Into the Mists

[Kanaxe_Ru]

Into the Mists: Chapter 1

Nondescript Tavern:

Just barely within the city limits of Baldur's Gate, this tavern seems to be a pleasant stay away from the hustle and bustle of the city proper. Despite its nondescript exterior, not even having a sign out front, it seems to be fairly well decorated inside with trophies and exotic baubles from all over. A gaping wolf's head sits above the mantle of the roaring fireplace; below a massive pelt is sprawled across the floor, far larger than any regular beast. To the side a small noticeboard lays dusty in the corner, with small requests and boars hunting quests going mostly unnoticed as dusk approaches in the distance.

A tanned middle-aged human woman wipes down the bar, her plain looking attire and stature almost blending into the scenery. She sighs, wiping down a glass as she glanced out one of the windows.

"What's going on out there, Vanya?" A petite half-drow sitting at the bar tilts her head curiously as she glances in the same direction, the longbow slung over her shoulder shifting in response. "I can barely see out there, with all that fog..."

"Just some gypsies stirring up some trouble, lass." Vanya shakes her head, shrugging. "They've been out there for at least a week. Hopefully they'll find their way out soon, else I'll probably have to send one of the boys out there to talk with them. Maybe even deal with 'em myself." She huffs at the thought, and out of nowhere a decent burst of wind puffs past before dissipating into the room. "It's enough trouble keeping it straight out back, I don't need it on my front porch either."

Suddenly the front door swings open, and a hush falls over the room as a form enters through the foggy doorway. His heavy, booted footfalls and the jingle of his coins shatter the silence. His brightly colored clothes are draped in loose folds about him, and his hat hangs askew, hiding his eyes in shadows. Immediately, his eyes set upon a nondescript door in the corner and he strides right over, a twitchy looking man following behind in a nervous skitter.

Vanya raises an eyebrow at the man. "Can I help you, sir...?" Without so much as an acknowledgement he and his compatriot slip through the door as quickly as possible - but not before the sound of broken glass rings out in the distance. Trying to wrap her head around it, she turns back to the half-elf. "Have you seen him here before?"

She shakes her head in reply. "Nope. Seems he was looking for someone. Who's fighting today?"

Back Room:

A clash rings out as a broken bottle slams onto a drunkard's head, knocking him out cold while cheers and shouts erupt all around the room. It's far plainer than the main room, with only a few tables around the corners - some with casks of ale freely flowing, some with spectators watching eagerly or drinking their sorrows away, one with piles of gold and silver guarded religiously by a bookkeeper. A wide ring is shoddily painted in the middle, the circle of onlookers above it beginning to break to let the bouncer drag out the bloodied mess that was the loser. Peering over in an attempt to recognize his face, some spectators in the distance either begin to curse or sneak over to the bookkeeper to collect their earnings.

Behind the bouncer a hulking half-orc steps out, flexing his muscles and heading for one of the casks of ale in the corner. Downing the drink he turns back to the ring, waiting to see if some other poor saps would rise to the challenge before he felt like joining again. The brightly colored fellow from before sits quietly at a table, glancing about with a placid smile on his face as his partner seems to have disappeared into the crowd.

Within the ring, a larger buff man can be seen approaching the middle and taking stock of all the onlookers. Grinning widely, he bellows out to be heard above the murmurs and conversations. "And that's another out for the count! Who else is up for a fight tonight?"

​

 

[Expersprobi]

A tall bronze skinned elf with short gold-blond hair and golden eyes opened the door to the bar. He was wearing a dirty off-white tunic covered by a sturdy leather tavel jacket that hung down to his ankles and some brown trousers with a pair of quality leather boots. Inside the jacket hung a rapier and several daggers found their home on his belt along with an all too light pouch for coin and a small leather case that he quickly removed and placed in a jacket pocket as he entered the tavern. "Now, if this guy's here, we're about to make a quick buck. I'm tellin' ya kid, he'll take a fall for next to nothing. Great way to make some cash." He remarked to the woman following him. "Just, uh... don't act like a guard. You're just here to get a drink."

He looked up to see the barkeep watching him enter, "Wow, place looks great Vanya, really above board. I'm sure nothing shady is happening here, I'll be sure to let the captain know I checked it out." He nods with a sly grin as he leads the woman to a nondescript door and down a set of stairs into the fight pit.

