Thar Shaddin

When he'd felt that tightening around his arm, Shade also felt relief. She was nervous as well he realized with a slight grin. That meant she wasn't actually letting all the attention get to her head, so Drayel wasn't going to shoot him later. Relieved with the newest discovery he allowed himself to relax.

"So what is your plan for picking up said men? Nothing naughty I hope." He glanced down at her with a quirk of the eyebrow. "Also, no need with the wary looks. I'm not going to do anything to you. I don't doubt your distrust for my kind but give me some faith, yeah?"

He chuckled as he gave her a jibbing nudge.

"After all, is it not I who helped hunt down that terrifying thief that broke into your bakery?"

Talia sighed, was she really that obvious? "I don't mean....It's not that..." She sighed again. "I've just had some really bad experience with the whole...you know magical stuff. But I guess you aren't too bad." She grinned and nudged him back. "Now as for my plans...I don't really have any....I was planning on just winging it, although...Perhaps we can crash a party or something!" She laughed.

"So what are you gunna do well I am off having fun?" She said with a wink and a laugh.

Shade paused at the question, his mind being stuck on 'bad experiences' too much to really understand her question. He stared at her for a moment, trying to sort out what was happening in his head before finally he simply shrugged and rubbed his neck. What happened to her? Nothing terrible he hoped but... it would certainly explain her often stiff appearance when she saw him. He felt a bit guilty make a jib out of it.

"I...I'm not actually that sure." Shade admitted with a frown. "Though, the party idea seems rather... odd. Who on earth did you crash a party with? You don't seem to have many ruffians as friends let alone one rebellious enough to sneak into a party."

He tried to imagine her with somebody, stealing cakes and pretending to be part of the family. Even he wasn't that nasty, often only glancing in or flirting with the bridesmaids but never actually stealing food or even really going inside! Who dared the wrath of two families? He shuddered.

"What would Drayel say? Shame!"

"What?" Talia pretended to pout and trying hard not to smile "Don't you think I can get into mischief on my own? I assure you sure...I can be quite rebellious when I want to be?" Her pout broke and she giggled, what would Shade think if he knew that it was Drayel who had be the one who crashed the wedding and stolen a cake with her. Although, it wasn't like anyone else was going to eat the cake, with all the bride and groom drama going on that night.

"As for Drayel, why does his opinions matter so much and why should they matter to me?" Talia raised an eyebrow as she looked up at Shade, still smiling and trying to forget the weird look he had given her when she had casually mentioned her not-so-good experiences with magic.

"It matters because, excuse my bluntness, if you seem corrupted by my appearances, then my man parts will be removed by means of a carving knife." Shade shuddered as his face turned almost green. "He looked serious when he said it too. I wouldn't put it past him...."

He grimaced as his body gave a full body shudder.

"Come on, I suddenly really need a beer." He grumbled as he lowered his body and picked her up like a bride. He moved in sharp quick steps as he tried to ignore the flashing images of a furious Drayel from his mind. "Dammit, you have no idea how lucky you are you're a woman. He would just huff at you, he smacks me around and threats my manhood! It's terror!"

He didn't stop the rant as it pulled itself from his lips.

"Overall protective of the women, mother hen to ids, and just a freakin' ass to men!" He fumed. "It's RUDE and it HURTS and I DON'T GET HIS PROBLEM WITH ME!"

"Why in all the world would he choose you to be my 'gaurd' if he is worried that you would corrupt me? And why would you accept the job?" She tried not to laugh at the thought of Drayel smacking around Shade, the confident womanizing wold shifter. She didn't manage to keep back a grin as she attempted to answer his question.

"Perhaps he doesn't approve of how you ah...take advantage of pretty much every woman you come in contact with. You have to admit you aren't the most blameless man around and he is a guard. From what I know he is also a man with high morals and you...don't quite match up to them perhaps he is just trying to change your ways and WHY ARE YOU CARRYING ME?!" She yelped, finding herself in the arms of Shade for no reason that she could understand.

