Closed [The Pig's Foot]: Brawl! (Julia Tristal)

[Sh'Ky Naes]

Spring 55, 515

Ahh, the Pig's Foot. Such a lovely location, and in the finest neighborhood, where the gangs ran rampant. It was always refreshing seeing people stab each other in alleys. At least they had the decency to not die in the street. But the Pig's Foot, that was like a shining beacon of safety, due to Merv. Almost anyone could come into the tavern, and expect safety... at least safety compared to the streets outside. One could enter perfectly fine, and leave with bruises and broken bones. But still, 'Ky thought, as he swigged an ale, and laughed at a coarse joke that a barfly shouted to the entire room. Could be worse. Could be the Drunken Fish. Now THAT place was dangerous. The seedy types that frequented the docks flocked to the bar, where various pirate types could be found. 'Sides, Merv's a decent enough fellow.

Looking about the bar, with a detached look, he saw something that caught his interest, a young blonde, with green eyes, which darted around the tavern, before focusing on the pocket of a burly man, who narrowed his eyes, but didn't do anything. Shaking his head, 'Ky knew what was going to happen. The girl would try to steal from the man, and the man would attack the girl, and take her outside. Sighing, he put his drink on the bar, and with it, the coin for the cost of it. Cracking his knuckles, 'Ky moved closer in anticipation of what was going to happen. He'd defend the girl, even though it might not hurt her to get some sense knocked into her.

OOCSorry for railroading a bit, but you know, I wanted you to have a framework to work with. Hope it's good~

[Julia Tristal]

The Pig's Foot was a grand old place in a dirty shyke filled city, the skies were always dark, there was always someone dying, getting mugged or some other form of pain and displeasure.

Though our little minx of a thief was far from dreary in this city, she was in said tavern, eying up a potential target, after her previous lucky run last time in the Pig's Foot where she had plenty of things she stole from their previous owners, she couldn't help but try her luck this time.

Merv allowed it, he allowed bar brawls and such, but if anyone decides to use his bar furniture as weapons, he might get a bit peeved. She spotted a rather large man, hairy, and looks as dumb as a bar stool he was sitting on. Usually these types were easy targets but also very dangerous. As cocky and confident teen, she had found her target.

She crept up behind him and reached into his pockets, feeling around, feeling for that lump of gold coins people usually have. She felt around but found nothing, she pouted and pulled away her hand from the man's pocket.

She looked up and saw that the man had eyes on her, angry red eyes boring into her skull. She gave a sheepish grin and backed off, maybe try to run away, but the man's large smelly hands grabbed her small delicate ones in a tight grip.

"Ow, not so rough." She mumbled and tried to wrestle her hand away from the man, or at least pull out her hidden dagger from her sleeve, and then try to stab the man in the throat, no such luck though.

The man growled a bit and looked over to his friend. "Oi, look at this, Bobby. A little girl, ripe for bit of 'fun', caught her trying to rob me, I did, I say we rough her up a little before we have our way with her."

"Oh petch off." She mumbled and used her free hand to try and poke his eyes out, unluckily the man grabbed her other hand and pinned her face down on the table. She gave an audible grunt, and closed one of her eyes less she wanted a splinter in her eye.

"Oi, look at her backside. Quite a bountiful one ain't it."

She had an idea that would help her get out of this situation, though, with the way her plans have been going, this was highly unlikely but anything's better than being a plaything to a pair of brutes.

[Sh'Ky Naes]

When he saw Merv glance at the two thugs force the girl to the table with a distasteful grimace, 'Ky nodded in their general direction and punched the palm of his left hand with his right fist. With an almost imperceptible nod, Merv cleared 'Ky to pull the thugs off of the girl. Never destroy the bar, though. Merv wouldn't stand for that. Picking up a stool from the table that the two men were at, 'Ky said nothing, but rather, swung it with both hands, full-force, into the side of his meaty, ugly little skull. The man, surprised, fell on his arse, and let the girl go. Shaking his head, and brushing off any chips of wood, he was helped up by his 'friend'. 'Ky waited until the man stood up, and said, "Oi, mate, I think you have the order of events wrong. Yer not goin' to rough her up, and the only fun you'll be having is hooking up with my fists." Standing easily in front of the girl, the man projected an air of confidence. I have no idea what the hell I'm going to do. The two men each were bigger than a small cow, and 'Ky was a tall man, but... holy shyke.

