A New Face In The Crowd

[Airelanthirion]

As the light begins to fade on the eve of a brightening, a simple elf makes his way to the tavern. He is exhausted after the ordeal of scouring the town for a place to buy a nice glass of wine. Finally, through the corner of his eye, he spied the swinging sign of The Crown Inn and Tavern.

This place seems to be hospitable
He thought to himself.

The elf approached the wooden door, the rich smell of beef and ale made his mouth drenched with saliva. He extended his arm and pushed the door, which opened with a shudder.

Airelanthirion walked past the weapons collection post with a clear conscience, for he had no weapon for them to collect.

From the archway leading into the main hall, the elf spied a solitary oaken table in the far corner of the room.
Squeezing and budging his way past overcrowded tables and staff constantly journeying from them to the kitchen and bar.
Finally, he found his way to the table, only to find it littered with emptied tankards, pitchers and glasses.

He waited to either see the previous occupants return, or until he could find a member of staff to ask if he could sit down.

[Puppet]

Not long after Airelanthirion had made his way into Alleria Prime's largest Inn, the Crown, his presence was noted by a member of staff. A slender human, looking slightly over-worked, stood next to the table the Elf had chosen to occupy before he could pronounce his own name. The man looked a bit silly, as he was wearing an apron over his every-day clothes, something which would normally be associated with female personnel only.

Motioning Airelanthirion to take a seat, he addressed the Elf. "Serale my good man, and welcome to the Crown Inn and Tavern. My name is Walter. How can I be of service to you?" Although it was obvious the waiter tried hard to make it sound merry, he was not completely successfull in his efforts. He was obviously quite tired from all the work he had been doing during the brightening.

-------
ooc: Welcome to the Allerian Empire! Quite the name you have there

[Airelanthirion]

The lips of the elf drew upwards in a warm, tooth-bearing grin. Airelanthiron knew what Walter was referring to when he called the elf a 'man'. Fortunately, the elf was not of the disposition to fuel the racial conflicts that seemed to plauge the world.

Realizing that he had dwelt on the remark for too long, Airelanthirion regained eye-contact with the man and replied to his gracious welcome.

"Serale, Walter. Can I ask it of you to take a moment away from your arduous work to rest yourself? I would be most pleased if you could join me in a drink, as I am confused. Alleria Prime is most intriguing. I have never yet seen so many in such a small area! I also do not have friends and need someone to talk to."

The elf beamed as he unfastened his cloak from around his neck and gracefully folded it over the back of the oaken chair, sitting in it after he had done so.

ooc: Thanks! My real name has been transcribed into Tolkein's elvish by a friend at Cambridge University.

[Puppet]

In response to Airelanthirion's welcoming smile, Walter the waiter made a serious attempt to smile as well. He only barely succeeded. When the Elf invited him to join the table, Walter was seemingly doubting. Although it was not prohibited for staff to join customers, beit for only short periods, it was not encouraged either. There was a certain 'own judgment' thing involved. If joining the table was good for business, then by all means take a seat! Walter however, was not sure and stood thinking it over for a while.

"Well I guess I can take a short break," he finally concluded. "But I cannot afford to linger too long, really... Let me take your order first, and I'll talk to my employer at the bar." Having shifted his weight from his left to his right leg, Walter waited patiently for Airelanthirion to decide what he would order.

-----
ooc: My name would be Legebriril You can find the translator here by the way.

[Airelanthirion]

The silence felt akward to the elf. He had not expected the waiter to take such lucrative time away from his busy workplace to sit and speak with someone of such as himself.
Doubt knawed at him as the seconds spent themselves over the course of that pensive moment. Beads of sweat meandered glittering trails down the elf's face, finally ending their paths at his collar, which drank the seemingly iridescent jewels.
The smile that had once had illuminated his face faded to an akward grin that almost distorted his features. A strange sight to see from a distance.

Finally, the silence was broken by the dulcet words of Walter the waiter.
His countenance quickly came to bear its typical expression, a beaming smile.

Yet, the waiter confronted the elf with a perplexing situation.
Which drink should I consume? I have no knowledge of these beverages.

Suddenly, an idea crept into his head.

"I believe that your expertise in your sizable menu could help me in choosing a drink. Could you tell me which libation would suit your taste?"

