Private Tales The Watering Hole

A private roleplay only for those invited by the first writer
Dominic Valentino

Dominic Valentino

King of the Jungle
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"1-1-1...2."

A meaty right hook slammed into the ribcage section of a wooden dummy, snapping the dummy in half. Damn, that was the third one today. He had only been at his workout for an hour. He would need to be more careful until the boys could get the next supply of practice dummies. It seemed like a good chance for him to take a break. He had managed to work out quite a sweat, so he walked over to the trough of water. He took a long deep gulp of water before coming back up for air.

He looked around at the underground fighting pit that resided beneath the tavern known as 'The Water Hole'. The main gathering spot for the Jungle, a "construction" crew mainly focused in the more decrepit parts of Alliria.

"Uh, boss. Mikey just stopped by. Says that next batch of hooch isn't gonna make it into the city for another week."

Dominic Valentino grunted a large cloud of steam flared from his nostrils. His knuckles tightened as he took a moment to relax before turning around. His hulking shirtless figure towering over the man behind him. Dom took his wrapped up right hand and placed it on the man's shoulder with a sigh.

"No, no, no. Now, ya gotta tell 'em Eli. Mikey promised me the good stuff in two days...I'm gonna be very disappointed in TWO days. Strongly suggest that he try harder."

His deep rumbling voice was rough and gravely with a deep bass tone. The smaller gentlemen could feel the vibration run through him as his voice spoke. He simply nodded and turned to run back and explain the situation to Mikey.

Dauner
 
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"Do you have to scare him so much. Poor thing looked like he was going to wet his pants" a voice would speak out from the couch by the side. "Though I must admit, it is part of the job description, is it not?"

The Reaper's Den, a mercenary guild in the outer city, had only recently just opened its doors, but had seen a rapid rate of aggressive expansion in the criminal underground in that area. With the backing of one of Alliria's merchant lords, and an elite team of assassins, many smaller gangs were quickly taken over, and they didn't seem like they'd be stopping anytime soon. With the expansion in the outer city, going along smoothly and with almost no hiccups, Dauner was now faced with whether to continue his expansion towards the Areck slums, the shallows, or the inner city. He'd get them all eventually, but he needed to start somewhere.

To this aim, he had his men investigate the power structure of each of these areas. Though he was more interested in the inner city, a group in the Areck slums had caught his eye. The jungle. A group of outcasts and social misfits. Intrigued, the newly establish crime lord decided to pay them a personal visit.

"You know, I was expecting a challenge when I decided to search for your base, but getting here was much easier than expected" Dauner spoke, bored from the sound of his voice, as he got himself into a proper sitting position, one leg over the other. "Dominic Valentino, how would like a little chat with the Reaper". The Reaper, a name which would have already travel across the underworld, and would most likely be known by all who are keen on information. The title Dauner went by when on official business for the Reaper's Den, and the name everyone else attached to the unseen leader of the organization.
 
"It ain't my time to speak with the Reaper, but I 'spose I'll talk to your rude ass instead."

The man was good, he had caught his scent only a second before he started talking. He had managed to sneak in here, which wasn't impossible but not easy. There were a lot of people moving about around here. Not much for real security though. After all, this place was just a bar.

"I wouldn't lose sleep over Eli or Mikey. He tries this bullshit every few weeks, so think of it more like a weekly bit of encouragement."

He was back to being aware, his muscles not overly tense, but he wasn't just going to relax with a stranger in his abode. He walked over to a chest near the trough and opened it up, pulling out a cigar and some matches. Lighting one up, he took in a deep breath of the tobacco.

"If you are going to go around using my name like that, then I would prefer I get yours."

He had heard a little on the 'Reaper', but Dom wasn't really in the information business and he wasn't one much to care either way. If he stayed out of his fur then he would likely stay out of his. The city had a couple of people like this, the dark mysterious types. Probably had some fancy magical powers or something. Dom could care less. All that mattered was why he was here bothering him.

Dauner
 
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Dauner's lips bent upwards, as a grin crossed his face. Dom hadn't freaked out. That was definitely a good start. He got off the couch, and onto his feet, walking over to The gang leader. “I'm starting to like you” he said, with a playful smile, the aura of nobility which he had presented himself with at the start, now completely replaced by a rather carefree one.

