swamped. [Killy!]

[Cy]

[/I], the lot of them.

Of course, a future not on the streets depended on one of them wanting him in their bed. Eugh.

It was far too early to panic though! Far, far too early. His former fling had at least been kind enough to get Embry packed and out while the sun was still high in the sky, beams of light shining vibrant and merciful through the canopy of the great trees that sheltered the forest settlement. In fact – yes, with a small glance to a window, it was confirmed that there was still plenty of day to be had. A crowd with more possibilities and opportunities wouldn’t show up until later, young and encouraged by their hormones. For now, he was surrounded by twittering barmaids and the old folk. Not that he minded older gentleman, a little experience did everybody a bit of good, but he liked them to be finely aged. Salty hair, a couple wrinkles, tales of old times – fine, whatever. Floppy jowls, arthritic hands, liver spots – ew, no thanks.

With an impatient and exasperated sigh, the teenager slouched a bit more on his stool and returned his attentions to his mug, lifting it up for another swig of honey wine. As he swallowed that down, he turned to glance over the occupants of the bar once more, picking out a few that would probably be fairly easy on the eyes after a few more drinks. Maybe if he upgraded to some harder stuff, though he wasn’t entirely certain he had the diasks for that…

No, what was he talking about?! Gross, even he could smell the desperation on him and that was never a good smell on anyone. He was just tired. He’d not been given the chance to sleep in that day, that was all it was. He had no idea what to do with himself so long before the sun was due to set. Excuses flooded him and calmed him. He knew who he was and, as such, he had no reason to worry. He’d have a place to be tonight. Releasing another huff, he finished off the last of his beverage and took a moment to consider the idea of having more. He felt fine, truly; lightheaded, but not to the point of giggles and imbalance. Turning on his stool, he peered down as he felt in his pocket to finger what diasks he had left. Hmm. Yet another sigh escaped him and he lifted his gaze to glance around, squinting and unsure. What did people do with their days? He needed to find someone. He needed some distracting chatter. With a decisive clap of his hands, he slid from his stool and made his way to the door with purpose.[/ul][/size]

[Kilnarak]

A day out on the wing would do them good, Muraaph had said. They could soar a while, breathe fresh air and get out of the stifling confines of the Eyrie for the day (even if they had to be back again by nightfall). A're wasn't altogether sure about the idea, really - the day was overcast and cold, and he would much rather have been sleeping in his nice warm bed; even if he had to admit that the Eyrie was beginning to seem rather claustrophobic, the increasingly cold weather kept him inside and asleep more often than he would really like. He never had liked winter overly much, the overcast skies had always depressed him back home in Chydyn, and it only got worse further to the north. And besides all that, he would have much rather gone out with company - M'ari being his first choice, but really any of his friends among the other riders would have sufficed: K'ean or Ros'n or Ts'kal. Of course, they all had their duties - away on sweep-flights or guard-duty or corrupting the youth...

And for all his arguing the matter with Muraaph, in the end he couldn't bring himself to say 'no' to her (particularly not when she was threatening to drag him out with her whether he liked it or not). So mid-day found A're, bundled in a mix of furs and riding-leathers, winging southward with Muraaph - skimming tree-tops and occasionally chasing flying insects. The green kept up a steady stream of chatter for nearly the whole flight, making up for her rider's relative silence and doing her best to brighten his mood. She did a good job of it, as when the greenpair soared a slow circle about the tree-top city of Chydyn A're was grinning and laughing, interjecting his own comments on Muraaph's banter now and then. As they came in for a landing - Muraaph choosing her favorite spot near the guard towers - the pair crowed and called out a greeting to the guards on duty, near in unison. They looked a bit startled, really - obviously they had not been expecting the pair, particularly those who had to clear out of the way as Muraaph lighted nearly on-top of them.

