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[Memory] Boys Rule and Girls Drool, or Do They?
Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2023 3:04 pm
by Andros
Jorikford, 14th of Searing 4614, an inn on the road from Leiden to Dunwich, evening
Andros should have been moving faster than this. It had been two weeks since he gave his mage friend Hakon a swimming lesson and he returned the favor by curing Andros’ arthritis. He should have taken advantage of his more youthful body to make some money. He could have driven hs cart further, hauled more loads in and out, and made more sales. This couldn’t last forever. Soon enough the aches and pains would be back, so best to take advantage while he can.
Instead, he has been enjoying himself. He was spending his nights having the time of his life in tavern after tavern along the road, able to drink without getting a vicious hangover. In the day he found the company of younger men with nothing better to do - swimming, playing ball games, riding, challenging one another to races. It made him feel young again, and rather manly too. He was a head shorter than most men in Radenor, but beating a 20 year old in a footrace was something of an equalizer.
On this particular day he’s spent his time swimming, mostly alone, enjoying how fast he could go and how loose his muscles felt. Then returned in the evening to the tavern where he’d spent the previous night enjoying himself. Unfortunately, his companions from last night had all moved along. A new crowd had moved in. A little rough-looking, he thought. There were three of them, traveling in a group. They said they were from Daravin, which set Andros immediately on edge. He hated the place, not least because he was robbed by a rogue mage the last time he was there.
That wasn’t fair to these travelers though. They weren’t so dangerous. Yes, they had shaved heads, they were all well over 6 feet tall, and they all wore knives openly in their belts. But they were also good company. When Andros sat next to them at the bar, they all got to talking and had a rollicking time. They had good stories, which always pleases Andros. And they liked his stories too, which pleased him more.
Eventually they moved to a table. The biggest Daravain, whose name was Galderic, pulled out a deck of cards and quickly taught Andros a game. He lost the few few hands as he learned, but he had a way with cards and picked it up fast. After another half an hour he’d taken a small pile of coins from his new friends.
But the atmosphere changed as he racked up his winnings. The men’s faces grew dark. They stopped sipping their drinks and glared at him. He realized, perhaps too late, that playing to win had been a mistake. The fun of competition had overwhelmed his good sense.
Andros tried to backpeddle. He took some of his winnings and bought the table another round, then begged off further playing. That seemed to help. So did asking questions designed to flatter the men. You look fit under that leather vest, how do you keep in shape? That knife looks well-made, is it an antique? . They seemed to lighten up a bit. Relieved, Andros went outside to relieve another problem on the side of the building.
Before he could finish his business, he heard footsteps behind him, then felt something sharp press into the back of his neck.
“You’re a thief, old man,” came Galderic’s gruff voice, pitched low and quiet. “You cheated us. Give us our money back or I’ll cut you open like a pig.
Andros buttoned up his pants and tried not to panic. He’d been in worse danger than this. He could figure this out. He didn’t move, lest Galderic drive in the knife, but tried to talk his way out of trouble.
“Boys, it’s just a game. It wasn’t much money anyway. Why don’t we all go back inside and I’ll get us another round or two. We can toast to safe travels and be on our way in the morning. Nobody needs to get hurt.”
Re: Boys Rule and Girls Drool, or Do They?
Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2023 4:31 pm
by Miki
"Go to Radenor.... Broaden your horizons a bit.... and get the fuck out of my hair."
Was Izul's command after a recent tiff. Miki had nothing but a sack, her clothes, her arquebus, and the shoes on her feet. They had been fighting over the small space they were afforded in Traphole, it was smaller than a tin can and the both of them trying to live in the windowless room together had driven a wedge. Izul said traveling to Radenor would be safer than hanging out around the Badlands and possibly more safe than hanging out in Greater Dara. What she explained is their fear of mechanics, particularly noting that putting a gun in someone's face there could end her in a world of trouble if she didn't do it only to save her life. Izul claimed that she would take care of the finances and earn the money while Miki took a little "vacation" to "sight see" and "stay the fuck away from her". Their fight hadn't come to blows, but it could have, and that wouldn't suit the women who respected each other so much, so Miki decided to follow Izul's word and map and find her way to Jorikford-- to Dunwich to meet a friend of Izul's who lived in Radenor who would put her up for a time. Or so Izul claimed.
