Fable - Ask A New Warren

[Rook]

"Son of a-"

The tall young man stuck his thumb into his mouth. A sharp inhaled followed as he waved his hand erratically in the air. A very upset look on his face. Eyes filled with ire towards the source of his pain. ANOTHER random piece of wood had fallen from the ceiling onto his hand.

"Third time. Third time this week! Shitty Allira cursed construction!"

He looked about the place. Water damaged flooring. Rotting ceiling and walls. Smoke damaged stones brittle from fire, water, and wind in the supposed hearth. Harder to find a dry spot where the roof wasn't leaking. The whole building felt like it was more patches to "fix" it than original structure.

There was no salvaging this mess.

"Need to move before this place collapses in on itself."

Rook went to grab his things. Everyone needed to be gathered together so he could discuss his plans to move. If he couldn't keep the place fixed none of them could. He didn't like that thought. What condition was their living situations in if his was trying to kill him and he fixed things the moment he found them?

==========

Rook sat at a table in one of the local taverns willing to sit all of them. He was waiting and made sure to arrive there first. Couldn't ask everyone to meet up and then be late. Well he could but it just felt wrong. Be like breaking your piece of bread to share then keeping the bigger piece for yourself. Reminded him of his old man. From what he could remember the drunkard wasn't often violent but always kept most of the best stuff for himself. One thing to drink yourself into a stupor another to be a greedy pig with food.

The young man sat annoyed as he thought about that and for another reason. This particular tavern had a little water spirit that liked to play tricks. Knocking over mugs. Making little spill sized puddles of water appear on the floor. Make it feel like tiny droplets of rain were falling on you in the outside seating when there wasn't a cloud in the sky. And the worst was the constant snickering and giggling as if some great game was afoot.

Okay so it was funny watching drunks get messed with, but he could be in a sour mood if he wanted to damn it!

So the young man just waited as he did his best not to think about his dear dead dad and ignore the little prankster as best he could.

 

[Feral]

Feral may have been used to sleeping in rough conditions on the road, but in cities she could hardly be found in her current circumstances. This made her feel even worse than she felt when she first spotted those ugly men who had scoured her crowd. She had spotted them just in time to lose herself in the crowd, and to her understanding, she should better lay low for a while. If they were who she thought they were, Feral was in a heap of trouble, and couldn't be seen in her usual form.

So, now. Feral was your basic, average and boring human, a problem she whined about constantly to whoever would listen. Her trademark half-kitsune figure was her favourite form, especially with all the stares she would receive by men and woman alike, and the attention she had so badly craved as nothing to complain about either. In her full human form, she wasn't nothing to stare at, but paired with her favourite flowy robes and jingles that announced her presence she could take the center of the room with ease. Now, Feral was just a simple girl with a simple crew. The crew was always there for her, and even with her dire feelings, she would never complain about them - even if they were nothing more than street rats.

As their situation was changing, she was one of the first right behind Rook's heels and found herself waiting in a tavern with Rook and a few others. The water spirit had lifted her lows a bit, and she was preoccupied with trying to find where it laid in the tavern in a curious game of hide-and-seek. Laughter from the both of them rang from wherever they were and at the moment, she took her turn to hide. She found a place with some boxes and climbed into a corner behind them to wait for the the sprite to find her.​

 

[Miz'ri]

"Ilhar de' jal, usstan gultah ulu dos lil' vrin'klatu de' ussta dro. Ka usstan ragar elamshinae wun dosst solen, usstan joros nindel dos bestow dosst tajo ulu dosst elam'aph wanre. Maelfazen, ilhar de' jal..."

Miz'ri finished the rite and sat back from the small circle of runes painted in blood as the world ever so slowly began to expand around her. Using her own meager life force to complete the ritual was far from ideal, but she hadn't been able to catch a suitable sacrifice and the moon cycle was nearing its end. Grimacing as she wound a strip of rough cloth around her still bleeding palm, Miz'ri wobbled her way into the tavern.

"Drital rothe!" Miz'ri, called out in a demanding tone, stepping up onto the bar's foot rail and pounding her small fist on the counter in an attempt to draw the barkeeper's attention. A deep frown pulled at the corners of her mouth after a brief moment of listening had passed without any response. Her vision had grown to the point that she now could see a man, who she presumed to be the owner, drying a mug as he conversed with a patron. How dare he ignore her!

Grabbing a nearby spoon, Miz'ri hurled it with all her might in his direction. "Drink slave!" she repeated, this time in the common tongue, raising her diminutive voice with a commanding tone. Oh how she detested interacting with males! They were so slow and stupid, and lower than dirt in her eyes. Though the males she kept company with were more akin to worms. Useful, but still far below a woman such as herself.

Finally taking notice of the small elf, the barkeep trundled over with an angry scowl. "What?" he growled, doing his utmost to maintain his composure. "What do you want kid?" Kid? KID?! The audacity to speak to a female in such a way! Miz'ri bit back a scathing retort that was fighting to escape, deciding that the man's attentiveness was, for now, satisfactory.

"You give juice," she instructed, pointing to herself. "Hey, didn't yer mother ever-" the owner began. "NOW!" Miz'ri brought her fist down onto the bar a second time, and the man complied grumbling under his breath. Holding the large tankard in both hands, she drained the sweet contents in one go, casually tossing the container behind her once the juice was gone.

"Hey! Drinks ain't free ya know!" The small drow waved away his protests dismissively. "Where Rook?" The man eyed her, looking ready to give her a hefty piece of his mind, before gesturing towards a table on the far side of the room. Miz'ri hopped off the foot rail with a small "hmph!", and snatched a half eaten crust off the counter before sauntering over to sit with Rook.

Miz'ri glanced around at those who had gathered. There was Rook... The strange fox-girl... She tipped her head to look at Rook. "Sig?" she asked hopefully.

 

[Giibi]

The Outer City was usually the place to go for work, so that's where Giibi went! Plenty of travelers, plenty of merchants, plenty of families who had homes worth cleaning up there. The guards sometimes gave her a cross look but that was okay, because all she had to do was smile at them and wave and say "Good morning!" everyday until the cross looks went away. They didn't—yet! But with enough persistence and charm, even those super-serious guardsmen could warm up to her. Yup, yup!

