The Tavern

[hopper]

It did not take too long to figure out which place would hold the things she wanted most, those being a strong drink and a comfy fireplace to curl up in front of. She dared not hope for a bed, such things seemed almost divinely rare to her, things for people with more money or strength than she, and so he wanted only for hay or soft grass or a warm floor. The bar was easily discernible not only from the stench of alcohol and blood which was so prevalent to drinking establishments in small, angry towns like these but also from the sounds. Loud shouting, the pounding of fists and the stamping of feet. Winifred leaned against a nearby building and reached into her sleeves, pulling out a small coinpurse which she kept tied around her forearm. Undoing the drawstring, she poured the coins into her hands, half a dozen bronze, a silver and two gold. It would be good enough for now until she could pick up more somewhere, she'd neglected to bring a stacked deck of cards or her old cup-and-ball game so she'd have to go about it the old fashioned way: picking pockets and cutting purses. It was an old game, and she'd had more practice than she could remember, ears perpetually ringing from the blows she'd taken for a missing apple or stolen bottle of milk. A confident grin worked it's way across her face as she eyed the people here, they looked tired, not worth much but unable to stop what they did have from being spirited away by someone smart, someone like Winifred for instance. How Jack would clap and dance when he'd watch her magic fingers wriggling in their shirts and trousers, a more amazing act than her acrobatics or singing. The drunk were even easier than the destitute, and so she took up a cheery tune and strutted towards the tavern. She slipped inside the building, though it was doubtful she went unseen solely due to her comparatively loud clothing. The moment she stepped inside, she could here an age-old tavern tune that she herself had lead a hundred times over. Almost without thinking, she took up the song. Loudly she sung out 
"A bear! A bear! All black and brown and covered in hair!"
she danced her way to the singer, weaving between tables. As she did so, her nimble fingers danced across plates and towards cups, picking up a spare coin here or half a biscuit there and slipping them into hidden pockets. When she reached the man she slung her arm around him and favoured him with a roguish grin, still singing. 

[black379]

Courcy knew the man she meant, the apparently charming man strutting around with the warden. She was sure Duval and George had intentions for her if only either of them could pin her down.
"I'd keep away from him if I were you."
In earnest though, she didn't know what kind of girl Ellie was. Maybe she'd be suited for the Aussie's over-familiarity. Blood was much the same way, after all - opulent, musky scented, and active with women.
"Well... if you know Blood after all, I guess it wouldn't hurt for the both of us to wait here for him."
She swiveled once more towards the bed and hung her hands on her hips.

[The Carrying Blade]

"Sorry to say I already met him, he bought me wine, a steak. Cheeky bastard got me to sleep with him, was too drunk to even care, it was relieving to be fair not to be held back or worried about anything." Ellie said scooting over a bit so Courcy could sit down next to her if she chose to. While talking Ellie moved to grab her ring off the table near the bed and put it on her finger. The pink gem glowed a little as light bounced off it.

"So......do you know what happened with the door? And...most of the room being a little vacant of stuff?" Ellie asked, her eyes wandering back to the Hellion's face after looking about the room.

[relentless]

Aug 9, 2017 16:36:17 GMT -8 rumsztyk said:

George basically tossed them both inside the Tavern.

"Figure of speech, Duval! The last thing I'd see you do is shitting under yourself on a throne. Now, to be fair..." George caressed his golden mane. "I'm about as royal as you can get in this shithole. Free drinks!"

"Now, where were we..." he inspected the bottle. It was empty, he noticed with a frown. "Hook! Another one of those..."

Duval sauntered alongside George, the waft of fine, noblemens perfume blowing in the breeze of the Taverns confines, his strides confident and meticiously, though he held a jolly expression on his face. It was nice, finally being able to sit down without sleeping with someone who'd stab you in the back, or to be bombed off again. He was happy, it had been a long while since he was. Last time he was, that was when he was with some dainty barmaid, an exotic seductress... yet she had also disappeared, shame really. A fabulous endevour those two would've gone on.

Slipping into the same booth they had previously sat inside, he took of his overcoat and stashed it beside him; folding it up into a neat pile, and then leaning into the table with his arms crossed upon it.

"You? Royalty? Sometimes I mistake you for a beggar!"
Duval teased with a wicked smile, cackling in his semi-obnoxious tone of voice as he slicked back his hair, and then traced his hand down his face to feel his facial hair upon his jawline. Kicking his legs up, he would lower his hand again and waggle a finger at George.

"Now you're getting the hang of it. You know ya worth, and you know how to play with it. Instead of drinks, you should try that talk with some of the ladies around here... heard they like a man in uniform."
Duval hinted as he raised his eyebrows twice, followed by a slight giggle.
"But besides such amazing advice, I should say that I'm a tad bit disappointed we weren't able to attend the sermon. Shame really, it'd be a good laugh to see some of the nun's fiddling with the hemp of their robes, no?"
Duval hummed pleasantly as he fiddled with the cuff of his overcoat, whilst looking around the interior of the tavern.

