Bone Deep [2430-1-2-Thur 8:00 pm]

[Kenna Kleykir]

The bar was pretty full when Kenna came in. Everybody was having a beer or two, or more, and it was full of drunk beasts. She liked the were bar. She didn't always have to explain that she wasn't underage and when she fought with them, she didn't have to worry about breaking their necks by accident either.

Kenna pushed through the crowd with a boldness only a female Dwarf could have. Weres got out of her way, or they got knocked out of the way. Roger was working the taps, and he grinned when he saw her. "Hey Kenna."

"Hi Roger." She rolled the r's a little more than she should have, but otherwise she sounded like she spoke Common as her first language, and not as a second. He reached a hand over the bar to help her up onto the stool. Only Roger could get away with that, since he didn't make fun of her height. Anyone else got a boot to the kneecap (it would have been an axe, but they didn't let you carry those around in public, especially not after you've been arrested for chopping down tables a few times).

Kenna let her hood slip down. It was made of wolf fur, and had gotten her into a few fights with werewolves over it. They didn't like fur too much as a fashion statement out here, but Kenna didn't care. She'd brought it down with her bare hands when it had attacked her on Glacies (and oh Allfather, now that was a nasty, cold place) and she'd made it into a nice coat to keep the chill off.

The werebear brought her a pint of ale. She nodded a thank-you in Roger's direction and got to work on it, more than ready to banish away the chill.

[Casey Flint]

Casey casually strolled into the Were bar after leaving the others back at The Kildeer. It had been quite a while since he had last been here, but it was nice to see that the place hadn't really changed. Over there was old "What's her face", and at the bar was still good old "What's his name."

Casey sauntered over to a corner booth, ejected the small Were that had been occupying it with minimal effort, and sat down to enjoy his evening off. The little guy tried to protest, but Casey just glared at him. When he tried to start something Casey took the guy's stein out of his hand, finished the drink, (good beer on tap today), and the knocked the small guy out with the mug. No one looked twice. The crowd just figured that the poor schmuck had had it coming. Casey loved Were bars. He was just glad that the little guy hadn't turned out to be a wolverine or something like that. Teeth marks took forever to heal properly.

He was determined to make tonight a worthy night. They had only been on Nox for a short time but Casey was sure that something would start soon. On a world with humans, weres and vampires, there was no way that it would stay quiet for long and he was sure that Terrence had had more reason to hire him than his charming personality

Casey looked over to the bar to try and get the bartender's attention. Roger, (that was his name) was busy serving some tiny little critter a huge pint of ale. Hmm, thought Casey, didn't realize that they had Dwarves on Nox

[Kenna Kleykir]

Kenna turned her stool around, looking out over the crowd. Her legs dangled, and she wished for chairs like you'd find back home, nice solid pieces of stone that were good and close to the ground. But they didn't swivel around, so that was one point for Human/Were ingenuity.

Allfather, it smelled warm and rank, like a hundred fur pelts pressed against one another. A few of 'em were doing that in the most literal of senses, dancing too close for Kenna's tastes. Weres had different standards than Dwarves. They treated sex like it was something to be flaunted instead of a mystery to be revered and carefully kept hidden from eyes of the unbetrothed and unJoined. Kenna had gotten over most her discomfort, but she still didn't much appreciate anybody being that friendly in public.

"Hey kid." There was a man in front of Kenna, "Go find a table to sit at. I'll get you a booster seat." He grinned at his friends, expecting a few snickers or some laughs. They all quickly got away from Kenna.

One iron-plated boot slammed straight into his kneecap, and as he went down, she helpfully gave him another boot straight to the throat. The man fell on the ground and writhed around. Jenny, the bouncer, came on over and dragged him away. Kenna spun back around to face Roger. He just shrugged and went back to serving ale. The man's friends continued to pretend they didn't know him.

[Daniel Maas]

It was rare to find Daniel in such a bawdy, noisy setting but he had set out to look for work and so far he was buoyed with inspiration. He liked the fact that the place was so busy in one respect, it afforded privacy. From his table at the edges of the bar he watched as a curious, small figure easily cut its way through the crowds and saw the bartender greet them. Daniel wasn't one to pry, but he was fascinated by the tiny human-thing. He went back to sipping his water as he stared at the pattern on the walls, only looking up as he caught the creature letting its hood down. He drew a breath as he noticed it was lined with wolf's fur, and then concentrated on studying its face. A face belonging to a woman. A Dwarf...? he arched an eyebrow at the thought, first I've seen on this planet.

