Michael, running the bar, shoots a well-practiced look at any patrons whose lingering eyes edge toward downright rude. It's their first warning. Edward is not far away if they need a second.
Gorgeous this one. Confident. Expensively dressed. The leather says travel that need protection at times. Stock in trade of this place, as much as anyone. The tall blonde barkeep nods to her and meets her eyes.
"Ma'am. What can I get you?"
The beautiful woman looks to the blonde-haired barkeep as he speaks and smiles sweetly. “Well, thank you kind Sir for asking. You know a drinking establishment is top shelf when the ladies are not kept in a thirsty state.” She gives Michael a slightly seductive smile… the kind that leaves one wondering whether it was just a nice gesture, or perhaps something more. “How long have you worked here?”
A quirk of a smile. "Technically, pretty much my whole life." Helly pushes a crate of shining, wet, heavy glass mugs across the polished bar top and clips back to the kitchen. The barkeep moves the box behind the bar; a plush towel is selected from a few tucked over the strings of his apron, and he starts polishing each glass and sliding them, open side down, onto a low shelf. "Got some wine in from central Dregar, been a dry year on the vines so I hear it's very sweet. If you'd care to try."
She continues to smile, “Your whole life… that is indeed a long time.”
(Roll a 1d20 please. Your target is 20)
She purses her lips for a moment, a cute little pout is held, and then she says… “Well, I’ll tell you what. That sweet red wine sounds delicious. I love rum too, why don’t you just mix the two together… I’m sure it would be a delightful flavor and color.” She runs a finger over the wood grain of the bar top.
//two
Michael obligingly adds a shot of Corsanian rum into a glass of the purplish beaujolais and hands it to the woman with a smile. "On the house, ma'am."
“Well, well, that was unexpected… but I’m very grateful. My name is Ravana by the way.” Her gloved hand brushes his slightly as she accepts the drink. She smiles again as she takes a small sip from the glass. She looks thoughtful at that point, and as a bartender Michael’s people skills and intuitive senses pick up a slight trace of sadness... but as quickly as it appears it is gone. He cannot even be sure it was there to begin with.
The touch forces a nervous smile. He takes a step back, ostensibly to hold a mug up to the huge cartwheel chandelier's light and check it for spots, but in fact to have a look around the immediate vicinity. The mug seems to passes muster and his brief search ends with a slight drop of his shoulders. He licks his lips, thoughtful - not lewd - and sets the mug with the others. "So what's your story, Ravana. How'd you end up at the Silver Buckle?"
Tori returns from where she'd been checking into the economics and security of fixed-location portals, makes a round to see if anyone needed anything addressed while she was gone, and slides into a stool a few places down. She sets her unloaded crossbow in front of her, and leans against the bar to get a feel for the place while Michael's occupied. She typically takes no strong drink and doesn't draw much attention to herself, just sitting down signifying that she'd take something at some point. If acknowledged, she nods in return.
While the evidence of her last fight have mostly faded, she is on the best of days a shabby comparison to the nearby visitor, almost a study in contrasts. Her attire is plain, breastplate battered and likely a hand-me-down, and the only thing about her that tends to draw the eye is her crossbow. Her gaze passes over the woman at the bar without pausing, as it does over others in sight; quietly noting, mentally documenting, and returning to her thoughts.
She looks thoughtful for a moment and then says, “My children were missing. They lived in this city for quite a while. I travelled a great distance to find them. Unfortunately, I have discovered they have been murdered.” Michael does not sense the motherly concern he would have expected from one bearing the burden of that type of personal tragedy. “I’m just trying to decide what I am going to do about it.” She smiles at him and takes another sip from her unorthodox mixed drink. “But we should not dwell on that now.”
She looks about the establishment, taking in the music, speech, and laughter. “This is a very artsy establishment… A lot of gifted and talented people.” She then leans forward quickly with a small laugh and broad smile. “I’m a little artsy myself you know… I have an amazing drawing talent. You might even want to purchase one. Would you like a demonstration?”
A couple of nearby customers who Michael has been keeping his eye on because of how enamored they seem to be with the beautiful woman edge a little closer and urge her to show them her talents.
The beautiful woman notes Tori’s arrival and shoots her a smile and a wink…
His smile remains, but not quite as far as his eyes. The right corner of his mouth hangs higher than it's twin hovering under his left cheek. "Sure. Draw away. One of the owners is Ilsarian, anyway."
