There was a small sort of mirror where Lilja looked in to pull on her pig tails, it made her look at least ten years younger and that wasn't good for a girl of twenty-tree. "No one would believe I'm allowed to even touch ale." She sighed softly before turning towards the bar, which was strangely comforting to be around, had she basically stalked the Swineherd pub, it was now here in Orchidia, smaller version and all but well, she was glad to have something to do. Especially near someone that seemed to know her, if only her brain could take up with the horrible capicity of too many memories and thus no throbbing headaches. She still had a little pain but only behind her right eyebrow strangely.

The woman stepped out on the terrace, some guys stared, some didn't, some girls rolled their eyes, others shock their head and some might wonder where she had bought the short black dress that surely pointed out that she had a figure better than a thirteen year old. Lilja brushed a lose strain of hair over her head and went back to the bar to grab three ale and bring it to the table that just ordered from her. Perhaps she should go and try going by the name of Nastasya but it didn't feel normal yet, it made no sense at all that name, not that Lilja was a common name but who was she to complain. Her eyes looked for her friend or well, she believed that they were friends and still wondered if he was the guy from the silhouttes.

It was starting to get to a point, where Kurdran was getting bored of the festival. With the downer and a lot of thinking about the tarot cards he had been given, and meeting of quite a few different folks, he just felt like he had experienced a lot of what the place had to offer. Seeing all the flowers day to day, wearing this stuffy kimono just so a guy back in Baska would get more customers, standing in lines, His hair getting poked at by some racist visitors... It was just starting to be a drag all around. If the trip back home wasn`t gonna be so long, he would have propably left now. He needed something familiar... something trustworthy from home to alleviate his homesickness! Something he always fell back on in times of need...

And he couldn`t believe his eyes when he saw it!

Swineherd pub! In orchidea! Right in front of him! Or so the sign atleast told. He blinked for a little while, As he turned about the corner to see the place proper... "Bweh. Of course they`ve fancied up the place... Dang orchidean beauty queens, and their standards." The place almost seemed like it was arranged for a teaparty. The warmth of the actual bar itself was lacking, but even Kurdran realized building a warm cottage in a single night wasnt exactly profitable... He just hoped that the beer wasnt Orchidean level of water. He stumbled in, and took a seat under one of the umbrellas, lifting his legs up on the table.

He rubbed his hands together. Since this was one of those out door bars, there was propably gonna be some kind of skinny lady serving drinks... He would just need to get her attention to get some service, and that would be easy! He looked about, trying to find one of em. And yeah, his eyes caught one. This very childish looking girl with a body of a lady, with a black dress included. Definitely a bit flimsy build for his liking, but guess some people were into that sort of thing. The thing that caught his eyes was the grey hair. It was not exactly normal on girls like these. and with a brief look he could see the girl had red eyes...

And then it hit like a brick to a mohawk. "Lilja?" He uttered outloud to himself, as if to confirm his suspicions... "Lilja! Hey! Over here!" before proceeding to be outright obvious about, it as he straightened his back, and outright waved towards her with his right hand.

Could it be her? She didn`t exactly seem like the type of gal to travel long trips and to serve as a waitress. He had thought she was a bit more reserved than that. But hey, the worst that could happen with him shouting outloud somebody elses name would just be a bit of a misunderstanding, right? Besides, it meant that he could get his beer faster!

Most people wanted to talk to her but as soon as Lilja realized she didn't know them, she would walk away because she had a job to do and she wouldn't mind getting paid, it wasn't always fun, but it gave her the opportunity to meet more people and get more answers. Her red eyes trailing to the person that gave her the job as well as knowing the answers, that she would get in a slow stadium else her mind might explode. She really had no idea how it all worked and to what it was connected, she only had a few dots on the line that Asmodeus had given her thanks to the trail of light runes on her skin. A curse, a possible Holy Knight, she wasn't entirely sure and that made it difficult to fight this amnesia as well.

That's when she heard her name and stood up straight, gazing over the crowd to see someone that was familiar. Perhaps not someone tht would give her answers on her amnesia but that didn't matter now that she got a few, so with a satisfied smile, she walked over towards Kurdran, "That thing looks ridiculous." She said looking at the kimono that he was wearing, it looked strange on a.. was he actually a dwarf or simply short? After all she had never met a dwarf before.. well that she could remember. She sat herself on the table and placed the tray on her lap, "But fancy seeing you here Kurdran in Orchidia." Because it sure as hell was more fun this way, "Minding a good ale? Not those shitty fruity things they serve here but the one from the pub?" She said with a grin, last time had been fun, she had gotten drunk for the first time in her life, that was an assumption based on that she was a vampire before.

Yeah, that was her alright! Immediately as kurdrans shout flowed through the air, his target turned around and smiled. It couldn`t have been anybody else!

...And the first thing she told him was that his clothes looked ridiculous. It was definitely her alright. "Yeah, lets just say this dang thing looks way better down, than squeezing... way comfier that way too..." As serious as always. Though atleast he could comfort himself with the fact, that these clothes were made by somebody else. It didnt help with the fact how itchy it was to wear though.