[Airelanthirion]

ooc: Sorry bout this. I accidentally hit post twice and could not delete the second message.

[Puppet]

Walter could not help smiling, for it was not often that he was asked to join a customer for a drink and decide what they were to drink. He liked it though, and it made the tired feeling he had been wandering round for this brightening diminish somewhat. "I'll tell you what I'll do. I will choose a drink for you. Just answer one thing: wine, ale, tea, or juice? I will get you the best the Crown has to offer in the category of your choice."

It was what Walter usually did when he was asked to select a beverage, and it was mostly a successful method. Somehow, he always had a nice idea of what to supply a certain customer with.

ooc: I've sent you a PM

[Airelanthirion]

Not to be one with acute tastes, Airelathirion could not decide on which category of liquid to choose from. He had come in looking for a rich, fruity wine to quench his thirst with. However, ale did satisfy the tastebuds. Or perhaps it would be courteous of him to order a tea. It would not be wise to inebriate a member of staff at his workplace.

Yet, it was up to him to select the spirit of the evening.
After a few moments of dedicated contimplation, the elf finally composed his answer to Walter's question:

"I think that a nice spot of tea would appeal to the old tastebuds, wouldn't you say?" He replied with a deep chuckle.

[Puppet]

"I could not agree more, master Elf," Walter let out before spinning his heel and heading for the bar. Once he reached it, he engaged in a conversation with a tall, dark man, no doubt his superior. The waiter had had conversations like this before, and although it was sometimes hard to convince the other man, he usually succeeded. Which of course meant Walter would be joining Airelanthirion for tea.

While Walter was away, Airelanthirion could hear the doors of the Inn open and close, announcing the entrance of another customer. A look at the door would indeed confirm this, as a hobbit stood in front of it. Having glanced over the interior of the Crown for quite some time he had apparently made up his mind about where he was to be seated. Limping slightly, he began to approach Airelanthirion's table...

It took him a little time, maneuvering himself past tables and chairs, but in the end he made it. There was a smile on his small face, as he looked at the Elf. "This place is rather crowded... Mind if I join you?"

It seemed Airelanthirion was not the only one hoping for some company...

[Airelanthirion]

Hearing a solitary voice pierce the dull roar of the tavern, Airelanthirion snapped to his feet, hoping to greet this new person. His eyes spun from side to side in their sockets, eagerly scoring the empty void above him, for the elf was not of great stature and had grown accustomed to peering skywards in conversation. In a slow, controlled motion, the pointed-eared being craned his neck towards the floor, thus discovering the halfling.
A warm, fuzzy feeling crept into the elf's stomach, for he had finally found somone that bore the same altitude problem as himself.
Airelanthirion was aware of the 'small people' (a description of his own choosing) but he did not expect to meet one so soon. A rumor had reached him (not verified) that the race of Hobbits were a rare sight to see in the south. All of the merchants that he had laid his inquiry on spoke of hobbits as being creatures in the north.

This chance meeting with a creature of such nature had made him bless the brightening that led to this wonderous (in his mind) occasion.

"Serale to you, my dear sir! It would be a pleasure to have you sit with me."
The words flowed from his mouth with such ease and fluidity. Each syllable hung on the haze of smoke, the rush of breath creating pockets of flowing exhilation.

With a beaming smile, the elf placed his hands on the table to guide himself onto the padded oaken chair, sliding his legs under the table after he had done so.

Hoping to make his invitation clearer to his guest, the elf motioned for the hobbit to take an open chair opposite himself.

ooc: I am assuming that I am at a small round oaken table w/empty bottles, tankards, etc. Correct me if there are set styles of table in the Crown Inn.

[Puppet]

The hobbit was quite surprised by the fact that Airelanthirion suddenly rose to his feet in order to provide a proper welcoming, but managed to hide it. He was taught not to reveal too much of emotions, because they could endanger the recruiting process. Smiling politely, he replied. "Thank you very much good sir, you are very kind." The small man then took the seat opposite of the Elf, letting out a small sigh of relief. He had been walking around the Domicilium for most of the brightening, trying to find potential candidates. Which was something he was not very good at, not as as good as little Glitch for example. That little brownie certainly had a way with convincing people.