That was why, on the way there, Miki decided to stop at a bar and drink her coin away. The two women had known each other for some time at this point, nearly 20 years, and yet, Miki couldn't decide if she wanted to deal with another Orkhai for any amount of time after the way Izul grunted and spit at her in their argument. So, to figure out what she was doing before she got there, she decided to let the tides of beer decide for her. It was said Radenor was known for its beer and she would put that to the test.
~~~~~
She paid little mind to the table of ugly ruffians at first, completely content to drink on her own and whistle along to the bard who sang in the Inn. Her attention, though, naturally drifted that way as they animatedly told stories and gambled. It could be said Miki wasn't watching with total intent, more or less her line of sight would drift that way and she would sort of drunkenly zone out that direction before pulling her attention back to the bard. But when the man go up to drain the lizard Miki had got up too, unconsciously following his movements. She stepped out when he did but didn't follow him to the alley, she stood in the evening air under the stars orienting to her home, Traphole and the Badlands, just to feel the remembering pull. That was when Big-Dumb-and-Ugly came out of the bar doors as well and went into the alley.
If Miki was anything, she was streetwise. She knew this wasn't anything good, so she crept up behind the men and peeked at the altercation. She was behind them both, out of sight, watching in a voyeuristic way as the older man got shook down. That was until she felt the cold sting of a blade press against her ribs and a voice say hot in her ear as well,
"Well, you came for some action or just a little bit of fun watching the show?"
Big-Dumb-and-Ugly looked her way and grinned, clearly it was one of his men who had came as back up and now Miki was caught up in this shake down. Sighing in great annoyance the men wouldn't guess what would happen next. Despite being much smaller than them by long shot she slammed her foot down on her assailants toes and swung her gun around, butting him in the jaw from behind, then swung around to point the weapon in his face but he wasn't there. Somehow, pure dumb luck, she had knocked the first man out. The arquebus wasn't loaded and being the sort of contraption that needed to be filled with gunpowder and bullets directly it would take a moment to actually make the gun more than a smelly baton.... She betted on these ones not knowing how that would work. Snorting and grinning, she pointed the gun at Dumb-and-Ugly, motioning for him to drop his knife.
"And if it suits, you could empty yer pockets."
If he didn't, she decided she would butt him too with the gun.
Re: Boys Rule and Girls Drool, or Do They?
Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2023 9:17 pm
by Andros
Andros didn’t see it coming. Literally so. He heard footsteps off to the side but didn’t dare turn his head. Then suddenly there was a crunching noise that sounded like bone breaking and a pained shout, presumably from whoever’s bone it was. He didn’t dare turn his head because the knife in the back of his neck hadn’t moved, but when he heard a woman’s voice threatening…somebody?...he darted his eyes to the left.
Just barely inside his peripheral vision, he saw the Moroi woman who’d been drinking in the bar. He noticed her of course, as did his drinking companions. The younger villains made some vulgar comments about her that Andros tut-tutted out loud but silently concurred with. She’d clearly knocked one of the thieves down and did some damage, which was shocking enough, but to look at what she was holding, Andros could hardly believe his eyes.
He knew even as a young man that his island was backwards compared to Evrotai, the bustling, wealthy metropolis of Teos. On Mikronisi they got water from a well and bathed in the ocean, where in Evortai they had running water and sumptuous bath houses, not to mention enormous race courses and dazzling theaters that used all kinds of mechanical tricks. But it took emigrating to Radenor to realize that Evrotai too was a backward place. Before he crossed the border he’d never seen a windmill, touched a steel blade, or listened to a clock tick.
And he was finding that even Radenor was backwards compared to other, more distant lands. Guns were something he’d heard travelers speak of but never seen. And here one was, wielded by a small Moroi woman who was, it seems, intervening to protect him. Her sudden appearance with the miracle weapon evened the score and gave him another chance to try to talk the whole situation down.
“Galderic, I’ve seen those things blow the head of a man from half a mile away,” he lied. “You’d best do as she says. We can talk about the game like honest men.”
