As usual, the tavern is busy and noisy. There are few sailors attempting to get some music going, but are having some difficulty with their diverse instruments, mainly hornpipes and accordions. Most of the patrons are sailors or dockworkers, and tend to cluster together in like groups without much mingling, even pushing tables together so those from the same boat can sit with eachother.
Two black Nagas slither into the tavern, both wearing ponchos. The smaller one seems nervous at being around so many people, and clings to the larger, hooded Naga's arm. She also wears a simple headpiece - a silver circlet with a white lace drape than falls across the back of her neck and matches her poncho, which also has an outer layer of white lace over an inner one of black velvet.
"Remember, they are more ssscared of you, than you of them," Nagatraum remarks the Mage Rostre that he escorts. Aside from the muted vision and hearing, having to get used to having no wings, nor legs, took a bit before he could even dare to show up at the mage's tower; upon which he scared two guards, and made Rostre faint. Once revived, he took her out for some drinks, and they ended up here.
"Why would they be?" the Spirit Mage asks, suddenly alarmed. "Am I ssuppossed to act sscary? I didn't think to bring any sspirits with me," she notes. She hisses more when she's nervous, apparently.
"Because you are a big, spooky, predator," Nagatraum points out. "But nevermind, letsss find a table and harassss ... order sssomething, hmm?"
Apparently it is a seat-yourself arrangement, and the establishment doesn't have any of the bowl-shaped Naga chairs (despite there being Naga customers and staff). Most of the larger tables are taken by groups, leaving a few 'cozy' 4-seat tables available.
It's a good thing Naga can make their own seats, so to speak. And since Nagatraum is bigger than Rostre, he presents part of his own tail as something to coil on, as well as coiling down himself to reach table height. "Ssssooo," he asks Rostre, "Do you approve of thissss body?"
After seating herself half onto Nagatraum's coils, Rostre gapes her mouth slightly in a Naga blush and squeezes one of the big Naga's biceps. "Yessss," she admits. Then pulls her tongue back in and asks, "What do I call you in public like thiss?"
"Masssssster," Nagatraum teases and grin-gapes back at her. "Thisss is a copy of a performer back in Chronotopia. And more seriously, I do not know .... I am not familiar with naga name patternsss."
There's a pause as he tries to remember. "But ... if I basssse it on hisss name, Aldrahkna, would work I suppose," the serpent concedes.
"Oh.. that's better than my though," Rostre says, and gape-blushes again. "Mine was sssilly.."
"And that wassss?" Aldrahkna prompts.
Rostre waffles a bit. "Well.. the jewelry.. and the nose ring.. made me think 'ssailor' or 'pirate' ssooo.." She then whispers, "Long John Slither," and immediately bows her head down in embarrassment.
Aldrahkna sets his head on the table and siiiiiiiiighs. "That wassss terrible," he has to agree as he looks up at the Mage. Shaking his head, he rises back up and looks about for the wait staff.
A Naga is already approaching them, wearing the upper part of a traditional serving-wench outfit. It hasn't been modified for a Naga though, so she has two wooden bowls stuffed into the bodice so it doesn't hang loose. "Good evening," she hisses, looking between the two unfamiliar faces. "Firssst time to the Ptera?" she asks.
"Yesssss," Aldrahkna replies as he eyes that weird outfit. "My friend here isssss a bit ssshy, ssssooo picked a quieter place." He then pauses and has to ask, "You do not sssserve drinkssss in those bowls do you?"
"I keep my washragsss in them," the Naga server claims. "Bowlss keep people from sssnatching them. Big joke with sssailors. I am Hatassi, or Hatty if you prefer. For your sizess, I would recommend the Vartan ale, and a table warmer."
"Then two ales pleasssse, and that warmer," Aldrahkna requests, then looks to Rostre. "Unlessss you would prefer ssssomething different?"
"I have no idea what to order," Rostre notes. "Unlesss they have sherry or brandy.. by the jug?" she asks hopefully.
"We do not," Hatty replies. "We have ale, Vartan ale, and gaggle."
"What isssss gaggle?" Aldrahkna has to ask.