At this point she outright sat down next to him. "Well ye know, us dutiful folk, going around the place, hehe!" he leaned on his right elbow against the table. "I guess you are here for the same reason, eh?" Would explain why she would travel so far... although she didn`t seem like the sort of person to just walk all by herself.

However, all this minor thinking was immediately dropped, as he almost childish clapped his hands together in answer to her suggestion. "Ye can read me mind like an open book!" Although it was not that impressive, taking where he was. "You wouldn`t believe what sort of dissapointing stuff I`ve been sipping here! Those fruit juices have been bloody dishwater!" He dove in a bit closer, almost kneeling on his chair, lifting his arm to give out a whispered message. "Heck, I even found out that this one stall tried selling oaken stuff, but it was so bubbly, it went up me nose!" Albeit, the enjoyment of the situation was enough to keep him from acknowledging it at the time.

He pulled back and sat back down in a relaxed pose. "Anyways, bring me TWO of the classic stuff. And in a properly sized mug!" He put his hand in his pants, pulling out a small pouch of money, and dag through it for payment. "If ye want, I can buy one for you too. More the merrier after all, hehe!" His wide smile was inviting, as he offered the money in her direction.

Perhaps Kurdran was her first new friend, one met in Oak and one that she accepted, she wasn't so sure yet about Thorn after all, she would only need to figure out if she could take up the idea of a friendship and if she wasn't going too hasty in her thoughts like this, that would be rather said. She laughed as it was Kurdran really, she would surely make it that he would have enough to drink, with a kimono like that you might need it. She pulled softly on the hem of her skirt to get it lower, she wasn't shy, she actually didn't really care but you have to have some class. She had used a kimono a couple of days ago. But this dress was better to move in and fitted with more shoes.

"I came to find people with answers and than I got a job here. Which is the Swineherd pub only they are closed in Oak for now as everyone seemed to be here so it seems." So Lilja seemed to be glad to be here, it was clearly as she looked happier and less fake that you could now compare if you have seen both things. She was close to the man with answers and she might not have them all, she would not lose him again or so she hoped. She wouldn't go tell more, but she also probably wouldn't hide it if Kurdran would ask. She asked him if he want a good ale and jumped off the table again, laughing because of his reaction, "Definitely this is thank god Swineherd quality." Lilja made a twirl before looking at Kurdran again, it was her first pint with him, her first time she could barely remember what happened. She laughed, "I'm glad that was spared with me. Let me get you a good one." she moved a little further away from the table to get some for Kurdran, but still close enough to hear him. "I wouldn't say no to that." she said in a sing-a-song voice and walking to the bar to get two good mugs of ale and one for herself. Putting it all down on the tray that she had with her and making sure to carry it properly, moving her hand up, holding it just above her shoulder and moving, hips swaying, back to Kurdran between the tables. Ignoring the attention others wanted from her, she had a customer. She placed it on the table and took another table, "To the good ale." she said with a grin.

There was a certain new layer to the girl that Kurdran could notice. Instead of sulking around most of the time, now she was all smiles. Welcome change, Kurdran thought to himself briefly, as Lilja proceeded to tell him how the bar back in oak was closed for the festival times. Kurdran had this look of someone who had dodged a bullet, with a single drop of sweat rolling down his forehead. "Man, it truly was worth it to come here then. I couldn`t have imagined being in oak with all those dang rune knights and without any proper beer!" Of course, there were other bars, but this one was his primary one! Though admittedly, He had seen that weird girl in black fancy dress again... everybody truly was here now...

The friendly shenanigans continued for a little while, until Lilja decided to go get his drinks, accepting his invitation to drink with him. Kurdran kicked his feet in his seat in anticipation. "Don`t leave me waiting, hehe!" The sight that soon followed, was propably what every regular dwarf dreamed of seeing: A beautiful woman with a serving dish full of beer, and with slight motions of her hips! Kurdran was luckily oblivious about the minor glares some other people in the bar were giving her. After all, thats his beer on the way!

As soon as the beer hit his table, He lunged forward to grab one of the mugs. He would have propably immediately taken a sip, if it wasnt for Lilja lifting her mug up for a cheer. "For the ACTUAL ale!" The mugs collided with a loud *clonk!*, as he chugged for a minute, with the foam getting stuck to his beard. Immediately, he felt almost revitalized, as the waves of the golden goodness slushed down into his stomach, as he patted it gently! "Aaah! Dats the stuff!" He had gotten a bit better at handling it too. Comes with drinking the same stuff a lot.

With a quick another sip, his mind started moving again. "Oh yeah, you said ye were looking for answers to something?" He chuckled to himself, before taking another sip. "I guess ye found some too, since you are in such a good mood?" Would explain the sudden change in demeanor.

"I myself feel like I have been doing too much thinking lately... It`s hard to have fun with stuff on me mind ye know." He drowned the depressing thought in his drink.

