forum "This was NOT how I thought this day was going to go." (Closed)

Started December 26, 2022 by @emilyevewrites group

tune

A wide, mischievous grin grew on Ōn’nyosh’s face at the sight of Andreas’ fist. His eyes dared the man to hit him. It was far from the first time Ōn’nyosh had been punched, kicked, or beaten to an inch of his life. There was a reason his nose was crooked, even despite the supply of healing potions Ōn’nyosh always kept with him.

He did notice Farah’s gaze, becoming intrigued both by the color and her ability to cow Andreas. She had power that he didn’t. That was something Ōn’nyosh could use to his advantage.

“No. I will talk however much I fucking please, whenever I fucking please. You’re in my world, Green-Shit-Boy. For one, I frequent taverns all the time. And two, I’m a native of Narsenshard, and have been around this entire damn world many times. You are just a newcomer here, and that is all you will ever be, Andre-ass,”Ōn’nyosh huffed.

Ōn’nyosh gave a casual shrug at Farah’s reaction, chuckling.

Andreas’ comment was enough to make Ōn’nyosh’s eyes narrow, just slightly. If there was one thing Ōn’nyosh hated above all others, it was a man that disrespected or hurt women. And, Andreas fit, at least, one of those.

“Why? Too many big dicks around to choose from? You must have quite the reputation for getting ass-fucked for a living,”Ōn’nyosh snorted.

As the new woman came up and started making out with Andreas, Ōn’nyosh snickered, watching them closely.

“Fuck, you two are amateurs! Put on a real show for fuck’s sake! Even Ion can kiss better than that, and that fucking godly idiot is a fucking boy. Ion has never even seen another woman, besides his sister, in his entire fucking omnipotent life,”Ōn’nyosh said mockingly.

“My name is Ōn’nyosh, you dumb motherfucker. Get your names right,”he hissed.

“‘Kle’? That’s all you can come up with while you’re fucking? Kle? You’re an even worse amateur than I fucking thought!”Ōn’nyosh burst.

“Ooh, a private room, how scary. I hope you’re not planning to make a foursome. You’ll fucking lose in the first two seconds. That, I can say without a fucking doubt, you fucking professional cocksucker,”Ōn’nyosh said, rolling his eyes.

(I hope this is okay… I wanted to make things a little spicy lol. And it fits Andreas's character)

Andreas narrowed his eyes and glared at Ōn’nyosh. But thanks to Farah’s abilities, he did nothing. The fairy couldn’t help the smirk that spread on her lips. As annoying as she found Ōn’nyosh to be, it was refreshing to see someone give Andreas a taste of his own medicine.

Farah even snickered quietly at Ōn’nyosh’s foul new nickname for Andreas. The fairy quickly lifted a hand to cover her mouth as she realized what she’d done.

Without Farah wordlessly holding him back, Andreas would’ve beaten Ōn’nyosh to a pulp by now. Instead, he tightened his hold on Kle and gritted his teeth.

“Trust me,” Andreas muttered. “We’ll have time for a show. And there’s definitely not going to be a foursome. Follow us.”

Farah, reluctantly agreeing to whatever this was, followed as they made their way to a private back room with two red-upholstered, opposed couches and a table between them. Andreas pulled Kle down onto one and set her in his lap while Farah sat primly on the other, leaving plenty of room for Ōn’nyosh to sit beside her without them touching.

The fairy spoke first, her back straight and eyes narrowed. “What’s your game, Andreas?”

Kle smirked. “Oh, she’s uptight. This will be fun.”

Farah’s eyes widened angrily at the words as Andreas reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out two six-sided red dice. He tossed them lazily at Farah, and she plucked them from the air. As she turned them over in her hands, her cheeks flamed with a blush. Now she understood why Andreas had refused to show them to her.

These dice didn’t have numbers. They were adult dice. One of them had body parts: Lips, Shoulders, Chest, Legs, Neck, Surprise. The other had actions: Kiss, Suck, Rub, Lick, Bite, Surprise.

Seeing 'chest' on the body parts dice, Farah unconsciously reached for the top of her shirt and add an extra button closer to her throat. Then, she looked up at him, glaring sharply. “This is inappropriate. I never agreed to this!”

Andreas studied Farah’s reaction and smirked. “Well, I guess you can just go back to Luna and explain exactly what happened.”

Farah clenched the dice in her fist.

Kle sighed. “Are you going to roll or not? Whatever it lands on, you have to do to your partner for ten seconds, uninterrupted.”

“Ten seconds?!” Farah cried.

“Got a problem with that, fairy girl?” Andreas asked casually, repeating what he'd called her earlier.

(You’re fine. Trust me, it fits Ōn’nyosh’s character too, lmao!)

---

Ōn’nyosh continued to grin at Andreas the whole time that he was flinging insults. The fact that Andreas wouldn’t touch him right now made it even more fun.

“Oh, good. That means a threesome without you involved! Sounds fun!”Ōn’nyosh chirped in reply to Andreas.

Ōn’nyosh casually whistled as they made their way to the private rooms. He remembered so many times he’d spent an entire day in one of these, usually with a woman. This was different though, and his whistling was hiding a desire to beat the living shit out of Andreas. Ōn’nyosh was good at hiding his emotions too.

