DreamLyrics™ Play-by-Post Forums Fantasy SKT: The Storm King's Thunder 3Ca - The Wink and a Kiss (Bern, Davroar and Jaliera)

[ooc: We'll call them 'eye masks', nothing too drastic.]

DM
Reluctant and a bit taken aback by the strangeness of the establishment, they find a seat at a nearby table. Like most tables, it is a booth and tucked between dividers and curtains. In short order, another attendant, this one a woman with long, raven black hair, comes by the table. She, like all others, wears a mask. Hers is rather ornate, encrusted with a glittery material that shimmers in the dim light shed by the lantern that sits in the center of the table. Her arms and legs and neck also glisten with that material. She looked more festive than alluring, her clothing modest enough.

"Well met!" she said. "How are you all doing this evening?"

<Bern>

He wasn't 'encouraged' by the need for 'a mask', but followed the 'custom' and put his on and took his seat at the table ... looking to the others for some indication of what was next.

Jaliera

"Fine, thank you."

She smiles.

"Just briefly popped into the Pearl Handled Pipe and.. well.. it was a bit too rich for our taste. Looking for a good meal and maybe a bed for the night?"

Davroar


He keeps having to adjust his mask, but stops when their server arrives, and gives a warm smile, "Hello! Good, but hungry Miss. What do you have to eat?"

DM

The waitress smiles and says "We are not an inn but I will send someone over to talk to you about some choices. Yartar is famous for fish and seafood but we also have roast lamb, chicken and ham. What would you like to drink?"

Davroar

He is too hungry to be choosey and simply says, "Fish and an ale for me please!"

<Bern>

"I'll have the same", he said with a smile.

[OOC See PM for query ]

Jaliera

She smiles back at the waitress. Having been born in Manshaka on the coast, south of Calimshan's central plain, fish is a taste very reminiscent of her childhood and brings those memories and that of the loss of her parents much closer. She sighs softly.

"Fish would be lovely please but just water with it, thanks!"

DM
"Sure, right away - the fish is great today!" she said before adding "And welcome to the Wink and the Kiss! I can see that you're new here and maybe a bit put off. Don't be! This is a fun place but we try to keep things on the tame side."

Evidently she was a good at reading people and had some insight - always a good trait for waitstaff.

She left to fulfill your order.

Davroar

He sits back in his seat, feeling a little more relaxed now that he knows food is on the way, and that their server seems friendly enough.

"Guess we'll have to find a place to sleep after dinner, since this isn't an inn. I'm ok with just camping back out by the caravan grounds if we can't find a place. We should ask our waitress when she gets back."

Jaliera

"Good idea. I'm happy with either."

She smiles at Davroar and Bern.

"And I hope the fish is as good as she says. Feeling hungry now. I grew up by the sea you know."

<Bern>

"While I was thinking it might be a nice treat to sleep in a bed, I don't mind saving some coin and returning to the cavern", he said with a grin.

DM

As the trio sits and waits for their orders to arrive they have an opportunity to observe the venue. There does seem to be a relaxed attitude here. People are allowed to do whatever they want, but only up to a limit. A group of barbarians were sitting several tables away on the far side of dark room and they were getting very loud and rowdy. While there was a constant hum of voices that mixed with the minstrel's music, that table was getting out of control. One really drunk barbarian, a hulking redheaded man, grabbed a young serving girl by her skirt and pulled her, very much against her will, towards him. Within a few seconds two much larger bald men, both over 7 feet tall and built like oak trees were there. Order was restored quickly as the man was quickly restrained and bound. One of the bald giant men tucked the bound barbarian under his arm and carried him out, kicking and screaming as the other bald giant stood between them and the other barbarians. What was most surprising is that, for whatever reason, the other barbarians decided to behave as their friend was removed.

Things calmed down but stayed lively. A juggler wandered into view from a different area of the place and then an nearly naked and oiled male dancer started to perform. The dancer moved gracefully and sensually from table to table gyrating suggestively in front of the patrons. He seemed to linger longer near the women. When he performed the barbarian table, a wild looking barbarian woman flashed a silver piece at him, holding it between her thumb and forefinger in front of her filthy face. He approached and she rand the coin from his adam's apple down the middle of his chest towards his loin and then tucked it into his loincloth. He lingered for an extra moment or two and performed an acrobatic handstand which revealed too much. The barbarians all cheered and applauded as he danced his way around.

Eventually he reached the trio and as before, he stopped to perform and he stopped, of course, in front of Jaliera and began to perform for her.

OOC: There are no caverns anywhere nearby. This is a walled city on a river. Also, your character's are likely to already know that the city gates are locked and heavily guarded at night.

Jaliera

She watches the almost incident with the barbarians. It does seem as though the place is well run. Then a juggler appears. Plenty going on here. A dancer performs for the barbarians and she is OK watching from a distance.

Then it is the turn of their table where, as the other female, she seems to be the focus. She had been worried that the masks might impede their eating. Now she wishes it was longer to spare her blushes.

<Bern>

He watched the 'altercation' and was just about to 'step in' when the two 'bouncers' showed up and set things straight pretty quickly. As the 'stupid one' was taken out, he smiled at his partner and gave him a 'thumbs up'.

He watched the 'dancer' while he waited for their food. Then the 'entertainment' arrived ... clearly drawn to Jaliera ... and started performing. He would have preferred more peace and quiet, but apparently not tonight.

Davroar

He lets out a big laugh too at the sudden and revealing acrobatic display by the dancer. When the dancer ends up at their table he turns to look at Jaliera and notices her blushes and with a friendly nudge mischievously says, "Better pay quick Jaliera!"

Jaliera

She smiles at the dancer and pushes a silver coin towards him.

"Thank you."

DM
The dancer, sweat glistening off of his chest down to his belly, came close enough to Jaliera so that she could feel the heat and smell him as he fingered the silver coin and put into the folds of his loin cloth. Without asking, he seated himself and said, "So, your waitress told me that you were looking for a place to stay in Yartar." His dark, black eyes gleamed through the half mask that he wore.

Jaliera

She jumps in quickly before the others could say anything.

"Yes we are."

She will have some explaining to do after this but for now hopes that Davroar and Bern will let her lead on the conversation.

<Bern>

He grinned as the dancer sat down beside Juliera and how quickly she 'took control' of the conversation for them. He was OK with letting her do the 'heavy lifting'.

Davroar

He is a little bit startled at first as the dancer sat uninvited at their table, and was about to say to the man to piss off, but Jaliera spoke up first. Any interjection now would seem overly rude, so he will sit back and let Jaliera talk.

Dancer
He seems to study the three of you and does focus a bit more on Jaliera but after a moment he lets out a sigh, "Well, I suppose that you are decent enough folk. Beldabar's Rest isn't the type of place that advertises. They will expect you. It is far less expensive than the Pipe but it's a much more discrete place, safe from public scrutiny and as long as you don't step over certain lines, folks look the other way. Brawls and bloodshed are kept to a minimum there. When you find the place, seek out Beldabar, he's a friend."

The last was said directly to Jaliera.

<Bern>

He knew of places like this. They were usually pretty safe.

"Who should we credit with the 'recommendation'", he asked with a grateful smile.

Jaliera

She waits to see if Bern gets an answer, unconcerned as she already knows his name.