"Its been a while since I've had female company. I've missed doing this." Shade admitted as he practically skipped with her in his arms. "Its nice. Lucy won't let me do it to her and I guess I can do it to Rebecca but she's a bit small. I'd let go of her and she'd fly! I'd get a royal arse kicking for that. Ah! Pardon the language."

He gave her a sheepish grin before humming rather loudly. He couldn't help it. Being with a woman as pretty as Talia and not for his normal reasons, it felt rather relaxing. For the first time in years he felt like a pup again. Perhaps her rebellious streak was begining to effect him.

"So, you want a drink do you?" He growled mockingly. "Shun on you woman! I'll have to take you to a good and clean bar then! Show you the terrors of a drunk! Maybe we'll invite a couple dwarves to have a drinking contest!"

He couldn't stop the giggles now.

"Can you imagine it? Dwarves and you in a drinking contest?" He roared with laughter. "Who'd win I wonder? Bwahahahaha!"

Talia just shook her head and laughed at Shade. "Well to be honest, I don't spend much time with men. Of course I see Drayel and Jackal once in a while but besides that male contact is strictly limited to working with my boss's husband and customers. And trust me most of them I will not be spending any of my extra time with." She laughed and sighed inwardly. "I really do work too much though. Any time I get off, I never know what do do with myself. Pretty sure if it wasn't for you and Drayel then I would just be sitting in my room reading or something. Of course, I may not get into as much trouble." She said jokingly, as she threw an arm around Shade. Sure she trusted him not to drop her but she still like the extra precaution.

"As for drinking, I shall do what I want today and no one can stop me." She said in an sarcastic posh tone before become serious again. "Although I dare not challenge a dwarf to a drinking contest. I believe I have said I do not handle my liquor very well and I will not fall for whatever you are trying to pull over me!" Talia laughed again. "I may not know any dwarves personally but I do know they could drink 10x more then me and still be standing tall....or as tall as one can be."

"You just need a bit of practice." Shade encouraged with a sure nod. "Why, I'm sure you'll get there no problem eventually."

Shade gave her a teasing bounce in his arms, grinning impishly despite the look he received. "No worries though, I wouldn't do that to you." He gave her a nudge with his head before rolling his eyes and sighing dramatically. "Why, if I didn't know any better you'd of thought you were suspicious of me in fact. Me? Get you drunk? Why, I'd just as happily ask a group of gnomes for a drinking game with us then wake up in your bed!"

His grin turned into a smirk as he lowered his voice into a purr.

"That is, unless you wanted me there." Shade chuckled deeply as he pulled his head back to its regular position. "Then, I suppose that's a different concept all together, isn't it my dear?" Seeing her red face his grin widened again as he turned his eyes to the street. He loved being an ass.

Talia was about to simply roll her eyes and laugh off the whole bed comment until Shade had pulled her even closer and said "That is, unless you wanted me there." in that deep voice of his. That comment mixed with that tone certainly caused her to blush and from his grin that was most likely his aim.

"I don't know what is going on in your head, and I am certain I don't want to know. I will have you know sir that I am a lady and you will take care to remember that from hence forth!" Talia had brought on her haughty voice again and stuck her nose in the air as she dropped out of Shades grasp and approached the building he had brought her to. Stopping at the door she turned around and posed against the door frame. "Well? Are you coming m'dear? Or are you planning on letting an innocent little lady like myself drink among strange men all afternoon?"

Shade didn't need to be told twice as he galloped past her and into the bar, eyeing the males immediately with a snarl of fury. Nobody was going to play with Talia in bed, at least not without him and certainly not if they were male. he didn't like sharing. So he made his dominance clear by stiffening his spine and glaring around him for a moment before glancing back at Talia.

"Nobody to worry about." Shade said chuckling as he returned to his cheery mood while facing her. "I'm sure nobody would dare try."

That is, nobody sober. Yet there were a lot of drunks now a days, and these drunks were particularily bad this afternoon. He eyed them up while leading her to a seat rather in the corner, with his back to the wall so he could eye the males up without having to twist around. No, this was definatly a bad idea. Now he was getting as bad as Drayel.

