[0rph3u5]

Here is a small piece of what I've been recently writing on while I was driving from and to University:

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I wish I could say that it had been one of these nights. But in fact I could not recall that it had ever been any different from what how it was now - and that is the merciful thing about it.

So I did what I always did when dark thoughts crept up into my mind and made night time on this piece of rock a living hell: I went out for a drink. A drink on a night like this always made the next morning a better morning.

If you have ever been to an alien bar on an alien world, you know that it is difficult for us humans to be even tolerated in a respectable establishment. We are the trash of the galaxy, homeless fugitives at the best and lawless mercenaries at the worst of times. It gets even worse if you, like me, live in a colony of the Maalayeen Republic.

I know what you are about to say. To be washed onto the shores of a Maalayeen world is not the best of ideas. But xenophobia is not that bad if it's happening to everyone at equal measure.

Sounds cruel? - Well, the galaxy is not a forgiving place and we best remember that.

Anyway I made for the only place in town I was welcome at this time of night, a Grekhar bar with a name that roughly translates to "Tail's Gravity" from a Grekhar language to English - that supposed to be some weird sexual reference but being a non-Grekhar I never got it.

Being a regular to this quite special establishment I got past the bouncers without much fuss - they searched me only twice and saved themselves the trouble of insulting my non-existent offspring, my long-forgotten parents and me in way that are only funny to 2,75 metre tall Grekhar foulbreeds.

Inside I made my way to the bar, passing by two tables of chatting Grekhar purebreeds who by the looks of it had left the higher tiers because they thought going to cheap bar frequented by miss-, foul-, wastebreed and aliens (that includes me by the way) would make for a good story the next day in their clean little offices uptier.

Of course there was the rest of the crowd filling the TG at night but most of them are just unremarkable scum looking for a little forgetfulness, relaxation or simply put any opportunity to escape reality - sometimes even permanently. There was nothing of interest about them or at least so I thought.

Nothing in this armpit of a bar gave them away until I reached the bar and placed my order with Nish'jail, a charming young missbreed who I had got to know quite well in the past circle. She was a born bartender, at least that's my human opinion on that, and very popular with any customer who wasn't a Grekhar.

She gave me something that should resemble a wink, one of the many "alien curtsey moves" she had picked up while working at the TG, and hurried off to get my drink of choice.

I was surprised to see that it was not her but her boss Klaaran who rarely even spoke to anyone but Grekhar who were certified to be at least purebreed. I looked him in his dark violet eyes searching for anything that would give away why he'd even consider coming over to me. But as it goes with aliens, even if you live with them for as long as I have, just by looking at them you never get answers.

"Nice crowd you have tonight. I hope those thrill seeking purebreeds are some big-spenders." I casually dropped in my best Sil'Ri'Ilka as he placed my drink in front of me.

Okay, small talk wasn't the most original opening to a conversation that was doomed from the start but if you think that you'll miserable all night you should at least make that a certainty.

The Grekhar just made a sound in response that would have been a displeased grunt if he'd been human - but he wasn't.

With the eloquence of someone who didn't even bother if he would sound like a illiterate savage he responded in the crudest Sil'Ri'Ilka I've ever heard:
"Didna sa vat tu dould brink juests. Timportant volks thy dat louk ofs it"

Yes, it was it was just that horrible - but you just can't help some people, especially if these people are Grekhar missbreed who think of themselves as the hightest highbreed. But just as his cured Sil'Ri'Ilka had been repulsive to hear, the information that big arrogant fur ball had just given me had been most intriguing.

Klaaran had immediately left as soon as he though that he was no longer obliged to talk to the hideous and strange alien creature that I was, so I waved the only one at the bar to my side who I knew would even consider talking to me. Nish'jail was kind or curious enough to come to me right away.

As she approached I watched the swing of her hips (Gerkhar are quite humanoid if you understand what I mean) and for split second a very xenophile part of me seized the day filling my head with all these thoughts and feelings that got you into nothing but trouble.

Luckily for me she put on one of these special human facial expression she never had learned to master during all the time I frequented the GT, a smile, and just how grotesque her attempt at this basic human expression looked, was more than enough to set my head straight.

"You could have warned me."

"I could have" she said as she tried to smile again but did a much worse job this time. "But seeing Klaaran on his edge about this whole situation was worth my while."

And of course it would have spoiled that sweet moments of toying with her insufferable boss if she had told me outright - or at least that was the best human explanation I could come up with.

"Thought so. But tell me where can I find my 'guests'?"

She pointed at one of the private booths at the back wall of the bar. Just now I noticed that crowd was keeping away from that booth in particular, and it curtains were closed. Even the thugs of the Syndicates who came into the TG from time to time for a little terror and fun never closed those curtains. Something was awfully wrong here.

"Anything I should be aware of?" I asked Nish'jail and tried to sound casual.

Instead of giving me useful reply, she pointed out: "So they are not your guests at all."

"Is that so obvious?"

"Two humans looking for you wasn't that hard to believe but a Naka and two Xjuad? That was just too much of it."

Oh crap, that was more than I could handle. Although I couldn't quite place the Naka in that picture, two humans and two Xjuad alone and/or together that just screamed 'mercenaries' at the top of its lungs. It was clearly more trouble for one night than I could handle.

I considered my options and running before they knew I was here was the most promising until one the Xjuad stepped out from behind the curtains. For the first time in my life I saw one the fabled Xjuad Sword Protectors in the flesh and he (or she or it - hard to tell with that enjoinment suit/combat armour) scanned the room. Even if his helmet hadn't contained some of the most advanced targeting equipment I guess he couldn't have missed me. Being the only human on a world full of aliens didn't turn out to be an advantage here.

Now there was only one way to go. Forward to finding out why this freak show of mercenaries was looking for me.

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Any comments?

EDIT: (BTW you are not actually suposed to like the protagonist)

[sayoqod]

It's good that I'm not supposed to like the protagonist, because the emo main character is just too cliche.

That being said, I like the writing. It very nicely conveys his point of view on the world that he feels he is so aloof from.