Out of habit Daniel turned to look at the entrance as a man strode in, letting his dark eyes trace his movements as he found an occupied booth. Even better he simply lifted the chap up from his place, and finished his drink before knocking him clean out. Daniel quickly returned to staring at the wall, knowing that it was seen as a challenge to intervene. Or perhaps that was just in his wolf nature to avoid eye contact? Speaking of which, he thought uncertainly, I'll have to ask that Dwarf about her choice of fashion...

Daniel nervously met the eye of the tiny lady as she turned her seat around, so that she was facing the crowd. He let his eyes wander in turn, settling on the dancers, trying to understand how they could do that. To have such confidence that you no longer cared what you looked like or who was watching. He exhaled a breath at the thought and singled out two or three who were dancing so close together that it appeared suggestive. He cleared his throat and looked away rapidly, his fragile sense of comfort dashed. He wondered what the Dwarf thought about it all?

Daniel's hearing picked up a male's voice over the waves of other sounds, and saw that the speaker in question thought he was being witty. His voice as he went on was laced with his own ego, an ego that sounded like it needed bringing down a line or two, he thought. Daniel joined a few others in watching the speaker's friends as they made themselves scarce, anticipation cracking the air. He gasped and started as the female deftly dealt with the uncouth fellow with her feet, allowing a bouncer to bundle him out the door. He couldn't help himself as he murmured, "Wow, I mean, wow!"

Quickly throwing his water back Daniel raised himself up and picked his way to wards the female. He hadn't realised these bar places could be so exciting, nor did he have second-thoughts about approaching the Dwarf. He deduced she had acted in self-defense, and besides he was on impulsive auto-pilot now. He hovered by the empty seat next to her as he stuffed his hands into his pockets, suddenly wondering what he was doing. "Ah, excuse me, miss? Do you mind if I take the seat beside you?" The young man gestured to it with one hand before he smiled broadly as he said, "My name is Daniel. I apologize for I may ask a few questions, ah, but I have only heard of Dwarves in books."

[Kenna Kleykir]

Kenna glanced over at the Were who'd decided to take the free seat next to her. He was a skinny one, like somebody had stretched him out between two wheels, and he had a curious look in his eyes. "The seat's yours." She didn't feel the need to remind him to keep a lid on the short jokes. He'd undoubtedly seen the bouncer drag out the idiot with the now-busted kneecap.

She paused to take a drink of ale, considering the Were's request. Kenna wasn't much of a chatty person. But there was nothing more sad than drinking alone at the bar all night, and Daniel didn't seem like a threat. He had that burning curiosity in his eyes, and much as life had hardened Kenna in the past three years, she still felt a kinship with the curious.

"Mine is Kenna." She told the Were, "You can ask a few questions. I've got the time."

[Daniel Maas]

Daniel shifted his weight from one foot to the other as the Dwarf observed him. He stuffed his hands deeper into his coat pockets as he felt the back of his neck become warm. Was this possibly one of my better ideas? He mused, carefully avoiding the woman’s gaze whilst trying to remain as open as he could. From his quick glances, Daniel deducted that other from her obvious small size, there was a hardness, a heaviness about the woman. Common sense told him not to put his nose into these waters. The male grinned as his request was accepted, and climbed onto the seat next to her. Daniel stretched his long legs carefully, before resting his elbows on the bar top, as he turned his gaze to meet the Dwarf‘s he said gently, “Thank-you for your kindness.”

Daniel studied the female’s wolf-trimmed hood again, and looked about him anxiously when he felt many furtive eyes boring into his back. He and his companion were being watched, judged even. He ruffled his hair as he allowed his mind to run through its next course of action; conversation. His grin widened as the woman introduced herself as Kenna, and seemed to agree to his company. Daniel leant forward, in a way he had seen more confident Weres and ordered himself a drink before adding, “Could I get anything for you Kenna?”

Before he could stop himself, Daniel blurted, “Ah, what brings you to Nox then? I’ve never seen any, ah, of your species before. You must have been to so many places! I can’t even imagine not staying on the planet you’ve lived on since birth.”

[Kenna Kleykir]

She grunted a little. It wasn't exactly kindness to talk to a stranger. Though... supposed in a way it was. He seemed like the sort who had trouble talking to people. The dwarf remembered a bit of that in her, before her father's death. That had changed a lot of things. Mostly, it had changed Kenna.