 

[Maetrox]

At the makeshift bar inside of the room where the fight pit resides, a large broad tanned man is wrapping up his hands in cloth sitting on a barstool. Wrapping it tightly around his hands, he clenches his fists a couple of times before letting out a satisfied grunt. Running his hands through his short light blond hair the sweat droplets are glistening on his bare forehead, his head motioning upwards revealing his light blue eyes.

He grabs his tankard of ale and takes a good swig as the ale washes away the aftertaste of metal in his mouth. "Fuckin' hell. You take one stray punch to the jaw from a drunk bastard and pop goes the tissue.. Damn mouth wounds never stay shut." He thinks to himself as he spits out the remainder of the ale, the gold yellow brew having become a stained reddish color.

When he looks back at the ring, he sees the unfortunate loser from the previous fight being dragged off. "Chump. Should've swayed backwards more, that half-orc swings so wide that even a damn cow could've dodged that. He'd better have enough coin for the healer." With the half-orc making its way out of the ring and the new arrival swapping in and announcing his challenge, he gets up from his stool and puts down his tankard.

Stretching his arms and fingers, he slowly makes his way inside of the ring. "That'll be me." He mumbles, throwing his unnecessary equipment into the designated corner outside of the ring.

 

[Abrahms]

Following the elf down into the basement was a younger woman, pale skinned, black hair with white tips, two scars across her face: one across her nose, another creeping up onto her cheek from her jaw. Chainmail clinking faintly as she moved, she kept a hand on her twin rapiers to keep them from swinging too much as the pair worked their way down the stairs. Light brown boots with dark blue leggings tucked into them stomped down the stairs, a gauntlet-covered hand followed the wall, the dimness making it difficult to see, while a faint shape flickered on her gauntlet. Her pale blue eyes looked over the crowd, attempting to get a read on the room as they entered, "I won't act like a guard for long -- if the drinks are good enough that is."

Joining Lucan at a table she leaned back in her chair, placing her boots on the table as she listened to the murmuring of the room, watching the last poor challenger get dragged out. "So, Old Man, is the guy we're here to watch get beat up one way or another actually here?"

 

[Expersprobi]

Lucan chuckled, "Patience Rey, he's right there." He points to a tanned man with cloths wrapped around his hands. "Looks like he's been fighting. Good. The more wins, the better the odds if the underdog upsets. Now we can only hope someone unassuming steps in to beat him." He smiles and grabs a half empty bottle of rum off the stairs as he leads Rey over to a table to take a seat. After taking a swig, he offers it to her, "Drink's good."

He then pulls a small copper wire from his pocket, sticking it in his mouth. Pointing his finger at Jonathan, he begins to whisper inaudibly. "Hey Jon, how're the odds looking? You willing to take a fall tonight? I got 10 gold to bet and I'm sure we can work something out." He grins and waits for a response, watching the stairs for a good mark. His tongue flicks the copper wire back and forth in his mouth as he watches and thinks.

 

[Maetrox]

As Jonathan is psyching himself up to brawl, a voice other than his own emerges in his thoughts. Throwing some glances into the audience looking for a familiar face, he finds it and briefly locks eyes with Lucan before turning his head back towards the ring. Moving his hand up to his mouth, he strokes his chin for a bit to mask his mouth. "Sunshine - Running hot - Big fall, big stack" ("Good odds, getting heated up to fight, going to cost you if you want me down.") He quickly and briefly whispers back, using the usual terminology between the two of them.

Waiting for the next participant to show up, Jonathan begins to shadow box in place to generate some excitement and drain some excessive energy.

 

[RadientAni]

Lounged in a dark corner Kore chewed on a cinnamon stick his feet stretched out lazily in front of him. Dressed in dark leathers a black kerchief about his neck, his dark hair pulled back in a tail a red braid dangling forward by his temple with the uncaptured locks looking like a poised black cat, looking calm but ready to pounce.

He was there to make good coin from overzealous drunkards too stupid to not kill themselves in the pit. Known as Friend to the unsavory types the half -orc, marked only by his strong jaw and protruding tusks, made a name for himself as a back alley healer. He wasn’t the first to take the name and he wouldn’t be last.

Watching from his vantage those coming in and going out he keeps an eye on interesting persons his cocky half smile pulling at his cheek as he talks to no one “Things might be getting interesting.”

