Ash 18th, 117 AoS
(Continued from here)
Ricky continued with his meal until at last every ounce of meat had been consumed, leaving his belly full as half of the veggies on his plate were eaten. Hannah's friend had gotten up after a second shot was shared between them, and moved closer to the fire pit with her instrument pulled to her front. Ricky wasn't keen to watch her necessarily, so he wasn't really aware of what she was doing with his back turned. But after a moment of placing her fingers along the neck of the instrument, soft music started to fill the lobby of the inn as he listened. He half expected the woman to sing in this instance, as she was clearly the local bard of the town; but even in waiting not a single word came.
Instead, just a somewhat jovial tune started to echo from the pit, with a good number of the customers around lowering their voices in respect. In fact, much of the volume heard in the room noticeably lessened, as the alluring tone of her music filled the room with ambiance. It was easy to distinguish herself as an experienced performer, as her notes were arranged in a harmony one only could find through practice; and with it, the mood of her tune could be felt within the room. Strange. Ricky never really experienced such a moving sensation, as he could detect the heartwarming moments felt in her chords... yet also sadness. There was an underlying tone of melancholy within her, as the tune remained well-paced with softly carried notes.
Hannah noticed that Ricky stopped eating apparently and in turn took his plate away, and with a brief nod of appreciation, he watched her carry it back into the kitchen. He felt... good now. Satisfied to have a full belly, somewhat buzzed by the alcohol he'd consumed, and almost relaxed enough to be merry as the rest of the locals. Before too long Hannah came back out from the kitchen, stopping however before she had managed to reach the bar. Ricky noticed a sudden drop in her 'warm personality' act she displayed earlier, as the barmaid seemed to look past the bar with the words "oh shit," muttered to herself. Quickly his eyebrows furrowed to see such a reaction, and now Ricky's curiosity had gotten the better of him. So he turned to twist around, still situated on his barstool with the mug in his hand, to see what exactly brought such a stark change out of the barmaid.
Her friend the bard was lost in her music evidently, failing to notice that another had approached her from behind. A man. Some dirty blonde individual with a sturdy frame, green eyes fixated on the woman playing her ukulele almost in a longing manner. Immediately Ricky already had him figured out, the alleged asshole that Hannah's friend seemed to have left. Clearly there were unresolved feelings left in the mix, otherwise, he wouldn't have interrupted her by touching at the elbow. Telly stirred and quickly flinched away, surprised to see that the man had even bothered evidently. "Aaron!"
"Can we talk... please?!" He urged with a quick glance towards the general crowd, causing this Telly to do the same before biting her lower lip. "Just for a moment." She looked to Hannah next who eagerly shook her head no, though clearly didn't get the memo as she sighed reluctantly. The blonde moved back to the bar to place her instrument down at her spot, with a sorry look cast to her friend as she shrugged in return.
"I'll be right back." She told Hannah before moving to join this Aaron fellow. People watched as the two of them stepped out of the inn together, and not even a moment after the door close Hannah didn't wait any longer.
"To hell with this." The barmaid muttered lowly as she threw her washcloth down hard, with a brisk walk made after them so that she could follow. Ricky then turned back around to face the bar once more, a little conflicted now that he'd just watched that little show. While the drama wasn't his thing he couldn't help but wonder, enough to eye the ukulele still left on the bar as he finished his drink. He could go to bed right about now, pretend he wanted nothing to do with any of this. But... to do that was to ignore what his body told him. To deny whatever the fuck drove him to Loras in the first place. Even now every fiber in his being felt compelled to move, to reactively go after them in the event things went south. He hated this about him... As that normally involved getting into trouble. But when moments like this arose... fuck it.
With one last gulp of his beer, Ricky slammed the tankard down, with a sigh made afterward when he then rose to stand on his feet. He didn't care about what happened next, much less if people watched when he grabbed the ukulele. He simply just acted upon what he assumed was instinct now, and therefore held the instrument by its neck as he marched for the door. The bustle of the room started to rise once more, now that the show had left the room, but it was clear now that everyone had a subject to talk about. Even then Ricky's step into the outside felt completely different than before, as night had fallen with a cool crisp drop in the temperature now; with fog rising from the ground as he walked around the Inn's front side. He could hear the arguing around the corner sure enough, as one masculine voice tried to overpower the duo of feminine voices pitted against him.
"This has nothin' to do with you, this is between me and her, you nosy whore!"
