(ack, i am so so sorry yall! for some reason i didnt get notified of yall responding to the thread (and i also got super duper busy so)

Beryl

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”No, no, no!” Beryl said, outstretching her hands and pulling Hoko off of the table and instead situated himself on her lap. “No one will be skinning anyone. Hoko, aka the cat that’s been following me around this entire time, is supposed to be here with me. Though, I’m not sure how no one’s noticed that I brought an animal inside.” The guardian’s sapphire blue visuals warily darted around her surroundings. It seemed as if none of the tavern staff cared, which extinguished the stress Beryl strongly felt.

Carefully, she set the enlarged, dark-pelted feline onto the floor. “You will stay down there until you calm down.” Beryl ordered, her voice and gaze withholding an austere look. Averting her optics away from the feline and back toward the cowboy, she quickly exchanged an apology with him. “I.. apologize for whatever just happened.” The guardian sighed, offering her forehead a brisk palm to the face before meeting her gaze with Cottonmouth once again. “I plan on sitting here for another hour or so. Once I finish this current glass and perhaps get a couple or more refills, perhaps some little appetizers too, I’ll be on my way.”

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Yuri
|Now in full control of his faculties, he realized with a jolt that he had forgotten to do his daily meditation at the lake. Yuri knew this wasn't the problem, but he forced himself to believe it so. As such, he started to pad his way across the gently plush carpet to go do so. But the feeling was there again. So once more, in immediate response, he emptied his entire system of any stray thought or emotion. Turning his insides to one resembling a cliff face, a sheer precipice where no plants could root. Turning around, he headed back into the room and silently entered, watching the other two participants look around and admire his work. *They really shouldn't...its not that good....trash...ugly....not the full story...* Breaking his silence with a sigh, he spoke tentatively, although his calm demeanor was back. Mostly. |"Sorrry to abandon you all like that, I just had to...do something."| Crossing his paws under him, Yuri too observed his work. His eyes sought out all of the flaws almost simultaneously, noting everywhere he thought he went wrong, even if he didn't. *That eye is too big, that one too small.....that one's leg is off...*|

Cottonmouth
|"Shame, cat aint too bad. Needs seasonin though."|Gazing intently at her from underneath his hat the cowboy drew slowly on the cigar, held the smoke in, and exhaled before responding. |"Ah, so your here for a while. Great. Company, my favorite. Actually, I'm real god company. Just have to...get in the proper positions."| Flicking the ash off of the cigar, he suddenly remembered he had put chew in. Spiting it out, in true western style, he took out a rag and spun out Spitter. Flashing Beryl a look, he laughed. |"Don't yew worry, ain't gonna shoot ya, just cleaning my love."| Hearing the growl from tumble, he spun around and simply said |"Shut up you moldy sack of scorpion dung. You fukin dog, get out of here. Aint need you. Shit!"| Spittin, he calmly went back to cleaning the gun. He was meticulous, to say the least. And when he was done with the lengthy process, the weapon fairly shimmered. It was a large revolver, simple and menacing just due to it's obvious purpose. Spinning, flicking, and throwing it in a mind boggling race of tricks, he flourished just one more time before jamming it back into the holster. Without further worrying, he started a new card game with himself...and lost...again.|

Tumbleweed
|He had been watching everything from the moment he got there, and was realizing he really was craving the taste of cat. Hearing the harsh words from Cotton, he merely snuffled, and like a mule, which is something you REALLY aught to not call Tumble, he move closer and refused to move away. Inside, he actually laughed at the comments. |"Always the silver tounged bastard you are."| Tumble muttered, just audible to thoes with better hearing.|

what do you mean aether?//

and dont worry beryl! no harm done, I see it most times, but sometimes i get distraced. Most times actually.Then i rush a response lmao//

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(Like why is he so critical of himself + situation)
Aether
*Nods and doesn’t say anything-*

Hoko
He relaxed himself by making a few bullets blow out of Cotton’s pockets quietly, at an angle where tumble hopefully couldn’t see. He shredded these with his claws, and he seriously considered ripping up this whole tavern. He kept grooming himself, meticulously grooming his tail and face, appearing to not hear tumble’s statement, but noting several creative ways to steal that gun. Pity that he had only brought lesser wind spirits. Ah, well, it was never supposed to be a fight. Greater wind spirits really were quite fickle, as well.

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(guess whos alive — this guy! (i do apologize for not replying sooner though)

Beryl

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The tiefling just chuckled, lifted the wine glass, and took a fairly large gulp of the whiskey Cottonmouth had poured into the cup not too long ago. “You seem stoked.” Beryl remarked, a hint of sarcasm lacing her honeyed voice.

Sensing Hoko’s irritation, the guardian lifted herself up from her chair and bent over so she could pick the feline up. “Behave yourself.” They whispered into the big cat’s ear, as they petted the top of their head in hopes they’d extinguish somewhat of his annoyance. After a couple of brief moments of massaging the top of Hoko’s head, Beryl once again bent herself over and gently set the cat down onto the floor.