Rook was having an awful time repairing the Warren (Giibi still liked to call it their "Hidey-hole", hehehe) when she left earlier in the day, so maybe it'd be nice if she came back with a few shinies. She had her dress cleaned—PRESENTABLE, Gram-mama's watchword—and her "bundly", that is, her trusty bag of supplies, strapped over her shoulder and off she went. Today was a great day! And a fine morning! Chin up, chin up! A new sun meant a new chance!

Giibi ascended that familiar path up and out of the Shallows, amazed as always at the transition between the worn and rustic architecture of where she came from to the sturdier and more refined elements of the Outer City. Wow, what must the Inner City look like? Maybe one day she could visit. But today was not that day. Today was the day for good, honest work, because she was a good, honest girl and she made her Gram-mama proud!

Giibi found a nice corner at an intersection in the streets. Started her usual hawking: "Hey, you, can I clean up those muddy boots!" "Hi there! Armor's looking rough! I can polish it!" "Ooo, big axe! Do you need that blade sharpened?" No takers, even if the morning crowds were as lively as ever.

Eventually, though, a man in an apron and a skullcap, carrying a bucket and a shovel, approached her. "You there. Goblin."

"Goblin where, goblin where!?" Giibi snapped her head and her gaze left and right, feverishly looking. Then she grinned to the Apron Man. "Hehehe, that's me! Hi! Hi, hi, hi, what can I do for youuuuuuuuu?"

"You're looking for some work, ain't ya?"

"I am! I can clean, I can polish, I can cook, I can fetch, I can—"

The Apron Man cleared this throat. "Got a big mounted procession coming down the Sovereign Way, right through the middle of the city from the west end to the east end. And their horses are gonna do what horses do."

"Eat hay?"

The Apron Man just smirked. "Shit."

And, as though the Apron Man could sense the future (or maybe he smelled it coming), he jerked a thumb over his shoulder to the intersection, where only a stone's throw away a rider had stopped and was consulting his map. His horse's tail was perked up just slightly, and tumbling out of its butt and dropping to the street was manure...and more manure...and more manure.

"It just keeps going," Giibi said with a kind of disgusted amazement, the wet, plopping sounds easily picked up by her ears.

"Impressive, huh," said the Apron Man. "So how about it. I could use a hand. Want to make some coin?"

* * * * *

THE SUNKEN GALLEON​

Giibi trundled into the Sunken Galleon tavern, figuring since the Hidey-hole was empty that was where everybody already was. And yup, Rook, Feral, and Miz'ri were already there, and, golly, was Giibi feeling a lot more like her dark elf friend (don't say that too loud!) today than on any other day.

Giibi's hair, it could be noted by any of them, was still wet. Her dress was a bit damp in spots. Even her feet made their tiny wet slapping sounds as she walked across the familiar dilapidated environs of the Galleon. Ugggghhhhh...she felt like no matter how much she had washed and cleaned and washed and cleaned she just couldn't get that gross feeling off of her.

Without looking at Rook, Feral, or Miz'ri, indeed with her eyes cast down, she said, "I feel nastyyyyyeeeeuuuhhh!"

And then she held her hands out to her sides and flailed them, for the help that would be.

Rook Feral Miz'ri

 

[Tehi]

Alliria. Such an imposing construction, like the cliffs storms tried to dash her against back home. It almost held a magnetic push, a force that repulsed her from it. Nothing much existed in this world that could entice her somewhere so busy, so intimidating, by choice. The Shallows, well, they suited far better. Much closer to home. Moreover, Tehi had managed to wander around the outskirts of the swamp settlement without more than the odd stare. Perhaps it was her skin—most here didn't display more than one colour on their body—or even her pelt. She had no other possessions, besides her staff and necklace; the former only a piece of wood, the latter a simple, inexpensive vessel for water. If her pelt was what they were after, maybe she'd have a harder time here than she thought.


The wooden walkways creaked and moved underfoot, soaked through and dried on so many occasions she could sense the rot running through them. The particularly sodden planks she avoided entirely or prodded with a bare toe to check it wouldn't snap underfoot and plunge her into the bog below. She wasn't here for a swim. Instead, she gravitated towards the chorus of voices echoing out from one particular building. It seemed, to her, that this was a gathering place of sorts, where the people of the Shallows came to revel. A fine place to start her search, if any. Lantern light oft didn't reach the more barren walkways here it appeared however this place shone like a beacon. Her free hand reached up, subconsciously, and took hold of one of the front flippers of the pelt draped over her shoulders, fingers sinking into the soft fur, just as she reached the doorway.

"By Creena's name, I hope this is worth it."

A man on a side path leered at her with a sly grin, looking her up and down. She ducked her head. In she went.

 

[Ivy]

The pains of hunger never go away it seems, her stomach growling from lack of food. Even after someone was able to help, she ended up back at square one. Ivy was once again down on her luck. A poor girl who ended up in the Shallows from someplace far away with no memory of her family or past had to adapt by begging on the streets and living off of people’s garbage. A kind soul helped her, but it was for naught. She worked as a laborer for a bit with her human, which provided enough money for meager meals and a small but warm place to sleep each night. But someone better came along and she was out, back to a life of begging and scavenging the trash.

The clothes the stranger gave her were again in a sad state of tatter, and she was covered in grime again. She was hungry and wanted something to eat. The entire day passed by, and her begging had yielded no results at all. She walked through the alleys of the Shallows, trying to find places to beg or scavenge for food like she did this morning. She had been walking all day, her bare feet sore, cut, and filthy.

She at last came across a place where people gathered for food and drink. The stranger told her the place was called a tavern, but to her, it was just a nice warm place to rest for a bit, and hopefully have something to eat. She wasn’t sure if she was allowed in, but it seemed they would let anyone in these days. Still, she snuck in quietly from the front door, and there she would make her rounds, holding out her dirty hands asking for alms from the tavern patrons, or waiting for scraps to drop on the floor for her to pick up and devour. There might be some unsavory strangers who might pick her up, persuade her to join their crew, or throw glances at her and ignore her, but at least it was warmer in there than out on the streets.

