normally soft baritone forced out a disturbing growl.

For a moment, a twinge of guilt stirred within the Thief?s heart for preying upon the youth?s fear?no, wrath? No? that?s not quite it either, was it pity?? For the undeath? but he pushed it aside, he should not feel sympathy for anyone here, it just make things more burdensome.

?Is something wrong?? The young man turned to the Foreigner; his lips pursed as he swore he saw a glimspe of... what? in the Bounty Hunter

?Nothing, Just recalling a bad memory.? The bounty hunter lied as his eyes slipped closed. ?Are the others awake yet??

?No? they?re still sleeping as far as I know?? Dante shrugged, deciding what he felt may have been something else... perhaps some ghoul creeping about some forgotten tomb deep beneath the catacombs of the city?

For the time being, everything went silent. The Bounty Hunter silently plotting out the quickest route out of Athkatla that would evade the irritating bandits ? whereas the Holy Knight cleared his mind of all worries, to allow himself the serenity that had been briefly broken by Yoshimo.

?Why did you come here?? the curiosity became too much for the blonde to bear.

?With our fellow adventurers, or to Athkatla?? Yoshimo tilted his head.

?Both if you want.? The lips pulled into a playful smile as he paced the balcony, fingers clasped behind his blue-clad back. "I mean after all -- why Janus' band of all others? Why did you came to Faerun, instead of... say, staying in Kara-Tur... or going up to the dales? I know there are probably a thousand other adventurer parties more profitable then ours."

?I can tell you a thousand stories and you would never be able to know which one is the truth.? The thief gave a robust laugh, his hands rested easily on his waist.

?I will just have to burrow in and find out which one it is then, if that?s the case!? Dante replied coyly, leaning towards the Bounty Hunter unconsciously. ?After all, my order?s priority is to seek it out truth ? after releasing the undead from their suffering? that is.? The comment was an afterthought? but the withdrawn look spoke volumes.

?Truth is it then, young Samurai? Does it mean that you tell a woman of unpleasant countenance to her face that she is indeed ugly? hmmm?? The warm voice fell into a somewhat harsh snicker. There's just something about the young boy that invited such teasing.

?No! I don?t mean like that!? The blonde braid fluttered as Dante vividly shook his head, aghast by the seemingly callous question. ?If that?s the case? we just? we just remain silent?.? He pressed his fingers together. ?I mean... to make those who witness horrible crimes tell the truth to the authorities... things like that... Truth should not be use to hurt people! I mean... I admit I don't like Anomen's temper very much... but I don't tell him he's hurting himself with his attutide... I'm only going to say he has to be careful...? The pout on the Paladin's face made appeared him far younger then he really was.

"You know that he would not listen to you, perhaps is that the real reason you keep silent?" The thief stretched, balled fists reaching for the rosy sky.

"Of course not! I just don't want to be mean... there's better ways to tell him the truth... I.. I just haven't found it yet!" He lifted his hands in quiet helplessness. "I mean... yea, He should know he's only hurting himself... but It's got to be said in a way he'll listen!"

"You know he won't listen -- his ego would not allow him to be 'lecture by a farmer's boy'." With a click of his tongue, the Kara-Turese man started to head inside to rouse their fearless leader? ah, only to be that young and so trusting again?. ?Watch yourself, young Samurai, not as enemies are open, and not all friends are true.? He caution flatly as he ducked inside -- for the moment before he shut the door tight, the soft stirring notes of the lyre brushed faintly against both men's ears.

"Yoshimo...?" Dante Alsin blinked as he tugged lightly on the unicorn amulet that dangled from his neck. "What was that about?"
----

Questions? Comments? Go ahead and fire away. Constructive criticism is welcome.

Edited by Lady LeFay, 22 August 2004 - 07:36 AM.

[Lady LeFay]

"Now we know what we should be doing..." Kelsey started as he quickened his pace to kept up with Janus' surprisenly long strides. "Just how are we suppose to raise twenty thousand gold coins?"

The two redheads paused to look at each other; their faces faintly ruddy in the evening light, though their jewel-toned still gleamed with almost unnatural brightness.

"I am not sure where to start exactly, Kel." The Skald paused as he glanced over to the druidess, Helmite, and bounty hunter. "Brus mentioned about the playhouse... perhaps we could gain our money on the stage... but first, we have to help Nalia, we DID promise her we would."

"Aye, Trolls are foul, wretched creatures, we should hurry if we are to have a chance to save her father -- if it is not too late already." Anomen cut into the conversation as he lifted the visor of his helmet.

"And it would be great to get out of this city." Jaheria added as well, as her toned arms folded over her chest, and eye the repugnent, trash-strewn streets... if these dirt-paved path could be called such a thing.