"It iss a mix of all the leftover bitss from the mugss before we wash them," the serving serpent explains, with a perfectly straight face (which is, after all, something Naga are extremely good at).
"Vartan Ale," Aldrahkna responds quickly.
Hatty bobs her head and slithers off.
"In school we called it Chaosss Squeezings," Rostre tells Aldrahkna. "Partly because we used the ragss from wiping up the spillage and.. squeezed them. Or sucked."
"Ssssso, has the guild talked much about me?" Aldrahkna asks quietly, "The light Mage said I might be the mosssssst powerful user of life and shadow magic. Isssss that posssibly true?"
"There iss only one other Mage that uses both, I think," Rostre says. "But, yes.. Life Mages cannot alter a body ass you can. All magic resistance musst be removed first to enable even ssmall changes, and there isss no temporary transformation. Life Magic of that nature isss rare, except for extreme casess and experimental creaturess. It iss primarily focused on treating illnesss, injury and severe conditionss such as cancer and organ failure."
"Huh," Aldrahkna admits. "You mentioned College ... I never went to any ssssschool."
"Do Demigods have schoolss?" Rostre asks. "How do you learn thingss, or do you jusst know how to do it?"
"From other powerful creaturesssss ... and experimentssssss, and the Godssss teach sssssome too," Aldrahkna explains as he shifts coils about a bit. "Sssshifting I learned from a creature named Melussssine."
"So your Life Magic iss tied in directly with your Shadow Magic?" Rostre asks. "That iss unique, the way your abilities are merged."
"Yesssss, they are tied," Aldrahkna agrees. "Not without their drawbackssssss though."
"Drawbackss?" Rostre asks. "You don't use held spellsss.." She drops off as Hatty returns, carrying a large quilted blanket, which she drapes over the table. She's also pulling a long a shallow stone bowl filled with glowing coals on a little wagon, which goes under the blanket and table. "Just coil as much ass you like under the blanket," she notes. "I'll get your drinks now."
Aldrahkna coils a bit under the table to enjoy the warmth. "Becaussssse I am the power sssource for the magic. Ussssing it drainssss me, too much and it cando bad thingssss to my body," he explains.
Rostre mixes her coils under there with Aldrahkna as well. "So, you cannot have an extra power source with you?" she asks.
"Oh, I can, but I do not know how to make sssuch," Aldrahkna concedes as he glances around at other waitstaff a moment. "But enough about me. What are you hoping for tonight?"
Hatty does not seem to be in as high demand as the other serving girls. Not that the others are exactly prettier, since they all look a bit on the slightly-too-thin side. Even the Eeee looks thin (and clearly has to pad her wench-top as well). The two that seem to fit into their clothes the best are a Skreek with droopy ears and a young Vartan that is probably family to the owner - or else really down on her luck. She's not as happy about attention as the Eeee and Skreek are.
"Dancing!" Rostre says. "I haven't danced since school.. they alwaysss gave me the floor. Possibly because I crushed a few others by accident that first dance. No bonesss were broken though!"
"I have no idea how to dance as thisssss," Aldrahkna admits to Rostre. "Issss it hard?"
Hatty returns again with two large wide-mouthed tankards (as opposed to the narrower ones with slight spouts for Vartans).
"It isss mostly upper body," Rostre claims. "To avoid rolling over otherss"
"Thank you," Aldrahkna tells Hatty as he accepts the tankards. One he hands over to Rostre. The other he takes for himself, then drinks from it ... which mostly ammounts to gaping jaws and sort of pouring it in since he lacks extremely mobile lips. "You will have to teach me," he tells Rostre after.
At least there's no flavor to contend with, since Vartan ale would probably make ordinary tongues wither. But it does cause tongues to tingle regardless. It certainly feels warm going down.
The Mage does something odd; instead of drinking her ale she extends her tongue, curls up one tine of the fork and lets the other just soak in the spirits for a bit. It doesn't prevent her from bobbing her head in response to Aldrahkna about teaching him though.
"That issssss odd," Aldrahkna claims after watching that for a moment. Then he just shrugs and tries it for himself!
