Closed [World's End Grotto]Drinking and Drunks[Lani Stranger]

Rykanis visits the World's End, and meets a employee named Lani

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Center of scholarly knowledge and shipwrighting, Zeltiva is a port city unlike any other in Mizahar. [Lore]

[World's End Grotto]Drinking and Drunks[Lani Stranger]

Postby Rykanis Dakshata on June 9th, 2014, 3:43 am

Morning of: 3 Summer 514


Zeltiva was a odd town when compared to Riverfall. Or at least so Rykanis felt. He was used to a city of men as large as he, a city built for said men. He was used to being the norm. In Zeltiva however it took nothing more than walking through a door to see this was not the case. This was because he could not walk through the doors, at least not without bending and lowering himself to avoid knocking his head on the door frame.

However while Rykanis did not fit in as well as at home, and could not blend in as easily, he was not one to quit. One hard and fast rule he knew of was that where people ate, or more importantly where they drank, information could be found. He'd asked around, and had been informed of the World's End Grotto. Apparently it was a inn of sorts, along with serving food and beverages. Perhaps it would not be as full of intel as a seedier bar, but he supposed it would serve his purposes.

As Rykanis passed through the doorway with a small bit of difficulty, his dark purple skin instantly brought the attention of several people. Once he unstooped and straightened himself out, this was even more so the case. After all, not only did he have a dark purple skin, but when he extended himself to his full height he was also just over seven foot tall.

Besides his skin and height, Rykanis appeared more or less normal, his clothing and boots and belt not being odd or far from the norm. He did however walk about with a pair of lakan, one strapped on either side of his waist. Considering the fact that most Zeltivan's did not go about armed, carrying around a pair of blades could be seen as odd.

As he entered the lounger were several people where already tucking into their breakfast, several people paused in their conversation and turned to see the oddity that was Rykanis, before returning to their meals and conversations.

Rykanis would pause for a moment, look about, and find a seat to himself, one at a table that gave him a good view of the other occupants of the lounge. After all, he was here to learn, not simply to eat.
-You can't truly appreciate the light, until you spend some time experiencing darkness...

-The more you know, the more you learn how little you truly know, and how much there is left to learn.

-Only when you truly understand the darkness, will you not fear it.
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[World's End Grotto]Drinking and Drunks[Lani Stranger]

Postby Lani Stranger on June 9th, 2014, 5:06 am

The Grotto was not like the Kelp Bar, it seemed to be more family friendly and considering that the day was still young it was aggravating to find anyone who was actually intoxicated. But that morning two human sailors sat at the bar, laughing louder than asses and grating on Lani's nerves. She had seen more than a few hungry looking eyes from the two that had landed on the busts and bums of young women that were at the establishment that morning. It didn't occur to Lani to be wary if she was also at the receiving end of the sailors' glances as well, it just aggravated her. Trying to avoid the two, Lani took a detour around another table, balancing platters of the dayly special in her arms. Fish cakes and a thick, creamy oyster stew that Lani was beginning to loose taste for even though she had yet to try it. Her height gave her an advantage in the crowded tavern. Being at least one head above everyone else, she could navigate through the tables with ease, finding the customers who needed her assistance. Setting three of the four plates down in front of a small family, a faint chime turned her head towards the door. The single small bell that was jostled when the door opened, signaling a new customer, had been muted from the babble of the crowded night.

To say the man caught her attention would be an underestimate. He magnetized it. Lani found herself a little too focused on the man, eyeing the deep purple skin with curiosity as she turned to the table to her left to place down the last platter. It was strange enough to find someone who stood higher than herself, let alone one who's skin was not of a natural color. It wasn't until her eyes landed on the two foreign blades that rested in his hips that her interest was officially peeked. Wiping her hands on her apron, Lani tried to ignore the towering man as she weaved her way back to the bar to grab the vile beverage that Zeltiva was famous for. Why did poeple even want beer this early in the morning? Okay, it was later in the morning but it still confused her as to why anyone would opt to waiste their day away with a vile beverage such as Kelp Beer.