 

[Expersprobi]

One more point across the room to Jon, "Fifty - fifty split on the winnings less the ante? Or I could bet your money too, just leave it in the usual spot." Lucan shoots a glance to Rey, "Kid, you want in on this action or not? 10 gold could be more if you had a good day." He stands to be ready to move if Jonathan decides to leave money for a bet in a mug on the end of the bar, sitting back down as Lucan nodded.

 

[Abrahms]

Reyeara looked through the crowd to the man Lucan pointed to before watching him start to fiddle with his toothpick.

She took a sip of the rum as well, trying to gauge the fighter. "Hmm..." she glanced across the table towards Lucan with a smirk, "You seem to have a lot of faith in him, Luc. I'll see where this is going, sure." Reaching for her own meager coinpurse she placed it on the table.

 

[Kanaxe_Ru]

Back Room:

The bouncer is about to drag the most recent loser back up the stairs when another man briskly walks up to him, holding up a purse and seemingly pleading for help. After a curt nod, he heaves the unconscious man up over his shoulder and heads in Kore's direction, the concerned man trailing slightly behind. "Oi, Friend. This un's willing ta pay." The bouncer, whose name Kore would know as Stuvodd, drops the "patient" in front of the half-orc and grunts at the other man, who sighs and offers out a pouch of gold. "Please, man. I gotta get him out of here in one piece, I promised his wife. This enough?"

"Ah, up for another round I see?" The mediator in the ring grins at Jon as he steps up, looking around at the ring of people. "Someone want to take 'im on? You'd catch a pretty penny if you could show this man the what-for!" Despite his goading, no one seems to step up just yet - aside from a young drunken student that passes out before he even makes it to the ring. He sighs, getting another guard to move the drunkard aside before continuing to attempt to spur someone into action.

In the corner, a gnome taps at her head with a quill as she stares down a mess of papers and notes in front of her. She perks her head around in an attempt to see who had entered the ring, squinting and adjusting her glasses. "Oh... it's Jon, eh?" Sighing at the unpredictable regular, she scrambles for a fresh piece of crumpled paper and jots a quick note down. A woman makes her way over and drops a pile of gold on the table. "In his favor - I saw him beat the last one to a pulp earlier. I get a bonus for going in blind, right?" The gnome shrugs and starts up a tally. "Mhm, house rules. Hope you realize they put that in for a reason."

The mysterious bright colored man leans back with a drink, his pouch jingling freely as he fishes through for another piece of gold to throw at the nearest server. While his focus seems to be on the ring, occasionally his eyes dart off towards the corners of the room, almost in evaluation of the various patrons about. His companion, getting bored of the wait, breaks from the ring and starts poking at random drunkards in an attempt to get them to wake up. "Hey hey. Up for fightin'?"

The other buff half-orc from before grabs his earnings from the gnome's table before retreating to his corner to down a second drink. Tall enough to see above the ring of people, he raises an eyebrow at Jon. Shrugging, he decides to sit this one out in case the fighter was planning to take the fall this time. That'd be too boring.

 

[Expersprobi]

Lucan stands, taking the copper out of his mouth and stowing it safely back in his pocket. He grabs Rey's bag of coins with a smirk. "Be right back. Don't drink all that rum while I'm gone, and don't let anyone take the bottle." He approaches the gnome placing both bags of coin on the table. "Jon never does know when to quit. It's all on his opponent, whoever steps up." Once the woman had recorded his bet and name, Lucan crossed to the far corner where Kore was working.

"Kore, the evening treating you well, I hope?" He leans against the wall, making himself comfortable and watching the half-orc work. "There's someone you should meet later, I'd like to know how she deals with orcs. Maybe after Jon's match?" Lucan was looking for someone who didn't scare easily but could give the misunderstood a bit of the respect they deserved. He hoped introducing Rey to Kore would give him some insight into how she might handle other orcs and half-orcs who often served as bruisers and muscle for the crime lords. She wouldn't be much of a replacement if she couldn't treat them like people.

 

[holy_shitsnax]

In this recently discovered secret room, Geyser sits over at the bar with his head on the bar top. He is currently drooling into his scraggly white beard quite a bit, and it isn't until a passing stranger bumps into him from the back that he wakes with a snort. He looks around himself a bit bleary eyed, and spots the mostly finished tankard of ale in front of him. He immediately picks it up and throws it back in one gulp, before letting out a massive belch. He swings his legs out to the back of his chair, and almost immediately falls over. Another passing stranger moves to help support him and he waves him away muttering "'M fine, 'm fine..." He heads back towards the exit of the bar, and then goes around to the back. Looking around to make sure he's alone, he drops his trousers straight to the ground and lets out a happy moan as he empties his bladder. After a surprisingly long time, he re-lifts his pants and does his belt, belching one last time.