 

[Rook]

The first to arrive was a bit of a surprise to Rook. He had expected Miz'ri or Giibi (never Sig) to be the first, but it was actually one of their acquaintances Feral. She was looking different though. Normally she had these animal ears and tails and different colored eyes, but not today. Today she looked like a normal person. Guess this meant whoever bet those weren't real won. He watched her playing around as there wasn't much else to do while he waited.

Next up was Miz'ri and immediately he had the biggest urge to sigh. She was causing problems already demanding a drink then tossing her cup so it ended up breaking. Poor Warren didn't deserve any of it. Man fought in wars to keep food on the table and had injured his leg leaving him limping for life. He was fine in the place but long distances required a cane from him.

Rook motioned to Warren at the bar and gave him an apologetic look along with an indication he would pay for the drink and damages. He got a nod and by then Miz'ri had joined him. No thank you. No sorry for causing trouble for the owner. Nope. First thing was her asking about Sig. Typical.

The young man shook his head no in responses. "Think he is still sleeping."

Thank Alliria Giibi showed up after he answered. He just knew he was going to be sitting here in either silence or getting insulted repeatedly if it was just Miz'ri and him. Hopefully Giibi could keep her close to happy till Sig arrived....

Giibi was looking rough. What kind of job did she find this morning? Poor girl would work herself to death if she could. He got up and moved to at least get her chair for her. When he got close he caught the smell on her and about gagged. "Damn me to a watery grave! What is that smell on you Giibi? It smells like shit."

Actually, it might be that. No one wanted to shovel it off the street even though it was actually better pay than most other work. She was humble and crazy enough to take the job for the coin.

"I'll get us some more drinks. And by drinks I mean ale or berry juice. Take your picks." Rook said then waited for their replies before taking off towards the bar.

On the way over the door opened up. Rook took an instinctive glance then froze up completely from the sight. A woman wearing only a pelt of fur over her shoulders walked in. She was a big girl too. Seemed about as tall as he was and thick in good ways. Her skin was odd because of those patches of gray, but in the Shallow and Alliria that wasn't as unique a sight as you might think.

Rook wasn't a subtle person and right now he was about as far from being it as anyone in the room could get. His eyes just seemed to roam up and down her without any hint of stopping. A mix of surprise, excitement, and becoming more self conscious about his own state of dress was clear. He was definitely not looking respectfully even if it wasn't in the same way as those creeps thinking about dragging her off to some alley.

After the surprise faded, the first revelation that came to him was that no one else here but him had clothes big enough to lend to the girl. Definitely not Miz'ri and Giibi at least. So he quickly checked out his tunic and felt a bit of relief. Clean and it was the too long one. Quickly he pulled it off as he walked over to Tehi.

"Sorry for the stares. Here put this on. Should manage to cover everything.... Maybe." Rook said with a smile as he held his tunic out for her. "My group is over at that table. Join us. I'll get you an ale. My treat."

Rook smiled and hoped she took up the offer. He really didn't have the coin to be paying for all these extra drinks tonight but there was no way he could leave her alone. Not with half the room staring at her with lustful eyes and the other jealousy for a multitude of very different reasons.

Barechested, Rook continued on his way back to the bar once Tehi had given him her response. Warren was already waiting for him and just slowly looked from Rook to his group's table then back to him. The young man just gave the older man a look to apologize. "Know you are going to hate me.... But can I ask for a favor?"

The barkeep remained silent for a second before he said curtly, "No."

"Please? Want everyone to get a meal tonight. Got anything needing done? You know I'll work for food." Rook pleaded as he leaned on the counter. Things remaiend silent for a moment then his eyes roamed about the tavern. "I'll come in tomorrow too. Fix up those leaks forming in the roof. Got some spots starting to rot that I can swap out. Rearrange all your furniture back to where you need it. Crowd is looking frisky tonight.... And you should have supplies coming in right? Can unload them for you."

Warren held up a hand. Rook stopped talking and prayed. After a second of silence the barkeep finally spoke. "Bring the goblin girl with you tomorrow and you got a deal. Chop all the wood out back for your meals and one free drink each. Everything else I'll make a tab for and take from your pay for working tomorrow."

A huge sigh of relief and smile came from Rook. He held out hand towards Warren. As the two shook hands, he said, "We will be here first thing. Try to keep them out of trouble too."

Warren's face showed extreme doubt as he grunted and went back to his cleaning. Rook started to name off the needed drinks for their first round as he noticed another new person in the tavern. A girl around his age was begging. He frowned a bit and the older man caught on to what was running through Rook's head already.

"Her too, but you better start chopping or the deal is off."

Rook nodded then slapped the counter before leaving. He moved towards Ivy and said as he came up to her, "Bunch of us at that table over there. If you join us, you can get a free meal and drink."

He flashed a smile then headed back to the table. As he arrived he went over to Giibi.

"Got us a job here tomorrow. Everyone is getting a meal tonight. Heading to go work for it now. You done enough today so just relax and keep an eye on everyone for me. When Sig gets here come get me. I'll be out back chopping wood."

Rook didn't even wait for a response and took off. The sooner he got that wood chopped the sooner everyone could eat and they could actually discuss what he wanted to discuss with them. Might be a good thing he didn't have his tunic on anymore too. When he got out back he found a stack of wood needing to be cut the size of a large dog waiting for him. He grabbed the tavern's wood axe near the splitting log and got started working up a major sweat.

Feral Miz'ri Giibi Tehi Ivy Sig

 

[Ivy]

Rook started to name off the needed drinks for their first round as he noticed another new person in the tavern. A girl around his age was begging. He frowned a bit and the older man caught on to what was running through Rook's head already.

"Her too, but you better start chopping or the deal is off."

Rook nodded then slapped the counter before leaving. He moved towards Ivy and said as he came up to her, "Bunch of us at that table over there. If you join us, you can get a free meal and drink."

He flashed a smile then headed back to the table.

