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Night hung over the damp, dark streets of Oak-town; local residents retreated to either the embracing comfort of their homes or found solace within the calm, dim-lit taverns of the inner-streets. Men found beds warmed by women who were ready to give themselves up for another night's pay, taking drunken thrust after drunken thrust in another dull moment of their living conditions. Men and women alike got drunk and sang merry songs together when they were not already at each others' throats. Tavern owners made their nightly quota, and for a time the livelihood the action-filled night died down to total darkness. A single tavern still had its doors open, a sight to see for three in the morning.


"Perfect."

Urion finally made his way into Oak town at probably one of the most inconvenient of times; as a town that housed a dark guild, there was the idea that there could be a mugging or much worse that could happen at a given moment. The Blue Pegasus mage understood this and decided to camp for the night at a hole-in-the-wall tavern that most people would not have known to exist. Urion knew the owner through some connections made prior to joining Blue Pegasus, so he would not be breaking guild rules by calling in a favor. Walking through the doors, he came upon the shambles that was considered a tavern.

A few tables stood at odd and random places about the place, with three chairs to each. An old woman sat behind the counter, flanked by dozens upon dozens of half-empty bottles of liquor. She was small and had gray hairs, but clung to much of her youth. Without knowing she was eighty-three, one would assume she was only thirty years younger than what she was. Upon seeing the red-haired man her face contorted to show skepticism and worry as to who the new face was to her establishment. However, upon Urion talking, she gasped and beckoned for him to approach her. She held his face in her hands and gave a weak smile before pouring a shot glass of vodka and hummed a song she knew herself.

A room was always prepared for Urion, but he would find it better than he sat and relaxed at the bar counter, looking at the bottles on display and swirling his drink in hand. He wore his traveling gear and considering it was Autumn he wore a considerable amount of clothing. He donned brown and black boots, charcoal black pants and a gray t-shirt that clung to his torso and defined his chest. His coat was hanging up by the old woman who, at this point in time, got up to go to the back and prepare some food to cook. Urion had his backpack on, filled with essentials and the like that he needed: spare clothing, toiletries, and a notebook. He looked at this wrists and wondered how quickly he should seek out the other contacts he had in Oak. There were leftover memories that hung around his brain, and it would be in his best interest to ignore them for the time being. It would take some time for him to get drunk, so he knew he could handle having more shots of the occasion called for it.

Urion examined his new form in the reflection of the vodka in his shot glass and gave a calm sigh. It would be difficult to explain exactly what had happened to him, but he decided that he would tackle that issue once he got there. He would have to request a room soon and begin preparations. It was going to be a long night for the man, who was more than ready to get it all over with.

Gloria wasn’t fond of being seen in these parts of Oak Town, but it was three in the morning and most of the town was asleep. Her boots clicked against the cobblestone path as she made her way into a secluded area filled with taverns. She wore a hooded onyx sweater and her favorite leather pants. You could barely see her in the dark, or notice her presence given her perks of being a vampyre. Her hair was now jet black as well, since she took a potion to change her appearance. The noises that were produced from within the taverns were the only sounds in the quiet of the night, apart from the occasional hooting of an owl. An icy wind sliced through the dimly-lit path and she pulled her hood up. It was hard picking which tavern she wanted to enter, because they were all the same to her and she preferred not to enter any of them. But a woman was thirsty and needed some company.

Finally, she chose the tavern with the least amount of customers. There was almost no one, which was perfect. Observing the inside of the tavern, she walked up to the bar and said what she wanted to drink. With a nod, the old lady behind the bar turned around to get her order as Gloria seated herself on one of the barstools, next to a man with scarlet hair. She noticed his bag and assumed he was probably on his way somewhere or had just arrived in town. The vampyre pulled back her hood and ran her fingers through her silky hair to sort out the mess, draping it to one side before her hands returned to the bar where her fingers rested as she waited for her drink. There was a tense silence between the two, but her unaverted attention was to the aged woman who brought her drink. Gloria’s fingers cupped the glass, staring into it while she waited for the ice to melt. She liked to drink her alcohol mixed with a little bit of water.

