Open A night at Rubys

[Quint Caravel]

Credit to Leviathan:
The Scarlet Sanctum is a high-end high-class business in Sunberth. A High Class, small, whorehouse. Ruby herself makes sure all her girls and boys are 'high class', 'professional', and 'expensive'.

IC:

84th day of the Autumn Season, 513 AV.

Quint decided he needed a night of romance. He had not been on the town before this, not really, and he was curious as to the night-life. Having lived with sailors for many years, he was not adverse to frequenting places like Rubys when there was no willing female company available. Tonight he was, truth be told, feeling a bit lonely. Come the winter season he might actually look for someone to date long-term, at least as he measured such things.

For the moment, as he was relatively new in Sunberth, he decided that a place like Rubys would do nicely. It helped that he had heard of it. There were obviously other places in town to go, such as Bragas, but he had not heard of or had ever been there.

Once he arrived, he took a place around. He had been trying to work on casing a few joints, but he wasn't very good at it so he was practicing his ability to spot stuff. It wasn't going as well as he hoped, but he was making miniscule progress. And that was better than no progress. He noticed that the bouncer and bartenders were all beefy, good-looking hunks that all tended to wear the same outfit. This surprised him as he didn't think Sunberth had an army, and most of the port dives he went to were staffed by a rowdy motley crue of derelicts that were as happy drinking as the customers. But there the staff appeared to be well-groomed and well-kempt, and had the look of professionals willing to service any need. Once or twice Quint had dated an elderly rich Kelvic woman who could turn into a cougar, and she had surrounded herself with men and boys like this.

But Quint had no eye for other men. That is to say, he had no interest in them from the waist down. He simply sized them up in case he needed to fight or run when a situation went bad.

Instead he turned his attention to what ladies were around, understanding that when he used the term ladies, it was now the evening. He was rather surprised to notice that these were not the assortment of overweight and gone-to-seed doxies and wenches that he was used to. The barmaids and all the girls that were on stage could have been in any theater in the three or four provinces of Mizahar. (Quint never bothered counting them, he admitted to himself there might be only two or three provinces.) At any rate, the girls appeared much younger and thinner than he was expecting, and the seemed to have a broad range of personalities from mild to spitfire, unlike the usual port doxy who only had the one attitude of greedy and bored.

He listened to two of the girls talking, attempting to eavesdrop without appearing conspicuous. He realized that it made him look like he was shy, but that was all right. They didn't judge in a place like this: you either had a coin purse with you, or you were shown the door.

Astonishingly enough-- and he was getting used to being astonished while in Ruby's-- the two girls were talking about some bathing ritual that they had recently had to go through. Apparently it involved a priest, and the old one had only like men, and the new one was much younger and handsomer and quite a flirt. One of the girls apparently had a bit of a crush on the man.

Quint was too red-blooded to ever tell anyone that his mood had been killed inside a whorehouse, but he was feeling a bit out of his depth and wondered if he would be better served-- in both cases-- by one of the biddys in the trashier part of town. The price didn't matter-- for Quint, Mizas came and Mizas went-- it was more the feeling that he felt like a fish out of water, an image he knew quite well.

And so instead of rushing into the back rooms to find a wench to woo, Quint headed for the bar and decided to have a drink and watch one of the burlesque shows for a little while.

[Tonoc Belost]