“The name's Dauner. Dauner A. Light. Guild master of the Reaper's Den mercenary guild” he said, turning his attention to the nearest bottle of booze. He didn't hesitate to walk over to it and serve himself a glass. “Nice place you've got here” he remarked, eye's now gazing upon the fighting ring. Although Dauner was the kind to take his fighting out into the open where everything with a pulse was a participant, a fight, in the end, was still a fight. “Do you fight there often?” he continued, making small talk
 
Sure, make yourself right at home. This was the type of people he hated the most. Growing up, he had been raised to be hospitable by the Otternali, but that had never stuck. Especially when the other person presumed themselves in his place. It was just obnoxious.

"No, the pit fighters fight for money and entertainment...I will never fight for the entertainment of others ever again."

He said it matter of factly, but could not hide the hint of agitation at the memories that it brought up.

Calling this place nice was certainly a stretch, but it was suitable for its location in the slum. Just nice enough to bring in the locals, and maybe attract a big whig or two when they were lucky.

"Forgive my rude question, but the Reaper's Den is doing good for themselves, so why is it that you are here helping yourself to MY booze," Dominic questioned.

Dauner
 
Dauner couldn't help but notice a hint of agitation in Dominic's voice. It didn't take a genius to figure out what it was about. Seemed like the gang leader had once spent time in the ring as well, fighting for the entertainment of others. Well, they all had a time like that.

"Haha" Dauner laughed at Dom's question. "Drinking at the Reaper's Den's the best in all Alliria" he'd say, drinking down a gulp of the booze in his hand. Well, sure. For a person like Dauner, the Reaper's Den, which is like a party every day, is a heaven, since he gets to drink and play around in a merry atmosphere. "Mmm. But this one ain't that bad either" he added.

He then turned his attention to the ring, as a fight was about to start. "Hey, Dom. Wanna make a bet on who's gonna win?" he said, with a wide grin on his face.
 
"I'll do my due diligence and ask what the bet is, but I would rather you just tell me what you want rather than beating around the bush."

He already had his suspicions given the nature of how this man was acting. Pretentious and self-important, like the world was down at his feet. Those that acted like this expected, or wanted to control everything around them.

That was Dominic's last good bottle of booze until Mikey got his shit together. He wasn't sure if this guy was actively trying to piss him off, but he was succeeding.

"Second, Dom is a name reserved for close friends. I'm afraid you do not meet those standards."

He looked over at the other fighters in the ring. They both often fought in the lower brackets, but one was definitely better than the other from what he knew.

Dauner
 
The man was cautious, as should anyone in this business be. He seemed a lot like someone who wouldn't sign a deal with the devil. Dauner liked those deals, though, so it felt a little disappointing.
Dominic Valentino said:
"Second, Dom is a name reserved for close friends. I'm afraid you do not meet those standards."
Click to expand...

"Aww, man. I thought we were bonding here. We were getting along so well already" Dauner said, sighing in disappointment. "But I must say, you hit the bullseye. There is indeed something I came here to ask you. But..." Dauner paused, drinking down another gulp of the booze, and savoring it, till it had all washed down his throat. "Chill man. You're way too tense. Relax. Let those shoulders loosen up. You don't wanna grow into a grumpy old man, do you?" Dauner added, acting as though genuinely concerned, though with a rather playful tone, and a grin to boot.
 
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"I'm already grumpy and I feel old, so I'm already there."

He took in another deep breath of the cigar before looking back over to the fighters. They were sloppy in his eyes, he was able to notice even the smallest mistakes or bad habits. The fact that there were people that he knew would pay to watch them astounded him.

"Put yourself in my shoes. There is a person who has snuck into my place of business and is now drinking my alcohol. This person calls themselves the 'Reaper' when you first meet and then asks to make a bet with you. Relaxing would not be the word I use to describe any of this."

Dauner
 
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Dominic Valentino said:
"I'm already grumpy and I feel old, so I'm already there."
Click to expand...
"Hahaha" Dauner laughed. "Good one". Dom didn't give off the vibe of someone who's live for more than 30 years, so Dauner laughed it off as a joke. But the man did look grumpy.