When he sat down next to Farah, he kept a space between them, out of respect for her boundaries. He then watched Andreas closely, his eyes inspecting the dice before lighting with interest. Where did he get those? Ōn’nyosh would definitely have to invest in some dice like that.

However, the moment he saw Farah’s reaction, all perverted thoughts and fantasies flew out the window. He would never do something like this to a woman like Farah. She was too reserved, too aloof, and far, far too modest.

Then, as Andreas and Kle finally revealed the game, Ōn’nyosh’s eyes went from gently staring at Farah to viciously glaring at Andreas.

“You shit-eating son-of-a-cunt! You like forcing women to do your bidding, do you? You like tormenting them, shaming them, hurting them until they break down to your damn level? I refuse to play your fucking game, the entire damn thing, if that is what you want!”Ōn’nyosh spat, standing up.

His eyes were wild with rage, his pupils, usually a fat oval, were now tiny slits. A low hiss came from his throat, something that only happened when he was extremely pissed off.

Andreas rolled his eyes. "I'm not forcing either of these lovely women to do anything. Farah has every right to refuse. I just won't come back with her to the Otherworld."

However, the sound of dice clattering against the table startled both Andreas and Kle'eka. Farah was staring at them, with an arched eyebrow and a new kind of resolve behind her gaze. "To be clear, I'm not stooping to his level," she stated, addressing Ōn’nyosh's words but not breaking eye contact with Andreas as she spoke firmly. "You will return to the Otherworld with me, Andreas of Eraklyon. And if this godsforsaken game is how to do it without killing you in the process… so be it."

The fairy diverted her gaze away to glance at the dice. Rub. Shoulders. She breathed a quiet sigh of relief at starting with something that wasn't too sexual. Her brown eyes glanced up at Ōn’nyosh. While the rest of her expression was stubbornly set, her eyes betrayed her doubt. "Sit down," she ordered, motioning to the spot he'd just been occupying.

“Bullshit! You’re manipulating the situation, as you have been from the start! I may be a jester, but I’m no fucking idiot. I use the same fucking tactics on everyone around me, every-fucking-day. The only difference is that I don’t hide my intentions or games. That’s a fucking coward’s strategy,”Ōn’nyosh snapped.

The sound of dice also startled Ōn’nyosh and he turned to look at Farah incredulously. She was playing? She was actually playing? Why?

“There are other ways, Farah. I will not force you to do any of this. And, I will not force myself upon you. I don’t care what you say. I’ve been around enough women to know when one is unwilling,”Ōn’nyosh said, trying to convince Farah to back out. Sure, it was uncharacteristic of him, considering his love for these ‘adult games’, but he had far more respect for Farah than he would ever have for the game, and especially Andreas.

He hesitated at Farah’s order. He saw her doubt, her reluctance. He knew she really didn’t want to play this game. Hell, Ōn’nyosh was tempted of walking out himself if it meant he’d spare Farah this.

Ōn’nyosh then shot Andreas a sharp glare, one that clearly showed how much he wanted to stick the sharp dagger hanging on his hip through the man’s eye. He hadn’t known the man for a day, and already Ōn’nyosh hated him, hated him with a passion that he hadn’t known in a long while. There would be blood shed between them, somehow, someday, Ōn’nyosh was almost certain of it.

“I will only do something, or let you do something, if you’re willing, and I mean truly. And, if Andre-ass has a problem with that, I’ll gladly hold him down so you can cut his tiny balls off and shove them down his throat,”Ōn’nyosh said to Farah, his tone dead serious.

Then, Ōn’nyosh gave one last glare at Andreas before he slowly sat down.

Farah was shocked as she felt Ōn’nyosh's hatred of Andreas, but she noted the surprise on everyone's faces when she made the first move and agreed to play. She inhaled and lifted her chin. "I am willing," she said simply. "And if I wanted to cut off his balls, I would've done it by now. But I appreciate your offer."

With that, she lifted her hands up to Ōn’nyosh's shoulders and massaged them lightly. Her lips moved slightly as she counted, and when she reached ten, she yanked her hands away and let out a shaky breath. "Alright," she murmured, looking anywhere but at Ōn’nyosh. "Someone else go now."

Kle rolled her eyes and reached for the dice. She flung them with reckless abandon, and when it landed on Kiss and Neck, her eyes lit up. The woman lowered her lips to Andreas's neck and began to kiss heatedly. Farah immediately looked away. Andreas tilted his head back and groaned with pleasure. The moment lasted longer than the ten seconds.

(I actually rolled for Ōn’nyosh’s result, lol)

---

“You may say you’re willing, but you’re not completely,”Ōn’nyosh commented.

He chuckled at her next words. At the very least, she’d appreciated his offer. That was good enough, for now.

Ōn’nyosh stayed still, his head tilted forward enough that his hat completely obscured the unusual shyness in his eyes from Andreas and Kle. His shoulders were tense, very tense, both from his concern for Farah and his rage at Andreas.

