Explosive Temper ((OPEN))

[Nefty]

A small village on the edge of Ularian Ridge. The forest of Selkia was seen in the distance, it's treetops covered in the mist of the morning. The village to was just in the beginning of the morning and slowly daily life was starting. The early merchants were already on the market, presenting their wares and supplies. Nothing seemed to be able to disrupt this fragile moment of peace until suddenly a small group of people came running from the inn. Seeing by the way they were dressed it seemed some of them were sleeping till now.

"Run away! She is crazy! That gnome is out of her mind!" A few people were shouting. The bystanders didn't know what to think of the scenery. Was this some kind of joke? Suddenly they were convinced it was real when the inn was blown to smithereens! There was a flash, a loud bang and before anyone knew what was going on the inn was turned into smoldering debris with a raging inferno surrounding it.

Quickly the local residents were called to help extinguish the fire. People stopped for a moment though when a small figure came out of the black smoke. It seemed a gnome. Green tinted goggles covered her eyes, a cigar clenched between her teeth and a strange stick-like weapon in her hands. It seemed connected with the strange suit the gnome was wairing and a small flame could be seen at the tip. In her left hand she was throwing a thick purse up and catching it with her left hand as it fell down. Going by the sound the purse made it was filled with coins.

The gnome was giggling on a high tone. "That's what you get for not being eager to pay for my services." She approached one of the men trying to extinguish the fire. "Is there another inn in this village?" She asked with her usual high pitched voice. The man nodded. "It's a bit further, at the other end of the market." The gnome nodded and stepped towards the inn, holding her weapon so that it leaned on her shoulder. Her hands went to the small power core on her arm and she turned it off. The small flame on the weapon disappeared.

The small woman entered the inn, her weapon was now clipped on her back. With ease she climbed on a chair, after putting some books on it. Her head now came from under the table. The thick smoke of her cigar circled around her. The barmaid came to take her order. "Can I take your order young lady?" She asked with a friendly voice. The gnome placed her goggles on her forehead, revealing her red glowing eyes. With her left hand she took the cigar out of her mouth.

"I want an ale. A large one. Not the kiddy size. If I can't swim the Valearean Swimming competition in it it means i isn't large enough." The barmaid looked a bit suprised at the gnome lady. She talked more in the tone befitting a seasoned soldier instead of a woman. A bit later the gnome got her ale. She thanked the barmaid by nodding and took a large swig from the tankard. Then she looked around. It seems a few guests were still inside the inn. Perhaps a new contract could be found.

[Summerchika]

Having traveled much of the Selkia Forest already, Ainutsa's adventuring took her out towards the mountains at which she had often gazed. Out of the trees, Ainutsa noticed a small village that she had not noticed before. She had skittish feelings about villages, what with them being full of people and all. But this one seemed small and not very threatening, so she wandered into it after a time, her exploring nature coming into play.

Passing a big plume of smoke and a rather large fire that people were trying very hard to put out, feelings of uncertainty and fear crept back, but Ainutsa pressed on, unwilling to run away. After the fire scene, the mob of people Ainutsa was expecting, was null. There were people, of course, but not in numbers like Ainutsa thought there would be. Feeling a little safer, she stopped at a place where it seemed people could go in at will. Not experienced in such places, Ainutsa hesitated to go inside. A group of five stepped in front of her to go in and, mustering up her courage, she followed them inside, trying not to make noise - something she was good at.

Stepping out of the door way and to the side, Ainutsa regarded her surroundings. Now that she was in, she had no idea what she meant by coming in. It was an enclosed space, full of people, and she didn't know how anything at all worked. She cursed herself for her naivety, her eyes sweeping over the room again, this time looking for possible threats. Nerves began clawing at her stomach, and she felt the fear she had been trying to keep down since stepping into the village make itself known to her. Struggling to make sense of her fear and trying to make a decision as to what she should do now, she shut her face off to emotion and continued to stand against a wall just inside the inn, eyes sweeping around the room in observation.

[Nefty]

The gnome was sitting at her table in a very relaxed mood. Which couldn't be said for the other customers. They kept eyeing at the gnome nervously hoping that this inn wouldn't meet the same fate as the other one that just exploded. Uninterested the gnome looked around. It was a big mistake thinking that she could find a new employer here that would need her skills. Afterall what would these farmboys need from a hightech mercenary like herself.

