[The Strangers Welcome] A steel midget? [Vanos Strongarm]

[Talen Stirling]

Continued from here Talen stumbled back and looked down at the figure he had walked into. It felt like a man of steel, and looking upon the short figure didn't change that appearance. Muscular and short, the name "Isur" appeared in the back of his head as he apoligized. "Sorry about that! I was so busy with getting inside and getting some food I didn't see you!" He spoke quickly and smiled at the man, moving the scarf away from his mouth as he spoke. He figured it would be the best not to mention that this person's height might also have contributed to the collision.

[Vanos Strongarm]

Vanos never thought of himself as an obstruction; if anything he was overlooked for the very reason that he probably got ran into by the human. His stance didn't budge as the human collided into his back, if anything it would have felt like running into a tiny and solid wall, so it was nothing that Vanos couldn't just simply shrug off as he looked up to the human with a smile. He watched as he scarf was pulled down to reveal a fully human face - the majority of the population in Denval, and the population that seemed to speak Common the fastest and only one that he had met so far that he could speak Isurian too. Unfortunately Jerzy wasn't able to simply walk around as Vanos' escort and provide company for the Isur in his native tongue. He was now in Denval, and would be required to speak like a Denvali. "No problem," Vanos said while he motioned to the door of the inn that he, too, was going into. "For food, I am here. Vee eat together, yes? I'm Vanos Strongarm," He said as he held out his right hand to the human for their customary, introductory handshake. By the way that everyone else around them was calm and walking at a normal, non-hurried pace, Vanos didn't understand why this one human was in such a rush to get to wherever he was going. "There good food inside that disappears fast? That is reason for being ... busy?" Vanos cocked his head to the side curiously as he looked up to the human. All physiology was more or less the same and based on the way he appeared the man couldn't be over the age of twenty, yet he had the posture and the poise of a city guard. Though if the conversion that remembered from school was truly accurate, the two men were more alike in age than their physical appearances would dictate.

[Talen Stirling]

Talen offered a tired friendly smile back, it was obvious the man before him wasn't angry. Besides, Talen was probably the one most likely to fall in their collision, short and stout as Vanos were. "Let's! Nice to meet you, my name is Talen Stirling. Welcome to Denval?" The last sentence was offered as a question, although he was pretty certain the isur was new to the town. He'd not seen him around before, and Isur weren't common in Denval. Perhaps that would change once they finished The Road, yet that was neither here nor there. He took Vanos' hand in a firm, strong handshake he always made sure to have. "Yeah, great food 'n' drink in there, let's go have some." He grinned and opened the door of the tavern letting the Isur step in before him. Assuming he did, he would step up next to him and walk him to a table off to the left. "You'll have to try the degtine, and we can probably get something good and warming to fill a tired stomach." That statement was made likely by the scent of food and warmth emanating from the kitchen and the overall appearance of The Welcome.

[Vanos Strongarm]

"Velcome, yes," He said as he shook the smaller hand in his own and smiled up to Talen. "Very new here, few minutes on land. Don't know much about this place other than following nose to find food. Good?" He said as he looked back over to The Stranger's Welcome with a smile, glad that he managed to meet someone instead of sitting in there alone. "Nice to meet you, Talen." Vanos said as he pronounced the name for the first time. "Talen. Talen." He repeated, softer and deeper to himself as he followed the human inside. He stopped just short of the entrance as he turned his wide frame around to look up at the human again with a curious look on his face. "Vhat does Talen mean? Human language, naming important. Have meaning and significance. Your name curious." Vanos couldn't keep pestering Talen with more questions as he was gently guided toward a table by Talen, one of many wooden tables. The Isur sat down in one of the chairs with the wood joints creaking under his frame. "Degtine, is..." Vanos paused as he looked back over to Talen with a frown. He shook his head with a sigh as he gave him a little smile while settlinhis body in the chair. "Sorry for endless questions. So much about here I don't know. Von't know unless I ask, hm?" The Isur gave a little chuckle as he placed the heftier arm on the table and leaned against it. Thankfully the table was of a size that could accommodate people of varying sizes and Vanos didn't feel like he was sitting at the children's table. "You ever come to Sultros, I explain all to you. Teach you Isurian." He said, naming the language quite loud and proud. "Not difficult to understand. Isurian like math. Precise. Common, not so much."

[Talen Stirling]

When they arrived at the table, Talen sat down with a smile at the furthest chair, Vanos obviously meant to sit in the one opposite him. "Degtine is a homebrewed drink, strong enough to warm your heart and cleanse your mind." He waved at a barmaid and then returned to Vanos to give him a delayed answer to his first question with a thoughtful expression. "It's fine, I will ask you about Sultros in return and we will be the better for knowin'. My name! I asked my dad about that once.. He smiled, and said that tale was one for me to make. 'Talen's Tale' sounds neat, eh'?" Talen smiled, although it was a tired one. It was a very fond memory, his father had always been supportive of him despite his blood disease and throughout his upbringing. Well, when he had been alive. However, Talen had come to terms with his death long ago. Of course, it was sad and a pity, but it was inevitable and he did have a father. A good one at that. He just wasn't physically around anymore. His person and teachings still existed in the Tale Talen would create. That was a nice thought. "Hehe, I'd like that. Perhaps we'll go and finish The Road right quick and I'll hold you to your offer." He was a little amused, though he remembered something about Isur living very long so perhaps the idea wasn't even out of reach for Vanos at least. "So Vanos, what can you tell me of Sultros, and your kin? Personally I've lived my whole life in Denval." As he listened to the Isur, he ordered two glasses of Degtine and a good evening meal with meat, bread and potatoes for both of them. He was, secretly, counting on the Isur to pay for his own. His budget was surdently not endless.

