Post by umbra on Aug 4, 2009 17:55:38 GMT -5
It was the usual dark and depressing rainy night in the Aching Drum, in this small, seemingly worthless farming village of Lithgow. The usual commuters were here in the filthy tavern. The drunkards drowning their sorrow... The wenches hoping to earn a coin for the night... And the scum and more noble classes, all packed together in this family owned wood building for business or drink. It was loud... It was a bar after all. Lots of laughing, lots of cursing... Lots of spilled alcohol, and lots of bouncers escorting tipsy men(and a few women) out of it's premises.
Overall, a relatively normal night. Till someone... Or something came in. The bartender looked in confusion as one of the candles on the table flickered out almost instantly, its ghostly smoke extending and curling toward the ceiling... And the room... It was actually slightly cold... Men mumbled grumpily, if not uncomfortably, as they rubbed down the raising hair on the backs of their necks, squinted eyes narrowed and darting around the inside of the building. Thats when the door opened with a creak. Eyes looked up in confusion, and a few of even the most disorderly drunkards sobered up. A figure, heavily garbed in a soaked cloak and black coat, came in with each carefully placed step of it's leathered boots. It was so quiet in the bar, the dull thump was heard each time as each step was placed on the wooden floor... It was eerie to say the least.
The figure paused for a moment, then walked toward a long table, shrouded in shadow in the most possibly questionable place. That corner was more or less reserved for the legally questionable folk of the town. The cut throats and thieves, the kind of place for people who liked to discuss dark things, away from the other customers so they could have their privacy. Since this obvious stranger chose this particular table, it didn't make the people feel much better. Eventually, the bartender eventually waved a barmaid forward hurriedly, nervous eyes shifting toward her and the stranger. The young woman gulped, and going over to the cloaked man, smiled and asked as he slouched in his chair, "Would you like something to drink?" The normally pretty voice was a little shaky, and the edges of her false smile were twitching slightly. By the way her eyes kept flashing over near the other side of the Aching Drum showed she preferred to be anywhere BUT here. She also didn't ask if this man wanted "Company for the night..." gods no... Not with him. The figure didn't stop staring ahead in deep thought, and she was about to excuse that he was perhaps deaf, mute, or just not interested and was about to excuse herself when...
The man turned his head. She couldn't see his eyes... But she knew he was staring at her... She could feel her spine tingle from the way invisible eyes bored into her soul. All that could be seen was the bottom of his chin and mouth underneath the hood, which was simply thoughtful... Like he was staring at an interesting bug. After a while, it slowly curved into a small and sly grin, showing off straight, if not slightly sharp, white teeth. "A drink sounds wonderful... A beer would be nice if you don't mind." She nodded quickly and left in the other direction, away from that eerie smile and spine tingling presence. That voice... As polite as it was, it was unnaturally cold... It even seemed to have an echo to it.
Eventually, the pretty young woman got the man's beer and left it on the table. The man took the mug calmly and drank some, laying it back down before staring off into space for a while. Over time, people started talking again, although it was pathetic and half hearted to what it had been earlier that evening. Some people just got up and left, leaving an unhappy bartender with less customers and a creepy out of towner.
Overall, a relatively normal night. Till someone... Or something came in. The bartender looked in confusion as one of the candles on the table flickered out almost instantly, its ghostly smoke extending and curling toward the ceiling... And the room... It was actually slightly cold... Men mumbled grumpily, if not uncomfortably, as they rubbed down the raising hair on the backs of their necks, squinted eyes narrowed and darting around the inside of the building. Thats when the door opened with a creak. Eyes looked up in confusion, and a few of even the most disorderly drunkards sobered up. A figure, heavily garbed in a soaked cloak and black coat, came in with each carefully placed step of it's leathered boots. It was so quiet in the bar, the dull thump was heard each time as each step was placed on the wooden floor... It was eerie to say the least.
The figure paused for a moment, then walked toward a long table, shrouded in shadow in the most possibly questionable place. That corner was more or less reserved for the legally questionable folk of the town. The cut throats and thieves, the kind of place for people who liked to discuss dark things, away from the other customers so they could have their privacy. Since this obvious stranger chose this particular table, it didn't make the people feel much better. Eventually, the bartender eventually waved a barmaid forward hurriedly, nervous eyes shifting toward her and the stranger. The young woman gulped, and going over to the cloaked man, smiled and asked as he slouched in his chair, "Would you like something to drink?" The normally pretty voice was a little shaky, and the edges of her false smile were twitching slightly. By the way her eyes kept flashing over near the other side of the Aching Drum showed she preferred to be anywhere BUT here. She also didn't ask if this man wanted "Company for the night..." gods no... Not with him. The figure didn't stop staring ahead in deep thought, and she was about to excuse that he was perhaps deaf, mute, or just not interested and was about to excuse herself when...
The man turned his head. She couldn't see his eyes... But she knew he was staring at her... She could feel her spine tingle from the way invisible eyes bored into her soul. All that could be seen was the bottom of his chin and mouth underneath the hood, which was simply thoughtful... Like he was staring at an interesting bug. After a while, it slowly curved into a small and sly grin, showing off straight, if not slightly sharp, white teeth. "A drink sounds wonderful... A beer would be nice if you don't mind." She nodded quickly and left in the other direction, away from that eerie smile and spine tingling presence. That voice... As polite as it was, it was unnaturally cold... It even seemed to have an echo to it.
Eventually, the pretty young woman got the man's beer and left it on the table. The man took the mug calmly and drank some, laying it back down before staring off into space for a while. Over time, people started talking again, although it was pathetic and half hearted to what it had been earlier that evening. Some people just got up and left, leaving an unhappy bartender with less customers and a creepy out of towner.