Feeling much better after his bathroom break, Geyser heads back inside to the secret room inside the bar. Just as he re-enters, ignoring the inevitable odd looks from the other inhabitants at his dull blue skin and dark black eyes, he hears a voice calling out from inside the ring, asking for any challengers to take on this man who is punching in the air as the crowd watches. Geyser had only been in this room a handful of times, and he had most certainly never been in the ring, but today he was feeling rather bold after his excursion into the alleys outside. Correcting his course from the bar to the ring, Geyser shouts a little louder than necessary "Aye! I'wll take on this chap 'ere, if'e thinks 'e's man enough to figh' the beast 'nside." Geyser puffs out his chest as he walks into the ring next to the man who was calling for combatants. He squared up with his potential opponent, swaying slightly as he did, before turning back to the mediator and asking "Wai' wai' wait a sec'nd. Are thur any rules ta the fight?"

 

[RadientAni]

Kore drops his feet from the table, reaching out to fondle and weigh the purse. “Yeah this is enough my friend, besides nothing like an unhappy woman, man has suffered enough eh.” Grabbing the unconscious man by the shoulders he hauled him up into a chair.

Checking his pockets for a few extra coin he thought he was doing pretty good until he is called out. Cursing under his breath he gives his winning half smile. “No worries friend just making sure he didn’t have a knife to stab me once I wake him, happens yah know when they go down fighting.”

Patting the now upright unconscious man in the cheek both hands go to his face thumbs resting just atop his closed eyes a dull almost shadow aura emits from him the man waking bruises fading.

As he worked on the man he looked up at Lucan with a sigh, “Im a lover not a fighter,” he grinned, “and I told you about calling me that in front of mixed company Friend? Nine hells man I’m at work.” Kore’s tone seeming much angrier to those who didn’t speak orc but to Lucan he wouldn’t sound upset at all. Looking back he grabs for the coin pouch slipping it away before patting the man once again with a little more of a slap. “Right as rain.”

 

[Kanaxe_Ru]

Back Room:

Kore's patient groans and sits up, feeling around to catch his bearings before stumbling. His friend groans, dragging him up by the arm. "You're getting your ass home, you hear me Silas? Otherwise Debra will never let me hear the end of it if she learns I let you come down here again." In response he incoherently groans and nods vaguely in Kore's direction before starting to lead him back up the stairs.

The gnome sighs at Lucan, taking his bet with the rest of the people dropping money on the table. "Right, if you say so." She tallies a small few notches on one side of the sheet, which is far less marked than the other with Jon's name on it. "Betting odds are pretty high already. Quite a few people are going to be upset if this turns the wrong way." Pushing up her glasses, she sets the money aside and scribbles down some more math as Lucan leaves.

The mediator glances over in Geyser's direction, smirking as he enters. "Simple rules, boy. You fight until you get knocked out. No weapons, no spell slingin' - just good ol' fashioned physical combat. Keeps going until one of you calls it quits or get knocked out cold. Winner gets a small cut based on yer odds. Deal?" He pats him strongly on the shoulder and pushes him in, starting to exit himself. "Fight starts after all yer shit talking. The crowd does love that." The circle closes after he exits and the crowd waits in anticipation of what's going to happen.

 

[Expersprobi]

Lucan watches as the injured man leaves with a smirk before replying to Kore, "Yeah, that's exactly why she should meet you first. Seems to me if she met someone who preferred the war part of love and war, she'd walk away with another scar at best or not at all at worst. And I doubt there's more than a small handful of people who speak Orcish here tonight. I'll see you after the match." Lucan gracefully kicked himself off the wall straight into a stride away from Kore. As he left he stuck his hands in his pockets fishing for a copper wire.