She was just looking into her tankard that was only partly filed with ale and was slowly swirling it. Suddenly a man entered. The technognome reckognized him as the owner of the inn the blew up. They looked around and after their eyes found the small gnome they steped towards her. "Hey you! You owe me money for the inn you blew up!" The gnome just took a sip from her tankard and looked coldly at the former innkeeper. As to make himself more intimidating the man leaned forward, plaing his hands in the table.

The gnome just put her tankard down. And quickly before any knew what happened she grabbed a grenade and some tape. Then She placed the grenade in the hand of the man in front of her and taped the hands together. A clicking mechanism could be heard inside the grenade. "After a minute the grenade will explode and you will lose your hands." The man eyes widened with fear. "Unless you can find some water where you can submerge the grenade." The gnome added.

Quickly the man ran away, looking for some water that will save him. the gnome chuckled. "It was only a dud." She said to herself. The customers of the inn were looking towards her. The fiery red eyes looked around. "And what are you all loking at!" She yelled. Quickly everyone turned around. "Yeah, I thought so!" It was clear that this gnome had quite a temper. Before the gnome took another swig from her ale she puffed from her cigar and thick smoke came out of her mouth.

[Summerchika]

Still frantically watching the inn's inhabitants, Ainutsa noticed how rather tense and nervous the mood of the tavern was. The other customers glanced nervously at a red-eyed gnome sitting alone. The gnome was dressed differently, for sure, and looked very intimidating, even a little scary. Ainutsa was interested. Of course, she was scared, but she was equally as curious. Before she knew what she was doing, she was taking a step forward, toward the gnome's table.

As she was taking a second step, the inn's door burst open and an angry man approached the gnome, demanding that she pay him money. So... she caused that fire, then? she wondered in distant shock. The next couple seconds were difficult for Ainutsa to understand. Having the elves' excellent eyes and ears, she was able so notice and hear better than the people in the tavern. Despite her advantage, however, the quick motion of the gnome was a blur to Ainutsa. Watching and listening more carefully, she watched as the gnome taped the man's hands together - he seemed to be holding something that was ticking.

As the gnome informed the man that his hands would explode unless he put them in water, Ainutsa struggled to decide if she should smile in amusement, or if she should back away in fear. When the man ran away and the gnome chuckled, admitting to herself that it was only a dud, Ainutsa's decision to smile won out and made itself plain on her face. Perhaps it wouldn't be so nerve-racking here if I had someone to talk to? Aintusa wondered, making an excuse for herself to approach the gnome and purposely deciding to ignore the little voice that told her that the gnome could be the reason she was so nervous in this small village.

Before she took another step toward the table, the gnome yelled at the room's inhabitants who were all looking at her. Flinching at the gnome's fiery temper and loud voice, Ainutsa took a little step backwards. Having already made her decision to approach the gnome, she gathered her courage and walked to the gnome's table. "That was ingenious! Do you always like to make a scene like that?" she asked, smiling at the gnome's ingenuity at how she handled the angry, demanding man.

[Nefty]

The gnome was just relaxing. Perhaps it was for the best. She already made enough profit to live of it for a very long time. Still even if she took a break of it all. What should she do? After all this gnome wasn't the person for sight seeing. The gnome put the cigar again in her mouth, not notcing how the elf approached. Slowly the ember on the cigar devoured more of it and turned it into ash. the thick smoke came out of the corners of the gnome's mouth.

When the gnome took the cigar out of her mouth and took a last swig of her ale a young elf came sitting in front of her. While drinking her red eyes looked at the girl taking a seat. When observing the way the young elf had approached her the gnome could see she was nervous. Perhaps she wasn't a common customer of this inn. It could be quite intimidating for a young girl to come to a place like this.

When the elf spoke the gnome put down the empty tankard and took a large smoke from her cigar. With her finger she tapped the ash of, which fell on the ground, and breathed out the heavy smoke into the air. A sinister smile came up. "That man was just lucky I gave him a bad grenade. At first I wanted to give him a grenade that explodes when it come in contact with water. I guess I just couldn't stand the fact that his wife would become homeless and a widow on the same day." She said with high ptiched voice that seemed to be in complete contradiction with her rather frightening appearance.