"Ale." Kenna wasn't one to turn down a free drink. "Roger knows what I like." There were more brands of ale in this bar than in the mountain where Kenna was born, but less than half of it was really ale. Most of it was crap. You'd be better off drinking dragon piss than swallowing some of the ambers they tried to pass off as 'ale'.

She couldn't help but give a bit of a smile at his questions. Daniel wanted a story. He didn't want to hear that Kenna was banished, that she left her home because she had to, not because she wanted to. Kenna wasn't drunk enough to lay her troubles on his head, not when there could be a few free drinks for her if she played her cards right. Her voice rolled as she spoke, not bothering to hide her accent since she knew it would add to the experience, "Aye, I have. Took a push to get off-planet, but I've seen plenty of sights since then. I mostly go wherever the ships take me. I was a mechanic on board a cargo ship and when they got here, I got off. It's bitter cold here, but better than Glacies."

Kenna sipped at her ale. "You never thought about leaving? There's money to be made elsewhere." But no gold. At least, no gold on Nox. No gold on Glacies either. Or Corus, which had been nothing but water with no earth to speak of. Maybe the other planets had it, she hadn't had much time to look there. Kenna stuck to the spaceports there.

[Daniel Maas]

In between scanning his own fingernails in an attempt to appear casual, Daniel looked up as his concentration broke at the Dwarf's grunt. He scanned the woman's face, eager for some clarification but he instead forced himself to grin. By the Gods just relax! he chastised himself as he leaned back in his seat, his features trying to arrange themselves into a neutral expression.

Daniel grinned as the Dwarf gave him an answer and was intrigued to learn that the bartender was called Roger. How is it everyone seems to be a step ahead? He pushed the self-conscious thought away as he ordered his new companion an ale. Daniel's previous attempts at keeping his face controlled faltered as curiosity and wonder settled across his features as Kenna spoke a little of herself, complete with what he wondered could have been an authentic accent.

Daniel carefully took the glass of ale from Roger as he approached them, just as the woman finished her stories. He took a gulp of his own drink before he frowned suddenly, as Kenna asked him if he had thought about leaving Nox. Daniel diverted his attention away from his missing loved ones and asked, "Glacies, is that your home planet? I, ah, read about it in a book. I read that it was a harsh place. I know very little, but I would be greatly interested to hear about your discoveries on other planets." He lapsed into silence as he mulled over Kenna's next question, holding his head on one side as he spoke softly, "Leaving? I might one day. I'm, ah, looking for someone, actually. I'm not too worried about work, I've managed to find something. Or, ah, at least get a good idea."

[Kenna Kleykir]

Kenna couldn't shake her head hard enough when Daniel thought she was from Glacies. "Allfather's balls, I wouldn't come from such a cold place. I'm from Heimdall orginally, born and raised in the Great Range. My father was a miner, and his father, and his father's father, all the way back until the dawn of time. I'm the first not to follow in their footsteps. Glacies is nothing but ice and mammoths, and a few wolves here and there. That's where I got my hood."

"As for other planets... Corus is nice, if you like water." She said in a tone of voice that suggested that nobody in their right mind would like that much water. "No earth there to speak of. Glacies is nothing but water too, only frozen. If it weren't for the bitter cold, I'd like it better. But Heimdall?" Kenna's voice grew a bit soft as she thought about her home, "It's warm and there are mountains higher than you've ever seen, and veins of metal that go deep into the earth. If you can't stand the heat, it'll kill you, but if you can, it's good." The light didn't even enter Kenna's mind. Light was something that happened to people who lived outside of the mines. That was one of the reasons she liked Nox, even if it was cold and there was nothing to do but drink. The light was like the light in the mines, dim and soft.

She nodded a bit. Nox didn't have much work, but there was some, and if you were willing to do it, you'd be fine. You just had to put your back into it. She'd gotten her job as a mechanic quite easy, since she didn't need to be trained. Lately she'd started thinking about traveling again. Maybe on another ship. "Not sure if you'll find who you're looking for here, but you can always keep your eyes peeled. Maybe somebody's seen 'em."

[Daniel Maas]

"Ah, fair enough," replied Daniel after a few moments. His smile grew as he tried to imagine the creatures Kenna spoke of, she called them Mammoths. He was about to ask the Dwarf about them but had to force his mind to concentrate on the female's voice as she continued speaking.