The bluff failed. The big oaf dug the knife into the Andros’ flesh deep enough to draw a trickle of blood. He cried out in pain, becoming truly scared for his life. He was more than prepared to part with his money, but at this point he didn’t know that option was still available.
“I’m not scared of you or your little girlfriend, pops,” Galderic said with a sneer that was nearly audible. “Lady, put that gun down or I’ll run this knife through to the other side of him.”
Re: [Memory] Boys Rule and Girls Drool, or Do They?
Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2023 9:42 pm
by Miki
Rob or be robbed. Kill or be killed. That was the way her life seemed to always be ever since she left her home world. After she woke up from her stupor and fled to the infernal Badlands something switched in Miki. When she realised this fundamental to life itself she realised she could be queen. Rob or be robbed? She watched as the Ugly bozo twisted the knife in the older man. Kill or be killed. She smiled serenely as she took a step back and kicked his friend in the stomach, who writhed but didn't get up. Pulling the ramrod from its holder she quickly stuffed the bullet and powder in the barrel.
"You think I care about some stranger? Give me your fucking farthing or I blow this bastards head right off."
She swiftly kicked the downed man again in the ribs, hearing a nice crack.
"I'm not some damn vigilante, I just wanted to watch the proceedings. But if you want to play who's bark and who's bite, I'd listen to the man you just stabbed and dump out the rest of your coin before you head away."
Ugly's name was Galderic, and he seemed to question for a moment what she said. He took the knife out of the other man and swung it at Miki, to which Miki responded by shooting the man directly in the chest. There was blood spray but the other, older man was likely fine-- other than the knife wound. Miki took the time to collect the scattered coin from the dead Galderic and pulled on the older man's shirt.
"Hey, no hard feelings, but unless you want to get caught up in something.... might be best to get out of here. That gun shot was loud."
Re: [Memory] Boys Rule and Girls Drool, or Do They?
Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2023 10:10 pm
by Andros
It took a minute before Andros could hear again. The gun blast was deafening. He could see that the woman was talking to him but couldn’t hear a word. The shot was effective, too. There was a hole in Galderic’s apelike chest where his lungs and heart ought to have been, if he’d had a heart at all. Andros couldn’t help but give the thief a kick in the head while the woman quickly robbed the corpse. It gave him some feeling of revenge and the sense that he’d he’d played a part. In fact, if he thought he had any claim he’d have asked to split the money, but it was all her. All he did was talk and yelp.
Once he’d gotten that out of his system and she was finishedputting away her coins, Andros stood and looked at her. He was too upset to smile, but he made eye contact and then bowed his head slightly, a gesture of appreciation.
“You saved my life, madam. Thank you. Why don’t you come back inside with me. That rat isn’t going anywhere,” Andros said, gesturing to the wounded man lying on the ground and groaning. “I’ll send a boy to fetch the town watch. I drank with the local magistrate and some of his boys last night. We’ll tell them what happened and if we’re lucky that bastard will be swinging in the morning or sold into slavery, whatever they do with thieves here. I’m sure back in Daravin they’d built a statue to him, but here I don’t think it’s tolerated. They may want to reward you as well.”
Andros didn’t feel he could leave it there. If she had been a man he’d have embraced her in gratitude, certainly. That was out of the question, but if she had been a man he’d also have insisted on buying her a meal and as much as she liked to drink. And that he could do, odd as it seemed.
“Please, I owe you a debt. Let me treat you to dinner and as much ale as you like. While we wait for the watch to come.”
Re: [Memory] Boys Rule and Girls Drool, or Do They?
Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2023 1:02 am
by Miki
Ears ringing, she stuck a finger in one of her ears and wiggled it around as he talked in an attempt to clean it out. It seemed to work, she could hear him just fine. He seemed grateful for her deed. She smiled at him like a fat cat who found a mouse.
"You're welcome, surely the guard won't take me away for murder?"
She was unsure of this man who seemed in over his head, but took him at his word for drinking with the magistrate.
"Interesting."
Was all she said as she watched the blood pool where he had been stabbed.