Ruby’s was quickly becoming one of Tonoc’s favorite places in the city, for both work and pleasure. Sunberth doesn’t seem like an ideal location for a “high class” whore house yet Rubies liberal use of large, yet well-dressed guards kept the rowdy customers in check. Not only did this place offer companionship but also a large selection of drinks, shows and fairly good food. The ideal recipe for success in rough edges town like this, guards kept weapon wielding hot heads looking for a fight on the street allowing Tonoc to relax in relative peace. Tonight he found himself hanging around at the bar, he had managed to nab a seat earlier in the night, as long as he bought a drink every once in a while he had no fear of being asked to move. Mouths and alcohol flowed freely it seemed tonight as the conversation around him shifted once again, now on to the rebuilding effort from the flood early last week. Whole sections of the slums had been destroyed and the tent city swelled in size. Tonoc had made it a priority to avoid the destroyed sections as he heard looters were running rampant, although he had no idea what there was left to loot. A couple girls walked off stage and during the lull between shows the bar was rushed exactly where Tonoc was sitting. People swarmed around him calling for ales and shots, Ruby’s audience loved their drinks and they were unafraid to show it, Why should they? There was no law enforcement in Sunberth, get too drunk and you end up with your pocket picked or worse when you try to walk home. Amid the chaos a seat opened next to him at the bar. Looking over, none other than Quint Caravel slid into the seat, signaling to the bartender to get him a drink. Looking over in amazement Tonoc leaned over and whispered. “Quint! I was not expecting you here, Places like these fit my profession well but I wasent aware you liked the pleasures offered here. Then again who wouldn’t?” After quint received his drink Tonoc leaned in again, saying “We should retreat to a quieter table.” Pointing to a currently unoccupied table, half bathed in shadow lying in the corner of the room.

[Quint Caravel]

Quint smiled at Tonoc. "One moment. Let me see if I know anyone at the bar."

He glanced around, scanning the crowd. Tonoc had seen him in action before. There were the usual comments about various odd races and odder couplings; Quint was clearly someone who had in common with Tonoc the desire to improve his ability to observe his surroundings. He was just a bit more vocal with his opinions. "Hmm. Never seen a fellow with dark scarlet-- almost a light purple-- skin before. And does that woman with him have four arms? The more I travel, the more stuff I see that boggles my mind."

Quint pointed at a man with big forearms. "Oh, that fellow there is a Svefra; I recognize the language he is speaking as Fratava. Hear the different tones? That's the language sailors use, a series of tones. You can't use Common on the open seas; the sounds of the language become unintelligible at a distance and you're forced to use tones, gestures and pantomimes when calling from one boat to another." oocI honestly wrote that before looking at the Fratava write-up. I guess who ever created Fratava here was also a former sailor. I wonder if there is a 'Lore of recognizing Fratava'

He then turned his attention back to Tonoc, swiveling in his seat at the bar to face the man. "Hello there! It's always nice to run into a friendly face in Sunberth. And yes I could see this place fitting your profession quite well!" He mentally pictured Tonoc as a gigolo servicing attractive but lonely older women. Quint did not judge.

Quint shrugged. "As to me, I like all sorts of places. I've enjoyed the pleasures of Sunberth for years. Be it at Rubys, or even watching the fighters in the Blood Pits hash it out."

He spoke loudly, so that anyone around could listen. "Ha ha, some of those fights were terrible. You guys want to hear about the saddest fight I ever saw? A slow-as-molasses blacksmith was fighting an incompetent Inarta, and both were so terrible that they each dropped their weapons and had to switch! Oh ho ho, that was quite funny to watch. I made quite a bit of money on the Inarta that day, if my memory serves me right."

His laughter was infectious, and many of the people around them laughed. Conversations around them resumed and the place went back to its usual noisy din.

Quint stared ruefully down at his drink. "That reminds me. I do need me some blades. Perhaps a long knife or stiletto, at any rate. I'd buy a drink for the next person who can tell me where to find an actually competent blacksmith around here."

He stood up, agreeing with Tonoc that they should start to head over to the quieter table.

[Daedalus Dagwood]

If anyone deserved a night out on the town, it was Daedalus. He was the all work and no play type of man making his profession important to him, extremely important. Not only because he loved to create things from metal with a dream of making a name for himself in the trade, but also because it was his hobby. Daedalus enjoyed making things in his free time which, in turn, made every moment of 'play' into work. Especially since he began to volunteer along with others in rebuilding the city after the flood. Not only did he need a night of rest from his work, but also from everything that had happened to him over the course of the fall. From being attacked by possessed wolves and ghosts, to almost being a victim of a mugging. He really just wanted to relax.