Leaning backwards, she sat herself back down onto her chair and glanced to the side to see Cotton in the middle of a card game, which he evidently seemed to be losing. “Having fun?” Beryl asked, a look of amusement plastered upon her face. She would have offered to play with him, but that probably would have made things more awkward.

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Yuri
|Waiting for Deception.|

*bc he is very insecure boy

Cottonmouth
|"Stoaked....yess. And you better behave yourself kitty, Tumble here likes roasted cat just fine."| Sighing, the cowboy lounged deeper into the uncomfortable seat. There wasn't like he had anything better to do, but he could tell the other member was either uncomfortable...or had to take a really, really take a shit. |"I better go soon, can't stick around here. Me and Tumble will go back to the Kor, thought thar might be some good bounties out here, but they aint none. Only brought enough money for a couple days."| Taking a deep drag of his smoke, he breathed it out before speaking again. |"Of course, could always rob some people, or the bank. Although most cowboys I know don't actually do that."| Reshuffling the loosing hand, he glared at the women across from him. |"You sure you aint got no powers over luck or somethin, cause all I keep doin in losin."|


Tumbleweed
|ToAtAlLyNoTjUsTwAtChInGcReEpIlY|

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Cottonmouth
|Regarding Beryl with a scrutinizing, almost hostile gaze, the cowboy resettled in his chair once more. |"Naw, I'm fine."| Hearing Tumble's growl, he shushed him with an upraised hand. Surprisingly, the dragon hushed almost immediately. |"Don't want the certain requirements afterword's. I know how you witches work."| Blunting out the half-smoked cigar, he stood up with a groan and flicked the butt into the bottle. |"Damn."| Rubbing the back of his hand, he waited until his "ride" moved around the building. Then, stopping in the door way, he turned around and walked up to the counter. |"Almost forgot to pay, silly me."| Dropping a few coins on the counter, he went back to the door way. As he passed another table, he expertly pulled out a knife, slashed a random person's coin purse, and stuffed into one of his many pockets. Sheathing the long, bone colored knife, the man dipped his head as he entered the mans point of view. Expertly hiding his face from the prey as he neared the doorway.|

Tumbleweed
|Warning Cotton with a soft growl, he slowly walked alongside the edge of the building. AS he did so, his tail cut up the flowerbeds and his scales roughed the paint off the side of the building. Half hoping to round the corner and see the cat, he poked his head in the door.|

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Hoko
After being bopped on the head a few time by the nervous guardian, he attempted to push down his anger. When Tumble popped his head in, he nearly clawed tumble’s eyes out. He calmed himself by licking a few stray strands of fur, and by telling the wind spirits to give them unwelcome weather. A few misfortunes like the cowboy’s hat blowing down, for example. In the meantime, he nimbly nudged Beryl with his tail, and stalked up to the door, about to make a departure. Today went well. Acquired new knowledge, toyed with the dragon, managed to not shred Cotton’s face off….etc!

(I’m sorry, but i’m seeing enemies to lovers- Is my intuition true?)

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(im .. not sure if im going to be honest :’)

Beryl

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Beryl scoffed. “Could you stop calling me a damn witch? I have a name, you know!” She frowned, her sapphire blue gaze following the cowboy as he removed himself from his chair and made his way toward the doorway. “And what ‘requirement’ is this? I was going to pay for the food, unless you knew that already.” The guardian said, subconsciously lifting herself up from her chair and hurrying after the cowboy. What was she doing? ’What am I doing?’ They thought to themselves, as she stopped herself a few footsteps away from Cotton’s back.

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Cottonmouth
|He stopped, his hard-heeled boots clunked into the wooden floorboards. |"You are a witch, and always will be. As I don't know your name, I will keep calling you what you are."| The general slightly teasing voice was cold, malignant. |"And the requirement..."| He looked her up and down, glancing over her frame. She was purdy, but evil, like all of her kind, |"...i think you know."| The whole time her talked, Cotton didn't turn around, but now he did, turning his reptilian gaze, and boring it deep into hers. |"Now, can I go? Not gonna stop me again, are you?"|Cotton's hands hovered above his cattleman, fingers twitching.|

Tumbleweed
|Flexing his wings, the dragon watched the cat leave. Backing up with a chuckle laugh when it started after him. |"Carefull pussycat...might just nom you up."| Licking his chops, Tumble salivated thinking about the taste of cat."|

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Beryl

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Beryl's sapphire-blue gaze darkened. 'That hurt.' Her inner voice echoed, but she decided to brush it off. The half-tiefling had learned Cottonmouth was a 24/7 dickhead, even outside of battle. "It's Beryl, jackass." The tiefling frowned, placing her hands atop of her hips, her slender, elongated tail lashing to the side. "Not Witch, or whatever you intend to keep on calling me. " She grumbled, removing her hands from her sides and crossing them over one another.

It was only then did she furrow her eyebrows at what the cowboy had said. "You are such a manwhore!" The guardian gasped, visibly offended. Outstretching her hand, she bitch-slapped him across the face, before shouldering past him and ambling after Fuyumi's cat. Noticing Cottonmouth's damned dragon friend was prowling after the feline, she increased the speed of her pace and grabbed the dark-furred felid before Tumble did. "Keep your nasty jaws to yourself, fuckin' ugly lizard!" Beryl snarled, holding Hoko close to her chest and hiding his face away with her freckled arm.