"The fuck it doesn't have anythin' to do with me, the fact you think you can get away with how you treat my friend is utter bullshit!"
"Listen whatever she's told you, it's between her and me! Got it! You need to keep your nose out of other people's business!"
"And you need to lay off before I get the guard on your ass again! You're not supposed to be anywhere near her and you know it!" Ricky perked his head around the corner finally as he could see that Hannah was toe to toe with Aaron, as Telly was shepherded behind the barmaid rather protectively.
"I never touched her! She clearly doesn't remember well, cause she was obviously wasted when it happened!" Aaron claimed in his defense which... was honestly enough for Ricky to get the picture. Thus he turned away from the corner and focused, relaxing so that he could breathe regularly before what came next. Pressure then started to develop all throughout his jawline, particularly in his gums, as the hairs on his neck rose to a full stand. Within moments of listening to the argument, he started to shift, allowing the nature of his true form to reveal itself as his body morphed. While the changes weren't as drastic as turning into his actual wolf form, he still felt the noticeable discomfort he usually experienced in the shift itself. His teeth started to itch as they began to elongate, his ears perking further back as their pointed tips became more refined, as the pigmentation of his skin started to darken across his cheeks and forehead; as well as all over his body.
His nails suddenly itched as those too changed, with slender dark claws forking from his fingertips as the volume of his hair thickened. Once the shift was finally complete he breathed another sigh once more, relieved to have finished the transition as he moved to the corner once more. Only this time he didn't peek. He just marched forward straight to the three of them, with Aaron's back to him so that he didn't notice the approach. By the time the other two saw Ricky and reacted, however, he'd already closed in enough on the asshole in question; the ukulele raised behind him so that he could swing it down from overhead. Both Telly and Hannah reeled back, briefly shrieking the moment he swung the instrument forward. Aaron reacted in turn, turning in time to see the hairy giant behind him, before being beaten down with the wooden instrument in his grasp.
The ukulele smashed into him hard, shattering into several pieces as Aaron fell away from him; hitting the ground hard with his arms brought around his face. The bastard looked to be completely disoriented by the hit, maybe even a little banged up on the head as he quickly developed a bruise; however, practically left unharmed by the wolf as he loomed over the man. Both women stared at him with a look of horrified awe, likely expecting him to rip and tear into the poor fool like a monster. Yet Ricky didn't. As much as he would've loved to induce more pain on this man, it served little purpose when he could've clearly made a point. Thus he leaned just a little, his glowering blue eyes fixed on Aaron as he scowled hard. "Y' even think 'bout comin' near her again... even so much as look at her again... then you and Oi will have a real problem. Y' hear me?"
Aaron looked up to him just as terrified as the ladies did, the crotch of his trousers dampening now as he started to scoot away. "I said y' hear me?!" Ricky growled bitterly which caused all three of them to flinch.
"Yes!! Yes!! By the Old Ones, I swear!! I'll never bother her again!! Just let me go!! Please!!"
"Git the fuck outta here then." Ricky nodded for him to leave, and the poor bastard practically crawled a couple of feet in the mud; before pushing up to take off rapidly into a sprint. Leaving Ricky alone with the two ladies then, which he didn't really say or do anything until Aaron was actually gone. At that point he began to breathe once more and relax, altering his form to revert back to the human state he was in earlier. He looked at the two women finally, after completing his reversion, and with a glum expression diverted his gaze. "Sorry."
Both Hannah and Telly were still in shock by what they saw, but it was the blonde who came around first surprisingly; as she looked mortified by something else entirely. "My ukulele..." Did he do that? Damn it. He was only wanting to surprise the poor bastard, but clearly a bit of pent up rage escaped when he gave the blow.
"You just..." Hannah remarked still in total surprise, fixated on him while her friend picked up the pieces.
"I... Can replace it." He muttered to her apologetically.
"How did you..." Hannah continued as she watched him.
"Replace it?! This was mine! My ukulele! What gave you the right to use it on Aaron like that?!" Telly spat bitterly as she clutched the broken pieces, a few steps taken back to rejoin Hannah's side.
Ricky merely looked at the both of them, and with a sorry looking shrug he answered; "Oi was only try'na help." Putting it to point he determined it best to leave before things escalated and the authorities were involved. Thus he turned away with a somber look cast to the ground, a brief glance made back at them as he muttered "sorry," before walking away. Whatever would take place afterward, be it a visit from one of the guards or otherwise, Ricky left the two of them to return to his room for the evening.
