Calm Before the Storm (for Lanania)

[Lanania]

"How about I can sleep in my room for free as long as I help you. Sounds like a fair deal, drinks and rest on the house and I take care of these bad boys" She said while moving closer to the bar, stretching herself over the bar to take one tray on Mack side. She then moved the six drinks on it and waited for Mack to finish the next batch.

 

[Carolinia]

Mack kept the composure of a swordsman by not sneaking looks at Ezelkia's cleavage as she stretched over the bar. "Hmm. I really should clear all of this with Brady first... but he's not here, so he doesn't get a say! Welcome to the team! It looks like this party of one just became a party of two- oh, sorry ma'am. Welcome to the Sweeping Gull, what can I-?" Mack rattled on as Ezelkia stepped out of earshot with the drinks. Approaching the table was easy enough, but the mix of smug and hungry looks from the six adventurers might've scared away the fainter of heart if they were in Ezelkia's shoes.

 

[Lanania]

Ezelkia stepped foward, smiling to the group, like she didn't cared about their attitude at all. "So 'Blood in the water' and some citrus shots for these gentlemen's!" She said with a happy tone while placing the drinks at the middle of the table, before starting to clean their last drinks. "So what brings you here? Adventure? Vacations?"

 

[Carolinia]

Each member scrambled to grab their drinks, arms tousling amongst one another to sort whose was whose. The boldest of them, a rough looking wolf man, rumbled a reply. "We're adventurers, but a pretty thing like you shouldn't worry about that." He growled, eyeing Ezelkia's ass through her armor as if she were an evening snack.

 

[Lanania]

She made a small shy chuckle before speaking again "Me worrying about it? No. So what adventures brought you here?"

 

[Carolinia]

The elf who'd whistled at Mack sneered at Ezelkia, seeming to emanate arrogance from the very depths of his being. "What he means is that it's none of your business. We sailed in from the north, and we're heading to the Balor forest tomorrow, but I don't think anyone waiting tables in this trash heap of a bar would understand." Somebody from their table snickered, and a chubby little fox on her opposite side ghosted a hand right next to her upper thigh.

 

[Lanania]

Ezelkia simply moved a bit to the right to get out of the little fox reach. "I'm simply trying to entertain my clients, I can leave if you wish so, but I'm sure you have a bunch of great stories to tell me"

 

[Carolinia]

The only human among them cackled in rumbling rasps, beckoning to Ezelkia with one bear-like arm. "Oh sure. We've got amazing stories to tell! We can tell you all about the adventuring life. All you have to do is sit on Tito's lap while we do it." He laughed, quite cruelly, while motioning towards the baby faced fox. Tito definitely seemed to be the youngest among them, with baby blue eyes, now wide in disbelief as he choked mid sip of his drink.

 

[Lanania]

Ezelkia moved toward Tito before sitting quite softly on the end of his knees, trying to sit as far from him while still being on his lap. "So how about you start by telling me your names" She said making a small chuckle

 

[Carolinia]

"Bronson." Grumbled the wolf, eyeing Ezelkia in her compliance to their idea with ravenous delight.
The elf was too busy laughing at her to answer right away, taking a curt moment for his jollies. "Braeloch," he stuttered after a few seconds.
The two goat men on the other end of the table, probably brothers evidenced by their familiarity with one another, looked at Ezelkia with near deadpan expressions before breaking into dangerous grins one after the other.
"Skjar." Stated the beige furred one while suppressing a giggle.
"Jorgen. What's it to you, slut?" Uttered his darker furred counterpart.
The large human man took a heavy sip of his drink, swishing it in his mouth and swallowing pointedly. "Caspian, and you're already mighty familiar with Tito."

 

[Lanania]

"That's not very kind of you Jorgen. My name is Ezelkia" She said keeping her smile, it seemed like she was good with unpleasant clients. "So what are you after in the Balor forest?"

 

[Carolinia]

"We're all pleased to meet you." Tito shyly declared, immediately gaining dirty looks from most of his crew. He sort of hugged Ezelkia from behind, seeming very bewildered upon having her in his lap.
Braeloch cleared his throat. "What else does everyone go there for? The city of gold. Except, we're actually going to find it, because we have an edge-"
Bronson's leg moved under the table, kicking him to shut him up.

 

[Lanania]

"An edge? This is sounding like quite the story" Ezelkia declared. "A powerfull wizard gave you s map. Or you have a powerfull scroll to locate it?"

 

[Carolinia]

Skjar was smiling like a fiend across the table. "Oo. Watch it, Bronny. The lady's onto you!" He bleated with a laugh, right before Jorgen walloped him on the back of the head. Bronson let out a heavy sigh of irritation as the two brothers spiraled into a catfight, taking a swig of his drink and slamming the glass back down when he finished. "You really want to know? What makes you think we should tell you? Information sells around here, and I doubt there's much money jangling in those pockets of yours."

 

[Lanania]

"Indeed, but do you really think a tavern wench has anything to do with these info? You really think I'm going to go inside this forest? I'm asking just because your adventure interest me"

 

[Carolinia]

Bronson looked at her ravenously, something of a smile twitching in his wolfish features, until finally he laughed, raucous and terrible as he set a hand on her knee. "Well now, you heard it here, team! The 'tavern wench' is interested in us. And I bet you know exactly why we're interested in you, too." He purred. Tito tensed a bit, his arms wrapped around her middle as if he wanted to pull her away from him, though he just as quickly relented and sat back.

