Aug 12 14:47:19 108 PA - Guy Meets Another Guy, and Another Guy Meets A Guy

From Chronicles

Aug 12 14:47:19 108 PA.

THE ALIBI

It's getting to be pretty clear to those around town that the unusually large Pavel does enjoy living life to its fullest, and as the Alibi is a mid-range location, he tends to gravitate to it. Booze is cheap enough, and decent enough, at least for the price. Nine in the evening is also a good time for the ladies to not just be here, but for the more lightweights to be getting buzzed. He's sitting up near the bar - where 'sitting' entails a lot of standing, with his size - chatting up some attractive ladies (and probably just being polite to the homely ones). Lots of laughter and sharing of drinks, in the form of one particularly large bottle of vodka that he holds in a catcher's mitt of a hand. Still, despite the revelry, there's obviously something strange about it that can't be determined from a distance. Meanwhile, the club goes on as normal. Dancers on the floor, and old men trying to score with young women, and young women trying to score cash off of old men.

Speaking with the bartender is a striking man in very strange attire; not only does it look expensive and somehow foreign, but also road stained and much travel worn. Still, he seems clean enough and as he steps back from the bar the man he was speaking to waves a friendly goodbye to him. He stops for a moment, reaching up and stroking his chin as he considers the rest of the bar's customers, and his eyes stop on the vodka drinking giant. 'Hmmmm, he looks like he might know something.' Jax thinks to himself as he makes his way over to the larger man. "Hey bro," he says with a winning smile, "How's it hangin?"

There's a lot of noise in the club. It is a dance club, after all. It's possible that it's the other man's unusual clothing that grabs the 'giant's' attention more than it is the polite greeting. But the large man extends his own hand, a hand that could probably palm the other fellow's head. "Allo!" It's a deep, rumbling tone that one might expect from such a person's presumably equally large larynx. Not 'hello' but 'allo.'

Jax looks over to the bartender and makes a motion with his hand and then turns back to the man beside him. He seems about to say something when a girl comes over from the dance floor and pulls on his hand, saying something that is lost in the noise. Jax smiles at her and gives her a wink before turning her around and gently pushing the pretty young thing back to the rest of the gyrating miasma of flesh. "Name's Jax, man. Just got back in town after being gone for a bit, trying to meet some of the new people in town." He says as the bartender slides his drink over the bar to him.

"Ah!" The large man exclaims with a glad smile. "I Pavel!" He pats some of his own hangers-on in ways that make them twitter. Not like cheap whores being purchased, but perhaps a person who somehow has a bit of a respectful way with the ladies. "Ees Jax? Dreenk?" He makes a motion toward the bar, where a few bottles of various beers are sitting unopened.

Realizing that, with both the language and alcohol barriers in place, the questions he wanted to ask might be better off saved for another time, Jax briefly considers abandoning this position entirely. But there is something strange and unique about this man, and he seems no stranger to adventure if he managed to make it all the way from his homeland to KD. "Nah, I'm good man, I got a tab open that I swear to god I'll pay off one day." He laughs, unable to help himself as he is drawn in by the charm of the drunk giant beside him. "So what's your shtick here in KD?"

"Shteek?" Pavel seems to fumble the word slightly. "Pavel ees smeeth. Mehtals, gyems. Vyery ees mohr special fohr sze fahrmors ahnd soh. Ees preety for jewlry, so too." He pats some of his chains with thick finger. "No ees shteek, ees vork. Good vork, Pavel feel vehry good. Ees good meet Jax? Noht see yet een ceety. Ees new?" Yes, there's a distinct lack of mastery of American. In fact, people who know him better might say that he sounds really good tonight, even as he once more sips from his bottle.

Jax blinkyblinks at the broken speech and then turns into his drink for a moment and takes a sip. A very observant person might notice him make a few hand gestures and speak into his cup, but nobody at the bar is likely paying that much attention. Turning back to the giant, he says in flawless Russian, "Sorry bro, what was that? Anyway, yeah my name is Jax man, good too meet you. What's your name again?"

Pavel's big head quirks, and he responds in his native tongue. Perhaps surprisingly, his grammar and vocabulary set are both quite good. << My name is Pavel. You must.. be a mage? I've seen others do similar things to be able to speak with me, though most of the time it comes through electronic translators, or a few people around here who speak Euro and Russian. >> He lets out a loud laugh and explains, << I understand English perfectly, I just have a very hard time forming the words. The grammar is wildly different, and it uses sounds that Russian doesn't have... or doesn't use sounds that Russian does have. It's nice to meet you. To clarify, I'm a blacksmith. What is it that you do? >> Clank! One of the girls near him bounces her glass off the counter as she slips on a too-tall heel.

