Open A Giant walks into a Bar

[Dor'gen]

5th Day of Fall, 514 AV

The patrons of the Pig's Foot had become rather accustomed to seeing all manner of rifraff enter into their midst. From sweat-drenched laborers to sea-swept sailors; the drunken patrons had become used to them all! However, every now and then, the arrival of someone new would cause the turning of heads. Such was the case when the towering Akalak graced the establishment with his presence one cool, autumn evening. Long, confident strides bore the Savage giant into the bustling tavern until he ultimately settled himself in one of the available stools at the bar. Now, it was not the first time that a member of his kind had entered the Pig's Foot; yet these occurrences were so few and far between that many whipped their heads around in disbelief.

However, at this point, Dor'gen had gotten used to this reaction. In fact, he practically expected it.

Having grown up in the jungles of Taloba, he had stuck out like a sore thumb for the better part of two centuries. Time and time again, the new generations of Myrians would be shocked to see him for the first time. They would gape and stare, just as much as the patrons gawking at that very moment. In times past, these stares bothered him quite considerably...yet now, Dor'gen did not even pay it any mind. Instead, he swept his eyes about the tavern, searching for someone to serve him a frosty beverage. After a moment of bouncing his gaze from head to head, the Akalak saw a rather attractive woman who bore a tray in her grasp. As opposed to whistling or cat-calling her over (both of which were behaviors demonstrated by the patrons nearby), the Akalak simply raised his hand in order to grab her attention.

Although her initial expression was that of intimidation, the waitress strolled over to his side. She greeted him with a warm smile and inquired about what he'd like to drink; to which he responded: "A tankard of ale...Please." Despite his upbringing, there was a single quirk about the Savage that might have come off as odd. Centuries of service in the Taloban Army had resulted in his becoming a hardened killer...yet when it came to women, Dor'gen showed mountains of respect. He was, quite simply, a product of his environment in terms of this quirk; for growing up in the midst of a matriarchal society had resulted in such courtesy to the opposite gender. Men, on the other other hand, were more likely to get a fist or a "petch you" before a courteous greeting.

Smiling, the waitress excused herself in order to procure his beverage; thereby leaving Dor'gen to relax in his chair. It was good to escape the chill of autumn in order to relax in a warm, thriving tavern...no matter how bad the surrounding patrons smelled.
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[Amora Jade]