"Yes, if you would like to treat me to drinks and food I would be much obliged. Ought to do something about that, er, flesh wound though-- don'tcha think?"
Izul would be astounded at her luck and making faces at her, surely, had she been there. The man wasn't bad looking, not half bad at all, but she thought his accent was off-putting. She hadn't heard anything like it in the past. When they made it inside she would motion to the bartender to do something about his wound.
"Surely you have a towel for my friend here?"
She would ask them in a deadpan tone. The bartender would notice the blood and rush to grab one, hastily handing it to the other man.
"Say, I never got the name. It's Miki, mine. Yours?"
When things were more settled she would ask him,
"You mentioned Daravin, sounded like you had a bone to pick. Any reason for that? I'm not too keen on the region myself, truth be told. From the Badlands, ya see. You could say people from Daravin aren't.... my type."
Re: [Memory] Boys Rule and Girls Drool, or Do They?
Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2023 8:26 am
by Andros
Andros wasn’t thinking clearly. That became obvious when Miki had to point out that he was bleeding, quite a bit, and call for a towel. He hadn’t even noticed. He wrapped the dirty linen around his neck, held it tight against the wound, and waited for his brain to turn back on. He was overwhelmed with adrenaline and fear, not to mention the blood loss. It was humiliating to be so weak in front of the beautiful woman who had rescued him, but there was nothing for it.
He kept silent for a few moments, hearing her questions but lacking the mental wherewithal to answer. Eventually the barman brought him a shot glass of something distilled that smelled like poison. He wasn’t sure if Miki had asked for it or if the man was just being solicitous. Either way, he drank it down in a go and that got his blood flowing again.
It was bizarre what he was doing. Drinking alone at a table with a woman he’d just met. It would have been inconceivable in the Men’s House in Upper Village, where he’d spent so many pleasurable evenings in drink and conversation and storytelling. No women there, or in the bars in Evrotai either. It wasn’t decent.
Nor was it safe, Andros had to admit. His own daughters - children of the village headman no less - faced constant catcalling and harassment whenever they went out in public without a male escort, even just to do laundry or draw water from the well. Other girls faced worse. Venturing into a bar with strange men would have been risking something he preferred not to think about.
Here in Radenor, women didn’t think twice about drinking in mixed company. He’d seen plenty of pick-up attempts and a few handsy men get beaten up by fellow patrons but nothing worse. There was something to be said for the way things were done here.
He tried to put aside his judgement as he drank with this strange, brave woman. If it was odd to drink with her it was no less odd to be rescued by her. If he could accept her protection, he can look her in the eye across a table.
“Sorry, madam. Miki, excuse me. My mind was elsewhere. I’m Andros Chrysostephanos of Teos, a peddler here in Radenor.”
He gave her question some thought.
“Daravin is the worst place I’ve ever been, no question. Apologies, I know it’s your home even if your homeland is, uh, more distant, but the way the people live there - it’s appalling. The nobles are so superior and haughty, the serfs so put down and miserable. Mages run roughshod over the common folk. I couldn’t wait to leave. This place is much more free.”
He slapped his hand on the table, his anger rising. “And this is the second time Daravains have tried to rob me. A good man died getting my things back the first time, now another man is dead and a third will probably join him in the morning. And it was barely any money I’d won from them anyway! What is wrong with those people?!”
He realized he was ranting and stopped. It was understandable under the circumstances, but still embarrassing.
“Best not dwell on it. Can I ask what brings you to Jorikford? This must be a great distance for you. Are you traveling alone?”
The question he actually meant was Are you single? but Andros wasn’t admitting that interest to himself quite yet.
Re: [Memory] Boys Rule and Girls Drool, or Do They?
Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2023 3:35 pm
by Miki
"Andros Chrysostephanos..."
Miki tried the name on for size.
"Sophisticated."
She smiled at him slyly, wondering how deep his pockets went for someone who drank with the magistrate and had a wordy name such as that.
"Peddler? What do you purvey?"