When Farah moved away, Ōn’nyosh glanced at her with that continued concern. He then turned away and lifted his head, his eyes stern as he watched Kle. He didn’t give a shit about their privacy. Just watching this woman so eagerly touch Andreas pissed him off more.

“Fucking amateurs. It takes you longer than ten seconds to finish that? Seriously? And, was that groan even real? Truly, you two are putting way too much effort into it. Fucking idiots. By the way, you never said how the winner is determined,”Ōn’nyosh said.

He grabbed the dice then and rolled, having no patience to watch Andrea go next. Bite and Lip. Ōn’nyosh couldn’t help a chuckle.

“Fucking vampires. They’re always haunting me somehow,”he said with a snicker. Ōn’nyosh then turned to Farah, and his gaze became gentle.

“I will not force myself upon you,”he said.

(Damn, you’re method 😂 I didn’t for Farah’s specifically to start out slow)

Farah had noticed the tenseness of Ōn’nyosh's shoulders, and she kept glancing over at him, trying to read his emotions.

Kle eventually drew her lips away from Andreas’s skin. “He’s no fun, Andreas,” she moaned. “His assholeishness is killing our mood. Does he have to be her partner? We could go pick out some cute guy sitting at the bar for her instead."

Farah couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Kle was talking about recruiting some stranger she never met to play this obscenely sexual game with her. He would have his hands and lips all over her body. She shuddered at the disgusting thought. And sure, Ōn’nyosh was a stranger, but at least he was respecting her boundaries.

"Absolutely not,” she said as Ōn'nyosh rolled the dice. She inhaled sharply at the result.

Andreas noticed her action and smirked. “It’s more about how the losers are determined. The couple that won’t go through with one of their actions loses.”

Farah turned his words over in her head and met Ōn’nyosh’s gaze. She was surprised by the gentleness of it and his words, but she nodded. “You aren’t. I am willing,” she replied, repeating her words from earlier. With that, she tilted her face towards him and closed her eyes, waiting for the moment to come. Her heart was racing.

(Oops, lol. Well, now there’s a bit of chaos in the game. And, Ōn’nyosh is already a chaos incarnate, so yeah, lmao!)

---

Ōn’nyosh’s eyebrow rose in disdain at Kle’s words.

“Seriously? She’s an even bigger bitch than you, Andre-ass. Besides, Kle, your partner’s asshole is far bigger than mine. It needs to be to take in all the attention he’s getting from the old dragons,”Ōn’nyosh snorted.

Ōn’nyosh heard Farah’s sharp inhale and suppressed a sigh. His eyes then locked on Andreas, glaring.

“You know continuing to withhold information from all the players is a bad move in Narsenshard, right? It is practically blasphemous, particularly since this world is full of merchants and jesters getting fat off of gamblers and sightseers. Makes me tempted to bite your lip instead of Farah’s,”Ōn’nyosh commented.

Farah’s words nagged at him. Ōn’nyosh knew she wasn’t. He knew she would gladly quit if she had another option. Considering that, he didn’t understand why she wouldn’t just break Andreas’ legs and drag him back to her homeworld. The bastard deserved it, that was for damn sure.

Ōn’nyosh quickly pushed aside those thoughts though, so he could focus on the task at hand. He grabbed his hat and thumped the edge of it on his arm. It shrank from a hat into a comb. Ōn’nyosh then stuck it in a hidden shirt pocket.

Afterward, he simply leaned forward and kissed Farah. Then, he, very gently, bit her bottom lip, holding it almost delicately between his teeth. There was no desire in his actions, no hunger at all. It was more like he was trying to reassure her.

Counting in his head, Ōn’nyosh released her when ten seconds passed. That gentleness in his eyes remained as he leaned back, but when he turned to Andreas, it vanished into another glare.

He then casually flicked his wrist, a card popping out of his sleeve and into his hand, then lazily threw the card at Andreas. It lightly bounced off his forehead and landed on the table, face up.

Curious what it was, Ōn’nyosh grabbed the card and looked at it. It was a green, diamond-shaped gem, with the word ‘Jade’ written on all four edges. He burst into laughter.

“I hit you with an Ace of Jade. That’s fucking hilarious!”

(I rolled for this one. Both Andreas and Farah. I think what I got was surprisingly appropriate for each of them 😉)

Andreas glared at Ōn’nyosh and gripped Kle's hips so hard that she yelped. "Andreas!"

The man let her go and curled his fingers into tight fists instead. "Would you shut the fuck up? I've never even met a fucking dragon, dickhead. And you fucking wish you could bite my fucking lip."

Farah did her best to keep from smirking at the entire exchange. She was glad that Andreas was finally getting his, in the form of Ōn’nyosh. But as much as she wished to use… different methods of getting Andreas back to the Otherworld, she was too noble of a woman to do so.

She gasped quietly, only for Ōn’nyosh to hear, as he kissed her and took her bottom lip between his teeth. Farah kept her eyes closed and focused on trying not to breathe too hard. It seemed to last much longer than ten seconds, but maybe that was Farah's sped-up counting.

Finally, he pulled away, and she exhaled slowly. The way he had taken her lip… it was hardly considered a bite. But Andreas and Kle didn't need to know that, or they might make them go at it again.