Curious eyes peaked around the corner of a fence to investigate the people whose voices Amora had been listening to for a couple chimes. The bodies were unloading a small boat that was drug on shore a few yards from the water. They reached into a large crate, pulling out what looked like jewelry before stuffing the pieces into shoulder bags they would use to carry the goods. The precious metals gleamed in the light that emanated from the lamps surrounding the area. The sight was almost intoxicating to the thief; the familiar feeling that drove her to steal rose from her gut and forced a crooked smile to form on her lips. She watched as each necklace and ring was uncaringly tossed into the depth of the bags and felt disgusted by it. Such beautiful pieces of jewelry shouldn’t be treated in such a rude manner. They should be cherished and praised and worn by someone deserving- like a thief who was about to relieve every one of them from their torture. Slowly, quietly, the girl began to creep up to the men- being sure to stay out of their lines of sight and keeping towards the darker portions of the area. They kept unloading the goods and talking amongst each other, not even aware of Amora’s presence. She eased her breathing as she dropped to all fours and crawled up behind the taller of the two men, reaching out for the strap of the bag. “Hey!” Amora froze and held her breath, eyes as wide as they could possibly be. “Be careful wit’ them! We don’ need ta’ hear it from the boss!” The thief let out the breath she held slowly, then reached out once more for the bag. Once her fingers came in contact with the rough wool the thief grabbed hold of it tightly and pulled the bag towards herself. Amora stood and quickly ran from the docks as fast as her legs would allow her to. The sound of feet hitting the ground as they pushed up dust and dirt in an effort to catch her was the only thing Amora could hear over her own heartbeat. The girl held the bag closely to her chest as she entered the maze of buildings closest to her. Her feet barely touched the ground before they were up again until she rounded her first corner. The momentum she had gained while running forced her to come off the ground and run into the side of a house. Amora tried to quickly gather herself and run again before the men caught up to her, but it was too late. The one whose bag she took grabbed her by the back of her blouse and pulled her backwards, letting her body hit the ground and the bag crash into her chest. Some of the jewelry that was inside was spilled onto the ground around her, which only angered the pair even more. “Yer’ gonna pay for that you filth!” With unruly force the man took a handful of Amora’s hair and lifted her from the ground before she had the chance to scurry away. The girl obeyed her reflexes and grabbed onto his arm to try and rid some of the pain from being held up in such a fashion. “Let me go!” Her foot found its way into the gut of the man holding her, causing him to double over in pain and release his grip. Without anymore worry of the treasure she wanted so badly, the thief tried to escape the area. She found her balance and pushed off to run away- only to fall flat on her face. The second of the two men stuck his foot out just in time to trip her. He rolled the girl onto her back and forced his giant fist towards her face, his knuckles coming in contact with the bone just below her eye. Amora let out a cry of pain and brought her knee up with enough speed and force to come in contact with his… fragile area. The man let out his own cry of pain before rolling over and grabbing at himself. Without any hesitation the thief was finally able to take advantage of the opportunity to get away while both men dealt with their newfound pain. Amora didn’t run long before she needed to take a break. After making sure neither man was pursuing her and she had created enough distance between them, she slowed and began to walk. Her breathing was heavy and she had a massive headache due to her swollen eye and being lifted from the ground by her hair. With a moan of pain she felt at her eye, trying to assess the damage. She wouldn’t look too pretty for awhile, that’s for sure. “I need a drink…” Amora looked up after walking for a couple more chimes to be greeted by the comforting sight of stumbling drunks outside of Pig’s Foot. Slowly she pushed open the door and entered her favorite establishment. She loved the smell of smoke and alcohol as she entered, but because of her headache was hating the tavern music. The thief took her place on an empty stool that surrounded the bar. She didn’t even have to ask before a mug of ale was set down in front of her on the counter, it was obvious by the looks she received from the barmaids that they were afraid to even ask. Amora set the appropriate amount of coin on the wood before lifting the mug and taking a long drink. ReceiptAle: -4cm

[Dor'gen]

For a moment, the Akalak lazily followed the progression of the tavern waitress who had taken his order. She sauntered around the bar until she arrived before him on the other side before dipping down away from view. There was a clatter as she fumbled about for a fresh tankard and eventually she resurface after a few seconds. Briefly, their eyes made contact and the Savage offered a half-smile; which, oddly enough, seemed to spook the young woman all the more. Suddenly shaky, she set the tankard down before Dor'gen and set about filling the tankard near to the brim; spilling several drops here and there in the process. This did not bother the Akalak in the slightest, for as she poured his attention was placed upon his coin purse.

Now, being that he had some sliver of common sense, the Akalak did not bring the whole of his life savings with him this day. Instead, he only carried the handful of mizas that would be required to purchase a meal and a beverage somewhere down the line. At once, his fingers dove into the depths of the pouch located upon his belt until they seized in their grasp several coins. Drawing them into the light, Dor'gen then counted out the appropriate sum for the ale and reached out his hand: fully intent upon handing the woman the coins directly. With obvious hesitance, the waitress took the payment and all but dashed out from behind the counter as soon as another patron called for a refill. "Poor thing." he muttered to himself, bemused.

Reaching out, the Savage took the tankard in hand and raised it to his lips; only to be greeted with the presence of another. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the young woman enter the tavern and stagger along to the stool beside him. For one well-versed in the soreness of combat, Dor'gen assessed immediately that there was something ailing her and turned his head to get a fuller look. With but a glance he could clearly see that her face was beginning to swell and blacken...and that caused him to loft a brow. "I'd hate to see how badly your opponent looks now." he began before indulging in a sip of his ale. "I can only assume that they are bleeding out in an alley somewhere, hmm?"
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[Alexa Syb'Aoth]

Alexa ha been singing with the tavern band when the giant showed up. She had probably seen more of the world than the people there, and even she glanced over at him. Earlier that she had been singing in the street outside for money, and the band had wanted her to fill in. Their singer had disappeared they said. Before the performance they had asked her multiple times to take her gladus off. Of course she refused. And now she was upon stage singing some dumb song about falling in love or something. She turned her head as a lady walked in, with a bruised face. She wondered who had done it.