Somehow, the dipped tine goes numb.. then past that to tingly and on towards something like taste. Keeping the other out must be important, because it confuses the signals that get sent from each, so that they blur together. It tastes... like blood, since that's a taste Aldrahkna is familiar with, but more specifically like frightened blood.
Aldrahkna withdraws and makes an odd face. "I would never have thought that a naga would know what being a vampire issss like," he admits, then rolls and accidentally dislocates his jaw. It takes aa\ minute to get it back into place, too.
"Vampire?" Rostre asks after slurping her tongue back into her mouth and taking an actual sip (of sorts) from her mug.
"How you drink boooozzzzsssse, tastesssss a lot like drinking blood," Aldrahkna explains. "In flavor and sensation."
"Iss that what you taste?" Rostre asks. "I taste squibbit soaked in alcohol. They spasssm, so extra tasty."
"Frightened blood, is what I tassste," Aldrahkna explains ... as he's coiling part of himself around Rostre underneath the table blanket.
Rostre's coils quiver a bit when rolled over and she takes another deep sip. "I think it ssstimulates the taste-memory part of the brain," she says. "Perhapsss it means you are in a hunting mood?" she then suggests, her mouth half-way into her mug.
"I already caught my prey," Aldrahkna remarks and manages a sort of drape-smirk.
About then the four sailors figure themselves out, and start to play. The Eeee and Skreek play their pipes, while the Naga and Vartan work their accordions - and all manage to play the same tune at roughly the same speed. A few of the less dizzy patrons start to dance (some of them on the tables.. but those are mostly Kavi). There are even some girls dancing (or in some cases possibly men dressed as girls). From the match-ups it looks like most of the females are paid by the hour, while others appear to be actual sailor-and-sailor-wife couples.
Aldrahnkna almost spills his tankard! The naga then hissingly laughs a bit and looks at the mage. "Ssssooo, about dancing...?" he asks the naga as he slides out from the table a bit and uncoils.
Rostre downs the rest of her drink in a gulp, and slithers out to take Aldrahkna's hand. "Should I lead?" she asks. Nobody is dancing in any particular style, must just along the range from 'too drunk to know better' down to 'just drunk enough to not care about the music'. As the big Nagas approach however, most make room - but the Kavi just have to waggle their butts teasingly at them.
"Pleassse lead," Alptraum agrees ... as he absently swats one of the kavi on the butt and sends him head over heels! He also rises to 'full height' which does tend to make him tower over Rostre a bit, especially with that large hood.
Rostre pivots to face him, and links her hands to his, palms together and raises them up and outward a bit. "Now, move opposite me," she instructs, before tilting her neck to her left.
Alptraum does so. He does know general dancing, so can at least mostly move with grace; and naga's always have sinewy movement anyway. So, it doesn't look half-bad.
The Mage sways her neck back to the right, and then back and forth a few times until they both get the rhythm. Then she starts swaying her 'hips' in opposition to her neck, using her upper torso as a sort of pivot point.
It takes a bit, and there are some awkward times as Alptraum gets used to his naga-body ... but eventually the pair get into a rather mesmerizing dance. He's also gape-grinning a bit; this is actually quite fun!
Once that rhythm is established (and completely independent of the cadence of the music, which.. is hard to dance to anyway without having feet to skip with - or hooves to stomp with), Rostre adds their arms into it. This is easier on Aldrahkna since he just has to let her control them, but it does make the swaying seem more exaggerated. But when she starts darting her head forward he needs to pay close attention - mainly to avoid collisions with his hood.
It's sort of amazing how the body seems to know things; instinctual, as they dance and sway. Heads dart in, gliding just past each other. He also somehow manages to tilt and keep his hood from getting hit, and makes it look like part of the dance.
Things then get another complication as the hips add in-and-out swaying, which has to be timed with the head movements. The result is a sort of pulling-pushing, where everything but their chests are in motion. It seems like a lot to coordinate for a species that technically only has two appendages of note.
