Jul 05 11:55:28 108 PA - A New Bar and a Potential Job
From Chronicles
Jul 05 11:55:28 108 PA.
MOE'S TAVERN
Okay, so the Alibi got boring at two in the morning. Time to move on. Pavel finds himself at Moe's, far more of a dive bar than he might usually enjoy. Not because of the dive part, but because there are fewer hot women around in short skirts. Though unenhanced, he's quite large and strong enough to bull his way through to the counter for another bottle of vodka. After a moment of looking at the somewhat inadequate stools, he chooses to just lean.
Erica is dressed in her combat fatigues. The urban camo doesn't stand out amongst the many other mercs that come to this bar. She has a glass of whiskey and ice in front of her. Her attention seems to be on the vid screen as she watches a recording of Juicer Football.
A new city and a new bar. It takes Pavel a little while to note his friend Erica. To be fair, she's dressed completely differently than anything he's ever seen her in. Despite that, he makes his way over to her, calling out a bellowing, "Allo!" and prepared so slap her on the back if she doesn't see him coming, because hey - that would be funny.
Erica doesn't seem to be easily snuck up on at least this time. She turns to look at Pavel, and offers the large man a warm smile. "Hi there. Seems like you wouldn't come to a merc bar like this. You come to watch the game, or just to have a few drinks?" She says before taking a sip from her whiskey.
Pavel begins to speak in broken American before remembering the Euro. << I didn't come here for anything. I was just looking around the city, even though everyone told me to stay out of here. That's good advice, but I'm a little more durable than many people, so as long as I don't truly go off by myself, I feel safe. But yes, >> he hefts his bottle << they serve vodka, which gives this place one good mark. How about you? Where's the sexy getup? >>
Erica laughs a bit as she shakes her head. "That is not for this place. This place is more for mercs to drink and watch sports. No really dancing or anything here. But this is a pretty nice place." She takes a sip from her whiskey. "I am just here to catch the replay of the game." She says as she gestures to the vid screen and the juicer football game playing on it
The large man looks up at the screen for a while. << Interesting game. Doesn't look like much fun to play. >> Pavel takes a drink from his bottle again, standing aside as one of the few people in the room who's taller than him passes by. He changes the subject. << I'm trying to put together a price list to post at my forge. Maybe drop around a few places for people to see. But I'm not quite sure how much people pay for things. >>
"Well those guys can't feel anything, so I think they are having at least some fun. That and they are getting paid." Erica says with a chuckle. "Pay is always nice." She takes a sip from her glass, and gestures to the bartender for more whiskey. "Well I guess the prices usually depend on your costs. I could use a silver knife I guess. That might be useful."
<< Oh? My first potential request! >> Pavel smiles at the possibility of being useful. << What do you want of a silver knife? Paint a picture for me, and I'll help you see what I can make for you that might be better than you were imagining. >>
"It would have to be a silver combat knife. I would use it against vampires, or other creatures that are vulnerable to silver. I would want a guard on it of course. A good length would be needed." Erica says after thinking about it for a moment.
Pavel nods - and drinks - as he listens to Erica's description. << So a simple knife, just of a special metal. That's very easy. I could even make you one of iron, if you want. Some demons and such are vulnerable to iron like vampires are vulnerable to silver. I could emboss it, etch it, make all kinds of my own artistic designs on the blade if you want. Or perhaps you have a favorite symbol? Your name? Birth sign? >>
Erica chuckles, and takes a drink of her whiskey. "Well that sounds like it would be pretty fancy knife. How much would the engraving cost? I haven't had a paying gig, and the one lead I had doesn't seem like it will come through. I guess a cool design on it would be interesting. I guess I should have a cool motto or symbol or something." She says with a bit of a laugh.
<< You should come up with a good motto. Or a symbol. The name 'Erica,' it has a meaning? For instance, 'Pavel' means - rather ironically - 'small.' >> The large man shrugs and grins. << I was very tiny at birth; youngest and last child, I nearly didn't make it. But 'Erica'? >> His tone obviously leaves open the question.
"I don't know what my name means. I guess it is the female version of Eric, and that is not very exciting." Erica says with a brief chuckle. "Beyond that I don't really know. I am not very imposing, and apparently I'm not even a very good merc. I don't know what I would get on a knife. How about just some cool designs on it."
<< I could do that. Something in Russian? We have good sayings, for luck, for strength, for victory. Do you have a favorite animal? >> Pavel stops to consider, and looks around the bar, grabbing a napkin and leaning to the bartender. "Yoo hahlf pehn? Penceel to bohrrow?"
"I like horses a lot, but I have never learned to ride one. I guess something in Russian would work perfectly. Or a horse." Erica says with a laugh. "You are the guy who makes the knife I'm sure you can come up with something cool." She chuckles again, and then takes a drink of her whiskey.
Pavel watches his friend drink what is a harder drink that he has usually seen her guzzle. << My Russian saying, would you like that in the original Cyrillic, or a language that you can read. Because I can only read and write Cyrillic, I'd need to find a scholar or something to show me what your American symbols look like. You know though, >> he shrugs slightly apologetically << I will need to charge you for it. I came here with some money, but it's being rapidly depleted. Mostly because for some reason there was a city ordinance that said that I had to buy an electric furnace, which is currently rusting on the ground outside of the place I built to do my *actual* work. >> He shakes his head at the insanity of it.
"Well I guess Cyrillic is fine. I won't be able to read it if it isn't in American anyhow." Erica says with a brief smile. "That sounds like a pretty strange ordinance. Oh well though. How much do you think it will cost?" She asks as she swirls the whiskey around in her glass.
The large blacksmith pauses for a moment, his eyes glancing around, clearly seeing nothing except his inner mind's workings. << Silver isn't cheap. Even just selling it to you at cost would be - and this is just a guess at what the current market value is - somewhere around seven thousand. About the cost of one of those vibro-knives, I suppose. But what I can do? I could make a silver blade for you that would probably be, oh, maybe three times more deadly to a vampire than a vibro-knife would be, assuming that it hurt vampires. Does that make sense? >> Pavel smirks a bit. << It's difficult to explain the lethality of an object without seeing it, or something like it to compare against. >>
Erica takes a long sip from the glass of whiskey and swallows it down. "Oh jeez. Well I guess I could buy that. I just haven't had a paying job in a while. I would like one though. If it is even more lethal that would be awesome. How much more would that cost?" She asks while finishing off the rest of her whiskey.
Pavel is slightly confused at how the conversation turned. << To make it more lethal? That would be more, much more. Much more work for me, much more effort. Plus, it's not exactly the kind of thing that Svarog would appreciate me just throwing around. You seem to be a very good person, but I really don't know you very well yet, I'm sure you'll have to agree. What I can do, it's not to simply be spread around for my benefit - although there are those like me who do that. They live playboy lives. Rich, women fawning over them. But the wrong kind of women, so I'm happier. Ha! >> He does finaly lay a hand on Erica's shoulder. << It would be much more expensive, of necessity. >>
More time is spent discussing the details of the blade before Pavel sits as Erica explains the rules of the game on the screen.
