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It was a calm night at the bar for once. Markus, Kier, and Gregor all lay sprawled under tables sleeping peacefully. Ashe sat at the bar, entranced in a book. She didn't hear Thog come up behind her and lean over to check out what she was reading.
"Oh gods, you're reading Markus' romance drivel?"
Ashe jumped and slammed the book shut, her face red, "It's, uh, entertaining is all."
Thog chuckled, "It sure is. Entertaining how bad it is. I didn't peg you for the sappy romantic type."
Ashe rubbed her arm self-consciously, "Well, it was always forbidden to me back home. I was just supposed to accept whoever they picked for me when I came of age. I guess I've just always liked reading about things I couldn't have. "
"But you're free of all that now. Why still read this junk when you're free to do as you please?"
Ashe ran a hand through her hair, feeling a little awkward talking about this with Thog of all people, "I kind of made a mess of things after I left. After I got to Alaran I got in over my head with someone I barely knew. It didn't turn out well."
"First relationships usually don't go well, especially in Alaran." A dark look crossed Thog's face.
"What was your first relationship like Thog?" Ashe asked, although she didn't expect him to answer.
He was quiet a moment. He glanced over at the sleeping forms under the tables, "Let's go outside."
Ashe followed him out to the pool, burning with curiosity. She couldn't believe she was getting him to talk about his past, especially such a touchy part of it. They sat down beside the pool and Thog lit up a cigarette.
"It might be hard to believe but I had a lot of what most Alaranni would consider eclectic interests. Theater and dancing and whatnot." He looked over at Ashe, who was trying not to smile, "Or maybe not. I forgot you know Moren. He probably said a lot more than I'd like him to. Oh well." Ashe had a feeling he would have been a little more upset if it had been Markus or Gregor who had talked to Moren. Thog flicked the ashes away from his cigarette, "Anyway, that's how I met my first girlfriend. It was a trap I never would have seen coming. I don't really want to talk specifics, but we ended up working together as thugs, in the same gang as Moren actually, and she more or less threw me to the wolves so she could get promoted with a corporation she wanted to get in with. It was a betrayal I never forgot. Neither did she apparently. She came back into my life awhile ago and she orchestrated me ending up in Meadshire." he grimaced.
"It was Karen wasn't it." Ashe guessed immediately.
Thog looked surprised, "Was it that obvious?"
"Wow, that puts all that into a different perspective now." She thought back to her chat with Moren. This must have been what started to 'deflate' Thog as he had put it.
"What about yours? What was he like?"
Ashe frowned, "He turned out to be kind of a creep. He tried to take advantage of me not knowing aything about the world outside Meathe. You ought to remember though, you found me right after I beat him up."
"That's right, I remember now." He glanced sidelong at Ashe, "Although I guess I tried to do the same thing. I was impressed with the way you handled that fight. That's why I suckered you into working for me."
Ashe shrugged, "I'm not so mad about that anymore. All of that led me where I am today. I don't think I would have been happy if I had continued on my own. I hadn't been really doing that well up to that point actually."
"Well you're lucky it was me that found you. A naive person in Alaran is like a sheep in a pack of wolves." Thog put out his cigarette.
"Naive? Yeah, I suppose I was pretty naive."
Thog laughed, "Was? You still are. You were reading Markus' romance novels for one. You know that every main character he writes is basically himself?"
Ashe blanched, "Oh gods that makes so much sense now."
"I will admit though, you're a lot more confident in yourself than when we first met. You've come a long way." They both sat in silence for a moment, staring at the reflection of the moon in the pool.
"Thog, why did you make me middle manager?" Ashe blurted out, " I honestly have no idea what the hell I'm doing with this position."
He considered her before finally saying, "I respect you the most out of all of them. As much shit as I give you, you have a good head on your shoulders. I trust your judgement." He stood and stretched, "I think that's about as sappy as I can get tonight. It's late, go to bed."
"Would you ever consider..." Ashe trailed off, her courage suddenly gone.
Thog raised an eyebrow at her, "You ever gonna finish that question or should I just go to bed?"
Ashe stammered a moment, then frowned in frustration, "Nevermind I said anything."
"Are you trying to ask me out?" he asked bluntly.
"Maybe. No. I, uh, I'm going to bed." She stood hurriedly and disappeared into the night.
Thog chuckled to himself and headed back inside. He knew she would try to avoid talking about this as awkwardly as possible for another few weeks at least.