The bartender pulls out the next pair of marbles. The first one is green with red dots, and the second is the cloudy blue marble you recognize as your own. A few tables away, the burly orc gets off his seat and moves towards your table with a stern expression.
The orc approaches you, giving you a better look at his overall presentation. He’s tall, muscular, hairy, and clad in revealing battle armor, which seems to cover the most important bits but is still showing a lot of skin with a suspicious lack of battle damage. You catch a whiff of his scent when he gets up close: a pleasant mixture of cologne and sweat.
The orc offers you his rough, calloused hand and you take it, only to receive the tightest handshake you’ve ever had (albeit, to your surprise, not strong enough to hurt you). He then sits in front of you without saying a word.
“So… My name’s Taro, how about you?”, you nervously ask.
He grunts and crosses his arms. Can this man even understand what you’re saying? You sit in uncomfortable silence, trying to think of something to say.
“Hello…?”
His brow furrows further. You start feeling a little scared, until you see the orc’s face start to contort. He lets out a snicker, which moments later becomes a loud belly laugh.
“LOOK AT YOUR FACE!” he yells, pointing at you. He takes a few seconds to recompose himself, and relaxes his posture. “Rokash. Nice to meet you”, he says, as he offers you his hand again.
You sigh in relief and grab it. He playfully shakes it up and down, dragging your shoulder into the motion and almost making your hat fall off.
“Taro. Cute name. What do you do?”
“I… suppose I’m a librarian, if you’re asking about my occupation”, you reply. “I assume you’re some manner of warrior?”
Rokash looks away, appearing to struggle coming up with the right words to reply. “No. But close. You know Blackhill? Big city, one hour North.”
You nod. “I visit Blackhill occasionally for business, yes.”
“I fight in arena” Rokash says, flexing and showing off his strong, muscular body. “I am dressed for job. No time to change. But I know men enjoy.” He laughs, making his hairy pecs bounce with each chuckle. Perhaps men do, in fact, enjoy.
Rokash adjusts himself on his seat, getting more comfortable and giving you a more relaxed, inquisitive look. “You go to arena, Taro? Not many books, but is fun.”
POLL 1: What are Taro's pastimes?
>Taro enjoys watching big men fight each other for spectacle.
>Taro enjoys more intellectual pastimes and hobbies.
POLL2: What should Taro ask Rokash next?
>"Isn't your line of work dangerous?"
>"How did you end up in the arena? You don't sound like you're from here."
>"What about you? What do you do for fun after work?"
Speed dating at Blacktusk Inn - Part 9
The winning option in part 8's poll was:
>Taro should date the orc next
Originally posted on Patreon in October, we're currently on part 13. Figured since it was orctober I'd go the extra mile and do two illustrations...
www.patreon.com/nanoff