Daniel propped his elbows onto the bar before he arched an eyebrow at Kenna's tone. I'm supposing Corus was a bit too 'wet'? he mused, as he tried to picture the planets she was naming. He was struck from his daydreams as Kenna's hard voice became gentle as she told Daniel about her home, Heimdall. The Weres' head spun as he took in all she was telling him, only feeling able to sympathise with the feeling of not seeing the sun. He glanced distractedly at the low windows as he thought about how Nox was in a near-constant state of night due to the fierce cycles of the moons. Turning back to Kenna he said quickly, "Heimdall sounds incredible. It all does to me, even soggy Corus. Oh, to see those places...!"

The Weres' mind buzzed with questions and thoughts, but he kept them down for fear of bombarding his new friend. Coming across as the nosy village idiot wasn't on his list of roles to fill, either. Daniel's eyes seemed to widen for a few moments as Kenna answered his earlier question before he sighed heavily as he said, "You're right. I'm sorry about bringing it up to be honest, I should know better."
He put his head on one side as he asked suddenly, "And if you, ah, don't mind me asking, what will you do next, Kenna?"

[Kenna Kleykir]

"It's easy to get 'round the System. Ships are always looking for men. Helps if you know a trade, but even if you can just help unload the cargo, you can jump on a ship and get paid to travel." Kenna was lucky. An engineer was always in demand, espeically on small ships that were in bad repair and one blown-gasket away from being a pile of junk. She'd never had trouble getting off-planet thanks to her skills. "If you go, skip Glacies. Corus and Antheia have things to see, even if what you're seeing on Corus is just water."

Daniel was a curious one, and more than that, he seemed reluctant to talk about himself, or whoever it was he was looking for. Maybe a woman he'd lost track of. "Don't be sorry about bringing it up. Only way you're going to get answers is if you start asking questions." She told him, saying what she thought was an obvious enough truth. "As for what I'm doing next? Not sure. I've been working in the spaceport's innards, working on the generators but I'm starting to get tired. Maybe I'll find a ship and see where it takes me. I've had good luck so far."

[Daniel Maas]

Daniel nodded vigorously as he listened to Kenna’s advice. He found it appealing that one could expect to be paid simply for travelling, but reasoned that it made sense in some ways. After all, from what I’ve heard there seems to be plenty of exploration missions among the usual refuelling and resource collecting. The Were glanced at his companion as he wondered how fortunate her profession had made her; she spoke of so many worlds that she must do well. A mixed look of child-like awe and admiration lit his face as Kenna hinted once again at things to see. “Thanks. I will try to keep that in mind.” he replied gleefully.

The much-forgotten drink he had ordered minutes ago suddenly drew his attentions as he became fixated on it. He sipped on it lightly, holding it firmly with one hand as he quietly took in her words. Daniel's eyes graced the floor as he searched for a way of answering the dwarf. What Kenna said did make perfect sense and in some small way he knew he was only hindering himself by keeping his problems hidden but truthfully, he felt overcoming it all would be difficult. "Oh, I think you're right there." he said slowly, "After all, I was once told, 'no matter how dark the night, somehow the sun always rises.'"

Suddenly embarrassed he remembered where he was and took an interest in finding shapes in the depths of his drink. Daniel couldn't help but smile when Kenna told him her plans, he found her genuinely interesting. He tended to find most people's company and their talk unfulfilling and repetitive, but the were felt as though there were still a hundred things he could learn from her. "Sounds it," he agreed before continuing, "I'm certain you wouldn't need me saying so but I honestly wish you the best of luck with whatever it is you set out to do."

The were nodded his head to Kenna as he finished speaking, before gulping down his drink. He’d seen plenty of others do this, but couldn’t remember if any of them had spoken about fleeting light-headedness. Admittedly, he hadn't paid too much attention to what it was he had ordered, and was surprised when he felt his feet warm up. "Hit the spot," he coughed, his eyes lighting up as another question formed in his mind. "I don't mean to keep firing questions at you all evening I’d like to know this; what was the best thing you've seen or discovered on your travels?"

[Kenna Kleykir]

She nodded at the saying. It wasn't exactly one she'd heard in the mines growing up, but the sentiment was familar. Gold glitters, even in the dark. Kenna could press further, but it seemed a good time to let it lie. Daniel would bring it up again if it was something serious.

"I'll take any luck I can get." The dwarf knew better than to dismissing blessings from anybody, even strangers. The Allfather did as much as he could, but there were times even he was found lacking. Luck was always a blessing. She watched the Were finish his drink, noting how quick he'd drank it. Daniel didn't look like a heavy drinker, but you couldn't tell with Weres sometimes. The little ones were really bears or moose or elephans, and the big ones were mice and weasels and rats.

