Private The Bilge In The Bucket Drown Your Sorrows

[Caden S. Freemont]

It had been some months since Caden had stepped footpaw in the Bilge. There were far better establishments closer to his home in the Imperial Condos. Today, though, he did not want to be near his home. Today he wanted to get Very Drunk and forget about what had just occurred on a hill overlooking the harbor. The Bilge was a very good place for drowning one's sorrows.

"You just had to tell him, didn't you?" he muttered darkly to himself as he pushed open the doors, shouldering aside a fox who was leaving the tavern. He ignored the beast's curse at him, quickly cut off as the doors swung closed. "He goes and does something stupid like proposing, and of course you lose your head and go off on him like a complete lunatic."

The albino marten fairly slammed himself onto a barstool, claws digging into the bar. There was one drink that would hurt him so much and so quickly he would not feel the pain clawing at his chest for much longer. It also had a chance of causing him to go blind, but his vision was already so poor without glasses, and Caden was beyond caring at this point.

"Odde Tinge," he growled at the beast working behind the bar. "Make it a double."

 

[Mina Rose Brewer]

The perky vixen behind the bar winced at his tone of voice, but rallied herself to reach beneath the bar and grabbed a bottle, gently sloshing the liquid inside before grabbing a tall glass and carefully pouring it. "Made ih' a triple fer ya," she advised, pushing it across to him. "No extra charge. Ya look like ya coul' use ih'. Death in th' fam'ly?"

 

[Caden S. Freemont]

Taking the glass in paw, Caden downed the entirety of its contents. He let out a growling gasp, nearly dropping the vessel. 'Gates, the stuff was stronger than he remembered, but it was just what he needed. He felt it the entire way down to his stomach, where it settled into a fiery churn that warmed him from the inside out.

When he was certain his body was not going to reject the potent stuff outright, he responded to the vixen behind the bar. "You could say that," he said darkly. "But I don't want to talk about it. I've done too much talking already. I'll have another. Start a tab for me."

 

[Izakis]

Stalking and prowling around the Bilge, seeking unusual beasts, was a thing that Izakis did already before becoming a Smudgie. Now, it was a part of her job as she both sought secrets and allies for her organisation plans.

As such, spotting Pine Marten in fancy clothes that indicated IRA levels of wealth compared to than what most Bilge clientele wore, sitting by himself at the bar, asking for a tab and extra strong drinks was a perfect opportunity.

Both to do what she always did before, and to fulfil her new purpose. She was going to serve herself fully to help this beast in clearly dire situation and dark clouds over his mind, trying to help him and soothe his mind. But this time, it wouldn't be just for coin, nor even for self-fulfilment, since any drama among beasts of that look and wealth was always in some way political, Izakis had a good idea of what juicy secrets, normally safe with her, she could provide to back to headquarters.

Slithering between the usual clients with measured strides, snaking her freshly regrown tail sensually, she got to the stool by the Marten and rather casually sat upon it, waving the bartending vixen for a drink and just hearing what the Marten said.

"Not talking is understandable with wounds that are fresh... but sssstrong sssstuff won't help you. Good sssstuff will." She spoke clearly, with full respect and none of her usual sultry. Understanding well it wouldn't be in a good taste now, before turning to the barvixen "Dear vixy, get this Marten a bottle of Livry 1752 cognac. My treat."

 

[Caden S. Freemont]

Caden glanced sidelong at the lizard, taking in her clothing and how she held herself. He flicked an ear at her order and slid a paw under his glasses to rub at his eyes with a shake of his head.

"No offense, miss. But you're not going to get any coin from me. I'm for jacks, and I certainly am not looking for that kind of distraction tonight."

 

[Mina Rose Brewer]

Mina Rose nodded, focusing on topping off the marten's drink and keeping quiet. Brooding drinkers like these were good tippers when the waitress kept the drinks coming, listened when they talked, and kept quiet save for the occasional encouraging or sympathetic sound.

As a lizard approached, Mina Rose followed her movement and blushed. The vixen had observed the way she moved through a crowd, the slight sensual movements that filled her with a bubbling jealousy of her grace, as well as more complicated feelings she didn't dare touch. As she reached to grab the requested bottle from the top shelf, having to stand on a stool to do so, she practiced some of the hip movements that the lizard seemed to perform so naturally. She only succeeded in wobbling the stool, which made her cease all frivolity as she retrieved the inordinately expensive bottle and opened it, setting it in front of the lizard with a raised eyebrow.

