Blinking, the query that Gerwulf had received from Aesa regarding her name was odd. Wouldn't she have been told the meaning, or at least left with some kind of marking? Then again, that was in the old days. If you lost family or some disaster occurred, local communities would take those left over into the tribe. If that was what happened to Aesa, it would explain it, or her parents were idiots who thought the name sounded fancy after combing through history books. Either way, he could provide some knowledge. "Yes, the original word... Æsa means God; it is from an old language. Closest one would be... Old Norse, and unless you come across a relic or someone who speaks it, you would never hear that language again," Gerwulf stated honestly without embellishment. Just smiling as he took another sip of his whiskey.
Grinning more widely when she asked if he was a full-time hero. Then Aesa rambled along, trying to figure it out from how he acted or dressed. He had mellowed out over the years, a lot less abrasive and bloodthirsty. But that was because in this day and age, that just got you put into a six-by-ten concrete box for the rest of your miserable life. "Not even close. You get a few more guesses." His statement was cheerful, but his demeanor and how he held himself were lax. It was that of someone who thought they couldn't be touched, someone who believed they were invincible and yet let it all slide into softness. Then again, bears were soft until they got either hungry or angry. "Nope, just finished up some work in the next town over."
Asking about his song choice, he thought about it. "Was thinking something like 'Jolene' or maybe 'Born this Way' by Gaga." Looking down at Aesa, he wondered what she would think and if she would find it amusing. If they knew Gerwulf, they would have understood that it was just that he acted flamboyant when given the chance. The truth of the matter was that he found the songs amusing, given what and how he had become what he was. He'd have settled for nothing less than putting a few in-jokes out into the wild.
The way he said her name was nice. There was no way she could imitate that accent though. "I wonder why my mom picked it. That's a hell of a name to live up too. She left when I was still a baby, and dad had no idea." Dad and her grandfather were too obsessed with other things to ever talk to her about her mom. Thorin didn't remember much about her, but he told her what little he knew. It was times like this that she really missed her brother. He was safer wherever he was thought. Anywhere but back home in the Pacific North West. She pushed those thoughts away and refocused on the man in front of her. Though, she had to admit, him and Thorin seemed like they'd get along pretty well.
"A few more... hmmm... my family is ex-military and that's the other thing that comes to mind. Maybe an army man? You don't look Navy. They look more like swimmers. If you're not ex-military, then...." She paused, studying him intently for a few moments, her blue eyes roaming over him. He was so laid back and relaxed. He wasn't a cop. There was no stick up his ass. "Professional sports of some kind would be my next guess if you're not military." Work in the next town over didn't help her any. That could be anything. So either of those two job options fit.
When he suggested one of two songs, she stared at him for a moment then laughed. "Either one would be great. No one is going to expect it. I'd go for Jolene myself. Can't go wrong with some Dolly Parton. She's a treasure." She motioned for another beer as they talked. "I gotta slow down. I don't want to crash my bike going home later." They called her name from the karaoke stand and she grinned at him. "Time to go embarrass myself."
Once she had her drink she headed up on stage. She's already sung one tonight so she had shaken off the stage freight off earlier. Setting her drink down on the table on the stage, she grabbed the mic waiting for the music to kick in. It was a song she really got into. It wasn't a romantic relationship she'd left, but a toxic family. Her voice wasn't professional, but it was nice enough for a casual song. Soft, but strong. When the song was over, she was feeling good and excited to hear him sing. They called him as she was heading down. She gave him a smile. "Have fun!"
That confirmed which type of history Aesa had, as she spoke up about her family. Those in the Americas always did that, though, and shared too much too quickly with strangers. Each generation had a way to describe what that was; some say it was just trusting, but the newest generation called it something negative due to unconscious bias or manipulation. He couldn't really wrap his head around it, as it was just information like stories that passed by him every other day. Not wanting to keep attention on such a topic, he just nodded in acknowledgement instead of making any comments regarding her past.
Army, that would have been correct if it were around a century ago. Just shrugging before she said Ex-Military, that was when he let her examine him politely before he cut in. "I was a professional athlete at one point, then joined the military before leaving it a while later. So you are close enough. I'm just a freelancer nowadays, private sector work as it were." Gerwulf didn't say what military, where, or whom he fought. Neither did he mention the blood sport that he was referring to. The world had indeed changed, and this was amusing enough in itself, he thought before sipping on some more whiskey from his glass.
It was getting low as she reacted to his choice in music. "Few would, I'd have chosen something more fanciful. But I doubt it would suit the audience." Nodding as he also thought Dolly Parton was a treasure. As Aesa motioned for another beer, he raised his tumbler with a tilt to call for another. In these local dens, they usually had barkeeps who still intuited what the customers wanted with the least amount of effort. Bigger cities, they asked, and had to clarify because the wrong drink would just be docked from their pay. "Drinking and driving ain't really that smart," shaking his head as he spoke hypocritically. The difference between them was that his metabolism would keep him sober enough.