[Adrien Strade]

Laughter echoed through the dark alleys as the young lad ran, trying to lose his pursuers. Adrien glanced behind him and grinned at his pursuers who were just a few steps behind him. “Can you guys be anymore slower?” He shouted at them as he ducked in another alley. It was exhilarating. He loved the thrill of the chase and though some people might tell him that it was a road to self-destruction, he knew he’d never get rid of the feeling. It was fun. “Get back here, you brat!” Those men definitely wanted him dead. Adrien was sure of it. He didn’t understand why they were so angry. Adrien had simply lifted some coins from them. It was common a common enough occurrence in Sunberth that they shouldn’t be that angry. Adrien laughed as he tried to lose the men in the maze-like streets of Sunberth. He was smaller than them which made it easier for him to go through the narrow streets. He was, thankfully, faster than them too. Before long, he had luckily managed to lose them. He realized he had come to Pig’s Foot without realizing it. He guessed he was that preoccupied with the chase, huh? He ran his fingers in his pockets, tracing the outlines of his recent prize. He grinned, still a little breathless from the chase and his eyes still shining with excitement and unused adrenaline. He could use a little drink. The young man then dug his hands into his pockets and skipped towards the tavern, humming a tune all the while. The moment he went in, his eyes scanned the room for anything, rather anyone, who was interesting. He found a giant of a man sitting at the bar which immediately piqued his interest. Adrien skipped to the bar, threw himself down one of the empty stools, and faced the barmaids, giving them one of his oh-so-innocent smiles. “A drink, please,” he requested, placing the appropriate amount of coins on the bar. Maybe, he’d get to have more fun than he’d initially thought.

[Amora Jade]

The bitter ale warmed her from the inside out as she drank, giving her only the smallest bit of relief from the immense pain radiating from her face. Amora could already feel it swelling, she knew by now it had to be blackened and ugly. The girl tried to keep her face down in an attempt to veer any and all attention to her. The last thing she needed was for someone to pry. She kept herself tense as she fought away any tears that were trying to escape. Sunberth had hardened her, but she wasn’t made of steel. Every heartbeat pulsated through her eye and caused seering pain. Amora could feel her head throb with every word the singer projected. The only thing that kept her in her stool was the embrace of her favorite beverage. Well, that and the fear that too much movement would cause her to cry out like a baby. The thief decided to try and let the music soothe her and distract her from the pain. She began to actually listen to the words and recognized the song, realizing it was one she hated. The concentration she put forth to distract herself was broken by the booming voice of a man who apparently had taken his seat beside her. “I’d hate to see how badly your opponent looks now.” The moment his voice hit her ears was almost as painful as being punched in the face. “I can only assume they are bleeding out in an alley somewhere, hmm?” Immediately she brought her hand up to her head and caressed her face. Amora gritted her teeth as the throbbing suddenly worsened. She kept her hand in place as she turned to find who the words came from. “Who the petch do y-” Amora lost her breath mid-sentence as her eyes came in contact with the giant’s. She didn’t think she could miss someone so huge walk into the tavern. Her stomach began to feel as if it were twisting into a knot. The last time she came in contact with someone so huge... didn’t end well. She was lucky she wasn’t the one to die that day. Quickly she looked back down at the counter where her drink sat. The girl grabbed onto her mug with both hands before pulling it closer and looking down into the liquid at her own reflection. “Uh…” Amora wanted so badly to get up and run, but her body wouldn’t allow that so soon. Instead, the thief lifted the mug to her lips and took a long drink before continuing. “I uh… well.. they don’t look as bad as me.” The thief shifted in her seat, wiping the palms of her sweaty hands on the legs of her pants before returning them to her mug. She could feel her body shaking just a bit, but wasn’t sure if it was out of fear or pain. All at once she became very aware of how much attention was being drawn in her direction. The giant was drawing attention like… well like a giant in a room full of normal sized people. Amora could only hope the men hadn’t found their way to the tavern as well, otherwise she knew she’d be dead.

