PM to join [The Herald's Arms] Paws Off! (Crona)

[Edreina]

1st of Summer, 513 AV The Herald's Arms 1st Floor Despite the slightly sweet smoke that was giving her a throbbing headache, and the bard that seemed to completely miss a note at least every half-hour, and the... noises... that came from above, Edreina really liked her new job. People were laid back and friendly, always moving through, leaving room for new stories and her coworkers were not too bad either. After a long afternoon of watching his master serve drinks and carry on conversations, Navis was quietly asleep in a pile of scarves on the floor behind the bar, in which Edreina had previously been carrying him all day, slung under her arm. He had become a welcome addition to the Arms, sitting quietly on the bar while a patron scratched his hide or flicked scraps in his hapy direction. His master, the Svefra Edreina, on the other hand, was beginning to look frazzled as the evening rush began to subside. Most of her flame-colored-hair had escaped the braid she had thrown it into this afternoon before starting work. Her skirt was hitched up slightly on one side to let her scoot from side to side more quickly and to trot out to the tables with food or drink. Her already short sleeves were bunched up around her biceps, hidden edges already slightly stained by food and drink. Overall, not the most attractive appearance, but she was not the one here to entertain. Just serve food and listen to those who wished to speak with her at the bar before being teased off into a dark corner or an upper floor. Edreina snorted in surprise and then laughed to herself as she heard the now-distinct sound of a figure being tossed onto the bed above, followed by a giggle that cut through the wooden floor. It seemed, to Edreina, that this place never slept, not under the gaze of Syna nor of Leth. It only changed colors and faces. Out of sheer boredom, most patrons were now otherwise occupied, Edreina began to reorganize the haphazardly-stacked mugs and steins and wine glasses that lined the compartments beneath the bar. Edreina decided to organize just one more row as the tell-tale scraping of a barstool over a rough wooden floor alerted Edreina to the arrival of a patron. "Just one second!" She called up, beginning to stand only to bonk the crown of her head on the lip of the bar - for the uncountable time that day... perhaps that is why she had a headache... - because she forgot to take a half-step back. Grimacing for an instant and rubbing the back of her head with long, pale fingers, Edreina rose to her full height and addressed the unfamiliar newcomer. The red-head smiled as brightly as she could with the suddenly redoubled throbbing in her head. "What can I do for you?"

[Crona Aguire]

The day had bartered nothing in return of Crona's awakening as she headed back into the bustling city she had come to love so much. Her clothes stuck to her flat body, perspiration acting as glue. She roughly wiped a bead of sweat from her chin, her eyes searching the busy crowd for a particular sign. She found it soon enough, it hanging proudly over the entrance to the Herald's arms. Perfume soon evaded her senses upon entrance, the sweet essence relaxing her tensed muscles. It was warm in the large bottom floor of the building, although not as hot as the training grounds she was previously visiting which ripped a satisfied hum from deep in her throat. She looked to the left where a bunch of tables and love seats were before sighing and heading to the bar on the right. She had never had a partner of the sort that would be suitable for the right side of the Herald's arms, much less the second floor. Reaching for a stool, she pulled it across the floor in a rough screech. Crona plopped herself down and tugged her backpack into her lap. She was about to call for the barmaid when a loud thud rattled the bar "Just one second!" Crona chuckled, her hand covering her mouth slightly in an attempt to hide her rudeness. The girl soon stood up from behind the bar and turned a smile to her and she couldn't help but stare a bit. The girl was around two or three inches shorter than herself and bright red hair framed face that was spotted cutely with pale freckles. What really caught her attention though, were blue eyes that accompanied the cheerful smile, they were color of the sea she had always ogled at in picture books. "What can I get for you?" Crona had to force herself not to stare and pulled herself back into reality at the red head's question. She was glad her face had not acted on the shock she was given and kept a calm facade. after a moment of thought she smiled softy "I'll just have a dinner, thanks." Her hand dug into her pocket in search of the correct amount of coin before pulling out and setting six gold mizas on the counter. "The extra is yours, you seem to have worked hard today."

[Edreina]

"I'll just have a dinner, thanks." Edreina nodded and would have written it down had there been others at the bar. But, with this solitary woman - or perhaps rather feminine man... it was hard to tell among these city dwellers... - a single order was easy to remember. "No problem, sweetie," shortly after working, Edreina had slipped into tossing in a affectionate term with her customers, it made them feel more at home, she reasoned. The redheaded bar maiden had turned to trot off into the kitchen when the sound of payment hitting the bar reached her ears. Smiling, Edreina returned and counted out the correct amount, lips parting to question the extra Miza when the woman answered her unspoken question. "The extra is yours, you seem to have worked hard today." Edreina's smile was utterly radiant. Her first tip. "Thank you, so much," she bubbled, smile disappearing beneath a bitten lip as she took the extra and slid it thankfully into a pouch around her neck. The rest of the coin became enclosed in her unspotted palm as she disappeared briefly into the kitchen to retrieve the woman's food and place the coin into the tavern's lockbox, having to denote on a long roll of paper what the money was for so that the owner could do the math that he seemed to so enjoy. Edreina had never been one for math; aside from basic addition and subtraction, she had never even bothered to learn. With an arm laden by a plate full of roasted chicken and peppered vegetables, Edreina returned to the woman. After plate had met bar, Edreina habitually brushed off her hands on her skirt, despite having managed to keep them clean this time. "What can I get you to drink?" Her eternal smile was minutely muted but it still managed to give life to the fire-maned woman's face."We have water, ale, wine, mead... Two servin's comes with your dinner. And then, I will get your desert when you're ready." At the woman's request, Edreina knelt and quickly acquired the vessel for the drink and then filled it, setting that down for the woman an instant later. Usually, Edreina would try not to bother patrons as they ate, but something had been nagging at her since her fair blue eyes had first fallen upon the woman. "My name is Edreina..." she shook her head and quickly tacked on, "Edreina Whitewave..." with a smile, remembering that these land-dwellers preferred more than just a birth-name. "What, may I ask, is yours?"

