Drinks On The TarRaCe

The TarRaCe, evening

The cold wind blows harshly across the city, dragging the snow around in deep drifts. With the Colosseum crowds greatly diminished, the regular crowd has been replaced with an older, sterner crowd. While the staff of the TarRaCe move with all their usual speed and grace, the atmosphere is more reserved. Casual.

Tending bar is a diminutive, blue woman, her features distinctly a mix of Shark and Goblin. She works with quick aplomb, socializing and sending drinks up and down the bar with a practiced wrist.

"And then he had the nerve to say, and I quote, "I ain't never seen a woman with a fin afore!" To which I replied, "And I ain't never ate someone with more wood than flesh before!" And I gnashed my teeth at him. He fainted dead away!"

The pool-shark giggles as the old sailor at the bar guffaws.

The weather outside might be a bit frightful, but inside is so delightful. Especially when there's heat. And hot baths. And ale! This place has everything... just, well, not all in the same room. Probably to keep the baths from being pools of hot ale (which doesn't sound that bad).

So Bryn exits the baths for the main room, long black hair unbraided down her back to dry. She heads her damp self for the bar. She catches part of Irshya's tale (not tail) on the way and looses a short laugh. "Ha! Mebbe shoulda bit 'is wood parts a li'l, jus so's he 'mebers!"

From behind the bar, a chuckle. "Ah, here it is." Walking up from a storage area beneath the bar is an elegant-looking half-elf, dressed in a white silk tunic and black trousers tucked into black riding boots. His hair is caught back by a gold and silver circlet, and he is carrying a large wine case. Carefully, he sets it down behind the bar, before drawing out a bottle.

As a couple of braver souls approach the half-elf, he offers a smile. "Good evening. Care to try something I've brewed in the deep hours of the night?" He draws out two small glasses, the bottle in his hands sealed with wax and embossed with a crescent-and-raven mark. Clearly, this is Telamon Lupecyll-Atlon, and he's having a bit of fun for a change.

It's gotten quite cold out -- as usual for the time of year. It's the warmth inside the place, along with the food and drink available (and possibly also the promise of a hot bath) that draws Aznara into the place. The mul woman pulls her hood back off her head and throws the side of her cloak back over her shoulders, as if to 'let in the warm' after she's stepped through the door, looking about as if seeking a place to sit.

"C'mon, man!" The voice that presages the two new arrivals is cheerful, with a slightly lilting accent bordering on the posh...

A good fit for the young auburn-haired man that enters first, walking backwards without a care in the world, his pale grey-green eyes bright as he looks at the rather foliate friend. He's dressed nicely, a leather great coat of wine purple-red over a leather vest studded with metal rivets. Across his back is a well worn sword and buckler.

He's not the tallest of people, although he has a good two and half feet on the pool shark. Who he notices as he turns around, confident that anyone in his way will move out of the way. It's just polite, y'know?

"We can get a drink, maybe a bath, and see about looking for work. I dunno about you, but I'm all out of caltrops and I just feel naked without them!" He spots Irshya, then Bryn, and turns back to his companion. "Look! More green people! Maybe we found your family! Although the blueish one looks a little short."

The one that arrives with the posh individual could not be more different. Taller, with oruch blood, and a mildly grumpy expression. He's also dressed much simpler, with a fur cloak around his shoulders to ward off the cold outside. Though he doesn't seem annoyed by his companion's boisterousness, just amused.

At least until green people are pointed out to him. "You know, that doesn't mean we're related." He shoots an apologetic look in the direction of those accused of being his family. As he walks to the bar, he shrugs the cloak back off his shoulders and heads right for one of the stools. "A drink sounds good though, and maybe that bath, too.."

Irshya grins broadly at Bryn, showing of a hole in her upper toothline, a replacement already slowly creeping into place. From under the bar, the Goblin produced a wooden leg, with several obvious toothmarks scattered around it.

"I bloody did!", she says with a guffaw, banging her small her hand on the bartop.

