Private The Bilge In The Bucket Drown Your Sorrows

[Caden S. Freemont]

"Asta is...good." Caden squinted as suddenly his vision blurred for a moment. He checked to make sure his glasses were still on. They were, in fact. His vision snapped back to normal and he blinked. The stool beneath him seemed slightly less stable than before, and he laid a steadying paw on the bar top. It seemed the Tinge was already taking effect. You did down three shots in one go. He looked at Izakis and Willow, his awareness tracking a split second behind his vision as he vaguely wondered if he was going to survive the night. Then again, it might be better for everybeast if he died.

"Couldn't go killing more beast's mums if I'm dead," he muttered. A moment later he realized he had spoken the thought out loud. Hoping nobeast heard his words, he coughed and tilted his head to each of the beasts beside him in turn.

"Not friends, they just showed up a minute ago. Never seen either of them before. This one's Izakis, that one's Willow. They both seem to think I need somebeast to talk to. Do I look like I need somebeast to talk to?" He threw back more of the cognac, one eye twitching.

 

[Willow "Longshanks"]

"Apologies, Miss Izakis..."

He mumbled a little sheepishly after the Skink had said her piece, then nodded along with her.

"Ah, of course! Please forgive me, Caden, Izakis, I'm a little deep in my cup already... it's been quite some time for me."

Then the cute Barmaid set before him another bottle of wine. He gave her a big (perhaps dopey) smile and nod before wrapping his long paws around the neck of it, holding it as carefully as one would hold a live goose.

"Keep the rest for a tip then, hm, Miss?" He grinned, sliding across the necessary gilders and a few extra from his coin purse.

"The Stoatorian Guard, hum? Can't say I'm familiar with it, but I'm quite new to Bully. Seems an honorable position in title alone." Then Caden looked him over in a most concerning way and he shivered as soon as he looked away, feeling suddenly rather vulnerable all of a sudden. "I am... very sorry, Caden... I find—"

Then the Albino Marten was addressing the Jill across from them. They traded some companionable words, then Caden began to swim slightly in his seat. What was it that he'd had to drink again? Odde Tinge? Worrying...

Even more worrying were his next words: 'Couldn't go killing more beast's mums if I'm dead.'

Willow felt a deep pit being uncovered in the depths of his stomach and his heart dropping somewhere to search it. Then Caden spoke again and his heart lurched somewhere closer to the bottom of that pit.

Perhaps... it was time to leave before he got himself hurt. "Again, my apologies, Caden... erm... I'll not impose myself any longer if my presence is not wanted."

 

[Izakis]

Izakis listened intensely to the conversation between the beasts around her, trying to piece together how to navigate this suddenly thrown net of social connections. Caden had someone who he knew nearby, the new guy, Willow, was friendly and harmless, if a bit too apologetic after her rebuke. Of course, that cute vixen behind the bar was now entangled into it all. The situation was complex and clearly was not helping Caden, and as such she moved back just enough to make sure he had space to breathe, at least on her side.

However at his comment regarding... well everything, Izakis could pick up what was the reason Caden was here. Guilt. Pain of actions done. She was very focused on him before as she had imposed a task of helping him upon herself. Now however, after his muttered comment? She already knew enough to maybe report something interesting back, while also knowing how to navigate this very delicate situation.

"Well Caden, you misunderstand. I don't think you need ssssomebeast to talk to per sssse. As most mercenaries I know, you need companionship and camaderie..." She started slowly. "sssSpeak or not about what happened, but at least be assured you aren't left alone to rot with your thoughts." Izakis said before while reaching her tail to put the cognac in front of him.

She then turned to the other beasts. "Pleasure to meet you Vihma." She spoke to the weasel while putting her right claw on her chest to slightly bow. "I think I saw you before in various places in the harbour before... but nonetheless, I am but a someone who likes to be there for those who sssstruggle."