[Dor'gen]

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As the words formed and fell from the Akalak's lips, a light tune began to fill the air of the tavern. A voice, young and sweet, began to sing a song that Dor'gen did not recognize. However, it was not a terribly bad tune and he found himself enjoying it. Nonetheless, his focus was primarily upon the woman before his eyes...until the tavern door slammed to a close. In sauntered a young man with a positively smug look on his face. Dor'gen looked up from the wounded woman and gave the newcomer a glance. However, that was the extent of the attention that he would receive from the Giant; for he promptly returned his attention back to the woman beside him. For a few ticks, there was nothing but silence on her part, until a wrathful tone erupted in response to his comments.

However, when she glared up at him, Dor'gen simply raised his hands in a non-threatening manner.

A glance at her face set into motion a whole range of thoughts and feelings that he had come to Sunberth to forget. She, being so young, reminded him of one he had cared about for many years. This reminder twisted his stomach and lodged a lump solidly in his throat; so much so that he had to look away for a moment. His attention was briefly placed upon the performance going on in the background whilst his hand sought his mug. Slowly. Calmly. He raised the mug to his lips and indulged in a hearty sip. The bittersweet flavor washed down the lump in his throat and gave the Akalak a sense of clarity. This woman was not Tinnok...Tinnok was gone. However, this woman was obviously in pain...and judging from her response, those responsible weren't exactly hurting either.

"Dor'gen, it's none of our business." came the mental warning. Of course, the "darker" sibling residing within the Akalak's psyche would rear his head..."Obviously she could use a hand." came his curt response. With that said, waved over one of the tavern maidens and made a simple request of her. "Could I have a rag and some water please? And also, top off our drinks." he said, motioning to both himself and the woman beside him. There was a shaky smile in response before she scampered off to fulfill his order. At that point, Dor'gen placed the whole of his attention upon the wounded woman. "I'd rather not see your face swell all night, so let me help you." he began. "I don't know why trouble has decided to plague you, but if it comes through those doors you'll have my blade."

The question of "why" Dor'gen was sticking his neck out may rear its ugly head...and honestly, he didn't know the answer to that...After a few ticks rolled past, the tavern maiden returned with that which Dor'gen requested. She deposited the cloth in his hand and provided him a tankard of water. She then topped off their beverages and stepped off as quickly as possible. The Akalak simply rendered a grateful nod before wetting the cloth with the water. As the liquid cascaded down upon the material, its temperature felt satisfactory for the task at hand. Once sufficiently wetted, Dor'gen offered the cloth to the woman. "Here. Put this on your face...and drink up. The ale'll dull the pain after awhile." he advised. "You may call me Dor'gen, by the way."

Word Count577
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[Amora Jade]

Amora could barely hear the words that the giant was speaking over the heartbeat in her ears. Her nerves had already been frayed for the evening, and this was just topping it all off. Never would she expect someone to actually take the time to try and figure out why she had been hurt. She walked into the tavern many times before with a limp or bruising and all she got was an awkward glance or two in her direction.

The thief watched as the tavern maid turned from them to collect the items the giant requested. She could tell by the stiff, awkward movements and the look on her face that the woman felt the same as she. Neither of them wanted to do anything to set the man off, so they just obeyed.

“I'd rather not see your face swell all night, so let me help you.”

Knowing she had a confused and surprised look about her, Amora turned to face the man. It was the first time she had enough courage to look over at him for more than a tick. “I don't know why trouble has decided to plague you, but if it comes through those doors you'll have my blade.”

Why did he want to worry himself with helping a stranger? It wasn’t as if she were bleeding it right in front of him- her face was just a bit blackened. The thought that he was only trying to take advantage of her nagged at the thief a bit, but she couldn’t imagine why he would take the time to convince her to bed with him when there were plenty of women in the building who would go willingly.

Amora just couldn’t wrap her head around why in the world anyone would actually, willingly, spend money to help her without expecting anything in return. There was obviously an ulterior motive.