Her mind might go slowly back to how she originally belonged to be, no longer sulking in the darkness of the unknown. Surely she was still afraid but as she believed to be a friend of someone and perhaps two beings, even with a hidden name as Lilja Oswald, it was at least something that people didn't mind to pretend they didn't know her. She must be an interesting being and she could use this amnesia to reform herself and become an even better version of herself and she looked forward to that, but there was still this insecurity and unknown part that she put away which was easier now. "Imagine what a disaster that would be." Lilja called out to Kurdran as he mentioned what a disaster oak could be right now, though she doubted that there wouldn't be many Rune Knights here, those people were always everywhere after all.

She would get back soon, the ease she had to grab the pints because she was the barmaid, so she placed them on the table and took the second chair, lifting up the pint to toast to good beer. She grinned and took a big gulp of the good stuff herself and laughed shortly after that because of Kurdran, "You could see you missed it." She laughed but the foam would dissapear because the little bubbles popped. She nodded when Kurdran put up the question that she half expected, "I got amnesia but I finally met people with answers." She raised her pint up to her lips but looked up to Kurdran, "Do you want to talk about it? Perhaps it is nice to talk to someone about it?" Because if she could get help with just sharing a beer, than it was worth to have a converstation, as she liked Kurdran she didn't mind at all to listen to what was bothering him.

"Amnesia, huh? Man, that`s a creepy thought..." Just forgetting who you are and things you have done. It would definitely make having a fun discussion harder. Guess that was why she was so glum all the time before. "Happy to hear ye were lucky in that regard. I wouldn`t like being like that, you know, a bit empty-headed..." He thought for a moment, processing what he just said. "I think you know what I mean by saying that, hehe!" If it ever came to actual level of intelligence, she would clearly be the victor. But hey, atleast he could fill his head with ale way more at once! "You need to introduce those fellows to me sometime. Maybe they wanna gain a quick buck too!"

However, his curiousity in her was countered by her asking about his problems. At first he gave a glance to the side, with his mohawk swinging through the air as he grumbled. "I guess, but you know, its frustrating to keep thinking about it..." He honestly didn`t wanna talk about it while relaxing around like this... However, after chugging once more at his beer, leaving a bit of a second beard of foam around his mouth, he just slammed it on the table. "But ye  know what, may as well, am I right!? I need some friendly opinions on it!" Besides, the story would propably feel a bit more fun, when he gave it his own spin instead of actually experiencing it. If there was anyone who would listen to every word, it was Lilja.

"Basically, this whole mess started with me meeting this one other dwarf, been friends with her since I was a kid and what not, and she told me, that me family wanted to see me." He spread his arms out with his drink sloshing in his mug. "So with the whole situation of Rune knights stomping around Oak, I thought that it would be perfect time to go check on`em until things would calm down... Only to find out that... *sigh*" He chugged a bit more of the drink. "They just up and left. Didn`t even think to wait for me." He tapped his fingers on the table. It was frustrating, and an overall waste of time.

"Decided to go to Baska to cooldown a bit, try to forget it, so I took on some tasks from this weird clothier fellow... And thats why I am wearing this thing. Told me to come here and walk around with it one me..." He scratched the kimono intently, seemingly trying to clear some of the more noticeable dirt marks. "I don`t think the guy even knew what a dwarf is. It looks great, but keeps scratching me in places. Dunno if its all the hair. You should see it wrapped about me like a cape though! Makes me really stand out!" He flexed, as he tried to show it off. The thing was clearly tight around his bicep and stomach area.

"Pfeh, I am getting off topic aren`t I..." He relaxed again as he finished his first mug. However, than he gave a bit of a look towards Lilja. "Though, before I go on... I guess I should ask, what did you learn about yourself?" He put his hands behind his head, as he took a comfortable position in his seat. "You know, story for a story, money for beer, Fair trade! Since I´ve told half of mine, you could tell half of yours!" You couldn`t blame him for being curious, but admittedly, he left things on annoyingly noticeable point, where he didn`t even tell about what had happened at the actual festival yet.

Lilja nodded, a creepy thought, that might be the best way to describe it, at this point, no one really seemed to know her but two being and that's why she stayed close to Lucifer as he had mentioned them being friends and she felt this in the centre of her being. She wondered if she as Lilja was different from herself as Nastasya, of course it was a name and the idea of having lost her memories did something but would a character really change if you simply took the memories away? She wasn't entirely sure about that and it was something she wanted to know but she refrained from asking, afraid again of the answers. Perhaps Nastasya was more fun than Lilja would ever be and if this curse of a light mage wouldn't get off from her, perhaps she would never know.

She left out a short chuckle with Kurdran his explanation and that she would understand, she got the idea indeed. Perhaps that's why she didn't mind spending time with Kurdran, he made things more fun, his stories, weather it was true or not and the job they had done surely made her laugh a lot more. She knew that there had been a moment in her life, with or without amnesia, it was a feeling she remembered, that she questioned herself because she never laughed, she had the moments in her acting career that she had to laugh as the situation asked for it, but now she really did. "I shall though I have no idea where Esperia is right now, and the other one is the owner of this bar, I bumped into him while being on the festival and he gave me the job." And some information that would hurt her if she thought about it. Now that she thought about it, the memory of her.. well adventure with Asmodeus had been right after that battle, the dots were connecting while not taking to them, maybe she knew where Victoire was.

