A Party of One at a Table for Five

[Roxanne]

The Tavern as the Gallow's Inn was quite the popular watering hole, as usual. Some people might consider the bar to be a little shady, a little 'cheap', so to speak but it was an important staple in the third district. It was a good place to get a hot meal and a cold drink without breaking your wallet or people asking too many questions, usually. Tonight was no different than any other, yet. The tavern was crowded, not so much that it was offputting. Barmaids ran around serving the patrons and putting up with drunken passes. The half demon at one of the back tables rolled her eyes. 

The day hadn't been that busy for Roxanne, honestly. These days she didn't have much to occupy her time with besides her bone crafting, which she was improving. Her years of working with blades lent itself easily to her new hobby so the hardest part was cleaning the bones and deciding what to shape them into. Aside from that though, her dad had been mostly dull and so she had decided that a trip to the tavern was just what she needed to end on a more interesting note. After all, one never knew whom you might run into at the Gallow's Inn Tavern. 

 Roxanne had chosen an emerald green dress, form fitting, with a corseted top and short, off the shoulder sleeves. The top had a sweetheart neckline that greatly showed off her 'assets' and threaded with a sheer lace in a silvery white color along the edge. The sleeves were made of the same material and the corset part was crisscross and tied in the back with silvery white ribbon. She had on a pair of white, strappy heels. Her accessories of choice were a choker necklace that consisted of an emerald green ribbon which threaded through a setting which was made of bone. The bone setting had an abstract design carved into it and a large opal set in the center. Roxanne didn't bother with earrings as her hair covered those, even though she had it pulled up into only a half ponytail with her familiar enchanted hair pin. 

Tonight, she had decided against sitting at the bar and found herself a table towards one of the back corners. It was designed to accommodate a party of sorts but for now it was just her. She ordered a glass of the house wine, with instructions to keep it coming, and a bowl of pretzels to help with the alcohol. She didn't plan on getting drunk because that would make it difficult to fly home. Of course, she also didn't plan on having company, but sometimes plans changed unexpectedly. 

[Deleted]

Deidric wandered downstairs after finally settling into his new accommodations, he probably could have afforded slightly better, but he cared little if he was on the rougher part of town. He had added some additional disincentive for anyone wishing to enter his room without permission and then decided to go get a drink. As he looked around the bar he took in a deep breath, slightly dirty, fairly vulgar, and with sour ale. Taverns are same the world over. He thinks to himself with a smile.

Deidric was wearing a black linen shirt with grey trim, it was a bit loosely fitting for comfort and most or less his most of his toned physique, but he would be damned if it was not comfortable. his pants were a dull grey and made out of the same material. Around his neck hung a metallic colored pendant and his large hands were unadorned. However, strapped to his belt was a black leather scabbard that had once been extremely fine, but had seen a great deal of use since.

Deidric spotted the red headed woman at the bar and sat down next to her ordering himself an ale. He gave her a smile revealing a row of white teeth and then turned back to get his drink. "Hope you don't mind that I took the seat, my apologies if you were saving it for someone." He says as he turns back towards Roxanne, seeming to want to drum up a conversation.

[Roxanne]

Being an attractive woman alone in a bar usually brought interesting company. This night appeared to be no exception as Roxanne was soon joined by rather handsome and capable looking gentleman. She didn't even have to wonder long if he noticed her or wanted to talk as he soon made an attempt to strike up a conversation.

The red haired half demon shook her head, giving the newcomer a welcome smile. "I don't mind at all, as long as you don't mind a bit of conversation," she replied, though it was pretty obvious he didn't. "I'm Roxanne, by the way," she added, introducing herself. She didn't really mind if he didn't return the favor but most people usually did.

Roxanne wasn't quite sure what kind of person this man was, to be honest. He didn't smell like a normal human but the scent was familiar, tickling a faint memory long forgotten that she couldn't quite reach. She shrugged it off, though. Tonight was not a night for remembering things. She took a long drink of her wine, downing the glass actually, and requesting a refill.

