Less Bark More Bite (Tally!)

[Anonymous]

It had been a week or so since he and Victor had split up. Valentine Rokk, the side-kick, the short-blonde-one, the 'hey, is that girl free for the night'.  Sure he was shorter than the average man, skinnier and more finely muscled. Didn't have tits though. Valentine quickly swiped his hand over his chest to make sure none had sprouted after that thought. He'd be crawling in men if he had tits and a pretty face. Gross. Val sneered into his cup, his lips going up to show his teeth to his drink.

He'd come across a little village, town? A place. On his travels. It didn't look like much, but he kept his eyes open for magic. Nasty magic users. They'd gotten one in the big city. Got away though. Him and his girly shirt and his huge wings. Val slammed his cup down on the table and cursed quietly. Looking around he sneered at the people staring at him. Damn sick bastards. They were like Vic. Anything with a hole was good, double points if the face was pretty.

A dark look was on his face while he drank his drink.  

Valentine was quite the looker. His hair was short, a bright blonde, with a long slim braid that went down from the back of his neck to the middle of his thigh. It held no use. It had been used for decoration when he'd contort during his performances, now it was a sentimental trap. Val knew that if he were fleeing someone could grab it. Not one for looking broody, he was dressed in a bright blue vest, a white tanktop like shirt. Cloth was wrapped around his forearms and hands. His pants were much the same, loose fitting, white. Cloth was wrapped around his feet to his calves over his pants. Brown boots.

Apparently not dressing in dark colours drew attention to himself though.

Another look over his shoulder, he glared at another person staring at him. Eyeing him. With that special 'something' in their eye. "Damn homo's." He said, quiet enough to seem like he hadn't intended for anyone to hear it, but loud enough for people who were listening to him to hear it. "Did I step into some sort of homo tavern or something? Pervs." another snarl and he stretched out his leg, tilting his head back and drinking the last bits from his cup. "Oi! Another... One of these," He waved his empty mug to the bartender, giving him a dark look.

Maybe he'd drawn enough attention to himself to keep everyone away. Yeah. Perfect logic.

[Tally]

The door to the tavern banged open.  Five bodies blocked the sunlight beyond and filed through the splintered wood frame.  They were armed, swords and daggers and a couple of crossbows bristling from hip and back, and their boots clomped upon the floorboards as they swaggered to the bar.  One of them preceded the rest, the tallest of them, their leader, the Jackal.

A cheer of greeting rose up from a few of the tavern's patrons.  If Jackal hadn't already had a smile on his face, that surely would have put one there.  Few of life's pleasures could warm his spirits so much as a friendly tavern.  They'd spent the better part of the week raiding up into the foothills of the Terrins, sleeping on the ground and eating travel rations.  He craved a cozy fire, a mug of mead, and mayhap a game of dice or two.

"The gods have guided us to prosperous ventures this week!" he roared, slapping enough coin down upon the bar to cover the entire room.  "Open up a cask of mead and spread the good cheer—I'm buying a round for everyone tonight!"

They raised their glasses to him and another cheer rose up.  Fine, good folk in this village.  Respectful folk.  For nigh on two years now this had been his haven of civilization away from the rustic camp he called home.  No fools, these villagers.  They knew it was his benevolence that kept his dogs away from their daughters and his pilfering hands from their valuables.  Thus had they established an unspoken agreement.  They tolerated his presence and stayed any impulsive and ill advised  attempt to bring the law down on him, and he left their homes standing when he went burning villages and fields to ash.

Such a harmonious union was enough to bring tears to a man's eye, it was.

He was watching the sway of a barmaid's hips as she passed around mugs of mead, when a stranger in a bright blue shortcoat arrested his attention.  Jackal shuffled down the bar to get a better look.  It was a youth!  Not a girl as he might have assumed at a glance, misled by the long braid and small stature.  Quite a little thing he was, especially compared to Jackal, who had an Adelan's height and build as well as their common red-brown hair.  His eyes were dark though, from the Connlaoth blood in him.

"Not seen you around before," he said simply.  He liked to be aware of any remarkable strangers who came through this place, close to his camp as it was.

[Anonymous]

Valentine could only stare, an obvious confused frown on his face as he watched, looking between the people that had walked in and the obvious overly happy reaction of everyone else in the room.

Cheering?

For these clowns?

Val put his empty cup to his mouth to hide his entertained grin before he ducked his head and rolls his eyes. He even sounded like a pansy. Well, that was hardly true, but Val and his many insecurities made him display things that weren't there onto other people. Beyond confused, Val got his second drink from the barmaid before the strange man slapped down enough coin for everyone. His eyebrows drew together and he stared at him for a moment before deciding it was none of his business and he'd rather not get into trouble.

Taking a deep drink he placed his mug back down and stretched his arms, leaning back in his chair when a voice got his attention. Val felt almost an entire side of his face twitch. This was the last straw. First he was getting stared at and now one was hitting on him! Did these people have no decency!? "Gods dammit." Val said under his breath before standing to his impressive height of five feet four inches, his hands pressed against the table, his kasurigama - essentially a mini sickle on a long chain for throwing - apparent at his hip.