A're laughed as the guard-folk scrambled out of the way, giving Muraaph's neck an affectionate hug before climbing down from her back. "Sorry, sorry. We shoulda warned ya sooner that we were comin' in," he offered an apologetic grin to the guards they had displaced, although amusement still glinted in his eyes. He was sorry, but not that sorry - he often made a game of taunting the Chydyn guards when Muraaph brought him here, if only for all the trouble they had brought him before he had left on that fated hunting trip (of course, they had brought the trouble, not him or his cheating and brawling!). "We're just here for a few hours at most, we'll be outta your hair b'fore ya know it!" Some of the guards made grumbling comments, however in the end they all resumed their duties, mostly deigning to ignore the vibrant green simourv perched beside the guard-tower.

A're chuckled again, mostly to himself, and Muraaph lowered his head to nose affectionately at his chest. I will be waiting here, she warbled softly, and gave her rider a slight shove with her beak, pushing him on his way. New faces would do him good, even if it wasn't yet late enough that any of the gambling dens would be open. And besides that... "Yeah? Makin' th' guards uncomfortable, right Mura?" A're grinned as he stumbled a few steps away, catching his balance easily enough as he stepped up onto one of the bridge-like walkways winding about the settlement. Muraaph sent him a distracted affirmative, bobbing her head slightly then craning her neck up to peer over and around the structures of the city. A're was already a good distance down his chosen path, meandering slowly toward one of his former haunts - a decent enough tavern, low-class which offered the pluses of a general lack of off-duty guards, fairly cheap alcohol, and usually interesting people - when Muraaph's voice flashed, jewel-bright in his mind: Mine? Keep watch. There is something here.

The greenrider frowned faintly at this news, drawing his overcloak more closely about his shoulders. So that's why you wanted us to go out, Mura? he returned to the green, willing the sense of a pout into his mental voice. He was a bit annoyed - he had thought she wanted him out to have fun, not to go searching for more wayward children to drag back to the Eyrie against their parents wishes - but he couldn't really begrudge her much. Especially not after she sent him an affectionate and apologetic mental-nudge - she couldn't help it, so he would simply have to deal with it if and when he came upon it.

The slight young man was all smiles again by the time he pushed into the tavern, although that was quickly lost in a startled squawk as he all but collided with someone leaving. He didn't see the boy, not really, and his more comfortable smiles were replaced by a crooked and slightly embarrassed grin. "Sorry 'bout that, didn't see ya 'til I almost smacked inta ya. Are ya allright?" Of course, when he stopped to actually look at the boy, A're was struck with a vague sense of familiarity. It took him a long few moments spent examining the boy, his expression shifting into something vaguely perplexed. Finally, however, he puzzled a name to match the face out of his memory, "Ember, wasn't it? Hell, it's been an age. How've ya been?"

[ It's either a pet-name or bad recollection. You can decide. >> ]

[Cy]

[/i]

Promptly, he lifted an eyebrow, taking in the man with a renewed perspective now. The name rang a bell. A strong bell. A bell with enough strength to tell him that he'd definitely slept with this guy at some point. He couldn't quite tell if his failure to recall him immediately was a sign of the man's performance or just a reminder that his memory sucked. Or that he was way too easy, but that was harsh. He had standards. Besides, it had apparently been an age, a little forgetfulness was surely understandable. “I've been good, real good. I'm pretty sure I said not to call me that,” he teased, grin sitting broad on his lips. He couldn't be sure if he'd warned this or not. It sounded like something he'd say, though probably with a giant grin on his face while he did. He didn't mind. It was cute, really. However, all cute things aside, he had to drop down to deal with the serious matter at hand, a wince pulling at his features as he faced this fact. “This... is probably gunna sound so awful, but I don't think I remember your name...” It was blunt, but his expression was apologetic enough as he lifted his hands up to set against his cheeks, hiding a blush that wasn't there. The guy was quite a looker though, it didn't take much to feel bad for forgetting his name. How long was an age? Geez...[/ul]

( ooc | it's a bit of both, I've decided! )[/size]

[Kilnarak]

A're's lips quirked up in a slightly broader grin at the young man's response, and a short, sonorous laugh escaped him. He didn't take any offense to Ember forgetting his own name - it was nearing four years ago now, after all; it had been long enough that a little lapse of memory was to be expected (and of course, it wasn't as if this boy's name wasn't hazy enough in his own mind.) Still, perhaps it would be kind of him to throw the boy some hints.