"And you Willow, no need to be so ssssheepish. Just make ssssure to give sssspace to the one who's going through the pains of life now." She mused to Willow and have him a small bump into his arm, realising how lanky he is.

Following that, she put down her glass and reached to the pouch under her tail, pulling out three of rolled tobacco into what was known as cigar, offering it to the group with a genuine smile.

 

[Mina Rose Brewer]

Mina Rose smiled as the weasel seemed inclined to take the advice, then blinked as the jill apparently recognized the older jack who'd addressed her by name and they got to chatting. She felt a small pang of longing for that sort of community, but even most of the regulars here didn't seem to know her name. She moved down the bar, busying herself with tidying up the space as she listened in. Her ears pricked up at something the jack muttered, and she was sure for a moment that she must have misheard. "Sorry," she apologized, "bu' did ya say summat 'bou' killin' mums?"

"Well," a ferret jill, older even yet than the jack, remarked as she approached the bar, "I hope you no include me in dat." She had a Hanshiman accent, though lighter than that of some of the sailors who had come through the Admiral Rainblade Inn during Mina Rose's youth. She also was wearing a Stoatorian Guard uniform, which was a bit of a surprise to Mina Rose; she didn't figure there would be many foreigners in the guard. Then again, her cousin was in it, and he was Fyadorian - that was kinda foreign, wasn't it?

The ferret jill moved between Vihma and the jack, giving them a look of concern. "You two are okay?" she inquired, looking between them. "I no tink to see eitter of you here. Vihma, I tinked you would be wit' Morgan," she addressed the weasel, "but I goed to look for her and no finded her. I suppose we find a friend instead." She glanced at the jack, looking a bit skeptically at the drinks in front of him. "Caden, you are okay? Is Asta and Daniil okay?"

 

[Vihmastaja]

Vihma's eyes tracked the albino marten as he steadied himself, going a bit wide with the comment about killing.

It was something drunken, seemingly random, but the weasel felt a flicker of confused unease anyway. Memories of blood and despair in the dark came and went - the marten had probably meant nothing, certainly didn't know anything of her past. She supposed he probably killed some beasts' mums back during his days as a mercenary - she knew he'd been fighting a long time, and the math just worked out that way. Still, it was an odd thing to say, and didn't speak well for his feelings at the moment.

In the end she summoned a stiff lip and took another drink from her ale as Caden introduced her to his not-friends, pushing the unwelcome thoughts from her mind. If anything was clear from the short exchange, it was that the older marten had sought out his drink for stronger reasons than her own. Whether conversation was something the jack needed or not, she couldn't say - but Caden looked like he could use a friend.

The tall fox - Willow - seemed to make to leave then, and Vihma, setting her drink back on the counter, thought to say a word to keep him there. Before she could, Caden's other not-friend companion, the lizard - Izakis - spoke first, doing a better job with her words than the weasel might have, lizard-accented or not, and then gave her a friendly greeting, complete with a little bow.

Vihma returned Izakis' gesture in spirit with a slight smile and a deferential nod of her head - somewhat more pronounced than intended, what with the alcohol coursing through her veins.

The lizard stood out in a dull memory or two, perhaps. Vihma didn't know any lizards, though she'd seen many over the years. Her thoughts drifted back to scenes at the Opera House not so long ago, but another more familiar voice woke her from her recollection before she could make a connection.

"Eirine?"

Vihma turned in place to face the shorter ferret, her back against the bar, feeling a wave of small guilt at the mention of Morgan's name. The weasel made to speak for herself, but thankfully she asked after Caden next, a beast she felt needed the ask more - more than she needed to spill her guts and complicate life for her jillfriend's mother, anyway.

"'e said Asta was alrigh'. Think 'e's feelin' guilt abou' some beasts 'e killed."

She half-turned again to finish the last of her drink, hoping she'd been somewhat helpful. Guilt was a terrible thing. Vihma could remember the way her mother had seemed haunted by her past, by all the souls she'd taken. She'd killed beasts of her own in her time on Urk. Somehow it'd not gotten to her yet, but maybe it was the sort of thing to catch up eventually.