Her appearing at the tavern proved a little bit fruitful. A few of the patrons gave her money, albeit small coins. She was also able to get a few scraps that fell from the floor to eat. A king stranger walked up to her though and mentioned to her about free food and drink. She wasn’t sure about it, as this stranger might lure her to a trap, she has been on the streets for a good long while to see this happen many times. But his smile seemed trustworthy to her.

“O-Okay. Thank you”. She said before scampering to the table. Food wasn’t served yet, but there was a lot of people here, and being shy she didn’t look at any of them. Some of them she was terrified of, but as long as there is food, she isn’t complaining.

Rook Feral Giibi Sig Miz'ri Tehi

 

[Erzulie]

“Never mind. Just stop.” Sig stopped, one brow lazily raising up in question. Had he messed up? What was there to mess up in this? It hadn’t seemed too complicated when she suggested it and if everyone else could do it, couldn’t he as well? “That’s enough.” She said, her voice firm. She was serious. Sig pulled back and wiped at his thin, dry lips with the back of his hand.

“I told you I’m better with my fingers.”

“No, you said you’re more confident with your fingers. And I just can’t even….” She looked down at his hand, a look of disgust clear in her eyes. She shook her head and sighed as if he had done something wrong. “They’re just always filthy.” Sig looked at his hands. Sure enough there were dark lines of grime beneath his fingernails and his fingertips were definitely not that gray.

“It’s not like I have running water.” Or access to good, clean water often. Sometimes when bathing in the Shallows if he wasn’t careful and didn’t take the time to dry his clothes properly, he’d end up smelling swampy.

“That’s the issue, isn’t it?” Sig gave a bovine blink and stood up. She ruffled her long yet thin skirts with a huff. She raised her hands and they were just as expressive as her face. Which made Sig felt like he was getting lectured twice instead of once. “You don’t have this or that so I have to give you these things. I want to go out on dates and you’re always broke and I always have to make sure you have food and it should just be the other way around.” He frowned. “It’s too much. I have to take care of myself and you, but you should be a man and take care of me. What do you do all day? You’re not really out there looking for work, are you? You’re just hanging around with all those little girls and that loser Rook and sleeping, aren’t you?”

“Sometimes.” Sig said, his voice quiet. She disliked his friends, especially Miz’ri and Giibi and he knew if he defended them now then she would really chew into him. “But I do look for work. You know if I have anything extra I try to return the favor.”

“Uh-huh. Like you tried to return the favor a few minutes ago? That was a waste of time and honestly…. Well, I’m done. I can’t do this anymore.” She turned to walk away. Sig watched her go. She stopped, turned around to look at him. Sig gave her a pleading look, ready to take a step forward, but her icy glare stopped him. “And I better not hear you bragging about dating me. As far as I’m concerned, you were just a rebound and that’s it.”

She was off. Sig stuck his hands in his threadbare pockets. His pinky slipped through a hole, and he fingered it nervously, making the hole bigger than it had been before. He turned the other way, skulking down the alley to head further into the labyrinthine webs of interconnecting alleyways. He glanced up at the cloudy sky.

Why did he feel like he had to be somewhere right now?

---

When Sig walked into the Sunken Galleon, he still was very much felt down in the dumps about, well, being dumped. Even if his face didn’t look different from normal, even if he always slouched no matter what, well, he felt different. It was a weird feeling. He couldn’t quite place his finger on it except that there was some deep disappointment that made his stomach and chest feel hollow.

It was easy to see the others in their table. Oh. Dang. Was he late? He didn’t see Rook so he imagined he couldn’t be too late. They were probably all waiting on him to get off from work. With slow steps, Sig came to the table, not quite picking up on the new faces there, although he’d see them soon enough.

“‘Sup.” He said, raising up one dirty hand in greeting before running it through his oily red hair.

 

[Miz'ri]

"Giibi! Hello!" A faint smile cracked Miz'ri's lips. The goblin's presence was always a bright ray of sunshine in her otherwise miserable life. "Sit!" gesturing broadly towards the chairs. "Hungry?" Miz'ri broke a large chunk off her bread, leaning over to offer it to the goblin. As she did, a horrid pungent scent assaulted her nose. "You?" her nose scrunched up in disgust. "Smell like dung... Need bath."

She sat back and studied Giibi up and down for a moment, noting her sopping wet hair and dress. "Do bad job?" Miz'ri raised an eyebrow. "Get thrown in manure pile?" She giggled to herself. "Next time, should be-"

"Juice?" her attention was wrenched away to focus on Rook. Had he found work that he hadn't told them about yet? Was there a secret stash hidden away somewhere? Or had he just been lucky enough to steal what they needed for the day? Whatever the case, Miz'ri wasn't going to pass up the chance of free juice. "Juice!" she repeated decisively with a quick nod of her head.

Miz'ri chatted idly with Giibi as Rook fetched their drinks. But once again, her attention was torn away. This time by a naked woman walking through the tavern door. Like Rook, she couldn't help but stare. Her gaze slid past the woman's mottled skin, barely registering the pattern before moving on to focus on her legs, chest and face. Miz'ri felt a bit envious as her eyes traced the strange woman's curves. But Rook, of course, had to ruin the fun like he always did by offering her his tunic. She huffed and leaned against the table, chin in hand, as the woman donned the tunic.

Rook soon returned close on the heels of a small girl. They could barely survive as it was. And now he was bring in another person? What was he thinking?

At the same time, there was something about the girl she couldn't ignore. She was shy and frightened, reminding Miz'ri a bit of herself when she first arrived in Alliria. She contemplated her remaining bit of bread before begrudgingly placing it on the table in front of the girl. "Eat." Whether she ate it or not was up to her, but at least she had made an effort to show kindness.

Miz'ri accepted Rook's offer of a free meal without hesitation, though she still had suspicions on the price that he would have to pay in exchange for the barkeepers kindness.

A loud gasp burst from Miz'ri as another person approached, her face contorting into a look of pure joy. "Sig! Sig!" she waved excitedly. "Over here! Next to me! Sit!" Finally somebody who was actually worthy of her attention! She began chattering at him nonstop, relaying every tiny little thing that had happened since they had parted ways that morning.