"Aw, but Ember suited ya so nice! Ya've got a real fiery persona! Or ya did. It's been what, four, five years since I saw ya last? Maybe ya've changed?" He paused a moment, hands on his hips and leaning back from Ember to eye him again - his head canted slightly to one side, considering. He didn't look so different now - a bit taller and blonder than he remembered, but the mannerisms were the same. The play-acting. "Were ya always taller'n me?" The slight green-rider's lips pulled into a mock-frown, and his eyes dropped downward toward the boy's feet, as if suspicious of elevated heels. But nope! Nothing of the sort there. His gaze traveled back up to the boy's face, and he turned that frown into a mock-pout. "Aw, but ya don't r'member me? An' we had such fun tagether!"

He continued his mockery of sulking a few moments longer - long enough to attract Muraaph's attention. The green gave him a mental nudge before peering through his eyes. Someone Hers had known? A're dropped the act abruptly, another broad and slightly lopsided grin spreading across his face. "Prob'ly different than what ya' r'member anyhow, I mean, if ya r'membered. Was Amare, but it's just A're now. S'ppose I can't blame ya for forgettin' - we only come 'round here now and again anymore, an' usually just go so far as th' gamblin' dens. Ya still keep ta th' same haunts?"

While Hers chattered on - making up for his silence on the flight here - Muraaph simply observed the Ember-boy. He wore a very pretty color, although blue was not usually one she preferred. But he should look very nice in red, perhaps, and perhaps would fit the name Hers had given him better. He is interesting, she trilled pleasantly to A're, her swishing tail causing the guards she perched near some small measure of discomfort.

[Cy]

[/b] He boasted with a lopsided smirk, moving a hand to rest on his chest as he leaned back slightly as well, mirroring the gesture of his companion and biting his lip as he was scrutinized. He released a short chuckle at the question, unable to stop grinning. “Probably.” He teased, narrowing his eyes. Honestly, he probably hadn't; his growth spurt hadn't struck until after fourteen or fifteen or whatever age he'd been when he'd been fooling around with this relative stranger – but he didn't remember, and he doubted that this man's recollection for detail was so grand, so they could make believe that he'd always been devilishly taller than.

“Aw, but ya don't r'member me? An' we had such fun tagether!”

Confirmed. He'd definitely slept with this guy.

He released another laugh as he ducked his head, nodding before looking back to the man, keeping his head inclined forward and raising his brows. “I'm sure, but I've had fun with a lotta people in four or five years.” He remarked, aiming to play the coy and experienced card.

Amare. Amare, Amare, Amare – it sounded so familiar. So familiar, that he could practically hear himself sighing it out into the shadows of some dark corner, whispering it against that lopsided grin as he made some crude request. However, it wasn't Amare anymore, it was A're. Which meant that... well, it meant something that seemed impossible. The riders shortened their names, they introduced themselves with that significant little shortening of the name their mother had given them. It seemed surreal to think that someone he had once known was now a rider. Is that why so much time had passed since their last meeting?

Curiosity muddled his brain, but he still managed a soft exhale of a laugh and another smile. “Yeah, pretty much. Not a whole lotta variety around here, y'know.” He replied, shrugging. Chydyn was Chydyn, a composition of this and that and it hadn't changed in the nineteen years that he'd lived in it. His usual haunts were the funnest places he could find, proverbial gems in the forest settlement, but even they were losing their shine. “Where've you been?” He blurted out, knowing the answer and yet not knowing at the same time. Either way, he was dying to hear his suspicions confirmed or otherwise cleared up. He'd for sure have to ask around about this Amare-now-A're though.[/ul][/size]

[Kilnarak]

A're hummed lightly to himself, smiling as the boy spoke. It was good to see a familiar face, particularly one made new again by the passing of time. Particularly one he had fond memories of, at the least. Hazy though it was, he was sure Ember's had been one of the last faces he had seen before leaving with that fateful hunting party. Perhaps, if he had not had that to weigh it against, the boy's visage might have faded from memory as most of those before him had. And so, while he understood this, if distantly, as being the probable reason for it, it was still a touch disheartening when Ember (his Ember) casually remarked upon his numerous conquests since Amare. While he exaggerated it into a mockery of the expression, the pout A're put on at the boy's jaded demeanor did hold a hint of real feeling. "So many, huh? Aw, it's no wonder ya don't r'member li'l ol' me."