But as she opened the tab on the barrel to pour beer into two mugs, Lani couldn't stop the burning curiosity, she needed to ask him what he was. What was he doing in Zeltiva? Obviously he wasn't from around Sylir, the land of humans. As she finished, her thoughts were dragged out of her mind by the amused voices of intoxicated Sailors. "Aye, lil' lady. What'd 'ya say ya hand those ta me? We sure could use 'nother beer, 'n maybe a bit more ..." It was very clear what he wanted. Undoubtedly because he had spent who know how many moons on a boat full of men, but that was no excuse, this wasn't a brothel. Purposefully swiping the two beverages out of the man's grasp, Lani let her scowl rest on her face and dove back into the crowd to deliver the Kelp Beer. As she wove through the crowds, Lani's eyes drifted over to the odd-colored giant. He wasn't particularly hard to find because of his height, and Lani did not attempt to avoid eye contact, hoping to start a conversation in any way possible. Maybe he would question her on her race as well. Setting the beers down in front of an older couple who sat at a small table in the back of the Tavern, Lani smiled briefly at the two humans before spinning on her heels to face the whole of the room.

Hmm ... Lani eyed the man, who had seated himself favorably, one of the easiest ways to see the whole of the room. Lani took a step forward, but her attention was snagged by another obnoxious bout of drunken laughter from the two sailors. Okay. Time to kick them out. Lani resolved with relief. She could see one of the other barmaids who had caught her eye with a questioning look, who was going to do it? Lani nodded at her, deciding that she wouldn't put her coworker through the trouble of dealing with them. Lani decided that her height would be enough intimidation to send them on their way.

Quick feet brought her past the tables in the Tavern with ease, fueled by a mild anger and general annoyance. Glancing once more around the room, Lani caught the eye of a few people who were watching how she was going to deal with the two nuisances, but was too pre-occupied to think about the fact that there were other people in the Tavern that could expel them better than herself. Instead she narrowed her haunting eyes as came up on the bar. "Ahem." Lani cleared her throat, planting her feet firmly on the ground and straightening her back. Standing in between and just behind the two men, Lani tilted her head down, clenching her jaw and attempting to look as intimidating as possible. "I'm going to have to ask both I you to escort yourselves home. We are not the Kelp Bar, an won't stand for any more of your ass-ish laughter or shitty behavior. Time to go boys."

"Oy! I say you escort us outta 'ere, make a man happy, ey?" The second Sailor said, swinging his arm off the bar and looping it around Lani's waist. He didn't stop there though, a calloused hand clutched her bum and pulled her into him. Unprepared, a yelp of suprise bubbled from her lips as her torso crashed into his, pulling her feet off balance and locking one of her arms by her side. "What'd ya say to dat, dolly?" His sour breathe seeping into her face, deepening her grimace and setting anger loose. Without thinking about it, a hand flew up to meet the man's face, her fingers not quite balled into a proper fist, resulting in her pain as well as his. The Tavern was too crowded for him to get away with this much longer, but Lani didn't think of that as she realized he wasn't going to let her go.


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[World's End Grotto]Drinking and Drunks[Lani Stranger]

Postby Rykanis Dakshata on June 9th, 2014, 4:17 pm

As Rykanis took his seat, he began to gather intelligence in one of the most common of methods. Listening. Or as it was more technically called in his trade, observation and analysis. All one did was sit and watch and observe what was going on, and piece all of the bits of information together into a cohesive web of information. Individual bits might not seem important, but once it built up to enough volume it could hit critical mass and could become useful. Of course since such passive things as this did not interest Rykanis, he let his control slip, and traded off to his other side.

As Rykanis knew it was not about any one bit of information, so he did not focus on any one thing. He sat, he listened, he expanded his senses, and continually shifted his attention and tried to take in everything.

First his focus slipped to the barmaid, walking about taking orders and delivering food and drinks. Considering she worked here she likely had ample access to conversations, and overheard many things in the regular course of her work. He pondered her for a moment, and then made a mental note to come back to her as she might be of use.

Next was the two rowdy bar goers, drunk by all appearances. Considering the bell it was a bit odd for someone to be drunk. Or perhaps they had been up all night getting drunk, and this was just the tail end of a long night of drinking.

Following their line of sight, it was clear to see they were ogling woman, including the barmaid he had made a note of earlier. He made a mental note that some trouble might arise from that direction, but at the moment they were being civil if obnoxious.

As he continued to assess the rest of the inhabitants of the lounge, mostly people eating breakfast as he himself intended to do once the server approached, he heard more words from the drunks aimed at the serving woman.

"Aye, lil' lady. What'd 'ya say ya hand those ta me? We sure could use 'nother beer, 'n maybe a bit more ..."

Instead the serving girl ignored them and continued to deliver the drinks to another. Considering their drunken state he agreed with her, they'd clearly had enough.

He did however notice the woman giving him darting glances, meeting his eyes and looking away... Perhaps she wanted to talk to him. Or perhaps it was her way of signalling she would get to him in a moment and was not ignoring him. She met his gaze without flinching, however she clearly could not lock eyes while attempting to wend her way through the tables.

