The Swinging Ax

After parting ways with Haera that night, Istrain headed to Barynn's shop. He told her it was time to go to sleep, and she disappointedly put away her work and retreated to her futon. Istrain, meanwhile, headed back to his hotel. He had a long shower where he thought deep and hard about what exactly was going on with him and Haera. She'd been so much nicer to him, and he couldn't figure out why. Did she respect him after his performance in their fight? Was she subtly attracted to him and trying to fight it? He couldn't be sure. He didn't mind her company, though, so he figured he'd just keep rolling with it and see where it went. He could always use one more friend now that Adagov was gone.

After a good night's sleep, Istrain awoke late in the morning with a grumble. He groggily rolled himself out of bed and got dressed, and then he headed out of the hotel and went to get Barynn. Along the way he picked up some breakfast, and once he'd woken his sister, he brought her back to his hotel room so she, too, could have a shower. They chatted along the way, and he told her about his promise to get Haera a star from the sky. "You're totally screwed," Barynn told him, but he assured her that he had a plan. They shared some breakfast before Barynn's shower, and then he gave her the key to the hotel room and told her to lock up behind him, and that he'd pick it up when he brought her lunch.

Once he'd left Barynn in the hotel room to have her shower, he began to wander in the direction of the Swinging Ax, though he wasn't entirely sure whether it'd be open this early or not. Haera didn't seem like the type to linger around and cuddle in the morning, so he had a feeling that he'd be able to catch her if he headed there. He wasn't entirely sure why he wanted to catch her, only that he'd rather put up with her than spend the day on his own.

Birger got set up to open, Haera helping as usual, when he tapped her head. She glared up at him before following where he was pointing at. Sure enough, she was right. "What did I fucking tell you, Bir. A lost damn puppy." Haera said and went to go open it when he said, "And the fact that you think he is a puppy means you think he is cute." He smirked. Haera stopped and turned to walk away, but Birger pointed to the door. "Go get the damn, Hae." He said.

She huffed, not wanting to feed into Birger's fantasy, but did so anyway. Haera swung the door open, "Hey there, I am sooo sorry you had to use your hand last night, but I think you did the islands a favor." She said and patted his shoulder before moving out of the way so he could walk in. Birger groaned, "Can't even say good morning to the man without insulting him somehow." He said. Haera shrugged, "Gotta make him a strong man." She smiled.

Istrain smirked when Haera came to get the door to let him in. He rolled his eyes a bit when he heard her words, though it came as somewhat of a relief that Birger was at least giving her shit for it. He walked in, shaking his head. "After spending so much of the day with you yesterday, Haera, not even my hand would have been enough to get me going," he responded coyly, a smirk toying at the edges of his lips. "Morning, Birger," he added, giving the other man a polite nod.

Haera raised an eyebrow, "Maybe because your little willy knew your hand couldn't match up to me so it just gave up." She said and patted his shoulder before walking pass him and behind the bar. Birger waved, "Morning, Istrain. You two never stop, aye?" He asked before smiling and getting the bar set up. Haera looked around, "Bir, where did Istrain go?" She asked. Birger was confused, "What do you mean where did he go, he is right there." He said and pointed. Haera looked down, "Oh gosh! There you are, so small I couldn't see you." She said before smirking.

Istrain chuckled a bit at her first comment, shaking his head. He raised an eyebrow when she asked Birger where he was, though, and at the tall man's apparent confusion. When he heard Haera's comment about him being so small she couldn't see him, though, a smirk danced across his lips. "And we're back to the short jokes. I knew you had to run out of content eventually," he said with a shake of his head before taking a seat. "I'd ask how your night was but I don't think any of us want to have that conversation," he mused, shaking his head again. "Any big plans for today, though?"

Haera shook her head, "No... I need to remind you of your place, peasant." She said and smiled before watching Birger slam his hands on the bar, making even her jump a bit. "We are gonna talk about the pussy, Istrain!" He said and looked him straight in the eyes. "You fuckin ready? Yer bet yer ass ye are." He said and Haera was the one to look confused now, "I saw this cute little grey one outside and am trying to lure it to me so I can keep it." Birger smiled and Haera looked so done.

Istrain chuckled, but then jumped at the same time Haera did when Birger slammed his hands down on the counter. He raised an eyebrow when Birger said they were going to talk about the pussy and he smirked, glancing towards Haera. She looked confused as anything, and it was quite satisfying to see. When Birger said that he'd seen a cute grey one outside, though, he burst out laughing, shaking his head. "Funny man," he said with a shake of his head once his laughter had stopped. Then, he looked towards Haera. "Cats! That was one of my challenges, actually," he said. "My youngest sister, Unarelle, read about cats in a book and she told me she wanted one. It wasn't hard to find, obviously, but the smile on her face when I brought that thing back for her..." Istrain smiled, shaking his head slightly. To him, family was the only thing that mattered more than wealth and riches. He'd gladly spend every last penny to make his siblings smile, though he hoped it wouldn't come to that.