He had just put his dark grey cloak on the back of his chair when Walter the waiter made it back to the table. He smiled when he acknowledged Airelanthirion had found himself someone to sit with, giving the hobbit a small nod in accordance. "Serale master Hobbit, and welcome to the Crown. I will take your order in a minute, as I have tea for this gentleman here." He then placed a cup of tea in front of Airelanthirion, and the smell of cinemon reached the Elf's nostrils. He placed another cup of tea on front of the now only vacant chair, which was no cdoubt the cup of tea he had brought for himself. When he was empty-handed again, he asked the hobbit for his order. The halfling was quick to reply. "I'll have a glass of wine please, dear sir." And, with Walter retreating to the bar, his eyes fixed on Airelanthirion. Perhaps this one could be recruited for the task. He was not going to ask straight away though, he knew that much. "So... if you don't mind me asking, what is your business in Prime master Elf?"

[Airelanthirion]

The rich aroma danced through his sinus, pleasing the senses with a spicy caress. This tea certainly was heavily flavoured and very rich in smell. Walter certainly could not choose a finer item from the menu. As soon as the waiter went back to the bar to fetch the glass of wine, the elf could not help but think it was odd to see so many humans that were not affected by serving elves (both light and dark), hobbits, and fellow humans in the same respect and courtesy that would astound anyone that does not have the contact with such various species outside the city.

Turning back around to face his new guest, the elf noticed that the hobbit became strangely obsessed with staring at him. A puzzled look drew itself across his face...What could be so interesting about him? He was not something out-of-the-ordinary, just a plain elf (to his understanding).
He took a small sip of his tea, wincing at the contact of the hot liquid against his tongue, still trying to see what the hobbit was looking for. Then, the small one spoke and everything became clear. Of course, he was a new face in the crowd. The hobbit may have thought that he remembered his face from somewhere...perhaps on a journey around the vicinity of Prime (his home was in the woods not far from Prime itself).

However, his business in prime was not as joyful as his personality. Great pain had led him to the city, guiding him as though it were a noose around his neck, dragging him to a place he did not want to be, at a time where his thoughts took him elswhere. The elf sat in pensive thought for a few moments, reflecting on the time he had spent with his human fosterparents and the woman he had longed to be with for the rest of his life.
Airelanthirion had lost his elven birthparents to orcs when he was 13 years-of-age, so he was sent to live in a small, officially unnamed human village outside of Prime. There, he stayed with a human couple that had already had a daughter, Arysa. At once, the small elf (even shorter at the time) fell deeply in love with the beauty of the girl and the feeling was reciprocated by her. The two were thought-of as a wonderful couple.
Yet, the age difference between the races took Arysa and his new family away from him. By the time he was 45, the elf had lost his human father. On his 52nd birthday celebration, his human mother yielded to alcohol poisoning, passing very dramatically as a cleric tried desperately to cure her. It was too little too late.
Finally, a few months before moving to Prime, the elf found himself attending an event that would haunt him - probably for the rest of his years. Arysa had aged beyond all recognition. Her rosy cheeks were always full of vibrance. He had always been jealous of what a bright person she seemed to be.
But now she was dead, devoid of all life. A wrinkled, haggard form, still bearing the semblance of the vitality of her youth.
He had nobody. None sought to aid his pain. None gave him the comfort he needed. His only release from such pain was to assume Arysa's disposition. Every time he smiled, he saw her cheeky grin in his mind's eye.

Perhaps she is a part of me. thought the elf.

Dwelling too much time on the matter, Airelanthirion cleared his head, trying desperatly to find some other reason for coming to Prime, for it was not of his want to regurgitate such scarred memories in front of a total stranger.
Suddenly, he found his answer.

"I have come to seek the adventures that this city has to offer."

To the elf, it seemed like adventure was the only reason that groups of races would converge in one location. Rival races would not willing choose to live in the same vicinity without the reward of an exciting crusade to quench thier thirst for action every now-and-then.
With a pause, the elf drew the cup to his lips, blowing across surface of the extremely hot libation, expecting anything to be the next subject in this eclectic conversation.