The barmaid passed by and the gnome signaled for a new ale. Two in fact. For a moment the gnome just stared at the elf. Like she was scanning for something. The barmaid brought the two ales and the gnome paid for it. With the back of her hand she shoved the ale towatds the elf. "The name is Rossa. Rossa Steamgear. And who might you be?" Rossa asked.

[Summerchika]

The gnome's sinister smile and her high-pitched voice combined made Ainutsa smile wider, even though she was definitely nervous, having taken the initiative at a conversation with a stranger. Giggling a bit at what the gnome had said about the grenade, Ainutsa surprised herself by feeling that what the gnome did (or rather, didn't do) was a kind act. If she had not seen the man for herself, she probably would have found this statement disturbing. She did wonder, however, why the gnome had blown up the man's tavern...

As the gnome signaled a woman for drinks, Ainutsa felt self-conscious, not having brought anything to pay with. She didn't even own any currency, except for a stash her grandmother had kept that Ainutsa had never touched. The gnome's eyes bore into her, as if she were trying to find something. Feeling uncomfortable, but not wanting to look away, Ainutsa stared right back at the gnome's red eyes. Then the woman returned with two mugs of... what? Aintusa didn't recognize the aroma or the color.

Surprise filled her as the gnome pushed a mug toward her. She looked up questioningly, then at the ale in wonder and curiosity. When Rossa introduced herself, Ainutsa looked up at her again. "Oh! I'm Ainutsa Ladyre." she said with a smile. "Pleasure to meet you!" Glancing down at the ale, Ainutsa said, "Um, thank you for the drink! But, um... what is it?" she asked timidly, feeling stupid that she didn't know. Of course, she had never been in such a place where a drink like this was served. The only other drinks she had tried besides water, was the herb tea she made herself.

[Nefty]

This was rather amsung for the gnome. Out of the blue a young elf decided to come towards her and sit in front of her. And not only that the elf even smiled. How rare was that? Not even her own race smiled at her and other races rather avoided techno-gnomes. Rossa didn't know why but she alreayd enjoyed the young elf's presence.

Rossa took a final smoke of the cigar before putting out the butt in the empty tankard she now used as an ashtray. the smoke surrounding the head of the gnome started to clear up slowly. Slowly she exhaled the last bit smoke. "Nice to meet you Ainutsa." Rossa said with a calm and collective voice. Then she raised an eyebrow. Why was she staring at her drink like that? When Ainutsa said she didn't knew what it was the gnome's mouth fell open. Luckily the cigar was already gone or else it would have sruely fell on the ground.

"Don't tell me you don't know this? This is called a brown ale." Rossa said while chucking a swing down her throat. "I drink it all the time. People say only dwarves can really drink but I intend to prove them wrong!" The gnome said with a smirk. "Altough I have never won of a dwarf." She admitted. "Go ahead and try it. I'm sure you'll enjoy it." Then Rossa looked at the young elf. "But may I ask what your business with me is? Just a casual chatter?" She asked eventually.

[Summerchika]

At Rossa's reaction to Ainutsa's question, she felt even more self-conscious. "A... brown ale?" she tested the words on her tongue, pondering the drink. She looked down at it, examining it, as Rossa talked about drinking it all the time and dwarves. Smiling at Rossa's conviction at beating a dwarf at drinking, she decided take Rossa's advice at try the strange drink. Hesitantly, she brought it up to her face. Smelling the ale, she enjoyed the aroma of it. This would be the first drink that she hadn't made herself. Putting it to her lips, she finally tasted the beverage.

Immediately, Ainutsa knew that she loved the new drink. Flavors that she didn't even recognize filled her senses. It was sweet and new and she loved it. Joy at the new flavors filled her and her eyes grew wide. "It's delicious!" she exclaimed excitedly. With a big, surprised smile, she eagerly drank more. When Rossa asked her what business Ainutsa had with her, Ainutsa put down the ale with an effort.

Cheeks flushed from the happiness and eager drinking, she couldn't wipe the smile off of her face. Still, she knew she had to be a little more serious to answer Rossa's question. Concentrating on the question, she started to formulate an answer. "Uhm, well yes, I suppose it was to talk. You seemed interesting." Ainutsa replied honestly. "And... it's my first time in a village, so I was kind of nervous." she admitted. "You seemed so strong, I suppose I was drawn to you. And you're funny." she added with a smile. "I hope it was okay for me to approach you...?" she asked, suddenly uncertain.