"So we're all in agreement?" Janus Tinsel questioned as his malachite eyes trailed from one person to another.

"I have no--" Yoshimo started to answer; only to be cut off by the loud clang of wood hitting metal, and metal against metal.

"Someone's being attack, let's hurry!" The bard's faintly pointed ears twitched as he turned towards the source of the noise.

"Janus, I don't think we really need to investi-AH!" The brunette human yelped as the smaller male gripped his broad shoulders and leapt-frogged over his head. The slender bhaalspawn landed running, and scrambled towards the not-so-distant sound of a battle, the lithe fingers pulled a blue-tinted long bow from the quiver.

Anomen just stared at the half-elf -- wondering if he is always... always this implusive.

"Get use to it." Jaheria nearly barked out an answer to the unasked question as she darted after their leader, the grip on the well-used scimitar tightened in anticipation.

With a shared sigh, Kelsey and Anomen both loaded their slings and followed the lead, with the Kara-turese man bringing up the rear.

"Bloody, blasted tinheads!" The towering half-orc sneered as he swung the club down at the much smaller, rose-tinted armored figure.

CLACK!

"Augh!" the Paladin grunted as the powerful blow smacked against the aster-shaped shield; painful shockwaves through the shield and reverberated in his arm. "I done nothing wrong!" He tried to reason with the four men that had trapped him into the alleyway.

How could he have been so stupid to let himself get into this mess? The knight of aster gritted his teeth as he pushed back against the thug. His free hand reached for the morningstar that rested against his hip.

"That's the flippin' problem!" Sneered a rather handsome and wiry human as he joined the fight, his rusted dagger readied. "You pompous twits are nothin' but hypocrites."

The half-orc stepped back, and raised his brutal weapon for another blow, a triumph smirk spread across the tusk-filled maw.

The bare, green-tinted torso was left exposed... The young Paladin realized he may have one, and only one chance to even the score.

The ruffian gasped as the shield mashed against his stomach; the shock tore the air out of his lungs, and club from his meaty hands.

The human friends of the brute rushed the knight in retailation, weapons gleamed in the setting sun, their faces set to a murderous snarl.

Twang!

The wirey knife-wielder screamed as an ashen shaft spurted from his forearm, the knife clattered behind the paladin.

"Hey, handsome, how about going one-on-one?" The stranger smirked as he loaded another arrow to his bow. The Malachite eyes seem to grew a reddish-hue to them as two other figures -- a female, and a male, both armed and armored joined the newcomer.

The half-orc rasped as he scrambled for his weapon.

"For right and honor!" The Helmite cried out as he lashed at a brawny, pockmarked bandit with his mace -- the weapon further disfigured the face as it struck head-on.

Arrows both mundane and magical peppered the half-orc before he could resume his attack on the Paladin.

Looking over the aster shield, the knight saw that two more had joined the fight, a bowman, and someone wearing robes... it was too dark to make out any more details.

Almost as quickly as the Paladin was ambushed, it was all over.

"Hey, you all right?" The melodious baritone queried as he hopped over the fallen muggers.

"Yea... just a bit winded, nothing much." the Paladin rasped as he lifted his helm, revealing a young, serene face, the azure eyes gazed up to the skald. "Thank you." He rose to his feet.

"What the hell happened here?" Anomen growled as he inspected the four aggressor, to make sure they were indeed dead. "And who are you?"

"Dante Alsin, of the Order of Aster." He completely removed the helmet, and shook his head vigoriously; loose strands of pale, blonde hair fell over the ears and forehead.

"A Paladin for Lathander...." Kelsey murmured to the others as he recognized the organization.

"So, Alsin, why where you attacked?" Yoshimo cocked a pireced brow.

"Embarrassing, really...." The youth sighed. "These three." He gestured with the morningstar. "Had claimed they had a friend that was mugged and left for dead in this alley... and when I got here, they attacked me." He ran a gloved hand through his hair.

"You are obviously new here." Anomen grunted with more then a fair amount of annoyance. "All right, Sir Alsin, why are you here?"

"My fellow knight, Sir Lothrio had recieved letters from friends here that there were vampires attacking people -- and I came here to destroy those... creatures." He sheathed his weapon. "And who are you? I do need to thank you properly."

"Janus at your service, M'lord!" The unruly redhead made a deep, sweeping bow, a faint, cocky grin spread over the cracked lips. "And these are my fellow merry men, Jaheria," The woman gave a faint curt nod. "Yoshimo," the Kara-turese looked over briefly, then return to retrieving arrows. "Anomen," The Warrior-Priest lifted two fingers to idenitified himsef, "And Kelsey." The other redhead grin lightly, and waved.