 

[Izakis]

Izakis just smiled and giggled a bit. "I understand why you think ssso, but If it was coin I was after, I wouldn't be buying you things now, would I? And also, I tend to grow ssssome manly bits for the winter. Reptile things." She followed running her tongue over her scaly lips with a friendly chuckle.

Izakis then looked at the vixen and blew her a small kiss with a nod. "Cheers love. Oh, and while I am flattered, if you have ssssomebeast or wish to sssstick to one, don't take me as an example." She quickly bleped her tongue and she followed with taking the bottle with her tail and taking two glasses into her claws, pouring the cognac into them with gusto and giving one of them to the Marten.

 

[Caden S. Freemont]

Caden blinked at the lizard, unsure how to respond for a moment. He settled on a non-committal, "Huh."

Somehow remembering his manners, he tipped an informal salute to the barkeep. "Thanks, miss." He took the glass from the lizard and swirled its contents before taking a sip. "Well, it's better than Tinge, at least. So long as it gets me there, and fast, it's fine with me. I'm Caden, by the way."

 

[Mina Rose Brewer]

Mina Rose smiled at the marten as he raised a glass to her, and she busied herself with wiping the counter just a few feet down from the pair, close enough that she could attend to them in a moment and listen in on what would surely be some very interesting conversation, but without seeming intrusive. After all, they would clearly be big spenders tonight. That or they'd try to dip before closing their tab, in which case Mina Rose wanted to be able to call the bouncer over right away. She'd already lost too many paychecks to beasts running out on their tab, and she wasn't eager to repeat it.

 

[Vihmastaja]

It wasn't often that Vihma went to the Bilge. Once upon a time she'd try to come along with her crew on outings to bars like this, involving herself in the revelry so much as she could to keep a good name for herself. On the Valdez, it had mostly been an exercise in futility, and more often than not she'd find a place to be alone instead on her days back in port.

Things were happier now. The weasel wore marine green instead of navy blue, and she had real friends, rather than familiar faces she'd assigned feelings just to pretend at connection. She had Morgan, a beast she loved the only ways she knew how - desperate but clumsy, undyingly loyal, convinced but... uncertain.

In late months, she'd come doubt herself, to think whatever she offered wasn't enough, that what she had might still slip through her claws, like it always seemed to do. It would be her fault again, such that it always was, and she would be back to nothing, after gaining so much.

So here she was. Ale in paw - some of the cheap, gross stuff she'd somehow developed a taste for - she'd found a card game to keep her from going morose with drink, from considering, much less confronting, the problems she felt she faced.

Vihma liked cards, liked to gamble - a vice she'd had to cut back on after discovering Morgan's own love for the sport. It would have made her feel guilty were it not for the winnings she'd already made, a pawful more gilders than she though necessary to save for the future, or that she could explain in a gift. Naturally, then, it was money to be spent on more drink.

Excusing herself, she made from her table to the bar, a tilt to her step, just enough to betray the rounds she'd drank before.

"'nother ale, if y'please, mate."

The weasel passed coin enough across the counter to the vulpine barkeep, twitch of her orange tail and the lilt of her so-often nasally voice suggesting she'd be happy with about anything given at this point.

 

[Mina Rose Brewer]

Mina Rose's gaze turned from the pair down the pair to the weasel jill who'd approached the bar for another drink. The vixen smiled, her tail swishing as she grabbed a fresh mug and poured a perfect two-centimeter head on the drink, passing it across. "Ya been winnin' a bit o'er there, ain'cha?" Mina Rose remarked, nodding to the table. "Bu' ya don' seem much t' be drinkin' ta celebrate. Summin' gotcha in yer cups?"

 

[Vihmastaja]

Vihma laughed through her nose, as though dismissive of the thought. Leaning against the counter, she took a long swill of the ale, enough that she closed her eyes and had to cough when she'd had her fill.

Wiping her mouth with the back of her paw, the weasel offered the barmaid a smile for her interest.

"Ye got me all wrong, mate. Life's as good 's it ge's."

She shifted thoughtfully, as though thinking over her own words. Then the weasel laughed again, though more bitterly.