 

[Caden S. Freemont]

It really was altogether too much talking for the jack. Caden had come to the Bilge to drink and scowl until he blacked out and somebeast dragged him into the alley and left him on a sack of potatoes to sober up. He drank more cognac and listened to the voices as they melded around him. At least the 'Tinge was doing what it was supposed to do. His entire body was warming and reality felt altogether less real. Then another beast was speaking to him, this time in a voice and accent he knew well. He turned to look at Eirene as she stepped between him and Vihma. The two jills began to converse, and Caden wanted to melt into nothing. So he drank more.

There was a sudden flash of movement in his periphery. Even were he sober, he likely would not have been able to dodge as a fox appeared seemingly out of nowhere and throttled him, dragging him off his stool in the span of a breath. Simultaneously, somebeast yelled from behind the group at the bar, and two tables were bodily lifted and turned over as all hellgates seemed to break loose all at once.

---

The foxes had entered the Bilge, first one, then two, then a pawful and more. All took places throughout the tavern--some sitting, some going to the bar, some mingling in the spaces between the tables. The biggest one, a todd flanked by a pair of wiry vixens, had gone straight for the albino marten without hesitation. Caden had been too drunk to hear it, but before he struck, the big fox hissed out, "This is for burning our place and killing so many of our mates, you dirty 'tid!"

---

Oh 'Gates.

Caden was grappled by a beast a head taller than him and at least two stone heavier. He was being pulled into the chaos that had erupted within the tavern. He could not breathe, and his vision was rapidly diminishing to pinpoints at the center of his field of view. The marten grabbed at the steel-muscled arm around his neck and dragged it down just enough so he could take a small, grasping breath. He clung to that arm with all that he was as the stronger, heavier beast fought to tighten their grasp on him.

The other Vulpinists scattered throughout the bar sowed chaos by throwing chairs, toppling tables, and attacking other patrons. Those nearest the attacker that throttled Caden covered for the big todd as he bodily tried to drag the marten towards the exit. They shoved beasts away and lashed out at anybeast who sought to interfere.

 

[Eirene Liu]

Eirene started at the sudden attack, her paw going over her shoulder to grab and unsling her halberd, but she was tackled by one of the Vulpinists too quickly. She realized too late that trying to use her polearm in these tight quarters, surrounded by friendlies and noncombatants, was foolish anyway. "Vihma, run!" she yelled to her all-but-daughter-in-law as she struggled to push against the fox trying to get his paws around his throat.

Mina Rose, standing behind the bar, froze as chaos broke out, stunned by the sudden violence. The attack on the Opera House overlapped in her memory with her parents' burning tavern, chaos and destruction multiplying upon themselves. It was only when one of the Vulpinists started to cross around the bar, a wicked gleam in his eyes as he stalked toward her, that she regained control of herself, backing away further down the bar. "Don't be like that, vixie," he cooed, something menacing in the way his tongue ran over his teeth. She saw his claws gleam as he flexed them as his side, and as she hit the back corner of the bar, she realized there was no place to go. "You'll like me when you get to know me... Or when I get to knowin' you, anyway."

Mina felt herself start to hyperventilate, a part of her disassociating from her surroundings. This wasn't real, this couldn't be real -

The todd grabbed at her just as her paw hit the handle of a small paring knife she'd been using to cut limes for mohitos, and she grabbed it, bringing it up into his gut. He yelped, clutching at his stomach, then viciously backhanded her. She saw stars as her head hit the bar top, then there was a crash of glass as his next blow sent her knocking into the back shelf, a small cascade of bottles falling from them. Mina Rose fumbled, flailing to find purchase somewhere, anywhere, anything to help her -

There was a loud crash as she turned, then a thump. She turned around to see, through blurry vision, her assailant slumped against the bar, his head and chest covered with amber liquid and fragments of fancy glass. The good stuff, she realized. In her fumbling, she'd bumped the top shelf enough to cause something expensive and in a thick glass bottle to topple onto his noggin.