When she opened her eyes again, a playing card was bouncing off of Andreas's forehead. He swatted at the thing, but it was too late. It had already landed on the table, much to Ōn’nyosh's delight.

"The Ace of Jade?" Farah asked, curious as to what it was. "I've never heard of such a card before. What exactly does it mean?"

Andreas had his eyes narrowed at Farah. "Stop encouraging him."

She cast a withering glare at him. "You have no say over my actions, Andreas. I'm not some puppet you can make obey you."

Kle frowned, but she reached for the dice and passed them to Andreas. Eager to get moving with the game, he rolled. The dice clattered across the table, stopping with the next command. Suck. Surprise.

"Oh thank God," he said, eagerly tugging Kle's shirt down to expose her upper chest. Again, Farah quickly looked away, her face bright pink with embarrassment as Andreas left a large hickey on Kle's breast. "Your turn, Far," Andreas remarked, nipping at the mark before pulling away.

The nickname made Farah's composure snap. "Don't call me that," she hissed, betraying the most emotion in her words and expression since she'd come to Narsenshard. Her lithe fingers snatched the dice, and she tossed them onto the table again, praying for something other than Suck.

Kiss. Lips. She froze for a moment before looking to her game partner. "You're alright with this, Ōn’nyosh?" she asked quietly.

(Lol!)
(‘Stop encouraging him’. Lmao! That’s been uttered so many times, and it never works!)

---

Ōn’nyosh’s eyes narrowed slightly when Kle yelped. So, Andreas really could be abusive, even when his anger was aimed at someone else. Nice to know that he had another reason to hate the fucking guy.

“You already said that. And my answer’s still ‘no’. And, it’s truly shocking that you haven’t met a dragon yet. Narsenshard is fucking full of dragons! Hell, the Bank of Naskeni is led by a damn dragon! Oh, I do wish. Because I intend to bite the fucker clean off!”Ōn’nyosh retorted.

Farah’s gasp seemed to echo in Ōn’nyosh’s ears, but he made sure not to react to it. He didn’t want to overstep her boundaries, and he also still wanted to reassure her that he would respect those boundaries regardless of their current situation.

Ōn’nyosh grinned at Farah, still snickering about the card. He then showed it to her, completely ignoring Andreas’ comment. He snickered at her words though.

“Jade is one of the suits. There’s also Amethyst, Topaz, and Black Onyx. Jade is usually for Luck. Amethyst for Clarity. Topaz for Fortune. And, finally, Onyx for Strength. So, basically, you can say that I just stole all of Shit-Beard’s luck,”Ōn’nyosh explained with a laugh.

Ōn’nyosh watched Andreas, snorting at his outburst.

“God? Which one? The shiny virgin idiot or the vile, old hunchback whose entire body is, literally, made of shit?”Ōn’nyosh asked.

He continued to shamelessly watch, but he also studied every move Andreas made. It was like the man was desperate, almost in an overdramatic way. Was he always like that? Or was it just because of Ōn’nyosh’s irritating antics that he was so in need of distraction? Maybe Ōn’nyosh could make him a little more desperate, just enough to make the man snap and give Ōn’nyosh reason to fuck him up.

“You know, if you’re that desperate to get in somebody’s clothes, why not find you a better whore? Naskeni is full of brothels.”

Ōn’nyosh gazed at Farah in mild surprise at her tone. He made a mental note never to call her ‘Far’, if any nicknames at all.

He then saw what she rolled and looked at Farah with the same gentle look as before.

“I think it’s obvious by now that I’m a whore with women. But, I have one rule. As long as you are willing, I always will be,”Ōn’nyosh replied softly.

Farah studied the card with interest and listened to Ōn’nyosh's explanation about the suits. "Interesting. In the Otherworld, we use First World playing cards with suits of Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, and Spades. But don't get too excited. It's not like he had much, to begin with."

Andreas growled slightly. "Shut up, Far," he snapped, trying to entice her on purpose.

She inhaled sharply and clenched her jaw to keep from responding with an angry outburst. The amount of restraint she was showing was incredible. But it was this control that had led her to become the most powerful fairy currently in the Otherworld.

As she calmed herself down, Farah glanced briefly at Ōn’nyosh as he questioned which god Andreas was referring to. "He isn't speaking of your deities," she explained. "It's a First World religion."

Kle's eyes widened slightly at Ōn’nyosh's suggestion. "I'm not a whore, you asswipe," she snarled. "And Andreas would never go to a brothel if he has me. I let him get in my clothes whenever he wants!"

Farah arched an eyebrow. "You're saying that like it's something to be proud of."

The girl glared at Farah now, taking in her appearance for seemingly the first time. "And you? You've got a stick so far up your ass that you could be anyone's puppet. I'll bet that you're probably still a virgin, and you won't even kiss him like you're supposed to," she jeered, pointing to Ōn’nyosh.

Farah's normally docile temper flared up. She tensed visibly at Kle's degrading remarks, but she didn't make any motion to stand up. Instead, she wordlessly leaned toward the jester and pressed her soft, warm lips against his.