(Continued from here)
Ricky continued with his meal until at last every ounce of meat had been consumed, leaving his belly full as half of the veggies on his plate were eaten. Hannah's friend had gotten up after a second shot was shared between them, and moved closer to the fire pit with her instrument pulled to her front. Ricky wasn't keen to watch her necessarily, so he wasn't really aware of what she was doing with his back turned. But after a moment of placing her fingers along the neck of the instrument, soft music started to fill the lobby of the inn as he listened. He half expected the woman to sing in this instance, as she was clearly the local bard of the town; but even in waiting not a single word came.
Instead, just a somewhat jovial tune started to echo from the pit, with a good number of the customers around lowering their voices in respect. In fact, much of the volume heard in the room noticeably lessened, as the alluring tone of her music filled the room with ambiance. It was easy to distinguish herself as an experienced performer, as her notes were arranged in a harmony one only could find through practice; and with it, the mood of her tune could be felt within the room. Strange. Ricky never really experienced such a moving sensation, as he could detect the heartwarming moments felt in her chords... yet also sadness. There was an underlying tone of melancholy within her, as the tune remained well-paced with softly carried notes.
Hannah noticed that Ricky stopped eating apparently and in turn took his plate away, and with a brief nod of appreciation, he watched her carry it back into the kitchen. He felt... good now. Satisfied to have a full belly, somewhat buzzed by the alcohol he'd consumed, and almost relaxed enough to be merry as the rest of the locals. Before too long Hannah came back out from the kitchen, stopping however before she had managed to reach the bar. Ricky noticed a sudden drop in her 'warm personality' act she displayed earlier, as the barmaid seemed to look past the bar with the words "oh shit," muttered to herself. Quickly his eyebrows furrowed to see such a reaction, and now Ricky's curiosity had gotten the better of him. So he turned to twist around, still situated on his barstool with the mug in his hand, to see what exactly brought such a stark change out of the barmaid.
Her friend the bard was lost in her music evidently, failing to notice that another had approached her from behind. A man. Some dirty blonde individual with a sturdy frame, green eyes fixated on the woman playing her ukulele almost in a longing manner. Immediately Ricky already had him figured out, the alleged asshole that Hannah's friend seemed to have left. Clearly there were unresolved feelings left in the mix, otherwise, he wouldn't have interrupted her by touching at the elbow. Telly stirred and quickly flinched away, surprised to see that the man had even bothered evidently. "Aaron!"
"Can we talk... please?!" He urged with a quick glance towards the general crowd, causing this Telly to do the same before biting her lower lip. "Just for a moment." She looked to Hannah next who eagerly shook her head no, though clearly didn't get the memo as she sighed reluctantly. The blonde moved back to the bar to place her instrument down at her spot, with a sorry look cast to her friend as she shrugged in return.
"I'll be right back." She told Hannah before moving to join this Aaron fellow. People watched as the two of them stepped out of the inn together, and not even a moment after the door close Hannah didn't wait any longer.
"To hell with this." The barmaid muttered lowly as she threw her washcloth down hard, with a brisk walk made after them so that she could follow. Ricky then turned back around to face the bar once more, a little conflicted now that he'd just watched that little show. While the drama wasn't his thing he couldn't help but wonder, enough to eye the ukulele still left on the bar as he finished his drink. He could go to bed right about now, pretend he wanted nothing to do with any of this. But... to do that was to ignore what his body told him. To deny whatever the fuck drove him to Loras in the first place. Even now every fiber in his being felt compelled to move, to reactively go after them in the event things went south. He hated this about him... As that normally involved getting into trouble. But when moments like this arose... fuck it.
With one last gulp of his beer, Ricky slammed the tankard down, with a sigh made afterward when he then rose to stand on his feet. He didn't care about what happened next, much less if people watched when he grabbed the ukulele. He simply just acted upon what he assumed was instinct now, and therefore held the instrument by its neck as he marched for the door. The bustle of the room started to rise once more, now that the show had left the room, but it was clear now that everyone had a subject to talk about. Even then Ricky's step into the outside felt completely different than before, as night had fallen with a cool crisp drop in the temperature now; with fog rising from the ground as he walked around the Inn's front side. He could hear the arguing around the corner sure enough, as one masculine voice tried to overpower the duo of feminine voices pitted against him.
"This has nothin' to do with you, this is between me and her, you nosy whore!"