However, 'Ky was more of a regular than these petchers, whom Sh'Ky hadn't seen here before, so various barflies seemed ready to jump in for 'Ky's sake as well. But just as Sh'Ky had allies, the burly man had a large group of friends that shoved their chairs back and stood up, forming a thick, meaty wall of sweat and hair. Throwing a glance back at the blonde, 'Ky said, "I reckon' that you might want to step back a bit, miss," and then threw himself at the leader, who already was a bit disoriented from the smack that 'Ky gave him a bit earlier. Throwing haymakers, knees, and elbows, but receiving the same, getting slammed in the face, shoulders, and ribs. He wasn't really thinking much, but he had picked up a chair and was rabidly swinging it towards the burly leader of the group, when a meaty arm was wrapped around his neck.

One of the boyo's friends had grabbed him from behind. There were three other regulars, fighting the three other men, but 'Ky was fighting the two alone. The taverngoers had formed a ring around the fighters, egging them on, but unfortunately also trapping the girl in the tavern with the rest of them. The man stood up, wiping a stream of blood from the corner from his mouth, with a few bruises, but no other major marks. 'Ky, however, was looking pretty rough. With a bloody nose, bruises on his jaw, cheek, and shoulder, and aching ribs, he looked a mess. However, he could still move, if the man let go of his neck. Air was becoming a rare commodity these days, and 'Ky wanted to keep it in circulation.

OOCI'll leave the NPC banter to you, if you don't mind.

[Julia Tristal]

"Touch me and I'll gut you like a fish!" She yelled and was about to use her legs to kick the man in his jewels, but soon enough a nice little sound of a stool breaking into splinters on the man's head made her sigh in relief.

She tumbled out of the way, but there was a ring of patrons around them, egging her would-be rescuer. He's gonna get bloody if she doesn't help out. She was no fighter, but a knife in the throat would still kill a man.

She stood up and looked over to the tall somewhat handsome man that decided to save her life, he wouldn't get out of this without a few bruises if she didn't help.

"Oi, mate, I think you have the order of events wrong. Yer not goin' to rough her up, and the only fun you'll be having is hooking up with my fists."

"Oh, is that right sunshine? How about my boot to your face! Come on Jackson, we're taking the trash out!"

"I reckon' that you might want to step back a bit, miss,"

Julia ignored his savoir and taunted them. "Two on one? That hardly seems fair." She pulled the knife out of her sleeve and tackled one of the pervert's friends. She quickly pinned the man down and pressed her dagger on his throat.

"Merv, sorry about the floor..." She yelled and slit the man's throat, spilling the blood all over the floor. The man gurgled and choked on his own blood, trying to get some air but the passage for air was cut off by the blade of her knife. "Sorry mate, brought this on yourselves. Should have just let me walked away."

The large man howled in rage and was ready to attack Ky for his revenge. One of the man's friend grabbed her savior by the neck and started choking him. Julia got up from the man she had killed and ran up the back of the angry man's shirt.

When she was on his neck she tried to stab him, but he shook her off and she only managed to graze his shoulder. She got tossed off behind Ky and the man holding him. She felt as if her arm had a rock dumped on it, but she recovered with only a very bruised arm.

She looked over to Ky and then gripped her dagger tightly in her hand, she aimed it at the leg of the man holding Ky's neck. She lunged her dagger deep into his leg, sending blood out from the wound and making it dribble with the warm metallic liquid.

The man screamed and let Ky out of his grip as he tried to stop the blood from flowing out his leg. "AHHHH Petching whore! I'll rip out your throat!"

"Come and try!" She said and readied her dagger to fight back. She was back to back with Ky right now, but one wrong move and both of them are getting their faces bloodied or worse.