“Hmm… Intriguing set of suits. Well, if he had so little, then he has none now,”Ōn’nyosh said with a chuckle.

“Fuck off, Dragon-Fuck-Toy,”Ōn’nyosh immediately retorted to Andreas, even though the man had been talking to Farah.

Ōn’nyosh noted the amount of restraint Farah had. It was interesting, but he was also aware that it came at a cost. He didn’t want to get caught at the wrong end of her wrath. Which explained why Andreas wasn’t attacking Ōn’nyosh yet.

“Really? One god for a religion? That’s pitiful. Let Falbahaddon meet this ‘God’. He won’t last two minutes in the funky fucker’s presence. And, I honestly hate to say that. Falbahaddon is a creepy motherfucker! And, I know that for a fact because I’ve met him!”Ōn’nyosh replied.

“You know you just described yourself as the sheer definition of a whore? You know that, right? Or, are you just that big of a dumbass whore?”Ōn’nyosh asked Kle.

“Says the woman who has Dragon-Fuck-Toy’s tiny-ass stick shoved so far up her ass that she can’t see how much of a whore she is,”Ōn’nyosh commented.

He was too busy coming up with more insults in his head to notice Farah’s approach until she kissed him. Ōn’nyosh blinked, but didn’t fight it. And, even though he was tempted to eagerly kiss her lovely soft lips back, he held himself in check. He still didn’t want to overstep, and he had been caught a bit off guard by her kiss, so he wasn’t sure what her attitude was with it.

Kle jutted out her bottom lip and turned back to Andreas. "I'm not a whore, am I?" she asked quietly.

Andreas cast a sharp glare at Ōn’nyosh and looked back at his girlfriend right after. "No, baby. He's just a dick."

Meanwhile, on the opposite couch, Farah was in turmoil. Between Ōn’nyosh barely kissing her back and Kle's comments playing over and over in her head, the fairy broke away immediately when the ten seconds were up. They barely even had a chance to kiss properly.

Kle reached for the dice as Andreas gave a low boo. "That was barely even a kiss! With all that talk about putting on a show, I hoped for something a bit nastier than that. When did you decide to become celibate?" His eyes narrowed on Farah. "I think Kle was right. Tell us, Farah. Are you a virgin?"

The woman said nothing in response and gave nothing away with her expression. She was clearly unmoving, but inside, she was pulsing with emotions that wanted to be let out. Farah stubbornly held them back.

“You are a whore. I am a dick. And, your ass is waiting for me,”Ōn’nyosh replied, pointing at Andreas.

Ōn’nyosh could tell Farah was upset. He wasn’t sure exactly why, but he knew that Kle was a major component. And, possibly himself as well. Fuck, this farce needed to end.

Ōn’nyosh’s eyes became a vicious glare as Andreas spoke. Farah was holding her tongue quite well, but Ōn’nyosh didn’t have that amount of discipline. Nor did he have the patience to deal with people like Andreas.

“Tell me, Fuck-Boy, is this all a show just for you? Just a way for you to torment Farah and watch her squirm? Hm? If so, why didn’t you say that in the first fucking place? I’m a goddamn professional asshole. If you wanted a show, you should’ve just asked!”Ōn’nyosh hissed.

He stood and moved over to Andreas’ side, putting one knee on the couch and leaning toward Andreas. He flicked his wrists, two cards appearing, and held them out toward Andreas.

“Pick one. If you get an Ace, I sit down and this farce continues. If you get a Joker, then… well, why spoil the surprise? There always needs to be a wildcard,”Ōn’nyosh bade, his tone showing no room for refusal.

Andreas narrowed his eyes. "How do I know that you don't have two Jokers?" he demanded.

But before he had a chance to pick, Farah abruptly rose to her feet. "You were right. I shouldn't have done this," she said, her words directed to Ōn’nyosh. "And you shouldn’t have been forced into this because of my stupid insistence to play in the first place. I apologize." With that, she hurried from the room.

But not before Andreas could throw one last dig at her retreating back. He gave a low whistle to catch her attention, then spoke. “Hey, Far. Is this why you and Silva split? Because you couldn't please him in bed?"

Farah whirled around, her eyes darkened with anger. "That's a low strike, even for you, Andreas," she snapped. Still, she would not let lose her magic. “And how dare you speak of him that way? He was your friend."

"Until he fucking stabbed me,” Andreas snarled in reply. Kle’s expression became clouded. Clearly, she knew none of this.

"Bastard!" Farah swore, her emotions only rising higher the longer she fought with him. "You betrayed us! You stayed loyal to Rosalind after she gave the order to murder an entire civilization!"

“What a hypocrite you are, Farah Dowling,” Andreas growled, sitting up and pushing Kle off his lap so he could stand. The poor girl looked more confused than ever. “It was your magic that did it!"

Farah was frozen with shock. The pain and regret reflected on her face. After all that she'd done to try and forget, it was all being thrown back in her face. By Andreas of all people.

