The Traveling Tavern

[Baracus]

Baracus had been traveling around for some time now. His last stop had been a complete bust because he had set up close to a temple. You don't get very many monks stopping in for a drink, so he only had a few customers. He was not so willing to have a repeat so he was being a lot more careful with his placement this time. He stopped by a stream and let Illi take a rest and drink some water while he checked for any signs of traffic through the woods. Aside from a few animal tracks, Baracus didn't find any signs of activity. "Well Illi, looks like we're going to have to keep looking." Illi whimpered in protest and started rolling around on the ground. "... fine, but only for a few days, if no one comes in we are going to be leaving." Baracus always had trouble telling Illi no, she really knew how to put a guilt trip on him, but the past few times she convinced him to stay somewhere he had some steady buisness. "You're lucky I trust you." Illi bark and wagged her tail, extremely proud of herself.

Baracus pulled a book out of his bag. It was a thick leather bound book with the title, "The Traveling Tavern" written in scrolling letters across the front. To anyone else this would look like your standard fare book, and upon further inspection the would find that it told the tale of a magical tavern with the ability to be moved around wherever the owner wanted. A fairy tale. As it turns out, that tavern indeed does exist in the form of this book. Baracus set the book down and recited the activation spell, "Domi roe, ellebarro sto remius!" He was told that this means something about serving the weary in an ancient, forgotten language.

The book started to glow a bright blue, and suddenly it start to unfurl. The common room. The bar. The kitchen. The storeroom. Then it finished with the second floor and bedrooms. Baracus whistled for Illi as he walked in. He never ceased to be amazed with the beauty of this place. The wood beams were all inlaid with dwarven runes. The whole common place was open, and the tables were beautifully carved stone. He walk over to the bar and slid his hand across the cold stone. He had heard so many stories here. But with all of this, his favorite part will always be the dwarven shield hanging above the bar. A memento to his late master. The old man had taught him everything he knows, and gave him the opportunity to have a new life. "Well Illi, lets get started prepping, I'm feeling good about this locale."

[Philomel]

The twilight of night was the favourite time of Philomel's day. In it there were not many who travelled or strode, many slept. More so there were less sounds to distract from those that mattered, less smells to capture the attention of Philomel's sensitive nose, less people who got in the bloody way. She could do her work in her leisure, stalk the streets of the cities and country as she willed, commit murder and force the idea of love, all in this simple nighttime stroll.

Beside her Veridian paced, on fleet paws, brush tail swaying slightly as he padded. He raised his pointed nose up to Philomel as they walked, let out a low nicker. The assassin whore glanced down at him, her hand gently carressing the hilt of her kastane sword, and chuckled gently. Glancing back up to the road she watched as they moved from village into minor farmland, the colours of the night becoming darker as the last rays of sun disappeared and the full moon revealed herself in the ink black sky. The faun and Earth-spirit fox strode as one, listening to the sounds of nature, striding the road they had been down many places before.

The sounds of a bubbling stream became clear soon enough. Yet not before Philomel stopped at the sudden and shocking appearance of a building right in front of her. It was as if it had appeared of magic, snuck out of the darkness and slammed into her line of sight like some cruel joke. Disorientated she glanced down again to Veridian and blinked, rather confusedly.

"Darling, we have been here before, have we not?"

The fox nickered, let out a low hiss, then danced a couple of paw-steps towards the door of the building. Clicking his tongue his attitude was clearly negitive and his opinion of this matter more or less irritated.

"Indeed," Philomel murmured as she looked up to the building again. Her grey eyes narrowed at the rocking-in-its-hinges sign above them that displayed the name of this place as The Travelling Tavern. "It was definitely not here before," she murmured, then smiled. Slightly.

The assassin-whore stared at the flat wood of the door for a while, before making up her mind. Once, she nodded to herself, then placed her hand on the door handle. Pushing it down she kicked open the door sharply, and strode in to the depths, her hooves clattering loudly as she annouced herself.