With a sigh, she brought the glass to her lips and took a sip, enjoying the taste of the amber liquid before swallowing it, a warming sensation erupting all over her body. She placed the glass on the bar and shot a glance at the old lady who had been staring at her curiously while sorting some cups. This made her turn away immediately and Gloria’s lips curled into an amused smile. Although, she was more interested in the male who sat beside her. If he had keen eyes, he would notice the gun that was strapped to her belt, and the fact that she didn’t blink at all. But that was only if he had been paying attention to her. She didn’t know his story, and she didn’t like to assume things. Maybe he wasn’t interested in women, or maybe he was tired of them. Tapping against the bar with her fingernails, she pondered over how to break the awkward silence and if she even wanted to.

“Where are you from?” she asked, finally, turning towards him after she spoke.

There came upon Urion a sense of mortal threat as if his very existence and will to survive were being challenged by something that merely existed in his presence. The older woman by this time had brought him a more moderately sized glass of alcohol, scotch on the rocks no less. It was a common drink to have at that time of the night because no one would blame your parents for your horrible sense of what was a good drink to have at three in the morning. Not like anyone should be drinking at three in the morning in the first place, but no one was going to contest it, and Urion would be contempt with the drink, letting the drink and ice swirl in his glass momentarily before taking another sip. As far as the Blue Pegasus mage was concerned, the night was going to be short as possible to prepare for the impending morning.

The presence of the dark-haired woman could not be ignored; something about her screamed danger and mortal ruin. However, she possessed to herself an immaculate and undeniable beauty: her curvaceous body, endowed chest, long hair, pursed lips. Everything about her screamed lust and want and desire, but it was marred by something sinister and heinous. The eerie feeling reminded Urion of his past marriage, and he gained a chill up his spine. The dark-haired woman ordered a drink not too different from Urion's own, taking her time with drinking it to appreciate the flavors she was partaking in. She was strapped at the side with a gun, giving Urion the idea that she was either someone who was more prepared to travel through Oak at night or a resident of the town. Either way, she would be no pushover. She gave a frightening glance to the old woman of the tavern, making her retreat to the kitchen to finish off cooking and cleaning up shop. Normally people would not order food so late, but Urion knew he would get hungry eventually.

Urion would look at the woman from the corner of his red eyes as she asked him the question of his origin. She never blinked as she spoke, which gave a subtle suggestion to something that was not entirely human. Not caring for whether these notions were true or not, Urion turned to face the woman and look at her right back in his own eyes. With a small smile, he gave a sly smirk before downing the rest of his scotch and placing the glass on the table. A deep breath would pass before he would make the move of answering her question. It had been a long time since someone had asked Urion where he was from, prompting a mixed setting of horrid and pleasant memories to flood his brain before dissipating. The answer came to him quickly, which was all true.

"I was born somewhere near Magnolia, but I've been traveling for what now, twenty years? Yeah. I don't necessarily have a permanent home." Ordering one more drink he would sit up on the bar chair and stretch for second before taking another go at his drink. "And where might you be from, oh captivating stranger of the night?" The old woman gave a giggle when Urion referred to the dark-haired woman as so, and Urion, who faced the old woman, gave a warm smile and a soft laugh. "You know Claudia, you're somethin' else." He would turn to the dark-haired woman with more serious eyes, giving her his undivided attention. "But I am serious. You've caught my interest with the question you asked me."