Aldrahkna has a cheating point of reference, it's not unlike belly dancing and that he has familiarity with! Part of the body remains stationary while the rest moves and pivots around it. Aside from the technical details of the movement; it's plain enjoyable, and it fosters serpentine attraction to his partner, oddly enough.
Rostre is clearly enjoying it, and starts a counter-clockwise orbit next.. something that of necessity drags their coils together in a common spiral.
Aldrhkana follows that lead and soon the larger naga is spiraled/coiled about his dancing partner. "Well, hello there," he says to Rostre.
Naga-grinning, Rostre says, "For the finish, you need to dip me over until my head touchesss our coilsss."
Aldrahkna doesn't say anything to this, but instead keeps on dancing until it seems like the music is winding up. Only then does he arch and coil over Rostre. Back and back she goes until her head does indeed touch their coils. Instead of two naga it looks like a writhing mass of one by the end.
Of course one unforeseen side-effect is that Rostre's poncho rides up, flashing her rather unique chest at people. The whooping could just be for the dramatic dip though, as far as she knows.
Aldrahkna rises back up and politely tugs Rostre's poncho down to preserve her modesty. "Sorry about that," the larger naga apologizes.
"Nobody ever whooped at me before," the Mage says, a little drunk on excitement more than Vartan ale at that point. "You picked that up very well.. you never even ran over my coilsss."
"I've been enough things that maybe I've learned to adapt well," Aldrahkna says and then leans in and kisses Rostre's cheek. "And thingsssss about magessss, too. Thank you."
"I am a better dancer than a drinker," the Naga mage admits, and gape-blushes again. Now that the dance is over, she might be feeling a bit more self-conscious about being out in the middle of things. "But I can alwaysss improve my drinking skillss," she whispers.
Aldrahkna guides Rostre back to the table, where they both partake of the warmer once more and relax. "I sssshould take you back ssssoon, I ssssuspect, and focusssss on the work I am currently doing," he apologizes.
"I thought thisss wasss the place you were taking Albiarro?" Rostre whispers.
"It isssss," Aldrahkna agrees, "I am to meet a Yodhbarada later to work out the final plan."
The Skreek serving girl approaches, and sets two fresh tankards of ale on their table. "Compliment's o' the Pineapples," she says, and jerks her thumb towards a table of sailors that all raise their mugs in toast.
This makes Aldrahkna peer at the sailors a moment. "Did they sssay why?" he asks the skreek, then waves towards the sailors.
"Drunks like dancers an' flashers," the rat claims, and scratches at her earring-bedecked left ear. "I like yer nose ring," she notes.
Alptraum flares his nostril-slits and makes the ring wiggle. "Thank you, I like it too," the serpent says and gape-grins. "And how it feelsssss."
"You should ring yer hood," the waitress suggests.. and seems to be lingering a bit longer than normal for having brought drinks. "Yer tits are nice too, lady. Didn't know you sort cou' have em. But real stunners," she offers. Maybe she's fishing for a tip.
Since Aldrahkna cannot look at his hood directly, he uses the reflection in the ale to consider it ... and has to admit large rings in the hood could look impressive. He also holds up a few shekels for the waitress in case she is looking exactly for a tip. He also makes a mental note that the skreek could be easy to impersonate "Ssssoooo, do you sssspend time with the cussstomers?" he asks the skreek, then licks over his scaly lips suggestively.
The coins vanish quickly into the wench's cleavage. "Aye, if'n they want t' party a bit after me shift ends," she says with a toothy grin. "You got sum'thin' in mind long-n'-dark?"
"Ever been with a naga?" Aldrahkna asks a bit suggestively. "Or in one?"
"Had a few in me," the Skreek replies with a cackle. "They usually go for the Kavs for the kinky stuff though. I gots curves make it hard!" she claims.. although she's rather long and lean even for a Skreek.. and could padding in places.
Aldrahkna makes a sort of hissing laugh at that! But it at least answered the question about what services the staff offers the sailors! "I'd consssider it, but I am on a date," the naga notes and leans over to snout-nuzzle at Rostre.
"She doesss look squirmy though," Rostre admits, teasingly, and nudges back at Aldrahkna.