The Lathanderite grinned despite himself. "Thank you all. Where are you off to?"

"Well, we got a keep to save, and trolls to exterminate, wanna come with?" The Skald shrugged as he unconsciously tilted his hip.

"It's the least I can do." Dante place his helmet back on, but kept the visor away from his face.

"Well then, what are we standing around for? Let's get moving, forward... Yo!" The slender, and impossibly energetic Bhaalspawn scrambled over the barrels, and out of the alley.

Though he may not know what will come next, but somehow, Dante realized that things will never be dull around the bard.

---

heh.

[Lady LeFay]

EDIT by Beyshaliban

Original Topic Title

Of Wine and Lotus
Or... why ingulging is a bad ideal!

EDIT end


Damn you Drunken NPC mod!

Anyways....

PG-13 for slash, cursing, and some booze-induced violence.

---

Dante wanted to slide under the table -- but no, Jan was already occupying that space -- He just HAD to tick off that dwarf that was sitting two tables down...! The blonde sighed as the plates and pewter mugs clattered upon the surface. 'I do not exist here, I do not exist here'


"--Now I found a solution and it worked out so neat..." Janus warbled as he pivoted and curtesy upon the table, acting as the not-so-coy girl with exaggerated batting of his lashes and reaching of the hand -- as if to expect a kiss upon it's lightly tanned back.

"You insist on nothing but Virgins to eat..." The Tiefling bowed towards the Bhaalspawn. They linked their arms together at the elbow as the bards trumped and stamped upon the creaking surface.

"No more will our number ever grow small/We'll simply make sure... There are NO MORE VIRGINS AT ALL! Dooooo virgins taste better then those who are not/ are they more salty--" At this point, Jaheria and Keldorn had managed to latched onto the twirling entertainers and yanked them clear off the table, much to the crowd's amusement.

"Ow! Jah--" The redhead griped as he was dumped uncremoniously on the floor.

"I wish you stop singing that *blasted* song at every tavern we stop in?" The druidess looked more then a little bit crossed.

Dante chose this moment to look to the other party members. Yoshimo choked on his bread -- his face becoming a rather interesting shade of pink! -- as Haer'Dalis crawled onto his lap; seemingly oblivious to Yoshimo's presence as he greedily gulped down the thief's Tethyrian wine, laughing and chattering freely about many bawdy tales he had played in Sigil.

Anomen was already in his fifth cup; for he seemed to have decided the best way to avoid embarrassment was to make where he was too drunk to remember -- or care. Dante flipped his braid back over his shoulder -- wishing he could do the same.

Now where was Kelsey...? The Lathanderite ruminated as he peered around the dank, rancid-smelling room, but saw neither hide, nor hair of the Sorcerer anywhere. Did he cast an invisibility spell on himself... or did he just walked out on them?!

The azure eyes darkened faintly that the thought -- if Kel left, why did he take him along?! The Paladin whined faintly to himself.

"Dante... Dante!" Keldorn shouted for the third time. "Dante, pay attention!"

"Wha... what? Sorry... what did you say?"

"Would you mind taking our 'fearless leader' up to his room, he obviously had too much." The Inquistator sighed as he helped the Kara-turese extract the blue-hair blade from his current place.

"I havs not hath too much!" The Skald protested as he pulled himself up to his unsteady feet, though... admittedly, some time alone with that cuuute Lathanderite isn't so bad, the half-elf thought wistfully.

"Come on, let's go." Dante took the smaller man by the arm, as he quietly questioned his sanity for agreeing to this celebration. "Gah! stop that!"

The Malachite eyes glowed with mischief as he continued to cling to the blonde's good arm, nuzzeling like a kitten would. "No."

With a heavy sigh, he continued to lug the as-good-as-dead-weight bhaalspawn up the flight of stairs.

Kelsey ducked back out of the cloakwood; waving his hands in the air... just his luck he walked onto a party of lotus smokers in such a tiny, tiny -- and he meant tiny -- room! The copper-haired man closed his eyes as he tried to clear his muggy head. No need to act like an idiot -- you can keep it from affecting you... he repeated this silent mantra as he felt his way back to the table (getting slapped, and quite a few stubbed toes on the way).

Yoshimo just cocked a brow as the pale man rejoined their merry band. So that's what he left for... The ravenette shook his head as he raise two fingers in a gesture of another drink. Well, even the Great Yoshimo would have never thought the merchant-mage would be a Lotus addict!

Dante sighed as he fumbled to open the door ... it was going to be a long night!


--
TBC...

Edited by Beyshaliban, 19 October 2004 - 07:13 AM.