As laughter broke out from the two drunks, there was a visible passage of information between two of the barmaids, perhaps some unspoken conversation or agreement between the two. Since the first barmaid then began to head towards the two drunks, he could only logically assume the unspoken conversation had been to do with them.

When the barmaid approached them and spoke, his assumption was found true.

"Ahem. I'm going to have to ask both I you to escort yourselves home. We are not the Kelp Bar, an won't stand for any more of your ass-ish laughter or shitty behavior. Time to go boys."

Staring at the exchange, it was clear things were not going to go well. First she insulted the men, called them boys, and cursed at them. On top of that they were drunk, and did not appear to be drunks that could handle themselves well or with excessive reason. It did not take a Konti to divine what would happen next.

Sure enough the actions and words of the men found the "prophecy" to be true as the drunks gotten overly hands-y and grabby and came on to the woman. The barmaid yelped in surprise to the sudden shift of positioning, nearly losing her balance and footing.

"Oy! I say you escort us outta 'ere, make a man happy, ey?"

"What'd ya say to dat, dolly?"

Her reaction was sudden and clear, as she struck the man holding her across the face. Considering their earlier actions, and their current loss of reason due to inebriation, it was clear that was not going to go over well. In fact he reasoned it would only make things worse.

Rykanis instantly grew angry, and wanted to charge over and deal with the situation. His other side however wanted to be a bit more reasonable, and as he was currently in control they did not instantly leap to the woman's aid.

Instead a short internal conversation was had between the two. Rykanis said to go know, and to charge in with a fist to the face of one. His other side knew that was a bad idea, since no fighting had yet occurred, and knew it would not be a good idea to be the first to throw a punch. However he also thought deeper about the situation, and the fact that he could possibly manipulate it and Rykanis to his advantage.

Rykanis wanted to come to the woman's aid. The woman worked at the bar, heard things, and so would likely be a useful contact for him to have. A good source of information and intel. If he did come to the woman's aid she would likely feel in his debt, which could be a easy method of him gaining her as a contact...

It seemed to him then that helping the woman was a wise move, as it would satisfy both Rykanis' urging to defend the woman, and gain her as a ally and possible source of information. Rising to his feet, he agreed to give back Rykanis control, but on the condition that he agreed to be calm and not throw the first punch.

However he would wait till he had made the approach before returning control, since he knew Rykanis would go in charging and ruin his manipulation of events. Since he promised to release control back to him in a moment, Rykanis did not fight and try to repress him, but he could feel him straining at the edges. If he did not move quick he would try to seize control.

Coming at the two drunks and barmaid from the side, he moved silently but quickly. Considering his size he was deft, using a combination of his training in acrobatics and stealth to move up on them. He moved forward swiftly, pushing forward off the toes of his feet and never totally planting his feet on the ground, instead only walking on the tips. It was not good for balance, and if someone had knocked into him from the side he would have easily been unseated, but if was much quieter a motion than his normal movement.

His stealth was also assisted by the drunken nature of his prey, the two men, who was distracted by manhandling the woman and the drink clouding their mind and senses. Since the barmaid was more than likely sober she'd have a much easier time of noticing him if she was looking in the right direction.

As he came to a stop behind the two men, Rykanis settled his feet and widened his stance, preparing for a fight if necessary. He then gave over control back to Rykanis, however yet again making him promise to be cool headed and to not throw the first punch.

Letting out a cough, Rykanis made his presence known right behind the two drunks. If his sneaking had been successful his sudden appearance would come as a surprise.

"Heh Hem!"

Rykanis placed his right hand on the shoulder of the man holding the barmaid, and place his left on the hilt of his lakan, ready to pull it should they draw on him. But he would not pull the lakan unless they took out weapons of their own. Otherwise, he would simply fight hand to hand should he need to defend himself.

"I believe the lady asked for you to leave, and made it quite clear that you are both unwelcome here. Perhaps you should take her advice and go. I am not one to stand idly by as someone harasses or manhandles a woman."

Considering that he towered at least a foot over the men, and was clearly far more difficult a fight than the woman, his words would likely prove more effective than the barmaids.

Of course considering their drink addled reasoning that might not be enough, and a show of force might be required to take care of it.

"Now, release the woman, and leave, or I am afraid things will become unpleasant for all involved."

Rykanis had a feeling that at least one of the men's response to his words would be a punch aimed at his head. For this reason Rykanis prepared himself, a slight bend of the knees to prepare himself for motion, a slight squeeze of the hand on the mans shoulder, and planting his feet a bit more firmly.
-You can't truly appreciate the light, until you spend some time experiencing darkness...

