Epiphany at the Drunk-yard

[Miranda Frost]

Miranda couldn't remember the last time she had a nice throat burning drink. In fact, prior to her entry from the Nexus, she could barely remember her own name, and yet the glass she held between her steel fingers felt familiar. The amber liquid's aroma felt nostalgic, heavely sitting at the back of her mind. Nagging thoughts of memories that weren't there and an imaginary elixir to help uncover. She brought the cold glass to her exposed lips, the freezing yet burning tonic wetting her dry mouth. Within the short span of reviving, the Coldsteel woman had been gifted with many reasons to drown her sorrows in the pool of alcoholism, but that is hardly the reason why she sat here within the mining settlement's drinking hall.

 She was here to celebrate, and to drink for all those who could no longer celebrate as she could. This would be her fifth glass now, but it would take much more to effect her thanks to her cybernetics. A small crowd of Gorons, Humans, and Koopas gathered around her to drink with her, paying honor to lives lost. She brought the  glass down against the smooth marble bar with one hand, and a gold coin in the other.

 "This one to the dark Dragon Volvagia. May the Hells of the Underverse suit her better than this place.", She sneered as the bartender filled her glass once again. The Dragon was mighty and powerful who's wrath completely changed the Goron way of life here within the Ashen Steppes. Who knows whether or not Nealaphh's decision was the best one. With those around her she downed the glass, slamming it back down to the bar.  The Barkeep filled it again, and so the process continued.

Sixth

 "This one to her ll fated brood, who gave their lives at the chance of saving their Mother". The brood were ferocious as they were numerous, numbers that could possibly conquer the Ashen if they pleased, yet they didn't. Only when they were threatened did they swarm. Strange

Seventh

 "This one to the enigmatic Headmaster Nealaphh, May he find what he's looking for in the Underverse". The cloaked shape had promised to help her with her memories, or rather Klee and Shen did who seemed fairly similar from her scans of Nealaph. Perhaps they would be able to help her in her dilemma.

Eighth

 "This one to the Gorons who burned within their homes and villages, and the Gorons who were displaced from their homes. May they rebuild themselves to their former glory."

 Ninth

 At this point many had either passed out, left the building for drunken brawls, or kicked out by the bouncer for other means. The crowd dissipated into nothingness leaving just her the barkeep and a fellow a few stools down. Connor Hound was his name. It would seem he was here for the same reason she was, though it would seem he was reaching for a different end than she. Crimson faced from her many drinks, she turned on her stool, the scarlet light from her eye shining upon him.  "Connor Hound.... What are you doing?"

[The Rogue]

Connor decided to prolong the numbness, so he stumbled across the fields of volcanic rock and ash. He nearly lost himself out in the ashen expanse. The mercenary turned over thoughts of the countless dead that he could have saved and the primal rage that is seeded deep inside his soul.

Connor had already lost track of time when he reached the mining settlement. He did not know how long ago the battle was, yet his heart was still singing its sorrowful wail. He decided to drown its song at the local bar. He walked in, nobody paid him any mind as he sat at the bar. He guessed that the locals were used to seeing bedraggled ash covered travelers. The mercenary nodded to the bartender and raised three fingers, “Your strongest, please”,

The barkeep raises an eyebrow, then takes out a short glass crafted for hard liquor. Starting from the bottom of the glass the bartender places three fingers together and fills the glass until the amber brown drink is even with the topside of his top most finger. He sets the glass down in front of the sorrowful mercenary and walks off to refill the other patrons’ drinks.

A young woman with white hair was making several toast. In his depressed state Connor barely recognized her, but then at a second glance he finally noticed who she is. Miranda Frost. He kept on thrusting up his glass in the toast, and by the time she was done, Connor had gone through several glasses, and had a slight buzzing in the back of his head. They were practically the only ones left in the bar, and she approaches, “Connor Hound, What are doing?”

Connor snorts, “Drinking, trying to numb out...forget it, you don't need to know…”, he puts the glass to mouth as takes another sip.

[Miranda Frost]

Miranda's eyes narrowed upon Connor's form. During the battle he lacked hesitation in taking lives, whether they were Dragon or not. Only now did he regret? He was a fool, a boy playing war. As skilled as he was, he couldn't take it mentally. Sure unexpected events could hit harder than most, but what could be done? Sighing  she rested a claw upon  his shoulder, the sharp metal of her prosthetic hands digging into his clothing. With a quick movement she covered the top of the glass with her other.

 "You are drinking... to attempt to satisfy your own sorrows, your own regrets?", She grumbled, her face tensing as it came closer to Connor's before relaxing. The crimson light of her eye caught his and, like a wild animal confronted with bright light, froze. Her frown relaxed to a light smile, the large amount of alcohol she had consumed causing her pale face to redden. Her voice lightened and in Connor's ear she whispered, "It is that selfish attitude I despise most".

  Her grip tightened and her alternate claw moved from his glass to his shirt, the claws tearing and entangling themselves. With a surge of inhuman strength, she lifted him  off the  stool and stood, suspending him in the air. "We are going to have ourselves a little talk." With the boy secured in her clutches she exited the bar, the sounds of Connor's struggling grunts and cries drawing the nervous eyes of the bartender who decided best not to interfere.

 Once outside and a considerable distance away from the building, she dropped him to the ash at her feet. "You must have had a connection to Nealaphh to be hurting yourself this way, but is that really the answer? Do you really think wallowing in your drunken sorrow is going to bring Nealaphh back? Do you think he really cares? You dress like a soldier and fight like one... so man up like one." She sighed, her eye watching him  glare at her as he recovered to his feet and distancing himself from her.

 "If you care any about Nealaphh... you should learn to accept and trust his decision. For us primes.... Death is not a true reality. So...", Miranda started, placing an open claw upon her chest. "..I want you to transfer that sorrow for your lack of strength.. and convert that into true strength. Take your frustrations out on me, not yourself.", she spoke softly, her arm dropping to her side. She doubted that he could inflict any real damage to her. The only reason she took any during the battle was because of letting go of her guard and focusing only on brute force. 

 "If you choose not to... that is your own deal, but dont let me catch you misusing a good drink. Alcohol should be used for celebration, not for forgetting. Besides, lets be honest here, You weren't going to forget anyway."

[The Rogue]

“You think I'm drinking because of that cheap ass Eldritch fuck wit?” Connor laughs, quite drunk,

“The only reason why I'm upset with him is that he didn't pay me before committing something worse than suicide!”,

Connor cackles and still has the shot glass in his hand, he holds it in his right hand, occasionally shifting hands as he talks,

“I'm drinking for the innocents we killed, the Gorons did not deserve our betrayal! And fine you want me to take it out on you? Then so be it!”, in a moment of drunken clarity Connor throws the glass at Miranda. It shatters across her face, as this happens Connor decides not to let her react and he belts out a bestail roar. He charges forward and draws out both of his pistols. He sets Lycöan’s ECC charges and fires Lupa. He uses quick bursts with the automatic glock.