The Masquerade
03-24-07, 11:53 PM
Grim slowly drowned the stress from the day as he swallowed his third mug of beer in a single gulp. The liquid splashed down his throat smoothly, and it was only a few moments before he started to feel its effects. Gulping in satisfaction, he slammed the mug back onto the bar, quite a bit harder then he had meant to.
“I’ll be takin’ another!” he spat out at the bartender, slapping several gold coins next to his mug. The bartender was used to such behavior, but still despised it. Looking over Grim smugly, he refilled his tankard reluctantly. Seeing that his booze was ready, Grim pushed his body slightly over the bar, snatching the mug. Smacking down on his stool, Grim began to gulp wearily at the liquid. He grunted as it soothed his throat.
The bar was rather unoccupied on the whole. Two older men sat in the corner, playing a card game and drinking rum. They would exchange comments every few minutes; sometimes about the game, sometimes about life, sometimes about the “cute young things” that walked in the door. A light chuckle croaked out of one of their mouths as the other made a stupid mistake.
Another man entertained himself in the far corner with his pipe. A steady billow of smoke poured from his mouth, only ceasing for the rare instances when he stopped to take a sip from a flask he kept in his coat. His gaze roamed slowly around the bar, taking in the inhabitants and silently judging them. He smiled as one of the old men leapt from his chair, cheering over a victory.
Grim gulped down the remainder of his serving, gasping in satisfaction. Resting his elbows on the table, he belched loudly. The gurgling sound rang throughout the small room, conjuring a few nasty looks. Smiling at his grotesque behavior, Grim looked up at the bartender.
“’nother!” he moaned obnoxiously at him, slapping a hand on the counter. The bartender was about to retort in expulsion when the front door gently creaked open. A look of astonishment lit his face as he watched a woman enter the room. The other men stared in awe at the angelic sight; the beautiful, silky-black hair which shrouded her shoulders and caressed her breasts; the sensual curves, scarcely covered by a dark corset and tight pants; the way she walked, a seductive saunter that made a man’s knees weak; the lightly decorated masquerade mask that clung to her beautiful face, conjuring inquiries to what lay beneath.
“Looket at’un Markus, look at’er!” one of the old men whispered excitedly to the other, poking him with a bony elbow. The woman smiled at the old man’s bickering, her full lips curving into a seductive smirk. She cast a deep look towards the man smoking in the corner, who pretended not to be impressed even though his eyes were taking in every inch of her perfect body. Grim cleared his throat and rapped on the counter again.
“Make’er two!” The bartender reluctantly pulled his eyes from the tightly laced corset that enveloped her breasts, and set to work. Returning a smile to the new customer, Grim stood from the stool, wobbling slightly as he became accustomed to his drunken state. “Well ‘ello there,” he stammered, balancing his unstable form with one hand on the counter, “don’ suppose you’d be interesteded ina drink!?” The woman came to slow halt, licking her lower lip slowly with her tongue.
“I’d like that” she said slowly, squeezing into the stool next to him. Grim smiled proudly to himself as he resituated himself back in his seat. The two men looked on in awe at the plastered man who was wooing the beautiful woman.
“In all me years!”
“I know Markus…can’t’n believe dat one would go fer ‘im!”
“If only me was young agin, den I could give’em a run fer his gold.”
“Quit yer blabbering y’old fool! Now let’en me tell yer…” The old men’s squabbling was drowned out as Grim tried to start a conversation.
“So whatses a pratty gal like you doin’ round thisss place?” Grim bent forward close to her, unaware of his drunken stupor. The bartender watched in amazement as the woman smiled and leaned in closer to him, her beautiful eyes gazing sensually into his half-open ones.
“Well,” she began, her lips opening barely as the words glided out, “I’m looking for someone who could…” she stopped, looking around the bar shyly and back to Grim, placing a hand on his leg. “…I’m looking for a man who might be able to give me what I want.” Grim couldn’t believe his ears. He grinned to himself stupidly, thinking of how much of a handsome devil he would need to be to grasp this woman’s attention.