"Jus' think'n 'f 'ow I'll muck it up in the future, neh?"

There was so much freedom in fatalism - more than a proper beast would know. Vihma might have found something profound to say in the same vein, but the cheap alcohol and whatever additives or refuse gave it flavor took the words from her mind and reduced it back to the cards she'd been playing.

"On the winnin' streak now, like ye say. But 'm a born loser, 's in me blood, may'aps. Waiting t'see 'ow long it takes for the rest t'figure tha' out."

Despite her words, the weasel kept up her smile as she went for another drink. Conversation was nice, even if it wasn't her favorite subject.

 

[Mina Rose Brewer]

Mina listened to the weasel's dour words, pondering over them as she poured herself a shot of the ale and sipped at it. She was allowed to drink with the patrons to a limited extent, so long as she didn't get drunk and paid for it from her pocket; she'd found that some beasts actually drank more once they had company. "Well," she mused, "mayhaps ye been on a losin' streak b'fore. 'Gates knows Ah jus' go' off a 'eck 'f one. Reckon 'at's jus' based on knowin' yer cards though, righ'? If ya go' a bad paw, bes' ta discard ih' an' try yer luck another round. If ya go' a real good paw, though, then see 't ou'. Mebbe ye'll win, mebbe ye'll lose, bu' if ya throw away yer bes' shot, then yer choosin' ta loose. Ya seem too smar' ta do 'at t' yerself." She took a sip of her drink, wondering if that qualified as 'bartender wisdom' or not.

 

[Vihmastaja]

Vihma made a choking noise, her face contorting between several different emotions. It was easy enough to chalk up to sour drink, and the weasel coughed to clear her throat, whatever the cause.

"Think I always got a good 'and, jus' a matter of... beasts gottin' a better one, or folding on me before I'm through. Never see it comin', not 'til it's much too late."

She looked more deflated now, and thoroughly spent of card game analogies, though she kept up the smile for appearances.

"'s wild t'think 've even got a beast tha' loves me again. Dunno 'ow that 'appened."

Her whiskers twitched with the thought of Morgan, her kindness to her from the day they'd met, their first days together on the Hide. The warmth of her sandy-furred body.

The ferret had been a refuge long before they'd shared a bed, though Vihma's thoughts inevitably drifted from the tip of Morgan's muzzle to the end of her tail, lingering on memories made in between enough to make her own tail curl.

It was hard to stay sad then, some real mirth creeping into her smile, but embarrassment was sharp to replace self-pity, even with the alcohol, and it took another deep sip of her ale to try to compose herself, followed by a long breath through her nose.

"Any'ow, I've been rock bottom before, 's not great, but 'm not afraid of goin' back there, per say. Jus' really like what I've got, 'n I don' know 'ow t'keep it."

She sniffed then, and tried to change the subject, idly moving her mug around on the counter.

"Wot 'bout ye then? Ye seem pretty chipper, neh? 'Cos you're on the up 'n up?"

 

[Mina Rose Brewer]

Mina Rose listened to Vihma reflect, her tail wagging as she smiled. The wistfulness on Vihma's face had her sympathetically recalling evenings with Kaii and the gentle, intoxicating pleasure of adoring and being adored. She saw the moment the walls came back up around the weasel's heart, and the turn of the conversation around as a shield. "Nah so bad naw," she admitted, taking both their cups and refilling them. "Los' mah fiancé, mah folks, an' mah 'ome t' pirates, jus' ta fin' ou' 'tweren' really anneh o't mahn ta begin wiv'. Gotta new fam'ly Ah ain' hardly me', an' a todd wot speaks real smart-lahke, usin' all 'em big words I don' know th' meanin' to, bu' darn if Ah don' ge' all the rah't tingles lis'nin' ta 'im speak."

Mina Rose turned, blushing as she set the full mug back in front of Vihma. "Way Ah see 't, ya go 'sumin' ye'll lose summin', Universe migh' figgur ya didn' value ih' an' take ih' away. Naw Ah don' mean Ah didn' love mah folks, bu' Ah took 'em fer gran'ed, an' now Ah regre' 't. Naw Ah gah' summat ta lose again, Ah'm righ' scared a' losin' ih', an' darn if Ah don' ge' th' wors' nigh'mares abou' it. If Ah dwell on 'em fears, though, 'en Ah ain' enjoyin' th' tahm Ah go', naw am Ah?" She smiled as she raised her shot to clink with Vihma's mug. "Ain' nothin' guaranteed, so mebbe ya shoul' show yer love 'ow much 'e means t'ya. Migh' 'elp ya keep' im, an' iffit don', well, 'at's one less regreh' fer later."