Listening to Dom explain why he couldn't relax made Dauner think of what he'd do if he were in his shoes. "Hah! He'll have to be a pretty crazy fucker to do that to me. Well, if I were in your shoes, which I am not, I would offer him a seat, a drink, have a nice chat, listen to what he has to say, and if I don't like it, kill him. Easy peasy. See, totally relaxed" he finished. After speaking, Dauner backtracked a bit. He'd missed something. "At least he asked for a bet and not a deal with the devil, am I right? C'mon, man. You're being too uptight. Surely you can relax upon seeing the beauty that surrounds us"

Dauner was someone who had different ideas of beauty. The first and most attractive, were that possessed by those of the opposite sex. He never could have enough of those. Then there was the beauty in the color red. The color of blood, that had dyed the scenes of so many massacres before. Then followed the beauty of chaos. Then struggle. And a bunch of other things. In this case, it was the beauty of the struggle that had caught his eye.
 
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Beauty? Dominic scornfully laughed as he made no signs of moving or being any more hospitable than he already was.

"The only thing I see in here is dirt and sweat, and two ugly fighters."

Normally, a relaxed personality like the one Dauner had would be how Dominic preferred to talk with people. No formalities, just talking. However, given the context of what was going on. It just felt like he was being looked down upon.

"Good to know. I'll be sure not to act like you...you know, to keep things diverse. So, you already have a drink that you took. There will be no bet, and I am having a chat with you. I've met you halfway, so stop dodging my questions and give me a straight answer...Or you can leave."

Dauner
 
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Dauner laughed again. For a gangster, Dom certainly knew how to make someone laugh. There was in fact a lot of dirt, sweat, and as Dom rightfully said, two ugly fighters. Had they been pretty girls, Dauner would have objected fiercely, but they weren't. Dauner couldn't help but agree with the man, and so he wouldn't insist on his point any further.

He sighed at Dom's next sentence, as he walked over to the couch again, and let himself fall onto it under his own weight. "You're no fun" he said, crossing one leg over the other, and finishing what was left of the booze in his glass.

"I suppose it is time we got down to business" he continued, putting the glass away. The playfulness in his expression quickly died, being replaced by a 'business look'. "So, Dominic. Pretty cozy place you've made for yourself out here in the slums. Small, but cozy. Have you ever thought of what you'd do If one of the underworld giants decided to expand their territory into yours?" Dauner would start, first exposing the risks that existed around the jungle gang.
 
Dominic carefully watched the man take his seat, and for the first time, he smiled when the real topic of the day was brought up. He had figured it would be something like this since it came up every few months.

"Yes, I have. I'm not worried. The beautiful thing about jungles. They're an ecosystem. Every little piece has a part to play."

Dom traced a circle in the air with his finger. The jungle was by no means small like how Dauner was describing them. They might not have the amount of wealth of some other groups, but in terms of outright manpower supporting them, then they might be one of the biggest gangs in the city. Such is the power that comes with protecting a community.

However, the jungle still worked with other smaller gangs as well. If they watched each others backs then that meant the ecosystem could be maintained.

Finally, Dominic was not foreign to deal with giants.

Dauner
 
The mood had been established, and the discussion could then proceed as planned. "Ahh. Ecosystems" Dauner sighed with a gentle smile. "They are indeed beautiful, and pretty strong when every part plays its part. But..." Dauner paused for a second, as though purposely raising the tension of the discussion. "That's also what makes them fragile"

As the saying goes, one rotten egg can spoil the cake. Same too with organizations. After all, they were all made up of humans, and no matter how many of them were true to the ideals of the organization, there were always those who would easily be swayed by the greater benefits. And Dauner, was a demon who excelled at dismantling even the sturdiest of walls. If he set his mind to it, he wouldn't mind using mass slaughter as a means to get what he'd set his eyes on.

"The real question, though, is how far are you willing to go to maintain this little ecosystem of yours"
 
"I don't need to do much. An ecosystem works whether you want it to or not."

Dominic said with a shrug. That was the best and most irritating part about an ecosystem. He only smirked when he called ecosystems fragile. Some were, but most were more resilient than the average person realized. Even when new species entered, animals or the environment itself would force onto it certain restrictions. That also worked the other way though.

"As for my ecosystem. I'm honored that you think it is mine, but your view is too narrow. My ecosystem is all of the gangs. It's all of the refugees entering the city. They are the ones creating my ecosystem."

Dauner
 
That certainly was a way to maintain loyalty. Free will was always something the people of the world desired. Implementing a system where such a concept was more than just theory meant stripping down most of the powers of the leader, but gaining greater stability in exchange.