Birger looked at Haera too, "Challenges?" He asked before looking back at Istrain, "Unarelle is a real pretty name." He said before shushing them. "The pussy is back." He whispered before going get food and leaving. Haera sighed, "Aww I wanted to explain that you are challenged and that is just what you call getting normal things done... because you know... everything is a challenge for you." She said with a smirk. "But don't really have anything big planned except for Birger. Only big thing I am doing today, so... I don't really have a bounty coming in just yet. I guess I can go looking to see if people need me... but.. I rather rag on you all day." She smiled. Birger came back in with the kitten and all smiles. "I caught her! Decided I am gonna name him Unaraye." He said and Haera couldn't stop laughing. "Look at her face... oh my gosh... I love her. Lemme have her." She glared at him. Birger glared back, "No, she is mine. I caught her. She loves me, not you." He huffed. Haera sighed, "Fine." She said and gently petted her. "Which way is she looking? Oh my god." She laughed.

Istrain was about to start telling Birger about the challenges the way he'd explained them to Haera, but before he could open his mouth to speak, Birger shushed them and headed off to pursue the cat. When Haera commented on what she'd been planning on saying, he burst out laughing. "That's actually a good one," he said, giving her an approving smirk. He looked up when Birger came in and he, like Haera, couldn't stop laughing. "God, it looks so squishy," he said, watching as Haera tried to steal the cat from Birger but was promptly shut down. "I love the name. I'll have to write to my sister and tell her about that," he added with a smile. Birger seemed like a good man.

Birger smiled down at the both of them before loving on it and placing it in the pocket of his shirt and walking about, trying to finish up his duties before people came. The kitten just chilled with her derpy face the only thing you could see. "Whelp he is in love, already got replaced. Hot damn, bitch you got food and shit for it? NO. Who has to buy it? ME." She said and rolled her eyes, "I gotta go shopping. You wanna stay here and watch his ass? You can do it for free this time." Haera said and smirked a bit.

Istrain grinned as he watched Birger walk around with the kitten in his pocket. His gaze then shifted to Haera when she commented that she was going to go shopping for it and he smirked slightly. "Are you sure you want to do that?" he asked, looking towards the kitten. "I mean, the squishy little thing might warm up to me while you're gone. I know you don't want that," he teased, though he'd seen Haera's face when she'd seen the kitten and he already knew better than to get in her way. Besides, there was a small dragon at his sister's shop that he could play with if he wanted animal attention.

Istrain followed Haera to the tavern, setting down the bags that she'd made him carry. He was surprised when she took the kitten and handed it off to him, but he carried it carefully in his hands. A smirk came to his lips as he watched the exchange between the pair of him, and he gently stroked the little kitten's head. "Day one and your parents are already fighting," he said to it in a soft voice, shaking his head. He raised an eyebrow slightly when Birger commented that Haera simply didn't want Istrain to know about the cuddling, unsure what made him any different from anyone else. He doubted that was what it was - Haera was probably mad that people knew she cuddled, and it had nothing to do with him. It couldn't.

Haera scuffed, "Fuck if he knows, who cares." She said. To Birger it was clear that she didn't want him to know, but to someone like Istrain or an outsider who didn't know Haera well like him, she looked like she was angry for him blabbing. "Either way you didn't tell me to not tell people, now did you?" He asked and Haera glared at him before glaring at Istrain. "Don't talk to my baby like that. All your nonsense." She said before taking it back. "Plus you really do look like a kid when you are holding a pet." She laughed before snuggling the kitten. "You so fuckin derpy and adorable, aren't cha?" She cooed at it. The kitten just blinked and meowed before looking derpy as fuck.

Istrain simply shook his head as Haera took the kitten back. He still wasn't sure why Birger would think it had anything to do with him - obviously she was just mad that word got out about her cuddling. It didn't fit with her tough girl persona. He went and sat down while she cooed at the kitten, amused that as angry as she was with Birger for telling people about their cuddling, she was here cooing at a kitten and definitely ruining the tough girl persona. "I'm sure it thinks the same of you," he said to her.

Haera blinked and held the kitten in front of her face. The kitten blinked and stuck its tongue out and whatever tom boy was in Haera left. "Oh my god... look at this fucking face." She said and cuddled it up to her own face. "I gotta have her, Bir. I gotta." She said and pouted up at him. Birger glared at her, "You are not taking my baby. You can pout on my dick if you keep it up." He said. Haera huffed, "Don't want you stupid dick. Just want your pussy." She said and looked over at Istrain. "Who is the tallest in your family?" She asked him.

