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Post by Arion on Dec 5, 2006 14:05:10 GMT -5
The Nemwe Tavern and Inn is a large three-story building whose bottom floor is a tavern serving good food and good drink, with most seating on a soft floor cushions as Centaurs are the main patrons, and cushions on the floor aren't too uncomfortable for most other races as well. There is plenty of room for all.
The top two floors are comfortable, well furnished rooms for travelers, and some patrons too inebriated to even walk home. They are large and accommodating, and some of the larger third floor rooms even have a fireplace.
The Nemwe Tavern and Inn is run by a dark-skinned woman, not a centaur, but beyond that no one knows much about her. Either a hat or her hair always covers her ears so she could be an Elf, or a dark-skinned human. Some say she knows magic, some says she's a psyon, some even say she's favored by the gods. All she will say is her name is Gulan and she's a good listener.
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Aubrey
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.:Look, but don't touch:.
Posts: 215
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Post by Aubrey on Feb 11, 2007 22:19:57 GMT -5
Aubrey was shy as he peeked into the tavern, crystal eyes unsure and a stream of blonde covering half of his face as always when he was nervous. He looked back to see if he should enter, wondering if Jaiden would tell him. However, they had not arrived in Nemwe so late in the night for nothing, and after a moment, he stepped in timidly.
His shabby, tattered clothing had done little to shield him from the cool air of the night, and he was happy to be in the nice, warm inn. His only worry was that someone would recognize him as belonging to Eligor in Iodar, but then remembered that any non Nymandine would have been enslaved as well, and so the risk was little to none..
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Post by Jaiden on Feb 12, 2007 18:31:49 GMT -5
Jaiden was more worried about picking up a room for the night with no money than he was about Iodar bounty-hunters. With the slightest lick of common sense, they'd be heading to Ardenbau, and if the diviner with the heavy robe and the loud hair had any kind of common sense himself, he would've never agreed to this rescue in the first place. Still, it only took one look at Aubrey to know it was worth it. Personal feelings aside, he couldn't imagine anyone less deserving of slavery in that place.
He let the door shut quietly behind him, tossing back his hood. His hair was more lively now, more like its normal self, but still a bit tamer due to their mid-afternoon bath. There wasn't a whole lot of activity in Nemwe at night, they discovered... besides a smattering of centaur and maybe one elf, they listened to their own footsteps for most of the time. They got strange glances, but that was it, and Jaiden was thankful. He'd never been in this tavern before, but it looked pretty nice, despite the lack of traditional tables and chairs. He put his hand on Aubrey's shoulder. "Why don't you sit down on one of those pillows? I'll find the barkeep and see just how screwed we are."
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Aubrey
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Post by Aubrey on Feb 13, 2007 7:45:32 GMT -5
Aubrey flushed and smiled softly, finding that yes, they probably were screwed. But, on the plus side.. he would get to try out one of the pillows and rest his aching body for at least a little while. "Okay," he said with a small nod, going to do just that. He picked one closer to where the bar was, where Jaiden was going, and as far away from everyone else as he could at the same time.
After all, it would be terrible if someone were to bumb into him. He'd probably start crying. Now, however, he was content to curl up on one of the cushions, long, slender legs pulled beneath him as he waited..
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Post by Jaiden on Feb 13, 2007 15:08:06 GMT -5
The place didn't seem terribly busy, but still felt crowded in a surreal sort of way. Probably because the tenants were all centaurs, and they were pretty much all looking at them. He made a small, uncomfortable sound in his throat, turning his gaze towards the bar and leaving it there. Once he got there, however, he realized that there was a distinct absence of any kind of keep.
Wonder where the owner is...? Jaiden looked around, cautiously, to see if anyone was approaching now that there was a "customer" in need (actual customers usually had money) but he couldn't see anyone. At a loss of what to do, he tapped on the bar and called out softly. "Anyone home?"
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Aubrey
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.:Look, but don't touch:.
