Snippet #1903406

"--You dir'y wench! I'll gut ya, I sw'ar it!"

The intoxicated man advanced on Aerith slowly, flames in his eyes and a half pint of ale on his shirt. She gave him a dirty look and then yawned, stretching her arms  above her head.

"T'was a disgrace, really." She looked at him disdainfully, almost as if he were a small child who had broken his mothers favorite vase, trying to hide it but subsequently getting caught...not that she really knew much about a mother's scorn...or vases for that matter. She gandered down at his stained shirt and then back up at his blotchy face, her disdain quickly morphing into what could be seen as a look of sad regret. "That was a right poor waste of ale. Shouldn't go spilling it, you know?" She sighed as she brought her hands up to her hair, fixing her ponytail absentmindedly. She winked at him. "But it's okay, I forgive you lad."

The fuse ignited and the drunk bellowed, grasping his bottle in his pudgy hands and raising it in the air, only to bring it down in a messy arc, smashing it onto the counter and splattering the wall and the nearby patrons with alcohol. He scowled wickedly. "Yo'r gunna meet yo'r mak'r wench, any last words?" 

She frowned. "Yeah, you really shouldn't waste booze like that, it's an awful mistak--" The heavy swing collided with her chair as Aerith jumped back quickly, the wood splintering from the impact. He was a rather large man, assumedly mostly fat, but he apparently had a bit of muscle as well. Just her luck. 

"Surely you want to work this out, right?" She teased him, easily dodging his messy attacks.

"I'LL KILL YOU!!!"

She pranced around playfully as he swung again fiercely, the broken bottle spittling ale at her. She licked the projectile booze off her cheek and then glared, an angry look flooding her feminine features. It was suddenly quiet.

"I told you--" She grasped the hilt of her blade and started to pull it out slowly"--stop wasting the ale...or you may end up with a few less fingers." Her blade was now out fully, cold and beautiful in the tavern light. "We wouldn't want that now, would we?" 

The man hesitated for a moment, his rage stifled, but then smiled and let out an obnoxious laugh, tears forming little streams on his cheek. He then picked up a nearby mug and, still laughing, flung it's contents at her, drenching her in alcohol.

"Dir'y wench! Ya like booze so much then you can hav' it! You can have all the booze you-- The man stopped talking as he watched the fingers on his left hand seperate and then slowly fling across the room, his index finger traveling a notable distance.

The barmaid let out a scream and ran, the other patrons remaining dead silent.  He stared down at the disfigured appendage curiously, not fully comprehending the situation. Aerith gazed across the room at the rogue index finger, her hand held to her head as if she was trying to look at something from a great distance.

"Wow, that one went far."

The man followed the path of her sight and then seeing it, a sudden look of realization swept across his blood splattered face. He screamed. Falling to the floor, he clutched his hand, sobbing. Aerith smiled. 

"I think it may be lonely over there, perhaps I should give it some company?"

Fear tore across his face and he staggered to his feet, stagger-running towards the tavern door. He found her there first. 

"Hold up there sir, you haven't paid for the damages."

She drew her blade across the man's throat, the thin cut releasing a torrent of blood, of which she covered with a rag to shield herself. He fell to the ground, grasping at his throat as he began to puke up booze and bile as she stepped away, a smile etched across his killer's face. 

"Ruben Wilshire, under the accordance of Article blah blah blah, I take your life in payment for your crimes." She let out a deep yawn, the man twitching at her feet. "...May you find peace and the Queen's blessings in death ever-lasting." 

The twitches stopped as she gave him a last glance and then wandered to the counter and plopped down on the bar stool, looking bummed.

"Man, I'm not even drunk yet." 

Without a word, the bartender grabbed ale and poured her a mug. She smiled grimly as she looked over her shoulder to find everyone gone, having escaped out the back door. Turning back, she grabbed and brought the mug to her lips, taking only a small sip. She was silent for a moment, but then looked up at the shaken man. 

"Slow night, it seems." She took another sip, this time smiling afterwards. A smile that would haunt the man for years to come.

"You...wouldn't happen to know anything about a man named 'Shadow' would you?"