Irshya's tail begins to swish back and forth as Telamon produces some of his magical alcohols. "I may not, for I am on duty this evening. But if you could perhaps save me a glass or two, I would try some later." A couple of ales are sent down the bar, where a server snags them, carrying them off to the upper portion of the main room.

A server meets Aznara just inside the door, gesturing to the bar, and some of the nearby tables. "If you're lookin' for dinner, please seat yourself. The bar's also available if you're just looking to take a load off and get something to wash the road dust out of your throat."

As for the others, who approach the bar, the wee blue Goblin. "What'll you have? Somethin' hot or somethin' cold?"

Aznara steps to the side as Skyler and Jarik arrive, smoothly slipping out of their way and generally away from the stage and towards the staircase -- although it seems the motion was *just* to not block the entryway and not made with intent to ascend. The two men are loud and boisterous, and she's being quiet, even as she nods to the server before undoing the clasp on her cloak and taking a moment to shake what little snow still clings to it off, while she's still right near the door. This reveals that she appears to be wearing a silvery dress of fine mail and, apparently, nothing else -- no wait! ...she's *actually* got stuff on under that dress, it's just all but the same dark color as her skin, thus the possible confusion about nudity. She's kitted, it turns out, like an adventurer, with a swordbelt that bears blades and a coiled... rope? ... no, it's a whip of some kind.

With her cloak shaken out, the mul woman tosses it over her right shoulder and actually takes a step into the place, towards a table... one near the bar.

Bryn breaks out into a shorting guffaw and slaps the bartop at the reveal. She looks about to order herself something when she spies Telamon. "Ey! Blondie!" Then her eye spies the case. "That the stuff we rescued?! If'n yer givin out samples, I'm always thirsty." Though she might still order something from the bar, too.

Her eye wanders as she muses that, the sight of the mul making caterpillar brows scrunch up some. Then it looks like there's another dandy to give Telamon some competition, and- "Ey, cousin!" She lifts a big metal hand to give a greeting down the way at the big (well, compared to the others), muscled halfsy.

Telamon fights with the bottle a moment, before making an exasperated sound. "Hold on." Then he intones, "Sisig bursag." The magic is such a small thing, but then he releases the bottle, and it hovers in midair -- the wax seal unraveling, and the cork working its way out. He offers a grin to onlookers. "Sorry, I should've brought a corkscrew." There's a pop as the cork is pulled free by the invisible force, and he takes up the bottle again. "Now, where was I?"

He pours a measure of the liquor into each glass, and it's... clearly not -normal-. The deep, deep violet is one thing, but clearly visible in the glass are stars, twinkling impossibly in the wine. Like he's taken a bottle of the very night sky and poured a couple glasses.

The half-orc is given a reproachful look by Skyler, the auburn human shaking his head and pointing at Bryn. "See! She said she was your cousin!" He protests, but it's clear his heart isn't in it, as he follows after his friend and slips into a barstool beside him.

And wrinkles his nose. "Bath. For sure a bath." He says firmly, before turning just in time to catch Telamon's little magic moment. "Oh wow!" He says, eyes wide, "That's a useful spell!" He glances at Jarik, "Why can't you do that?" Beat. "*Can* you do that?"

He shakes his head, and turns to the bartender, "Do you have any oat milk?"

Though on further inspection, Jarik wears a hairstyle not so dissimilar than Bryn's and as she greets him as 'cousin' well, maybe the two do look like they could be related afterall, even if she has a good head on him. He shoots Bryn a toothy grin, "Cousin, eh? Sure thing." He agrees with a nod as he settles down on a stool. "Hot?" He asks curiously, as the idea of a hot drink in a bar is something of a novel idea to him. "Sounds like a good thing for tonight, surprise me." He says, deciding not to get too bogged down in the specifics of what he's going to drink. Skyler, meanwhile, gets stared at with one arched black brow. "No." It's a simple answer to the question, anyway, until he says with a grimace.. "Oat milk?"

An Oruch woman looms over Aznara, a tray held up in one massive hand. "Hello and welcome to the TarRaCe! May I get you something to drink? Some hot apple cider, to chase off the cold? Our specialty is monster meals. Meals made from some of the animal monsters caught and killed by adventurers. Our special this evening is freshly caught sea-serpent. It has been cooked to perfection, and tastes very much like salmon, with a touch of ... lightning. Just a tingle on the tonguetip."