But something seemed to be bothering Kurdran as well and she asked him if he wanted to talk about it, she only understood that someone would want to but that it wasn't fun and she nodded, taking a gulp of the ale, "If it makes you too sad, I will give you another two." she said with a grin, but if he didn't want to talk about it, no matter how curious she was or how much she liked listening to him, she wouldn't push him.

She leaned on her left hand with her cheek and stared at Kurdran, listening to the story, so he was a dwarf hm, she had guessed but never made the full decision, but what a frustration it could be, she had no memories of her family, she only knew they were gone. Not how or when, but they weren't around anymore, there was no one to look for but her companion and memories. "You have no idea where they went?" What a strange occurance, asking for someone to show up and be already gone when that person arrived, not one or two could wait, pathetic.

She laughed another short moment and nodded as he flexed to show her the looks of the kimono, "Perhaps the cape idea looks better, this is ridiculous." but she winked, she didn't want to offend him at all. She sat up straight with the next question that she should tell what she figured out but she didn't actually know what she figured out, only a hand full of things but well she wasn't sure if she should stay in hiding because of Griomire Hearts history. "It's not really a full story though leave alone half a story." she said taking a sip of her drink, "I just figured out that my actual name is Nastasya but I have no idea where the name Lilja came from, I met the owner of the Swineherd, a name that already stuck with me the moment I heard it, hence why I was in the bar so often. But apparently he is my best friend and we did a lot of jobs together, I also learned that I had been in a fight and was knocked unconcious, perhaps I lost my memory because of that." She tightened her grip on the pull of beer, her knuckles becoming white, "As well as losing my companion."

There was this momentary look of surprise in the dwarves eyes... well, more like outright bulging of the eyes and spilled drink from the mouth, as he heard her friends name. You could swear his hair rose up a bit like that of a disgruntled cats. "Esperia?!" Lilja was friends with her of all people? The brief meeting he had had with her did not really show her in the best of lights. A midget of a girl with an attitude problem that could be taken control of by a succubus, and with a lap dog of a dragon of all things. "Lets just say I know who yer talking bout. Ye sure she is trustworthy? Not you know a temptress?" A lot of doubt about her being exactly friendly flashed in his eyes... "Heck, her demon whatsits tried to seduce me. Thank god I was smart and brave enough to tell her off about it, and told her butler to get some laxer clothes too. Othervise she would have propably sucked me soul out real tenderly. That or she would have left with a black eye!" Admittedly, he was bragging again. With Lilja actually knowing the person he was speaking about this time, it might not sink so well.

The other person though, just hearing the fact that he was the owner of the bar was enough for Kurdran to give off a way happier mood. "Hey, a guy who makes good drinks for good folks can`t be that bad, right?" Honestly it just got him way more excited to meet him. "Gotta be some heavyweight fellow. This sort of business needs strength to throw worst customers out you know what I mean, hehe?"

Storyvise, with the two extra mugs of ale having been promised, he could propably go for the whole evening of being sad. However, when asked if he knew where his family left, he scratched his head a bit down. "Well... we dwarves usually go for places with gold. Me family is the kind that jumps from one profitable place to another, while occasionally grabbing supplies in Oak and Baska... Sadly, been a long enough while out of there, that I don`t have a clue at which point of their journey they are... Though it still doesn`t make me feel any better..." Honestly, it was just a better reason for them to actually wait.

When it came Liljas time to tell her story, she just said that it was not a proper one. "Eh, big things start small. Or stay small and get even more peppery, hehe!" Simple and short was sometimes good. It was easier to remember too!

However, after hearing it, Kurdran looked at Lilja, all sorts of apologetic as he pulled over his other mug. "Ugh... of course I turn out to be the guy, who forces you to keep that stuff in yer mind..." stories about people dying were always sad. But hearing that coming from a friend, it made him feel like a scumbag for bringing it up. "May he rest in peace though. Must have been a good fighter to get offed instead of ending in a similar situation to yours..." It was not exactly a helpful thing to say, but atleast there was glory behind it all.

At this point he felt like he needed to make the rest of his story a bit more happy. Just so she didn`t need to think about it as much. "Time for part 2..." And a swig of the new mug was taken.

"The walk here, was arduous to be sure. Me feet were sore, and I felt like whining about it... But, I soldiered on in the burning sunlight, and had lots of naps in the moonlight. And eventually, I made it here!" His arm swung to the side, like he was introducing the place. "I was proud of meself! I had never been outside of that little circle before this... and what I was met with was flowers. Tons of flowers. And a tight kimono to grab peoples attention. And I felt the need to fill it even more!" He took another chug from the mug.

"However, I guess the kimono was working, because this lanky blue boy decided to offer me a meal immediately! Went to eat with him, and met this bard who looked like a dang doppleganger... she could sing though, so I let her be!" Yet another swig. He started to be a bit hobbly... "On the same day, I met a nice lassie, and drank the horrid orchidean beers... but also Blackrock! This legendary dwarven stuff. It made me breathe FIRE I tell ya!" He burped loudly to show it. "However, when the girl was lying down, some pervert went and decided to take her chances... So I decided to go and punch the bastard! I think the guy turned to rock from sheer intensity, since he sounded like one! But then I got punched the heck out! I think I still have the fist print on me stomach, hehe!" He patted it...