Dauner had dealt with these kinds of groups before. They were on the more troublesome side of his list of troublesome types of groups. Breaking them down took time. It wasn't as easy as assassinating the boss. No. The process was long, and involved dismantling every node of the tree that maintained the system. That or killing them all.

But, he had already broken too many groups of the same kind. What was one more.

"So you do agree with my point, then. There will be no ecosystem without the people who make it one. Right?"
 
Dominic could only agree with that suggestion. The ecosystem had to have people, in this circumstance, to be an ecosystem, but it brought a frown to his face at what Dauner was ultimately suggesting.

"Mr. Dauner, your...suggestion or maybe it is just meant as a threat, but it does not sit well with me. If your ultimate goal is to scare me then it will not work. Whether you are as wealthy or as powerful as you act. You will not destroy these people. We are resilient."

This conversation was already turning into something that he would rather not deal with. The only reason someone brought up the fragility of anything was that they were already considering breaking it.

Dauner
 
Dauner felt like letting out a smile. The conversation was going in the direction he had planned. But he maintained his poker face. He would never reveal his thoughts through his facial expression, unless it was intentional.

"Oh, no!" Dauner would exclaim. "Threat's such a strong word. We're two gentlemen having a friendly conversation. There's no need to go as far as to make threats now, is there? Treat it more of like advice from a friend. And as for the resilience. Well there's only one way to test how resilient you are"

He then stood up and walked over to where he could see the ring more easily. "Do you like fire?" He'd ask as he pulled out his lighter and lit it up. He paused for a few seconds for Dom to get a clue at what he was getting at, before continuing. "You see, what makes fire truly beautiful, is it doesn't discriminate. Nothing is safe from it. Burn a branch, and it turns to ash. Burn a brick, and it gets stronger, but soon enough gets destroyed under the heat. Burn Iron, and it endures at first, until it can take no more, and melts under the fierceness of the flame, and eventually, at a high enough temperature, it ceases to be what it once was. No matter what, or who, it burns, at just the right temperature, it makes sure it destroys it beyond repair. Now" he continued, blowing off the flame and putting the lighter away.

He then turned to Dom once more, with a question on his lips. The whole conversation had been leading up to this point alone. The question that would affect his decision on whether to begin his attack on the jungle gang.

"Dom. How much heat do you think the jungle can take?"
 
Dominic forced out a smile that never made it to his eyes as he calmly pulled out another bottle of drink. He had to be careful or his strength would have crushed the glass.

"I think this conversation is over. We have already made it clear you are not my friend, no matter how hard you smile and try to make it seems so. You're poor attempts at easing the mood do not hide the fact of what you are doing."

He moved over to the door where he held it open and looked to Dauner.

"You may leave now. If you would like to follow through on your threat, or any more metaphorical threats then you can rest assured that the jungle will not simply sit and take it. Thank you for your time. Now, respectfully, get the fuck out of my bar."

Dauner
 
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Dauner had no intention of making himself look like a good guy, or a friend. Those words he spoke were only out of diplomatic formality. Though he wore a relaxed smile, the mood he wanted wasn't by any means a lax one. After all, the tenser the other person in a deal is, the more likely they are to slip up.

What Dauner wanted to test was how much guts the leader of the jungle had. If he didn't have enough, then Dauner would begin the annexation plans. If he did have enough, however, that would mean he might be fun to play with. Dauner would not go all out on them, but with an occasional harassment, and an assassination every once in a while, he would be able to entertain himself with their response before ultimately aiming to take over. That might take a few years, though, since he had other plans on his agenda.

Dauner got to his feet and made his way over to the door. "This was a most pleasurable conversation. I'm sure we will meet again. Very soon, I'd wager" he'd say. Before leaving, he would pull out a cigarette pack from his jacket pocket, pulling out one, before putting the pack away. He'd light the cigarette, breathing out a puff of smoke. "Till we meet again" he'd say, giving Dom a pat on the shoulder.
 
"Frankly, this was one of the most irritating conversations I've ever had...I hope you have a horrible day."

It was the best way that Dominic could think of being polite while being completely honest. The next time they met, he hoped it was looking at a funeral pyre.

He let the man leave before closing the door on him. Dom did not waste any time in returning back to his training routine. Originally, he had planned to end before that guy had shown up, but he needed to blow off some steam.

"Fucking pompous. Bring it on."

Dauner
 
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