[Kidney]

Hugo had been dancing and singing, patrons picking up the steam of song as he was latched onto by another person. The beads covering their head startled him, and as the character began to sing, Hugo smiled. Yellowed teeth bared, he unlatched from the person, leaping back. He clutched his lute to his chest, slipping his pick into his mouth and tucking it into his cheek. His fingers plucked stings of high register, and he sung out again, "Oh come they said, come to the fair!" 
He threw himself up onto a stool, standing high with his legs clamped together. He plucked more strings, loud and bombastic, like a violin. Hugo slacked his arms down, holding and swinging the lute like a grandfather clock. His neck was scrunched back, and he lowered his voice comically. "Come to the fair? But i'm a bear!"
He leaped off, howling like a deranged wolf as he rolled across the ground. He leaped up, playing high notes again as he continued, "And down the road from here to there, three boys, a goat! And a dancing bear!" 

[rumsztyk]

"Bloody hell, you devil! And here I thought I'd never hear anything more vile after my time in the army." George shook his head, laughing, taking another swig of alcohol. He scouted the Tavern, laid back and half-drunk. "Mmm, let's see... I'll let you know I got standards, pretty high. Unless I just wanna bed a wench." He snorted.

He half-winced as there weren't many women in the Tavern to rest his eyes on. Looks like they had to bide their time. Worst case, he'd just pay a visit to the Brothel.

[hopper]

She hadn't danced like this in a while! It was exhilarating to have such a partner again, one she could rely on to put as much into the performance as she herself did. As the man leaped and capered she spun around him, and as he jumped from the stool, under him and thus took up his place on the stool ,taking her own mandolin from her back and strumming it furiously in tune with the song, taking up the high notes in harmony with the other singer. To hear the cheers, see the applause and feel their feet thumping, it made her heart race, it was euphoric, better than any drink or drug she'd ever had.
"Three boys a goat and a dancing bear!"
Such panache the man had, such energy. He was a sure servant of Jack, whether he knew it or not, the rabbit god was most certainly pleased with his antics.
"A bear! A bear! All black and brown and covered in hair!"
The bar sang with her, at least, those drunk enough to want to do so and she felt that jittery sort of energy tingle all the way from the tips of her toes to the back of her skull, that tingly warmth that meant she'd done well.

[black379]

"Hmph."
The redhead watched Ellie reach over to grab and don her ring. She left enough room for to rest, but Courcy was hesitant to join her on the bed. Still her eyes were heavy with tire, and she stepped up to the frame.
"Not sure what happened to the door, no. Only heard it was busted."
Courcy sighed and finally eased herself to sit on the edge of the bed, facing away from the girl while she looked about the room. She nearly chided Ellie for falling into Duval's snare. But everyone had their reasons, their needs. In her own desperation, she had been with Fenrik. Though disheartened by his death, she hadn't loved him - he was a temporary remedy for her loneliness,
"Was it good sex?"
She asked suddenly, and pulled her legs onto the bed. Her blue eyes peered up at the girl as she leaned on her side and propped her head up with one hand.

[The Carrying Blade]

Ellie laughed, and for once it was genuine, light as feathers. "Was it good sex? How forward of you! Well, it was good as it could be while being drunk and after eating a great meal. Don't tell Duval I said that though if you meet him, I don't want to see his ego get any bigger than it is. I think you might be happy to hear I left a couple marks on him, consider it a little pay back." She snickered, bringing her legs up against her chest to get them off the cold floor. She looked down at Courcy with her green eyes, a little bit of life being brought back into them.

[black379]

A small smirk lit on Courcy's face as the girl answered most delightedly. She scooted onto her back and let her head rest on a pillow.
"Mm. You could do better."
For as long as Ellie had been in the hamlet, she seemed to Courcy not to have submerged herself so fully in its ruinous nature as the hellion had done. She seemed almost innocent, even fond of a man like Duval.
"I guess you could do worse too."
She added with a snicker.

[The Carrying Blade]

"I have tried to do better, it uh... It didn't work out I'm the end." Ellie shrugged, shifting a little uncomfortably at the rough topic. Before Courcy would be able to pursue on the topic Ellie decided to ask her something.
"Other than just waiting for Blood, what were you going to do to pass the time if I wasn't here?"

[black379]

Courcy decided not to pursue the topic. She knew more than enough of failed love.
"I need to sleep. I leave tomorrow for a mission. Unless my partners keep putting it off. I was meant to be sleeping already."
The redhead answered with a slow sigh, reaching her arms up beneath her pillow. Keeping her eyes open, she glanced up to Ellie intently. It was unclear whether either of them were comfortable enough to simply sleep, but she could hardly be bothered at this point to give up her position on the bed.

[stealthclaw]

The formidable Hellion woman entered the tavern, irritated from her encounter with the other woman. Katja stepped to the side, allowing her companions to step inside. Wow, the tavern was full of souls, all doing their own thing. How... quaint. Her lip was curled up in a half-snarl, why would so many people cram into the building? It was beyond her.

Fen stepped in with Mordecai, not wanting to be alone with Katja. She frightened the younger woman terribly.

[The Carrying Blade]

"Oh, well I'm still tired but... I can see you need more comfortable sleep than I do. Would you mind if I just slept in the room still, like on the floor? I really don't want to go to the Abbey again but...." She shrugged sadly, moving to place her fingers on her ring just incase she would be able to sleep in here still so she could remove it.

[black379]

"I don't mind."
Courcy responded, shaking her head. She would certainly have more restful sleep here than at the bar, and Ellie was at least better company than Brenton.
"Stay in the bed if you want. I won't take up much."
She added, rolling onto her side to face away from the girl. Her eyes finally rested shut, but she remained awake for a moment more at least.