“Welp, I’d say dat I’mer ther right man fer th’ job!” he stumbled wearily off his stool, knocking it over in the process. Grabbing her hand, he began for the stairs. “Come’on missus, I’ma show you how mucher man I aam!” The woman playfully accepted, following him enthusiastically. The bartender dropped the glass he was holding. It shattered on the floor, but no one noticed.
“I will be damned to hell’s inner chambers! That bastard does nothing all day but sit around and drink, and yet that woman was all over him.” The bartender kicked the counter in frustration. “Where were des beautiful young gals when I was young, eh?” The men gradually returned to their business. It wasn’t until several minutes later that they heard a loud scream.
“Damnit all Barry, can’t you tells those two ta keep it down!? No need ter go rubbin’ it in!” The bartender shrugged his shoulders casually.
“N’much I can do Markus. Paid fer the room fair’un square.” There was another loud scream. “I’ll be damned, that woman sounds right like a man when she’s makin’ love, eh?” This comment caused a murmur of laughs with the customers.
“I would watch out for that’n boys.” The loner who had kept to himself for the whole night stood to his feet. “A spider she is. She’ll trick ya to suck ya in, then when she’s got ya where she likes ya.” He paused dramatically, waving a hand through the air. “She’ll strike!” The bartender laughed to himself at the man’s overly dramatic hand motions. “Thanks for th’ drinks Barry.” With that he quickly departed out the front door.
There had been no sounds from the room upstairs for several minutes. Suddenly the creaking of someone on the stairwell cracked the silence. The woman reappeared next at the bar, looking just as good as she had when she first entered. Throwing a sack of gold on the bar, she smiled at Barry.
“Thanks” she said, almost as a whisper. Barry watched her as she made her way to the door. Turning once more, she blew a kiss at the old men. Love-struck, they stared at her as she disappeared into the night.
She had finished what she came there for. She had been looking for a man. A man who would know the whereabouts of the Renegades. Why not one of them!? It would be several hours before Barry would find the headless body of Grim in his bed. It would be moments later that he realized the screams he heard from the bedroom weren’t hers: they were Grim’s.
Smiling to herself, Valerie made her way to the place where Grim had confessed in his dying moments. It was a prestigious mansion known to some as Wicker Gates.
“One down…”
“I’ll be takin’ another!” he spat out at the bartender, slapping several gold coins next to his mug. The bartender was used to such behavior, but still despised it. Looking over Grim smugly, he refilled his tankard reluctantly. Seeing that his booze was ready, Grim pushed his body slightly over the bar, snatching the mug. Smacking down on his stool, Grim began to gulp wearily at the liquid. He grunted as it soothed his throat.
The bar was rather unoccupied on the whole. Two older men sat in the corner, playing a card game and drinking rum. They would exchange comments every few minutes; sometimes about the game, sometimes about life, sometimes about the “cute young things” that walked in the door. A light chuckle croaked out of one of their mouths as the other made a stupid mistake.
Another man entertained himself in the far corner with his pipe. A steady billow of smoke poured from his mouth, only ceasing for the rare instances when he stopped to take a sip from a flask he kept in his coat. His gaze roamed slowly around the bar, taking in the inhabitants and silently judging them. He smiled as one of the old men leapt from his chair, cheering over a victory.
Grim gulped down the remainder of his serving, gasping in satisfaction. Resting his elbows on the table, he belched loudly. The gurgling sound rang throughout the small room, conjuring a few nasty looks. Smiling at his grotesque behavior, Grim looked up at the bartender.
“’nother!” he moaned obnoxiously at him, slapping a hand on the counter. The bartender was about to retort in expulsion when the front door gently creaked open. A look of astonishment lit his face as he watched a woman enter the room. The other men stared in awe at the angelic sight; the beautiful, silky-black hair which shrouded her shoulders and caressed her breasts; the sensual curves, scarcely covered by a dark corset and tight pants; the way she walked, a seductive saunter that made a man’s knees weak; the lightly decorated masquerade mask that clung to her beautiful face, conjuring inquiries to what lay beneath.