I hope they won't be taking that out of my wages.

 

[Vihmastaja]

Violence came quickly in Bully, a fact Vihma had long since been acquainted with. But as the scene before her descended into chaos, she did think to run - a thought stayed, perhaps ironically, by Eirene's own demand she do so.

The weasel swore under her breath. It wasn't unlike the day she'd first met Eirene, and Bezine and Morgan. As she looked to the first of the two vixens that had followed the fox now strangling Caden, she could remember Calaisee and her gang, the soft, crooning sadism of her threats and taunts. But she remembered how they'd run off too, how they'd been so soundly beaten. And they were nothing compared to the shrews on Urk.

Besides, she couldn't leave Eirene, not after all the ferret had done for her and Morgan. And though she still didn't know the albino marten well, he was a friend of a friend of Morgan's, and that was something, no matter what his mate had done.

With only the slightest stumble, she fixed her grip on the mug of ale she'd bought, bringing it smashing down on the vixen. It shattered in the fox's face, sending the dazed beast back and away from struggling Eirene and Caden.

"C'mon then," she said, keeping herself between the two and whatever fighters might draw close to them. The words came out softer than she'd intended, buried far beneath the din of fighting that had broken out. But the foxes didn't need invitation.

A fist from the other caught her in the mouth, and then she was fighting again, wishing she'd brought more than the knife she wore, and unwilling to take things that far yet.

 

[Adelina Laska]

Adelina was already properly drunk but she didn’t mind Willow going for another bottle. It implied that he expected the night to go on for a while longer and that suited her just fine.

An outside observer might note that they had perhaps shared that last bottle a little too fairly between them; however lanky that ‘Longshanks’ was he had to better than double her, counting by stones.

Well, the wine was good. This fishertodd’s daughter thinks so anyway. Not that she thought it was cheap; she just didn't have quite as refined of a palette as some of the others at the royal academy. Well anyway, her father is a fishertodd, just, you know; a leader of fishertodds!

That brought a chuckle to her lips. The wine was good.

She was blushing and her smile was soft and warm, feeling a bit like she was swept up in a fairytale with the fates smiling indulgently on her. She was dressed the part too, not traditional courting dress at all but simply what seemed fun; her blue sun dress with yellow flowers. It wasn’t exactly a silky nightgown but it was showy enough, complemented her fur and eyes, and Willow seemed to like it which is what she now found herself appreciating about it most.

How much of this warmth is the alcohol and how much the company? Well the tall wolf certainly knew how to carry on a conversation, and it was an interesting game; hunting for clues to his lost identity in the labyrinth of intact knowledge perched behind his alert eyes. And she liked the way he looked at her, as if she lit up his world. Many wonderful things to discover is this new-to-him world and maybe she would be one of them.

With that thought luxuriating in her mind, warmly waiting for his return, sipping her drink, she surveyed The Bucket and its many varied denizens. Surely there was no better place to get acquainted with Bully Harbor and the Empire as a whole?

---

She was starting to wonder if Willow knew the flashy blue skink or stark white marten he was conversing with when a grim crowd of foxes swept into the hall.

It wasn’t that she didn’t pick out the pattern, in fact, drunk or not, she spotted the coordination of their movements faster than most, but she simply didn’t have the experience to recognize the impending violence. Or even to recognize the violence as it started to break out around her.

It was only after a few seconds of the melee that she realized she and many of her fellow beasts were in danger. By the time she stood up and started to run the nearest Vulpinist had already laid out another patron with a brutal sucker punch and, tracking her movement instinctively, he swiped a paw out and grabbed her by the arm.