The woman smiles. "We have a very hearty vegetable soup, if you're looking for something more ... normal."

Irshya giggles at Bryn, before hiding the leg away. Her eyes go to Telamon's drink pour and she nods enthusiastically. "Ah yes, I have heard of this one. Save me one of those."

The Goblin's head tilts at Skyler's question. She blinks and rubs at her cheek slowly. "I uhm hate to tell ye this, but, you can't milk oats. We uh have oatmeal, as a breakfast. We have uh cows milk. Is there something else I could get you? Tea? Coffee? Ale?" Irshya nods at Jarik. "Yes, hot. Hot apple cider. Hot coffee, to which alcohol could be added."

"Something hot does sound quite appropriate...", Aznara comments, in a quiet voice, from her table nearby... where she's set her folded cloak down to sit upon, a makeshift cushion. Then the server's come to her.

"The cider sounds good...and whatever food is ready, so long as it's also hot, please", she adds, to the Oruch woman; she proffers up the requested coin, too, after she's requested her meal. That done, she finally does actually sit down, albeit with her back currently to the table and with one leg crossed over the other, at the knee. While her leg-crossing's at least somewhat ladylike, she leans back on the table and puts her elbows on it, showing that she really isn't terribly genteel, after all.

Telamon raises a hand to Bryn in greeting, smiling. "Looking well, Bryn!" he replies with aplomb. The two brave souls at the bar facing Tel eye the glasses nervously, before picking them up and taking a sip. "Huh," one says, "It's sweet. But good." As the fellow drains his glass, tilting his head back, he freezes, staring at the ceiling. "Wha..."

Tel laughs softly. "It's all right, friend. It only lingers for an hour or so, and it's not really there." His gaze shifts over to Skyler, the dark eyes dancing. "A simple application. I learned it early on and found it's got a number of mundane uses." He smiles broadly. "My lady was quite impressed when I found out I could open wine bottles with it."

When he overhears the server informing Aznara of the daily special, one brow rises, and he -looks- at Irshya. "Really? You bought some of that sea serpent for the TarRaCe?"

Bryn grins back at the man, tuskily, then rolls her shoulders. "Shorter 'n callin ye muscly green chunka oruch, ain' it?? Gotcher tusks from somewheres back, eh?" to Telamon she nods. "Course I am!" Then she eyes him sippin his wine and staring up and decides, "Ale! Fer me 'n the muscly chunka oruch! 'N anybody else't wants one!" She's feeling generous.

"I mean, you could use your tusks, right? Just kinda..." And Skyler mimes holding a bottle and opening his mouth to jam the cork against his canines and then jerks his head back while his other hand comes up to hook his cheek with one finger and...

POP!

When his taste in drinks is called into question, he draws himself up with as much dignity as he can manage. "Oat milk is good for your gut health, Jar. It balances your humors." He squints over at the bigger man, "And the Gods know you could use some humors." He slaps the man on the shoulder, *hard*, and grins.

But then he turns to the bartender, and the grin becomes a grimace. "I.. never tried milking an oat? But I know it's possible! But I guess I'll take the hot cider. And the sea-serpent. All I've had is field rations and some mushrooms we found on the side of the road." He rubs the back of his neck ruefully, "They were kinda trippy." But then he grins cheerfully, glancing over at the others nearby with a friendly expression and a distinct lack of intelligence in his eyes. Which probably explains the wistful expression Telamon's trick. Hard to become any kind of mage when your brain is smooth, without ridges or lumps and thoughts just sorta slide off. Like a waterslide! "I'm Skyler. The chunka oruch is Jarik. We're new here."

The tall woman nods to Aznara, "The soup will be a few minutes, but the cider should be by momentarily." She proceeds behind the bar, to tend to a few drink orders, while hollering something cryptic at the kitchen door.