"I demand to know where this place came from and who you are!" she yelled.

And Veridian sniggered, before following after.

[Baracus]

Baracus was in the back chopping up vegetables to go into his soup. He wasn't the best chef ever, but he certainly tried. And most of his patrons didn't seem to mind. He placed the soup on the hearth and was about to head back to the kitchen when his door suddenly flew open. In walked a shapely faun, and behind her followed a fox. Baracus had met a few faun in his travel but never had he seen a female one. And he definitely never thought one could be so, well so beautiful. This thought was immediately stifled once the faun starting demanding to know where he came from. Baracus was taken a little off guard. For one he didn't actually think anyone would show up, and two he had never had anyone enter the bar angry. At least not angry at him. He raised his hands as a peace offering. "I'm not here to hurt anyone, and I'm sorry if this is on your land." He studied the faun, trying his hardest to figure out why she might be angry. Behind him he could hear Illi growling. She was staring straight at the fox that had entered with this woman. "Illi, hush!" Illi finally gave in after a few seconds and then walked over to Baracus' side. "I'm sorry for her, she isn't used to other animals," he pulled a seat out at the bar, "please sit down. If you really want to know where I come from then sit and have a drink. On the house of course." He hoped the faun found this kind. He didn't really know how to flirt with woman, or impress them, so this was the best he could come up with.

He walked to the back and whistled for Illi to follow. "Now girl, you need to be kind. Treat these two like regular customers okay." Illi let out a little grumble but she licked his hand. This had become her sign to show she was in agreement. Baracus hadn't had a chance to set out any drinks so he grabbed an assortment of spirits and then walked back out to the bar. "I wasn't sure what you drank, or if you even drank so hopefully I have something here for you."

[Philomel]

Philomel almost felt sorry for the poor man. Here she was, charging in, very sexy though she said so herself, and demanding loudly of him. She had meant it more as to be taken lightly, almost in a hilarious way, but he didn't seem to take it so. He instead stared, his bottom lip almost trembling with her sudden presence. The faun-whore had to hold in her breath to stop herself from laughing out loud.

Lord what fools these orcs be, she thought, as she looked at his large and heavy body, standing there like a sack of potatoes. Or rather, boulders.

Behind her Veridian caught up, nickering lightly as they stopped together, facing the orc behind the bar. She rested her hand on the hilt of her keris dagger, smiling very very subtly as he lifted up his hands.

"I am not here to hurt anyone, and I'm sorry if this is on your land," he said in passive tones.

Veridian caught these words, and skipped forwards a little, lifting his nose to sniff the air. Philomel paused, raised her own nose likewise. There was something cooking. Vegetables. Carrots. Potatoes ironically. Perhaps a stew of some sort. Her stomach slightly growled, as did the fox beside her. Well she was slightly hungry.

Her thoughts were broken by the sudden interruption of a different growl. This time it was from a massive hound, some sort of monster of a beast whose hackles were raised and was staring directly at Veridian. Philomel blinked, then looked undelightfully shocked.

"Excuse me!" she exclaimed, now very sudden not amused, "That's not a cat!"

But the orc, and his dog, seemed not to be listening. The orc shouted at the beast, "Illi, hush!" ... and obediently the dog fell silent right away. As Veridian nickered in annoyance, then turned to Philomel to leap smartly into her arms, then onto her shoulders, the barman began to apologise in mumbling, rather cute tones.

"I'm sorry for her, she isn't used to other animals. Please sit down. If you really want to know where I come from then sit and have a drink. On the house of course." Very sorry, very sorry ma'am.

Veridian chortled lightly. It came out as a string of yaps as Philomel walked slowly forwards and dragged the stool the orc had just shown her further out, taking it a foot away, then paused. As the barman and the dog disappeared behind the back, Philomel suddenly lost it, and fell into hysterics, spluttering all over the place. Veridian slipped from her shoulders onto the bar itself, and he padded his way along it for some length, before whipping his tail around and scampering back. His blinked his golden eyes, then grinned mischieviously at his beloved companion, before shoving his muzzle into a tankard nearby and getting it stuck.