"The fuck it doesn't have anythin' to do with me, the fact you think you can get away with how you treat my friend is utter bullshit!"
"Listen whatever she's told you, it's between her and me! Got it! You need to keep your nose out of other people's business!"
"And you need to lay off before I get the guard on your ass again! You're not supposed to be anywhere near her and you know it!" Ricky perked his head around the corner finally as he could see that Hannah was toe to toe with Aaron, as Telly was shepherded behind the barmaid rather protectively.
"I never touched her! She clearly doesn't remember well, cause she was obviously wasted when it happened!" Aaron claimed in his defense which... was honestly enough for Ricky to get the picture. Thus he turned away from the corner and focused, relaxing so that he could breathe regularly before what came next. Pressure then started to develop all throughout his jawline, particularly in his gums, as the hairs on his neck rose to a full stand. Within moments of listening to the argument, he started to shift, allowing the nature of his true form to reveal itself as his body morphed. While the changes weren't as drastic as turning into his actual wolf form, he still felt the noticeable discomfort he usually experienced in the shift itself. His teeth started to itch as they began to elongate, his ears perking further back as their pointed tips became more refined, as the pigmentation of his skin started to darken across his cheeks and forehead; as well as all over his body.
His nails suddenly itched as those too changed, with slender dark claws forking from his fingertips as the volume of his hair thickened. Once the shift was finally complete he breathed another sigh once more, relieved to have finished the transition as he moved to the corner once more. Only this time he didn't peek. He just marched forward straight to the three of them, with Aaron's back to him so that he didn't notice the approach. By the time the other two saw Ricky and reacted, however, he'd already closed in enough on the asshole in question; the ukulele raised behind him so that he could swing it down from overhead. Both Telly and Hannah reeled back, briefly shrieking the moment he swung the instrument forward. Aaron reacted in turn, turning in time to see the hairy giant behind him, before being beaten down with the wooden instrument in his grasp.
The ukulele smashed into him hard, shattering into several pieces as Aaron fell away from him; hitting the ground hard with his arms brought around his face. The bastard looked to be completely disoriented by the hit, maybe even a little banged up on the head as he quickly developed a bruise; however, practically left unharmed by the wolf as he loomed over the man. Both women stared at him with a look of horrified awe, likely expecting him to rip and tear into the poor fool like a monster. Yet Ricky didn't. As much as he would've loved to induce more pain on this man, it served little purpose when he could've clearly made a point. Thus he leaned just a little, his glowering blue eyes fixed on Aaron as he scowled hard. "Y' even think 'bout comin' near her again... even so much as look at her again... then you and Oi will have a real problem. Y' hear me?"
Aaron looked up to him just as terrified as the ladies did, the crotch of his trousers dampening now as he started to scoot away. "I said y' hear me?!" Ricky growled bitterly which caused all three of them to flinch.
"Yes!! Yes!! By the Old Ones, I swear!! I'll never bother her again!! Just let me go!! Please!!"
"Git the fuck outta here then." Ricky nodded for him to leave, and the poor bastard practically crawled a couple of feet in the mud; before pushing up to take off rapidly into a sprint. Leaving Ricky alone with the two ladies then, which he didn't really say or do anything until Aaron was actually gone. At that point he began to breathe once more and relax, altering his form to revert back to the human state he was in earlier. He looked at the two women finally, after completing his reversion, and with a glum expression diverted his gaze. "Sorry."
Both Hannah and Telly were still in shock by what they saw, but it was the blonde who came around first surprisingly; as she looked mortified by something else entirely. "My ukulele..." Did he do that? Damn it. He was only wanting to surprise the poor bastard, but clearly a bit of pent up rage escaped when he gave the blow.
"You just..." Hannah remarked still in total surprise, fixated on him while her friend picked up the pieces.
"I... Can replace it." He muttered to her apologetically.
"How did you..." Hannah continued as she watched him.
"Replace it?! This was mine! My ukulele! What gave you the right to use it on Aaron like that?!" Telly spat bitterly as she clutched the broken pieces, a few steps taken back to rejoin Hannah's side.
Ricky merely looked at the both of them, and with a sorry looking shrug he answered; "Oi was only try'na help." Putting it to point he determined it best to leave before things escalated and the authorities were involved. Thus he turned away with a somber look cast to the ground, a brief glance made back at them as he muttered "sorry," before walking away. Whatever would take place afterward, be it a visit from one of the guards or otherwise, Ricky left the two of them to return to his room for the evening.