"Hm?" Miz'ri paused mid story, and scrutinized her friend's face. Sig didn't appear any different than normal, but something about him definitely felt off. "Something happen?" she inquired in hushed tones and hugged his arm loosely. "Bad day?"

 

[Giibi]

"OH MY GOD YOU'RE NAKED."

The whole Galleon knew it now if they didn't already, and if they didn't know where to look, why, Giibi's little green pointing finger pointed out Tehi directly mere seconds after she walked in. Surprised though she was, Giibi's outburst had no inflection on it, as though she were just loudly stating a fact rather than exclaiming some exciting news.

This, of course, happened after she took her seat and Rook and Miz'ri commented on her morning's activities, and after she grumbled miserably, "I knoooooow...it's awful," in reply. This was after requesting berry juice (yum!) when Rook dutifully took their orders, and after gratefully accepting the bread from Miz'ri with a beaming smile (sharing was caring!) and taking a huge bite. And this was after Ivy had been invited over to their table, and Giibi, with no judgment in her heart, said emphatically to the human girl, "Hi! Welcome! Sorry for the smell, I need to try harder." What could Giibi say about Tehi? It just wasn't everyday somebody went walking around naked, and Giibi just couldn't be quiet about it like Miz'ri could.

Sig showed up as well. "Hoorrraayyy, you remembered! Sorry about the smell, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Rook came back after his chat with the barkeep, Warren (Giibi liked to think his last name was "Hidey-hole", hehehe, then he could be named for their humble home twice over). And, as it turned out, Rook returned with more than just juice and ale: he had struck a bit of a deal with Warren for some work, it seemed.

"A job!? Really? And a meal? Yesssss! Yes, yes, yes!"

And since Rook, ever busying his hands, took off, Giibi turned her elation onto the newcomer, Ivy, and said: "Hear that? Food! We're getting a nice meal tonight! Hey, what's your name? I'm Giibi. You should join us!"

Rook Feral Miz'ri Tehi Ivy Sig

 

[Ivy]

Rook soon returned close on the heels of a small girl. They could barely survive as it was. And now he was bring in another person? What was he thinking?

At the same time, there was something about the girl she couldn't ignore. She was shy and frightened, reminding Miz'ri a bit of herself when she first arrived in Alliria. She contemplated her remaining bit of bread before begrudgingly placing it on the table in front of the girl. "Eat." Whether she ate it or not was up to her, but at least she had made an effort to show kindness.

There was a Drow girl in black that offered her some of her bread. It seemed she was doing it begrudgingly, but that was something she was used to. She took the little bit and began to nibble on it.

"T-Thank you" She said in between her nibbling. There was another person who had taken an interest in welcoming her to the little group.

And this was after Ivy had been invited over to their table, and Giibi, with no judgment in her heart, said emphatically to the human girl, "Hi! Welcome! Sorry for the smell, I need to try harder."

The goblin girl that she sat next to her did have a strong odor to her, which was something she was used to at this point, having to rummage the filthiest crevasses for the littlest morsel of food, even in the sewers, but that is all that should be mentioned. She waved hello and continued to silently nibble on her bread, and when finished began licking her fingers for what little crumbs were left. More people have joined them, and the man who invited her to the table has said they would be getting a job and a free meal. A meal and some way to make money? It might as well be her lucky day. The goblin girl began to shout in elation, and to her...

"A job!? Really? And a meal? Yesssss! Yes, yes, yes!"

And since Rook, ever busying his hands, took off, Giibi turned her elation onto the newcomer, Ivy, and said: "Hear that? Food! We're getting a nice meal tonight! Hey, what's your name? I'm Giibi. You should join us!"

She was taken aback from the excitement of the girl but as she began to ask questions, she calmed down a bit. "F-Foods good" she replied meekly. "People call me Ivy. It was a name I was given when I first came here from somewhere, begging on the streets. N-Nice to meet you Giibi. Is it alright for me to join?"

Rook Miz'ri Giibi Feral Tehi Sig

 

[Tehi]

As a man approached her, she stopped in her tracks. He… apologised? Why, she couldn’t say, unless all of the people in the tavern were under his command. Then, out of all the things he could do next, he removed his shirt and held it out to her. By Creena, these land-dwellers were odd. They seemed to value the cloth they wore. She stared at the man, slightly agog.

“I-“ was this some kind of land-dweller gesture of amorousness? “Who are you?” But before she could get an answer, he’d already waved her over to a table within the tavern, around which a few others were already perched. She followed, if only out of curiosity. While this seemed very convenient, a meal wouldn’t go amiss, she thought, as her stomach gurgled in hunger. Perhaps she could get one here—some of the other people here were finishing off what appeared to be, and smelled like, food.

As she glanced around at the other patrons, she noted another good few of them avert their eyes as soon as they knew she was looking at them. Hm. “Why are all these people staring at me? I have nothing valuable upon me.” It was a lie, but nobody here had to know that. Her words came out a little unsteady, a little too formal, and she took a slight moment to reach for longer, more complex words when she spoke. “And… what is an ‘ale’?”

 

[Rook]

The shirtless young man had the axe in hand and began splitting the wood into cutlets. How much did wood did he have to split? His eyes roamed from the big pile of logs to the nearly empty wood rack roughly the size of a chord. Great....

Rook didnt give himself a break or breather. He needed to get this done as soon as possible. By the time he was done he was going to be sore but it was worth it so everyone got a good meal tonight. No need to scavenge through trash or beg from strangers. No need to resort to getting taken advantage of for a few copper coins barely enough to buy a single person's serving of bread to be split up amongst them all.

He could take the leaky roof and chilly draft of the wind cutting through loose, rotting boards. All so long as he and they had a good, warm meal in their bellies. Finding a new place to live could and probably would take a few days after all but they needed to eat today.

The young man was so wrapped up in his thoughts and focused on his task he didn't notice how the water spirit had wandered to the back and began watching him. It never did play pranks on him the way it did others. Something he had never put much thought into. Nor had he put much thought into how aware the spirit might be that he could perceive them.

