[ AW ] Dionysus, You called?

The wooden door of the tavern groaned as Dire shoved it open, the night air rushing in to meet him - cool, damp, scented with earth and distant brine. He stumbled forward, paws unsteady against the uneven cobbles, the world shifting and rolling beneath him like the deck of a ship. Whatever foreign brew had passed his lips had unravelled something deep within him, loosening the iron grip he kept on his own mind. Shadows stretched in ways that should not be possible. The street lamps flickered like winking stars, whispering secrets only he could hear.

Inverness was too ordered, too polished, too settled for a beast like him. Stone and brick tamed the wilderness, forcing it into roads and buildings where wild hearts should not belong. And yet, the river, ever-moving, ever-free, called to him - its waters an ancient force, unbothered by the constraints of men. It reminded him of Calais, of jagged coasts and unforgiving terrain, where the land itself challenged those who dared to claim it. Where lava rock bit beneath claws, and fire could erase what was carelessly built.

His feet carried him, unthinking, toward the trees, toward the damp embrace of the forest. He swayed as he walked, tongue pressing against the roof of his mouth, tasting the remnants of whatever liquid had stolen his clarity. Puddles glistened in the faint moonlight, mirroring his form - a powerful figure, marred by the drunken haze distorting his own reflection. He peered down at himself, eyes sharp even through his intoxication.

He grinned.

Had he ever looked so fine? The liquid emboldened him, stripped him of the last walls he kept standing. He admired himself with a knowing smirk, his tail flicking lazily behind him. He was lost, yes - utterly clueless as to where the city had gone and where the trees had swallowed him whole - but perhaps, for tonight, he did not need to be found.

Table @Calatiah, Art @Uiseag

aurelia rose.

Aurelia had wandered into town some time ago from her home on the countryside. She knew it was night time by now, with the way the cool breeze lingered and the shadows darkened in her periphery. She had walked these streets for years -- perhaps more years that should be possible, and still she felt... fine. Her body, though aged, was limber and lean. She did not ache like she should and she was far more than certain she did not look like she should.

The fog that had shrouded Rionnach and Saora for a time must have done something to the wolves here, it must've preserved them in ways they could not understand for where an old and shriveled woman should be stood a beautiful one in her prime.

Now Saora was no more and a new King had risen, taking hold of Rionnach once more and tightening his grip on the land. Things were fine... for now, with Jacob and Adamh gone the fight was still there but not so much so that perhaps yet another war would be started over it. With them, old wounds had healed and differences had been buried. At least, she hoped. While her children did not seem to age much either, she did not want them living in a world full of violence and strife. She wanted more intensely for them than she ever had herself. They no longer lived with her at this point but they visited often and that was enough.

A noise caught her attention and drew her from her thoughts. She thought she saw something dark out of the corner of her blinded eyes, a shadow of someone perhaps, and turned her head to look even though she could see no more than shadows and dancing lights. The area was darker where she looked and she had to imagine it was the city limit, off into the depths of the forest this one went and for some reason, Aurelia chose to follow. She rarely found herself outside of her home, the brothel or the town but something in her pushed her paws forward. Curiosity, stupidity? Maybe a mix of both. Still she found herself nearing a stranger, by the scent of it male, and a smile curling upon her dark lips.

"Hello," she murmured softly from behind him. She hoped she did not startle him, but more than that she hoped he was friendly. She had met many a man who would hurt her, but she still was hopeful that the greater good was more than the few.

"Aurelia speaks."

art and table by hale.

A voice sliced through the quiet with a softness that did not belong in the depths of the forest. Dire turned, slow and deliberate, the intoxication gripping him like unseen chains. His golden gaze, sharp even through the haze, landed on her - a creature of shadow and quiet beauty, her presence an anomaly in his drunken world.

He blinked, his mind sluggish, struggling to piece together her approach. The city, the tavern, the fog - it was all slipping away, replaced with the rhythm of her words and the weight of her gaze.

A lopsided grin pulled at his lips, reckless in its amusement. Well now, he murmured, voice thick with the remnants of whatever liquor had stolen his senses. You’re quite the vision to stumble upon in the dark.

His paws shifted against the damp ground, unsteady but unbothered. His reflection still glimmered in the puddles at his feet, distorted and wavering, and for once, he did not mind the imperfection. What brings you out here, trailing after a lost soul like myself? Curiosity? Foolishness? His tone was teasing, but there was something keen in his gaze - something measuring, something interested.

He tilted his head slightly, his drunken state making the gesture more exaggerated than intended. Or perhaps you are just as lost as I am. The thought amused him. He was no stranger to the allure of mystery, and tonight, @Aurelia was the perfect enigma to unravel.

