V5 Incline 4: Nin

"Look... All I am saying is that, maybe, just maybe... Your coastlines are better off with us there..." Einervaene slobbers, another finished bottle falling to her side. Yet another victim of her guzzling and it cries out with all the pain hollow glass can make.

I pick the bottle up, inspecting it closely as I look over the glowing letters carved into it. Will I ever wrap my head around the fact that booze is enchanted? Drunkards can speak coherently, and it's a commonplace thing! To think of all the problems back home that could be solved by this...

"Ew..." I realise, noting the winking oxfuinei on the bottle's company marking. Now I get what's going on... And my eyes slip to the unopen bottle at my side. The only bottle I've ever had and I gently push it away from my person.

"How is *giant lumps of metal* falling onto *our* land better!?" Baltanthan bites back with, chugging on his own drink as he staggers ahead, finger pointed with determined accusation. A bemused smile comes to my face, my eyes jumping between the pair as the two argue back and forth. All while Rose simply lays against me, her own points to the argument lost in light-to-word translation.

A drunken pair of rose-haired lights to set the mood.

I honestly can't recall how long she's been like this, I haven't heard her say anything proper in a while. She must've knocked herself out a long time ago. The diminished supply of alcohol around her certainly supports it, though it's not much even then compared to these two. Never would've taken her for such a lightweight, to be honest. Given how often I saw her drinking back at the caravan... Maybe aelenvari drink is just weak?

I don't recall a particularly strong sensation when I drank what she offered at the flower. Though what I was offered in Tryhpeltzweig shifted from being the same to having a punch, if Brewbrt was involved or not. Still, I suppose it's tolerable enough for a drink that's meant to make you numb. I was never a big drinker back in Tobaballe, either. The aches I pick up on my shifts were bad enough, nevermind contesting hangovers.

Still, I'll knock down some proper weak or pungent juice if the mood strikes.

"B-Beeee... 'Cause now you get to enjoy the products of our people!" Einervaene says, raising her bottle as if she's about to lob it at the real native of this land.

"Well, maybe we don't want them..." Baltanthan slurs, rocking back and forth on his feet.

"Why wouldn't you want our stuff? It's the best!" Einervaene argues back, practically throwing herself towards our supplies as she tries to find the kimonos. At least, I think she's looking for them if the conversation gives any meaning.

"Clearly not... Because... Because you keep fighting wars to keep your stuff there..." Baltanthan points out, losing me completely as I've no idea how one comes to blows over falling rocks.

"We fight those wars to make sure you people can enjoy it!" Einervaene insists, throwing herself back his way until she comes to a staggering stop. I blink at her words, not sure how to take the all-but confirmed details of it.

"You don't need to burn cities and towns to get people to enjoy your... Bug! What is that word you use?" Baltanthan goes, turning my way and bringing all four eyes worth of attention down on me.

"Don't drag me into this." I chuckle, picking up my older drink and sipping up some water through the straw. They've given me no end of shit for drinking with one, but, they should try drinking cleanly with a jaw like this. It's otherwise impossible!

Either I lap it up from a bucket, get messy or use a straw.

"AH! That's the word... Exquisite!" Baltanthan goes, and the straw slips from its comfortable grip. It shoots to the back of my throat, and I cough it right back out. Hacking away even after it has long cleared the landing spot.

"Everyone uses that word, you idiot!" I let out, the facts becoming clear about these magic, spit-touched booze bottles. The magic helps them speak clearly, but it certainly doesn't stop the brain from shutting down when drunk!

"No... That's the word you use... I know because it ends with an 'it' sound." Baltanthan realises, not caring openly for my remark at all. It's almost as if he didn't hear it and frankly, I wish he did.

"That is true, that is very true. Problem is... Lots of words end like that!" I point out, sorting out the mess my little cough caused.

"Name me three..." Baltanthan demands to know, his free hand coming up with three fingers coming up even higher. In an act of awkward skill, however, his ring and pointer fingers are both down. Pinky, middle and thumb. How uncanny.

"Don't put him on the spot like that just because you are wrong..." Einervaene intervenes, her heels practically a death sentence as she so unabashedly sashays on over to me with a clear inspiration. Rose's bulbs flash brightly, but she doesn't move at all. One, two and Einervaene drapes herself over me, pushing down with a pair of things that are most certainly not palms!

She slips, falling right down onto my lap with giggles catching in her throat. She reaches up with gloveless hands, playing with my chittering jaw bits, and the hands drop. Drumming away on my chest-piece carapace parts. All manner of playful noises until her face just goes blank.

She stops, forcing her way up and then she latches on, hugging me as Rose is. Bath time aside, it's odd seeing her this affectionate, actually. If Rose wasn't drunk and half-asleep, then I'd be having some peculiar issues to complain about. A repeat of how dinner went before people started drinking.

Yet, still, I'm left to wonder why Einervaene is acting this way...? She's aware of what she's happily hugging, right?

"Very quiet all of a-" I start to remark.

"I'm not wrong! That is the word he uses!" the spontaneously reminded drunk snaps, interrupting me. His body, otherwise thankfully staying way over there.