Philomel fell against the bar, tears pouring from her eyes, just as the barkeep came out again.

"I wasn't sure what you drank..." he was saying, but the faun didn't hear the rest. She slammed her hand again and again on the bar, trying to stop her body from dying of laughter as Veridian struggled and struggled, then yowled. He sat up and looked at her mournfully with the tankard still stuck. Philomel glanced up at him, then lost it again.

"You absolute idiot!" she howled.

And the orc seemed lost for words.

[Baracus]

Baracus didn't notice the laughter when he first walked in, but when he turned around he was surprised by what he saw. The fox had managed to get its face stuck in a tankard. The faun didn't seem to care much seeing as how she was dying from laughter. Baracus gently wiggled the tankard off of the fox and gave him a gentle pat on the head. "The only foxes I've seen haven't been very friendly." He said with a chortle. Now Baracus had already sunk his ship by being a bumbling idiot, so he figured he would be frank, "Look, I know I've seemed kind of silly, but it's just..." Baracus was hoping these last few words didn't chase her off. "It's just I've never seen someone quite as pretty as you are. Most people that I encounter are men, and when the few women come in they normally aren't the prettiest sight. And the few faun I've met have been alcoholic, angry, fat men." Baracus laughed.

While this conversation was happening, Illi had found her way to the other side of the bar and was yapping at the fox. She too was intrigued to see one she didn't have to kill. Her interest was definitely peeked. She paced back and forth, whining because she couldn't get on the bar. She stopped for a moment and then ran off to the back. She came with a bone and nuzzled it towards the fox. An offering of friendship. She hadn't really ever met another animal so she decided that this would have to do.

[Philomel]

Veridian scowled when the tankard was pulled off, as much as a fox can scowl. As the orc reached out to pat his head he scuttled back, claws rattling on the wood, pacing quickly back to skip onto Philomel's lap as she slowly gained back the ability to breathe. He pawed at her knee, though kept his eyes on the orc, as he opened his mouth again and spoke.

"The only foxes I've seen haven't been very friendly..."

Veridian gakked a few notes, the noise coming out as a nickering bark, and shook himself, from nose tip to tail tip, ending with brushing the fluffy end past Philomel's cheek. Her lungs were gasping as she tried, desperately, to come back to sanity, but all it did was send her into a flurry of snorts. The fox-spirit hissed a little through sharpened teeth, and padded his feet, watching as the orc just stared at her.

"Look I - I uhhh know I've seemed kind of silly but..."

Philomel shook her head, looking down at the fox on her lap. She was smiling, lips parted, and raised her hand to ease it through Veridian's coat.

"Oh my stars," she gasped, "You tiny little idiot!"

Veridian grumbled, whining slightly, looked away. He heard a small yap, looked over and saw the dog edging forwards. It stretched, and placed a chicken leg bone on the floor near the stool, then nudged it nearer Veridian with the tip of her nose. Veridian blinked, caught eye-contact with the animal, and twisted his head slightly to the right. A bone? Of all things, a bone? Flipping his tail around he leapt back onto the bar and strutted along it towards the dog, looking proud and defiant as an earth-spirit of his stature might.

The words were meaning to calm herself, to gain back the idea of air in the lungs, but what really made her stop laughing was the next thing the orc bartender said. He said it in nervous quiet tones, very strangely timid for a man of his stature and size.

"Its just I've never seen someone as pretty as you are..."

Philomel stopped. Her eyes flickered up, and stared at the orc. He seemed not to be taken aback, however, as he was rambling on, distracting himself from her reaction with a story about the other fauns he had met. "Alcoholic, angry, fat men..." Her attention was drawn to Veridian as he paraded his arrogant self in front of the rather disappointed dog, who seemed very disappointed at the fact he hadn't taken her offering of a chewed up small bone. Her gaze flickered from fox to orc, and she swallowed slightly, rather off her mood, then folded her arms across her chest, hiding her breasts for one of the few moments in her life.