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Post by Aubrey on Feb 13, 2007 22:33:43 GMT -5
[Gonna borrow Gulan, Arion ^^;;; Please and thank you in your absense <3 If I butcher her character, I apologize ;-;]
"Coming," a voice said from the back room. A woman, dark-skinned and somewhat pretty, approached, smiling softly. Her race was indeterminable, but it was easy to say she wasn't a Centaur. Her voice was soft, calculating, but not unpleasant, and her eyes scanned quickly to determine who her new guests were. Her movements were subtle, yet not undefined.
"What may I do for you?" she asked Jaiden, smiling softly at him in welcome.
Aubrey watched, at first thinking the woman Nymandine, but then taking into account the slightly cooler air here, as Garumeth was closer to the ocean, and Nemwe was a little farther North.. Right? Either way, he watched shyly from where he hid behind his blonde locks, curious, yet cautious.
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Post by Jaiden on Feb 14, 2007 1:23:06 GMT -5
Jaiden wasn't terrible sure how to approach this. Some innkeepers pandered to the gentle pleading of a soul in distress, and some liked you to give it to them straight. This one was harder to read than those he'd encountered in the past... maybe because he was expecting a Centaur. His expression was meek as she approached, though gradually grew stronger as he stood in her presence. Might as well test her sympathy first.
"Um... look, you can probably tell we aren't from around here. We don't have a Ka to our name, and we can't sleep in the streets or anything." He looked over his shoulder at Aubrey, so the keep could get a look at who the other part of "we" was. "I don't really expect you to say yes, but... if we could just borrow a room for the night. The smallest one you have. It'd mean a lot." He did his best to sound sincere, but he wasn't trying all that hard... maybe because he had an ace up his sleeve. If she turned him down, he'd really turn it up - Aubrey's story was so heart-breaking he doubt anyone could resist it, especially with the kid looking right at you with his doe-eyes and gentle expression.
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Aubrey
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Post by Aubrey on Feb 14, 2007 7:55:17 GMT -5
Gulan listened as was her trademark, thinking many things over in her mind as she considered this all, eyes resting on Aubrey a moment before returning to Jaiden. "Hmmm.." she began slowly. It was easy to see that she was thinking, but whether it was if there was an available room or what she might want in return was anyone's guess. "I don't suppose that perhaps you might be able to work off your expenses?"
Aubrey bit his lip gently as he looked around innocently. He'd never seen Centaurs before, but here they were, som even staring right back at him! He kept himself hidden behind his hair as was his own little custom when he was shy, and was happy that they'd managed to bathe before arriving, else he would have been shy and terribly filthy.
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Post by Jaiden on Feb 16, 2007 11:33:38 GMT -5
Jaiden gave a resigned sigh. He hadn't been expecting this, but he supposed it was better than a flat-out "no." Not quite as good as a straight-up "yes," but he'd take what he could get. "No, I don't mind, but I do ask that you let the kid off the hook. He's been through a lot. I'll handle both our workloads, if that's okay with you?" He didn't expect the woman to object, so he heaved up his pack onto his shoulder and waved for Aubrey to come over.
"In the morning though, right? I'm not in any real shape to work at the moment." He gave a weak laugh, mostly in the interest of maintaining a friendly relationship with the innkeeper, who probably had plans to work him ragged the next day. As someone who hasn't really ever done honest work in his life, Jaiden found the thought offensive.
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Aubrey
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Post by Aubrey on Feb 16, 2007 17:04:01 GMT -5
Gulan looked once more at Aubrey as the boy rose and moved to stand behind Jaiden, half hiding, before she smiled politely at the Diviner. "That wont be necessary," she said. "I will only want enough to cover the room fee and any other costs you might incur. I think.. Yes, dinner's on the house tonight. You both look like you could use a hot meal. And yes, the morning will be fine."
Aubrey watched the exchange curiously, seeing that this woman, while frighteningly mysterious and rather intelligent, was not a bad person. As far as he could tell, mind you. Gulan moved around the counter and beckoned that they follow her as she moved easily to the stairs.
"Your room will be on the second floor," she said. Her voice was still a bit soft, and the noise of the tavern almost drowned her out if it weren't for the hidden power in her words. "There is only one bed, though. Will this be a problem..?"
