04-25-2016, 11:52 PM
The following day came in slow lazy strokes, the lazy sun seemed to barely rise into the sky. Various birdsongs and insect ballads filled the air with the beautiful cacophony of nature. Ambrosians shuffled to and fro, carrying on with their daily lives; at a glance it seemed that they were oblivious to the string of murders, but hidden beneath the pleasantries and jolly conversations the occasional rumor reared its ugly head. A ruthless killer, striking in the dead of night, ripping to shreds even those that could defend themselves. One could feel the almost unspoken unease that settled upon the forest village. There were a few kind-hearted souls that picked up the mantle of justice and vowed to find the killer, but they all had fallen short. Renji upheld no moral desire to stop the killer, but rather wished to clash blades with another skilled warrior. The Omniverse had brought him Retane, but that battle was a distant memory and it did little to appease the need for conflict that scratched the inside of his skull.
A series of solid knocks rattled the front door to Renji's house, shattering his morning meditation. Slowly he opened his eyes and stretched to his feet. Another heavy staccato threatened to bust the frame of his door. The swordsman swung open his door and found himself swallowed by shade. Before him stood a massive man-beast that threatened to snuff out the sun. The man easily stood seven feet tall and his muscles were carved from granite. His face was that of a bull's and two yellow-stained horns jutted out from his head. Slick black fur, the kind that almost looked purple in the right light, covered his body. Tight-fitting jeans and a red T-shirt strained to keep his intimidating physique in check. The bull-man exhaled through his snout and offered a thick hand to the bewildered swordsman.
Wow, he's a big fucker ain't he?
"Name's Lamont, I was sent here for a job."
"Uhm, okay?" Renji accepted the handshake and responded, "What job? I don't own a business or anything."
"You're the bartender, Renji, right?" Lamont's voice carried a hefty weight, and every word commanded respect.
"Yeah, but I don't own the bar or anything. You'll have to talk to the owners." Renji said, "Mina and Bonita are the ones in charge."
"Already did." Lamont nodded in the direction of the bar, "said you'd have the final deciscion."
"Oh," Renji raised his eyebrows and glanced inside, "Come inside and we'll talk about it I suppose."
Lamont merely grunted in affirmation. His massive form crouched to fit through Renji's door, he had to tilt his head sideways to avoid smacking his doors against the doorframe. Clearly the bull was accustomed to making little adjustments to fit within a much smaller world he moved carefully, but deliberately to avoid any collisions. Renji offered Lamont a seat, and poured him a cup of hot tea. Lamont's chair creaked under his weight and threatened to splinter. The wood-carved cup appeared to be nothing more than a thimble in the bull's meaty mitts. With nothing more than a slight grunt he downed the lukewarm tea and lightly set it back down.
"You want more?" Renji asked.
"No."
"So, uh," the swordsman paused, "What kind of job are you looking for?"
"Bouncer."
"Right," Renji took a sip from his tea, "well you certainly look capable, you got any experience with this sort of thing?"
"Yeah," he responded, "I was a bouncer in Camelot."
"I see.”
Their was a moment of reserved silence between the two. Only the gentle sound of Renji sipping his drink cut through the silence. Outside windy gusts bashed against the windowpanes of the swordsman’s house. Lamont sat resolute, his beefy frame refusing to budge an inch. An occasional puff of air left his nostrils as he exhaled sharply, seemingly a trait from his bullish race. Renji finished his drink and finally cut cleanly through the silence, “Very well. Make sure you show up an hour before opening tonight, and you’ll have a job. Sound good?”
“Yeah,” Lamont stood and turned towards the exit before uttering a “thank you”.
“Don’t mention it.” Renji responded, “Oh! Also, make sure you dress well.”
“No problem.”
A series of solid knocks rattled the front door to Renji's house, shattering his morning meditation. Slowly he opened his eyes and stretched to his feet. Another heavy staccato threatened to bust the frame of his door. The swordsman swung open his door and found himself swallowed by shade. Before him stood a massive man-beast that threatened to snuff out the sun. The man easily stood seven feet tall and his muscles were carved from granite. His face was that of a bull's and two yellow-stained horns jutted out from his head. Slick black fur, the kind that almost looked purple in the right light, covered his body. Tight-fitting jeans and a red T-shirt strained to keep his intimidating physique in check. The bull-man exhaled through his snout and offered a thick hand to the bewildered swordsman.
Wow, he's a big fucker ain't he?
"Name's Lamont, I was sent here for a job."
"Uhm, okay?" Renji accepted the handshake and responded, "What job? I don't own a business or anything."
"You're the bartender, Renji, right?" Lamont's voice carried a hefty weight, and every word commanded respect.
"Yeah, but I don't own the bar or anything. You'll have to talk to the owners." Renji said, "Mina and Bonita are the ones in charge."
"Already did." Lamont nodded in the direction of the bar, "said you'd have the final deciscion."
"Oh," Renji raised his eyebrows and glanced inside, "Come inside and we'll talk about it I suppose."
Lamont merely grunted in affirmation. His massive form crouched to fit through Renji's door, he had to tilt his head sideways to avoid smacking his doors against the doorframe. Clearly the bull was accustomed to making little adjustments to fit within a much smaller world he moved carefully, but deliberately to avoid any collisions. Renji offered Lamont a seat, and poured him a cup of hot tea. Lamont's chair creaked under his weight and threatened to splinter. The wood-carved cup appeared to be nothing more than a thimble in the bull's meaty mitts. With nothing more than a slight grunt he downed the lukewarm tea and lightly set it back down.
"You want more?" Renji asked.
"No."
"So, uh," the swordsman paused, "What kind of job are you looking for?"
"Bouncer."
"Right," Renji took a sip from his tea, "well you certainly look capable, you got any experience with this sort of thing?"
"Yeah," he responded, "I was a bouncer in Camelot."
"I see.”
Their was a moment of reserved silence between the two. Only the gentle sound of Renji sipping his drink cut through the silence. Outside windy gusts bashed against the windowpanes of the swordsman’s house. Lamont sat resolute, his beefy frame refusing to budge an inch. An occasional puff of air left his nostrils as he exhaled sharply, seemingly a trait from his bullish race. Renji finished his drink and finally cut cleanly through the silence, “Very well. Make sure you show up an hour before opening tonight, and you’ll have a job. Sound good?”
“Yeah,” Lamont stood and turned towards the exit before uttering a “thank you”.
“Don’t mention it.” Renji responded, “Oh! Also, make sure you dress well.”
“No problem.”