"I highly doubt it'll be that embarrassing," Gerwulf chuckled as she moved up toward the stage after her name was called. Placing some cash on the counter as he took the second glass, winking at the bartender when they realized he had dropped a couple of benjamins instead of twenties. "Give me a bottle if you can..." He stated that before the guy nodded and left him, the bottle to pour. Turning around, he saw Aesa take the stage and begin to sing. It was good, not something that would bring people from all around, but powerful with emotion. He liked it and clapped with the rest of them as she finished. Downing the glass, he picked up the bottle and nodded to Aesa. "Not very sporting to have my first come up against that now."
He teased as he moved toward the stage, as his name was spoken aloud. At the side of the stage, he spoke to the coordinator and stepped up. Gerwulf stood in the little spotlight, the heat and buzz of the room going almost silent as he looked like a regular tough guy. Bottle of whiskey in hand, as he pressed the neck to his lips and took a long swig. He moved his large hand over the mic and pulled it close, smirking as he growled into it in an almost guttural manner, something with such bass that it reverberated. The reason why he spoke to the organizer was to let him go up silently, and make a scene before singing. With the choice of song, the person thought it was hilarious, so they went along with it. That was when the dulcet notes escaped his lips that almost didn't seem like they could come out of the large man as he sang Jolene.
Gerwulf was practiced at singing, lung, and breath control. He could have been something else entirely if he focused on such things, yet it was just fun. It was what happened when you had centuries of marching songs, skald yarns, and singing around campfires. The emotion being pushed was the loss of friends, lovers, and comrades. Jolene was many things to others, but to Gerwulf, he equated it to the sweet whispers of Death itself. By the end, he just closed his eyes and tipped his whiskey back, necking some more as he thanked the crowd with a grin before heading back over to Aesa, wondering if she was still by the bar. "Needed to let loose a little"
Aesa laughed as he commented on her performance. "Please. That wasn't anything special." She didn't go back to the bar, their space already filled by someone else. Instead, she stayed near the steps where he'd come back down when he finished. She shook her head as people took him in growing quiet. People make such assumptions based on appearance. Drove her insane sometimes. It was hard not to grin since she knew what songs he'd talked about singing. Both of them were going to send the crowd for a loop and she was here for it.
When he growled it sent a shiver over her skin. That was mildly terrifying and awesome at the same time. It sent the crowd to staring with wide eyes, expecting some king of rock or metal song to be performed. The moment the first note of Jolene came out the crowd erupted with screams and cheers. His voice was wonderful and she wondered for a moment why he didn't do this professionally. A lot of people who could sing didn't. They just weren't interested. She tried to imagine music producers turning the big man into some pop idol or boy band member and laughed. That was a crazy image and a crazier idea. When he finished, she was applauding for him as he came off the stage. "As if you had anything to worry about going after me. If anything the person who goes next is going to have performance anxiety."
Aesa found an empty table out of the crowd and sank down into the chair, kicking her feet up on the table. She was wearing bike boots, but she didn't really care if they were fashionable or not. They protected her and it was too much of a pain to change them before coming in. "I give it ten minutes, max, before people start coming over to flirt with you. You just showed the whole bar you're the entire package." She laughed then motioned to him. "How long are you in town for anyway? Or are you just passing through after finishing your other work?" Her eyes flicked to the crowd out of habit, scanning for trouble before going back to him. Asking questions about him meant she didn't have to make small talk about herself and she didn't mind that at all. She wasn't ashamed of her work, but it wasn't as if she needed to offer her services to him. This man, without doubt, could take care of himself.
Gerwulf loved the attention, spotlight, the wide-eyed looks, and then the cheers that roared after as he sang. Being a big guy wasn't just that; people were often intimidated, and after a while, it got a bit stale. Instead, he went with surprising others, overturning their expectations of him and just doing whatever the fuck he wanted. So he nodded and laughed as he gave a friendly wave to anyone who caught his attention as he made himself comfortable next to Aesa by the table she had found. "It wasn't that bad, I'm just used to singing my heart out when needed. You should see when I get all dressed up for musical numbers," Smirking, before he gave her a teasing wink. After he lifted he bottle he had and began to drink some more, to the point where others would have thought it was water for show.
"Ten minutes? With you about, I doubt that." He chuckled at her mention that he was the entire package. She likely missed that he had thrown down money as well and cared little about such things. According to what the general populace wanted, he could have been considered quite the prize. Gerwulf didn't think so, though; he had his flaws and was generally enjoyed a little at a time. "As long as I want, not sure when I'll get my next call, and I don't have any standing clients at this time. Just spending some time relaxing and taking in the sights," He couldn't help himself as his eyes wandered along Aesa's boots and legs as he said the last part before wagging his eyebrows like a goofball.
Sucking upon his lips momentarily, he glanced about as she did, though it was less like that of a professional who was tallying exits and more of a jock trying to spot the difference. "Relax, you and I are probably the most dangerous people in this place. With those habits of yours, it's easy to spot," Gerwulf stated as he shook his head, before slowing to stretch. His back and shoulders rolled as his neck seemed to pop multiple times as he leaned it left and right. Slumping back down in a semi-hunch, he sighed as if he needed that after a long day doing something hard. His boot was slowly tapping as the next singer got onto the stage to wham out a classic rock song.