 

[Willow "Longshanks"]

He couldn't have asked for a better night, really.

The moon was shining bright in the sky, streaming in through the modest windows of the Bilge in the Bucket to their little table. A few small candles sat mostly covered, flickering their holders as the barest bits of a cool spring breeze blew by and tousled their fur. It wasn't exactly the locale he was imagining when they had mentioned going out for dinner, but the Bilge, as he had heard, was an unbeatable classic.

Relaxed down and into his side of the booth seat, he sat opposite the remarkable vixen he'd met at the Frost Fair with two glasses of a sweet white wine well drained and a bottle close to empty. Their plates had long since been removed and now only the wine and their drifting conversation graced their table.

As it shifted from one topic to the next, he gestured towards @Adelina Laska with the bottle and tipped the last of it into her glass. With nothing more to grace his cup but plenty of conversation yet to go, he muttered a quick:

"Ah, let me go get some more, hm~?"

and stood for what felt like the first time in hours, swaying a bit under the effects of the alcohol. Brushing off his trousers and straightening his overcoat, he was about to take off in a confident stride towards the bar...

---

... when, at about the same time, a handsome Albino Marten came charging in through the front. He wobbled to the side, out of the way of the swinging door, and listened as the Marten grumbled something about a proposal and a lunatic. A fox striding towards the exit didn't fare much better, though.

As the Marten sat at the bar along with the Keep, asking for a strong sounding drink, a sumptuous blue Skink and a Jill with a striking dual-colored coat arrived from within the Bilge's depths and sat close as well. Snippets of their various conversation met his ears and he flicked them to and fro curiously, taking in what all of the beasts had to say. The Marten and Weasel looked like they were having a rough go of it, though the barmaid was attending to the weasel for the time being. The Skink appeared to be propositioning the well-dressed... Caden, he said his name was—at least it was with an expensive vintage—until she all at once wasn't.

Well... he was a beast in a good mood! Perhaps he could do some good; some of his cheer might rub off on the Marten.

Not wanting to cause too much of a fuss, he slid up against the stool opposite the skink and beside Caden to offer a friendly smile and wait for the Barmaid to come check on him.

"Hello there!" He offered cheerfully towards the pair, settling his wine glass and empty bottle down.

"Couldn't... help but overhear a touch of the conversation. I'd hate to contridict somewhat... but perhaps a listening ear and some good, strong liquor is just what you need, hm?" By way of swivelling one large, ginger colored ear towards the Marten, the He-wolf smiled widely and nodded towards Caden's recently refilled cup. "I'm Willow; professional knower of nothing and expertly good listener."

He leaned back in his chair, smiling at the Skink and rolling his wine glass on its edge. "Or you can tell me to bugger off—and I will, of course! But I find it's wise to talk about what ails you before it starts to fester."

 

[Izakis]

"Izakis is what I am called. It is a pleasure to meet you, though I presume whatever circumstances brought you here are not so kind." She spoke and gently clinked his glass with hers before taking a quick sip.

Seeing as the waitress ignored her comment and took to talking with another beast, one who, at least from bits of conversation was also suffering, made her see the vixen in a bit of a different light. She wasn't much unlike her, which scared the skink greatly. Her path was fun, but it was borne from desperation.

But she quickly recovered and focused back on Caden. That albino Marten was also in need of help and while Izakis would've done a lot to help everyone, he was also the most valuable target in this room. She smirked and assessed him quickly, looking at his build and mannerisms. "Mind telling me Caden, were you a ssssailor, ssssoldier or anything of the ssssort? sssSuch sssscars and presence are surely not coming from being a clerk... Though one can't say for sure in the Imperium I assu-"

Sudden intrusion of the rather giant newcomer put Izakis into more tensed up position. While the Skink didn't mind more company, she for sure quickly had her qualms about any beasts swarming someone who clearly wished to be left alone and, more importantly, rather unwilling to share of what happened.