[Sh'Ky Naes]

The thick oak of an arm was wrapped around his neck, causing his vision to blur, and black to edge his sight. Sweat, from the cow's hairy arms, made his neck slick, but not enough to allow him to slip away. Just when 'Ky thought he would pass out, and be at their mercy, he was released, air inflating his lungs. Gasping like a dying fish, and clutching his throat, 'Ky backed up against the man, and slammed his skull backwards, in a brutal headbutt that made the cow's nose go crunch. Frantically backpedaling, he reached the girl, and stood in between the two men and her. Reaching up, and wiping the blood from his nose, he looked around at the situation. The three other men were still brawling, and the two in front of him were reeling from the incredibly fierce attacks. However, 'Ky's face was messed up, and was already starting to bruise. The aching in his ribs, and around his neck, didn't help either. Looking back at the girl, he saw that she was unhurt, and snapped his gaze back to the two men. They had started to move, angrily, towards the duo. Turning around, 'Ky pushed the girl in front of him, towards the door, and shouted, "Run!" 'Ky, himself, picked up a stool, and threw it at the ringleader, earning him a howl of rage. When the girl had reached the wall of patrons, 'Ky would stand behind her, and push, or at least attempt to, the people aside. If they refused, however, 'Ky would throw a haymaker at the nearest person, thus causing the entire tavern to erupt in a brawl.

Unfortunately, they chose the second option. The man flew back into another, and caused him to spill his ale on another person, which in turn made him punch the second in the face. People quickly chose sides, or no sides at all, punching, kicking, and biting anyone nearby. By the time the entire patronage of the tavern, including Merv, had begun to fight, 'Ky had pushed the girl out the door, and closed the thick oak portal behind them. Sighing in relief, 'Ky rubbed the bridge of his nose, and winced as it spurted blood, dripping down on the rest of his face. Wiping it off with his glove, he turned to the blonde. Motioning for her to start moving, he said, "That was stupid."

[Julia Tristal]

The tavern was in a huge all-out bar brawl now, similar to the one she was in a few weeks ago, she got quite a nice little haul from pickpocketing the brawlers during that time. She might be able to take a few things now while she's in the fray.

Though it seems her rescuer had other plans. She felt large hands on her back, as felt him push her firmly towards the exit, he wasn't pushing too fast or too rough which would have led her into tripping on the floor and get trampled by the bar patrons.

The two of them made it out the door and the man quickly closed the door behind them. Julia could see the people punching and kicking and breaking things through the window. She looked over to the man that saved her.

"That was stupid."

"It was." She said bluntly and grabbed his face and checked his bruises and scars. He was pretty tall, she had to walk on her tiptoes to "Umm... Sorry? I got a bit cocky with that." She frowned a bit. "That was nice of you trying to help me back there." She said with a tiny smile on her face. "Sooo... ummm... Name's Julia, just being nice to the guy that got his face busted for me."

She pressed her finger on one particularly bad bruise on his face. "Hmmm... You know... You didn't need to start a brawl, but uhh... I really appreciate it, Mr... Umm... What's your name?"

She looked around and saw someone get thrown out the window along with Merv's angry voice yelling about his eventually broken bar. "We should go, like right now? Unless you want to go back in and have fun, I know you boys like to duke it out from time to time." She gave a sly smile and placed her hands on her hips, trying to look sassy, though she was short and fairly young, she was in the middle-ground of womanly sexy and childish cute.

[Sh'Ky Naes]

"It was." 'Ky sighed. Then why in the hell would you try to steal in he bar, girl? She suddenly grabbed his face, making him pull back a bit, before he realized that she was checking for bruises and whatnot. "Umm... Sorry? I got a bit cocky with that." 'Ky groaned and rubbed his face, which was rapidly bruising, and said, "No shyke." The girl smiled and stepped back. "That was nice of you trying to help me back there... Sooo... ummm... Name's Julia, just being nice to the guy that got his face busted for me." 'Ky wasn't quite sure how to respond to that, except with a quiet, "...You're welcome." Rubbing his nose, he heard an audible crack. Holding it in place, he muttered, "Oh gods petching shyke this hurts like a vagik." When she pressed a particularly painful bruise, poking it with her finger, he sucked in his breath with a hiss and raised his voice steadily, but he didn't quite shout. "And that hurts bloody well worse!"