"Best thing..." Kenna rolled her glass between her palms. It was sweating a bit from the heat of the pub, all the bodies packed in tight and heating it. She thought hard on the question. The best thing she'd seen, or discovered. It took a while for her thoughts to settle on something. "There was a mountain on Antheia. It was untouched. They don't mine there. The elves don't allow it. I was just out walking, and decided to look at the mountain. I spent two weeks climbing all over it, just looking at the soil. I couldn't mine, but I didn't have to. Nobody's ever mined those hills, ever. I found gold in a stream up near the peak. Not a lot but... gold all the same. Didn't even have to pan to find it, just had to use my eyes. There's more in there somewhere, deep down, where no Dwarf or Human or Elf has ever set eyes on." Her voice was soft and wistful.

One day, she'd get herself enough money, and if she couldn't go home to Heimdall, then she'd find a way to set up a mine on Antheia, even if she had to pay through the nose for it. Untouched earth, gold, and a chance to prove her machines could save lives. That was worth all the credits in the System.

[Daniel Maas]

Daniel gave a faint smile as he saw Kenna nod to him, before he glanced blankly at the other patrons. Tonight felt different somehow, but he didn't regret making conversation with his new companion or any of the day's efforts. His brow creased as he frowned to himself with the absurdity of how easy he found it talking to a dwarf woman who could break a bone or two should he say the wrong thing. Life can lead to some odd places, he mused.

The werewolf grinned broadly at Kenna's spirited response. "I'm sure you won't even need it. But it helps though." He curled his fingers around the now empty glass as he stared at it, trying to fathom what it was he had drunk. The lightness in his head seemed to have gone, but he couldn't help feeling shocked and a bit embarrassed. Drinking alcohol wasn't his usual style, but there was little use worrying about it now. "Ruddy memory of mine..." Daniel muttered aloud.

He looked up as Kenna spoke. The Werewolf caught the strong tang of many warm bodies, causing his eyes to water. He was perplexed with himself for not noticing it sooner, although he had to admit to himself that being warm for once had been a nice change. Daniel gave the dwarf a look of concern as he wondered how she was faring. This can't be too pleasant fro her... He reminded himself to ask her about it later. He lent back against his chair as he waited patiently for her to answer, his mind following her words by creating the images of bountiful nature and a magnificent mountain. This Antheia and its Elves sounds wonderful... he thought with delight. He was drawn in by the tone of her voice, his eyes widening at the thought of seeing true gold. "Only in books have I heard of gold." Daniel answered softly. He let his mind delay over the text describing it, and the images of its shining texture before he knew he had to return to his dark homeland, and the stinking pub again.

He looked at the dwarf thoughtfully when she had finished, she seemed lost to her own thoughts. Daniel let the comfortable silence linger over them, he was one of those people who saw no reason to spoil it with pointless talk like others did. Uncomfortably he wiped his forehead with the back of his hand as he felt himself sweat. The pub was starting to get too hot for his liking, and remembering his earlier thought he said, "I don't know about you, but, ah... would you like some fresh air?"

[Kenna Kleykir]

"It's beautiful stuff, nothing else like it. It's soft metal, you can feel it bend in your hands, if you're strong enough." She felt a bit of pity for Daniel. He'd never get to know the true beauty of metals, not if he stayed here on Nox. The earth was shallow here, dull and only notable for the way it sustained plant life. The volcanoes melted whatever precious metals they held, and anything else was out of their grasp. There may have been deposits out in the forests, but they would go undiscovered and unmined as long as the vampires were out there.

They sat in silence for a bit. Kenna appreciated it. Daniel knew when to let the moment lie. Not many did. As soon as there was a gap in conversation, Humans and Weres fell over themselves to fill it in, as if by not speaking, they would simply cease to exist. There was something beautiful in silence, in letting the rest of the world fill that space with their own noise. At home, when you were quiet, you could hear the men mining, the sounds of their pickaxes against stone and ore and their quiet deep singing as they worked.

When Daniel broke the silence, Kenna glanced over at him. The were was sweating. The heat was probably getting to him. To Kenna, it was finally toasty warm in here, almost like the mines at home. But to a Were like Daniel, it must have been uncomfortable. "Why not." She agreed, taking a moment to swallow her pint and empty her glass. The ale settled in her stomach, heavy and delicious. "Some air would do us good."

Kenna slid off her stool, landing on her feet with ease. While on her stool, her height difference wasn't so noticeable, but here, standing up, it became clear how much shorter she was than the rest. Kenna didn't let it bother her. She'd been among non-Dwarves long enough to not worry much about it.