Finally, she couldn't hold herself back any longer. Her eyes glowed silver-blue, and Andreas was flung back through the air. Kle screamed as he hit the wall and fell to the floor, wincing as he pushed himself back up. Her eyes continued to glow as, for a moment, she tapped into her air magic and sucked the air from Andreas's lungs. The former Specialist gasped for breath, holding his throat and scowling at Farah. She maintained her poisonous glare and exhaled heavily. Her magic receded, and Andreas sucked in a panicked breath. He coughed violently for a moment, a worried Kle at his side. Finally, flushed and adequately humbled for the moment, he met Farah's eyes again, which had turned back to their natural brown.

"I hope someday you'll realize what your actions allowed," she spoke through gritted teeth. "And the effect it had on others. This isn't just your world, Andreas. Other people matter. And not just the whores you spend the entirety of your waking hours with." With that, she turned around again and stormed out of the room, not looking back.

(Lol)

---

“You don’t, until you pick one,”Ōn’nyosh said with a grin. In truth, both cards were indeed Jokers.

Farah’s words startled Ōn’nyosh out of his attempt to fuck with Andreas. He quickly recovered though, and was glad Farah was getting out of this horrible situation. Andreas then decided to put one last word in.

If it wasn’t for Farah’s reaction, Ōn’nyosh would’ve decked him at that moment. But, instead, he listened and watched closely to the pair, learning quite a few things.

He then watched in surprise and fascination as Farah magically threw Andreas into the wall and sucked the air out of his lungs until he nearly suffocated. Farah then spoke and left. Ōn’nyosh nearly followed her, but paused. He hadn’t made his contribution yet to wrecking Andreas’ day.

Casually, Ōn’nyosh strode over to Andreas, staring down at him with a sadistic grin.

“We were never formerly introduced, were we? You know my name, yes, but you don’t know who I am, or what I am. You’re about to find out,”Ōn’nyosh cooed.

Then, like a striking snake, Ōn’nyosh brutally stomped on Andreas’ groin. And, while the man was dealing with that pain, he grabbed his chin with one hand and held one of his eyes open with the other. Ōn’nyosh then spat with shocking accuracy right into his eye, holding the eye shut for a moment before releasing Andreas and stepping back.

“I am of a race called the Ssuthorai. And, what you are likely only learning now, is that my race has venomous spit and blood. My venom, in particular, attacks muscles, making them rot away. If enough gets in your bloodstream via a cut, you die. But, in your case, you’ll only lose an eye, and about half your face. There’s no cure, either. And healing potions can’t repair that sort of blindness, or replace anything that falls off. Have fun!”Ōn’nyosh casually explained.

He then grabbed the comb from his pocket, thumped it against his arm, turning it back into his hat, and walked out. Then, with the door to the private room still open, Ōn’nyosh called out to the tavern.

“My fellow tavern hounds! I have discovered a woman-beater in this room, with proof in the form of his idiot girlfriend. Check her hips and breasts, he left marks. Do with him what you will! Just keep in mind the rule of ‘maim, don’t kill’. And, mind his eye, it won’t last long.”

Ōn’nyosh then casually headed for the bar. Within moments, a group of six half-drunk, and now pissed off, construction workers entered the private room, blocking Andreas in. All of them were big, and all of them were used to bar fights. Andreas would be extraordinarily lucky to escape unscathed. Which was exactly why Ōn’nyosh had announced his presence to the tavern.

He ordered a half glass of whiskey, his usual, then downed it in a single gulp. After that, Ōn’nyosh paid the bartender for the drink, then paid him for the likely damages to occur in the private room. Then, he went searching for Farah.

Andreas writhed with pain, crying out with agony and rage, and Kle's eyes widened with fear. She scrambled to get away from Ōn’nyosh and whimpered when the six men entered the room.

Farah was still furious as she pushed her way through the tavern. She couldn't decide if she wanted a drink, if she wanted to strike someone, or if she just wanted to leave. The fairy eventually decided on the latter, despite aching for the relief of alcohol, and made her way to the doors of the wretched place.

Once outside, she took a deep breath of air that wasn't stale with the scent of bodies or beer. This wasn't what she came here for. It was to retrieve something for the Queen of Solaria and return with it within maybe a day. Not this.

Not discovering the thing she had to retrieve was not a "what" but a "who." Not the "who" being Andreas of Eraklyon. Not being tormented by a sexual dice game and having to make moves on a complete stranger while simultaneously trying to maintain a grasp on her pride. Not suffering verbal insults only to quit. Not being reminded of her failed relationship.

Not reliving the most traumatic day of her life.

Farah closed her eyes tightly, but after a moment, she opened them again and took another deep breath. She refused to cry here, in the middle of this strange city, because of Andreas and his skanky girlfriend.

"Gods help me," she whispered, feeling the overwhelming need to release her magic after using it against Andreas. That was a release for only a fraction of the emotion she felt. Now her magic wanted to go from a trickle to a roar. It took an incredible amount of self-control, but she restrained it. It was eating her up inside.

Ōn’nyosh had already figured that Farah had left the tavern. Stockist’s Bay wasn’t the sort of place a woman like Farah would linger in, especially after what Andreas had done. So, it was actually pretty easy to find her, considering that she was on the tavern’s porch.

