As his companions continued putting on a show for the dinner crowd, Alex made conversation with the flushed barmaid in between sips of this unusually strong ale.<b><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff0000">"Nah, they're pretty much always like this, although it usually takes a bit longer to get this far.  Seems to be getting you awful bothered...perhaps I can do something to help you with that?"</span></b>He sips his ale as Viri and Astrid inconspicuously started their own little performance.  The barmaid stammers out a question as Tamara and Cantora get particularly loud.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff0000"><b>"Am I any good?  Well, I'm the only man capable of regularly satisfying all these fine ladies on his lonesome on a regular basis; make of that what you will."</b></span>As he boasts, Alex absentmindedly notices one of the more sloshed bar patrons bearing down on his friends with a particularly leery look.<i><b><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff0000">"Hmm...hope this stays friendly, on I'll have to get involved pretty soon,</span>"</b></i>he thought.