-The more you know, the more you learn how little you truly know, and how much there is left to learn.

-Only when you truly understand the darkness, will you not fear it.
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Rykanis Dakshata
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[World's End Grotto]Drinking and Drunks[Lani Stranger]

Postby Lani Stranger on June 9th, 2014, 11:37 pm

"I believe the lady asked for you to leave, and made it quite clear that you are both unwelcome here. Perhaps you should take her advice and go. I am not one to stand idly by as someone harasses or manhandles a woman." As soon as the man had grabbed her it became imediately clear that intimidation was not going to work with these men. Simple force would have to do. Lani rolled her eyes at the purple man. She was no damsel in distress, the initial shock had worn off and now something had to be done about the smelly human that attached itself to her.

"What are you just gonna stand there and look scary?" She accused but he was talking again, focused on the men, who had their mouths dropped open and clearly could not understand how this man was so tall or such an odd color. Of course Lani was curious as well, but she didn't have time for this man. He was all bark and no bite, or at least not one that she had seen. Bringing her knee up, she shoved away rom the chair as hard as she could, digging her claws into the shoulder of his arm that still held tight to her waist. Although she didn't know how to fight, she wasn't one to consider herself weak. This was beginning to drag on too long and ruining Lani's day. Usually she wouldn't have had to deal with drunks, the bartender worked at night and was good at keeping the Tavern rather calm. But she wasn't expecting two drunks before noon.

The force of her shoving all her weight into her knee propelled Lani away from the man. She stumbled as she broke free, unprepared for the sudden lack of force on her lower torso, but she was quick to regain her footing. Shooting a glare at the purple man, Lani began to wonder what color a fist-shaped bruise would turn if she landed one on his face. Lani gave the man the briefest glare before pulling her arm back and slamming it into the nose of the drunkan who had recently laid hands on her. His mouth was still agape, eyes glued to the man towering above them and it wasn't hard for her to aim for his nose. A small smile curved the corner of her lips as she realized how effective it had been. But Lani still stepped back, past the purple man and out of both of the men's reach, turning to the man towering above her, something she wasn't used to. Lani wiped her hands on her apron and ruffled her bangs, the small smile of victory disappearing from her face as she realized her heart had picked up a bit. Either from excitment or fear, she didn't know.

"Lani." She didn't bother to stick out her hand, instead she wiggled a single finger in his face, her solid black eyes tearing into his. "If you want to help so badly, you might as well help me take out the trash. Then I want to ask you a few questions."


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[World's End Grotto]Drinking and Drunks[Lani Stranger]

Postby Rykanis Dakshata on June 10th, 2014, 2:22 am

Rykanis was a trained warrior, something he knew about himself quite well. However he also knew that as a warrior he was trained to kill, and that killing a few unarmed drunks was not a good way to make an impression on a city... If he'd wanted them dead he could have done so easily enough, but he knew there were better ways to deal with a situation. And he knew that if he did kill them, people would jump to assumptions, and he'd likely get in trouble simply for being a giant purple man, even if he had good reasons for fighting.

"What are you just gonna stand there and look scary?"

Rykanis looked at the woman for a moment, gazed into her black eyes which sparked a vague memory in his mind that he could not quite place. Then he saw the flicker of motion in her body, the half tick of potential that showed she was about to do something. Taking that as a cue, Rykanis stepped back and clear, not wanting to get in the way of whatever happened.

Next Rykanis watched as the woman did a combination move, one with little finesse but that was effective enough on the nearest drunk. It was a combination knee push and thrust, paired with a clawing of the fingers to make him release his arm. Then using the opportunity of the men being distracted by Rykanis entrance and the barmaids unexpected fighting she delivered a punch to the mans nose.

Her next movement was to put himself between her and the drunks, one of which was cursing "PETCH!" and clutching at his nose, a small trickle of blood dripping in between his fingers.

The other seemed to have finally processed the situation, and a small sign of recognition appeared in his eyes.

"Lani. If you want to help so badly, you might as well help me take out the trash. Then I want to ask you a few questions."

Rykanis would have eyed her in response, but as she finished talking the uninjured drunk made a motion, his hand diving for his belt. Instinctively Rykanis darted his own hand to his belt where he grabbed and pulled a lakan in his left hand. As his own curved blade left his scabbard to the sound of metal sliding over leather, the uninjured drunk held up a knife triumphantly. As far as Rykanis could tell he had extricated it from some hidden spot in his pants or belt area. However the long curved dagger held in Rykanis' hand had size on its side. Along with that a lakan was a weapon of killing and fighting, a weapon of war, not some back alley sticker good for little more than putting a pig out of its misery.