He was immediately quieted by the kid's next words. "Hmmm... You know... You didn't need to start a brawl, but uhh... I really appreciate it, Mr... Umm... What's your name?" 'Ky appreciated the apology, even if it wasn't exactly necessary. "Of course it was necessary, kid." Knocking on the side of his head, as if knocking on a door, or another piece of thick wood, he said, "Those types are just smart and tough enough to be dangerous, and just thick enough to not be able to reason with." Winking at the girl... Julia, he said, "'Specially when they have the alcohol in their ugly gizzards." And pointing to himself, he said, "M'name's 'Ky Ness."

"We should go, like right now? Unless you want to go back in and have fun, I know you boys like to duke it out from time to time." Rolling his eyes, he said, "Kid, if I wanted to keep brawlin', I wouldn't be out here, now would I? And yeah, good idea. Let's go." Waving her in front of him, he said, "So where do ya live? You'll probably need someone to walk ya there. Besides, 's a great chance to impart my wisdom on th' younger ones." This was said with a friendly wink, so that she knew he was joking. However, his offer still stood, and he would escort her home.

[Julia Tristal]

Ky' ness, what a strange name, but she wasn't one to complain. She looked up to him and gave a tiny smile, he seemed like a nice guy, he also seems to know Sunberth fairly well. She smiled and grabbed his arm in a tight hug.

"Kid, if I wanted to keep brawlin', I wouldn't be out here, now would I? And yeah, good idea. Let's go. So where do ya live? You'll probably need someone to walk ya there. Besides, 's a great chance to impart my wisdom on th' younger ones."

"Right, sorry... We should leave... Ummm... Where I live? Well, over in the Slums right near the main road, so it's fairly close to where we are, I could go there myself, but it would seem rude to turn down your offer." She said and rubbed her arm. She had hurt herself in the fight, if only she could have turned a bit, maybe her arm wouldn't have been bruised.

The streets were starting to disperse, it was late in the afternoon, and the sun was about to set. The streets were dirty with litter and the homeless and addicts, it seemed like a dangerous place for a young girl to be in, yet she had survived the city.

She had found quite a catch, Ky' was no fighter, that's for sure, he had the built for it, but he seemed like he was a bit nimble with his hands. She started walking, leading him along, which was very dangerous in this city, randomly following a stranger you had met earlier in a bar brawl, but she wouldn't do anything bad to him.

"Anyway, what do you do for a living? You seem rather well-built to be just another bum in the streets." She said and focused on the road, she took a small right at the next corner, making her way into the Slums of the city.

As the two walked deeper into the slums there were more and more beggers out on the street, at least in Tent city they had something over their heads, these people had nothing but the clothes on their back or a couple of empty bottles.

It was pitiful, but there was nothing she could do about it, giving to needy was one thing, but most of the begger or bums here were drug addicts, gamblers, and drunks, giving them any gold would just make them go back to their old habits and eventually lose that money as well.

Soon, after a few twists and turns, the two of them made it to a small apartment complex, it was a regular Sunberth home, shoddy carpentry, holes here and there, but it looked like it was slowly being repaired and renewed, and by hand as well.

Her father owns most of the complex, yet charges for very little, his work as fight instructor and part-time mercenary gave them much of what they needed, there was a small sigh above the doorway that says "Clara's Courier Service".

It seemed like her mother was out, possibly either on a job or picking pockets like her, she didn't need to do that, but she kept saying it was for recreational purposes. Whatever that meant.

"Julia, who's this?" Her father asked and gave a small scowl, he didn't know Ky' and was cautious. He was no carpenter, but he was trying his best to keep the house as good in a condition as possible.

"Hello Da. Just a guy that pretty much got his face smashed in because of me." She replied and let go of Ky' and ran over to her father, and gave him a tight hug.

"Why do all the boys you meet always get their face broken? Anyway, nice to meet you and thank you for keeping my daughter out of trouble... or should I say sorry for my daughter dragging you into trouble. Name's Corvus Tristal. Pleasure to meet you."

