Xander looked back down. He should've just stuck with the more drunk and oblivious patrons…
He drew the tilt and shadow of Delila's hat; he'd take whatever he could work with. As soon as he was done, he tried to pay no more attention to her, hopefully avoiding any more discomfort on her part.
(Isn't that just… murder???)
(Okay, more like a bounty hunter. He doesn’t just pick a target and go. And he doesn’t kill his targets unless they’re wild animals.)
Dominic set himself up at his usual spot in the port. A lonely little corner where he could let people post their jobs while he socialized with the friendlier individuals in the crowd.
After putting up the board, he glanced about the dock looking for someone to chat with. As he scanned the crowd, he couldn’t help wondering how it was that he always found the higher parts of low-end life. There was always an interesting individual somewhere in the dregs of society. His eyes came to rest on an artist, drawing some member of the crowd. Dominic approached slowly from behind and announced himself, “Hello, friend. May I observe?”
(lol that makes more sense)
Xander glanced behind him. A bit of discomfort scratched at the back of his mind, but he had to push it aside.
"Oh… sure, I guess," he replied softly, stopping mid-pencil stroke, "I just finished one. Pick a subject for me?"
Dominic looked at the drawing the artist had already done, then looked about the crowd. After a while, he pointed to a table of regulars having a casual chat. They appeared to be old friends.
“I’d reckon they’d make a wonderful illustration. Such works are quite sought after among some prominent writers, you know.” He offered his hand to the artist, remembering his typical protocol, “Kindly forgive my intrusion, boredom got the better of me. Dominic Wilhelm. It’s a pleasure.”
"Xander Solano," Xander replied, hesitantly taking his hand, "Nice to meet you as well."
He smiled to himself.
"This is more than a hobby for me, you know. I sell a lot of my work nowadays. I'm aware of what's popular," he replied, trying his best to not sound too snippy, "I see what you like here, I suppose."
He started to draw, capturing the likenesses of the people pretty well, but creating an entirely different tone- one more akin to a group of people who were perhaps friends, but they had some odd unspoken thing hanging over them. Perhaps they had first bonded over a tragedy, or they were old friends who fell out of love with each other, but still met here because they felt they had to.
The sketch alone had some sense of melancholy. Xander figured if he made a painting out of it, he would use somber, cool colors to make this more pronounced.
“I don’t assume to know anything more than you do,” Dominic said, raising his hands to show he was backing off, “I merely didn’t want someone of your skill to be shorted the benefit it deserves.”
As Xander began to draw, Dominic saw the minor shakes and quivers, and tiny pauses that sing naked a hesitation, before finally settling on the mood of the picture.
When he finished it, Dominic felt an aura of subtle melancholy radiate from the sketch alone. “Fascinating,” he breathed, “I’m impressed! Are you self-taught?”
As Magnus sat alone on a stool at the bar, he took notice of the people around him. There wasn't really anybody out of the ordinary around, or so he thought. Groups of friends crowded around a single table, groups of large, cleary drunk sailors, people playing drinking games, an artist and his friend sitting nearby, and a couple of loners. Magnus stroked his snake as he sipped on strong alcohol. He didn't know what it was; the bartender had given to him, probably a wrong order, but he drank it anyway. After peeking at the artist's drawings, he recognized a girl sitting in the corner and a couple of friends from the second piece of art. What did this artist find special about these people? he wondered. His eyes kept drifting to the girl in the corner. Maybe the artist likes mystery, he thought. She sure seems mysterious to me.
Xander nodded. “Mhm. Never had any money for formal education, so all I know comes from books and practice.”
He smiled a bit, though he still felt really awkward. Xander was naturally more introverted and quiet, and carrying on this conversation was a little exhausting.
Ace ordered a drink and sipped it slowly, surveying her surroundings. There were two people, one seemed to be an artist, sitting near her. On her other side, there was a man looking at a girl in the corner. Ace fingered one of the pistols at her belt.
