Calm Before the Storm (for Lanania)

[Carolinia]

All was peaceful within the tropical lands of Eljante. A half moon was high overhead, taming the tide so that its once-wild crystal waves lapped gently at the shore. Wind whistled far, far off through the ravenous gorges and valleys of the sky-high Yvettan mountain ranges, and surely that same whisper of breeze tickled the thick of the Balor rainforest even farther away than that. Tentative rain fell over the seaside village, a distant crash of thunder striking the land with more of a comforting rumble than any booming reverberation of sound. Though for a moment it set the skies alight, the coming storm was as good as unheard. There was not a care in the world about the weather from the denizens of Ochta village, much less from those within the wily "Sweeping Gull" tavern.

Ezelkia had a table for two all to herself following her arrival, and the raucous atmosphere that had nearly locked her in place was finally starting to mellow out with the onset of night. Whether she came to the bar to drink, to mingle, to seek employment, or for other reasons altogether, she had gained plenty of appraising looks from boozy-eyed, merry souls in the short time she'd been there. None had committed to approaching her just yet, and though for the moment she was alone, a turn of her head in any direction revealed several characters of interest.

A few tables over, she could see a faint and thinning crowd around the table of a rabbit woman, the golden rings in her large ears and flouncing gypsy attire proclaiming her to be a fortune teller. The sign hanging off the front of her table declared her to be "Beatriz the Revealer," while the amused look in her eyes gave the intimation of someone who was quite down to earth.

Alone by the sparsely-populated dance floor, a sly looking bull man watched the few parties nearby, a slight drunken sway to him and happy twinkle of longing in his handsome eyes. Ezelkia had seen enough of his hulking stature around town and heard enough gossip about work at the mill to recognize his name as Oden.

The bartender at the counter was a snow leopard of indeterminate gender. After serving a lemur woman and offering a well-received wink, they set their chin atop their folded hands and only watched, green eyes taking in the sight of their tavern with a satisfied grin as their tail swayed methodically behind them. Their name tag revealed the name "Mackizelli."

Of course, some nights, only so much entertainment could be found in the company of others. If she really wanted to, Ezelkia could exit the bar and walk along the beach, enjoying the pleasant rain and the comforts of nature as opposed to the inebriated exuberance of strangers.

 

[Lanania]

Ezelkia

Appearance : Ezelkia is 5’7” tall, with a slim figure, slim but not weak, decent amount of muscle can be seen under her olive skin. Her hairs are a light brown, stopping at her shoulders, flowing freely most of the time, except when she is in combat or doing some form of physical activity. In that case they are neatly tied in a ponytail. Her eyes are of deep green with long eyelashes over them, with thin eyebrows crowing them. Her nose is small and cute fitting with her mouth, her lips are bright red and have a bit of pulp to them. Ezelkia breast are around B size, firm and round with small nipples adorning them Her left arm and shoulder blade are covered in blue and red tribal tattoos, they are made of geometric forms, representing nothing particular. She is built like an hourglass, still her abs are impressive for her size, showing that Ezelkia was in shape. Her sex is perfectly shaved, like the rest of her body, her clit is small and pink, while her slit seems very tight, if it was used, it was barely. Her rosebud seems untouched, perfect and untainted by any men. Her most interesting part is probably her small bubble butt, firm and sexy.

Equipment: Ezelkia is alway carrying her wooden shield, light and made to not bother the moves of her blade. With it there's alway her steel sword, short made to be held in one hand, the blade starts wide but it rapidly becomes thinner and becomes a bit more wide at the end, the tip appear like a drop of water. In her back there is alway her short bow with around twenty arrows in a quiver. Ezelkia alway wears a wide leather choker around her neck with a large brass ring sitting right at the base of neck. Over her chest she wears a piece of brass plate in the shape of a heart, molded to the shape of her breast with leather strippes coming from it’s side ending on another plate in the same shape but this time molded for her back. Each are engraved with the same geometric forms that are covering her left arm. Under these plates she wears a leather armor, the leather armor is more akin to a tank top, Since it don’t cover her arms or her legs, and has some cleavage. Her tank top is long enough to make some short of loincloth stopping just over her knees, but not covering the sides of her butt. On her upper arms she wears leather bracers covered with thin brass plates, while on her right forearms she wears long fingerless gloves made of soft leather covered with thin brass plates. She wears long thigh high leather boots, ending with fuzzy black fur. On her thigh she wears two plate of braze strapped there with leather strips, squeezing nicely her soft flesh. The chest plate squeeze nicely on her breast, and with the leather top not blocking the view make a nice view, showing off some great cleavage. The fact that neither her armor or boots cover the side of her nice butt makes people often look at her rear, combined with the fact that the loincloth on her rear has a tendency to slip a bit inside her buttcheks after long period of sitting, makes it often show more the only the sides.