He only held the expression a few moments before shaking it off, pushing those thoughts aside - he didn't wear 'jealous' very well, and all things considered, he had no right to it. Muraaph was a warm presence, lingering at the edges of his awareness - both to comfort Her A're (not this boy's!) and out of intrigue for the teen. There was something about him... Him, really Mura? Maybe. You like him too! It's good to bring back the ones we like, the green's tones were cheery and soothing. What'll every one think, bringing back a former-lover for a candidate? while he managed to keep from laughing aloud at the green, outwardly his lips did curve into a bit more of a smirk. You've never been shy of a little infamy, Mine. Perhaps Liliph will tell stories about it! I wouldn't mind her chattering about Mine once in a while! A're couldn't suppress a small chuckle at that, although it could easily be passed off as amusement with his earlier charade. The mental discussion took a few seconds at most, hardly a noticeable gap in the conversation at hand.

"Aw, I don't know 'bout that. I see plenty that's changed. Like th' Cup an' Coin! Ya r'member that tavern, right? I come back, and it's gone! Some sort've tailor set up there instead!" He shook his head at the audacity of it, folding his arms loosely over his narrow chest. The greenrider turned another mock-pout to the boy, "I s'ppose if ya don't r'member me, ya prob'ly don't r'member me leavin' with a huntin' expedition, either? Went out with a real big group?" Refusing to answer outright where he had been, A're kept up his own charade. He was sure Ember could guess, was probably already guessing at it - the name change was obvious enough, not to mention the battered riding-leathers he had worn out. Although really, if he had thought ahead of time, perhaps he should have worn one of Muraaph's feathers as well? With a bit of cord, he might make a nice pendant of some of the molt...

[ Sorry this took so long to get around to. And is sorta rambly. The rambly I blame on sleep deprivation. >> ]

[Cy]

[/i] like most of the rest of his family? No way. He was better than that, better than dying. He'd been discovering himself and, in recent times, his entire lifestyle revolved around it. Where would he be otherwise? One of the scavengers on the street and he was definitely better than that. No, he didn't feel bad for not remembering this man, he refused to. Surely A're would understand. After all, they'd clearly not been so important together way back when that he'd been unable to up and ditch for years on end.

“Well, I guess you're just gunna have to remind me.” He boldly reminded, smirk still coy though the suggestive way that he held the man's eyes was hardly anything but. There was no shame, no modesty, and no consideration for the idea that A're would have a reason to turn him down. People didn't turn him down, especially if they'd had the pleasure of experiencing him once before.

The Cup and Coin? Another laugh escaped the younger boy, his smile stretching wide over his lips as he rolled his eyes away for a moment. “That place has been gone for years!” He exclaimed, looking back to the man with a mock pout of his own. “I do miss that place though.” See? He could remember some things despite years gone by!

His eyes widened considerably as A're crossed his arms, pouting and implying. It wasn't a clear answer, per se, but the suggestion could only mean one thing. He didn't recall Amare leaving with some big expedition, probably because he couldn't clearly remember him to begin with, but the group itself? Everyone knew about the people that had composed it, everyone knew about what had happened with them. For a moment, the surprise of it slipped away any vestiges of the coy mask he wore to offer pure unadulterated awe. He'd spotted the answer coming, but refusal to believe it made the way murky. Now it was there, clean and shining, and it really could only mean one thing. His green eyes slipped down to take in the leathers that the man wore, no longer seeing them as some strange get-up for some eccentric fellow to wear, but now as something so much more. Something to protect a man while flying, perhaps? His gaze snapped back up to A're's face. “You're a Rider?” He asked, a small exhale escaping with the words and a smile touching the edges of his mouth once more.[/ul][/size]