==================

The group would find shortly after Sig arrived that their meals were served to them. A bowl of potato soup with a pair of bread rolls along with it. If they paid attention they would find the regular meal was suppose to include fish but also only had a single roll and their soup clearly had extra veggies added in. Everyone would also get their drink of choice with Tehi finding a pint of ale placed before her.

The spot where Rook would be sitting had his own portion set down there with a pint of ale to go along with it.

Warren looked to the table and crocked an eyebrow. After a few minutes he finished cleaning the current mug he was on and grabbed a cane from behind the counter. The cane looked more like a club with a curved head than a true cane. The older man limped to the back.

==================

Nearly two-thirds of the rack had been filled up with wood cutlets when Warren arrived with the click click click of his cane tapping wooden flooring to a plop plop plop as it sunk into moist dirt. Rook didn't even notice. His focus still firmly on getting his job done.

"Take a break and go eat. Food is getting cold. Just finish up before you leave." Warren said looking over how much had gotten done. An approving nod then the man left back inside to get back to his cleaning and serving of ungrateful customers.

Rook flinched when he heard the older man speak and nearly missed the log he was aiming for. Lucky him as it would have sunk into his leg or foot. He finished splitting the log then set the axe down. A grin on his face as he wondered what was to eat tonight.

==================

When Rook arrived back at the table he was drenched in sweat and little slivers of wood stuck to his bare skin. If he noticed or cared he didn't show. He just got himself sat down with a smile. A sniff of the soup and he let out a satisfied sigh. Then he looked at everyone to make sure they were all okay.

"Everyone remember to thank Alliria for our good fortune tonight. Don't want to cross the Goddess of Luck and Fortune in her own city." Rook said as he grabbed his first roll and then pulled out his knife.

The young man said a silent prayer after closing his eyes for a brief second then opened them back up. He cut the roll into thirds all equally sized. One went to Giibi. Another to Miz'ri. The last went to Sig. Then he cut his second roll in half and gave Ivy and Tehi a piece each. Now breadless, he began eating his soup.

As he ate, Rook was doing a horrible job not staring at Tehi. She still wasn't wearing his tunic and with the kind of figure she had he couldn't look away for long no matter how hard he tried. And boy did he try. The whole scene was getting snickers and laughs from some of the other tables watching the shirtless, sweaty young man constantly looking at and away from the naked woman at the same table as him.

Between the pair of loafs, both on the table and on Tehi's chest, Rook was utterly distracted. It would likely take someone hitting him to get his attention by this point and he definitely would miss whatever anyon said to him till they got it.

Miz'ri Giibi Sig Tehi Ivy

 

[Erzulie]

It took the time for Sig to sit down next to Miz'ri, return the greeting back to Giibi, and looking at the food being dropped on the table, Rook finally arriving to their meeting (one would think that the person who called the meeting wouldn’t be late, but as he was the breadwinner, Sig wasn’t going to say anything) and realizing that there were two new faces at the table before seeing one particular person without any clothes on.

He looked at Rook, could see it in his gaze. Perhaps if he hadn’t been dumped he’d be staring, too. He was much too distracted by the ache in his chest and hollowness in his gut to think about another girl. Even if she were naked.

“Dude.” Sig said, using a hand to smack Rook’s shoulder. “Stop.” His look was rather neutral as he turned his attention to the naked girl. “Put on the tunic. You’re making a scene.” Making a scene was bad, just ask his Mother. Whenever Sig made a scene, she’d make sure to punish him. Sig wouldn’t want the girl to be punished the same way he had.

Finally, Sig could give his full attention to Miz’ri. He looked down at his soup. For once he didn’t feel very hungry.

“Yeah. Something bad did happen.” He sighed, his shoulders falling like the teardrops that couldn’t. “My girlfriend, I mean, uh, ex-girlfriend? She broke up with me today.” Another sigh.

Tehi Ivy

 

[Giibi]

The group would find shortly after Sig arrived that their meals were served to them. A bowl of potato soup with a pair of bread rolls along with it. If they paid attention they would find the regular meal was suppose to include fish but also only had a single roll and their soup clearly had extra veggies added in. Everyone would also get their drink of choice with Tehi finding a pint of ale placed before her.

Giibi, for one, was not paying attention and didn't notice the lack of fish or the surplus of vegetables in the soup, and was merely excited when one of the barmaids dropped off their meals at the table. Eagerly did she dive right in, slurping away with manners which, admittedly, slacked quite a bit when she wasn't around her Gram-mama.

"Mm! Hi Ivy!" Giibi said, and, even with her dilapidated manners, when a bit of her soup came sloshing out of her mouth as she said that she giggled, produced a handy dandy kerchief, and wiped her chin clean. "Oops! Sorry! And of course it's alright. We're just a group Shallows-folk living life, one day at a time. We share and we care! I've been trying to think of a name for us, but the best I can come up with is 'HEY ROOK!' Do you get it? Ha, ha! Don't worry, you will."

Overhearing Tehi's inquiry about her drink, Giibi was quick to pivot and provide an answer: "I'll tell you what an ale is! Dizzy-drink, that's what! Warren doesn't let me have ale after last time though—I start nibbling on people. Okay, biting people. Okay, chewing on people. I mean, they get in the way of my teeth, it's not my fault. My, this soup is tasty!"

Giibi slurped away, spoonful after spoonful to quickly move on from the "ale incident." Hey, look, Rook's back.

Everyone remember to thank Alliria...

"Oh yeah!" Giibi slammed her palms together and pressed the steepled bundle of her hands to her nose and said, "Fee, fi, fo, fum, thank you Alliria, yum, yum, yum!"

Pleased with her efforts, and tittering after Sig smacked Rook, Giibi launched back into spooning soup as if she were bailing water out of a sinking boat.

Rook Feral Miz'ri Tehi Ivy Sig

 

[Miz'ri]

Miz'ri's dark eyes grew wide as saucers as the barmaid set the food down in front of her. Free soup? And TWO rolls?! And it got even better when Rook shared his. She untangled herself from Sig and quickly stuffed a roll into her dress pocket for later. Picking up her spoon, she poked cautiously at the soup before deciding that it was probably safe to eat, and turned her attention back to Sig.