The vampyre was quite unconscious of the effect she was producing towards the two. The old lady had retreated to the back of the tavern, and the sound of a gas fire coming to life could be heard. Gloria leaned sideways onto the bar since she was facing the man now while the drumming of her fingers never ceased. The stranger downed the contents of his glass in one shot, as if preparing to give her a long tale of his origin. A hint of a smirk crept onto her lips momentarily before it disappeared, replaced by a placid expression as she gave her full attention to what he said. He was a traveler as she had expected, the reason why he was wearing a backpack into a tavern. She couldn’t help but make a light chuckle as she was called captivating. “I’m actually known as the Broodmother,” she said, bringing her glass to her flower-like lips as she finished it as well. The look on the old lady turned from some kind of excitement to slight fear and Gloria gave her an innocent smile. “Can I have another glass, Claudia?”

Returning her gaze back to the mysterious traveler, Gloria pursed her lips before she spoke again. “I’ve been traveling for quite a while too, but I am from Oak and I like to return frequently. See how everyone is doing.” Unblinking, teal irises locked onto the man’s crimson orbs, wide with curiosity. The fact that he knew the old woman’s name had intensified her interest in him. Even herself, a resident of Oak Town, had only ever set foot in this place a few times and she never bothered to learn the names of the bar owners. But that was because she wasn’t very fond of coming here. When Claudia refilled her glass, she held it up and twirled it in one hand, nodding towards the old lady and taking a deep breath. A cigarette would be good now, but she held back the urge. Smoking inside the establishment was rude so she would have to go outside, but she was too engrossed in the conversation she was having.

She noticed that Claudia was multitasking, serving them drinks as well as cooking up a meal in the back. The light over their heads flickered and a light pattering on the roof signalled that it had begun to rain outside. All hope of having a cigarette disappeared and she sighed. Her mind was too occupied with deciding where to drink for the night to process the color of the clouds on her way here. They were a deep red, like the color of a withering rose. Biting her lower lip in slight frustration as her brows furrowed subtly, the vampyre brought her glass to take a sip. Her other hand rested on the bulge in her pants where a cigarette pack was stored. “Isn’t it such a dull night?” she spoke languidly.

The woman referred to herself as a broodmother, an inquisitive moniker that juggled some questions to go through Urion's thoughts on what that name could mean. It inferred that, perhaps, this woman was actually a captivating stranger of the night, in the sense that she ruled the denizens of the dark in some Eldritch manner. Fear was stricken into the heart of Claudia by the estranged dark-haired woman, who sought refuge in the kitchen after serving the woman another drink. She gave Urion a weak smile before her face turned into a scowl of fear and horror, disappearing for the time being. The Blue Pegasus mage heard the pitter patter of rainfall and smiled a bit, enjoying the entrancing sound of rain cascading on the ceiling. He would move up closer to the woman to talk, the increasing rainfall making it harder to hear. Maybe she would move forward, too, but if Urion's assumptions were true she most likely would have no problem hearing.

"Tonight is pretty uneventful but I'm always up for new things that present themselves. Have you seen anything interesting on your travels, captivating Broodmother?" Urion would stop drinking and return her undivided attention. He would also go to make a point of showing his attention by leaning forward by a small amount, cup in hand and feeling pretty warm from the bourbon. Not once did the mystery woman blinked, another feature of her that appeared unnatural.  "Oh damn, where are my manners? My name is Urion Blackfyre. I should have formally introduced myself earlier but I started drinking, so yeah." He would chuckle softly before wiping his face of not so apparent exhaustion. He had plans for the night but it would appear that he would delay them for a small conversation. It's not like not much would come of it, right?

She had a similar air to herself like Seira did back in Baska Town. Alluring and enticing in a strange and unnatural way, the dark-haired woman before Urion struck out more to him than Seira did, by a long shot. His guts were on fire, his panic signals flaring, but for all of it, he kept his composure. It was not to say that the Blue Pegasus mage did not like vampires, werewolves, and other denizens of the night. This woman in particular seemed to be relaxed and somewhat bored, which gave her the element of being human. Perhaps she was just that: human. The clock ticked to three-twenty, and something in Urion told him to wrap things up and take his rest. But he could not pull himself from the woman's gaze.