"Urtuoi... Kissyou... Prove him wrong." Einervaene barely gets out as her mouth glides awfully close to my lips. I tilt away, letting her face slide right against my cheek as she sounds off a kiss in the open air. She moves away, slipping, and I reach out. Breast in claw.

A nervous chuckle builds up in my throat, and she lets herself fall fully. A satisfied smile on her face while her lips wobble endlessly. All kinds of incomplete expressions that don't seem to go anywhere at all. Who knows what thoughts they hide?

Either way, I think it's safe to say we should not be giving drinks to anyone from now on...

"The actual word I use i-" I start to say, a woman abruptly throwing herself up onto me.

"Hey, can I have this?" Einervaene asks quite rudely, her hands slipping Motrtha's gift right from under me. Confusion snaps across her face, and she just stares all that bafflement back at me. Though I'm not entirely sure what she's baffled about.

I turn to look behind me and see nothing there. I look up and see nothing. I try to listen carefully and hear nothing. There's no danger, no strangers. Can her drunken mind just not keep up...? Everything is too fast for her right now or...?

I shake my head, getting up and gently letting Rose down. Heading on over to Einervaene, I catch her before she can run away, but I can't stop her from playing. She keeps it from my grip, a giggle in her throat as she continues to act so innocently childish. I grab both wrists and spin her around, staring her shocked expression right down. She giggles.

"I'll take that," I tell her, taking the bracelet and slipping it right back onto this bug wrist of mine, and I turn to our human male, "Shit. Shit is the word you are thinking of."

"I don't like that word, too short." he moans, his concerns nothing much at all. Though, him falling backwards and maybe hitting his head is something...

"You alright...?" I ask, getting nothing but snores from him. Well, I guess we'll have to put up with one order of Dramatic Telling of Pain later. He's sleeping like a baby. Even Rose seems to have properly slipped off in the time I left her alone.

And now, it's just me and Einervaene... Who's now swooning over me again...

"Come with me..." she begs of me, lazily pulling at whatever part of me she can reliably grab. For however short the periods are, however. Playing along with her for the time being, I simply take her hand into my claw and let her take me where she wants. Even if the words on my tongue say otherwise.

"Slow down before you hurt yourself." I tell the stumbling girl as her lack of control sends little sparks of pale blue all about her. All along the stumbling route towards the entrance of our camp.

"I won't... I'll just go up if I fall!" she insists, only installing the fear of the gods in me. Though, it is her that's clinging to the first rock she can with what seems to be dear life.

"I am sure you will," I tell her as I let her lean against me so I can at least hold her steady, "So, what did you want me here for?"

"I don't like heights..." she mumbles.

"That's a lie." I point out, how could she expect me or anyone to believe that!? So soon after making reference to her magical abilities... Abilities that send her all the way into the damn clouds!

"I don't! Mountains are all lonely and that..." she blabbers, her attention not quite where it needs to be.

"You said heights, not mountains." I point out, my eyes rolling along the peaks I can get a view of.

"Same thing! Mountains are tall, tall is height!" the drunken girl insists, and I've not one bit of energy to argue the point.

"I guess that works..." I say, cocking my brow either way. She goes quiet, throwing herself off of the rock and dropping her drink in the process. It smashes in the distant, down below dark. But she doesn't care, she's too tightly latched onto me. Too focused on hugging me.

"Promise me you won't let me be lonely..." she begs in a rather strange manner, but I know where she's coming from. All that time sailing between the continents on her own with not a familiar face at all. Being with sailors is one thing compared to what me and the other two are for her right now.

Yet... That's all I need to get a small smile on my lips. A claw comes up through her hair, and I rub it carefully, trying not to get anything caught on my natural armour plates.

It's surprising, in a way. Rose doesn't like it unless she initiates the affection or is aware of me beforehand. I can't sneak up on her at all. Yet, Einervaene here, she just doesn't care about what I am. She knows what I am, an osibindah, a monsterous bug thing. But she just doesn't care.

Baltanthan certainly makes a point of reminding us all with his constant insults about what I am... I suppose it's nice to see someone who isn't bothered by what I am. By my osibindah body. In times like this, since I came back to life, it's very nice to see.

"We'll see, we will see." I tell her, minding our surroundings to find ourselves a rock to sit on. We've a whole mountain to choose from, and there's only so many we can... Ah, one right outside our camp's entrance. I get us there, and there's not a peep from her.

Pushing her back a little, I look at her closed eyes and put her back where she is. Her gentle snores rolling down my chest as I look off at the distant mountains. My eyes go across the peaks, settling on the one that really matters. The one with Thrurstradtur at its peak.

I start at the bottom as we will when the time comes, following the glowing outline of the road as it spirals up and up. The distant vehicles certainly help outline the view, all those little lights coming together to mark the great shadow with something other than the black of night. My eyes stop as I begin to struggle to follow any of it, anymore.

Well, with the exception of one thing... A blurry golden shine that just barely made it through the clouds this calm night. Thrurstradtur. Our goal and maybe, my salvation for this damn bug body of mine.

"Don't worry, Vapooliar. We're nearly there." I whisper, not feeling as sleepy as the three drunks I'm sharing my camp with tonight.