Irshya is momentarily mesmerized by Bryn's new hand. "Oh, you decided on a mechanical replacement. It suits you very well." Her glance goes to Telamon then, and she flashes him a very toothy grin. "I am still very cross about the death of that serpent. But it does not mean I would pass up on a treat for my customers. Holding two contradictory positions is something only a master can do, hmm?"

Her ears perk up at Bryn's request for ales, and the pool-shark begins to line up glasses, filling each one with a practiced ease. "Alright, ale on the house!" Several of the patrons cheer.

The oruch woman behind the bar nods at Skyler, sending a hot apple cider his way, and shouts another cryptic word towards the kitchn.

A tray makes its way to Aznara's table shortly afterwards, the Goblin just barely able to slide the hot cider in front of the Mul'neissa. "Here you are! Your soup will be here very soon."

"Cider is good. Though ale is great, too." Jarik replies when Bryn is suddenly offering, then after a moment he adds, "And maybe some of that sea serpent, too." He leans forward on the bar, nodding to Bryn. "From some ancestor I never met, yeah." He says tapping the tip of one of his short tusks. Though Skyler gets a look of mild reproof. "I'm not using my tusks as a bottle opener." He adds grumpily, rubbing his thumb on one as he grimaces at the thought.

"And I told you not to eat those mushrooms." He adds, though the nudge to his shoulder does produce a mild grin from the half-blood and a shake of the head. He's probably a bit more used to his companion's oddities. His eyes slide towards that starry wine and then to the one who drank it. "So, what's he seeing anyway?"

Telamon gives Irshya an amused look. "Right." He shakes his head, before regarding the two drinkers who've finished their glasses and are moving off cautiously. At Jarik's question, he nods. "The night sky. It's rather reassuring. I like to think of it as a blessing from Ni'essa, to see those stars twinkling just for you if only for a time. If you'd like to try some, I'm offering."

Tel looks at Skyler a bit... worriedly. "Er... yes, your friend is right. There's more than a few mushrooms that are distracting, and some that are quite poisonous. Stick to fishing, perhaps, or small game."

"Y'know ye can go outside 'n see the stars, eh?" Bryn reminds Telamon. Then she reconsiders. "Er, mabbe if it weren' snowin so much." Then she wanders JarikandSkylerwards. "Brynhildragar o' the Broken Tusks." After a moment's thought, she extends the fleshy left arm and hand to them. "Friends call me Bryn. Enemies call me all sorts 'o shite," a wink, "but not fer long."

"They weren't *that* bad." Skyler protests regarding his foray into eating found foliage, "And you kept getting mad at me for using my buckler as a skillet."

It's an old refrain, apparently, and he turns to Telamon with a grin. "I would never eat poison mushrooms!" Which begs the question how could he tell if they were poison.

But he instead tips an non-existing hat to the Oruch woman, with a grin. "Thanks, Bryn. Friends call me 'Sky'. Except when I worked in airships." He rubs the back of his neck, "They wanted to call me Kyle." He cocks his head at the talk of serpents, asking artlessly, "Trouble with a sea serpent? I heard things in Alexandria got spicy."

Jarik reaches out to clasp hands with Bryn, giving her his firmest handshake. "Well, let's go with Bryn." He replies, giving a single nod. He looks, eager about something in talking to the oruch woman, probably more familiar with his human side than the other.

He picks up his ale for a long pull, then sets the mug down to look right at Skyler. "You mean your name isn't Kyle?" He makes at least a passing approximation of feigned surprise, until his grin pops back on his face and he chuckles.

To Tel, he raises his beer. "Maybe I'll have a sip when I've gotten through the two drinks I already have."

Telamon nods to Jarik. "Suit yourself, sir." At Skyler's remark, the half-sil lets out a snort. "Ah, you are -definitely- new here. Well, Alexandria is a grand place to seek fortune and glory -- but take care so you live to enjoy both. There's always work for those in search of said coin and fame, but there's plenty of dangers, too."

He gives the mismatched pair a serious look, but then smiles. "But if it helps, I've been there too. Just a young fool walking into Alexandria, sent here to handle diplomatic work and hopefully not get into trouble. And it led me down some interesting roads indeed."