Sensing the motion of the encounter the injured drunk moved forward with his fist balled, trying to sidestep Rykanis on his right side. Rykanis however did not allow that, taking in his face, nose likely broken by the way it was bleeding, and took in his friend behind him who had yet to move. With a half step motion of his own Rykanis moved into his path and lowered his right shoulder, and then stepped forward into the clear path of the man. His shoulder clipped into the other mans, and Rykanis weight and strength won out knocking him to the ground. Before Rykanis could continue his friend with the knife finally got the idea to attack, and came forward aimed at Rykanis.

Considering that Rykanis was relatively skilled with his lakan, and that the man's reflexes were hampered by his drunken state, he did not doubt that he could handle him.

With his lakan in a upward position he moved forward, blocking a slash of the knife in the man's right hand with his own lakan in his right. However he blocked the slash with a harder slash, knocking the blade clean out of the man's hand. Clearly he had not been gripping it properly, and the sudden rush of Akalak strength in his blow had been to much for the drunk to hold onto his knife.

Taking another step forward and into grappling range of the drunk, he flipped over his lakan with a smooth practiced wrist motion so that the blade end was facing down, and the hilt stuck upward. If he'd wanted to he could have ended him right then, but instead he took his lakan and smashed its hilt into the side of the man's head. There was a dull thunk as the hilt met the side of his head, and then his knees sagged and he fell across the floor. He'd be unconscious for awhile, Rykanis had no doubt.

Turning back to the other man he checked to see where he had landed. From the looks of him he had bounced nicely upon impact with Rykanis, and had landed on a heap on the floor. Unlike his friend who was knocked out, this man was simply asleep, loudly snoring through his mouth since he couldn't breath properly through his broken nose. However it appeared to have finally clotted as there was no fresh blood pouring out.

Finally done with the fight, Rykanis turned back to the barmaid, and returned his lakan to its scabbard without looking. Doing so was another thing Rykanis had spent many bells practicing, to the point that he never needed to look when drawing or replacing it in its scabbard. It was not all for show though, since said skill was also very useful in combat where you could not risk looking away to draw a weapon.

"Rykanis. And I'm sure I'll have a few questions to ask you."

With that Rykanis headed over to the man that was still snoring, threw him over his shoulders, and headed to the front door. He would return a few moments later after having deposited the man in the street to grab his friend whom Rykanis had knocked out, unless the woman interrupted him.

If he concluded his task and carried both men out to the street he would return inside and sit back at the same table he had been sitting at when everything started, and wait for the barmaid to approach.
-You can't truly appreciate the light, until you spend some time experiencing darkness...

-The more you know, the more you learn how little you truly know, and how much there is left to learn.

-Only when you truly understand the darkness, will you not fear it.
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[World's End Grotto]Drinking and Drunks[Lani Stranger]

Postby Lani Stranger on June 10th, 2014, 8:26 pm

Lani didn't notice the drunk man's movements, unlike the strange man beside her had. So when he finally pulled out the interesting blades, Lani came to the conclusion that his bite was in fact as big as his bark, If only he'd done it sooner. Lani grumbled to herself, unwilling to accept that this stranger was helping her. It wasn't until she saw the knife in the hand of the drunk that she put two and two together. Light toes pulled her back a few steps, unsure of what was about to go down. It was interesting how smoothly this man had disarmed the men. They were no match for them, which Lani was certain was partially due to their intoxicated state. But there was no doubt that this man was good with his blades.

A yelp burst from her lips when the giant rammed the hilt of his strange weapon into the drunk's temple, forcing another small hop backwards. It looked a bit harsh to Lani, but she realized it would be easier to shuffle the men out if they were unconscious. By a faint chime. She had grown used to reacting to the chime, letting her know when to serve a customer or that a table needed to be cleared. Instead she saw the Tavern shrinking, a young couple held the door open for a small family. Her eyebrows dropped and Lani dragged her eyes across the Tavern to make sure that they had paid or had not yet been served. Perfect, we are loosing customers. Lani turned back to the skirmish, hands on her hips. She assumed the other barmaid would take care of the remaining people and she needed to deal with this. But it was over. How ... ? Lani looked at the man curiously, he had taken care of it like he said he would.