Jaxain smirks and shrugs. "Mage? No way man, what's way way too much time with book for me. I just picked up a few tricks to help out now and then." He takes a long drink from his glass and reaches out to help steady the girl who nearly slips before turning back to Pavel and giving him an inquisitive look. "Blacksmith... That's an interesting trade." He looks down at the bar for a moment as though remembering something. "I suppose I would call myself a warrior, or an investigator. My trade is to look into crimes, specifically those that involve the supernatural, and help those in need." He shrugs, "Which, as you can imagine, makes it really hard to make money sometimes." He laughs as he finishes his drink. "You know what, maybe I will take one of those beers, if you are still offering."

<< Oh, the supernatural? I have been helping people with that. Silver weapons for hunting vampires, pure iron for some other supernatural critters, or at least so I've been told. I'm... more than a man who makes plows and chains. >> Pavel is obviously proud of himself, but at an acceptable level that doesn't hit arrogance. << Many people around here are hunters and warriors. Some use their wits and technology, some magic, some are psychics.. some of them do things to their bodies that I would never do, like cutting off limbs to replace with electronic ones, or drugs in their system. But they do. You're a warrior who can do magic, but not actually a mage? Perhaps... hmm. >> He mysteriously fades off.

Jax listens as Pavel speaks, nodding and following along. He shudders when Cybernetics are mentioned, and makes a face at the Juicer reference. "Really?" He asks with raised eyebrows, "Well, then I am lucky to have met you! I have weapons to deal with what I need, but to be honest my gear is beginning to get pretty banged up and a few repairs or replacements would help raise my chances, if you know what I mean." He says with a chuckle. He, on the other hand, doesn't seem particularly proud of his profession (or at least not noticeably so). "Yeah, I'll happily use tech, magic, psionics, whatever gets the job done and shoves the darkness back in the holes and dark places of the earth where it belongs." He leans back against the bar, smiling absently at a woman who has been making eyes at him for the last five minutes, but gently shaking his head at her when she starts to make her way over. If nobody stops him, he takes one of the unopened drinks Pavel pointed to previously, pops the cap open and takes a swig. "Perhaps what, bro?"

Pavel shrugs. << Just thinking. I wonder how you could not be a mage, but use magic, and use psionics. I am.. somewhat the same, perhaps? What I can do, it's.. a granted gift of very specialized and limited powers. Maybe you're the same? >> He looks to the shorter man with a keen eye as he drinks from his bottle once more. The girls that he'd been speaking with seem to have returned to twittering amongst themselves for now. << I've only been here in the city for a short time. My journey was a long one, but I'm still learning about Kingsdale. You're a professional hunter of vampires, then? I suppose the 'Dregs must be a good business opportunity for you. >>

Shaking his head slightly, Jax shrugs again, "Nah, I had to study to learn all the crap I did, and let me tell you..." His voice trails off for a moment as his gaze shifts from the present to the harsh training of his youth. "It was no walk in the park, man." He takes another drink, almost draining the entire beer on his second swig since he opened it. "Though I guess the psionics were passed to me from my mom, but they were hard to learn how to use too." He looks back at Pavel, "And yeah, I did a lot to help clear the blood suckers out of the dregs last time I was here. Not much 'business' in that though, the don't carry much cash on them, and what little they do have usually belongs to the family of the previous victim."

<< I understand. The business end, not how you do what you do. But for a first meeting, I shouldn't pry further, or I'd be impolite, >> Pavel says with a toothy grin. << How long have you been here? I know that it's a big city, so it's easy to not meet people; but a vampire hunter? Sounds like one of the people who 'sticks out of the crowd' more than others. Perhaps you can get the families of those who have been perverted to pay you to exorcise the demons - metaphorically speaking - that has taken over their loved ones? >>

Jaxain seems to mull this over for a moment, then sighs with a comically fake frown, "Yeah, maybe, but only if they were really rich. Otherwise, who am I kidding, I'd just offer to do it for free. In smaller towns and villages it's a better gig. You save one person, the entire place treats you like a hero for months! But here? You can save a dozen children and even their parents think someone else should foot the reward." He laughs and shrugs it off, not seeming to really care all that much. "But there are a lot more people to save here, so I think I am going to stay put for a while."

Pavel reaches out to start tapping the ladies again. << I do most of my work for free, or basically free. The farmers and other local small manufacturers who live outside the walls. But when I make my.. very special things, they go for good money, which keeps me afloat. C'mon, let me introduce you to Jennifer and Anya. Anya works at Yakov's, and Rasputin himself described her as, 'cute as a button.' >> He begins to turn his back on Jaxain, probably just assuming that there's going to be a small party starting.

Pavel assumes right! Jax is more than happy to spend the rest of the evening getting to know his new acquaintance, and his lady friends.