“Looket at’un Markus, look at’er!” one of the old men whispered excitedly to the other, poking him with a bony elbow. The woman smiled at the old man’s bickering, her full lips curving into a seductive smirk. She cast a deep look towards the man smoking in the corner, who pretended not to be impressed even though his eyes were taking in every inch of her perfect body. Grim cleared his throat and rapped on the counter again.
“Make’er two!” The bartender reluctantly pulled his eyes from the tightly laced corset that enveloped her breasts, and set to work. Returning a smile to the new customer, Grim stood from the stool, wobbling slightly as he became accustomed to his drunken state. “Well ‘ello there,” he stammered, balancing his unstable form with one hand on the counter, “don’ suppose you’d be interesteded ina drink!?” The woman came to slow halt, licking her lower lip slowly with her tongue.
“I’d like that” she said slowly, squeezing into the stool next to him. Grim smiled proudly to himself as he resituated himself back in his seat. The two men looked on in awe at the plastered man who was wooing the beautiful woman.
“In all me years!”
“I know Markus…can’t’n believe dat one would go fer ‘im!”
“If only me was young agin, den I could give’em a run fer his gold.”
“Quit yer blabbering y’old fool! Now let’en me tell yer…” The old men’s squabbling was drowned out as Grim tried to start a conversation.
“So whatses a pratty gal like you doin’ round thisss place?” Grim bent forward close to her, unaware of his drunken stupor. The bartender watched in amazement as the woman smiled and leaned in closer to him, her beautiful eyes gazing sensually into his half-open ones.
“Well,” she began, her lips opening barely as the words glided out, “I’m looking for someone who could…” she stopped, looking around the bar shyly and back to Grim, placing a hand on his leg. “…I’m looking for a man who might be able to give me what I want.” Grim couldn’t believe his ears. He grinned to himself stupidly, thinking of how much of a handsome devil he would need to be to grasp this woman’s attention.
“Welp, I’d say dat I’mer ther right man fer th’ job!” he stumbled wearily off his stool, knocking it over in the process. Grabbing her hand, he began for the stairs. “Come’on missus, I’ma show you how mucher man I aam!” The woman playfully accepted, following him enthusiastically. The bartender dropped the glass he was holding. It shattered on the floor, but no one noticed.
“I will be damned to hell’s inner chambers! That bastard does nothing all day but sit around and drink, and yet that woman was all over him.” The bartender kicked the counter in frustration. “Where were des beautiful young gals when I was young, eh?” The men gradually returned to their business. It wasn’t until several minutes later that they heard a loud scream.
“Damnit all Barry, can’t you tells those two ta keep it down!? No need ter go rubbin’ it in!” The bartender shrugged his shoulders casually.
“N’much I can do Markus. Paid fer the room fair’un square.” There was another loud scream. “I’ll be damned, that woman sounds right like a man when she’s makin’ love, eh?” This comment caused a murmur of laughs with the customers.
“I would watch out for that’n boys.” The loner who had kept to himself for the whole night stood to his feet. “A spider she is. She’ll trick ya to suck ya in, then when she’s got ya where she likes ya.” He paused dramatically, waving a hand through the air. “She’ll strike!” The bartender laughed to himself at the man’s overly dramatic hand motions. “Thanks for th’ drinks Barry.” With that he quickly departed out the front door.
There had been no sounds from the room upstairs for several minutes. Suddenly the creaking of someone on the stairwell cracked the silence. The woman reappeared next at the bar, looking just as good as she had when she first entered. Throwing a sack of gold on the bar, she smiled at Barry.
“Thanks” she said, almost as a whisper. Barry watched her as she made her way to the door. Turning once more, she blew a kiss at the old men. Love-struck, they stared at her as she disappeared into the night.
She had finished what she came there for. She had been looking for a man. A man who would know the whereabouts of the Renegades. Why not one of them!? It would be several hours before Barry would find the headless body of Grim in his bed. It would be moments later that he realized the screams he heard from the bedroom weren’t hers: they were Grim’s.
Smiling to herself, Valerie made her way to the place where Grim had confessed in his dying moments. It was a prestigious mansion known to some as Wicker Gates.
“One down…”