[Tavern | Closed (GF) ] Relaxing and Making Friends

[Ralston Sarwick]

10th Brightening of Imperos, Summer, Era XIII (pf)


Ralston entered the Crown Inn and Tavern for the first time. He had heard about it and could not help but see the place whenever he entered the city, but it was not until now that he decided to see it for himself. He was looking to relax and make conversation... and eat.

The man sat himself at a table along one of the near walls. He looked around and took in the atmosphere. Things were beginning to change for the evening as the suns were settling and night would be soon to follow. Different people would be strolling through the doors than those who had visited only a few candlemarks earlier.

When a server came around, Ralston had still not looked at the menu. However, he simply asked, "Could I have a tankard of the Crown Inn House Ale, please?" This would allow him to look further into the menu and take his time to decide what he was in the mood for.

[Rafe Nered]

Rafe leaned against the arched entrance of the tavern, letting his eyes adjust to the lights, contemplating his surroundings while happily ignoring the stern look of the burly man opposite him. So this was the Pride of Prime. Too nice for his taste, but it would have to do. He had enough on him to afford whatever fancy food they served here, after all.

As if to prove the point to himself, he glanced inside his change purse with an approving smile, checked for the dagger he’d moved from his belt into his boot, and slipped inside, following a busty serving girl through the maze of tables.

There was not a damned free table in the place. The plump waitress disappeared towards the kitchens, leaving the boy adrift. Rafe’s eyes darted round the room, his stomach growling impatiently, and he slipped into the nearest empty chair.

He flashed an incongruous smile to the man seated across from him.

“Serale!” The boy said, cracking his knuckles and looking for a way to fill the awkward silence while sizing up the man. “You don’t mind if I join you while my table’s being readied, do you?”

He grinned, half-hoping the man would take him seriously.

[Ralston Sarwick]

Ralston smiled easily as the elf sat down. "Not at all," he replied to the grinning newcomer. "In face, stay for the meal if you're alone. My name's Ralston."

The man took his eyes away as the waitress returned with the ale he had ordered. Thankful for something to be poured down his throat, he went ahead and took a few sips before adding, "And I'd also care for the Crown Ribs and go ahead and have another of this house ale on its way."

He smiled at the pretty lady as if somehow ordering food and a drink like every single other person in here did would impress her. Ralston didn't care, though, he was just here to relax and enjoy himself.

[Rafe Nered]

Rafe's grin widened, and he lifted a bit from his chair to offer a bow.

"Thank you, kind sir. My name is Rafe. Rafe Nered. Pleased to meet you. Are you new to these parts?"

The boy's attention shifted suddenly to the lovely lass who came by to set down the man's order. His eyebrow shot up, as it usually did when he felt some impish thought coming on, but his hunger was distracting him. The bare chamber of his stomach roared in approval as the man rattled off his order.

"I'll have the ribs too." The elf grinned, eyeing the girl appreciatively.

[Ralston Sarwick]

The waitress sent away to put in the orders. Ralston turned his attention back to the elf that sat across from him and heard his name. Rafe Nered, he thought, trying to remember the name.

"Well, Rafe, I am please to meet you as well." Ralston smiled amiably, returning the pleasantries towards his friend. When asked about being new, he nodded while finishing a sip of his ale and replied, "Actually I am new. I've been about four brightenings so far and I must say I'm very happy here."

Before rambling on for too much longer, he gave Rafe a chance to talk. "So, how about you? Are you new to these parts or a regular around these streets?" Ralston smiled as he waited for his new friend to reply.

[Rafe Nered]

Rafe watched enviously as the man sipped.

"Quite a place." The boy nodded. "It lives up to it's reputation. As for me, you could say I'm a bit of both. New to Alleria, a regular in the streets."

He gave a short laugh and glanced around the tavern as if suddenly interested in the walls, mentally trying to gauge his new companion's line of work.

"So, travel often, do you?"

[Ralston Sarwick]

Ralston shook his head, "No, not really. At least not for the next six cycles or so." He would be spending plenty of time in Alleria Prime until halfway through the single month of Autumn that was approaching. Deciding he would give more information on the subject, the man continued, "I have recently joined the Imperial Legion and my basic training is here in Alleria Prime."