"Jerk him off!" Braeloch hooted, before the weight of all eyes on him grew awkward. "But like... not so we can watch, or anything weird like that."

Caspian spoke up, a new and dangerous twinkle in his eye. "For once, I agree with the elf. Show him just how interested in our adventure you are before trying to get him to squeal."

 

[Lanania]

"Wench not prostitute!" Ezelkia responded a bit furious, her hands moved to push Tito arms away from her.

 

[Carolinia]

Tito immediately let go, his arms innocently raised in something akin to fear. Bronson's expression darkened, his hand now squeezing her knee with an uncomfortable amount of force. She could feel the faint prickle of claws as his furious yellow eyes bore down upon her. "Who said we'd be giving you a choice?" He snarled, quiet enough to avoid drawing attention from the other denizens of the bar. Caspian, still smiling, drew and pointed a hunting knife at her from under the table.

 

[Lanania]

"Stabbing me in the middle or the tavern? That's your plan? Doesn't seems like a good idea" Ezelkia said chasing the hand on her looking rather unfased by the threat.

 

[Carolinia]

Bronson leaned in. Ezelkia could feel his hot breath on her face as the towering wolf man looked her dead in the eyes. "It's a better idea than letting yourself get stabbed over one little handjo-"
"Don't you wretches have anything better to do than bedeviling my new worker? Hands off her, the whole lot of you!" The once-gentle, but newly furious tone of Mack came to her aid like a blessing as he stormed over from the counter. His arms were crossed, expecting an explanation, and Ezelkia and the adventuring party now had the full attention of the crowd of people near his counter. Caspian put his knife back into its sheath, but Bronson's hand stayed put.
"Not when your new employee comes and teases us like some blueballing prude!" Braeloch sneered, right as the two brothers bleated in unison.
"She started it!"

 

[Lanania]

"Nonsense! If being pretty is enought to get called blueballing prude then I fully accept the title!" She said furious, finally getting up out of Tito lap.

 

[Carolinia]

The rabbit woman applauded Ezelkia from her table and Tito let her leave his lap. The little fox had scooted back in his chair, shrinking down to avoid seeming at all related to his crew. Bronson, upon noticing this, directed his glare at him instead of Ezelkia. It looked like the baby of the team would be in trouble later...

"That is it. You miscreants are officially getting kicked out." Mack seethed, narrowing his eyes as he sized up each of the six. "I mean it, shoo! Get lost!"
Caspian's smile finally faded, adding to the tension with only two cold words. "Make us."

It was true that this was Mack's bar, and that he had succeeded in dishing out some fiery words to the team of scoundrels, but from the unsure look on his face, he wasn't sure about a fight. A significant portion of the tavern had turned to watch, though nobody said anything.

 

[Lanania]

"Heard him?! Get out!" She furiously said, like she wasn't intimidated by their threat.

 

[Carolinia]

"Yeah, get lost!" Someone echoed within the crowd, followed by another, and yet another, and soon a continued chorus of others with similar cries. It seemed that once the first verbal stone was cast, the mob was ready to take a her side. Bronson stood, and for the first time, Ezelkia got a sense of how towering his seven foot form really was. Braeloch, Skjar, Jorgen, and Caspian followed, furious and shamefaced as they took on defensive positions. Then, with a rough growl, Bronson turned tail and walked out, shoving his chair to the ground as he did so, and his crew quickly shuffled along to follow. The only one left was Tito, who, with a stuttered apology, fled the scene to catch up with them. Not a one of them paid for their drinks, but they were gone.

"For the love of it all, I'm glad that's over." Mack sighed. "I'm so sorry to have left you alone with them. What are the chances you'd end up serving the most rotten crowd in this place? They didn't touch you anywhere, did they? Because I'll chase every last one of them down and give em hell if they did."

 

[Lanania]

"No, its fine, maybe it was a bad idea to interact with them beyond serving them... Whatever... I'm sorry for the lost money" she responded quite calm.

 

[Carolinia]

"Bah. Money from those good-for-nothings wouldn't be worth it. Who knows? Maybe they'll spend that money in a wiser place, like the shanty shack of an alehouse down the street, and drink themselves to death?" Despite the morbid humor, Mack was clearly a bit shaken. He hurriedly fumbled to pick up one of the scattered chairs, setting it upright as the bulk of the bar's patrons kept staring. "Go on! Back to your mirth! Stop eyeing the mess!" He called to them in a strained tone. "I'm sorry to have... ruined the night with the little confrontation, but it's all okay now!"

 

[Lanania]

Ezelkia moved back to the bar asking mack if he needed any more help.

 

[Carolinia]

"A few odd tasks. Maybe bus a couple of vacant tables and run a drink order or two? At this point, we'll probably be closing up soon anyways." Mack slumped at the counter, passing a tray of drinks that smelled of coconut to Ezelkia.

 

[Lanania]

"These drinks are for whom?" She asked all smilling trying to cheer up the old man.

 

[Carolinia]

Mack flicked himself on the forehead. "Course. I forgot to mention. Man, I'm really losing it tonight. They're for the nice avian couple by the door. Red and blue feathered, can't miss em'. They're regulars, so they should be way less trouble."