Her eyes were closed for a moment, then they opened. He then heard her whisper as he drew near to her and he snorted.

“The gods are idiots. They won’t be of any use.”

He moved to stand beside her, leaning on the front railing of the porch. He avoided her gaze for a moment, sensing her anger and the magic that radiated off of her. He hadn’t realized how powerful she was until now. Then, he glanced at her, his gaze soft and patient.

“You look like you need to hit something. I could show you a few places nearby where the mayor and his ilk don’t mind. Though, if you want to avoid me for the rest of eternity, I get it,”Ōn’nyosh said.

A moment passed, then Ōn’nyosh turned to her again.

“On the bright side, Andreas won’t be a problem for a while. By the time he walks out that door, if he’s even able to walk, he’ll likely be half dead from beatings, and he’ll be missing a chunk of his face, thanks to me. I hate people like him, and so do the laborers around here.”

Ōn’nyosh then straightened and took out a metal flask from one of his many hidden pockets. He took a swig from it, wiped off the lip of the flask, then closed it. He then glanced at Farah once more.

“Want a sip? It’s only wine, but it’s better than nothing,”Ōn’nyosh offered.

Farah jumped in surprise when she heard someone snort behind her, and the shock coursing through her body sent a crackle of electricity through the air. She whipped around, then relaxed a bit seeing it was only Ōn’nyosh.

"Not your gods," she replied softly, gripping the railing again and looking out over the bustling streets. So many people… and Farah hated crowds. She inhaled slowly to calm her anxiety and continued. "The gods of the Otherworld. Though as many times as I've spoken to them here, I don't think they can hear me. Not with all that's happened since I've arrived."

She was aware of his presence as he moved beside her and eventually looked over. She didn't look back at him, yet, keeping her eyes trained on the buildings in the distance.

But when he spoke, Farah turned her head and met his gaze. Did she really look as upset as she felt? She was usually better at hiding her emotions than that. But the emotions Andreas had stirred up inside of her had been feelings she hadn't felt in sixteen years.

"No," she replied, quietly. "I don't want to avoid you." Though as the words passed her lips, Farah was shocked by the truth of them. As vulgar and rude as Ōn’nyosh was, he had been respectful to her and defended her against Andreas. And they'd technically shared a kiss, even though it was only their lips touching lightly for ten seconds. Not even a real kiss.

Farah's eyes widened at Ōn’nyosh's words. Sure, she hated Andreas for what he'd done at Aster Dell, but… well, she supposed seeing him half-dead would be more of what she would've expected to find anyway. Saul told her that he had killed Andreas at Aster Dell. Ran him through with his blade.

At his offer, Farah reached for the flask and took a long drink. Longer than she should've. But the alcohol was a relief, even if it was only for a moment. She wiped the lip and extended it back to him.

"Thank you," she murmured, looking away from him again. "And I don't need to hit anyone. I just need to release my magic. It comes from my emotions, and right now, I'm overwhelmed." She hadn't meant to tell him all that, but she supposed he must already have questions he was itching to ask her, especially after all that Andreas had said before she'd left.

An eyebrow rose at the sight of the electricity. Ōn’nyosh then chuckled.

“My apologies if I startled you. I have a tendency of being a sneaky bastard,”he commented.

He shrugged at her words.

“The way I see it, gods are gods, regardless of the world they govern. And, all of them are idiots,”he replied.

It was good to know that she didn’t want to avoid him. It was even soothing. Particularly after the nonsense Andreas had put them through.

Ōn’nyosh watched patiently as Farah had a good, long drink. He didn’t mind. He actually preferred whiskey for this sort of situation, but, while he was still near Farah, whiskey was a bad idea. For one, it took a lot of booze for Ōn’nyosh to actually get drunk. Two, once he was drunk, he typically didn’t remember what he did. And, from what several bartenders have told him, when he was drunk he became incredibly mellow, but wouldn’t shut up about his bedroom fantasies.

“Of course,”he replied, taking his flask and stashing it in a pocket.

“I get it. Pretty much it’s the magical equivalent of needing to hit something,”Ōn’nyosh said dramatically, chuckling as he tried to inject some humor into the moment.

Even though Ōn’nyosh was indeed curious about some of the things Andreas had mentioned, he had long ago learned, the hard way, that there was always a time and place for questions, and to not ask beforehand. And, right now, especially by Farah’s own confession that she was overwhelmed, he knew it wasn’t time.

“So, do you want to wait until Shit-Beard is dragged out? Or do you want me to show you one of the places where we both can express our upset emotions without the possibility of being imprisoned?”Ōn’nyosh asked with a grin. From the tone he used when he mentioned imprisonment, it was clear that he was speaking from experience.

(Okay… so like, now we have to make them get drunk 😂😅)

Farah smoothed part of her hair down as she correctly figured it was frizzing out after her magic was released. A touch of static energy still clung to her skin, and her eyes glowed silver-blue as she lifted her palm up and created a little ball of lighting with the residual electricity crawling over her skin. She let it stay for a moment, hovering over her skin, as she maintained focus and effort to control it. But after a few seconds, she dispelled the magic, and her eyes returned to their natural brown.