"Well, iff'n you change yer minds, just ask for ol' Jaz," the Skreek says with a wink before sashaying off to tend to some sailors.
"Sssssshe doesssss but the kavi ssssquirm more, and fit better," Aldrahkna adds and nudges the other Naga again. He also makes a mental note: Jez, possible one to copy. Skreeks are easy to mimic, and easy to bed.
While Rostre is drinking her fresh tankard of ale, the other server approaches. This one, the Eeee, only has one drink though. She sets it down, and says, "From the Clouders." She gestures to another table of sailors.. right next to the Pineapples' table. "Dunno which o' you it's for, dinna ask," she notes in that semi-bored tone that teenagers must practice. She's not as decorated as the Skreek was, with just one ear piercing and another on her lower lip. Her bodice is only half-heartedly stuffed, with a leather strap going around her neck to help hold it up. Since the brown leather is nearly the same color as her fur, it works well enough to maintain the illusion.
Aldranhka waves to those sailors too! "Sssssso, d' you play with naga, hmm? Ever ride one? Or be devoured by one?" he inquires a bit seductively to the Eeee, then slides his tail-tip up and around her leg teasingly.
The girl actually squeaks at the tail-touch, breaking out of her bored-teenager attitude. "Oh.. uh.. Naga are.. a bit big. And heavy. I'd break like a twig," the girl claims. "Skreeks're alright.. and some Eeee," she mutters. She doesn't come across as all that experienced however, so the bored attitude could be a shield.
"Sssome day you should try; give you a good ssssssssstretch," Aldrahkna says, drawing out that last word as if things were already being spread open and tight.
"M-maybe," the girl says wide-eyed. "Someday, that is. D-did you want anything else?" she asks nervously.
"Your name," Aldrahkna requests ... right as the tip of his tail has gone high enough to rub on Eeee naughty bits.
"Aretty!" the girl blurts out and dances to the side at the rubbing. "I just started my shift.." she says semi-apologetically.
Aldrahkna wheeze-laughs and tosses her a few shekels for being a good sport about it. "If you ever change your mind ... conssssiiider me. I know how to make Eeee sssssqueal," he claims.
"I bet!" the girl says, clutching at the coins and gives a quick curtsey before hurrying off.
"Jumpy," Aldrahkna remarks to Rostre. To himself ... probably not a good one to clone.
"Do you alwaysss tease the girlss?" Rostre asks after finishing her second drink. "Have you been holding back with meee?"
"When I want to learn about sssssomeone in detail, yesssss," the large Naga explains. "In thisss casssse I may need to be one of them ... and the onessss that get info are ... outgoing."
"Ohhhhhh," Rostre nods, with a bit of exaggeration. "I don't know much about that. Or about being outgoing. Well.. outgoing in public. On my own turf I can be pretty forward," she says and winks with a semi-transparent nictitating membrane.
"Do not worry, I fully intend to bed you later," Aldrahkna remarks as it were wholly the most obvious thing in the world. "And thissss body is ... ssssignificantly endowed."
"It isssss?" Rostre asks, rubbing up against Aldrahkna.. just as another barmaid, this one the Vartan comes up. She's got a crest of crimson feathers that gives her a punk look. She collects the three spent mugs, setting them on her platter, and eyes the remaining two full ones. "You gonna drink both o' those?" she asks, while using her wings to block the view of the table from the sailors that sent them over.. and from the bar as well.
Aldrahkna answers that by grabbing one of the mugs, opening his maw, and downing the whole mug in one gulp, then holding out the empty mug now. "Yesssssss," the serpent claims, then hiccups. It makes his entire body undulate.
"Awww," the girl says in disappointment. She's got greyish-white speckled feathers, and despite being a bit thin, still fills out her bodice and skirt at least. She takes the empty tankard, squints one eye as she looks into it, then begrudgingly sets it on her platter. "Want anything harder?" she asks, a bit sotto-voce.. well as much as a Vartan can manage anyway. "Maybe some hooka-time?"