...But now, he finally got to the part he was dreading... "Okay, gimme a moment... gotta gather composure..." He took a longer sip from his mug, as he placed his hand to his eyes. "Okay, I shouldn`t be this annoyed about it still..." It was clearly still a hard topic for him to swallow.

She looked up from her wandering thoughts as Kurdran seemed to literally spill out Esperia her name and she frowned, she actually didn't know Esperia, she only knew Asmodeus and had met the girl only shortly with his loyal thingy what was his name again? Well her butler that was what she had seen and after that she had a moment alone with Asmodeus. She wondered how much she hid the second dentity. She couldn't help but chuckle shortly when Kurdran asked her if she didn't see Esperia as a temptress, she let him finish, "Oh Asmodeus is a real temptress that is, so I would say that includes Esperia as well. It was a pleasant day so I wouldn't complain too much about it but it's very good you said no Kurdran, I wish I was so strong to say that." She didn't but it was nice to say so, she wasn't sure if she would accept it so soon again if she would meet Esperia again because now she got a few memories back, she only had questions but that were not related to a conversation between bedsheets.

The second person was Lucifer, although she believed his real name was different, and she believed he had said it but she refrained from using it because after all she wasn't sure and he had not said his name was Odin so she better use Lucifer too. But how funny Kurdran said that can't be bad. He should have known but she wasn't up for discussing Grimoire Heart or anything else, she simply grinned, "Working here makes it easier to get the good stuff." She took a sip of her own pint. But she nodded while drinking, she was sure that even without Mac, Lucifer would be able to run his bar very perfectly and be able to kick drunk people out. She could probably do that as well, wasn't it that she was simply very short which might be a bad thing when the guys were quite tall.

She wasn't a family being so she simply stared at Kurdran, not sure what to say, she still find it strange that people would not wait on others, shouldn't family do that? She frowned a little because of that, "Why did you leave? I mean if you don't mind saying?" Were they having a fight and he left, that might explain a few things but if it was just to find adventure and such and you wanted to see each other, how difficult could it be to wait a few more days or why not go out for a look yourself. She bit the inside of her lower lip softly, how did her family work? She had a vague feeling that she was the only one alive and that explained why she wasn't really a family being but it didn't change many things for other people, they could cry for ages about it. But it was her time to tell her what she had learned it was short so she honestly said so but Kurdran was a nice person and he told her that big things started small and she smiled, that was true and one day she would be herself again but even better, still not sure if she wanted to carry the name Lilja or Nastasya, she would see how it goes.

She looked up slightly sad because of the memories and she gave a weak smile to Kurdran, "No, not really. I do have to remember it, I'm not sure where my companion is, but Victoire, I have the feeling she didn't make it. And I want to remember her, I really do, it is pathetic that I lost my memory and have not thought about her for a while, she doesn't deserve that." She nodded when her friend continue to speak about Vic, she had no other thoguhts to add to that, may Vic rest in peace indeed but may she be trying to find Nastasya herself in Crocus and may they be reunited in the living side of the world.

She looked up when Kurdran mentioned part two and gave the small smile again and took a gulp of her drink, ordering two more, where her coworker stared at her in surprise but she simply ushered him to do so or she would get the owner. A blue haired being that bought him a meal, it made her think of Aurelion who immediately had bought her ice cream. She shook her head lightly, could it be? They were in the same place so it was highly possible. She raised her eyebrow on the second story but only continued to enjoy it and laughed heartly when he patted himself, "Hero of the innocent." she said heaving her mug and grinning at her friend. She really liked their meetings, she was sure of that. But her smile faltered as her friend really seemed to be hurt by the next topic.

So she frowned and scooted closer, "you don't have to talk about it, but if it makes you feel better?" Finally the other person came back with new beer and she waved him away after the mugs were placed on the table.

Overall, it seemed like Lilja agreed on many things Kurdran said. Although Kurdran had to raise an ear occasionally, especially when she mentioned that "She wasn`t strong enough to say no", Which outright got him to stand up in his seat again! "Wait, Don`t tell me... What did that dang Shuccubush do to ya!? I`ll make sure I`ll punch her in the gut the next time I see her!" This mildly drunken babble had him tapping the table in annoyance. Looks like Esperia truly was a tiger in kittens clothing... "But don`t you worry... I promishe I will keep your relation to me hidden." He most likely wouldn`t. After all, he would be there to avenge her and what not.

Honestly, Kurdran was lucky to not be the only one with sad things going on in his life, as now Lilja was clearly getting a bit sadder herself from listening to his story. He listened calmly, as she proceeded to bring up outright names of her former friends... well to his understanding atleast. "Oh believe me, I bet ye will..." He tried to give a pat on her back. "If ye can`t remember the detailsh... Well, ye can try to glue them together by thinking bout them. That`sh how most of the stories back home were created to my knowledge. The factsh create themselvesh."