"No need to apologize," she said simply. "I… I'm not used to being startled." With her words, the realization occurred to her that she had indeed let her guard down in this strange city. Because of Ōn'nyosh.

She cut him a brief glare before sighing and shaking her head. "You can see it however you please. I believe that our choices cause the gods to look down on us with either favor or disdain. And… I suppose my poor choices are catching up to me here. What with all that has happened to me since I stepped through the gateway."

Even as she drew the flask from her lips, Farah felt the need for more. Typically she only ever consumed a few drinks in the company of close friends after a stressful day. But now, she found herself craving the relief a strong bottle of alcohol could bring her.

The fairy woman laughed dryly at his comparison. "I suppose you're right," she admitted, glancing over at him with a small smirk. "And I don't care what happens to Andreas. As long as I can find him again and he remains alive until I bring him back to the Otherworld and present his sorry person to Luna. Then I would care to never see him again."

Farah's eyes studied his face before she pushed off of the railing and stood with her shoulders squared toward him. "You have my intrigued attention. Where exactly is this location?"

(Oh fuck, lmao!)

---

Ōn’nyosh watched her for a moment, utterly fascinated by her eyes and her control of the electricity.

Ōn’nyosh shrugged nonchalantly.

“Well, I think there’s a flaw somewhere in that philosophy. Otherwise, how do you explain me being favored by all three Narsenian gods? I insult them every moment I get, and they still like me. I just don’t fucking get it,”Ōn’nyosh replied with a laugh.

“You don’t curse much, do you?”Ōn’nyosh suddenly commented.

“Anyway, in that case, I’ll just go in here real quick before Anten and his boys throw Andreas out the door,”he immediately added.

Ōn’nyosh then wandered to the door, only to be met by the biggest of the six that had gone after Andreas.

“Oh, how convenient. Hey, Anten. Before you finish what you’re doing, I have a favor to ask. Could you lock ol’ Shits-For-Abuse in that room he was in? He’s going home later,”Ōn’nyosh asked the big man.

Anten rose an eyebrow, but Ōn’nyosh quickly retrieved a pouch from his satchel, handing three platinum coins to the man.

“That’s for locking him back in the room…”

Ōn’nyosh then handed him two more of the coins.

“That’s drinks for you and the boys…”

He handed him a last coin.

“And, that’s drinks for everybody else.”

Anten looked at the coins sternly, then at Ōn’nyosh. He then burst into laughter.

“Fuck! You try too hard, Ōn’nyosh!”Anten burst.

Ōn’nyosh gave a small bow and grinned mischievously. Anten laughed even more.

“Alright. Fellas, put the bastard back in his room. We’ll spare him this time,”the big man called to the other five, who were currently dragging Andreas around.

They all snickered and casually dragged Andreas back into his private room, locking him inside. Anten then saluted Ōn’nyosh and headed toward the bar. Ōn’nyosh saluted back, then turned to Farah with a laugh.

“I love construction workers,”he commented.

He then grinned mischievously at her posture.

“The training yard for the city militia. It’s about a fifteen to thirty minute ride from here, with the fast horses at least. And, it’s fucking massive,”Ōn’nyosh replied with a grin.

“I could show you where it is. We can express our anger on some not-so-real people, then come back for a few drinks… if you want, of course… then, I can help you remove Shit-Beard from the city,”Ōn’nyosh added.

Farah's lips pulled into an amused smirk as she studied him. "They favor you?" she asked, not bothering to hide the surprise in her question. "Well… I'd quite like to hear their reasoning for that."

Her expression seemed to dull a bit with sadness and regret as she continued. "The Otherworld's gods clearly do not favor me. I've committed too many wrongs in my life, and I don't have enough time to make them all right. And so now, I'm suffering the consequences."

The fairy looked a bit surprised at his random comment, but she shook her head. "Ah, no. Not particularly," she remarked. "But I don't mind it if that's what you're implying. I have other friends who curse plenty enough for me."

While Ōn'nyosh dealt with Anten and made sure Andreas stayed put, Farah was pulled back into memories of the Otherworld. Memories before her entire life had been upended. Memories from when she was happy. It had been so long.

Farah focused back on the present moment in time to see Ōn'nyosh return Anten's salute before the latter disappeared inside. She arched an eyebrow, noting his grin as he took in her stance, but she didn't say anything more until he described the training yard. However, her eyes betrayed a bit of excitement hearing the words "training yard." It reminded her, again, of more memories. Some pleasant, some… not.

"That all sounds brilliant," she replied, casually incorporating her "yes" for both riding to the training yard and coming back for drinks in the same sentence. Though she did worry about the fifteen-to-thirty minute ride. It was plenty of time for Ōn'nyosh to formulate and ask his questions. Though she didn't infiltrate his mind, the fairy was nearly 100 percent positive that he had them. Who wouldn't after experiencing the exchanges between her and Andreas?

"Shall we set out now? I'm not sure how much longer I can hold myself back from expressing my…" Farah curled her fingers into fists at her side before relaxing them. Despite the raging emotional storm inside of her mind, her expression remained remarkably clear and calm. "Anger," she finished.