Before continuing, Ralston wanted to guage the elf's reaction to his line of work. Most people were very happy to meet members of the Imperial Army, or so he heard. But of course, you would always have those who hated the government and everything associated with it.

"After that," Ralston decided to add, "Who knows were in the Empire I will be?" The idea of not knowing where his work would take him easily forced a smile out of the man. It was obvious that he was proud of what he was starting to do with his life and excited about the prospect of living somewhere he had never been.

Continuing the conversation, Ralston asked, "But how about you? Do you travel and see the Empire?" He wanted to know the answer to the same question Rafe was wondering. What did this elf do for a living?

[Rafe Nered]

Rafe smiled and nodded as if he’d barely heard a word; his eyes locked on the expensive-looking silverware while his hands tapped and fidgeted on the surface of the table. Automatically he calculated how he might carry the items out of the restaurant without being detected, and take them down to be appraised, sell them on the wharf, maybe, for a good few crowns, or trade them for supplies. An idle glance at his warped reflection told him he needed a good haircut, that the vagrant look wouldn’t do in these parts if he didn’t want to be arrested-or called “lass” again.

Despite appearances, however, he was carefully taking in the man’s words, the pauses, his demeanor, with a kind of morbid fascination. The boy was curious to distraction, and humans, with their dilligence and their short lives, had always captured his imagination. Here, for instance, was a man perhaps half his age, already grown by anyone’s standards, busily working something out of his brief existence. He would live perhaps another twenty patterns, if he survived the soldier’s life, retire, and go into his declining years. An ordinary life that was extraordinary by its very nature.

And Rafe? What was he?

“The Legion, eh?” He said aloud, to interrupt his own thoughts, tenting his fingers in front of him. “Admirable. I hear they pay a pretty penny.”
A bald faced lie, of course. A good cutpurse could make double a legionnaire’s pay in one brightening. But why dwell on details?

“Me, I work at the docks. Dirty work, but it pays now and then. And a good place to pick up news, from other parts of the Empire. Life is good.” He shrugged. “But the sea does call us Theylri, eventually. Perhaps I’ll get bored and leave.”

A tray of food floated past in all its roasted aromatic glory. The boy’s eyes traced it across the tavern before continuing.

“Why the Legion?”

[Ralston Sarwick]

The sea. Ralston had never been interested in the sea or ships or docks. He never saw that as anything more than a means of travel. He knew there was money to be made there, but there was really a way to make more coin anywhere. Even in the legion, as low as the pay really was, you could always find ways to make more. The thought caused the man to smile.

Ralston started to have suspicions about this new elf friend of his. Questions about his integrity and standards of living crept into his mind as Rafe spoke. The way his words formed seemed as if the elf did not really have a plan, to say. But, that was as good a plan as any for many people.

Taken by surprise with Rafe's question, Ralston was unsure how to reply. For some reason, he really did not want to explain about his father's death and how he meant to avenge him and protect the people of the Empire. Instead, he simply stated, "Free weapons, free armor, and a few pretty pennies to boot."

The ribs came for both of them. Ralston accepted his meal with another smile towards the waitress, but he hardly put any thought or effort into it this time. Before he dug into his meal he asked, "Why are you really at the docks?" The question implied that Ralston knew there were other reasons for that line of work.

[Rafe Nered]

It didn’t take much encouragement for him to dig in, once the plates were set down and the waitress disappeared. The hall was stifling, ale was cool, the ribs were as inviting as they looked, and Rafe was diligently tearing off a mouthful of meat when Ralston’s voice broke in over the hum of the crowd.

Just for a moment, he paused. A little shudder ran through the table as he set down his mug. Of course, he'd expected a wary soul to pick up on his half-joking manner; the boy had done nothing really to make himself presentable, but some optimistic notion made him hope it would be overlooked, at least until the check came. The pragmatic part of him suggested he end this social call and head for the door – now. But the boy rarely listened to such sensible pleas. He’d been in tighter spots too many times to let it send him off like some startled rabbit.

Instead, he took another, long sip from his ale, lifted his head and offered the man a blank expression.

“I’m not sure what you’re implying, sir.”