She grunted in pain and alarm but then fell silent, a strange moment passing as both her and her attacker surveyed their surroundings. Him looking for any nearby beasts more troublesome than her that would require his attention and her confused by the suddenness of the attack and more dismayed at the chaos playing out around her than at her own predicament.

 

[Izakis]

Izakis wasn't much surprised that another random beast knew somebeast in this group. This was normal in this city and Bilge was a magnet that attracted individuals of all sorts, especially the ones that were interesting in one way or another. Usually, after all, that is how beasts were finding her. Following the chain of beasts who knew one another. She was happy for that magical property of this place which allowed for everyone to find anyone.

At least, she was happy until the not-so-magical side of said property showed its ugly teeth. Said chain also meant that disrupting one beast could've resulted in passing of the hatred until it reaches wrong paws.

And that is what must've happened, as suddenly the ones that Izakis were typically afraid of appeared in the room. Vulpinists. The ones who would love for her to return back to being but a slave, just as when she hatched.

But this time she was no longer that scared hatchling, nor a clueless teen. She was also no longer a content escort. She was a beast at duty.

And as she was recently taught, she needed no weapons to be deadly. Not with her pretty, yet sharp as steel claws and talons.

When a Vulpinist tried to grasp her, she smacked his groin with her tail hard enough to make him collapse, she turned around and fell her clawed foot onto his neck, enough to knock this todd out. After blowing him a kiss, she spotted that there was a massive todd trying to take Caden.

She was not a fighter, but ever since her day at the opera, she was more than willing to try her best and fight for others. It was a natural extension of living she already did. Instead of living to pleasure and soothe others, she was now also saving them.

So she lunged with agile moves, flowing between the fighting beasts with fluid movements, rushing towards Caden.

Only to be stopped as another brute grasped her blouse and punched her in the back, making her fall onto her face.

She didn't hear him due to sudden ringing in her ears, but she was smart enough to know exactly what words he used to describe her and her appearance.

And like in all situations where she was in that sort danger, she wasn't even going to pretend she is nice. Her reptile tongue ran over her sharp teeth once before she bit hard into his leg.

 

[Willow "Longshanks"]

Izakis' kind words were lost to the sudden outbreak of violence around them, as the foxes descended on the Bilge and began to wreak havoc. For a moment, Willow simply blinked, taking in the world around him as a slightly blurred series of movements like the choreographed steps to some 'Gates begotten dance.

...A tail to Izakis' attacker's nethers, but a second to follow him and attack her—only for sharp teeth to find him. A todd climbing behind the bar, menacing Mina only to be struck down by the butt of her blade and bottles. Eirene's attackers going for the halberd-wearing ferret with force. The smash of a mug against an attackers face as Vihma maneuvered to interpose herself between the attackers now dragging Caden bodily towards the exit...

Only Adelina's sharp gasp brought him from his tracking in time to notice both her wrenched wrist and, between them, the pair of foxes staring him down. Well, up, really, and quite startled to be doing so.

"'Gates, look 't this thing..." One murmured to the other, clenching his fists.

The other snarled and raised a bat. "—'s 't a fox? Looks loike ah freak..."

Willow suddenly felt the weight of his weapon at his side, a force that called to him in incessant physical memory. Unlike his time on the BlackShip, he knew now that combat was calling that he was made for it: the twitch in his muscles that urged him to draw his rapier and strike forward quick and decicively. But to draw steel—starmetal though it was—was to raise the stakes... and he wasn't nearly so decisive as his muscles in that moment.

"Gentlemen..." He mumbled, nodding to each fox in turn as he raised the recently uncorked bottle to his lips to indulge in a deep pull.

With a bolstering swig of sweet wine stolen, he took the heavy glass bottle and beaned it over the head of the one on the left. It made a satisfying 'thonk' noise even partially emptied, sending sending the fox to his knees with a wail of pain. The first strike would be the easiest—

The second, startled but seeing a prime opportunity for inflicting violence, swung his bat for the He-wolf's gut and let out a delighted 'HA!' as it met its mark. Willow's own groan was far from delighted as the bat struck less of his cushioning muscle and more of his uncushioned ribs—but there was no alarming 'crack' to follow, at least.