The woman returned with the items he requested in a timely fashion, then filled their mugs. It looked as if she were about to run for her life as quickly as she backed away from the bar. Amora watched the giant as he wetted the cloth. She couldn’t help but flinch a bit as he extended his hand to give it to her.

“Here. Put this on your face...and drink up. The ale'll dull the pain after awhile." Slowly she did as he told her. The girl lifted the rag to her face, wincing a bit at the pain. "You may call me Dor'gen, by the way.”

Amora lifted the full mug of ale to her mouth and took several big gulps of it before returning it to the wood. She almost didn’t realize he might have been expecting an introduction in return, “Jade.” After the sound of her own voice hit her ears she realized how shaky and weak it was.

Amora cleared her throat and looked at Dor’gen, “What do you want?” This time her voice had just the slightest bit more confidence as she tried to show strength. She didn’t want him to think that whatever he was looking for was going to come easy for him.


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[Dor'gen]

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The sad truth of the matter was that the Akalak was oblivious.

Due to the fact that he had been cultivated by the jungles of Taloba, Dor'gen was ignorant to the fine "art" of convincing women to bed. Some attempting to do so through wit, others through charm...and there were a few who operated through kindness. These were most likely things that the young woman had been exposed to quite a few times; for she was a native of Sunberth after all. Dor'gen, however, did not realize how terrible it must have looked. In his mind, he was simply...living vicariously through the moment. By looking out for the young woman, he was somehow filling the void left behind by the departure of Tinnok: the woman he had seen grow from a youngling.

Keeping his gaze placed upon the woman, the Akalak watched as the cloth was taken out of his grasp. The young woman quietly put it on her face, wincing in the process, before answering his inquiry. Her voice came forth as...a weak croak almost, and was immediately punctuated by a pronounced clearing of her throat. "Jade." he repeated, giving her a slight nod. He then reached for his own mug of ale and raised it to his lips. When Jade spoke again, he noticed that her voice was noticeably stronger; as if effort was placed upon her words. However, the Akalak did not put too much attention on her attempt to show strength, for he was too busy mulling over how to respond to her question.

Taking a moment, he leaned back his head and indulged in a hearty sip of his ale. The bittersweet liquor raced down like a river until he ceased his drinking; setting the mug back down upon the countertop. He then looked Jade directly in the eye before offering a small smile. "I do not seek anything. It just doesn't sit right with me to see a young woman with a battered face." he said. Of course, Dor'gen left out the part about Tinnok...for those particular bits of information were a touch sensitive.

Word Count354
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[Amora Jade]

It didn’t take long for the drink to take it’s soothing effect on her. The pain from the brute who had hit her earlier was beginning to subside, and became more numb with each drink she took. The rag she held against her face helped with the throbbing and calmed her.

The thief began to think about her immediate assumption about the man. It was only natural for her to think that way, being a native to a place where women were taken advantage of as often as ale was served. She didn’t take into account that he obviously foreign and very, very different. Amora sat silently for a moment after his response, almost feeling guilty at her accusation but still cautious he might have been lying.

Once more she lifted the cold mug to her lips and tilted it back to finish it off. The wonderful burning sensation she enjoyed so much put the slightest smile on her face. There wasn’t a thing that could happen to her that ale wouldn’t fix. Amora set the empty tankard on the bartop in front of her and looked into it’s empty bottom, unsatisfied.

Curiosity struck her as she began to wonder about the giant, “Where are you from? No one here gives a petch about a girl with a bruised up face.”

Just one mug down and she already had enough confidence to speak. It was incredible how something so simple could change her entire evening. Though she was still very nervous sitting beside a stranger who towered over her even while sitting, she had calmed down enough to keep the urge to run from rising.

Instead, the urge to steal from him began to nag at her. Sure he could kill her with one punch, or flick, but she couldn’t help wondering what might be lying in the pouch he kept on his belt. Amora had to keep reminding herself not to glance down at it too often to keep herself from looking guilty.

“Maybe if he had more to drink…” she thought. If she was able to get his guard down low enough she’d definitely have the opportunity to indulge in the prize that might be hiding from her just beyond the giant.

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