He sat at a seat adjacent to the stage where women displayed scantly clad bodies while preforming elegant dances. Having only just arrive, he barely had the chance to even perchance himself a drink before a loud voice caught his attention. His heard turned to find the source of the voice as his golden hazel eyes set on the man. He listened to the man as he seemed to describe the events of the death match that he had fought in the Blood Pits. From the Inarta warrior, the moment they had wound up with each others weapons, and mention of a smith. There was no doubt in his mind that the person; who appeared to be a Svefra, was talking about him.

Daedalus stood up from his seat as he adjusted the long tailed wool coat he wore which was black in color along with the rest of his clothing. He had set his backpack on the ground next to his chair which forced him to bend over to pick it up and slip it onto his shoulders.

He made his way over to where the man was. "Your memory seems to be absent of a few details. For one, the Inarta used his sword like a spear. An odd thing to do but to dodge it I had to leap from its path. Shortly after, i did pick it up in a decision to not be left weaponless. It was a smart decision considering I ended up the victor of that contest. If you made any money then you were smart enough to bet on me that day."

He smirked at as his left hand gingerly rested on the hilt of his rapier which clung to his left hip. "While my skills fall more towards Metalsmithing, I am more than capable of smithing a knife. So, how about that drink?"

[Tonoc Belost]

OOCI can tell I am obviously outmatched in writing ability, but if you will bear with me I'l do my best Starting to walk over to the corner table Tonoc heard the beginnings of a conversation, seemingly directed towards Quint. Turning around to see what the fuss was he happened upon a large man, at least compared to Tonoc’s own small stature, he also must have outweighed him by a solid 60 pounds. Close cropped, raven black hair and hazel eyes that seemed to catch every movement greeted Tonoc as he looked over the stranger, taking note of his hand resting calmly yet firmly on the rather long thin sword at his side. Then suddenly realizing what exactly the stranger had said, this was the man that Quint had been watching at the pits, and he had won. The gears turned behind Tonocs eyes, trying to find a way to spin this for his gain, he was always looking for a way to spin things in his favor. Before Quint could say anything he quickly piped up. “Ahhh so you are the one Quint was talking about; he has been raving about that fight for some time. Why don’t you join us for a drink at our table” he said all the while slowly walking and ushering both Quint and the stranger towards their table in the back. Signaling the waitress to grab ales for the lot Tonoc then again spoke up. “So, do you frequent the Blood Pits or were you paying off a debt?” Tonoc was completely aware that the man now facing them could be extremely dangerous, how sane could anyone from the blood pits be?

[Quint Caravel]

oocI'm not sure how I should feel about that 'unmatched' comment since you clearly felt you were holding your own with just me.
Quint was distracted by the sight of a gorgeous redhead and thus wasn't fully listening to Daedalus, at least not at first. And so he made no reply to the comment about the Blood Pits; he had won and lost so many times that he couldn't recall his wagers from yesterday let alone several seasons ago. By and large, however, he had broken even and thus had no complaints on the matter.

But his ears did perk up when Daedalus mentioned that he could forge a knife. "That would be most excellent. I'm a man of my word, and will take you at your word that you're a blacksmith, so this first round is indeed on me. Where is your smithy located?"

He put a Miza on the table to cover the costs. "The name is Quint Caravel. And this fine fellow goes by the name of Tonoc. I've another friend named Jack that might be floating around here tonight; you can't fail to miss him as he carries a scythe, a most unusual weapon in Sunberth."

[Jack Talas]

Jack ducked through the entrance of Rubys. He ducked not because of his height, which easily fit in, but do to the looming scythe above his head. He wore his usual darker clothing, looking no different than most days. Jack's head snapped back and forth across the tables and those near him gave his scythe puzzled looks. No man dared confront him about the weapon, though it could be cumbersome he always kept his scythe with him, no man could remove it. His face look solid and emotionless, it seemed he was inhuman for the while he stood at the front. His gaze scanned further until it was roughly grabbed by something, or rather someone. His jaw seemed to drop at a stunning blonde that passed him, and his head turned along with her, confirming his humanity in a rather humorous display.