"BARTENDER! WE NEED ALCOHOL!" Shade bellowed as he smacked his head into the table. He groaned dramatically as he pouted at Talia without lifting his head. "I'm acting like the tin Can! Dammit Tal, this is terrible! Soon I'll have a stick up my ass too!"

Talia sat down and stared at Shade. She had only seen his back stiffen as he had practically ran past her into the bar but he had certainly done something because at least half of the guys lingering around were definitely avoiding eye contact with her. She also got the feeling if she approached one of them they would probably start running in the opposite direction. Leaning forward Talia rested her chin on her folded hands.

"You do know that our challenge was that I have to pick up a guy right? If you scare them all off then I will have to take that is you trying to ruin my chances and the whole thing is cancelled. I can't work in these conditions you know?" She grinned and nodded to the man who brought them both drinks. Taking a sip she stared into the mug thoughtfully before nodding to herself deciding that she liked this drink. Wasn't as sweet as the other drink she had before and hopefully wasn't as inhibiting, at least not as quickly as that time. She did want to keep her thoughts and actions in order after all.

Looking up at Shade she laughed at him and rolled her eyes. "Oh come on. Drayel isn't that bad. I've seen him..." she paused and decided just to tease Shade instead of telling him how crazy Drayel had gotten that one time. "I've seem him do some pretty relaxed things. My guess is you both are picking up habits from each other. Pretty soon you will be twins!" She teased as she took another sip of her drink.

Shade paused as he too took a drink, his lips still hanging on to the mug as he frowned in disbelief. Drayel, do something 'relaxed'? No way! Though, he did seem to pick up on that lady smirk. He grinned into his mug now as he took another swig. Soon they'd be twins though? He hoped not. He kind of looked up to Drayel and to have him turn into Shade, well that would just suck.

"Sorry 'bout the guys." Shade chuckled awkwardly. "The... The 'wolf' kind of came out a bit. I tend not to like to share women."

He blushed pretty heavy as he glanced his eyes around the bar. No male dared near them except.... except for a trio of gnomes that sat staring at them. All making eye contact, all staring almost curiously at them. Maybe not a date for Talia but a drinking game would be fun.

"Hey boys!" Shade barked with a sharp wave of the hand. "C'm and join us! We'll have a drinkin' game, with or without the lady joinin'!"

After all, he wasn't really sure she actually wanted to join. He'd leave it open for her to decided. Though apparently he said the magic words because pretty soon the trio were tramping past their own seats and directly on target for them. He knew it would hurt his wallet but.... wait he had Drayel's money. He grinned. Oh Drayel was going to kill him anyway, why not make the best of it?

"And when did I become a woman that you get to share?" Talia cocked her head as she tried to suppress a grin and the laughter that threatened to burst out at the fact that the man was blushing. Of course it was kind of cute and sort of softened some of his more rugged features. Not that his rugged quality did add to his...where the heck was her mind going?! Talia scolded herself and then abruptly turned around as she heard Shade talking to someone behind them

Turning around Talia looked to see who he had been talking to and saw the small group of gnomes coming to join them. Staring back at at Shade she looked at him questioningly before shrugging her shoulders. Well this isn't exactly what she was thinking of doing today, but might as well join in. After all they were only gnomes right? Certainly their smaller size would make it a bit more of an equal match then against dwarves.

"Count me in!" Talia smile and nodded to their new companions. "And what may your names be?"

"Names don't matter, right?" Shade cackled as he scooched his chair to beside Talia. "Come on! We're drinking! We'll forget and call each other Fudd in no time."

The other gnomes looked reasonably tispy at this point so at least Talia had a chance. That and he could keep a better on her from this angle rather then the other side of the table. One he came to notice had heavy grey hair and bulging eyes, one he promptly nicknamed 'Bug'. The second was fatter then the rest and waddled, hair plastered flat to his head with sweat so he decided to call him 'Duck'. The third one... well the third one was so damn tipsy he just couldn't walk straight. So why not, tispy.

"Alright men, and lady." He added politely with a nod to Talia. "Let's get started! Bartender! A game for the five of us!"