[Ralston Sarwick]

The air became thick as if a blanket had just been spread out and let settle over the two at the table. Though the ale and ribs were very good and made both of them somewhat happy at the moment, the expression, or lack of expression, on the face of Rafe gave a different attitude to the conversation that had not previously been there.

To break the tension, Ralston halfway laughed before replying, "Oh, nothing, sir. Its just that I cannot stand the place: the smell, the people, the..." He just shook his head. "I just wouldn't be able to do it."

Ralston hoped his words were taken seriously and that Rafe would not think anything of them. Besides, he didn't know enough about the elf to anger him so early in the conversation.

[Rafe Nered]

Another sip of the ale steadied the boy’s nerves a bit. As he’d supposed, the man didn’t seem to want a fight.

A smile formed on his lips, and he lifted a sleeve to wipe his face before checking himself and using the napkin on the side of the plate. He nodded at Ralston as if he understood him, but the puzzled expression showed through. Even as he was aware there were creatures on Telath not at all suited for such an environment, the elf didn’t really understand how anyone could not love the sea, with everything it had to offer, as they would the earth itself. Humans were indeed strange. He was only beginning to understand them.

Rafe attempted to mirror the man’s easy tone when he spoke again.

“I’ve known little else. Of course I’m biased.” His grin returned with its customary mischief. “Where abouts do you hail from, sir…I don’t believe I got your name?”

[Eyvind Redbeard]

The Crown was full, a free chair was a rare sight. Eyvind had just entered the building and all he could see were the heads of literaly dozens of customers nudging themselves for some space. Looking above the heads of a pair of muscled Dorins Eyvind recognized a familiar face, he didn't know the name of the man, but he had seen him the in training exercises back in the Military District. That was the only familiar face around so Eyvind decided to go meet the other recruit.

To reach him, Eyvind would go on an almost epic adventure in a Tavern full of all kinds of people that inhabited the Empire. Moving between two tables Eyvind steped on a Halfling just to pull an Orc while trying not to fall. "My apologises! Excuse me! Careful with the tail! Beg your pardon, would you mind steping aside so I can...thank you very much!" were just a few things he said as he moved on.

When Eyvind finally arrived the table where Ralston was he was full of bruises in his right arm due to a small orc who found it funny to punch him until someone ordered him to stop. "Serale companion - Eyvind saluted and smiled - would you mind if I sit at your table?"

[Ralston Sarwick]

Listening, Rafe seemed to force his relaxed attitude. Not really wanting to bother much with it, Ralston just shrugged it off and started to answer, "Well, I thought I did mention my name." Before he could continue, a familiar face showed up at the table and greeted him. Continuing with a smile, he said, "The name's Ralston Sarwick." The statement was aimed at both men, really, knowing that his fellow recruit probably would not know or remember his name either.

Motioning to an empty chair, Ralston replied, "Certainly, please have a seat. I was just relaxing when this... nice elf stopped by to join me." He smiled because he felt he had somebody else on his side in case things didn't turn out too well.

Turning red at his poor social skills, Ralston said, "I would introduce the two of you, but I havn't caught your name yet and I can't seemd to remember yours, either!" Though the two were at training together, unless one of them was getting yelled at, it was difficult to know names. And even then, they had so much else on their mind that remembering names was not an easy task.

[Rafe Nered]

OOC: Not sure if we should continue as is, since Eyvind's response is gone, but if he's not in the thread I can edit.

Awkward. The soldier was awkward. Maybe it was just lack of social ease. The boy looked from one to another with a wide smile, but he was not particularly pleased. It almost smelled like a setup, the way the two conveniently came across one another. Not that that sort of thing wasn't possible, of course, but that was the beauty of it.

No matter. Rafe had done nothing out of sorts yet, and he was too hungry to care. He lifted from his seat and extended a hand in greeting when the soldier approached. Mentally he repeated Ralston's name until he felt he had it down, though he knew he'd most likely forget it again. The boy was better with faces than he ever was with names.

"I'm Rafe," he grinned at the newcomer. "Rafe Nered. New in town." He noded towards his plate. "If you're hungry, I'd recommend the ribs. They're excellent. And the wait staff isn't too bad, either." His eyes fell on the backside of their waitress as she passed by.