Lani had to admit the man had class. It took little effort to slide the blades back into their hilts as the man turned to her, a move that seemed very unimpressive, but Lani knew the struggle. Trying to fit your weapons back into their slot without looking had to be from practice. Her hand flew to the frog of darts that rested at her hip, half covered by her apron. Wrapped loosely around it was her little knuckleduster, all she had to have done was wrap it once around her knuckles to deliver more damage. But she had forgotten about her weapons, she wasn't very used to having them on hand or really using them yet. But by how this had turned out, she didn't seem to have needed them.

"Rykanis. And I'm sure I'll have a few questions to ask you." The manor in which he returned her words cracked a small grin out of Lani, which was followed by a gasp as she swung one of the drunks over his shoulder with ease. Another step back, and Lani let him pass, eyeing him as he ducked through the door. Suddenly curious as to how hard he actually hit the man who lay unconscious on the floor, she stooped to grab the human's wrist. There was still a pulse, albeit a faint one.

"Hrumfph. Show off." She muttered to herself, backing up from the unconscious drunk. As the man came back in, she turned her back to him, long strides taking her behind the bar, where she could safely watch the man to see what he would do. But he didn't say a word to her. Instead he threw the other man over his shoulders and left. It only took Lani a few seconds to follow him, not caring at the moment if she had work to do. She wouldn't mind being fired anyway, she hated the occupation. As she opened the door, her hand reached up to grab the bell, surprisingly loud in the outside air. Gently shutting the door behind her instead of letting it swing, she took a single step off of the entrance platform, one hand resting leisurely on the handle. It was the small precautions that Lani took that usually kept her out of trouble.

"So you're not from around here ..." Lani spoke up, glad to be out of the claustrophobic tavern and away from the annoying sound of all those people. She could think clearly and she knew why she was so curious as to what he was. Faint memories of a blue man from her childhood were brought foreword with his appearance. She never knew who the man really was, her time with him had been so brief and she had been too young to clearly understand what was happening. "Where are you from, Rykanis?" It was very rare for Lani to hold back her curiosity, and this was no exception. She wasn't one to hide the emotions on her face or mutter her words, if she wanted to know something, she would find a way to learn about it.


NaJu Word Count: 828


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Lani Stranger
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[World's End Grotto]Drinking and Drunks[Lani Stranger]

Postby Rykanis Dakshata on June 11th, 2014, 2:57 am

Rykanis was many things, but a liar was not one of them. If he said he would do something, he would. The same went for his threats, which were never idle. If Rykanis said it he did so with the intent to carry through with whatever he said.

If the men had left as he had told them to, he would have let them without a fight. But they had forced his hand, and he'd had no other choice but to fight when they attacked him. Particularly when the one drew knife on him. As soon as that happened Rykanis knew the fight would not be over until his foes were incapacitated.

As he carried the men out he hefted their weight up with a small grunt. If he hadn't been a Akalak, hadn't had the unusual strength far superior to a human that was a normal trait of his race, then he might have had trouble carrying the dead weight of the two men one after another. As it was he was able to handle them easily enough, though he still made sure to get them in a good carrying position over his shoulders, which made it much easier to carry a person. Likely even the barmaid here could have carried one out, albeit not as fast, and not as easily. But she probably could have managed one.

As he finished depositing both of the drunks in the street, just out of the way of the front door, Rykanis turned to see that the barmaid had followed him.

When she did finally speak it was with a statement not a question.

"So you're not from around here ..."

Assuming the question was rhetorical, Rykanis did not answer, instead simply gazing back at the barmaid named Lani with his ice cold gaze of pale blue eyes. By comparison her eyes were far more abnormal, being utterly black. Not black as in black pupil-ed, but black across the entire eye.

As Rykanis wondered what that might mean, Lani finally deigned to ask him a question. But of course, Rykanis had never said he would answer them.

"Where are you from, Rykanis?"

Continuing to gaze back at the woman, a small smile split Rykanis face at her bluntness. Along with that Rykanis found the situation odd. Odd that she would stand out in the street to ask him questions after seeing him fight off a pair of drunks. Odd that she would do so with a total stranger, albeit one that had just defended her.

"Where am I from? Why do you ask? Because I'm over seven foot tall and have dark skin? Because I have a sense of honor? Because going against what is fashionable in Zeltiva, I choose to carry blades openly? What makes you think I'm a foreigner? One of those facts, or something else?"

Looking up at the morning sky, Rykanis took it in, the early shining of the sun peaking in at Zeltiva only just, before returning his gaze and carrying on.

"Its funny though, I helped you, and your first response to it is to question me. You know I'm not sure where YOU are from, but I would think many people would find that a bit rude..."