"I am not working today," she said, seriously and emphatically, "And Veridian is not a fox. He is an earth-spirit, technically." Her lips pursed, she raised her chin. "And who are you supposed to be, then, hmm? How does a tavern suddenly appear out of nowhere?"

[Baracus]

Baracus noticed a slight shift in mood of the faun, but he didn't pay much mind to it. He was so used to observing peoples moods that he didn't even give it a thought. The woman crossed her arms and questioned him about his tavern. No one really ever seemed to care about how his tavern got where it was, they were just happy to have a drink. Obviously though this woman wasn't quite as interested in drinks. He poured her a drink anyway, "I think you'll like this, it's my own recipe. It's got a sweetness to it you won't find in other ales. Not sure what to call it yet." Baracus slid the drink across the bar to Philomel, and poured himself a drink. "You know, I've only ever talked about my life to one other person, the man who gave me this tavern. I'm actually fairly ashamed of my life." Baracus stared into the bottom of his glass before pouring himself some more. "I was born into a savage band of orcs, they only took pleasure in vile things, so I ran away from that life, and I vowed a life of helping people rather than hurting them." Baracus pulled a hunk of dried beef from under the counter and set it in front of the earth-spirit. "I imagine earth-spirits appreciate meat?" Baracus downed his tankard and continued his story, "I wasn't sure where to go so I just wandered, aimlessly, until I came upon this tavern, in the middle of the woods. I was confused so I decided to take a look inside, and that's where I met Old Man, and he taught me everything I know. The only thing he didn't teach me is how this thing appears out of nowhere. I just know that it does."

Baracus grabbed two bowls and scooped up some soup. "Now, you have to tell me how you like the soup because it's a knew recipe I'm working on. It's a root soup." He placed the bowl in front of Philomel and smiled, "And I know that I'm not what you would expect from someone my size, especially me being an orc, but I guess I'm just a rare breed." Baracus took a seat next to the faun and starting eating. He hadn't really noticed, but this was the most he had talked in a long while. Not very many people could get him to talk, let alone talk about his past. There was something about this woman. "What about you? What's your story? I imagine you're married, or at least have plenty of suitors?" Baracus said warmly, hoping deep down that she would deny that last part.

[Philomel]

Philomel did not touch the drink. She watched as it was poured, a reddish liquid emptying from the decanter into the glass. Her arms were still folded, she was highly not in the mood today after all that had passed in the recent week. Firstly the tournament in the various rounds to win that hallowed Maguc cup. The first bout had left her shoulder bruised, the next had given her a deep wound in her back. Then there was the epic tale of the killing of her pimp, Mort, and the rescue of her mother. Nothing too delightful, but it had meant freedom - freedom now to do as she wanted, to go where she wilt, to be her own boss for the first time in her life.

Essentially, now, it meant she was looking for a new brothel, a fairer one, to work in. The ability to find such was going to be difficult, that was granted, yet with her mixture of abilities Philomel could indeed make it work. As the orc launched into his tale, a sorrowful one about growing up in a violent clan, abuse and running away, she just simply watched and remained silent, her arms still folded, still as she could. She let no expression come to her face - really she was just waiting for the moment when he got to explaining how the Tavern had appeared out of nowhere, yet all he mentioned was that it did.

"I only know that it does."

Oh very useful, orc boy, thanks very much. She rolled her eyes slightly, looking away for a moment as the orc moved. He had already heaved a great hunk of dried meat onto the table top and was pushed it towards Veridian, who had just sniffed, paused, then let out a delighted nicker before devouring the thing. Now he turned around again, this time to go somewhere out to the back, then return very shortly with two bowls of steaming soup. Philomel could smell the herbs, the vegetables and roots in the air, and her finely tuned nose caught scent of things she loved above all - squash, carrots, corriander, and she felt her stomach begin to growl.