[Puppet]

The hobbit gave Airelanthirion an attending gaze as he waited for the Elf to reply. To him it seemed the question that was easily answered. Reasons for being anywhere were often the first things discussed where it concerned newly acquainting strangers. But he of course knew nothing of what filled Airelan's thoughts. He knew nothing of foster parents that passed away, or how it felt to lose a love in the terrible fashion only elves could experience. The little fellow waited patiently for an answer though, seeming at once very pleased when Airelan mentioned adventure. For adventure was a word greatly relating to what the hobbit had in store for anyone willing to aid him in his endeavors.

"Adventure you say, master Elf? Well, there is plenty of that around here. Why, I can provide you with adventure right now if you wish..." The tone of his voice was cheerful, contrasting somewhat with the insecure look on his face. He hoped he had not blurted it out too obviously, for that had happened before, and had not ended well for him, and was seemingly relieved when Walter returned to the table with a glass of wine.

The waiter smiled at both his guests, pleased to see them engaged in a conversation of some sort. He placed the glass in front of the hobbit, and subsequently addressed him. "That will be 1 crown and 5 silvers please," he told the hobbit, after which he turned to Airelanthirion. "And 1 crown and 3 silvers for you, master Elf..." When he had received the payment and had stuffed it away in a pouch (a company pouch), he sat himself down behind his cup of tea. "So... what were you talking about?" As Airelanthirion was the one he had met first, the question was more or less adressed to him.

[Airelanthirion]

Airelan was quite shocked to be confronted with such an enticing offer so swiftly. To the elf, conversations had a set, polite pattern which introduced each party separately to the group. He felt very threatened by this and decided that he should get Walter involved in the conversation for guidance. Being a waiter, Walter might have suggestions on the matter, for the elf did not wish to enter any adventure without knowledge of where he was to go.

As the elf saw Walter approach, his lips turned into a relieved smile. Airelan dove into his purse, found four golden crowns and placed them in the waiter's hand.
Yet, the elf could not reply to the question asked of him. To his knowlege, the topic could spin in any direction, for adventure is a very broad term.

"Well, Walter. I think we are about to find that out. Please, master Halfling, continue with the details of this quest."

ooc: Sorry for the lateness/shortness of this post. RL is a witch sometimes. Mistake corrected.

[Puppet]

Walter let out a minor chuckle as Airelan answered his question. Apparently, the Elf himself was not sure what they were talking about. "Yes, master Halfling, please do." the waiter then uttered, fixing his gaze on the small man. For a just a moment, Airelan could swear he saw Walter wink at him in delight. It was a quick move though, and perhaps it was meant for someone else, of course.

In the mean while, Bredgo was starting to feel more than a little uncomfortable, and little pearls of sweat formed on his shiny halfling forehead. He had done it again. He had blurted it out too early and now would have to explain. Plus, the waiter seemed an attentive listener. Like so many times before, he wished Glitch would have been here with him, for surely he would know how to get out of this delicate situation.

"Ehhmmm...," Bredgo started, taking some time to continue afterwards. He was clearly trying to think of something appropriate to say. Which was only natural, for he needed someone for the job. It was not a difficult task, and he would pay good money for it, but it was still hard to recruit an able bodied man. Like the one he was facing. Straightening his back, he recalled what his gnome associate had told him so often: remain calm, and don't reveal too much at once. Arouse interest... "Well, it's not really a true adventure in that sense of the word. It's just that..." An intentional pause here. Yes, Bredgo was recovering... "Well, I need to do something for someone, and I'm afraid I will not manage by myself..." He tried desperately to make it sound sincere, which he still found tricky, even after so much practice. "I came to Alleria Prime in hope to find someone who could aid me in my cause, you see..." The halfling then cast his eyes down to the glass of wine in front of him, and thirsty as he had become, he took it up and brought it to his mouth. After having taken a small sip, he looked back up to see whether his 'audience' had bought his story.

Walter, it seemed, indeed believed what Bredgo had just told him, and even seemed to sympathise with the halfling as he responded. "I think you have come to the right place then, master halfling. For certainly there are those here in the Crown that could assist you in whatever you are planning." Turning to Airelanthirion, the waiter continued. "Wouldn't you say, master Elf?"

ooc: That's quite all right, we all have our busy RL times. Oh and btw, we are no longer allowed to call the little buggers "Hobbits". So please refer to them as halflings from now on