As it turned from a drizzle to a downpour, the sound of raindrops clashing with the zinc roof above made it hard for anyone other than Gloria to hear anything. The vampyre leaned closer towards the male as they spoke, mimicking his action. She could still hear him perfectly, though. It was just the two of them in the entire tavern since Claudia had vanished into the kitchen. Gloria twirled her glass in her hand, the amber liquid sloshing around, the sound of it drowned out by the rain, however. His response gave her the impression that he was as adventurous as she was, but there could be a different meaning to what he was saying. She ignored that, and gave him a lighthearted smile. She contemplated on the ‘interesting’ things that she had stumbled upon along her journeys throughout Fiore as her eyes gazed through him, deep in thought. At the mention of his name, she giggled.

“Oh, it doesn’t matter. I haven’t told you mine either,” she said and took a sip of her drink. “My name is Gloria. You can stop calling me ‘captivating Broodmother’ now.” She was still wondering how to respond to his question earlier, lips pursed as she was in thought. “I have seen a lot of interesting things, but I’m sure none of them can contest what you have seen, Urion.” It was true. She couldn’t really recall anything that was worthy of mentioning to this fascinating stranger. The more he spoke, the more her interest in him grew. It was as if she was meeting a human being for the first time, although she couldn’t be too sure about that. Even though there were a few things that gave her identity away, someone who wasn’t observant enough wouldn’t notice and assume she was just another human.

It seemed she was running into a lot of mysterious but intriguing people, yet Urion was different compared to the rest, in some way she couldn’t quite put her finger on. It gave her more reason to find out more about him, for a chance to understand what it was that made her feel differently about interacting with him. Soon, Claudia would bring Urion’s meal and ask if they wanted to order anything else, and Gloria would give her a dismissive wave. Her glass was still halfway full, and she planned to finish it slowly. She wanted to remember Urion and the conversation she was having with him, not that she could get drunk with just two glasses. She was just being cautious.

Gloria was the woman's name, and it was captivating to hear her call out her own name. It carried weight in a special sense; she owned her name and all that was associated with it. Being glad to not call her by the monicker of Broodmother, the Blue Pegasus mage gave a soft sigh and an equally soft smile towards Gloria, asking for another glass of drinks, vodka this time. Urion thought about the interesting things he had seen on his travels, which varied from mundane misadventures to meeting with the occult and supernatural, to witnessing groundbreaking events that would otherwise shake the world had the discoveries been brought to light. He remembered a certain meeting that took place several days ago, something that might pick at Gloria if she caught on to it. He would not make this comment because he wanted to target her or pick at her, but to see if there was an apparent connection.

"Gloria, huh? Lovely name. I'm sure you've had a good share of outstanding experiences." Urion would drink from his cup as Claudia brought out his dinner: cajun-seasoned grilled chicken with sauteed Brussel sprouts. A small knife and fork were lodged into the chicken breast, prompting the Blue Pegasus mage to take the knife and cut a small piece to eat. It would help to keep down the vodka and delay Urion from getting drunk with future drinks. Something told him to keep his mind sober for this interaction. Gloria was one of a kind of the words her and Urion exchanged so far, and he would be interested to hear more about her experiences and personality. Taking another drink of his vodka, Urion would feel fresh and alert, oddly enough.

"I did meet a vampiress several days ago when I was in Baska. She was lithe and white like snow; Seira was her name." Urion would finish the rest of the cup and gently place it on the counter before taking the knife and fork to the food brought out to him. He did have to admit that his exchange with Seira was short-lived but it was interesting all the while. Perhaps this would turn out to be all the worthwhile talking with Gloria as well. "You're alluring in a dangerous way, you know that? Out of the many people I have met, none have caught my attention the way you have. It's interesting." Urion kept his eyes on her as he spoke his words, not appearing or feeling to be drunk or inebriated in the slightest. He wanted to appear genuine, but not coming on too strong. He held no interest in Gloria in such a probable intimate manner. They just met, but the mage was only expressing his interest in their conversation. He was intrigued to see how it would play out.