Noting Michael's expression at a glance without having heard the whole of what passed, Tori works at her things without intruding, whether vocally or physically. She pays more attention to their interaction to 'catch up', studying unobtrusively those that press close, measuring potential threats a force of habit. Tori nods at the woman when she's winked at, her expression unchanging; she doesn't try to posture or be threatening, just quiet as usual.
“Ahhh. Ilsarians, they are such delectable people... I think in another life I might have been one myself.” She gives her charming smile again and with a little laugh reaches into a red suede pouch on her belt and withdraws what is obviously a small artist’s kit. Michael and Tori have seen them very often among the Buckle’s regular patrons. She opens the case and they can see about a dozen pastel oil paint sticks of various colors and some charcoal wedges. Nothing seems out of the ordinary.
She chooses a charcoal wedge and begins applying lines and unrestrained strokes to the wood top of the bar. Michael knows it will not cause any damage, and if she uses the oil paint the fine wood grain will be adequately protected by the coat of varnish… it might take a little work to clean up though.
Her skills were obviously understated as she progresses and it is clear that she is very talented. The charcoal drawing begins taking on the discernable shapes of common forest animals at play, and several more patrons begin gathering around to watch her work.
Perhaps for no other reason than the drawing is being applied directly to some physical property of the building (which just from passing stories she's had cause to keep an eye on) rather than parchment or canvas, Tori's attention sharpens to focus more on the woman herself - from the physical, as her attire, jewelry, even the clasps of a cloak, to demeanor. She could be a pretty woman with a talent that simply enjoys the attention. It also remains always a possibility that other patrons (and Michael?) are drawn in for a purpose, and that the choice of canvas is not merely convenient. Tori, out of necessity being suspicious verging on the paranoid, merely watches her and her movements without overtly being rude, in an attempt to discern if there's anything more unusual than a pretty lady, or something that seems magical or off about movements or equipment.
//Not because of expecting anything to be up, merely listing in case it is needed, sad little 10 SC (cross-class trained, wears gear... still working on it, ok ). Modified 20 wis, 16 int. Um. Favored enemy: human... what? It's not creepy.
//Tori - PM on the way..
A crowd gathers. He should stop her, but the work is just too skilled. Andy'll kick himself for not being here. The Buckle head of security - he doesn't know her well, she doesn't lend herself to knowing - is less enthralled. Good.
He lets the exotic woman draw and marvels at the rare display of talent along with the other patrons.
After a moment, her (visible) attention returns to her things, nothing having outwardly alarmed her. Weighing odds and employer reactions in her mind, she draws out a rolled piece of blank parchment, smooths it out, and then slides it over the bar in offering... slides it all the way over, in fact, smudging some charcoal and marring a bit the art. "Shame if you ain't able to take it with you, like," the first words she's offered since she sat down.
She looks blandly on at any offense taken. Maybe she's an art-hater. Or is jealous of a beautiful woman, or is genuinely offering assistance by providing a better canvas. Maybe not, too. There doesn't seem to be a lot of indication given.
Ravana was in the process of adding a few last strokes to what many would consider a masterpiece of art when Tori’s offer was pushed across the bar top and smudged the face of a cherub-like bunny rabbit. The bunny now had an elongated face and the teeth had become much more square and pronounced. Ravana smiled as she accepted the rolled parchment from the countertop and laid it on the other side of the drawing. Many of the customers began booing and muttering. A few insults were even directed toward Tori with angry looks… There were several comments about the disrespect of art, although there were no signs of physical violence. The beautiful woman smiled as she addressed the angry customers, “Now, now… It is nothing that cannot be easily fixed. Give the young lady a break. I’m sure she did not do it on purpose.” She turned back to the charcoal drawing and with a few deft strokes combined with some expert smudging and shading quickly returned the drawing to its former glory as she said to Tori, “I have many masterpieces youngling… this one is a gift for everyone here to enjoy for a while. No need for me to take it with me.”
As the compliments began pouring out of her growing crowd of new admirers and she appeared to be basking in the glory of their praise, she put her arms around two burly men who had elbowed their way to the front to watch and said “…and now for a final touch.”
//Roll 1d10 with no modifiers for Michael and Tori please...
Author
Topic: Silver Buckle - Shadow from the Past... (Read 4566 times)