Istrain was surprised that Haera ignored his little quip, and he watched the exchange between the two. He smirked slightly at Birger's comment about Haera pouting on his dick, and as quickly as she'd answered, she turned her attention towards Istrain to ask who was the tallest in his family. It seemed an odd and random question, and he had to think about it for a second. "My mother," he said finally. "Unless you mean between the siblings, then it's a tie between Barynn and Thuling - the oldest sibling - since I'm pretty sure they're the same height."

Haera looked over at him, "The fact that you are smaller than your sister is funny, but the fact that your mother is taller than all of you is better." She said and looked over at Birger, "Just imagine if I was taller than you." She laughed and Birger groaned. "Like I need to have nightmares." He joked and went open the tavern. Right as he unlocked the door a few people came in and order. Haera turned her attention back at Istrain. "You aren't going to make pretty jewelry with your sister? You do have nice girl hands." She smiled.

Istrain smiled, shaking his head a bit at Haera's comment about being taller than Birger. "My mother may be the tallest but we all balance out with how damn short our father is," he explained. He rolled his eyes a bit when Haera asked him whether he'd be helping Barynn to make jewelry. "Nope," he responded firmly. "Never did have a knack for making things. It's not that I'm no good with my hands, because believe me, I'm good with my hands," he winked, "it's just craftsmanship. Not my thing. I do intend to buy some of her jewelry off her and sell it on my travels, though," he said, though obviously it was nowhere near the same thing.

Haera looked disgusted before turning to Birger. "Every time he winks and says something like that I feel dirty. Make him stop." She pouted. Birger looked up from his customers. "You, the one woman who beats up people for a living, can't handle a winking dwarf?" He asked. Haera gasped, "My damn pride." She said and huffed before turning back. "You know a lot of girls fake it right? So that means a lot of the time you suck." Haera smirked.

Istrain laughed, shaking his head. "I'll be nice and let you go on thinking that," he replied. He paused, glancing briefly towards the door, and then towards Haera. "I should probably go check on Longrus. He needs to be walked and who's to say whether Barynn remembered to do it?" Istrain said, frowning slightly. It was tricky with Barynn since she always got so caught up in her work, but all it took was a little bit of patience and she was easy enough to handle. Leaving her in charge of caring for a dragon, though, was a bad idea without some help.

Haera smiled and nodded, "Go. Shoo shoo. Go babysit your girlfri- shit sister." She said. Birger sighed and the customers chuckled as the passed the kitten to each other. Haera wasn't too keen on a woman who didn't know when to stop. She wasn't keen on many people who didn't know when to stop, but Barynn wasn't her problem so she didn't really care.

Istrain rolled his eyes at Haera's words before giving Birger a small wave. "See you around," he said politely before heading towards the door. As much as he was enjoying both their company, he definitely needed something of a break from Haera, and he also knew that the little dragon needed some attention. At least, he presumed that was the case. He'd be quite pleasantly surprised if it wasn't. He left the bar with a small smile on his face, hoping he'd end up able to call those two his friends. He hadn't really had any friends but Adagov, and now he was gone.

It was quite some time later before Istrain actually returned to the tavern. It was busier now than it had been early in the morning when it had first opened, but Haera and Birger were right where he'd left them at the counter. He smiled, strolling over and sitting down. He'd definitely been gone longer than planned, but he'd wanted to stick around with Barynn while she got the shelves installed. He smiled over at Birger when he sat down. "A drink, please?" he asked politely, not even looking at Haera.

Haera watched him get in the seat and then ignored her. "The small child is back, Bir. But oh my god did you see him climb in the damn chair? That is adorable as fuck. His small little legs were just trying to hard to get his ass in the chair." She laughed. Birger shook his head before getting Istrain a drink. "I think he is done fucking his sister and he is trying to drink his sins away. If only he knew it doesn't work that way." She said. One of the girls that were sitting by him look disgusted and walked away. Haera cheered, "One lady down!" She laughed.

Istrain rolled his eyes, taking a long drink from the glass that Birger handed him before looking her way. "Missed me that much while I was gone, did you?" he asked with a smirk. "Yeah, I took longer than planned, but that's no reason to take it out on the ladies of this good city. They're missing out because of you," he said, shaking his head and looking away. "Oh, I met your brother today. Nasir? He came by Barynn's shop to set up her shelves and displays and whatnot. Seems they had a deal with Luther but your brother followed through anyways. Nice guy, that one. You should take notes."