Pulling out all the stops for vocabulary, she hadn't had a decent conversation in some time. Izul wasn't stupid but was more concerned with women, booze, and work than any conversations of the mind. At least recently. Admittedly Izul could hold a good conversation about topics such as karma and laws of attraction, as she called it, but wasn't much for talking on that all the time. Something told her if she could schmooze up to Andros he could be a interesting partner, and someone who was worth knowing in this strange land. She laughed when he called it the worst place he'd ever been.
"I'd have to agree, it's a shit hole, despite it being what you call my 'homeland'. I am not originally from there, ya see. My place is a little more, hm, farther away. That being said I ain't got no love for Daravin and even the Badlands ain't much more than an expanse of ne'er-do-well infested desert. I'm sure someone like you has never been there."
She put some emphasis on the word "there", implying someone like him wouldn't dream of going to such a place. In fact she was buttering him up for whatever reason, she wasn't sure why, other than he was going to feed her for free and provide her with more booze. Maybe she would be able to stay with him other than the Orkhai man she was certainly being sent to. Bloodthirsty ravagers-- she wasn't sure she wanted to travel much more anyway.
"The second time you've been robbed by Daravains? My, you have some rotten luck, pardner. About that meal? I think a steak sounds great, and some potatoes. I think I saw someone else order some here not that long ago, before our altercation I mean."
She was getting hungry, and wanted a drink. Waving her hand she called back the bartender and ordered a dark beer, telling the bartender,
"Put it on his tab."
Not asking before she had done so, just impatient with the chit chat. She smiled at him afterwards, seemingly asking if it was okay with her eyes, feigning sheepishness.
"I hope you don't mind, you should get one too, loose lips make for better conversation, sounds like you've been traveling for awhile. I'd love to hear some more of your stories. Ain't had good conversation in some time. As for what brings me here, sight seeing, a friend of a friend lives in a town up this road. Not looking forward to our meeting, I must admit. And yes, I am traveling alone. I was wondering, are you traveling alone yourself?"
She batted her eyelashes at him and smiled serenely. She could tell plainly he was eating directly out of her hand, whatever murderous kink this guy had-- she was kind of into it.
Re: [Memory] Boys Rule and Girls Drool, or Do They?
Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2023 8:36 am
by Andros
Miki had a nice smile. When she gave Andros a sly look and called him sophisticated, she looked adorable. This was an odd thing to think about an alien with a big pair of horns, but it was the word that came to mind.
“Sophisticated,” Andros said, returning her smile and turning the word over in his mind. “Sophisticated, hmmm.”
It must have been his accent. People can’t place it because no one here has ever met someone from Teos before. People guess all kinds of things about his origins, and whatever they guess it’s somehow associated with learning or culture or power.
The truth of course is that he was quite illiterate. Everyone in Upper Village was until Andros was well into middle age. That’s when a disgraced nobleman came to live in the village, teach the children to read, and seduce one of his daughters into an ill-starred marriage. He was too stubborn to ask the man to teach him, and now he thinks it’s too late. He knows the letters in his first name, and that’s been enough for him.
Sophisticated, he was not. No formal learning whatsoever. But he did have a way with words.
“You misjudge me, Miki”. I’m not learned or very well traveled. Just a good talker from far away.”
He teased her, gently. “Don’t feel bad, I fool a lot of people.” Then he answered her question. “I’m still finding my feet as a peddler, to tell you the truth. In my homeland I was a shepherd and a seller of wool. And the headman of my village.” That was a boast, and not a boast that impressed people here much, but he couldn’t help himself.
Boasting accomplished, he answered her continued. “I’ve only been in Radenor a year or so. I’m finding my niche selling to cloistered mages in the Guild towers. Books, decorative things for their cells, some armor. They pay well and always put me up for a few days.”
Steak is quite the order. Not cheap, but Miki earned it. Andros followed suit. Good conversation sounded nice, and good food and drink would help. He ordered vegetable soup. Here in Radenor he he stuck to a vegetarian diet, save for animals he killed himself. He didn’t trust the Norunn to follow the proper rituals when slaughtering and butchering, and that made the meat tainted for him. He stuck to the sheep and lambs he raised, and only occasionally.