 

[holy_shitsnax]

Geyser smiles as he hears the rules, and drapes an arm over the mediator’s shoulders. “Oh don’t’ya worry boss, I gots one’ell Of a show in store for ‘em.” Geyser removes his arm and turns to face the man in the ring with him. A wide smile on his face, he winks at the man, then starts taking off his shirt, slowly and deliberately. He tosses in into a pile out of the ring, then does the same with his pants, and stands in the ring with just his loincloth. Geyser then bends to one knee, looking at the floor. He is silent for a few moments, just sitting there ignoring the sounds around him when all of a sudden two very loud cracks are heard. The crowd can see his two shoulders dislocate as then grow rapidly in width. This is followed by a series of smaller cracks as the rest of his bones begin to move, rearrange and grow, and out of all parts of his body coarse black hair begins to sprout. His feet grow in length, as his big toe begins to shift around his foot towards his heel. He continues to grow in size as the crowd watches, until finally he straightens up, a fully grown ape. For dramatic effect, he just stands there, staring at his opponent, before arching his back and pummeling his fists against his chest, letting out a massive roar, finishing with a double fisted punch into the ground as he shifts his weight onto his front knuckles, waiting for his opponent to strike.

 

[Maetrox]

Busy with picking up his own rhythm, Jonathan ducks and sways for a bit to loosen up the muscles as his new opponent steps up to the ring. Jonathan inspects the obviously drunk man for a bit, glancing past his unusual appearance to see if he had any decent form. Listening to the cocky attitude the man gives, he sighs outwards slightly in a sign of annoyance.

The look on Jonathan's face remains unfazed as the man starts to take off his clothing, stripping himself down to his very undergarments. He'd seen enough drunken brawlers to last him a century of mental imagery featuring projectile vomit, accidental self-injury, and in some cases even falling unconscious on the floor without a single sign. When the man bends his knee and looks at the floor, Jonathan thinks for a moment that he's going to squat one out on the floor, when the situation takes a unlikely but favorable change.

His previously unfazed face now changes to a slight grimace as the man before him is no longer a man, but a big ape. When the ape stares him down, showing a display of power by stomping, pummeling, and roaring... Jonathan can't help himself but to get slightly excited. He slowly starts to make small hops, balancing himself from one feet to another as he begins to sway his left arm in a cradling movement, swinging left and right like a pendulum.

Giving Lucan a quick glance with his eyes, as he locks eyes with Lucan for the smallest of moments, his slight grimace begins to dull as he closes his lips and clenches his teeth. "Work comes before play." With a big motion he steps in towards the ape, meeting it eye to eye. Closing in on its core, Jonathan lunges forward and throws his swaying left arm around the ape's neck like a hook, though it's neck proves to be too wide to grapple properly. Seeing his attempt fail, he sways into a ducking stance.

 

[Kanaxe_Ru]

Back Room:

With the first blows being thrown, the brawl is on! Geyser in his ape form rushes forward and swings in retaliation - his backhand whiffs entirely but his left hook comes through with surprising speed. Jon reacts quickly and deflects the blow upward, without so much as a single scratch. Making an opening he attempts to counter with another blow, but against this hulking figure he fails to reach.

Staying on his toes he takes a half step back before punching again, giving Geyser enough time to lean back and brush the blow off entirely. The hulking gorilla swings down and lands a solid hit on Jon, knocking him down slightly but also seeming to kick his adrenaline into motion.

With a superhuman speed he lunges forward, landing three solid hits before Geyser can even react. Shell-shocked by the flurry of blows he shifts out of his ape form back into his puny genasi self, wondering what the hell just happened. Snapping out of it he bellows a deep roar, using all of his willpower to shift into an ape again and rush forward with another two swings - his left hook knocking Jon squarely in the Jaw. Despite how much it should've hurt Jon almost seems to shrug it off, his pure adrenaline and thrill of the brawl keeping him up for the count.

He surges back with the same speed despite his bruises, hitting twice but in the last moment whiffing his uppercut. Geyser takes the opportunity and just slams down on top of his opponent with both ape fists, pummeling him from side to side to the point that he's barely standing upright.

Impressed, Jon throws caution to the wind and charges straight at Geyser, not caring to keep up his guard. He lands another three hits, two in the chest and one just barely reaching his jaw - shocking Geyser out of his form once more. Once again humanoid he staggers back at the lack of balance, shaking his head and catching his breath. Noticing that Jon seemed worse for wear he decided to give it his best shot and strike a punch, somehow barely getting him in the shoulder. He couldn't quite tell whether or not that even did damage, but the fact that he managed to land something made him feel better about himself.

Breathing heavily, Jon knew that he could push himself more if he wanted to... but decided against it, knowing that in the end business was business. He swerves forward and lands two more hits, before stumbling on the last haymaker and tumbling to his knees. Seeing his miraculous chance Geyser springs forth and punches him in the jaw, squarely and cleanly knocking him out on the ground.