"Well, hello mister. I don't wish to challenge your methods, but I wouldn't mind if you were to let me finish my ssssentence first before you start doing your listening." She winked at him and playfully tapped his glass of wine with her claw. There was no malice in her voice, it was just as playful as her gesture, but as sharp as the claw she used for it. She of course wouldn't try to fight this wolf, not under any circumstance. But she would definitely try her best to try and not let him bring any more problems to the Marten.

She then turned to Caden again, trying to give him space he needs. It was his pain and as such he should be the one in charge of what he wants tonight. That is how she always treated her... more shattered clients. "Feel no pressure to answer me. Your night means your rules Caden. All emotions need to be relieved, but doing so in most natural way is the best for all beasts."

 

[Mina Rose Brewer]

Mina Rose caught, out of the corner of her eye, another beast approaching the bar with a drained bottle - a strangely lanky fox of some kind, perhaps? Bully Harbor got all sorts, she'd learned. "Mull on 'at thought fer a momen'," she advised Vihma before moving down the bar, smiling at the trio. "Sorry 'bout th' wait, dispensin' a li'l bartender wisdom. Here ya go." She grabbed up a bottle of the same sweet white wine that the fox(?) had brought up the bottle for, expertly uncorking it and setting it before him with an apologetic smile and a remark of "Ah'll give ya a discoun' fer th' wait." She poured a complimentary shot of dark, syrupy rum as an apology drink for each of the lizard and marten as well, giving each a warm smile, then slid back down the bar to Vihma.

"So," she remarked, somehow managing to turn it into a two-syllable 'so-wa' , "ya gotten any insight inta whatcha can do ta make th' mos' a' th' good things in yer lahfe?"

 

[Caden S. Freemont]

Caden was beginning to feel claustrophobic. Perhaps coming to the Bilge was a mistake and he should have gone for brooding on a rooftop in the Slups. But then again, Slups rooftop brooding always seemed to somehow end in a beast getting disemboweled and the entire district being set aflame. So perhaps dealing with excessively chatty beasts was the better option. He tried to convince himself of this as his ears flattened and another drink was poured for him by the barkeep.

"I was a mercenary," he said gruffly in answer to Izakis. "Now I work for the Stoatorian Guard as an instructor." The marten gave the large, overly-friendly, canid newcomer a slow, glaring once-over. "And every time I feel like I have something good in my life, the mistakes of my past catch up to me and hurt everybeast I love."

He looked away from his two new companions to watch the barkeep as she moved on to another customer. His eyes widened, and before he could stop himself, he said loudly, "Vihma?"

 

[Vihmastaja]

Vihma was thoughtful, taking another drink of her ale as the barmaid went to attend to another beast.

Of course, it was easier said than done, showing Morgan the extent of her feelings. Something stopped her still, some fear of judgement, or worse, that she might expose the depth of her character, leaving nothing left to wonder, and be found lacking. The weasel paid her dues and more, or so she tried to, trying to keep from her mind the fears that it wasn't enough, that she wasn't enough.

If it was the fear holding her back, her own caution a weapon against her, well - abandoning that was no easier done. Caution had served her well. Those who cared for her one month might not in the next. Of course, she believed she was more than a passing fancy to Morgan, earnestly believed that the ferret would never do her harm. Maybe it was more herself that she didn't fully trust.

Beasts moved around in the bar, though the drunken weasel didn't give them much care. When the barkeep returned, Vihma tried to compile her thoughts into something worth saying,

"Mebbe, jus' a matter of makin' myself."

She might have continued, only for a beast beside her to suddenly call her name.

Vihma blinked at him, a moment passing before recognition hit her. There weren't so many albino martens in the Imperium, at least not ones she knew, but she'd not seen the beast often, being more a friend of a friend of hers. The alcohol probably didn't help matters.

"Caden?" she ventured uncertainly, as though it took another moment for her to dredge up the name. That much made her feel suddenly guilty, and so the weasel momentarily forgot the marten had been with Daniil, that fox who had seen Morgan arrested on bogus charges.

"Fancy seein' ye 'ere. 'ow's Asta?"

Her voice was polite, warm - that much drink did help with - and she looked curiously over at each of the other beasts Caden had been surrounded by, a scandalously clad lizard of some sort and a towering fox - company enough to spawn more questions.

"Friends of yers?"