Get some drinks in

On the walk to the bar, you could barely think of anything beyond how good her hand felt in yours. You point out other locations of interest that Jiz'ne should check out, but your only concern was how natural it felt to be walking and talking with her. After a few minutes you both arrive at your destination, a red brick building with recessed windows emblazoned with a sign reading "The Gulch".

"Here it is! Fun fact, it's named after the owner, Gul'ash. He wanted it to be "Gul'ash's" but after folks kept mishearing the name, he decided to just roll with it. So, you're not the only one that isn't an expert on kobold names," she teased, nudging you with her hip.

"Thanks for reminding me, I almost forgot that embarrassing thing that happened an hour ago." you nudge her back.

She led you into the aged establishment, and you spend a moment taking it in. It was run down, but in a comforting way. It reminded you of the friends' basements in which you had wasted much of your high school years. It was about half full, with a crowd mostly consisting of demi-humans, many of the smaller varieties. Save for an orc couple in the corner, you were among the tallest people there.

The two of you take a couple of seats at the far edge of the bar and were promptly greeted by a bubbly kobold bartender. Her hair was dyed a vibrant blue and pulled back into a pair of long braids. She had a pair of snakebite piercings in her lower lip and a series of rings in each ear. She wore a low-slung sleeveless t-shirt that showed off a generous view of her cleavage which must bring in an equally generous boost to her tips. She recognized Jiz'ne and introduced herself as Par'niip, but she went by Parsnip. She gave you a quick look up and down and her expression seemed to signify that she approved. You couldn't help but return the favor and give her a quick scan to confirm that if you weren't already with a beautiful date, you could see yourself spending some time chatting her up.

Jiz'ne took the initiative and ordered you both house whiskies. It was your turn to be inconvenienced by the seating arrangements as the stools at the bar were at least a foot higher than you would find comfortable, leaving me to hunch over the bar like a gargoyle. Jiz'ne watched you suffer in silence for a moment before she could no longer hold back her laughter.

"If you're having some trouble with the seat, there's a lever on the side that can lower it, big guy! Like a salon chair." She helpfully explained in between giggling. A brief bit of fumbling with a creaky lever later, you were now at an appropriate height to resume casually leaning on the bar counter and looking your beautiful date in the eye.

"In my defense, I've never seen something like that at a bar!" you say in your best attempt to play it off.

"Consider it an example of kobold ingenuity!" She punctuated her boast with a sip of her drink. You followed suit and had to resist the urge to recoil. You were unfamiliar with kobold liquor, but it seemed like especially powerful stuff.

"Hooo yeah," Jiz'ne exhaled. "That's what I needed."

"Oh yeah." you suppress a cough. "That's good stuff."

"So... about getting to know each other better. Why did you ask me out?" She shifted towards you, focusing on you with her full attention.