Recalling that Lani had yet to thank Rykanis, and had said little more than her earlier statements which were her berating him for not immediately coming in and smashing both of the drunks heads, Rykanis said his next words with a small hint of sarcasm, making a waving gesture at the two drunks heaped nearby.

"You are welcome by the way. Perhaps if such are the thanks one receives for such actions in Zeltiva, perhaps THAT is why you say I am a foreigner. Clearly people here aren't used to showing gratitude..."
-You can't truly appreciate the light, until you spend some time experiencing darkness...

-The more you know, the more you learn how little you truly know, and how much there is left to learn.

-Only when you truly understand the darkness, will you not fear it.
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Rykanis Dakshata
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[World's End Grotto]Drinking and Drunks[Lani Stranger]

Postby Lani Stranger on June 11th, 2014, 3:57 am

"Where am I from? Why do you ask? Because I'm over seven foot tall and have dark skin? Because I have a sense of honor? Because going against what is fashionable in Zeltiva, I choose to carry blades openly? What makes you think I'm a foreigner? One of those facts, or something else?" The corners of Lani's lips turned down as he began questioning her. One of her questions was met with five of his. Letting her mouth relax again, Lani watched his turn his head away from her. Lani took the chance to readjust. She took a single step aside from the door. She didn't want to block anyone. Leaning back onto the wall behind her, Lani crossed her arms ready to give a snarky retort. But as her mouth opened to speak, he turned back to her, words already out of his mouth. "Its funny though, I helped you, and your first response to it is to question me. You know I'm not sure where YOU are from, but I would think many people would find that a bit rude..." And he was right, it was rude. But Lani didn't actually care, she owed him nothing. Lani wanted to blurt her comment about how rude he was being at the moment, but decided to hold it. He was simply evading her question. Turning it on her and changing the subject was not going to waver her. She simply wanted to know where he came from, one clue, and she would find the rest. She had a key to a piece of her past in her hand, but he wouldn't let go of it. "You are welcome by the way. Perhaps if such are the thanks one receives for such actions in Zeltiva, perhaps THAT is why you say I am a foreigner. Clearly people here aren't used to showing gratitude..."

Lani rolled her eyes. She was rude, she got that bit. But it wasn't as if she had a particular need to be nice. "Never said I was Zeltivian." She said, a small grin on her lips. Even though he was rude and didn't answer he questions, Lani liked the man. Rykanis was just mysterious enough to snag her attention. "And I do think that I took care of myself. I dunno if your blue stare did much for taking his hands off me, but my punch to his face seemed to do the trick. Now, are you going to answer my question? Are you from the Ukalas or something?" An air of friendly amusement laced her voice, and she uncrossed her arms, letting one land on her hip and the other fall slack. The lack of gratitude was deliberate now. Had he not pointed it out, she would have been glad to thank him, but she was still too stubborn. Lani stood straight, no longer leaning her weight on the wall and placed a hand on the door knob again. "I'll grab you something to eat. You ask your questions, I'll ask mine."

Lani swung the door wide open, leaving the offer open as she stepped inside. Reaching behind her to untie her apron, she dropped into the kitchen to hang it on its hook. "What time is it?" Lani asked the cook, swiping a prepared platter of the Grotto's special. They only served one meal, something about rationing that Lani didn't understand, and it was always fishy.

"Little after noon, are you taking off?" Lani nodded, not caring that it was almost a bell early, it was rare that she took off work. She'd done it once before because she forgot she had class that day, Lani hoped no one would mind too much. Bumping the door to the kitchen open with her hip, Lani stepped out of the kitchen, placing the platter down and taking a seat. If Rykanis didn't join her, she didn't really know what she would do, sit there and look like an idiot most likely.


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[World's End Grotto]Drinking and Drunks[Lani Stranger]

Postby Rykanis Dakshata on June 13th, 2014, 10:40 pm

When it was finally Lani's turn to speak, she did so with a grin. Clearly she was not sorry for what she had done, for how she had acted, nor for being ungrateful. It told him more about her, informed him a bit more about who she was, and it told him a bit more about how she might react to other things. Clearly though guilt was not a good approach for her, and he would need to take a different tack.

"Never said I was Zeltivian."

This was also of use to Rykanis, as much for making him give himself a kick in the rear as for giving him information. Rykanis knew better than to make assumptions, yet he was very close to doing so. From her words it seemed there was a good chance she was not a native Zeltivan, but it also served as a reminder for him to listen and to not make assumptions. Of all people Rykanis knew that intel was only as good as the person receiving it, and that it always needed to be taken with a grain of salt to consider any skews the person might put upon it. He could not allow himself to do such a foolish thing, could not let himself be no better than a common informant.