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Post by Jaiden on Feb 16, 2007 20:29:56 GMT -5
Jaiden could just imagine Aubrey blushing behind him; he was tempted to glance over his shoulder and re-affirm what could only be true. As a merchant's son, however, he'd done a fair share of mooching in his life, and could take whatever was offered with a straight face... even if it meant sharing a bed with the kid. Maybe he could bundle up on the floor or something? There'd be time to think about it later. He simply shook his head and followed their gracious host, remembering why he'd liked Garumeth when he was a kid - everyone was kind.
He was relieved to shut the door behind him after the promise that their late dinner would be brought up shortly, dropping his bag off to the side. Making no effort to move it out of the way, he sulked over to the bed and flopped on it. It was something he'd been craving... an itch he had to scratch. There wasn't much to it: it wasn't all that big, all that comfortable, or all that fancy. However, it was a bed, and that was all his rich blood required after traveling through the wilderness. Jaiden just lay there like this, making a sound that was, not surprisingly, like a cat purring, his attention completely taken by the comfort.
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Aubrey
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Post by Aubrey on Feb 17, 2007 0:25:20 GMT -5
Aubrey had indeed flushed behind Jaiden, keeping close to his travelling companion and part-time savior as a precaution. Gulan's kindness made him relax a little, but he was still shy, because he knew that he did not look the best, nor did he likely act very personable. This one was not something he liked, of course, but he was shy because he was embarrassed, and he was embarrassed because he was shy, in a way.
As Jaiden shut the door and flopped on the bed, Aubrey smiled and moved to curl up beside him (never touching, mind you), allowing himself to enjoy the comfort as well. "Thank you, Jaiden," he said, quiet but sincere. He smiled at the other softly, tired eyes alight with satisfaction and great relief.
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Post by Jaiden on Feb 17, 2007 0:41:15 GMT -5
He barely heard the other's words, but he got just enough to figure it out. Jaiden simply nodded, facing a tough decision between the instant gratification of sleep or a good meal; both were extremely tantalizing, but the bed wasn't going anywhere. The youth eventually sat up, rubbing at his eyes. "Don't thank me. We got off lucky... what are the odds that a Nemwe innkeeper isn't a Centaur? Might've had a harder time otherwise." He got to his feet and finally moved his bag away from the entrance way, looking thoughtful and then worried as he did so.
"Um... so, what should we do about the bed?" Jaiden was apprehensive for entirely different reasons, but he knew that Aubrey was probably feeling the same way. If he could barely stand touching someone, then he probably wouldn't do that well sleeping with them. "I could lay a blanket on the floor. It's better than sleeping on rocks and dirt. I don't mind."
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Aubrey
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Post by Aubrey on Feb 17, 2007 13:14:33 GMT -5
Aubrey sat up, looking surprised and almost alarmed. "N-no, I can take the floor," he said, voice adorably nervous. "I mean, you'vealreadydonealotforme, andthefloorreallyisn'tthatbad, s-so.. uhm.." He flushed and took a breath, his words having been almost too fast as he'd spoken. Completely selfless.. Even if Jaiden insisted, Aubrey would try to decline, wanting to help his new friend and.. he flushed to think about it.. crush..
"Or.. a-and this is just another option..." his face was positively red now, and he bit his lip a moment in thought as he tried to determine how to word this new/other option. "You're not a sleep-cuddler or a bed-hog.. are you..?"
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Post by Jaiden on Feb 22, 2007 5:05:19 GMT -5
(I'm so sorry about the lack of posting. Our ISP has been down and they took their sweet time in fixing it, and it's been a busy week otherwise. Sorry again.)
He'd been expecting such a quick rush of words, such a rush of insistence that he take the bed... what made him blush bright scarlet, however, was the completely unexpected question that came after all that. "What? No... of course not." He proclaimed this very meekly, because it was a bit of a lie - he'd only shared a bed with someone else about twice in his life, and had no honest idea about how he acted when he was sleeping.
Already caught off guard once, he didn't even realize at first why Aubrey was asking... at least not until a moment later, when he flushed a darker shade of red, very noticeable in his pale features. "You want to share the bed... is that why you're asking?" How stupid did he look, standing there, twirling an absent lock of hair around his fingers? How many girls had he silently mocked when they stood before him doing the same exact thing? Jeez... "I guess that could work." He offered a sheepish smile.
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