Time: EVENING
Location: EXT./INT. THE TIPSY TAVERN - RIVER PORT
Interactions/Mentions: The guy cosplaying as an elf @princess; The golden lion furry @Helo; The lady in a purple dress @Tae; Tavern patrons
Equipment:
Jun stood at the entrance of The Tipsy Tavern, his heart doing a weird jitterbug. He wasn't exactly a fan of places like these (too loud, too much going on). But as much as he wanted to leave River Port and put as much distance between Malachi and the others, he knew wandering around in the dark wasn't the brightest idea. Plus, he had zero clue which way to go. And, as any seasoned RPG player knows, a tavern's the best place to gather info. Biting the bullet, Jun pushed open the creaky door.
Immediately, he was hit by a wall of laughter, chatter, and all-out party noise. The air, thick with the scents of spilled booze and tobacco smoke, carried an undercurrent of musky, not-so-charming hint of BO that really, really needed to be aired out. He grimaced as his shoes stuck to the floor with every step – when did they last mop up this mess? The combined heat from all the bodies and fireplace only made things even more unpleasant.
The place was rammed with clientele from every corner of life. Around scattered tables, weary travelers and townsfolk were kicking back, offloading their day's burdens. Some were all about that drink in hand, others about the company they kept. Over in one corner, a bunch of regulars, still in their work clothes, were going hard at a darts game. The thud of darts hitting the board mixed with cheers and groans, as bets were won and lost. In another corner, an orc and what looked like a minotaur were locked in an intense arm-wrestling match, surrounded by a shouting crowd. High above, a bard was trying their best to strum out a tune on their lute, which got pretty much lost in the racket.
Right in the heart of it all, there was a wild party going on. It gave off major frat party vibes – the kind Jun always steered clear of back in uni.
As Jun tried to navigate through the crowd towards the bartender, he got a sudden shove. The burly, scar-faced dude in mismatched armor who bumped into Jun shot him a stink eye, clearly miffed by Jun's failure to dodge.
"Hey, watch it!" he slurred as he swayed on his feet.
"I-I'm sorry, I did-di-di-didn't mean to—" Jun stammered, backing away.
The guy squinted and studied Jun's appearance. "You're not from around here, are you?" He leaned in close enough for Jun to get a whiff of his last few drinks. "Hold up… You... a Human?"
"N-no!" Jun blurted. If he remembered Avalia's setting correctly, 'humans' don't naturally exist. The only ones that do were the summoned 'chosen.' Meaning, it'd be easy for The New Dawn to track Jun down if he said he was human. Safer to pretend he was roleplaying as some other race. "I'm… um… uhhh…" His eyes zipped around and landed on a group of dwarves. "A dwarf!"
For an awkward beat, the guy said nothing, blinked, then frowned. "A dwarf?"
"Y-yes. A very tall dwarf." Jun quickly added. "With giantism."
The guy just stared (and Jun could only return the look) until he cracked up. "A giant dwarf, you say! Haven't seen those before." He slapped Jun on the back. "Sit your giant dwarven arse down, boy, and drink!" Before Jun could protest, he was dragged into the thick of the party and pushed onto a seat. A massive jug of beer thudded in front of him, its frothy contents sloshing over.
"Uh… thank you, but I just wanted to ask if anyone knows the best way out of River Port," Jun tried to explain but wasn't sure if anyone could hear him over the noise. "Or if there's anything dangerous out there I should watch out for..."
"You want answers, giant dwarf? You drink with us!" declared the guy and the table roared in agreement. "Bottoms up!"
Feeling the weight of dozens of eyes on him, Jun hesitantly lifted the jug to his lips, the heavy scent of beer filling his nostrils. With a deep breath, he took a careful sip.