She turned her attention back to Deidric, her lavender eyes calm and curious. "Where are you from and to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" she asked. Everyone had a story, after all, perhaps he'd like to share his.

[Deleted]

Deidric takes a swig of the brew and leans back smacking his lips lightly in appreciation. "Ahhh~ nothing caps off a long trip like a nice pint of beer." He muses, not seeming to care much about the ale's subpar quality. Deidric returns Roxanne's smile, glad that his new drinking partner seemed to be outgoing and friendly.

When she introduces herself he raises his cup and says "and I am Deidric, it is a pleasure to meet you." He greets before softly tapping his cup against hers and taking another swig. "To good company, and travelers fortune." He follows with, the saying had the sound of something that was repeated quite often, possibly a toast that he made regularly.

When Roxanne asks him where he is from he tilts his head back and forth as if trying to decide how to answer the question. "I suppose the easiest explanation is I am from the north, but I have journeyed through several countries to get here. I have hear a lot about how beautiful Teair is and how interesting the people are. So, as a curious traveler I decided to come and visit, and also see if any here were interested in someone in my line of work." He explains tapping the sword at his belt.

Deidric's nose twitches a few times as he looks at her and he tilts his head in the contemplative manner he had a few moments before. Then after appearing to come to some kind of decision he asks, "and what about your story? I must admit that I am surprised to see an attractive outgoing woman like yourself sitting alone."

[Roxanne]

Roxanne watched as Deidric took his swig, grinning at his following comment. "I could not agree with you more," she said, nodding as he introduced himself. She joined in his toast, smiling and repeating it as was usual. "Yes, to good company and travelers fortune. And the pleasure is all mine, Deidric," she said, downing the rest of her wine and ordering a second glass. It wasn't the best wine in the kingdom, but it would get the job done if she drank enough of it.

The half demon listened, looking intrigued, as Deidric answered her question. So he was actually a native, of sorts, to this world. How interesting. It seemed to her lately that she hadn't met many of those, which now that she thought about it, was a bit odd. She smiled though, clearing that thought from her head and nodding in agreement as he came to the part about Teair being beautiful with interesting people.

"A smart choice, I must say. Travel is always good, no matter the destination, but Teair and particularly Nova, is a beautiful region. Much more so than Palico or Kanto, in my opinion. The people here are varied, friendly enough usually, unless you're Fated. But I feel like the Fated are part of the intrigue," she said, "As for your job search, you shouldn't find it hard to find an employer here either. There is definitely a demand for mercenaries, body guards, and bounty hunters alike," she finished, grinning. She knew he'd never guess her line of work just by looking at her, so it was amusing for the moment.

Roxanne wasn't surprised when Deidric flipped the conversation, though she didn't understand why he was looking at her like that. She brushed it off as curiosity as he asked his questions. "My story? Hm. That's complicated but thank you for the compliment," she said, laughing a little. She debated for a moment on what to tell this stranger, in a public bar. "I'm...not from here, exactly, though I have been here quite some time. I'm a bit unusual and because of that, some people find me unnerving to be around. I'm also single, if that helps answer your question," she explained vaguely, shrugging. Roxanne didn't want to tell him she was a half demon or a mercenary just yet. Those things were usually off putting and for now, she was enjoying the company.

[Deleted]

Deidric grins as Roxanne returns his toast and listens intently as she explains how she loves the region, but one word keeps catching his interest. "You've mentioned these "fated" a couple of times, what are those?" He asks curiously, and pronouncing the word in an unfamiliar fashion. "I am pretty sure I have heard the term mentioned before, but I have no clue what it is about."

Watching her down the rest of her wine Deidric quickly follows suit and orders another beer. "Well all of that is a relief to hear, I have not been here long, but now I am excited to do some exploring."