As his second part went on, occasional blushes from Lilja praising him as a "hero of the innocent aside, She could clearly notice one thing: he had completely skipped the question about why he was living alone in the first place...

And he had just finished his second mug, as the third and fourth came in. Lilja scooted in closer, as Kurdran rubbed his hairy head. "Okay... I guess you need the backshtory for the next part to make shenshe..." He pulled one of the mugs closer, as he sighed sadly, and looked at Lilja. "I am a pretty friendly guy, if you have noticed?" He gave this bit of a questioning look, like asking if he really was. "You know those folks who talk a lot of good things about ya for a while? Then they ask, if you`ve got stories to tell, so you tell them about the cool treasures in the treasure cart... And then they ask if they could shee em? And then when they do, they ask if they could show it around? And then..." The even heavier sigh came out of his lips, as his face hit the table. "Dat habbened muldible dimes..." He was outright sobbing. It was maybe hard to believe based around his looks and most of his demeanors, but he was still relatively young by dwarven standards.

"Dhe leader realized id one day and... Dold me I would need do ged em back, if I ever wanded do be pard of dem again..." He slammed his fist on the table in a sadness induced frustration. "I HAVEN`D FOUND A DINGLE ONE!" He slowly raised his head from the table, and took a sip of the drink to keep him from crying continuously.

"Sho... coming here, I found a stall. Doing tarot thingies..." He moved his hands along the table, like he was holding napkins or something and placing them on it in different variations. "You know, predictionsh? They told this one guy that he would become praised and loved... Amazing story that one too... So I decided to go and ask if I could ever redurn home..."

The dwarf started shaking violently, like he was holding a volcano of tears erupting. "Sh-Sho... dhe lady Shtartsh Shlabbing cardsh on dhe dable and... Abbarently dhey shay..." He panted a bit before announcing it loudly: "I chan`d GO HOME ANYMOREEEE...! Godsh themselvesh have dechided me to be an outshider! Me family doeshn`d wand me back! Shylvia lieeed!" Admittedly, some of this stuff was just him being drunk, so finer details of the cards were lost. The important part to him was, that his family would look down upon him, even if he did return.

And with what the "gods" said, and Sylvias words being at odds with what he had heard, they had knotted themselves into complete mess in his head, and he couldn`t even start opening it properly. He could only distract himself from it. And trying to face this mess head-on? Well, now there was a dwarf, whose beard was so soggy, you could think he had used it as a towel...

Lilja was surprised, she was too quick on caring about people and tried to push that thought and feeling always away from her but she wasn't sure if they considered a friendship now, she moved up her hands and moved them from left to right, "Ah no no, no I mean. I didn't mind, I an truly vend for myself whenever I want to." She frowned, confused though, relation, what kind of relation, it surely was that they were friends right? "I mean you don't have to hide that we are friends, we are right?" she looked away insecurely, amnesia and all but she believed she never was a very good person in making friends, especially not with her Lilja and Nastasya role. At this point she had only met one guy who knew her as Nastasya, so that was quite limiting.

She got a little sad by the limiting amount of information, as she was a lot of times together with Odin, she could imagine that she alone for some times too or hiding or anything else. "That moment of connecting the dots, it will come." she said with a wry smile, surely it would, at some point and by meeting more often with people that seemed to know her for as far as possible. Thank god Kurdran noticed when to take over again and start to tell stories on again, she would let him, she would listen, pay very much attention, she wasn't even closed to being drunk as she didn't finish the first mug, she had to keep in mind that she had to work later, her eyes travel towards the barkeep before looking back at Kurdran, no one commented at her yet. He looked sad and she froze in her motion, not sure if she could comprehend but she nodded when he asked. He was friendly, that was true and perhaps a liar.

She stared at him with open mouth, perhaps not a liar, not always, only to make a story better and she felt different emotions, he was her friend so she felt bad for him but it was also a bit pathetic, they seemed to have taken the jewels, that would only lead to one thing. She wasn't sure what she should do, they were sitting close together when he told her the story and where she half connected the dots to why he must be without his family and why his family wasn't waiting for him, did that mean that his previous friend lied to him? She softly placed her hand on his forearm, not sure what to do about it, "I bet you will find them," which was a dangerous thing to say as she had no idea how long he was looking.

But he continued and Lilja listened to Kurdran going on about a tarot stand, pff those things were for idiots. She nodded slowly, she had a vague feeling about what he would hear from the reader. Her face turned to stone with her expression and she didn't know what to say, yes that friend lied, "If you find the jewels, I bet you still can go home." Because how else would they get it back, if he had not cared much, she would have known enough to say about it, find those jewels and keep them for yourself, rub it in the face of the traitors, who needed family. She killed her own after all and she bit her tongue, how did she remember that?

Admittedly, at this point it would have been pretty hard to consider the duo as anything but friends. If they weren`t, they propably wouldn`t have gone into such details about their problems. And besides, Kurdran wasn`t the only one spilling the beans for once, as Lilja had told him pretty confidential things too. Albeit, with how Kurdran feeling more and more tipsy, and him always having been the loud one of the pair, It was pretty clear who was pouring more things on the table.

