[Pig's Foot Tavern] Askin' For It (Nellie)

[Robinson Gilli]

Date

‘ Would do Ma and Da good if I could get them fish for their bellies….’ He pondered slightly on the thought, of course that was under the assumption if the girl had any jobs for him. He quickly shut that idea down however, his Ma and Da might take it sure….. but they might also pay him back and sometimes they’re thoughts of ‘paying him back’ were quite kooky to say the least “ Well, I might offa’ ta train ye if ye ‘ave any inclination towards a battle axe, but to be honest ye don’t strike me as the type” He said apolligeticcally, shame too… he probably could have charged her a good rate. He reached deep into his pocked for some copper Mizas, three mugs of watered down ale would be half the price of a porper one an’ so for three mugs that would be two each, as he placed the amount on the countre with a gentle thud in came Merv to pick it right back up and giving it a proper countin’.

“ Though If ye be wantin’ a good ways of defendin’ yerself, or at least ‘ave it on ye and on display ta keep petchers off of ye then a dagger could do ye good” He suggested, his arms now restin’ on the bar counter now that he was done with drinks for a bit “ Me da never tought me how to use one meself but I bet ye ken find yerself anyone off the street who could teach ya a bit.” It was a good suggestion he thought, a dagger was a cheap weapon that didn’t take up much space, it could hit good and fast with some trainin’ “Though its just a suggestion on me part, ye ken always just use ye fists too, get a pair of guantlets or knuckles an’ teach yerself how to box or somethin’, just as good and less lethal by half than a dagger”

He lifted himself pf his stool and extended a hand to shake with the miss “ I believe it be time fer me to be movin’…” He said, his eyes wanderin’ around the place only to see a couple of watchin’ him…or were they watchin’ the girl? He wasn’t sure but as soon as they saw him lookin’ they turned away ‘ Probably best I see where this goes….probably best I warn the lass too’

“If yer plannin’ on leavin’ too I could escort ya to yer home, jus’ in case any of these vagiks ‘ave any ideas” He emphasized on the word vagik as he tilted his head lightly towards the direction of the two petcher’s he cought lookin’. He’d made a new friend after all, he’d be doin’ a poor job at bein’ one if he didn’t do whats right for ‘em.

[Nellie Hawkins]

At his offer of training, Nellie immediately shook her head; he was absolutely right, it was not a weapon she had any interest in. Not wanting to offend the man, she softened her initial outright refusal with a smile. Though she more than acknowledged her need for some form of reliable self-defense, she'd be just as likely to chop off a limb learning how to properly swing the mean-looking weapon.

The idea of a dagger sparked her interest, however, and her eyes grew thoughtful as she considered the possibilities. "That's not a half-bad idea, y'know. Even back there," she tilted her head in the direction of her former tormentor's table, "it would 'ave been a handy threat. I could 'ave stabbed him in th' leg, at least. Merv doesn't mind a bloody floor, long as nothin' gets broke."

Her mood much improved by the few chimes without conflict, she managed a wink in the old barkeep's direction; the animosity of earlier was fading and soon would be entirely forgotten. Now that she wasn't in imminent danger, she could at least entertain the possibility that her problems were hers, and not Merv's. Though she could wish that people were more protective of each other in general, the hard truth was that this was Sunberth and that sentiment existed only in gangs and families. Sometimes only in gangs.

She'd allowed herself to relax a bit while drinking and talking, but as soon as Robinson stood, her muscles tensed up once more; alone, it would be foolish to remain. The atmosphere did not improve when the sun went down. A tick later, her companion echoed her sentiment, and Nellie chuckled in spite of herself. Instinctive paranoia held her amusement in check, though she was more relieved than she cared to admit when the man offered to see her home. Casting her own eyes around the tavern, Nellie nodded slowly.

"I wouldn't mind a bit of company, at least as far as th' Quarter. I can make my way from there," Because, no matter how helpful he'd been, this was Sunberth and Robinson was still mostly a stranger. Though she was grateful, it would be a particular kind of stupid to assume that he was a safe person to bring to her doorstep. "But I think most of this crowd is too drunk ta 'ave ideas. Their impulses worry me more."

One particularly unpleasant specimen caught her eye, a lewd grin spreading across his face as he stared at her from across the tavern. Nellie's immediate expression of disgust only seemed to amuse the man, and he laughed while rubbing himself crudely. His companion said something, taking the man's attention off of her, and Nellie breathed a small sigh of relief; though the man no longer stared at her, she felt dirtier for having been viewed. "Definitely a good time to be anywhere else," she commented, forcing a tight smile to her face as she began setting a path to the door - this time watching the floor carefully for obstacles.