"I have ssssomething harder inside, crimsssson-cresssst," the large Naga claims and gapes (maybe the drink is getting to him a bit?). "But something harder to drink or smoke would be mossssst welcome."
"I'll need cash up front," the girl claims. "Twenty shekels, on my platter."
Grumbling, the naga digs into a side pouch until he finds enough and drops it on the platter. "Jusssst for that, no hardnessssssss for you," the naga grunts.
"Not e'en a sip?" the Vartan asks.. apparently assuming Aldrahkna means the drink.
"If you're nice I will consssider it," Aldrahkna relents.
"Oy, I the nicest bird here!" the Vartan insists, then winks. "I know class when I see it, eh? You two too shiny, maybe lookin' for something outta the ordinary? Shredda hook you up!" And with that the girl saunters off with her platter full of empty tankards.. and coins.
"Split the last one?" Rostre asks Aldrahkna.
"Beautiful ssssserpentssss firsssst," Aldrahkna offers and gestures to the tankard. Under the table, his lower tail is coiled completely around hers now, and rubbing.
"Sssso chivalrouss," Rostre says, and quickly quaffs half the tankard.
Soon after, Aldrahkna downs the remainder, and hiccups again. "Ssssooo, ssstill enjoying yourssself?" he asks. "I am jusssst interviewing the sssstaff."
"Thiss is the best date I've had ever," Rostre claims, waving a hand (and her tongue). "Free drinksss, big hunk.." she lists, then seems to pause in thought. "Boobs," she concludes.
"You looked nice without them," Aldrahkna points out and then pats her cheek gently.
Soon Shredda returns, carrying a hookah pipe on her platter, and carrying a long bottle under her arm. She sets the platter down, which also has some small cups on it. She silently goes about prepping the hookah - lighting the fuel cup under it and adding the water and herbs.
"Going to going ussssss at the table, Ssssshredda?" Aldrahkna inquires, tilting his head, flicking his tongue, and blinking, sort of, with his own nictitating membranes.
"I gotta make sure the mix is good, yah?" the Vartan claims, and does puff on one of the hoses, blowing the smoke from the nostrils atop her beak. Then she offers the two pipes made for Naga to the two patrons.
Aldrahkna accepts as he takes the pipes. One he offers to Rostre and the other he places between his lips and draws in a slow drag from the pipe.
Rostre take a long slow drag before snorting it out through her nostrils. "I'm a draaagon," she claims.
Shredda turns over the cups, and uncorks the long bottle. She carefully pours the colorless liquid into each of the three cups.
Aldrahkna holds it longer before he slowly exhales, drawing a twining line of smoke in the air as he undulates his neck. "No ... you're too nice for a dragon," he ends up telling Rostre. "Mossssst are complete dagh-bottomsssss."
This comment makes Rostre snort and laugh, smoke billowing from her mouth. Shredda passes two of the cups towards the Nagas. "This is from the same fields the herb is grown in. It's made from rice. But they go together. Roll it in your mouth with the smoke."
The larger naga takes his cup. He swirls the liquid, then pours it into his mouth and holds it there. Then it's another dragon on the pipe so that the liquid and smoke ... mix.
It's an odd result. The smoke seems to carry some of the alcohol with it, making for a quick buzz, but there's also some flavor - this time in the Naga's nose, both from exhaling and from directly stimulating the scent pits inside the upper palate.
The larger naga draws upward and twitches a bit; the sensations are ... well, fairly unique! He cannot recall ever having a buzz quite like this one before. It makes his head feel all 'swimmy'. "Whoooooooo." he burbles out, making a large smoke ring.
Part of the effect is that he can't always tell which coils are his and which are Rostre's - it's as if they're merged together by contact. Given the length of the bodies, anything that messes with nerve transmission speed (which is partly effected by body temperature) can mess with one's sense of body.
Aldrahkna wishes he could blink right now; nictitating membrane flicks are now quite the same. He actually has to steady himself with the table using one hand. Of course, that doesn't stop him from taking another draw off the pipe with the other one. "Woah, funky. Cannot try this stuff the night I need to really, well, work," he thinks a bit fuzzily.