Though his grin turns to a more curious expression as she tells him she makes people uncomfortable. Deidric's brow creases skeptically but he soon shrugs, he supposed that there were many people in the world, maybe some were scared by attractive people. Though as she finishes speaking he lets out a laugh and says "we are both so open an candid." He laughs.

"Well I suppose you do not get a pair dressed like us in a cheap tavern unless we have interesting pasts, or if we were nobles engaging in a tryst I suppose." He speculate still chuckling at both of their vague answers. He could tell something was making her nervous and he says "well if it makes you feel any better you seem to be quite pleasant company to me."

"Do you have any suggestions regarding places I should visit or people I should meet?"

[Roxanne]

Roxanne wasn't surprised to hear that Deidric didn't know of the Fated. It made sense, since he wasn't from Nova. She sighed and took another long drink of her wine. "The Fated... Are you familiar with the demi god, Fate? For whatever reason, he's been bringing people here to Teair from other worlds, other timelines, other dimensions. These people are called Fated for that reason and this city has a misguided grudge against them," she explained, giving Deidric the short and most common known explanation. She couldn't keep the bitterness from her tone, however, which would likely give her away.

As he mentioned that he might do some exploring, Roxanne smiled. "That is a wonderful idea. Teair has many interesting places to see, even just around Nova and the surrounding forest," she said, agreeing with him. For her part, though she had been to Palico and Kanto, she hadn't fully explored the area even just around Nova, yet.

Roxanne looked at him evenly, watching the curious expression on his face change to skepticism as she answered him and finally joined in with his laugh as he pointed out their vague answers. His following comment earned him a grin. "That is very true. I would gladly share more with you but for I don't really need the whole tavern knowing my business," she replied, at least offering an explanation for her vagueness. The half demon was pleased that he thought she was pleasant company, at least for now. He didn't seem to suspect her true nature. "Thank you. You seem like pretty decent company yourself," she replied, taking another sip of her wine.

Deidric's next question was a bit unexpected and Roxanne looked at him for a moment, thinking. "I don't know about people. I don't know many here personally. As for places though, I'll recommend the Crystal Springs, just outside of town. If you're looking for work, you might ask around the Bloody Mary or perhaps check with the guard captain," she offered. She knew it wasn't much help but that's the best she had to recommend.

[Deleted]

Deidric finishes the beer in his hand slowly as Roxanne explains to him what the Fated are. His face remains neutral as her explanation finishes and he says "sounds like this Fate fellow does not want whatever he thinks his fate is to come to pass and his hoping external elements will help him change it." Deidric theorizes, though as he watches her bitter tone and expression a few pieces click into place. Ahhh~ my friend here is probably either fated or connected to one.

"People always get upset when they do not understand something, though it does not sounds like the Fated are bad, if anything it sounds more like they could use help more than most." He replies as he gets his third beer with no sign of stopping.

When she suddenly brightens up again he smiles. "Yes there do seem to be many interesting places around. On my way here I am pretty sure I saw several armed gorillas up in the mountain pass." He tells her with an excited smile, they did not seem particularly aggressive so he had not ended up in a scuffle with them.

"And the part about the whole tavern not knowing either of our business is certainly wise." He admits though he punctuated this by taking a sip from the tankard he was drinking from. "I am glad I am providing an entertaining distraction, it is good to meet someone so friendly on my first day in the city."

When she tells him about places in area he smiles at the mention of the springs. "Sounds like a good place for one to soak their scales." He replies, again with the sounds of phrase said more out of habit than substance. He also listened to the explanation of places to find work, he was certainly going to do that at some point, but at the moment he was more interested in taking a look around and meeting people.

[Roxanne]

Roxanne's face didn't change as Deidric theorized on why Fate might want the Fated. She knew a bit more than she was telling though the actual reason behind it was still known likely only to Fate himself. She knew she'd likely given herself away but she didn't really mind. She wasn't ashamed of being Fated, it wasn't her fault after all, and besides she was still from Nova, just a different timeline. That almost didn't count really, in her opinion. She had no one she missed there and would gladly stay here if ever offered the choice.

