"Alrighty, then, I s'pose I'll disclose it to ya. But don't go blabbin, alright? This is top secret business, can't be havin' the rivals find out about it!" Eli slid the frothy mug towards the sailor, and he took a small sip, a rather surprising portion considering the stereotypes usually associated with those like him. "Thanks, Eli. So, I've been thinkin' of expandin' the business fer a while now, but, see, the problem is, ya never know exactly where's gonna be a find, and where's just a big ole flop, no use commitin' to those places. So anyway, I decided to spend the last week or so, hard to tell, really, on a bit of an experiment, out on the high seas, searchin' for shrimp hotspots, and wouldn't you know it, I stumble upon the most amazing breeding grounds. Now Eli, you listen in here, this is the bit you haven't heard! It was just a fair bit west of here, and I simply had to have it, so I deployed the gear, nets and all, and brought in the largest haul of my life, absolutely gargantuan! Brilliant stuff that can be found if you search further away, and I always do say, I could just go down south, only a short trip over there, but this past week goes to show, straying from one's comfort zones can indeed lead to the most illustrious of treasures".
As he spoke, Jiff took more and more of those tiny sips, faster and faster, until the whole mug was drained when his tale ended. It was an incredible sight, someone drinking that small of an amount so many times, and so fast, all while keeping a conversation going. He'd clearly had practice. "Elikalopa, would you mind sending another drink this way?" Another odd development was the change in his speech pattern. It seemed that with only one mug of ale, Jiff's vocabulary and tone had gone from 'rough sailor' to 'Eloquent academic'.
"Excuse me, miss Caliope, but would you mind telling me about your dragons? I don't mean to pry, but they are such fascinating creatures!"
Eli slid another mug over the bar, happy to see the two getting along. He'd known Jiff for a few years now, and he'd always been a great patron. It was Eli's suggestion, in fact, that convinced him to drink in smaller portions. It didn't help much, but at least he had more time to bring out the dictionary.
