Zora raised her gaze to the mirror above the dingy bathroom sink. She was in the women's room of The Siren's Call, a small, dingy bar just at the edge of the water in Port Damali. Her fingers gracefully dipped under the sink's running water, and then came up to smooth down a stray piece of wavy, dark hair that had come loose from the bun at the nape of her neck.
She sighed, her deep brown eyes scanning down her body. Her outfit was simple, but effective for its purpose; her top was a light leather corset that she felt amplified her small chest, with an unbuttoned white blouse underneath that matched the seafaring style the menagerie coast. With a frightening lack of coin in her purse, she figured she needed a bit more than just a smile and some jokes tonight; no, in her experience a corset often went a lot farther than a smile with some of these older sailor types. Especially on her first night of a new job, she needed to prove to herself that she could make it on her own.
Bartending.
Her new boss, a Dwarven woman named Kiritha, had made it clear that Zora's job as bartender was to charm the sailors and merchants who came into The Siren's Call.
"Smile, make them laugh, listen to their stories!" she had advised her earlier in the night, showing Zora around the bar at the top of her first shift.
But the middle-aged woman had paused, turning to give Zora a stern look, and added, "That being said, this is a reputable place. You charm them, but you don't go upstairs with them. You don't want angry, jealous, drunken sailors thinking they own you. Just keep it simple, and call for me upstairs if you're feeling threatened."
Zora had nodded emphatically.
She had tended bar in a few smaller places in Port Zoon, her hometown, and knew how to use her charms to her advantage. However, it had been a few years since she had poured drinks, having taken some time off in her mid-twenties to help her parents run their small fish shop. Despite Zora's best efforts—and her parents' pride—the shop had been unable to stay afloat in the competitive fishing town. With its shuttering, Zora had left the town to hopefully start paying off the deep wells of debt their family had taken on.
And now, here she was, staring at her reflection in a bathroom that smelled faintly of fish, which honestly wasn't that bad because it reminded her of home.
She tucked a stray hair behind her ear and smiled at her reflection. Only the most perceptive patron would be able to see the bundle of nerves hidden behind her confident exterior.
"Two whiskies, darlin," a buff human man crooned to Zora, "and make 'em strong," he added with a wink.
The bar buzzed with noise. Over the tipsy conversations between the sailors that packed the small wooden room, an old bearded bard with a fiddle sat in the corner, playing an upbeat song.
Zora quickly poured the human man his whiskies with a smile. "And where are you coming in from?" she asked the patron, who, judging by the tanned face and scraggly red facial hair, had spent a good amount of his life on the high seas.
He leaned in, his eyes dipping down to appreciate her pear-shaped figure behind the bar.
"Ever heard of Darktow?" he asked in a buttery voice, making her lean in closer to hear him over the din of the music.
"I've heard some stories... it seems like it's where a lot of unsavoury characters end up," she said, turning her mouth up in a small smile.
A grin spread over his face, and he leaned over the bar, getting rid of the unnecessary space between them. "I've got some stories that would make your—"
"Excuse me," came a low, gravelly voice from behind the human man.
Zora looked behind the ginger, and saw a handsome half-orc man with tanned green skin. His dark hair had a small grey streak across the front, and his face held a number of deep, but faded scars. The half-orc's yellow eyes took in the human man leaning his body over the bar, and his lips quirked up in a knowing smile. He raised his eyebrow at Zora.
Zora's eyes grazed appreciatively over his slender, toned body in his light armour, with a curved sword at its hip. He looked like a true adventurer, his outfit making him seem ready to duel in the middle of a bar.
"Well hello sir, can I get you a drink?" Her voice lilted up with a singsong quality.
The human man looked slightly put-off as Zora turned to the green sailor to take his order. He haughtily addressed the stranger, "Can't you see we're talking here, buddy?"
The half-orc gave a low chuckle and slid around the man up to the bar, seeming to ignore his remark completely. "How about a pint of your house ale?"
Zora flashed him a smile. She liked that he was unbothered by the redheaded man. "A great choice. Give me a second to grab that for you."
She turned and walked over to a large wooden barrel keg. Grabbing a tankard, she began pouring out its deep brown liquid, taking this momentary pause to gaze across the bar. There were a few people having conversations at the long, polished wooden bartop who had already been served. The ginger man, looking mildly disgruntled, turned away from the bar and walked toward a booth near the fiddler at the back of the room. The green stranger saddled up into a barstool, leaning an elbow on the bar and looking intently over to Zora.
She met his gaze, and pointedly looked at the empty stool beside him. Grinning, she mouthed, Thank the Gods he's gone.
He feigned wiping sweat from his brow, widening his eyes and mouthing, I need a drink.
She turned the tap on the keg, shutting off the spout. Walking toward the sailor, she noticed his eyes briefly hover over her small chest in her corset. She flushed pink, and set the tankard in front of him. "That'll be 2 silver, or you can start a tab, if you like."
The man brought his slender hand up to his face, tapping his chin like he was thinking intently. "You know, I think I'll open a tab. It might be best if I stick around here, make sure your friend doesn't come back to bother you."
Zora mimed fanning herself as if overheating. "Honor, thy name is..." She quirked an eyebrow.
He extended a hand, giving her a warm smile, "Fjord."
His handshake was firm, and his hand engulfed Zora's easily. Her heart began to beat faster.
"I'm Zora."
"Pleasure's all mine, Zora."