"Can't a man get an hour without getting stared at around here?" He sneered at the taller darker looking man. While Mr.Round-Buyer was big and had dark hair and dark eyes, Val was short, fair skinned, blond hair with bright green eyes. Very much of Serenian decent. "And of course you haven't seen me here before, you idiot! I don't live here, I was going to have a nice quiet drink but ya'll seem to be god damn homo's around here. Disgusting." Val sneered again before letting out a huff of breath. "If that was a pick up line, or any sort of conversation starter, so help me I'm going to kick your Mother Loving ass."  He jabbed his finger towards Jackal, obviously at wits end. Normally he'd have Vic with him. Vic was a big man. No one looked at Val while Vic was around.

Not now though.

And it didn't occur to him to remember the bunch of other men the tall dark one had walked in with. Valentine didn't care though. This was the one that pissed him off. Val could get beaten to a thread of life and as long as he got one good hit onto the pompous Drink Buyer he'd feel accomplished.

[Tally]

This one weren't too bright.

Worse, he was getting Jackal a might pissed, because all Jackal had wanted, what he'd been looking forward to all damn day was sitting his ass in a chair for the rest of the afternoon and getting drunk.  And now?  Well now this matter demanded his immediate attention.  Because Jackal didn't lead these thieves and cutthroats by the grace of their respect—though the respect was there.  He lead them only because he had built up an image of himself in their heads. He made them see him as more ruthless than the murderers, more sly than the thieves, and more powerful than the warriors.

His continued control over his pack of dogs depended on keeping up that image.  Reputation drove his success as much as skill or luck did.

Which meant that when odd little men talked horseshit to his face, it was necessary to put them down.

A grin spread slowly across Jackal's face as the little man kept talking...and talking.  The tavern quieted.  "You must be well into your cups, friend.  Why not enjoy another mug and tell me where you're from?"

He leaned against the bar as his men spread out and one put himself in front of the door.  Nevermind the little fellow's size—that blade at his hip was plenty real, and a man didn't learn to talk venom like that at strangers without also learning how to back up his words.

[Anonymous]

"Into my cups?" Valentine huffed, his cheeks turning pink. He wasn't into his cups! He was pissed off! "Friend?" He snarled and did his best to keep his hands off his hips, now was not the time to look like a fruit, it was bad enough he stood strangely naturally."I haven't had the chance to enjoy a good drink because all these bastards have done is stare at me." He starled at Jackal then noticed the tavern had drawn quiet.

Valentine grudgingly sat down and stared at the table taking a deep swig of his drink and leering at Jackal. "I'm from around. Serendipity originally, but we travel. Circus." He smirked and turned towards the other man before he looked around. Nothing seemed odd, Valentine wasn't one to worry about being ambushed.

Who would ambush him? He was short and skinny.

Which was usually an advantage. Valentine shrugged and took another drink before he leaned towards Jackal, "Why is everyone so quiet? You some sort of law enforcement that I just pissed off or something?"

[Tally]

"Circus.  Aye, you look it."  That got him a chuckle from the onlookers.  They laughed a little too much at it.  It wasn't that funny. They just wanted to make sure they didn't bring any trouble onto themselves if he decided to take issue with the odd little fellow.  He hadn't decided yet if he would shut the boy up. He was more amused than angry, and more than just a little perplexed over the kid's misplaced anger.

Some of the talk started back up again, though they all kept a wary eye on him in case his good humor soured.  "But, ah...we? What we? You seem quite alone to me."

[Anonymous]

Valentine frowned and glared at the table. He wasn't in costume! He couldn't look it! This guy was just being an asshole! What... What an asshole!! "What! I do not!" Valentine snarled, leaning back in his chair and putting his feet on the table. He looked around for a moment to glare at the chuckling people. Bunch'a assholes. "Shaddup, ya hicks."

A loud grumble and he sat back down, normally, the chair legs making a loud thunk. "Yeah. We. Me'n'my pal. He's not here right now, but we." Valentine looked around, "And it's good you're not seeing double. 'Cause I am alone." Stupid idiot. "Who the hell are you, anyway."

[Tally]

"Sure you do.  I could absolutely see you prancing around with a circus troupe.  You ashamed of your job, eh?"  He'd gotten so angry at the mere suggestion that he looked the part of a circus performer.  Maybe the lad wasn't so happy with his lot in life.  Though where was the rest of his troupe? If a circus had come through the village, or even passed by on the major roads he would have heard about it.

"Your pal."  Right.  Who was very much not in attendance and so of little consequence to whatever happened here.  "I'm called Jackal," he said, and offered no more than that as he settled back and took a long draw from his mug.  Ahh, a fine mead.  This was turning out to be a pleasant evening, even with this snappish kid trying his patience.