"Girlfriend?" Miz'ri tipped her head to the side. "Broke up?" The idea of dating was still alien to her. Why gamble your time and go through multiple partners just to run the risk of things not working out? Wasn't the point of dating to select a mate for reproduction? To her it seemed that the humans were complicating things by adding feelings into the mix.

Even so, a brief, burning pang of jealousy jolted through Miz'ri. Sig had been seeing somebody and hadn't told her? How could he hide something so important? Not that she particularly cared or anything. She wasn't his mother, and he was a grown man fully capable of making his own mistakes.

"Women? Don't need them." she said matter-of-factly. Miz'ri meticulously spooned out the vegetables she disliked and transferred them to Sig's bowl. "Nothing but trouble." She wasn't including herself in that statement of course. Only other women. The humans ones in particular.

"Tomorrow," Miz'ri looped one arm around Sig's as she continued to eat her soup with her free hand. "We have fun! Forget about girlfriend." She spat out the last word as if she had bitten into something sour. "For now? Eat." She lifted Sig's spoon and offered it to him. "Need strength for sleeping."

 

[Ivy]

The man that invited her to the table came back to the table and there was a beige soup and more rolls. For someone who hadn't had a decent meal in months, it looked tasty.

"I-It's alright," she said as she wiped some of the soup off her clothes, "I'm used to being splashed on". From what Giibi was telling her, in between the splashes of soup, it would seem alot of the people at this table are more or less on the same boat as her. Just trying to survive day by day, whether homeless or not. It honestly made her more comfortable, even if some of them were a bit weird.

"Remeber to thank Alliria..."

Ivy didn't know who this Alliria is, but it didn't stop her from starting to eat her fill, not caring how hot her soup is. When Rook split a roll between her and Tehi, she took hers and took bites of it as she ate her soup. She doesn't know what is going to happen next, surely this meal can't be free. But she wasn't too apprehensive, as she felt more and more comfortable with these strangers around her.

"Thank you" She said meekly in between mouthfuls of soup and bread. In between, she did slightly choke a little from eating too quickly (who can blame her since she was starving), but nothing a little cough and a pounding of the chest can fix, leaving her thirsty for something to drink.

Rook Giibi Miz'ri Sig Tehi

 

[Tehi]

The staring clearly hadn’t stopped, yet nobody seemed willing to answer her question. Perhaps valuables were a sensitive topic for land-dwellers? Regardless, she pulled the tunic over her head somewhat awkwardly, struggling at first to find the right places for her head and arms, confusion written all over her face. Once she’d managed to put it on, she replaced the pelt in its place draped over her shoulder.

That didn’t matter right now, though. Food did. Her belly growled now that she was surrounded by the sweet smell of it, and though she had no idea what exactly it was in front of her, steam poured off of it and the others clearly enjoyed it. It would do. She took a piece of bread and picked at it, the crust unfamiliar in her hands, but before long she was tearing into it with vigour. As the small goblin woman told her about the ale, she blinked. Then she blinked again. She almost couldn’t follow the words, she spoke so fast, but those she did hear made no sense. Dizzy drink?

“Dizzy? I’m… unfamiliar. It makes you consume others?” The words only just escaped before she took another mouthful of bread soaked with potato soup—a new flavour, but seasoned nicely with salt at least, reminiscent of the tastes of home. By Creena, what she’d do for some fresh fish right now…

 

[Rook]

The hit and words after brought Rook back out of his state of complete and utter focus. He flinched a bit and then burned as red as his hair. He made a nervous cough and straightened himself up a bit. What everyone else was doing and said sort of just flew by him as he adjusted to trying to not stare at Tehi like he was before. So Sig's mention of having a girlfriend before let alone her dumping him had gone unheard. Giibi going full goblin about the prayer was also missed.

He gave the selkie an awkward, apologetic smile. "Sorry about staring. I'm Rook. What should we call you?"

Following her response, if she gave him one at all, he would continue on.

"All the stares are because you are pretty. Really pretty...."

Rook caught himself staring at her again. Sweet Alliria with the tunic on all it did was show off her curves all the more.... He shifted nervously again to make himself stop.

"So being naked and that pretty makes it hard to look away. Why everyone wears clothes. Weird if you aren't." He sort of looked down at his barechest. "Weird like me...."

And someone really needed to stop him. Rook was staring for the third time at her. She was just so pretty and tall and thick in all the right ways....

He slammed his own fist into his leg to shock himself back out of it. Currently doing a horrible job not making himself and the group look bad. Biggest scene maker in the place, which was an accomplishment with Mizzy at the table all over Sig and Giibi having gone full goblin.

He kept his gaze on her eyes with some effort and offered Tehi a smile. "So, uh, I like to fish. Do you like to fish? Want to go fishing together after we eat and I finish chopping this wood out back?"

Miz'ri Giibi Sig Ivy Tehi Ciaran Caitriona

 

[Ciaran]

With a hollering hoot she threw open the pub door and stepped into the space. Within her hand was a meat hook held aloft, strung from it were the bodies of several rabbits still fresh with blood. Her feet slapped against the floor below as she left muddied footprints in her wake and her long legs carried her to the bar. She slapped the carcasses onto its countertop with a victorious, "Aha!"

Her squared shoulders bore the heft of her braided hair as it draped down and over her chest. She leaned into the bar as Warren came around and greeted her with a faint smile; it was readily apparent that this was more of a pleasantry than legitimate warmth.

"How many you bag this time, you mongrel?"

With fire in her eyes she slammed her fist into the counter and turned to face the bar at large. Her words full and her chests puffed. You'd think she'd just slain a dragon.

"By my hand, five rabbits of the Shallows' marshland have fallen!" She pumped her fist in the air before turning back to Warren, "I trust our arrangement endures? You wouldn't want to stop serving your loyal patrons their favored shlock, would you?"

She beamed with resolve as the older man sighed deeply. He pulled the heavy meat hook and its contents free of the bar and lumbered through a side door and out of sight. He returned after a few, long moments with a small pouch of coin in hand. Ciaran had taken to observing the other bargoers as she waited. She stood on the foot of the bar and leaned the small of her back into it to help pop her stiff bones as she scanned the room. Her vision kept returning to the motley miscreants communing at the central table; they seemed the sort that would have a fair few stories to regale her with.