Brina looked outward onto the rather odd-looking characters in the bar. She proceeded to swirl her straw in her drink and carefully watched a couple of people. An artist who seemed very set on drawing a woman who's hat covered most of her face interested her most. Brina twisted back to the counter and let herself drift into a daze. The music around her was blaring though she was able to hear glass breaking behind her. Brina rolled her eyes at the violence people would exhibit to get things they wanted.
Delila shifted a bit, uncomfortable with the amount of eyes on her but tried to ignore it all. After all, at least no one had approached her yet.
"Indeed. But then again, the best of every profession requires practice," Dominic assured him.
Far off, the sound of voices got louder and angrier. Dominic glanced towards that sound, and narrowed his eyes, "Oh dear. I do hope those aren't friends of yours…"
"Who, me?" Xander asked, "I came here alone."
He swallowed. Maybe it would have been better to have not told this stranger he was alone. The guy didn't seem dangerous, but no one ever really did until you looked death in the eye because of them.
"Ugh… these places are usually a bit noisy for my taste…"
"I agree. You best be on your way, now. Would you like me to see you out?" Dominic offered. It wasn't uncommon for someone like him to end up the unintended target of a fight. It was better Dominic fight than Xander, at this hour.
That was, of course, if it turned into a fight at all.
(So… uh… are we gonna build towards something actually happening?)
Magnus turned his head towards the sound of potential violence; not that he liked violence, he was just… bored. Magnus wasn't the type to laze around. He liked being around the action. This bar seemed to be good for that.
Xander scowled.
"You're telling me to leave?! You're the one who approached me."
His calm started to melt away, and his discomfort transitioned into hostility. He had raised his voice a bit more than he intended.
Ace watched this, a perfectly calm and neutral expression on her face. One hand was still at her belt, while the other one was slowly inching toward her other pistol.
(We could have the royal gaurd come, pirates attack, there is a need for all our characters to get on one ship, or something else of the sort to further the plot.)
Between the fighting, unwanted eyes on her and the guy that was drawing her, Delila decided it was time to leave. She hadn't gotten anything so thankfully she didn't need to pay.
(Yeah, I think that's a good idea.)
Brina watched the fight in amusement and boredom. She hadn't seen action in a bit. She checked her pocket watch, it was late. She put the coins she had pickpocketed on the counter and made her way to the entrance of the bar. Just out of the corner of her eye she could see people in the shadows. She stopped and mentally calculated how long it would take for her to scale the building. She glanced back at the people in the shadows and saw the glimmer of silver. A pistol. She murmured a curse and started to climb on top of some seafood crates, hoping that whoever it was, did not see her. She propped herself up and fell back into the shadows.
Dominic kept a hand on his rifle, “Stay if you want, go if you want. I’ll simply advise you to be careful.”
With that, he began to nudge his way through the crowd, keeping his hand on his rifle. He didn’t really know why he was worried. Something in his gut just didn’t feel right. But a gut feeling has saved him plenty of times before, so…
“I’ve seen a bar fight before. I’ve been in a bar fight before…” Xander muttered, mostly to himself.
He closed his sketchbook and finished his drink, then headed towards the exit. Xander was getting some strange, bad feelings about all the people here all of a sudden. He packed up and scurried out, avoiding the gaze of Dominic especially.
Ace stood up, slamming some coins on the counter. "Keep the change." Her gut was telling her that something bad was going to happen. Ace hurried out of the bar, hands remaining at her belt.
Delila wandered down to the docks, not completely sure what she was doing or going to do. All she knewas was she had a bad feeling in her stomach.
(Wait. Wait. Wait. Which idea?)
(I vote for pirates, but whatever y'all want)
Magnus chugged the rest of his drink, leaving some change beneath the glass. The fight that had broken out was becoming a bit much, even for him. The snake around his neck started to become restless, so Magnus decided he should leave. His hand went to his hip, where a small sword rested. Then he hurried out, following the crowd.
(I was wanting pirates as well. Who wants to play the pirates?)
(should we just come up with NPCs that anyone could play as? I dunno)
( yeah, I like pirates. And whatever you guys want for NPCs.)
(Pirates are fine with me too)