For a few heavy moments, silences rings out as people process what happened.

".... Annnnnnd he's out!"

The mediator makes his way back inside the ring, one of the bouncers following behind to pick up Jon. While there are a few cheers, mostly from drunkards who had hastily decided to throw all their money at the underdog, most of the noise picking up seems to be murmurs and curses under spectators' breaths - complaining about a thrown fight, how shapeshifting was against the rules, who the hell this blue skinned weirdo even was, etc. etc.

As the bouncer picks up Jon, the mediator leans down to Geyser in a rough whisper. "You get a pass this time, kid, but I'd try to avoid it from now on. There are some... unscrupulous folks here, and many of 'em are sore losers." He turns back to the crowd and starts hyping up the next fight, while the bouncer drags Jon over to Kore and drops him down. "Fee's coming out of his winnings, like usual."

The gnome blinks a few times at the scene, then starts jotting down notes again. "Hmm, didn't expect that... I ought to adjust his odds against apes for next time." Glancing up slightly she pushes the larger of the two gold piles on the table to the side, depositing them in a chest before locking shut. She nods in approval. "Not too bad a night, sure Vanya'll be happy."

 

[Expersprobi]

Lucan smiles quite satisfied both with the spectacle of the fight as well as Jon taking the fall. He knew the bruiser could easily match the ape blow for blow, but he appreciated not losing his money even more. Lucan turned to Rey with an overly satisfied smirk. "Told you we'd make a buck. I'll collect our winnings. Can you go make sure Jon gets healed up? Last time I forgot some angry patrons tried to kill him... What a bloody mess." He points Rey over to Kore and Jon in the corner before leaving his seat with the empty bottle of rum to head back over to the gnome.

"See, told you he was in trouble. He just keeps right on going until his knees give out." He leans in whispering loudly so others might hear, "From the looks of it, he might have a glass jaw too." He winked before straightening back up and extending a hand, "So, how much did I win?"

 

[RadientAni]

Kore sits up once more after having lazed again to watch the fight. Kore never bet he just watched and made money. Rolling his eyes at Jon he chuckles. “Man, I half wonder if yah deserve it.”

Taking a knee he rubbed his hands together black sparks growing in his hand like static. Before he brought them down to press on Jon’s temples rubbing a few circles healing his wounds. Then taking the flask he kept at his hip dumps the contents over Jon’s face to wake him. Laughing and slapping his cheek as he sputtered. “You better get half your fee from Lucan, the old man’ll Be the death of yah one day.” Rising from his knee he left Jon to get up on his own as he slid back into his seat grabbed his glass of whiskey and finished the last mouthful.

 

[Abrahms]

At first Reyeara had stayed leaning back in her seat, boots on the table with her arms crossed across her chest while Lucan went and set up the bet.

When the scrawny one shifted into an ape she glanced over towards Lucan, half wondering if this was another fellow he knew and was setting up -- this wasn't really the type of fighting she expected. Not seeing any of the "officials" step in she figured it was allowed, finding herself adjusting herself in the seat to try and see through the crowd easier.

Watching it go back and forth she found herself a little unsure if the man would have managed to beat the ape even if he wasn't basically intending to take a fall -- only to see him manage to knock the ape on its ass, she smirked as she caught sight of the slight surprise on the face of the blue-skinned one.

"So ... maybe he can do decently when he's putting in some effort."

Eventually the brawl ended, with the blue-skinned one winning, almost looking as surprised about it as half the crowd. Glancing towards Luc she saw his satisfied smile, knowing he was going to remind her about this for awhile if she doubted him on something, and shook her head. "Yeah, I'll keep an eye on 'im for you, Old Man."

Pulling her boots off the table she stood and stretched, the rune on her gauntlet flickering slightly in the dim lighting. Working through the crowd, a few elbowing her or shoving her only to get a matching elbow and shove from her, she managed to find herself next to the knocked out fighter and supposed healer. Reyeara leaned against the wall, interested to see the half-orc's methods, if they were typical or magical.

"Probably a pretty good gig doin' this, huh? Customers made right in front of you, dragged right to you too."