Bio: Born on a farm house Ezelkia life was already written, she would learn how to a proper lady, how to take care of a family and how to tend to the farm. She would then later find a nice young men to marry and found a family with him, like any other woman born a peasant, her life was going to be the same as her mother, simple and boring. But fate had other plans for her, at the age of 8 she caught a nasty disease. Most children would have died of this disease, but the village doctor had developed a miracle treatment and wanted to test it on Ezelkia, the medication worked perfectly, except for one thing, it made her womb barren. Since she could no longer be mother, her fate was no longer clear. Since that day Ezelkia became rebel, no more social pressure on her to tame her rebel side since she was more or less worthless for the others and no one had the desire to repress her. Rapidly she lusted for a life of adventure since her first destiny was now impossible, and she felt no longer welcomed in her village. Most of her teen years were spent preparing for the time she would leave her home to discover the world, learning how to fight, how to take care of herself all alone.

 

[Lanania]

Ezelkia was not the kind to be afraid of long nights of alcohol abuse in taverns, rather she quite enjoyed it. She was the curious kind, and people tends to speak more with a belly full of beer. She knew the best way to get the freshest gossip and most mysterious story was at the tavern. She took a moment to look at the crowd, then moved slowly at the bar, pressing her elbow on the wooden counter, probably sticky with booze. Waiting for the bartender to pass by and get his attention. Smiling like she had all night to get what she wanted.

 

[Carolinia]

The moment the bartender met her eyes, they stopped and mirrored Ezelkia's smile with a rare and charming sincerity. "Something funny? Ah, well, welcome to the Sweeping Gull. What could I fetch for such a lovely-seeming patron as yourself? Let me guess... something with a good burn?" He toyed, as upon speaking, the green eyed snow leopard definitely had the voice of a male. Mackizelli's androgynous looks were one thing, but the loosely-fitted overcoat he donned refused to spill any news on what he was actually packing.

 

[Lanania]

"What let you think I want something with a fiery taste?" She said before making a small chuckle. "But you are right, have any rhum by chance?" She said while taking a coin from her pouch, toying with it in front of the snowleopard.

 

[Carolinia]

His eyes flickered with a look that's hard to place. He seemed about ready to heel, roll over, and beg for that coin, though more for the sensation of pleasing a customer than for the joy of material wealth. "I'd like to think I've got a pretty good read on my guests." He explained, suddenly snapping his fingers as if struck by inspiration. "I'll tell you what though, I've got just the thing, and I'll have it ready in two shakes."

Not wasting any time, he fished for a clean glass beneath the counter, striking the taps on three different barrels in a practiced order til the glass was full up with too many different flavors and colors to keep track of. He hid it beneath the counter for a moment again, putting on his finishing touches with the precision of a surgeon, before setting a lime colored rum drink before her. "Bam. Let me know what that does for you."

 

[Lanania]

Ezelkia took the glass in her hand, and quickly brought it to her nose, smelling the cocktail, before smiling at the odor, before taking a large swig from it, keeping it inside her mouth for a few seconds to make sure she tasted all the ingredients, trying to decipher its secrets.

 

[Carolinia]

The drink's tangy taste lit up Ezelkia's taste buds from the very first swig. True to its color, there was definitely a hint of lime, and a slight minty flavor wrought a gentle burn upon her tongue as well. As foretold, the rum had its own kick, too, being strong, yet bearable. But there was something in it she couldn't quite place, something fruity and exotic and honeyed toying with her senses.

 

[Lanania]

"It taste amazing! But now what's inside?" She said before placing the coin on the bar, while her left hand took another coin and placed it right beside the first. "Keep the change" she said with a faint smile, like she was happy of her drink.

 

[Carolinia]

Mackizelli cracked into an even bigger smile. "A magician never reveals his secrets! Not to any of our non-regulars, anyways. You really do like it? It's my own personal mix. 'Cat Got Your Tongue,' I've been calling it." He scanned the spot behind her and was relieved to see that no one was waiting on him, only to shift into disbelief as he noticed the two coins on his counter. "Now just who do I owe my profuse gratitude in return for this kind of generosity? You're sure you want to blow your money on little old me?"

 

[Lanania]

"I have made one or two decent jobs as mercenary in the last year, I'm not rich, but I can spend a bit more on booze when I want to" She pressed her finger on the second coin bringing it closer to her "Well I could bribe the magician to reveal his secrets no?"