...And more tears for that matter. He just kept wallowing in his little pile of beer mugs, as he chugged up the third one of the day. "Oh... Believe ye me... I`ve dried... For dhree mondhs..." He tried cleaning his eyes into his arms. "Been looking for wonky fellash like... like..." He squeezed his eyes with his fingers, trying to push out a memory. "Dhat dang murdery bugger... The guy who ran away..." His drunken tone was turning was starting to gain a tiny bit of rantish flavour. "Haven`t sheen the bashtard shince! He or she or whatever it wash... That guy wash me only hope of going to shee the dang black marketsh... But now dhad dhang Phanthom wussh guild ish in shamblesh dooohohooo..."

Black market? Well, that`s where he assumed the treasures were sold of course. However, for him to find them, he would have needed someone who actually knew about such a place... He with his dumb brain could never do it on his own.

However, Lilja outright bringing up how bringing the treasures back home would get him back in, triggered another outburst of tears. "Bud dhats dhe dhing!" He blurted. "Dhe orachle dold me dhad Even dhoing dhat would jusd have em judge me afderwardssssh...! He held his head with both hands like a frustrated child. He shook his mane about, trying to relief himself atleast a little bit...

"Bud Shylvia... She told me, dhat me parents missh me..." He bit on his lip. He really wanted to see them again. He couldn`t say he straight up hated them, since they had taken care of him for tens of years... "Bhud whad aboud dhe odhersh?" Was it just her telling him that so he could go and get 10s of fingers waggling at him for doing "nothing" for months? He trusted Sylvia a lot, but the prediction said something else. Besides, What could he himself do about it!? There were just so many things in that one city to see and talk about! So many things to keep him occupied! Who cared if he didn`t find the treasures anyway!? If they were just gonna laugh at him, they could just laugh by themselves!

There was clear anger forming in his drunken eyes. He stared at Lilja with pretty big intensity for a moment. "I ahm NAWT a jhoke You know! I dhon`t wanna be a laughingshtock!" He took another drink... as he relaxed a bit. "I... wanna be Dhalked about... but not lige dhad..." He was clearly a bit calmer now, but with the drunkedness, it was hard to assume how he was gonna react next...

"Hey, take it easy there fellow." She said calm and friendly, normally she would have drawn herself away from the loud mouths, the wallowing beings but she actually did like his stories and how he was when drunk and happy, so it was not a bad thing for once. She tried to remember much more about her own family but all she could remember was that she killed them, which was already something, probably not the best thing to tell a new friend though. "Look three months is nothing." She tried to say it positive, "Fiore is quite a large country for a man alone to find others that definitely not want to be found by him, I would be more surprised and think you were a liar if you did find them in three months." She wasn't ready to offer to help him and she thought that he wouldn't be ready to accept. She wanted to pat him on the forearm again but sat still when he spoke about the black market and getting there with a phantom lord? She had to almost bit her lip to get it too bleed to not laugh.

Months ago she would have thought that Phantom Lord was the thing but having learned that she had been a part of Grimoire Heart and that her friends or well fellow former guild mates were still out there, looking out for her, made her sure that Phantom Lord was laughable, "I know better people to guide you to the black market." she said, brushing a lose streak of hair out of her face and sat upstraight, "Me for example" Which was perhaps a bit too hasty to say without her memory but she had been on the blackmarket and in Oak she had apparently done different jobs to get there, Remy could help, Lucifer could.

She froze in her motion, wait.. if he gave them precious gems and the like, wouldn't it be sold on the market that she had sabotaged with Remy, she turned a bit pale, there were a lot of gems, probably not his, she was fine. She was glad to bring up something else, that if he found these gems that he would probably be welcomed back home, "Boy are dwarves a grudge holding bunch." she muttered, she shook her head lightly and took a gulp from the ale. It was probably not good to order new ones because it seemed Kurdran had enough for his emotions. "Well good parents should miss their child. And good parents should also be able to welcome you back home when you do find the items back and look everyone dead in the eye and tell them that if they have a problem with you, that they can go to hell." That's what good family did but hers didn't, and she remembered how they looked at her with that look in their eyes as if she was a reincarnation of the devil or some sort herself and that's why, when her mother died, she killed them. One after the other.

While she thought that, she missed him getting angry and turned her head back towards her friend in surprise. She nodded firmly, no one wanted to be like that and in his case, she believed that he didn't have to be. It was perhaps a dumb mistake, trusting people but being interesting was something fun, she would never do something like that either option; to tell and boast or to take and steal. But that didn't mean she didn't feel bad for her friend. "Well, screw them. I don't know how you feel but if the world is so interesting, who cares about a handful of jewels. You made an honest mistake and they don't even want to help you, so what do those gems or whatever it was matter to them? Nothing. So they mean nothing to you. You should do whatever you like, whenever you like it." Was the best advice she could give him, but if he took that to heart in the drunken state he was now, was a good question.

As Lilja told him to take it easy, Kurdran just proceeded to press his face against the table, mumbling all sorts incohesive things. He was really down in the dumps now... Yelling at his friend, who really had nothing to do with this was not exactly proper. And with his overall mood, neither of them was having fun whatsoever as long as he was like this. But all these thoughts. He just felt so frustrated and sad at the same time...