Table @Calatiah, Art @Uiseag

aurelia rose.

Aurelia's gaze angled towards his voice as he spoke, his flirtatious words rising in the air between them. She offered him a small smile, feeling her cheeks warm at the compliment. He was quick to ask her why she was out here and she shrugged her petite shoulders honestly. "I don't think I'm lost, but I am curious. Perhaps a little foolish, too." she said, her voice soft but not yet afraid.

"I scented you not far from the road and was curious as to what someone would be doing out here..." she admitted. She still wasn't exactly sure what he was doing, since she could not see his expression or surroundings. "I suppose that's foolish for a blind woman," she added, tilting her head up slightly.

She knew she could make her way back when she needed to and while she also knew she should be home at this hour she found herself bored of her usual routine. She wished she could see so that she might explore more.

She'd heard of these new places that had become accessible for some time but she'd never been able to go there. Maybe Danya or one of her children could take her some day, but that didn't seem all that likely. Certainly she could not wander there alone. A lofty sigh escaped her and her tail began to sway idly behind her in a friendly manner. "If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing? Did you say you were lost?" she asked, tilting her head to the side a bit in question.

"Aurelia speaks."

art and table by hale.

Dire's grin curled at the edges, a lazy, knowing thing, as he closed the space between them. His movements were muted almost, deliberate, his steps unhurried despite the haze that clouded his mind. The scent of liquor clung to him, thick and heady, laced with the smoky remnants of the tavern he'd staggered from. As he drew near, the warmth of his breath ghosted against the woman’s fur, carrying the rich tang of spirits.

With unhurried confidence, he leaned in, the rasp of his rough tongue grazing her cheek in a fleeting, possessive caress. It was coarse against her skin, wild and unapologetically raw. His exhale followed the motion, warm, steeped in intoxication yet steady - no hesitation, no second thoughts.

He lingered, golden eyes flicking over her features with scheming, amusement still playing within their depths. You taste far finer than the brew that muddled my mind, he mused, voice husky, edged with the remnants of liquor. His tail swayed, slow and self-assured, a silent display in comparison to the boldness of his gesture. Tell me, blind but not lost - do you fear wolves who stray too close? His words were teasing, laced with a wicked amusement.

Table @Calatiah, Art @Uiseag

aurelia rose.

He pays no mind to her question, and instead draws nearer. Aurelia can feel his breath on her face, warm and tainted with drink. It makes him brave, perhaps. She tilts her chin up and looks toward him, despite her silver eyes being unable to actually see him. She is usually timid in moments like this, but she knows she can't be while she's alone. If she breaks before a man that wishes to see her broken it'll only provoke him further. She stands a little straighter, a little more with purpose, and she becomes wary of his nearness. She is ready to strike if she needs to but before she can react, he licks her.

Her stunned mind freezes at his 'compliment' and she blinks, lashes fluttering in confusion as to what just happened. She cannot see the grin on his face but she hears the amusement in his words. A huff escapes her and she steps back, a frown now upon her lips as she lifts a paw to wipe away his heated saliva from her face. Embarrassment wells up within her, but she battles it wearily. "Only when they mean me harm," she almost snaps back. She looks toward him, sniffing daintily as she places her paw back on the ground. "What the hell was that?" she asks, no demands.

"Aurelia speaks."

art and table by hale.

The devil's grin did not fade, but there was a shift - a crack in the amusement that made way for something darker, something unreadable. The liquor had loosened his thoughts, unwound them into places he rarely let linger. And now, here stood the essence of a woman, fragile in sight but not in spirit, demanding an explanation with more nerve than most. It intrigued him. It made him curious.

But curiosity had always been a dangerous thing with the likes of him.

His breath, steeped in the bitterness of mead, curled, warm and clinging.

Demanding answers in the dark, he mused, voice low. Now that is dangerous, His golden eyes flickered, their usual sharpness now hazed slightly by intoxication, like a predator watching, waiting.

The forest around them loomed, the twisted branches overhead swallowing the faint glow of the distant city. Here, under the cover of shifting shadows, the world belonged to creatures like him. Unpredictable. Unruly. Untamed.

Do you know how many things lurk in places like this? he asked, voice soft though no less threatening.

How many walk these paths not seeking conversation, but something more primal? His tail flicked once, slow and deliberate, before he leaned forward just slightly, closing the space she had tried to put between them.

The scent of her - warm, faintly sweet - mixed with the acrid sharpness of liquor he'd ingested, and it amused him how boldly she stood.

You are lucky, he murmured, voice nearly a whisper now, curling just beneath her ear, that tonight, I am only drunk.

Table @Calatiah, Art @Uiseag