 

[Carolinia]

"Hmm... you drive a hard bargain ma'am. I mean, I would've settled for just knowing your name, but," he drew in close to Ezelkia, so close that his whiskers were brushing against her cheek. Then, he looked in either direction, searching for eavesdroppers nearby as if what he had to say were some terrible secret. "I can't keep a secret anyways. It's passionfruit juice."

 

[Lanania]

Ezelkia took back the coin before smiling and saying "Ezelkia, never tasted passionfruit before, I'm from much further north then here, I quite like the climate here, no winter, you can wear whatever you want and do whatever you want all year long "

 

[Carolinia]

"Ezelkia. That sounds like a good name to match your good mindset. I'm Mack, myself. I've never been very far up north." He said, spinning the first coin on the counter and stopping it perfectly on its side in a casual show of dexterity. He hadn't yet noticed that she'd taken the second coin back, and during the time where he was closer to her face, she noticed the tired shadows under his eyes. Despite the theatrics, she got the sense he had had a long night.

 

[Lanania]

"Busy night?" She asked before taking a sip out of her drink.

 

[Carolinia]

"You could say that." He hummed. "No busier than usual, I don't think. I just want to get a good night's sleep through this storm. But that's nothing worth talking about. How am I supposed to play the role of benevolent bartender if I don't ask about your problems?"

 

[Lanania]

"Well beside the storm probably keeping me here for a few day if it doesn't stop, I don't have many problems, hard to have some when everything you own is literally on yourself" She said smiling "Seems like most of the town is here, hard to plan doing something outdoors with the storm coming beside drinking of course"

 

[Carolinia]

"I think I have to envy the life of an adventurer, but I'm glad to have the money in my pockets, I guess-" A shrill whistle from the other end of the counter drew Mack's attention as if he'd been struck. A mismatched team of adventurers sat at a table nearby, with the elven man among them calling out from his chair.

"Bartender, we need our table cleared, and then 'Blood in the Waters' for a table of six, two shots of citrus in the last four, and be quick about it!"

"I'll get on it!" Mack called back, seeming glum through the parting smile and nod he offered to Ezelkia, before rushing to do exactly that.

 

[Lanania]

"Do you have anyone helping you at the bar ?"she said a bit more loudly so Mack could hear her while working.

 

[Carolinia]

"No?" He answered, seeming innocent as a lamb while sweeping up half a dozen glasses into his arms.

 

[Lanania]

"You are the only person working here, 7 days a week 365 days a year?" She said looking surprised

 

[Carolinia]

"Well," Mack fumbled with the glasses, looking guilty for a moment, before setting the whole lot down on his counter. He was a blaze of motion again as he got to work on the drinks. "It's supposed to be a joint effort, with my good friend Brady working nights. Can you keep a secret? Because obviously I can't. He's been seeing a girl, and I've been covering for him for three weeks now. Technically, the bar closes at midnight, but just look at how good of a time everyone's having. I don't want to be the buzzkill barkeep who shuts all that down."

 

[Lanania]

"So your partner ditched you for a pretty girl? And what did he gave you in exchange?" She said while sipping her glass, her tone was a bit teasing, like she was making a bit fun of him, not in an evil way.

 

[Carolinia]

"Well, he gave me his friendship for starters." Mack laughed, a bit dumbfounded, but not so much that he slowed in his drink crafting. "It's inconvenient, sure, but he's never once made fun of me for loving my job here. In fact, I can't blame him for not coming back. He probably thinks he's doing me a favor."

 

[Lanania]

"He is not coming back? He is gone for good not for some vacation with his girlfriend?" Ezelkia simply gulped down the rest of her drink in one go, like she was about to leave "Sounds ungrateful of him to leave without a remplacement"

 

[Carolinia]

Mack scratched his head, unsure how to parse his own situation. "Come to think of it, I haven't exactly seen him since." He said with a yawn.

 

[Lanania]

"When did he left?" She asked standing up, stretching a bit.

 

[Carolinia]

"Two weeks ago, I believe. He said he might check in, but I guess he's just been that busy. Living an hour's trek from Ochta does that." Mack shrugged, setting two of the six 'Blood on the Waters' on the counter before going back to work on the other four.

 

[Lanania]

"Poor little Mack. Since I'm stuck here as long this storm continues, how about I give you some help with the service in exchange of some free drinks?" She replied smilling.

 

[Carolinia]

His ears perked up as he turned to look at her, expression wrought with disbelief from the offer. "You're sure you want to do that? Ezelkia, you are a blessing, a blessing if you really mean it. Now I have to make it clear that I really can't pay you for this, but if you run these bad boys to the table that called me and then take a few more orders, I'll make you whatever you want, no matter how complicated, lest hell should bar the way." He motioned to the six finished drinks before catching the eye of a human woman who was approaching the counter.