Waiting Shapeless

Chapter 1. Lertrel

Hud: Pardos

Hud took a large gulp of his soapy beverage.

His face twisted in disgust, trying hard not to spit out the brownish liquid.

This was the first time he ventured to try this Human drink. He usually got the universal intoxicating beverage called Hulla, made from vegetation that grew on the Lougémas's wet planet, Oi. Being drunk and high was a part of everyday life for a Lougémas, so they knew how to make real good stuff. But whoever made this drink obviously did not know what they were doing.

"Ja' like dat stuff?" Spat a grimy looking Human as he slapped himself down uninvited into the seat next to Hud.

Hud quickly looked him up and down. He didn't recognize the man. The toothless grin and the haze in his eyes told Hud he was hammered out of his mind.

"'ts called beer—and if ja don't like it, don't drink it!" The man burst into a hysterical laugh and looked around to see if he could get support from the other drunkards. Nobody paid attention.

Hud growled at the man. Humans got so stupid when they were drunk.

"Awww..." Said the man, his smile turning into something a little more hostile. He leaned in close to Hud. "Jus' 'cus you don't like it" he said softly "...don't mean ja need to be aw pissy 'bout it, ja green, piece a—"

Hud didn't let the drunk finish his insult; he'd had enough. He grabbed the man behind the neck with one arm and effortlessly threw him to the floor.

The bar went silent, it's occupants peering over to see what had just happened.

The greasy man on the floor groaned quietly and muttered something before passing out.

After a moment of silence and seeing that the man on the floor wasn't dead, the bar quietly went back to its slurred life.

Hud shook his head and took another sip of his drink, only to gag again. The drink was awful! He pushed the mug away, focusing instead on the hum of voices around him.

The bar was a Mock-Earth bar, a bar that supposedly replicated the buildings where people went to drink on Earth. They were usually so filthy and unpopular that only the scummiest species could be found there. Hud had heard once that the real Earth bars were much better than the Mock-Earth bars. He figured that was probably true; a place like this wouldn't be all that hard to beat.

But Hud liked going to this bar. Most of the regulars there knew Hud, or at least recognized him. They knew he was a big gun for hire, a hit man, and they knew not to pick fights with him. He had made sure of that.

Most races knew not to pick a fight with a Pardos anyway, hitman or not.

Hud belonged to an elegant species. The Pardos were known for their cool temperament and strong sense of self control. With their hairless and striking dark forest-green skin, they stood about a head taller than even the tallest beings. A thick, fleshy respiratory tube hung from the sides of Hud's head and dangled along the base of his neck, with gill like slits that allowed him to breath and smell. Three thick flaps of flesh draped over his skin; two over both sides of his chest and one over his genitalia, protecting the more sensitive areas of the Pardos body.

To another species, the Pardos would seem similar to the Human species in many ways. Their bodies were constructed in a similar form and they experienced many of the same emotions that the Humans did.

However, on the notion that the two species were similar, the Pardos species would strongly disagree. To be considered similar to the low-life monkey Humans was an insult to the noble Pardos.

When Hud first decided to check out this bar, the Human drunkards of that day were stunned.

Most of Hud's fellow species couldn't stand being around Humans, drunk or sober. So it was especially uncommon for a Pardos like himself to be found in a place like this. Hud was obviously unlike his fellow race; he didn't mind the human species too much.

In fact, there was one particular human he was once madly in love with.

But there was a bigger reason why he liked this bar.

Rhaas never came here.

He took a drawn-out breath, taking in the familiar smoky haze. The mustached bartender was chatting away with Jazzie, a large human that Hud had talked with many times. There was a shark-like Stram sitting farther down the bar that Hud recognized but never cared to remember the name of.

A couple dozen humans sat scattered around the tables behind him. Gause and Chuck always played poker; Keif, Stevan, Rodney, the hairy guy, and Yuto the snake-like Kaziraby always sat together laughing to themselves. A few others he had seen a few times before. A handful of those he hadn't. Even some species he didn't recognize.

Hud grabbed his drink reflexively and without thinking took another big gulp. This time he couldn't hold back, the liquid was unbearable. Hud violently threw it all up onto the floor beside him, the vomit splashing all over the man he had thrown down.

"Ehy!"

Hud looked up. It was the mustached bartender. He and Jazzie were looking at Hud in disgust, the bartender held his hands extended in front of him gesturing to the mess Hud had just made on the man laying on the floor.

Hud didn't see what the problem was. The man was already filthy, and so was the floor.

Hud grabbed his mug and tossed it down to the ground, shattering it on the drunk man's head.

"That drink was disgusting." He growled. He stood up and slapped some currency onto the bar.

The bartender quickly shuffled over to the money and counted while Hud started for the door.

"...Ehy and what 'bou' da mess and da glass on my floah??" Shouted the stout bartender in his thick accent. He once again gestured towards the passed out drunk on the ground.

Hud stood there for a second, then grunted. It was a bit messy. With the vomit and all.

He walked back to his seat and slapped down another handful of currency in front of the man. The bartender eyed it for a second, looked back up at Hud and then nodded slightly.

"Tanks." Muttered the bartender begrudgingly, keeping eye contact with Hud. "See you 'gain I'm shuah."

Hud nodded and walked out of the bar.