[Stranger's Welcome]Bottom's Up! (Lena/Galio)

[Galio Keln]

Galio himself still didn’t understand what Syllke meant. It seemed so foreign to him as Syllke talked about romance. At the mention of his sister he cringed, it wasn’t a topic he really enjoyed talking about. he paused, lost in his thoughts about what to do if she didn’t reappear in Denval. The approach of Lena and sound of the mug hitting the pitcher startled him out of his thoughts. “Carve out the Road? It would be hard for the Denvali to carve it out…They don’t have claws…” He raised his hand and flexed it, imagining his paw and long claws that protruded from it. At the mention of Syllke paying for the beer he paused once more in thought. He grinned as it occurred to him what was going on. “I think I’m going to be staying here in Denval. My wanderlust is gone and I haven’t stayed in one place for a while now. I promised my sister to meet her here in Denval, now that I’m here I don’t mind staying for years if that’s how long I have to wait.” Unlike Syllke, Galio was patient and cold wait for Lena to pour the glass. He could wait for his sister as well.

[Lena Estelain]

Sylike's offer of being their guide actually sounded like fun. And getting lost in a dark cave with the him might be... fun. He was a little cocky prick, to be sure, but everything good in life snagged your skin once or twice. And she was no gold coin to be sure. Their attitude and wit seemed a perfect match for an interesting date. She always liked a man that could bite back. The way Galio spoke made her chuckle. Either the night was taking its toll on her. Or he was the most adorable thing she had ever seen. Short and fair of skin. He had a constantly confused look about him and big dark brown eyes. She reached over and mussed up his dark brown hair. ”That's a good lad. We need every helpful hand and every new sire.” Her smile turned a little wicked. ”Your so cute. I'm sure you will be a favorite with the local girls. Course your a little short, but you'll grow.” She turned back to Sylike. ”You would do right by learning from his polite manor.” When she noticed the strawberries untouched. She sighed. ”You might as well eat them Vantha, your paying for them. And I will keep an eye on you and your gold.” She gave him her own defiant glance that she inherited from her mother. With flared nostrils and narrow eyes. She thought about his offer for a second. ”If you want to go into the caves. Then it wouldn't be right of me to let you go and break your legs in the dark. I can come and have fun with you but we will see about whether I want to have fun or not.” She laughed and said. We can even do your little carving if your want to. I'm interested about what you can do. And if either of you decide to work on the road. I'll buy you a round. How does that sound?

[Syllke Skyglow]

Syllke leaned closer to Galio and in a stage whisper in reply to his comment about claws, said, “Oh, I wouldn’t be too sure about that. Lena might have a pretty nice set – I better watch what I say before she gets me across the face.” He laughed and patted the boy on the back. “You have a great deal more patience than I do, my friend. But I hope it won’t take years for your sisters to show up. Though = there are some things worth waiting for.” He added, looking pointedly at Lena. He then leaned back as Lena teased Galio. Syllke looked at his friend. “Well, I don’t think I could learn to be something I’m not. Gal here is just a natural gentleman, with much to offer a girl. Me? All I have is my . . . cockiness.” He smirked, reaching for a berry, and putting it whole in his mouth. Chewing thoughtfully, he listened to her chatter. “You’re welcome to keep your eyes on me all night,” he said with far too much cheekiness. “If it pleases you.” Syllke plucked another berry from the dish and held it out to Galio. “I’m sure anything we could get up to would be much more fun with Lena along, right?” he teased. He turned back to the girl. “And if you sit for me, I’ll show you exactly what I’ve got – every bit of it. You just might want to buy me a round after that, road or not.” Picking up another huge berry, he took a big bite and held the rest out to Lena so that if she leaned over just a bit, she could easily take a bite of it as well.

[Galio Keln]

Galio tried straightening his hair back after Lena ruffled it out, yet despite his attempts it fell where it wanted. As Lena called him cute and short his confusion grew, though his cheeks flushed red at the thought of him being cute. Being Kelvic when he thought of himself he pictured his form as a bear, and as a bear he stood much higher than anyone else in the room. “Syllke buys me a round and now you too Lena? Not only that, but all we have to do is a little work to get it?” He absentmindedly accepted the strawberry from Syllke and started to take small bites from it. While he had questions about almost everything being said between Lena and Syllke he was content to munch on strawberries and drink his stout for now, especially since it was Syllke’s pocket that would be paying for it later. He would ask him about it later.

[Lena Estelain]

Either Sylike was just that charming or his cheekiness was starting to grow on her. Either way she couldn't help but laugh. ”Don't worry darling, I'm worth the wait.” She said in a sultry voice. A smile crept on her lips. His cockiness was attractive. She hated men without a back or wit, but he might have something lower in mind. ”Oh your going to show me everything you got?” She laughed and plucked the strawberry from his hand and popped it into her mouth. A little spit never did anyone harm. ”You better rethink your bragging Sylike. Have you ever been to the Temple of Nikali?” She giggled and turned a little red. ”A girl can keep herself pretty satisfied within those walls. You'll need to find another way to woo the women of Denvali. Like treating them politely. Or giving them strong sons.” She smiled and turned to Galio. ”I would be delighted to get you a drink when you start working honey. And don't worry, I don't get rough on cuties like you.” She turned her attention back to the Vantha. ”I have a shovel instead of claws, for your information. It's much funner that way, seeing the skulls split. Her wicked smile faded as she continued. “when are we going on this little trip? I am sure Oleg can find another girl to cover me, but are you prepared for a trip like that? The mountains are pretty clear of creatures but you can be killed by an avalanche or rock slide all the same. I might kid around, but I don't want either of you hurt. The rubble they cut out of the road is treacherous at best and any fooling around would bring loose chunks down on our ears.”

[Syllke Skyglow]

“I’ll let you know when we pick a day for our caving, It’ll be in the next week or so.” Syllke replied with a smile. “And we can see if you really know your way around. If I get scared in the dark, maybe you can hold my hand.” With Lena having agreed finally to sit for him, and to try to get off for an afternoon to accompany them on their little jaunt, Syllke was well satisfied. Turning to Galio, he confided, “Mission accomplished. Now, let’s drink some beer.” LE FIN

[Tabarnac]

XP Award! Syllke XP Award: Negotiation +2; Seduction +3; Teaching +1 Galio XP Award: Interrogation +2 Lena XP Award: Negotiation +2; Seduction +3; Intimidation +1; Additional Notes: A note: the Stranger’s Welcome isn’t the only tavern in Denval. It’s just the only one that has a location write up due to its importance. Sorry there wasn’t all that much to reward, especially for you, Galio, but I’m enjoying the character development, which is more important, anyway. Is Galio going to be sleepy all winter as the bear part of him wants to hibernate? Feel free to PM me if you have any questions or concerns. Keep writing!