Bryn nods to Sky Kyle and snorts before boasting, "Oruch can eat the arse outta a dead camel 'n come back fer more." All while she gives Jarik a hardy handclasp in kind. She grins wide, tusks splaying. "Ye call be Bryn, ye." She winks... or blinks? There's not really much difference in her case.

"Ain been 'ere long, meself." After released the halfsy's hand, she thumbs at Telamon. "S'all his fault. Mostly. This place's anything but borin." There isn't any real accusation there, though. Her other, mechanical hand is reached over to grab up a mug of ale from the bartop (she didn't forget that!). It's lifted up a brief salute before she upends it to start pouring.

"Oh! You offered some of your stuff. In one ear, out the other." Skyler says cheerfully to Telamon, cocking his head towards the half-sil and his drink, "Hit me, I'll try some. Stars, you say?" He blinks, and again rubs the back of his neck, "Is that's what's in it or what you see when you drink it? Either way, I am *down*."

To Bryn, he chuckles as he gives Jarik another clap on the back, "Didn't know arse was an oruch speciality." He then glances back at the half-elf and legitimately rubs his hands together gleefully. Quite alarming, given the lack of intellect in his limpid green eyes and handsome face. "Adventure, you say? Plenty of danger, you say? Sounds like my kind of city. There an adventurer guild or is it an ear on the ground to find jobs? I'm running low on cash, and need some new caltrops. Fun word, that. Caaaaltrops."

He pauses to drain his cider to make room for Telaman's brew.

"I'll agree to the young fool part." Whether Jarik means himself or Skyler might not be completely clear. Maybe both. "But this town better be exciting, boredom is half the reason I left home. It was a nice village, but.." He can't find the word and finishes it with a grunt as he takes another swig of ale. "Well, I'm sure you can guess."

As Skyler seems ready to go for the wine, Jarik settles in for the show, leaning one elbow on the bar to prop his chin in his hand as he looks over at his travelling companion. Still, he also raises some good points. "Yeah, money's going to be an issue after not too long, I'm afraid."

Telamon looks wryly at Jarik and Skyler. "Well, I can't speak for Bryn here, but personally I almost -wish- things were a little less exciting. But then I may be biased." Oddly, he then pauses, cocking his head as if hearing something, before he chuckles.

"In any case, of course." He pours a small glass of the violet concoction, before sliding it over to Skyler. "It's called 'the Night's Kiss'. One of the first liquors I made, and still one that I consider the best."

Bryn finishes chugging her drink when the mug is empty. "Ahhh." She sets the empty down, belches, and chase that with a short laugh. "Quiet's borin, ye. There's a 'venturer's Guild here. Pays pretty good 'n seems ta be busy." That's for Sky Guy and Jarik, of course. "Been demons 'n thieves 'n hands 'n pirates 'n cats 'n all sortsa shite causin trouble."

Considering another drink, she turns her eye back to Telamon. "Night's Kiss, eh? The night a good kisser?" She's tempted to try it, but obviously has some doubts.

The sole human in the conversation lets the implication of Jarik's statement breeze over his head... Provided he even heard it. Instead, he latches onto the village part, wincing slightly. "I mean, it was a *real* nice village. Lots of good loot." He says ruefully, giving the half-oruch a shoulder bump companionably. He wrinkles his nose at Bryn's maligning of pirates.

And then he's watching the liquor get poured, eyes bright. "Do you drink it all at once or sip on it?" He asks, catching it gracefully as it's slid over to him. He brings it up to his nose, giving it a sniff before he shrugs, turns to Bryn, and says, "To camel arse in butter sauce." And with that solemn toast he throws it back.

Jarik fixes Skyler with a wry look at the mention of loot then just shakes his head and returns to his drink. He's still watching his companion as he fusses with the wine, his curiosity holding most of his attention there.

"Maybe we should stop by the guild in the morning and see if they're taking signups, then." He says once the others confirm that there is such a guild. "Easier than just sniffing around and waiting for a job to fall in our laps." He chuckles at Bryn's list. "Can't always wait on pirates to fall out of th.. did you say cats?"

