Open A Giant walks into a Bar

[Dor'gen]

.
Immediately following the forming and descent of the words from Dor'gen's mouth came a silence.

It lasted for only a few ticks, but it was more than long enough for the Akalak to indulge himself in another taste of his beverage. Reaching out, his fingers coiled around the cool mug before drawing it up to his lips. His head tilted back, coaxing the rich liquor into his waiting mouth. The rich, bittersweet flavor then cascaded over his tongue and raced down his throat; prompting hearty swallows on the Akalak's part. Over and over and over, he took large gulps...until the mug was completely and utterly devoid of its contents. There was...a tinge of dissatisfaction when there was no more ale to consume, for the body had only just begun to enjoy the sensations.

Warmth spread across his torso as the alcohol went down, coupled with a light tingling in its wake. Satisfaction...yet there was room for much, much more. Setting the mug down, the Akalak motioned for the tavern waitress once more, who hurried over as swiftly as her feet could carry her. Reaching underneath the counter, she promptly retrieved a pitcher of ale and set about refilling both Dor'gen and Jade's mugs. Once she was finished, the left the pitcher just within reach of the pair before hurrying off to fulfill the order of another patron who called for her attention.

Then came the woman's inquiry...to which a small smirk formed on his lips. A single mug of ale resulted in a touch of fire being ignited within her; as if the liquor had awakened her "inner Sunberthian". Whether this was just the alcohol talking or her true nature shining through, Dor'gen did not know. However, he much preferred to be in the presence of a "strong" woman over a "meek" one. "I am from Taloba." he began, reaching for his mug. Before continuing, the Akalak took a moment to slide his gaze over to Jade...before raising the mug to his lips. In but a matter of ticks, he completely and totally drained the mug of its contents once more before slamming it down upon the countertop. "I was raised in the Jungle by what you Humans like to call Savages. Myrians: named for our Queen who felled a god herself."

Now, of course, the Akalak presented this information with pride...and with a sort of challenge. If the woman was now growing bold, how bold would she remain knowing that she was in the midst of someone who would eat her? (And not in the good way.)

With that said, Dor'gen reached for the pitcher and refreshed his mug. He then looked to the woman with a challenge in his eyes. "You ask, I drink. I ask, you drink." he said, before picking out a random inquiry. "Now then, how did you end up in Sunberth? Are you a native or are you a foreigner like myself?"
.
.

[Adrien Strade]

Adrien only registered the sound of singing after his drink had been served in front of him. He hummed along as he traced circles on the wooden top of the bar. At first glance, the young man seemed out of it. He looked like his mind was somewhere else at the moment. That was far from the truth but it was what he wanted people to think. Adrien kept his eyes peeled for anything interesting or dangerous. He also kept watch of the door in case the people he had run from had found him, after all. Hopefully not, because he wasn’t planning on dying today. He also kept his ears open for any rumor though his focus was mainly on the duo beside him—the giant and the girl. He knew it was dangerous to eavesdrop especially if he was suddenly caught doing it but the temptation was just too hard to resist. You can find the most interesting things if you look and listen hard enough. It always paid to know things. You never know when you’ll be able to use the information, even the ones that seemed so useless. He tipped the mug to his lips, savoring the warmth from the alcohol going down his throat. From the corner of his eye, he could see the woman who turned to glare at the giant after being asked about the bruise on her face. From what Adrien could see, it was one nasty bruise. It must hurt a lot and Adrien really would hate to be her right now. She had turned timid after seeing who she was talking to but the giant seem to have paid it no mind as he asked the barmaid for a rag and water as well as a refill of their drinks. It surprised Adrien when he saw that the giant man was actually trying to help the girl. Sure, it was a ploy Adrien had once used before to steal but this man seemed truly sincere. It was…surprising, especially in a place like Sunberth where kindness was something that was almost like a luxury people cannot afford to just give away. Dor’gen…this man was more interesting than he thought initially. Adrien had already started to speculate in his mind as to whether the man was just a clueless foreigner who didn’t know of Sunberth’s culture or whether he was just one of those rare kind souls you meet now and then. The woman, on the other hand—Jade was what Adrien heard in her introduction, looked more nervous than anything. Her voice had been a bit shaky when she introduced herself though she tried to hide it with a question in a confident tone. Adrien finished his drink as he listened to their conversation and asked the barmaid for more. The tavern was comforting in its familiarity and he found himself getting lost in his own thoughts. He had only resurfaced from the distraction after he heard Jade ask the giant a question that he was curious about as well. Where was this man from and why did he care? His question, unsurprisingly, confirmed that he was a foreigner although it seemed he was a dangerous one at that. Raised by savages…he said. How fascinating! Adrien grinned as the giant suggested a game of questions to the woman. He couldn’t help it. He needed to satisfy his curiosity. Leaning over to the duo, Adrien exclaimed excitedly like a child, “That seems like an interesting game. Would you let me join? You’re both so fascinating!” His eyes had lit up in excitement at the chance to get to know these people that became more interesting every chime.