She pushed from the bar, swiping the pouch from Warren without a glance, and stormed right up to the gathered youth. The deafening screech of wooden legs on wooden floor filled the air as she drug a chair from a neighboring table and brought it close to theirs. She plopped into it heavily, its seat pointed away from them and her arms crossed along its backrest.

"Ciaran Caitriona, the honor is yours! Tell me, ruffians - who among you would care to brighten my spirits with the sweet sonnets of your stories?"

Her voice was loud, louder than it had any right to be in such quaint quarters, and carried the regional notes of the tundra northeast. Her eyes shone with pride at the prospect of giving introductions. She hung with bated breathe as she looked between the group; all of them clearly still in the motions of eating and conversing.

 

[Erzulie]

Sig had to ignore Rook and… what was her name? Had she said her name? Well, that made him feel a little guilty in only being able to refer to her as The Tall One. But The Tall One at least could cover herself somewhat now, which let them get less stares.

Even if now they attracted yet another person. It was hard to not think of his ex girlfriend with more and more women joining the table. And this one, the loud one, Ciaran, well… she had hair just like his ex, didn’t she? Glumly he looked back to Miz’ri, the only one who could possibly understand his broken heart. Her obsidian eyes that perfectly showed his reflection always made him sleepy by having him think of night time and night time was always the best time to sleep (unless it was a rainy day or midafternoon in summer.)

He took his spoon that Miz offered to him and gulped down the soup. It almost ignited his appetite. He didn’t feel much like eating but the taste was good and Miz’ri’s earnest face meant he couldn’t let her down.

Sig’s eyes went back to Ciaran. He had no stories to tell and so instead her shoved another spoonful of soup in his mouth.

“Yeah.” He said, to Miz’ri even if he was looking down at his soup. “Tomorrow we can have fun. Maybe take a nap under a tree to start the day.”

Miz'ri

 

[Giibi]

When Ivy choked on her soup, Giibi, almost as if in solidarity, choked on hers too. After some sputtering coughs and the hearty banging of fists on chests, this as though Ivy and Giibi were an athletic duo representing Team Alliria in the Arethil Games with their tandem performance, both minor bouts of choking were alleviated.

Tehi had a question: Dizzy? I'm... unfamiliar. It makes you consume others?

And to this Giibi replied with a hale and lively, "YES! MWAHAHAHA!" Giibi was, of course, far too ready to blame her biting habits squarely on the ale, and not the green-skinned, long-eared, pointy-teethed drinker responsible for the nibble-fits in question.

After this, Rook got to talking with Tehi like Miz had gotten to talking with Sig. And then somewhere, almost out of nowhere (how could it be? Nothing got past Giibi! Unless she was too busy scarfing down some grub), came the sudden appearance and boisterous introduction of one Ciaran Caitriona.

Giibi looked up from her nearly finished bowl. Blinked a couple times in surprise. And then exclaimed, "Is a sonnet like a cinnamon roll!?" She did say they were sweet.

Completely misinterpreting everything, Giibi seized hold of Ivy's sleeve and excitedly shook the girl about whilst bellowing out, "You hear that, Ivy? We're getting dessert! Ki-ran-right-by-ya is gonna buy us some dessert! Isn't that nice!?"

Ivy Tehi Ciaran Caitriona

 

[Tehi]

“…My name is Tehi,” she answered, hesitation clear in her voice. He had given his, so despite her reservations it seemed only right that she trust him with hers in return. As he explained to her what she’d asked, her brows furrowed. “You mean beauty is not allowed here? Where I am from, each and every person is allowed their beauty. We do not… hide it.” Still, her words seemed slightly halted. The well-travelled among them perhaps would pick up on the patterns of someone whose grasp of this language was not yet perfect.

His proposal held an air of kindness, however, of including her into whatever group this was, or at least giving her a step up in this world. “I would love to have some fish again… but I would not mind assisting you with ‘chopping wood’ either. My skills might prove to be beneficial.”

Before she could say anything else, however, yet another person pulled up a chair and made their presence known at their table—rather extravagantly, too. Tehi jumped just the tiniest bit. If someone had asked, her current company would be her pick for the most boisterous people she had met, and yet this ‘Ciaran Caitriona’—whose name echoed some of the sounds of names in her own language—took that title from them. Despite that, she asked for stories. Stories she could provide, and certainly ones no folk here would have heard before. She spoke up. “If… if you would like a tale of sorts, I may have some that would be of interest to you, though none are precisely my own.”

 

[Miz'ri]

"YES!" Miz'ri exclaimed excitedly. She hugged Sig's arm tighter and smiled up at him. "Yes! Tomorrow, breakfast, then find tree for napping!" The only other thing that even came close to her love of sleeping with Sig, was her love of beautiful women and their "lovely hills" as Rook would say. She could spend hours sitting on a bench and watching the beautiful women of the city going by.

"Go to beach later?" Miz'ri suggested. "Watch boats? Fish?" She looked up to Sig hopefully, but ultimately, what they did was going to be left up to him. Miz was more than happy to just hold his hand and blindly follow him wherever his muse led him. "Play prank on girlfriend?" she added mischievously. Nobody got away with hurting her best friend if she could help it. "If see her, then-"

The screeching sounds of a chair being dragged across the floor interrupted Miz'ri and she turned to glare at the offender. Only to be met with the sight of a pretty, energetic young woman, boldly (and loudly) introducing herself. Another beautiful woman?! First naked Tehi, and now this new hot one? This was turning out to be the small elf's lucky day!

"Ci-ar-an?" she repeated uncertainly. As for the woman's last name, she wasn't even going to attempt to say it. "What is sweet son-net?" Her inky black eyes stared into Ciaran's, searching for an answer. But then Giibi shouted something about dessert. "You buy dessert!?" Miz'ri gasped gleefully. "Sig! SIG! You hear? Dessert!" She clung onto his arm, bouncing in her seat excitedly.