"Indeed, the Guild is always looking for skilled hands. It pays well, and one can find many friends among its cohorts." Telamon watches Skyler knock the wine back, before he snorts at Jarik.

"Bryn is not kidding. Fiends, brigands, ne'er-do-wells, strange events in the Felwood, sewer mischief -- gods, if I never have to go into the sewers again I will be a happy man -- and some days all I want is a quiet evening at home with my wife." He pours another drink for Jarik, just in case.

"Ye," Bryn nods to Jarik with a glance or three spared at Skyler throwing back the wine. "Was a cat 'r two in there somewheres..." She pauses in thought, scratches at the back of her head. "Don' 'member exactly what it was doin..."

The oruchess shakes it off with a shrug a moment later. "If yer spendin the night with 'er and it's quiet," she advises Telamon, "I think yer doin summin wrong."

Skyler's eyes dilate as he grows uncharacteristically silent, staring upward with a blank expression... Even more blank than usual, that is. He giggles. "Wow." He says still staring at the ceiling, "It's like... the *stars*, Jer. You have to try it!"

He shakes his head, and shakes it again, before glancing over at the others. "There's a distinctly plummy aftertaste. Like a midwinter pudding. With afternotes of.." He smacks his lips thoughtfully, "... Plum. Huh? What'd you say?" That to Bryn, "Killer cats?"

"Don't trust cats. My auntie had an old grey fleabag, the thing always hated me." Jarik squints at the memory, downing the rest of his ale. Though as Tel pours some of the wine for him, he's obliged to try it. He has a rule about not turning down alcohol once it's given to him. He looks sideways at Skyler, then at the glass of twinkling wine in front of him as if he's considering breaking his rule for the first time. Then knocks it back.

He gives a little shake of his head, then blinks a few times looking upwards. His grin is a bit more subtle, but he let's out a single, soft guffaw. "And I don't even need to sneak out in the middle of the night and climb a tree to see them." He murmurs, though he pulls his gaze back down after a moment.

"Huh." That's all Bryn says for a moment as she now watches the two stare at the ceiling for a bit. "One drink gets ye seein stars, eh? That's a new one." She doesn't dwell on that too long, though.

"So, how long ye two been draggin th'other around?" Her eye moves to Skyler while a metal finger points at Jarik. "Ye grab 'im outta 'is borin village, throw 'im over yer shoulder and run 'im alla way here?"

"You gotta try it, Bryn." Skyler urges with a broad grin as he shakes off the effects of the drink. When the sea serpent is delivered, he tucks in, pausing only to consider Bryn's question.

"Actually, ran into him outside *his* village. Decided the road was no place to go solo, and so we decided to work together. We work fairly well together, so here we are!" Beat. "Needing baths. Ever smell something so bad you can taste it?" He wrinkles his nose. "Cheesey."

Jarik barks a short laugh at Bryn's assumption of their meeting. "You know, something not far off." He adds with an easy grin. "I was looking for an excuse to leave, he made for a good one. Didn't really have anything holding me there anymore." He says easily as he folds his hands on the bar.

"You smell like you've been sleeping on the side of the road under pine trees for a week." He lifts the front of his shirt and gives it a small sniff. "Two weeks." He looks over in the direction of the baths, then back to Skyler. "We might want to take a dip before the inn turns us away for reeking."

Bryn doesn't seem to mind the stink, if it's really as bad as the two are claiming. "Better 'n a cage, I bet." She waves her green hand towards the baths she recently came from. "The baths'r great 'ere. Nice 'n hot. Ain't pricey. Hells, they even got folks to was yer stuff while ye ain' wearin it. Only coppers. Sometimes I jump in there more'n once. Jus' fer soakin."

"God, I'd love a nice, long soak. Think they have perfumed salts?" Skyler asks with an longing in his voice. He shakes his head, and finishes off his sea serpent before turning to the new barmaid that's come to check on them. "I'd like a bath, please. And maybe a room?"

He cocks his head as he glances at Bryn, "Mind keeping Jar company? He gets broody if he's alone too long."