She nods in agreement as Deidric mentions that people get upset with things they do not understand, and that the Fated could use help. "That is very true. I have personal experience with both, though the first isn't necessarily caused by the latter. In any case, there are people willing to give jobs to Fated, as long as they don't know they're Fated. I'm not sure what our King has in mind for dealing with them. He hasn't done anything as of yet and this has been going on for at least a year, I think," Roxanne offered the information with little trepidation, taking another sip of her wine. It was common knowledge, after all.

Roxanne raises her eyebrow as he mentioned that he saw armed gorillas. That was new. "Yes, there are quite a few interesting places. Did you say 'armed gorillas'? I might have to go check that out because I have never even seen a gorilla, much less and armed one," she said, sounding very curious. There were a lot of things in this world yet to see, it would seem.

She laughed, nodding in agreement as he agreed with her. "I certainly thought so. I'm usually quite open otherwise, when not in a public setting, so perhaps someday we'll meet somewhere where we can actually trade stories properly," she said, finishing off her wine. She wasn't at all shy with the fact that she'd enjoy meeting with him in a more private setting and smiled when he called her friendly. "You are providing a most welcome and interesting distraction, thank you," she replied, before ordering another glass of wine. She was keeping pace with Deidric, as was custom when one was drinking with someone else.

She was almost as distracted by his scent as she was with him personally, catches whiffs of it when she dared breathed through her nose. There were so many other smells in the tavern though, most unpleasant, that she couldn't place his. It was so familiar and yet not at the same time. She knew it wasn't something she'd come across yet in this world, but perhaps from Feyurlun? She'd figure it out eventually, but it bothered her that it likely would not be tonight.

The half demon returned her attention to her new found companion as he mentioned the springs, giving him a curious look at his choice of phrasing. Scales? She knew he wasn't human by his scent but what could he be that would have scales? A shifter of sorts perhaps? "It is a wonderful place for soaking anything you might have. I haven't been in awhile myself though. I could show you the way sometime, if you'd like," she said, her offer of meeting him in a more private setting subtle and watching to see what he would make of it.

[Deleted]

"The king probably has other things to worry about then just the Fated, most kings actually have to deal with a plethora of issue and politicking so decisions often take a lot of time unless they are confronted with the issue directly." Deidric says with an air of familiarity that implied of personal experience, though possibly not as a king himself. Picking up the mug he runs his finger along the mug.

Curiouser and curiouser, this place does indeed seem to have a lot going on. He muses and determines that it was probably a good choice coming here, if only for a change of pace. He muses briefly taking a trip to the palace, a bit of chaos seemed like fun, but he soon thinks better of it.

"It is a bit of a shame to hear this place dislikes outsiders so much though, I always thought of Nova as more of a cultural melting pot." He contemplates aloud as he takes another swig. And chuckles a bit at the response about 'armed gorillas'. Waving his hand in front of his face dismissively he says. "Sorry, I mispoke, your language is hard sometimes, I meant Gorillas with many arms." He sets down the mug and pantomimes having lots of arms.

As she seems to imply a more clandestine meeting he smiles at her and takes another sip. "Perhaps someday, but for now let us simply drink and enjoy the atmosphere." He did not seem particularly uninterested, but at the same time there he also did not leer or make any overt signs of interest.

Perhaps the Fated are from different cultures...or maybe Novarians are just more friendly that most. He wonders to himself as he finishes draining his mug. The contents seems to have very little affect on him, which admittedly may have been a result of how large he was. "I would appreciate it if you could tell me in more detail where the springs are, I might decide to visit when I am done with some of the other places I am more interested in." He replies, then after thinking for a bit. "Have you ever been to the Mana Gorge, I have heard it has many unexplored depths, I was considering taking a look at some point."