The buzz is surprisingly short-lived unless renewed by continued puffs. For a moment, Aldrahkna is stabilized by Rostre leaning against him, but that eventually leads to more body-confusion. Shredda does not follow her own suggestion, and seems to sip her drink sparingly - but Vartan beaks aren't really made for swishing fluids about, and their cheeks are too far from the nostrils. And.. well, the don't have smell-receptors inside their mouths like the Naga do.
The large Naga's world is a mass of cool coils, fuzzy haze, and an overall light-headed sort of giggly feeling during the times the smoke and drink are having their effect. At one point he also realizes Mave would probably like this stuff ... but then he takes another drag and promptly forgets that train of thought. He isn't even sure how much time has passed before he just swallows the remaining liquid in his large mouth and sets the pipe down to wait for his head to clear.
It takes a few moments, during which time Shredda's crest becomes almost hypnotically fascinating as it bobs up and down. But anything the mass of Aldrahkna isn't going to stay affected for long, so the buzz fades into a milder haze of warmth, where it's finally possible to tell the difference between his and Rostre's heartbeats.
"I like that sssstuufffff," Aldrahkna coos at Shredda, then sort of lazily paws at her. "But it ssseeeemmmssss to dangeroussssss."
"Dangerous?" the Vartan asks, then shakes her head (which leaves afterimages in Naga-vision). "That's why I'm here, to watch over yah." She even thumbs a talon to her chest as she says it. "Dangerous would be not havin' someone to pour your drink, so only only get just enough an' not too much."
"Assss well assss to loot our pouchessss hnnn?" The hooded serpent hiss-slurs at the Vartan. One hand does lazily fumble at his pouch to be sure it is still there.
"Naaaaah, cuz then I'd haveto share w' the boss," Shredda claims. "But any tips you give me, that's just for me."
Aldrahkna uncoils a bit from Rostre so that he can coil some of his significant bulk around the Vartan! "Are you jusssst for usssss, then?" he asks, going nose to beak with her.
The girl's neck feathers poof out a bit. "Oy.. I gotta keen an eye on the stuff, y'know?" Shredda claims. "I dinna think scalies were into feathers.."
The hooded Naga sticks his cold snoot right into those feathers, then licks. When he draws back, he waves side to side a bit and notes, "After that sssstuff, I am into anything..."
"Sure you're up to the task?" Shredda teases. "I get pret-ty wiiild," she warns.
The Naga's hood flares. "Birdy, you have no idea," he counters, but has to untwine himself and remember he's with Rostre and promised to bed her tonight anyway. So ... perhaps another time.
"So.. about dat tip?" the Vartan asks. "This well worth it, yeah? Or want another snoot-full?"
Aldrahkna pulls out quite a few coins ... then coils his long tongue around them. Then without warming he kisses the Vartan and uses that rather prehensile appendage to deposit the coins in her beak! After he's sure she won't bite his tongue off, at least.
"Glrk!" It's a testament to how much Shredda wants that tip that she doesn't panic, bite or swallow. Well, she does seem to swallow - but Vartans have small crops, like other avians, so she's probably stashing it there. A trick likely learned from sailors for smuggling small, durable things.. like coins and gems.. or other shiny things Vartans like.
The large naga hiss-laughs, and engulfs the Vartain's entire head in a jaw-dislocating bite ... playfully. After that, he lets the critter go. "Rossssssstre," he says to his companion, "We best go, I'm feeling wooossssssy. No sssssure I can focussss."
"Mmm, focus?" the mage asks. She's slightly lighter than Aldrahkna after all, so still getting over the effects. "No flying then," she advises and stretches a few times to get her blood pumping more.
"I am a naga. No flying, indeed," Aldrahkna points out as he rises and offers an arm to the mage.
Arm in arm, the two Naga slither back to the Mage's Guild tower, with perhaps slightly more swaying than usual.
And the entire way, Aldrakhna is describing, in detail, all the things he intends to do to her that night. Some of them are more than enough to make even the stoutest sailor blush, at that! It may also leave the smaller naga slithering oddly for a few days afterward ... but at least she should be very satisfied!