Hurriedly she shook her head, "I'm not-"

But he had already taken a seat beside her. He dug into his own bowl of soup, and the liquid dribbled down his gentle giant chin as he slurped it up. And then continued talking, small dark eyes on her.

"What about you? What's your story? I imagine you're married, or at least have plenty of suitors?"

He smiled, suddenly, gently. The faun looked over to Veridian once more, who was joyfully tearing the meat to shreds with his minute fangs, and shifted slightly in her chair, uncomfortable. She was used to men looking at her fondly, mostly lustfully, but not asking her about them as if she was an innocent woman. What was with this orc, so brutal-looking yet so timid and calm and kind, who had caught her in a vunerable moment in her life.

"My name is Philomel," she began quietly, watching him unsteadily. "And I am not married, nor I have suitors, in fact men pay me to sleep with me, I'm a whore and-"

She stopped, broke off, and shook herself. "I should go ..." Reaching out to Veridian. The fox earth-spirit glanced up at her and growled, clearing giving the cue he had no desire to go.

Philomel sighed, "Veridian, come on."

Veridian hissed.

[Baracus]

Sorry I took so long to reply, I haven't had a very nice past couple of weeks.

Baracus noticed the uneasiness Philomel was experiencing. He only hoped nothing he had said had caused it. He was only trying to be friendly with the faun. As the faun explained her profession, Baracus did his best from spitting his food out. True he had met plenty of prostitutes in his travels. He even rented a few rooms to some so they could make some money. Something about him kept the men from messing with the girls too much, so they liked having him around. He had just not expected this woman to be one. She started to squirm in her seat, and then she called for her fox to leave with her. "Well I guess you have business to attend to, if you like your friend here can stay for awhile. I'm not going anywhere and I'm sure Illi will enjoy the company if he ever warms up to her." Baracus watched the fox chew at the meat and smiled. He looked at Philomel and gave her a smile. "Look, I can tell you have a lot on your mind, but it's okay to take a break every once in awhile." He grabbed his bowl and walked around the bar. "But I understand if you have things to do." He took her bowl and put it in a covered container. "Take this if you would though, I'm not sure that I'll be getting very many customers today and I'd hate for this to go to waste."

[Philomel]

She clicked her tongue a couple of times, mostly in agitation. Her grey eyes stared at the orc, watching his reaction to her revelation. He was obviously disturbed, as she had suspected, and to be honest she wasn't in the mood right now to be judged for her life choices. Well, if you call being brought up as a whore a choice. It had been the only thing she had known since the age of six.

Watching the orc with irritation she called sharply for Veridian to join her. The golden eyes flickered up to hers, and he hissed back, just as harshly.

"If you have business to attend to... your friend can stay here awhile..."

Philomel cut across his words as the orc spoke.

"You lot have no idea," she growled.

Yet it seemed to not bother the man at all. He just smiled in that sweet way and his huge beast of a dog continued to attempt to make friends with Veridian. "I can tell you've got a lot on your mind," he said, "But its okay to take a break every once in a while."

"Yeah, as I said, you have no idea," the faun-whore flicked the braid of her dreadlocks over her shoulder.

"I - I understand if you have things to do..." There was a pause, then a ceramic bowl with lid was thrust out towards her, with the whiff of the vegetable stew coming from it. "Take this?"

She blinked at the presence of the thing, twitched a little in shock.

"You - look I just want to..."

The bowl was still there. Sighing, she reached out and took it. Cupping the thing in her hands she brought the warmth to her chest and stood there for a while, before nodding.

"Right, farewell then."

The Philomel turned and sauntered out, awkwardly, but exiting. She left Veridian behind to chew on his meat, his tiny jaws going snicker-snacker as they crunched and chewed and tore.

[Lye]

No judgement:

Philomel:


477 XP
55 GP



Baracus:


403 XP
55 GP

[Lye]

EXP & GP Added!