However, what Lilja said next got him to turn his head in her direction. "...Nodhing?" For a dwarf of his age, it felt like plenty of time to get things done. However, with how Lilja explained this train of thought, it had kurdran once again combing through his hair with his fingers, scratching his scalp. "But... I liderally have no leadsh whadshoevah..." And the next thing she revealed had his eyes open wide, with his mouth doing the same thing! he raised his head from the table all surprised with his hair at its split ends! It was almost like he had been struck by lightning, as he sparked a little bit on his own!

"YE KNOW WHERE DHE MARGHED ISH!?"

He honestly couldn`t believe it! This girl out of all the people he had met knew where the market was!? The girl he had just happened to meet at a bar?! The girl that was all sorts of snooty and innocent!? She was a... a...!

...Then it hit him. He proceeded to groan loudly. "Oh, Bloody hell, I`ve been a moron..." He whimpered a bit. "I knew I should have asged where you go buying yer glodhes... I`dsh sho obvioush, hehehe!" it was laughably simple. Women would go all the ways around the city to get what they wanted. A girl with guts like Lilja or Fia would most likely go that far to get that specific brand they needed to show off to other ladies!

...Or that was what atleast made sense for his drunken head. He proceeded to lift his mug in a momentary cheer and chug.

However, then she brought up his family again, and his mood drooped like an emptying balloon. "Oh believe me... the word around dhe sheddlemendsh goesh dhat dhe royal family hash a whole BHOOKH of em..." Besides, dwarves lived long... so if things happened to them, they were bound to remember. Heck, most remembered their drunken babblings. And as Lilja proceeded to tell him, that he should just go see them... he shook. "I... Idsh nodh dhe barentsh I`m worriedh aboudh..." There was clearly some other person he was afraid of the most... someone with influence...

And then, she proceeded to tell him many things. Things that rang a bell in his muddled brain. True, the things he had seen were much more interesting than looking at money all day. True, they hadn`t helped him whatsoever! AND MOST DEFINITELY TRUE! "THEY DON`T DECIDE HOW I LIVE!" He stood up on his chair, outright hopped onto the table and lifted up his 4th flagon! All this annoyance erupted with the dwarves loud shouts! "I am ghonna gho! And dhell dem to FUG dhemselvesh and SUG on dheir beardsh! I`ll handle dish dashk when I WANNA!" Maybe he would keep some of the treasures for himself!? After all, he was doing all the work. He stomped angrily on the table, as he poured the 4th mug into his mouth. "*GLUG* Ahnd... I whill thell me family dhat... I ahm a fully grown hairball! And dhen I`ll dhell Falsht..."

Before he could finish his last sentence, He slipped... and fell on his back on the floor. "Eeeeeugh..." Kurdran was about done. His eyes were rolling about in his head. He could swear he was seeing a fancy lady while looking at Lilja, like a tarot card... "You knoooow... Afdher dhis is ovah... Ye whanna... dhake me shopping wid ye? Fair drade for da companeh ye know..." He was feeling real sleepy. Man, he had drank too much again... How the heck did Lilja keep her head so well in these situations?

She tried to be very friendly and overly motivating, which wasn't the real good job description that you could ever give to Lilja and she doubt her Nastasya version was better at it, for it simply didn't seem to belong to her. She wasn't a good friend to many and she mostly thought things would happen and they would let it happen and so on, that made it now a bit over achieving to try and cheer up Kurdran but it seemed to be working in the smaller ways. As for example telling him that she knew where to find the black market, thank god she had still been there recently or well at the opening of ti, for else she might not remember. Thank god not many would be able to understand his drunk talking and she rolled her eyes with a smile. "Yes and I don't mind telling you." only not now, with his drunken mind it wouldn't help to get there and so on, so she would let it slide, he had too many things on his mind and she would tell him what she thought about the whole situation. Hopefully not revealing what she had done in his case: murder them all. Or at least the people that had wronged her, now again she would never let this happen but that wasn't the point. She wasn't going to judge Kurdran for that, he liked to tell stories, become a hero, in his story, she actually didn't want to become the villian. She would live that life without him knowing.

So she gave Kurdran a motivational speech and boy that worked. She looked around shortly, but didn't care what other people thought and if they were annoyed by the loud dwarf, he was at least more fun than they were. She looked up with a giggle as he stood on the table, holding up her own mug, but she had not drank much as she was actually working but it was fun to see, when he slipped, she quickly got up but as he talked on, she was sure he was alright and shook her head with a laugh again. "Yes, catch me when I'm done working another day and we can go shopping as you call it." she said, hunched down next to her friend. Making sure her skirt sat alright but that didn't bother her much. "Now you first need to rest, and not be bothered too much about the cards alright, you have your future in your own hands, so you tell yourself how to shape it." She would wonder if she should leave him here, which felt rude or if he could sleep it of somewhere else in this set up pub, so she asked some colleages to bring him to the back where he could sleep it off, but she stayed around to work, if Kurdran needed her, Lilja would be there.