"And I do think that I took care of myself. I dunno if your blue stare did much for taking his hands off me, but my punch to his face seemed to do the trick. Now, are you going to answer my question? Are you from the Ukalas or something?"

Rykanis grinned back at Lani, wondering if she truly believed what she said.

"Really, that is what you think? Mmmm... I regret to have to tell you, but that was not the case at all. Had I not stepped in, things would have quickly become unpleasant for you. If you truly believe what was occurring prior was unpleasant, or that you had things well in hand or moving in a positive direction, then you only show your lack of understanding of the situation."

"I think the fact that one of them drew a blade made that quite clear. Men like that don't stand down so easily. In fact I would say with confidence that your blow to them made things worse. It forced their hands. At that point you had affronted their manhood by your action, and they were much more likely to escalate things. Before that the possibility of ending things peaceably still existed. After that, peace was off the table."


"If possible I usually try to end things peacefully, or to at least make a honest effort to do so. However unlike you who threw a punch and started a fight, I only throw a punch with the intent to end one. Which is exactly what I did."

Rykanis' words were blunt, but honest. Having been in many a fight, and having grown up in a male dominated city where honor was worth ones weight in mizas, he knew a thing or two about the male ego and how fights worked, and was well equipped to make a suitable assessment of such a situation.

"I'll grab you something to eat. You ask your questions, I'll ask mine."

With that Lani was heading back inside, forcing Rykanis to follow her inside. Letting out another sigh he did so, waiting in silence as she had a short conversation with another worker of the facilities. Once she came back out Rykanis joined her at a table, and then took a moment to eye the meal she had brought out.

He had to sit a bit further back than normal, as his knees kept bumping on the underside of the table if he moved wrong. He settled this by slightly slouching, moving more of his legs under the table than he normally would while sitting.

Gesturing at the food Lani had brought out, Rykanis asked another question.

"So, what is this you have brought me? And to answer your earlier question, I am Rykanis, Rykanis Dakshata, of Riverfall. And you are? Since you said you were also not a native of Zeltiva..."
-You can't truly appreciate the light, until you spend some time experiencing darkness...

-The more you know, the more you learn how little you truly know, and how much there is left to learn.

-Only when you truly understand the darkness, will you not fear it.
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Rykanis Dakshata
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[World's End Grotto]Drinking and Drunks[Lani Stranger]

Postby Lani Stranger on June 14th, 2014, 12:24 pm

"So, what is this you have brought me?" Lani watched as he tried to get comfortable, she thought that she had a hard time with beds and the such but she could only imagine how frustrated Rykanis must get in human-sized accommodations. Her black eyes flitted to the food between them which Lani slid his way. Pointing to the small sponge-like cakes and then to the soup.

"Fish cakes and some sort of oyster stew." Lani decided against mentioning the fact that she found it disgusting herself. "It's what we got. With all this rationing in Zeltiva, you aren't going to get a selection or anything."

"And to answer your earlier question, I am Rykanis, Rykanis Dakshata, of Riverfall. And you are? Since you said you were also not a native of Zeltiva..." Lani loosely crossed her arms over the table, leaning into them slightly. Riverfall? Where was that? She had taken Geography last season, but she wanted this man to tell her, it seemed more important than her pouring through books in the library.

"Where is Riverfall, is that in Cyphrus?" The realization came to Lani as she said the last word. If the blue man from her childhood came from Riverfall, like Rykanis did, then she must've been born close by. "Is that where all of those who look like you come from? What race are you exactly? Hmmm ... What cities are closest to Riverfall?" Lani's questions flew out of her mouth with little control from her brain. It became very apparent, very quickly that this man could answer her, but Lani had also noticed that it didn't seem like Lani was going to get much out of him. He was so secretive and Lani had only gotten two solid facts from him. "Sorry, I got a little carried away. I'm Lani ... Stranger." Lani unconsciously winced at the childhood name, she only really used it on official forms, so she looked less like the nomad she was. She wasn't used to using it in such a casual context. The name held too heavy of a past to be used as easily as she did. "I'm from the Spires." Lani reverted quickly into a friendly conversation mode. She perked an eyebrow at Rykanis, wondering if he would keep up his know-it-all ruse. She wanted to be the one informing him of exotic places and interesting races. Yeah, she wanted to know where he had come from as well, but he had showed her up far too much for her liking. "You know where that is?"


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