[Roxanne]

Roxanne nodded absently as Deidric tried to reason with why the king hadn't done anything. She wasn't quite convinced, despite his tone suggesting personal experience with the matter. There had been too much to happen with the Fated for the king not to take notice and do something but she wasn't going to mention that to Deidric. No...she was sure it was simply, if anything, that their king did not know what to do. At least things had calmed down quite a bit in the last few months.

Deidric's next comment, however, had Roxanne looking at him in surprise, at first. Then she laughed, loudly, the sound drawing ire from a few of the patrons around her as they granted dirty looks in the half demons direction. She sneered at them, hissing between her teeth, and they turned to mind their own business once more. She turned her attention back to Deidric."My apologies. I did not mean to be rude," she said politely, though amusement still colored her tone. "Nova is indeed still the melting pot it ever was and generally has no problem at all with outsiders. Even the Fated, as long they don't announce themselves as such, are usually perfectly welcome. There's been some, ah, incidences attributed to the Fated that earned them their dislike," Roxanne explained, being vague again. This really wasn't the place to discuss such things and she hoped that Deidric would recognize that and not question further.

Roxanne gave Deidric a curious look when he chuckled at her response to the gorillas. He apologized, trying to explain further and she looked even more confused as he explained that they had many arms. How strange that she had never seen such a creature in her travels. She couldn't help but laugh as he tried to illustrate this point himself, though it was a quieter laugh this time. "I'm not sure that explains it any better, honestly. Though now I'm resolved to seek these creatures out myself at some point," she said, grinning.

The half demon's grin continued, widening even, at Deidric's response to her offer. So he wasn't unopposed then but was content at the moment to remain in the tavern. She allowed that, nodding and taking another sip of her wine as if to illustrate that she was also willing to stay and do as he suggested. When he asked her if she could explain where the springs were, Roxanne nodded again, bringing her hand to cup her face and tapping a finger on her cheek in thought. "That's a reasonable request," she agreed, thinking that it sounded as if he'd rather go alone. She did not particularly care either way. "The springs are located just northeast of the city, nestled between the mountains at Heaven's Pass and a small area known as Willows Meadow," she explained in the best way she knew how.

Deidric's question about Mana Gorge was unexpected but she nodded, tossing her long red hair over her shoulder in the process. "Of course. It's just west of here and not far from my home, actually. You're correct, there are many areas of the gorge that remain unexplored but for a good reason. The gorge is very dangerous. Open vents in the ground there throw out pure, raw mana like geysers. No one who is touched by one ever stays the same, if they live," she explained, her tone bleak. She didn't tell him of the Fated city hidden at the mouth of the gorge, though. She knew well what that information in the wrong hands could cause.

[Deleted]

Iris was still staying at the Gallows Inn for the time being, not having moved around based on Adrain's job offer just yet. Staying here meant that nightly she decided to head downstairs and drink the night away, meeting new people and making new memories each time. She never really dressed for the occasions, and stuck to a brown fur shirt, two straps going over her should connecting at the back of her neck, the cloth hanging down to a few inches above her navel. She also wore a similar one around her waist, coving her front half. Also around her waist was a leather belt, a small light brown pouch hanging from the left side, and a sword and sheath on the right. Along her legs is nothing, as she had her fur to cover the rest. Her golden hair was down, naturally curly and bouncy, falling to her mid back, as her horns rested strongly against the sides of her skull.

She trotted down the stairs, ignoring everyone she saw until she had a drink in her hand, walking directly up to the bar, next to a red head and a blonde, and leaning over the counter. Hey man, can I get a glass over here? She called to the bar keep, taking a step back afterwards, blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes. While she waited, she glanced over at the pair beside her; looking at the red head, she realized she'd seen her before. She was like a sexy flame, defninetly bad ass there. And he was like... well damn. Iris smirked to herself, having no shame in appreciating beauty, and waited for her drink. Once she had it, she paid the man, and took decided to sit right where she was, not seeing anyone more interesting elsewhere, plus she wanted to say hi to the red head again. Hey, you guys mind if I join you for a spell? She leaned her head over to look directly at Roxy and winked, Nice to see you again Red. 