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Hoko
(The cat choses to be with Fuyumi, although technically you could say she owns him because he usually doesn’t talk in front of others, thus making that the general idea.

The feline in question was surprised when Beryl got that furious. Usually the blue eyed guardian was the one breaking up fights, and generally being patient. He nearly gasped, mouth gaping, when cotton went too far, setting off Beryl. Shook, he curled up in Beryl’s arms, noting the look on the other’s face, and shrinking a bit. Beneath all of this, he felt some satisfaction, Beryl having said and done everything he could’ve hoped for. He looked at them, quietly asking if they were alright. It was his idea in the first place, and he never wanted Beryl to get hurt. They were hurt enough at the first encounter with the sly bastards.

On the other hand, he now hated that stupid human and his ugly, foul smelling, disgusting dragon. He asked the wind spirits if they might not…give them a taste of what they caused. A few foul dreams, or even better, a dream where that human realized he was wrong. But first and foremost, keep the nasty duo away. No matter what means, keep them away. A blizzard, a tornado, a hurricane, didn’t matter. Keep them away. Unless the cowboy intended to apologize on his knees.

(Ps, I approve of the slap. Was very hyped when I read it. Bet it echoed- No offense to Cotton, ofc, but Beryl doing something that aggressive was surprising and nice to read!)

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(Might be the wine + whiskey kicking in — beryl’s body can’t handle that much liquor lol (even if it was only 2 1/2 glasses)

Beryl

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A wave of guilt washed over the guardian when she realized what she had done. She wanted to go over and apologize for slapping Cotton, and to also apologize to Tumble for insulting his appearance, but it was nearly impossible for her to reverse the things that had already occurred. “Ah, fuck what I have done—“ Beryl raised a hand and palmed at her forehead, her messy red hair breaking through the tiny black hair tie and falling past her shoulders.

Setting aside her guilt, the guardian felt a bit awkward because she was holding Hoko like he was their infant. Although, if Beryl were to be quite frank, he was like a baby to her. Not literally, of course. Shooting Cotton and Tumble an apologetic glance, she nervously began to slowly back away from the duo. Beryl wouldn’t have been all too surprised if one of the two had made a move, since she wasn’t drawing away from them that fast.

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Yuri
|-|

Cottonmouth
|Cotton watched Beyrl start to walk away and watched Tumbleweed start after her. But then-he laughed. The cowboy laughed, and laughed, and laughed. Tracing his hand upon the stinging welts alongside his face, he legitimately cried a few tears because he was laughing so hard. |"You fuckin hit me! You hit me!"| Doubling over, the cowboy wheezed for breath. Gasping for a few moments, he finally regained his composure, and the taunting look entered his eyes. |"You hit me. Standing up for yourself, I can respect that. Although, you may want to work on it. Hit me none harder than my memaw."| Rubbing his jaw, and flexing it, he decided nothing was broken. Glancing over at Tumble, he shouted. |"Why you look so damn surprise, you knew what I was doing. Fuckhead. Damn your a stupid lizard, and that...What was your name again? Beryl? That Beryl was right, you are damn ugly."| Stretching his back with a groan, the man took of his hat, revealing surprisingly well kept raven black hair. Combing through it with his fingers, the mop was ince again hidden underneath his cap.|

does Beyrl wear any jewelry clem?// and I get it, mr Cotton can take A LOT of liquor. like...a lot a lot

Tumbleweed
|Watching the whole scene unfold, he was damn near surprised at Cotton's cunning. Shrugging off Cottons insult was easy, but that danmed bitch. No. Growling, he bout near jumped on her before Cotton waved him off. Growling, he sat on his tail. Looking slightly like a yelled off puppy that really, REALLY wanted to disobey, but wouldn't. Instead, he spat out a glob of fire, and smiled as it sizzled in the mud. As he did so, he could feel his fire supply lowering. Growling again, he clawed the wet earth, leaving deep gouges.|

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(she does!
checking her CS, beryl has these two golden cuffs on her ears, but she does also have two golden hoops on both of her lobes and a golden necklace w/ moon and star charms dangling from it. i know, super original)

Beryl

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Kneeling down, she set Hoko onto the ground and quietly instructed him to hop onto Mimosa’s back and stay there. Swerving her head around, a facial expression of both concern and puzzlement replaced the previous one of guilt. “Oh my god, he’s insane.” The guardian whispered to herself, straightening herself back up to her full height.

As Tumble darted toward her, Beryl leapt back and nearly screamed, but froze when Cottonmouth ordered him to stop. She remained frozen when a glob of fire spat out from Tumble’s mouth, but regained somewhat of her composure when she saw the flames sizzle into the now pulpy soil. “Thats probably because you’re one of the first people I’ve ever hit.” The half-tiefling muttered beneath her voice, crossing her arms over each other once more.

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