[Vanos Strongarm]

"Degtine sounds like chemical, not drink should be putting in body. Does it also cleanse other parts of body?" Vanos said with a smirk as he watched the barmaid approach. Talen and the woman spoke briefly to each other in a hushed tone, speaking with that Denvali accent that made Common just a little harder to understand. He chuckled at the idea of the man in front of him, who appeared more like a boy than a man, to spin his own tales for his father and no history behind the name. Perhaps it was one that was simply made up? There seemed to be a bit of either confusion or sadness in Talen's face as there was just the slightest hint to Vanos that something was going on behind those eyes, some train of thought or a recollection of memory that he was not privy to hear. Vanos had to snort at the idea of the road getting done quick. Perhaps it was human optimism that thought the road could be built so rapidly, but Vanos knew better; it would take careful planning, preparation of materials and workers and execution of the plan to make that work. And they didn't even have a full fledged, fully agreed upon plan to work with yet. "Voad vill take long time. Vill have to do something else in mean time to keep hands and mind busy." Vanos said carefully and slowly as he looked across the table to Talen. "Sultros very different from Denval, yet the same. Not built in flat land, very close to mountain. And not veally one city, but several inside. Vould have to show you to explain," Vanos said with a grunt. He knew that most Isurians weren't so open to talking about their hometown, but the little details that he could translate into Common weren't going to break any huge taboos that the city had, though he wished that he could somehow find a smooth way in Common to divert the topic to something else. "Vhat of Denval? This city looks ... coloured. Not as varm as Sultros and very tall people here," Vanos said with a little grin. "Though that more human thing than Denval thing."

[Talen Stirling]

Vanos spoke strangely, the Isur didn't exactly seem to get a joke and his answer was very brief and... Shallow. Perhaps Sultros was a very private place, they had a sort of clan system and as far as he knew were not the most open of people. Hard as the rocks they lived in, someone had told him once. "Denval is quite colourful. Denval is... A lot of things, he thought. What was the key feature of Denval? What made them unique? Perhaps it was the closeness of their community. Perhaps it was the way that they took care of both themselves and each other. Alot of Denvali were very straightforward, and didn't play so much pretend. Of course, not all of these things were true of everyone but the Denvali were at least to Talen the best of people. After thinking for abit, he presented Vanos with an explanation that might sound arrogant, or just proud. "We're very much ourselves. Most Denvali don't play pretend, or slouch around their duties. The community takes care o' them, and they take care of the community by taking care of themselves. Everyone is descended from the same ancestors, and there's a sorta pride in being Denvali that strengthens us and holds us together. OOCSorry about the delay. I am not very good at social threads

[Vanos Strongarm]

OOCCould always ask for a couple NPCs to start a bar fight we could break up? "Denvali sound strong," Vanos nodded with a big grin on his face. "Not unlike Isur. Just different place. Different history. But proud, strong, vithout vorry of one becoming soft from lack of activity." He wasn't certain about the pause in the man's speech but perhaps it was some human ability to make stuff up on the fly. Did Denval also withhold secrets about its past? Not that Vanos could simply outright ask those questions, either. "Surprised so velcoming to me, though. Isurian not normal Denvali, Isur stick to Isur. But very happy to be treated like guest and not suspicious like thief." He held out one of his large hands with a grin as he looked over to Talen. "Hands not made for sneaking coin out of pockets. Made for hammering metal and fighting. Certain Isurian clans fight vith no shield. Fight vith no armour. Isurian body is all they need for protection." He narrowed his eyes for a moment as he looked over to the uniform that Talen wore. "Not saying you are veak, just ... comparison, is all."

[Talen Stirling]

Talen shrugged and nodded a little embarassed at Vanos' compliments. He didnt feel it wasn't true though, Denval was all of those things as well as many others. Talen smiled and was about to explain how the Denvali were very open to foreigners because of their former isolation and need for new people, and new blood. He didn't reach to do so before the Isur continued, and he looked at the large hard hand in front of him with a momentarily thoughtful expression. There was no weakness in wearing armour, or using whatever you could to gain an advantage or strength. Nor did he believe a smith would think so. He raised his head and looked at the Isur with a challenging smile as he took his hand in a brief handshake. "Oh no, if you's think so giv' me a sword 'n' I'll show you how weak we are." In fact, give anyone Denvali their weapon of choice and they'd have some strength to show.

OOCNu-uh that'd be desperate It's fine!

[Vanos Strongarm]

Vanos grinned and waved his hand over to Talen to try and avert the display of machismo. The last thing he wanted to do was have Talen try and poke at his flesh for some weak spot, and he'd be hard pressed if he thought a good, solid slice of his sword would make his blood spill. "No, no need to prove. I believe you. Vouldn't have you in position to keep city safe if they thought you vere veak, right?" Before Vanos could try and sooth the man's masculinity, the barmaid arrived with a plate for each of the men while another woman brought over to mugs of some liquid inside of them. The food was foreign to Vanos - it smelled good, but that didn't necessarily mean that it was good for him to eat. His eyes settled on the liquid in the mug that Vanos' hand reached out for and he gave it a caution sniff, as one would do to a potential chemical. "This degtine?" He held the mug between the two of them as he glanced down to the food that he never heard Talen order, but he must have done as Vanos was busy looking at something else or trying to put words in the right order for Common. "Smells vrong. Smells not like drink." He said with a slight scowl. While Vanos wasn't one to refuse food or drink, he did bring the mug in his hands up to his lips and took a cautions, slow sip of the liquid. The Isur let out a growl as he put it back down on the table, his lips pursed together as if he had just swallowed something sour. "It burn. That good?"