Wheeling back and bumping into the bar, he clutched at his gut and staggeringly sent the bottle flying at the second. Wheeling end over end it splattered the fox with sweet wine and struck him squarely in the sternum—not disabling but certainly momentarily disarming.

With an opening, minor as it was, made, his paws darted for his side and moved quickly at that. Unbuckling his belt, he pulled rapier and sheath together locked in leather frogs that once held it to his side, gripping the hilt and twisting so that he might properly fence with it.

"If it's a fight you blaggards want, it's a fight you'll get!" He shouted, levelling the absurd-looking but sheathed sword at the large fox manhandling Caden. But... the fox was not so large as Willow. "Unhand that Marten!"

...He just had to keep himself from looking at Adelina and inadvertantly making her a bigger target...

 

[Caden S. Freemont]

Shouting and the crash of furniture and the sounds of blows landing and glass shattering filled Caden's ears in a cacophony that swam through his consciousness, propelled on the slow, warm waves of Odde-Tinge-induced drunkenness. Somewhere he thought perhaps he should be more worried about being throttled and dragged through the bar, but mostly he could only feel some sense of horrendous regret that, were he to die at the paws of the sodding Vulpinists, the last things he would have said to Daniil would be, well...very unpleasant things. Daniil deserved better than that. And really, if somebeast had any rights to kill him, it was Daniil, not some giant of a fox who really really could use a bath.

With the small amount of space he had made for himself between his throat and the vulpine's arm, Caden managed to turn his head slightly and, with a quick movement while the fox was between steps, got himself alongside the beast rather than in front of him, breaking the hold even more. It was just enough to step behind the beast and free one of his paws to strike him solidly between the legs. The fox howled. Caden slammed his shoulder into his back an drove hard forward, forcing the beast to stumble towards Willow. Though he still had a hold on the marten, clinging to Caden in a position as though the jack's head was a battering ram, it was clear he had lost the upper paw on the bout of grappling.

---

Three of the foxes had managed to get Vihma and Eirene backed into the bar. As Izakis clamped her teeth down on the leg of another, the beast screamed and stumbled into the trio, providing an opening for the ferret and weasel. The fox that held Adelina saw the predicament of his ally grappling with the white marten. He scoffed at Adelina before releasing her and trying to make his way through the churning crowd towards the grappling pair that were closing in on Willow.

 

[Mina Rose Brewer]

Tin cups and ceramic mugs started flying from behind the bar, most of them going wide of their targets, but a few bouncing off of vulpine heads (and a few off of the defenders' shoulders and backs as well). Mina Rose had taken up station behind the bar and was seemingly throwing everything but the kitchen sink at the attackers, tears of panic streaming down her cheeks as she threw with mediocre aim.

The distraction did at least buy Eirene a moment to turn her halberd on her and Vihma's attackers. "Back," she warned, waving the blade threateningly and adding, "I no want to hurt you, but I do if you come near! Vihma," she muttered out of the corner of her mouth, "look for de exit. We need to go."

 

[Vihmastaja]

The fight wasn't going well, even by her standards. Vihma was reeling from a heavy blow when Eirene's words came back. Her nose was bloodied, whiskers bent out of shape, and she felt a bit more unsteady than the beer would explain. More than that, weapons were being drawn now, making the whole affair even more deadly serious. Vihma had only her knife on her, not wanting to risk losing her sword or anything she couldn't afford to gamble away. A prompt retreat didn't look like a bad idea - and she wasn't about to argue with Eirene.

Stumbling against the bar, she looked around rapidly, finding the ways out all blocked by the enemy. Cursing, she turned and called to the vixen she'd been talking with earlier, shouting to get her attention.

"'ey! There a back door out of 'ere?"