[Robinson Gilli]

Date

Robin nodded respectfully, least he get her somewhere safely without the eyes of lechers followin’. Sunberth was the city of crime after all and for good reason since its residents believed in freedom from government. The only safety came from a well-fortified home and numbers and even that didn’t guaranteed much safety. He glared at the chaps he had spotted earlier, bit of a warnin’ if they happened to be lookin’ back. His right roamed to the handle of axe in precaution as he stood side by side to Nellie as a protector of sorts. He found it amusing that she was being extra careful as to not trip over anything’, least it saved ‘im the trouble of ‘avin’ to knock somebody out again.

Once they made it outside they began making their way to the gray quarter, Robin would look over his shoulder frequently to make sure they aren’t bein’ followed by anyone. Even with his axe there was no guarantee no one would sneak up on ‘em and do away with ‘em with a good stab with their daggers. “Looks like we’re safe so far…” He remarked but didn’t dare let his guard down, it was at these times that such words often petched a person up the arse an’ he was damn sure to not let those words be ‘is epitaph ‘cause then his dear ol’ da would be laughin’ his arse off.

Still, he needed to lower the tension a bit so he began to speak “So ‘ow much do ye normally charge for yer fish?” It seemed like as good a topic as any really, gettin’ her to talk about her work might put her at ease or at least put away any thoughts of impending death and he’d rather not have the lass feel such thoughts.

[Nellie Hawkins]

An obvious breath of relief left her as they crossed the threshold of the tavern into the more open air of the street. Nellie was surprised at how tense she'd still been inside the walls; the ale, weak as it had been, and the relative ease of sitting with someone who didn't seem to directly mean to take advantage of her or harm her had relaxed her mind a bit. Apparently her body had known better. She could feel the tension sliding out of her shoulders, only to be replaced by a wary watchfulness that seemed more like habit than precaution to her.

It was a habit that Robin seemed to share, if the numerous gazes behind them were any indication. Strangely, his preoccupation with the possible dangers of the street were a comfort. At least it showed that he was well aware of all that could happen when your guard was down. She smirked a bit and allowed herself a light chuckle at his words. Many a fool had been caught after just such a phrase, counting on prior safety to guarantee the future.

But she allowed herself to be distracted by the conversation, just the same. The topic was a familiar one to her, and allowed her to split her attention between Robin and whatever might be lurking along the shadowy path to the Sunset Quarter.

"Depends on th' size. Th' type of fish. Th' season, even. A fair-sized fish can bring in a couple gold." She shrugged lightly, stepping over a pile of unknown substance; there was no strong accompanying smell, at least, and Nellie offered a small prayer of thanks to whoever might be listening. Keeping her tone light, she continued, "In th' winter, I don't fish at all. Some do, an' th' stuff they catch can go fer more, seein's how its harder ta come by then."

The coming winter was a worry for her, in fact. Nellie had never learned to fish on the ice, and wasn't sure she'd want to try it even if she knew how. The bone-ripping wind that tore through Sunberth in those colder days was enough to make you wish you were dead; if you were unlucky, it would make sure you ended up that way. But she had precious few other options for income and nowhere near enough coin saved up to forego working for an entire season. She'd been hoping to pick up some work in one of the taverns nearby, and Merv's had been her preference. After this afternoon's entertainment, though, she was seriously reconsidering that plan. Maybe a spot as a cook, somewhere away from the crowds that were apt to get rough...

Her musings were interrupted by a scrabbling noise coming from the side of the street, and Nelile's head whipped about, trying to locate the source of the sound. It could be nothing more than a gathering of rats, fighting over a tasty scrap of food. Or it could be something larger, decidedly more sinister.

[Dovey]

 

Nellie Hawkins

Skills

• 2 Escape Artist
• 5 Observation
• 1 Rhetoric
• 5 Socialization
• 1 Subterfuge
• 2 Unarmed Combat

Lores

• Battle-axe: not a weapon for me
• Dagger: could come in handy
• The humiliation of being harassed
• Fishing: difficult in the winter
• Merv: doesn't mind a bloody floor
• Merv: stays out of fights that don't threaten his tavern
• Merv: usually my favorite customer
• Observation: signs of tipsiness in others
• Observation: smell & taste of watered ale
• Ol' Sef: Pig's Foot patron
• Ol' Sef: spanked me in the Pig's Foot
• Rhetoric: projecting false confidence
• Robinson: hired sword
• Robinson: rescued me
• Socialization: thanking a rescuer
• Subterfuge: controlling one's expression
• Sunberth: beggars can't be choosers
• Sunberth: don't bring strangers to your doorstep
• Sunberth: prior safety can't guarantee the future

Nellie will have bruising on her buttocks for the next 12 days. For the next 7 days it will be uncomfortable for her to sit.

 

Robinson Gilli

Since you've been gone, a new rule regarding skills has been instituted. In order for your threads to be graded, your skills must be organized alphabetically on your character sheet, and, if divided by tabs, can only be divided into competence levels. If you return and would like your grade, please organize your skills in this manner and then shoot me a PM!

 

Notes

This was a fun and engaging read, with a definite Sunberthian flavor! I'm sorry it was abandoned. If you have any questions or concerns about your grade, please go ahead and PM me!