[Sh'Ky Naes]

"Right, sorry... We should leave... Ummm... Where I live? Well, over in the Slums right near the main road, so it's fairly close to where we are, I could go there myself, but it would seem rude to turn down your offer." 'Ky nodded, smiling. "No, it wouldn't be rude. It'd be practical. I mean, c'mon, I'm pretty much a total stranger, so..." He noticed her looking at him closely, and quirked an eyebrow. What was she staring at? His question was answered several tics later, when she spoke once more. "Anyway, what do you do for a living? You seem rather well-built to be just another bum in the streets." 'Ky winked, and thought carefully of what to tell her. "I'm a guard, and I usually work in the Market down at the seaside. I also do a bit of 'mercenary' work on the side, if ya get me."

The neighborhood that they were walking through was pretty shoddy, but not too bad, in terms of danger. It was just one of those areas that was... sad. The constant reminder of what you could become with just one misstep, here in Sunberth. Then, they came upon a small apartment complex labelled as 'Clara's Courier Service. It seemed, at first glance, as shoddy as the rest of the neighborhood, but upon closer examination, small repairs were made to the walls and floor inside. 'Ky scratched his chin, and thought, Huh. Seems to be a decent enough place to live. Wonder why the girl was stealing from the guy in the bar. And then, they came upon the man, who undoubtedly won the prize for best eyebrows, at least in 'Ky's book. "Julia, who's this?" Sh'Ky stood back, and let Julia speak for herself. "Hello Da. Just a guy that pretty much got his face smashed in because of me." 'Ky snorted, which made him wince in pain. "Kind of?" He then proceeded to point at each and every bruise on his face, with a sarcastic look. "Why do all the boys you meet always get their face broken? Anyway, nice to meet you and thank you for keeping my daughter out of trouble... or should I say sorry for my daughter dragging you into trouble. Name's Corvus Tristal. Pleasure to meet you." 'Ky took his hand and shook it. The man had a firm grip. "I would say no problem, but... ouch. Still, if we don't look out for each other, who will? Someone from Zeltiva? Syliras? Petch no!" 'Ky smiled and let go of Cor's hand. "M'name's 'Ky Ness. And I must say, 's quite the establishment you have here! A lot nicer on the inside than on the outside, I must say, though." 'Ky winked, to show he meant no harm.

[Julia Tristal]

She smiled and kissed her father's cheek tenderly. "My da is a nice a guy, you can trust him with anything, my mother on the other hand... she's worse than me, keep your hand on your money, and double check everything before you leave."

"Your mother is out, delivering stuff because you were out doing something really reckless probably." Her father said with a slight sigh at the end. "Anyway, Ky' ness, come on in." He said and motioned the man to enter the building.

They didn't have much, but they did have enough to live by. Corvus grabbed the few wooden planks that were littered outside, along with a bucket of nails and such, and walked inside with Julia.

The interior of the home was only a little better than the exterior. The floor looked at least stable, that was something, the walls needed to be refurbished but it was, in comparison to other places in Sunberth, much nicer and in somewhat good condition.

"It's not much, but it is home. Would you like anything to drink? The water we have is... somewhat clean... Mostly." Corvus asked and set the supplies he was carrying by the door. Unlike most other apartments and such, this one had one large common dining area, the people here were nice, though a bit uneasy around new people, there are plenty of rules here, but Corvus' mastery of his blade made any small threats rethink about attacking any of the tenants here.

Most rules are just common courtesies, but in Sunberth, these were needed to be taught to everyone, young and old. Though sometimes, a fight can break out or some other ruckus, but it would be easily resolved.

These people were getting cheap housing with food, if they try to make trouble they get kicked out, simple as that. It was harsh from time to time, but that was life in Sunberth, this place was some people's final haven from the harshness of the outside.

"Would you like something to eat, Ky?"

Julia looked at Ky', panic apparent on her face, she shook her head violently while her father wasn't looking and crossed her arms in an "x" several times.

Corvus looked back to Julia, but she had quickly hidden her message and looked as if she was removing some dirt from her nails. "Hmm? Something to eat? No no, I just ate outside."