[Deleted]

Deidric looks at the see of angry faces and chuckles to himself, this was no new sight. Instead of the hiss that Roxanne emitted a deep base grown emerged from his throat that sounded more like a dragon's growl than a man's. Several of the patrons looked uncomfortable,but several were also amused by the show. With a grin Deidric listens to Roxanne's and as he is about to ask what these incidents were he catches her expression and thinks better of the idea.

"The gorillas were up in a snowy mountain pass to the north," he explains and he grins a bit in response to her smile, What's a little silliness when compared to the laughter of companions? he reminds himself as he looks around the bar and sees several other patrons snickering, several of whom had been scowling at them earlier.

Deidric listens to the explanation of where the spring is and nods, then listens to the explanation of the mana gorge, is certainly did sound like an interesting place. Deidric was magically inert as a result of some combination of his bloodline, and with his suvari heritage he tended to be better at canceling to dispersing mana than doing anything with it. "The gorge sounds like an interesting place to visit at least."

As he speaks his eyes dart over to the woman who was staring at them and his hand drops a bit, but when she asks to join them he naturally turns that into a movement to grab the pint and take another sip. "I certainly do not have any issues with it, the more the merrier, though Roxanne, you were here first. You gets to decide via ancient right of dibs."

He turned back to examine their new horned companion. She wore very little which while pleasing to the eye again reminded Deidric of how forward the women he seemed to be meeting here were. Though he supposed therewascertainly nothing wrong with that.

[Roxanne]

Roxanne looked at Deidric in surprise at the growl that came from his throat, shivering in delight and then grinning at the blonde. Such an odd sound, but very powerful. The mystery of what Deidric was only continued to grow, it seemed. Either way, she was impressed and laughed at the reaction of the patrons. A look of gratitude crossed her face momentarily when Deidric didn't further pursue the topic of the Fated.

As he explained where to find these strange armored gorillas, Roxanne nodded, cataloging the information away for later. It didn't sound like they'd be too hard to find, whenever she actually got around to doing to investigate. Though, a look of disbelief settled in at his reaction to her information about the gorge and she just shook her head, giving him an amused half smile. "Interesting is a good word for it, I suppose, but you won't catch me wandering around there if I don't have to," she said, laughing a little.

Roxanne's nose twitched as another, more familar smell ticked her senses. The sound of hooves against wood came from the stairs, and Roxanne followed the sound with her eyes, grinning when she spotted Iris. She laughed as the other woman greeted her with a wink and a nickname. Red. Not something anyone ever called her before. She didn't really mind though. "Of course, you're more than welcome to join us, Iris. It's great to see you again. This is Deidric, by the way. Deidric, this is Iris," Roxanne said, greeting her and making introductions. She laughed at Deidric's comment. "I don't have dibs on you. Yet," she said, laughing again. She had a mischievous glint in her lavender eyes before turning her attention back to Iris. "How've you been?" she asked, conversationally, finishing off her third glass of wine. The alcohol didn't seem to have much effect and she ordered a fourth round.

[Deleted]

Iris took her seat and grinned happy to see that she was recognized; though it was hard not to be. She laughed as the blonde looked to Roxy for permission, something about dibs. A pleasure to meet you Deidric. And if she does call dibs, consider yourself incredibly lucky. Iris teased, bringing her cup up to her lips, holding in a laugh.

She watched amused as they two looked at each other, she wasn’t sure what she had interrupted, but she would feel bad if it was heading where she thought it might have been. I’ve been alright; staying here for the time being, but I actually just got a job. She smiled again, proud of herself… though she hadn’t even been trying, so there was that.

What about you two? How did you guys meet? She asked, wondering if they ran into each other here like most people did, or if they had a pre-existing relationship. As she waited for an answer Iris looked over the blonde male; honestly if Roxy didn’t call dibs, Iris might.