The bottle of rum was tipped up for a drink before being replaced upon the bar. Raye climbed upon her barstool, wrapped one leg around Cor's waist, grabbed the stilts and eased her weight off of the barstool. "Alright...let's go fast! Don't be a chicken, alright Cor? FAST!" If she had boots and spurs, he would be in trouble. If she even had shoes on, he would have been in trouble!

"Now this is better than the bull at the next bar. Got twenty that the chick doesn't stay on for three minutes." An aside to Jackie over the bottle without letting her eyes drift from Raye and Cor. It was a good thing she missed any hint of a blush. That would be something Jackie wouldn't live down.

Cor stared at the gnome's suggestion, then turned to view all of the exits. None of them seemed to be Cor-On-Stilts-plus-Raye sized, so he simply shrugged and started teetering and tottering around the Inn's common room on the stilts with Raye on his back!

"Don' know 'bout that, Allie Dee. She's lookin' mighty feisty, but three minutes might be a stretch." She cupped her hand around her mouth and called out to Cor. "Start buckin', Bronco!"

A hand released the stilts to wave at Dave before she squealed a little at the teetering. "Walk faster Cor! Think we can step over the tables on these things?" There was obviously a reason the title Harbringer of Chaos had been given the elf.

"There's a difference 'tween 'fiesty' and 'half-lit'. That girl looks a lil' on the looney side if you ask me. That bein' said, that bronco ain't much of a beast. You're right. She prolly can handle that one." The critique came in her best color analyst voice as she somberly watched Raye and Cor.

Jackie sipped her beer thoughtfully, nodding at Allie Dee's conclusions. "I ain't even sure I can be callin' him a bronco no more the way this is goin'. He's more like... a sad confused calf that done lost his Mama."

So much for the straight face and the analytical tone. Jackie's comment caused a round of snickers to escape unwillingly, embracing her entire form. It was a long moment until she could reign them in and lift the bottle for a long sip to fully contain the momentary loss of her cool.

Credit where it was due, Cor didn't exactly need Raye's urgings towards mayhem while he was on these things. It was rare when the Cartwheeler was actually able to look down on people, and being so far above them now gave him a heady rush. Raye was hardly felt on his back, and her voice was like the proverbial devil on your shoulder right now. Cor grinned wide wide and kicked the stilts into gear, back up so that he could get a running start then hurtling at a table and leaping clear over it, very nearly taking his head off on the rafters above.


Raye hung on for dear life, which meant she had one arm around his neck and the other hand in the air; squealing and hooting the entire time. She heard Jackie and Allie Dee, that excellent elven hearing cluing her in on the bet they had going between them.

"Alright, Cor that was a good move. Nowww how 'bout we take a walk on the bar?" Seemed perfectly logical to do this. Seriously, how could a person be on stilts and not take a walk on the bar? Sacrilege, right?

Cor wasn't listening. He was in his own zone here on the stilts, oblivious to all outside forces. And right now his logic told him that if he could clear one table. Then he could clear two. Or three. Maybe five. . . Cor's eyes squinted as he imagined himself at the All-Rhy'din Stilt Sprint Championships. The wealth, the acclaim, the interviews in all the most popular stilting magazines. Unfortunately, his plans to stardom seemed to be on hold as no one was lining tables up for him. He let out a disappointed sign and glanced over his shoulder at Raye, nodding once

Then off to the bar he went. Uupppp one leg went onto a barstool, they were leaning precariously now. Then Cor tried lifting the other leg. It took a bit of straining and sweat began to bead on his forehead before he was able to get it up onto the bartop next, following a grunt of effort. After that it was smooth sailing as he clattered along, knocking over glasses, ashtrays and possibly even people as he sauntered down the wooden length. "Sorry! Sorry! Couldn't see you down there! My apologies!"

Raye assumed that she should lean in the direction they were going while on stilts just like she did when she was riding her motorcycle...leeaannnn. ?Hey Cor, you are driving these things wrong I think!? Because she was sure she would be hitting the floor at any minute. That was certainly not her idea of fun. Tightening her grip around Cor?s neck and waist, she offered a few more words of encouragement. ?Alright, c?mon lazy...we aren?t impressin? the onlookers with these lame moves!?

Nearly as soon as she spoke, he finally heaved them atop the bar and momentarily she forgot she should be holding on; both arms were shoved into the air as the wild, piggyback riding elf cheered.
?ACK!? was shouted as she almost tumbled back before getting an arm around his neck once more.

She was in piggyback heaven, so far above the other patrons. As Cor knocked over ashtrays, drinks, and people--what was Raye doing? Well, Raye was doing what she did best...helping the chaos grow. ?Faster, Cor! And when we get to the end of the bar, lets try to leap off and land on a table.?

Cor was back in his own world. He heard Raye, but it was dim, a voice in the corner of his mind that was currently closed off from the dubious reality that made his up view at the moment. He stopped. And looked down the length of the bar. It was his domain now. None would take it from him and he would rule it from his stilted throne for ever. A suggestion of Raye?s eventually penetrated Cor?s subconscious. A single word. Table. Echoing like the gift of a fairy fluttering about and urging him on. Table table table. . . Cor looked across his domain, searching far and wide before finding one that perfectly suited his needs.

He hunched low, knuckles tightening about the tops of the stilts as he crouched atop them. In his mind, the crowd was cheering, chanting his name. He existed for them and they loved it. Then, he sprung up. THUMP. THUMP. THUMPTHUMP. THUMPTHUMP. Faster he went, picking up speed. THUMPTHUMP-THUMPTHUMP THUMPTHUMP-THUMPTHUMP. And faster still as the stilts clattered down the length of bar. THUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMP! Until he reached the very end and vaulted. So high. . .so high. And so, so far. He was soaring. Flying. Free of all cares and worries, above it all.

Too far up, in fact.

In the next moment, there was a loud crack! as Cor?s forehead impacted against one of the rafters, sending dust into the air and stopping him cold as he knocked himself near into the next century. Rip van Winkle by way of blunt force trauma. As Cor fell, and hopefully Raye was quick enough to abandon the Good Ship Corlanthis, the last thing he could be heard slurring out was a groggy sounding. ?..think...think I need to lie down now.? And then he was out.

Perhaps Raye shouldn?t have instigated any of this. That might very well be true, but good luck trying to tell her that. Especially since...IT WAS SO DAMN MUCH FUN!

She saw the rafter approaching but there wasn?t really time to forewarn The Stiltmeister; she was far too busy cackling madly over the fact that they were vaulting off the bar on a pair of stilts! A sickening ?crack? was heard and that was all the incentive Raye needed to abandon ship. It didn?t take a genius to know when the bow of the ship went down, the rest of the ship followed.

Arms and legs were unwrapped from around Cor as she pushed off of him, flipping backwards before landing upon her feet. She actually watched as he hit the floor, cringing as she moved towards him.

?Oh poor Corkins! You probably should have ducked your head.? Raye sat on the floor next to him, cross legged, and watched for a few moments before looking at her stilts. A glance was given him then back to the stilts again. Slowly...back...and...forth. Cor was breathing and the stilts remained unconquered. There was really no question as to what she would do next.

Raye retrieved the neon pink sticks of doom. It was time to show them who was boss.