[Amora Jade]

Amora watched as the woman behind the bar rushed back to where the pair was sitting to fill their drinks. It was an amusing reaction the waitress had to the giant, it was obvious she was afraid to displease him with bad service. Who could blame her though? It wasn’t every day a giant man decided to stroll into such a crowded establishment in Sunberth. It was unusual to see anyone of his size in the entire city. She wished she were as frightening as Dor’gen, for if she were she could take anything she wanted as often as she wanted.

Her fingers caressed the newly-filled mug, happy at it weight as she lifted to her lips again as she began to listen to the giant speak of himself. “Taloba…” Amora had never heard of the place, or at least couldn’t remember if she had. The liquor barely touched her tongue before the sound of the man’s mug hitting the hard wood made her nearly jump out of her skin. Amora was careful not to spill much of her drink by quickly moving it away from herself as she flinched; only a few drops hit her lap- not enough to cry over. For just a tick she thought Dor’gen may had become angry with her and had been veering the aggressive slamming towards her, but one wide-eyed look in his direction she could see his was merely upset at the size of the tankard. It definitely wasn’t big enough to satisfy his tastes. It wasn’t even big enough to satisfy Amora herself.

The only time the thief could recall anyone being called a savage was once when a woman decided to help her out of a sticky situation… involving the only other giant she had seen. At that time though, she simply thought the man was being rude and that’s all he could come up with. The thought that he might want to actually eat her made her feel a bit uneasy. Never would she assume anyone looked at her like their next meal.

The thought came and passed quickly though when Dor’gen presented her with his challenge. A sly grin formed from her lips, “It’s as if he wants me to steal from him..” The moment her lips separated to verbally accept the challenge and answer his query, a child-like chime of a voice interrupted her. Someone had been eavesdropping, not to her surprise. There were so many eyes flashing in their direction that she knew at least one person would be curious of the conversation and brave enough to get closer and listen.

Immediately her gaze shifted to the one who spoke. He was a young boy, maybe close to her age. He didn’t look like much so he was probably a light-weight when it came to drinking. Amora looked for where he might keep his coin, trying to take full advantage of the situation. “And this is why you get your tail whooped on a regular basis.”

The thief cleared her throat and smiled as sweetly as she could manage, trying not to seem too guilty in the process. “Why, of course you can, right..” It took her a moment to remember the giant’s name and how to pronounce it, “Dooor-gen?” She began to lift her mug to her mouth again, but remembered she still hadn’t taken her turn at answering his question, “I was born here, never stepped foot outside the city. Don’t ever really plan to either…”

“Unless it will make me rich..” she thought. Amora lifted the mug to her lips and took several big swallows of the liquor before setting it on the bar again, empty.

.

[Adrien Strade]

Adrien tried to appraise the situation, trying to predict the other two’s next actions. The girl didn’t look like she was drunk yet. It seemed the same with the man. Though, he did notice that they both have had their share of alcohol. “So, I can join then?” Adrien said, smiling. He was on guard without seeming like it. That had always been his strategy in life. He was to look weak, like someone to be underestimated before surprising someone. Although, he didn’t consider himself really that strong enough to be considered a threat. Whether he could join the challenge or not seemed a bit tentative since the man had not replied yet but Adrien had never been one for forethought. “I’m Adrien,” he said, as introduction. “I’ll answer the same question then, shall I? I wasn’t from Sunberth. I only came here about…hmm, let’s see…” He counted the years in his hand, thinking. “Right, I came here about six years ago. Yes, I believe that’s about right.” He nodded before emptying his own mug of ale. He was going to be careful not to get himself drunk just in case one of his companions for the night decided to attack him. “Well then…should I ask something? That’s how it works, I believe…Hmm, I wonder…well, this may seem like a stupid question but…what do you want to achieve in your life, perhaps?”

[Alea Davenport]

Thread Award! Dor'Gen: Skills: Socialization +2 Interrogation +1 Persuasion +1 Medicine +1 Lores: Jade: Reminder of Tinnok Extras: Ledger: -1 sm 6 cm for ale Since Dor'Gen kept buying the rounds of drinks, I charged them to his account Amora Jade: Skills: Observation +1 Stealth +1 Running +1 Brawling +1 Interrogation +1 Larceny +1 Lores: Dor’Gen: A Kind Stranger Dor’Gen: Raised by Myrians Taloba: A Place In the Jungle Extras: Ledger: -4 cm for a mug of ale Notes: Please remember to edit your request to show that it was graded. Alexa Syb'Aoth: Please update your ledger to reflect your seasonal expenses and I will give your grade Adrien Strade: Please update your ledger to reflect your seasonal expenses and I will give your grade If you have any questions about the grade, please feel free to PM me and we can discuss it.