 

[holy_shitsnax]

As he lands the last punch to knock his opponent to the Geyser stays in as ready of a stance as he can muster in his drunken state before he believes that the man is indeed out for good. Then he throws back his head letting a loud cry "WHOOOOOO-EEEEEEEE! Ha-haaaa! That's what I'm talkin' 'bout!" He raises his arms in the air in victory, smiling at the spectators even as some of them boo and jeer at him for 'cheating.' As the mediator comes over to whisper his word of warning, Geyser turns and wraps him in a bear hug, lifting him off the ground while laughing. Dropping him back on his feet, Geyser raises one fist in the air, shouting "A round drinks for ever'body, on me!" Geyser stops by where he had dropped his piles of clothes, and steps into his pants with a bit of difficulty, and slips his shirt back on. Slinging his backpack over his shoulder, he then walked over to the gnome, nursing his ribs as he collects his winnings. The gnome explains to him that his tab has been deducted, as well as his call for a round of drinks, and Geyser gives him a sloppy wet kiss on the forehead and collects his 13 gold. He collects his ale, putting his arm around a random stranger and saying "Now that was exhil'rat'n. I thou' he might'a had me at the en' there."

 

[Maetrox]

Jonathan is having a good time fighting this huge ape, trading some decent blows to get his face a bit mucked up. "Better take it easy, gettin' beaten up first to lead into a comeback always gets those drunkards bettin' on the winning side. A shame really, wish I could've knocked this shapeshifter a peg down."

Having roughened up the man quite a bit, Jonathan was slightly surprised to see him still standing. "How many times can this guy keep this up? Doesn't matter, time for me to hit the ground anyway." Unleashing another barrage of blows, Jonathan misses his last one, leaving himself completely open to the weakened man. "Get this over with already." He thinks, as he waits for the inevitable fist to connect to his jaw, making his lights go out face first into the ground.

As if jumping from one frame to another, Jonathan gasps awake as the liquid splashes in his face, accompanied by a short but firm slap. "Ugh, I remember that hand imprint out of millions." He thinks to himself as he sits upright, leaning his back against one of the kegs of ale. Running his hands through his now soaked light blond hair, Jonathan mutters under his breath. "..Shut it, K. Whatever pays the bills."

Looking up, he sees a human female wielding what seems to be a gauntlet exchanging glances between him and Kore. Jonathan brings himself to his feet, holding his forehead with one hand and giving Kore a firm pat on his shoulder with the other. With his jaw sorely pounding, he doesn't feel like moving it too much, turning his attention away from the woman towards the keg behind him and pours himself a tankard full on the ape's costs.

 

[RadientAni]

Tipping his chin up he give Rey an assessing glance. “Just doing my civic duty,” he chuckled standing up yet again as she approached. “It can be lucrative, but I do hate to see grown men practically kill themselves over a few gold.”

Looking over his shoulder at Jon he shook his head and laughed, “Fine don’t listen to a Friend.” With a shrug he turns back taking a step up a little closer into her personal space his nearly amber brown eyes searching hers With a provocative smile. “Are you in need of my services honey?” Flicking his wrist he made a similar glow in his palm with prestidigitation. “This magic touch, for you,” He points to her heart, “is on the house.”

 

[Kanaxe_Ru]

Back Room:

The gnome frowns and pushes Geyser off best she can, but ends up getting kissed regardless. She sighs deeply once he leaves, grabbing a small hankerchief and wiping her face off before tossing it away in disgust. "Ugh. I don't get paid enough for this." She crumples up the piece of paper tallying up bets for Jon and Geyser's fight and grabs another one, waiting for the next fight to start.

The half-ogre from before chuckles and stands, entering the ring once more. He regretted leaving the ring, but even from the outside that was an entertaining fight to watch. He flexes his muscles and brushes his clothes off, waiting for another opponent to take the challenge.

The brightly clothed individual from before is quietly sipping some wine when Geyser runs up and grabs him by the shoulder, surprising him out of his thoughts. Recovering he immediately puts on a wide grin and grabs someone else's mug of ale to clink against Geyser's with a cheer. "Exhilarating indeed, my good friend! You've certainly got some talents hidden in your... strange visage." He laughs heartily, then gestures over to the corner where Jon and Kore and the rest were convening. "Perhaps you ought to go congratulate him on a good fight? A rousing brawl is the best time to make friends."

He glances over at his compatriot, who at this point is beginning to mingle innocently amongst the crowd. Every so often, his speaking partners glare in Geyser's direction suspiciously, before turning back to their conversation at hand. Cracking a smile the bright individual slowly pushes Geyser off and pats him on the shoulder. "Well, I shouldn't keep the glorious victor all to myself. You have a good night, now."