Wiping the dumb smile off his face, Jack again scanned for the man who'd invited him here, Quint. Obviously seeming more relaxed then when he'd first entered he made his way to the bar to see if he could get a different perspective. The bartender asked him if he wanted anything but Jack waved him off, he'd rather find Quint before he started drinking. Sure enough after a little more searching, Jack spotted the Quint at one of the farther tables, with two other men. Even from here he sized the two up, the shorter wouldn't be a problem but you never know with some people, especially those who seemed at a disadvantage. However Jack was clearly wary of the larger one, he packed obvious punch.

Making his way over to the table his eyes caught just about every good looking gal on the way over. His scythe swayed lightly above his head, looking rather precarious. As he reached the table he nodded at Quint then at the general area of the other two men, "Evenin', name's Jack, hope you don't mind if I take a seat." He stated simply in a gruff tone, not actually bothering to worry if they minded. He snatched up a chair and planted it at the table, leaning his scythe with the blade on the floor against the back of it. He then sat in his seat and leaned back, clearly sizing up the men across from him, but he did not speak any further.

[Quint Caravel]

While normally a garrulous man who enjoyed talking, Quint wanted to make sure everyone else had a chance to speak in turn, and so he kept his remarks brief, simply introducing Jack as the person he had mentioned earlier.

"Jack, this is Tonoc. Tonoc, Jack."

He pointed at the Blacksmith. "And if memory serves-- it's been a few years-- this fellow's name is Dagwood." He didn't remember the first name, but he had a dagwood tree in his backyard so had always remembered the last name.

Quint looked off to the side for a moment, trying to remember something else. "There was another who was going to join me here, but he appears to have vanished. Not sure if Sunberth got him, or if he ran off." They all knew how dangerous this city was, so he did not have to elaborate.

He had more to say about what was going on and about his plans for the winter season, but for now he sat back and let everyone get acquainted. Instead he sipped at his drink and observed everyone, both those sitting with them and those around them. Though not a native, the longer he stayed in Sunberth the more like a native he became, watchful and vigilant.

[Adam King]

Adam had been nursing a brick-red drink at the bar for a while now. He always reasoned that, provided he was on one of his clean-looking days and would therefore be let it, Ruby's didn't have prices that much higher than the typical upper town bar, but also had the added benefit of solid security and attractive professional women flitting about. On one occasion he had even indulged in the establishment's core services. From the bar, he was idly people-watching, scanning the premises. Careful to keep confident gazes towards those he knew as relevant players on the streets and of course always with a smile for the more attractive patrons, the small small sips would be well paced apart. For a while, head tilted, his gaze got stuck on the gentlemen assorted around a table. The scythe hanging above one of them caught his attention and made his facial expression express a whole lot of confusion and perhaps derision as he blinked incredulously.

[Fark]

Fark watched from under a table as his temporary partner, Pip, climbed up onto the bar counter. Pip then announced bravely, "Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you, the amazing... Tippy Circus!!" Pip then proceeded to yank his head off, and then juggle it in his arms while humming. Sure enough, the entire collection of beings seated at the bar soon turned their heads to watch the show. Some cheered, some laughed, while some simply glared at the jolly Pycon, who pretended he didn't notice.

Fark swiftly dropped to the floor and scuttled across it on his six legs. While the bar's patrons were distracted by Pip, Fark's job was to carefully climb up the engrossed passersby, and liberate their coins and valuables. He was just climbing up a particularly depressing person carrying a scythe, ("Eugh. How stereotypical can you get?") when he looked at Pip and made eye contact for a split-second.

Fark looked back just in time to see a gloved fist come out of nowhere, smashing Pip to nothingness, with a shout of, "Got ya, you little bugger!" followed by rude laughter. Fark almost lost his perch then and there, but he held on, hoping to see the telltale signs of a head that meant the Pycon still lived, but no luck. Pip was thoroughly dead. Fark took a few coins out the depressing man's pocket, and was just about to slide back down, when he felt himself being lifted up by the back. Up, up, up...