((But natsu's great too :D))

((OOC: Overload ^.^.... cool Celtic song for the space ))

((She is great :) Happy's cute too))

Many hands truly make light the work. In just over an hour the branches before entryway into the guild hall was decorated with bright colored basket lamps floating like flickering balls in the branches; a small addition Tatsu thought was festive. Set over the doorway among the greenery, Apollo's bright string lights cascaded white light over the opening and the tinsel wrapping the banister and railings lent a reflective sub-lighting along the floor beams and threshold that lent a warm, welcome glow as travelers came up the entry. There were merry sounds of conversation and song from the most astute to the least trained that almost magically entered the ears at the beginning of the ramp, but little else beyond it. The joy mingled with sweet smells of cooked meat and steamed veggies, though no bread yet, added to the savor around the outside of the tree.

Through the storm and saloon doors, the smell of the tree warmed by the hearth impacts the senses. 3/4 of the pig that was started still roasted on a spit over the fire, it's flames licking at the legs and ears whenever it was turned by a patron helping themselves to a chunk. Those that liked it raw or rare already munching away merrily, at their meal, supplemented with toasted apples and various steamed vegetables that still crunched when bitten. Only a few tables were placed out with benches and only a couple chairs for those that preferred solitary seating were spread at the moment. There were three times as many more tables, benches, stools and chairs, stacked neatly at the farthest end of the round room. Near the center pillar, where the precious life of the tree flowed root to branch, the bar neatly carved from the natural wood. It looked as though it and the bar shelves had grown or sprouted from the very floor and walls! Two casks were set to one end, freshly bunged flowing ale and mead for guilders to step up and tap at their pleasure. The back section was fair dark, presumably stores and kitchen that weren't in use this night, but walled off so that entry seemed possible only from behind the bar itself.


Ashleigh
Ashleigh positioned herself across the table from Basil her eyes seemingly fixed on him whenever he looked up from his meal. Her own plate was only picked at every now and again, however she would eat in spurts so Basil wouldn't worry about her eating after a hard battle. She was glad that her adopted parents approved of him, yet he was the only male in the guild group so her only comparison to him was her adopted sire.
She had chosen her seat well for she could smile and fawn over Basil and while he lowered his head to eat, she could see over his shoulder, to watch her parents at their table. The two of them were fairly shameless in the way they interacted together. However due to a cruel trick of time itself, Tatsu was the ideal age and season for Ashleigh to breed with and he was more physically matured than Basil. So she studied her wild, vulgar, adopted parents to see what about their wild draeyl upbringings she could glean to help her mature as an adult. So far she could only blush at the way Ainsleigh threw herself into Tatsu's grip and freely allowed him to contact her intimately despite being surrounded by observers! The next time Basil raised his head she had to cover her muzzle a little on account of how warm it was feeling, she had to be displaying her embarrassment at watching her parents.


Tatsu & Ainsleigh

Tatsu and Ainsleigh were just enjoying the atmosphere freely. They sat on the same bench sharing food and drink from one another without a care for protocol or manners. They fussed, played, fought and laughed with one another in spats. Ainsleigh even hiked her leg over Tatsu's lap and physically wrapped herself around his seated waist, her tail dropping between his muscular calves and her claws pulling the back of his head into her muzzle and feeding him from her maw. Their embrace appeared so intimate and erotic that the uninitiated in pure draeyl society couldn't help but turn away in disgust or yell at them to get a room! But in reality she was trying to keep him from slopping all of the pork from off their plates.
Tatsu just ignored all of the outside influences attempting to make them show guild-like politeness. Instead allowing Ainsleigh to serve him in the draeyl manner as their daughter had suggested she intended to do for Basil. But Ainsleigh could tell right away that Ashleigh's head was full of common guild etiquette and not in the mannerisms of the draeyl way that would interest a male into her nest. So her adopted parents decided to take their daughter's advice and show everyone how draeyl females serve the suitors they want to fight for their breeding rights.
Riker was a little too busy to be bothered with it though, since Ainsleigh and Ashleigh had both asked him to compile a guild roster consisting of present active and inactive members as well as a roster of the missing.

Tatsu & Ainsleigh

The few remaining dust bunnies in the air swirled violently from the air the roster tome forced off the top of table occupied by Ainsleigh, Tatsu and Fir. The table shook over a centimeter towards fir and the ale in his mug sloshed about, though none of the precious liquid spilled over. The noise definitely got Ainsleigh's and Tatsu's attention, and from the look of his tail and ears, the effect seemed to be satisfyingly amusing to Riker.

"Thanks cub!" Ainsleigh exclaimed to Riker with an air of respect, but their generational gap kept in tact. Fir's conduct hadn't bothered the draeyl couple and was deemed satisfactory to them. Thus far he at least understood the etiquette of warriors and the reality that any time a tank Sylestie went out those doors on a mission, it was likely to be their last. So living life to it's fullest, without regrets, leaving nothing untried, was the best option left and to be expected from those that chose it.

Ainsleigh leaned back and allowed the small of her back to contact the edge of the table as she guffawed and tried to playfully keep Tatsu's claws off the rest of the meat on the plates behind her. After a few sully attempts she arched her neck back so her eyes could fall straight upon Ashleigh. She didn't have to guess that her daughter had been watching them from across the room; this was her eighth child after all. And Ainsleigh had been with the guild long enough before Ashleigh came along to know how backward guild society was to their lifestyle.
Ashleigh hastily hid her face behind Basil's body. She didn't say a word but when the sudden movement could definitely have gotten Basil's attention especially since she was starting to flush a pink hew from between her scales. She kept her eyes fixed on him should he lift his head, but in her inexperience she couldn't hide the guilty look on her features, about how she had been caught spying on her parents.

Tatsu knew about the game played between mother and daughter, but he could really didn't care. Female politics were something he played dumb about. Mainly because it kept his nest full of potential breeding partners whenever Ainsleigh was on the egg. Instead, he focused on the game his life mate was playing with him right now, As she kept wrestling his grip away from their plates, and planted herself on him strategically to try and distract him from his goal. Something his stomach was strongly protesting at the moment. It was the growl it had made that had Ainsleigh laughing so raucously.

"I hope you're planning to exchange yourself for supper and dessert at this rate, my dear." Tatsu said in his dull, half-wit voice.

Ainsleigh leaned forward over Tatsu's body and drew her muzzle so close to his tympanum that he could feel the warmth of her breath as she spoke. "That depends on whether our daughter learns her lesson, or I walk away wih her beau as a prize." She whispered in his ear.

"Hmph," Tatsu grunted sourly, "You aren't going to change their upbringing in one night. My share from this last mission that he'll turn you down cold old sylvan." He whispered the wager to her.

"Look who's talking." Ainsleigh whispered back huffily. "I accept."