It wasn’t a particularly manly meal, and he was afraid it made him look cheap. So he paired it with aged whisky served with actual ice from the ice house. Outrageously expensive and foolish but he found he really wanted to impress Miki. Yes, this night would drain most of his cash supply, but he had plenty of goods in the cart and could earn it back when he reached the next Guild tower.
In any case, his effort to impress - which he was still denying to himself - paid off in the form of batted eyelashes. Andros didn’t know what to make of that. He shuddered visibly, got a stupid grin on his face, and broke eye contact to stare at the table. This was all so unfamiliar to him. He didn’t flirt with Elena before they were married, that’s for sure. He saw her around the village now and again, heard her reputation as smart and hardworking, and negotiated with her father. Then: a wedding. He’d never eaten a meal alone with a woman who wasn’t his wife. He was in over his head, and part of him knew it.
When he recovered, he answered her question in a straightforward way. “Yes, I’m alone here. My wife passed many years ago and I left my children behind in Teos. It’s just me, though I’ve made many friends here.”
Now what? He’d like to turn politely turn her questions back on her, asking about her career, but he he wasn’t sure how. What did she do for a living if there were no husband and children? He knew some women in Radenor had paying jobs, not least the female mages to whom he sold makeup at a tidy profit. Others owned property or businesses. But who knew what things were like among her people? What if she was an outcast of some sort, being single? What if she did something unsavory for money.
Best not to poke at it, so he changed tack.
“I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting a Moroi before.” He chuckled. “I’ll say you’ve made a positive impression for your people, saving my life and all. And that was quite the equipment you were wielding. I’d never seen one of those either.”
Re: [Memory] Boys Rule and Girls Drool, or Do They?
Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2023 10:40 am
by Miki
Miki mulled over his explanation at her first impression. So he wasn't rich? Damn. Certainly no one had gotten rich from selling wool and peddling-- no one she had met anyway. She tsked when he said that but not too audibly, more to herself than to him in any case.
"I see, head of your village, that's quite the title. I ain't never been the head of anything. Heavy is the head, as they say, and my head can be heavy enough without that sort of trouble."
He mentioned the mages paid well and she didn't feel bad ordering the steak and beer she had gotten. There was a moment after he admitted being a shepherd that she had wondered if he would be able to pay, but she considered that if he couldn't he would have mentioned something by now. In any case, his money wasn't her business, unless she was going to rob him as well. And at this point she was more interested in conversation. Indeed, Miki was debating on whether or not to ask the man if he could put her up with him-- it would be more enjoyable than that Orkhai. And she considered for a moment maybe they could get into a tryst. She did notice that he ordered the vegetable soup and a whiskey on the rocks. 'Rocks' were a pretty penny, she was doubly impressed-- his ploy had worked.
"Whiskey on the rocks, huh? Back in the Badlands water is worth more than its weight in gold, don't see that very often s'all I mean."
He seemed somewhat into her and tryst seemed more and more like an outcome that Miki could see in her future. He liked something about her and even though he wasn't rich like she initially thought he was certainly putting on a show, he knew how to eat well. She liked a vegetable soup as well and didn't find it unmanly in the slightest, while Andros worried about his place in the world with gender roles Miki was more concerned with things like strength, stature, power, and respect. She didn't see things like gender being a determining factor in who a person was. She'd seen men cry and women kill, even killed herself obviously.
Taking a deep drink from the beer she let out a loud burp as he told his short explanation about his wife and children.
"You left your children behind? That must have been difficult to do."
Miki hated thinking about her own and rarely did but for some reason in this instance she was reminded of her own two children who had left her so many years ago to the Outlander.
"I'm the first Moroi you've met? Interesting, I'm certainly not like the usual stock. My brothers and sisters tend to be rather, hm, tame, I think. Though I wouldn't know. I haven't seen them in years. At any rate-- I had a question to ask you. How would you feel about some extended company? Maybe getting to know each other over the next few days. I'll say this, those guys won't just back down, you killed one of theirs and I think you could do with someone who knows how to wield a weapon at your side for a few days. At least. I mean, if I were them I wouldn't just run off, I would seek revenge."
She was rambling on and grasping at straws, trying to sound reasonable. In truth she liked his company and wanted to spend more time with him-- but she couldn't very well just say that could she?