[Crona Aguire]

"Thank you, so much." The girl smiled wholeheartedly at her, causing Crona's stomach to swirl in a way she wasn't all that used to. Butterflies?... "You're very welcome Hun." She replied with a smile reflecting the red head's. Her hazel irises watched as the girl slid the coin into a pouch around her neck before heading to the back. She wished she could say that her eyes didn't follow the ginger but she couldn't make that statement. The blond rubbed at her forehead, Why cant I just accept that not every girl I see will also like girls? Although that's what she thought, a voice deep inside of her told her the someday there will be a girl that does. The woman returned soon carrying a plate loaded with food. If only Crona had the balance to carry something like that. She would fall the instant a chair was pulled in front of her. Once the plate was sat down, the mouth watering smells wouldn't allow her to sit still any longer; she took her fork and smiled as it slid into a perfectly roasted potato. "What can I get you to drink?" The girl asked before naming the many options and explaining about desert. "I'll have a water then" She said with a small smile before enclosing her lips around her fork. Crona moaned softly at the delicious flavor of the food, wondering why she didn't eat there more often. Probably because it was a bit out of her way, though the food was worth it. A chilled glass of water was soon set perfectly to the right of her plate. She reached over for it and took a grateful swig, washing down her last few bites. "My name is Edreina..." The barmaid said before shaking her head slightly and continuing "Edreina Whitewave... What, may I ask, is yours?" Crona looked up at Edreina with a slightly lifted eyebrow but smiled nonetheless "Nice to meet you Edreina." She said in her gravely voice that most would assume belonged to an adolescent boy. "Crona, Crona Aguire. Now I believe it's my turn to ask a question." She set her fork on the plate and folded her hands underneath her chin. "How did a pretty girl like you come to work as a barmaid?"

[Edreina]

"Nice to meet you, Edreina." Something about the way that such a simple greeting was spoken caused Edreina to blush a lovely shade of pink, from one cheekbone, across her freckled nose, to the other. It gave her pause, if even for an instant as blue eyes reappraised the slight woman sitting before her. Luminous blond hair was cropped short, framing a well boned face with features that could easily have been mistaken for masculinity were it not for the luscious lips that tipped the entire look back into a feminine direction. Her build was lean, hardened muscle curving gracefully beneath pale skin in a build that most Svefra women aspired to and men craved. Edreina herself felt a bit of envy, wishing that the telltale curves of womanhood had not affected her, leaving her with the willowy, graceful figure of the woman before her. "Crona, Crona Aguire. Now I believe it's my turn to ask a question." To distract herself, and hide the blush, Edreina had begun to make her way down the bar, collecting drinks that had been abandoned in favor of taller glasses of water. But, at the possibility of being interrogated herself, she returned, setting the glasses aside and leaning on the bar with both of her elbows. Part of her wondered to where Navis had scampered off; the majority did not care. "How did a pretty girl like you come to work as a barmaid?" At this, the light pink of her previous blush became a fully blown crimson. "Well..." Edreina brushed some stray hair behind her ear surreptitiously. It was hard to explain, really, why she had abandoned a life on the high seas for one couped up in the city. It all came down to- "Curiosity, really. I'm a sailor most of the time, a cave...er?" What was the word for it in Common? "But I've never really spent much time among you land-striders," she smiled warmly, teasing the woman before her. "I love to meet new people, learn new things... What better way to accomplish that than serving them drinks?" She ended it with her trademark, crinkly-eyed grin before dancing off to refill another man's wineglass. When Edreina turned around once again, she was dismayed to find that the woman had seemingly disappeared, leaving behind an empty plate. With a sigh, she continued about her business, displeased with her loss of possible entertainment. The woman had seemed as if she would provide Edreina with some interesting conversation, and now she was gone. Oh well... No point in dwelling upon it. With her initial curiosity shrugged off, Edreina settled into a steady routine of smiling, fetching food, and refilling drinks. Every once in awhile, a patron would stop her and they would briefly exchange pleasantries until he found out that she was not one of the comfort girls. After that, interest would always be lost and Edreina would be forced to move on, seeking out a new line of conversation, either to eaves drop upon or join in. Well, it had started out an interesting night.

[Perplexity]

Riddled With Rewards Edreina Experience Skill XP Earned Rhetoric + 1 EXP Observation + 1 EXP Socialization +1 EXP Lores • Lore Earned • Day or Night, Someone’s Busy at the Herald’s Arms • The Relation Between the Underside of a Bar and Headaches • Momentous Occasion: My First Tip! • Crona Aguire: A Pretty Face Crona Experience Skill XP Earned Socialization + 1 EXP Observation + 1 EXP Seduction + 1 EXP Lores • Lore Earned • Tipping For A Hard Days Work • Edreina Whitewave: Herald’s Arm Barmaid • Woes For a Romantic: Why, Oh, Why? Notes : I gave what I could. PM me if you’ve questions regarding your grade.