[center][h3][b]Back at [color=9e0b0f]The Wrangled Drunkard[/color][/b][/h3][/center]
[center][quote]A collaboration by [@Tangletail] and [@Templar Knight][/quote][/center]
Barris, after having shown his letter to Mira in a free moment, proving that he was hired by the Talon Company, ordered a pint of Astorian lagerand a plate of food to start off the evening. A simple meal of beef, assorted vegetables, and a loaf of soft bread. Once he had satisfied himself with dinner, he turned towards surveying the bar and the rest of the patrons as he steadily got more drinks throughout the evening.  

Raux, on the other hand, had spent a good bit of her evening chatting with those at the bar, and doing some light drinking. And no matter how spread out her drinks were, she couldn’t help but notice her own mind feeling a bit slugish. Fortunately, her movements were only partially impaired… and years of practice had prevented a slur from biting her words. Still, one of the more wiser decisions to be made of the night, was her quickly declining the next drink from being poured. She’d rather not take this slight tipsy, into a buzz and beyond. Now left with a moment of fuzzy thought, she gave the bartop a quick pat before slinking out of her chair to go harass a nearby dwarf with her antics. Afterall, the letter she caught an eyeful of showed they were likely to be working together.

“This seat taken here, my bearded compatriot,” The tall cat asked with a grin. Without waiting for an answer she slipped into a seat across from the other. “Course not, little guy like you spent the better part of some hours alone despite the rugged good looks yah sporting.”

Barris looked over at the Brith Bard, the one he’d overheard the antics off earlier in the night. She certainly seemed to be one of the more fun people seeking to be the center of attention this evening, compared to the arrogant human noble who’d walked in earlier. He smiled as he turned on his stool.

“One would not think you’d turn to one such as me for company. You looked like you could steal anyone’s attention in the room. Got bored with that game for clothes earlier and think you’re set for more private albeit no less tame pass-times?”

Slowly, Raux’s brow raised while her grin widened to a frightening size. Though her head slumped a bit to the side on her shoulders, likely suffering the mild buzzing effects of alcohol. “Aye, I could steal anyone’s attention if I wanted. But there’s no sense in tryin' to charm a laddie if they don’t have the balls to ask themselves. You however, gotta say. Like the way you think. Subtle and blunt at the same time. Decided to run the axe through a door and whisper through the hole, hm?”

Barris drew his short pipe from his jacket and checking to see if he had any spare tobacco left, lit using a nearby candle and took a small puff from it before proceeding. “Let’s just say I’m a bit more ballsy than probably most of the schmucks in here. Then again, such an attitude has gotten me into trouble as often as it has gotten me into a more than a few lady’s knickers. Such is the gamble for one of my lifestyle.”

“Known trouble all through your days, mmm,” Raux chirpped as her eyes shifted down to look at the dwarve’s hands. Despite how tipsy she seemed, she clearly was picking through the details… though not at record speeds. No callus, scar, or bent out of shape finger seemed to slip past her gaze by the time she looked back up. “Yeah look the sort. Also look the sort to get into another lady’s nickers. If I was actually sure about what in the blazin hells I’m even sayin, I’d go through with this offer.” She slumped to one side and rested an elbow on the table. “Find a decent enough lass, and we go halfies as long as we share.”

Barris laughed, catching a slight cough as he was mid-puff of smoke on his pipe. He places the pipe down and takes another drink to clear his throat. “I wager that shouldn’t be too hard. We are in Ardent’s Fall, by the port, at the Festival of Broken Conquerors. No shortage of fun to be had here for those with the coin, or who’re inventive enough. Fortunately, I have both.” At this, a new thought entered Barris’ head, he should check his room to make sure all of his stuff had been moved, and that nobody with light fingers had tried to tamper with his chest. He doubted any thief in this city would talented enough to be able to pick the lock so quickly and steal all his money, but it’d be just his luck right now. He made a addled mental note to check on that before he settled on whatever he and perhaps his new friend here, intended on doing for the evening.

The cat let out a long whine, “Currently, the best selection probably taken, by folks of faster wit and raised swords during the wee daylight hours. Hell, our dear Orc, who blessed us with a wonderful belt warming display of nudity, is currently introducing a lass to his third arm. She…” the cat paused and covered her mouth as she made a small burp. It looked like that one hurt. She moved her forehead into her plam… as the soft sounds of whatever was going on upstairs drifted down into her feline ears.  “She… sounds as if she’s not handling it well. Both a poor and lucky gall. For creativity? Can’t think much right now. Well… I suppose I can think of my tongue… but you have a tongue like mine, and you’ll learn quickly you can’t sit still long enough to be sure it stays in good use. Give me a few hours… I’ll show you how to light fire underwater though.”

Barris snickers, and drains the rest of his pint. “I’m sure I can buy out or intimidate a guy twice more size. Not every day gets one of these pointed in their faces.” Barris then reaches into his coat and draws one of his pistols, to Mira’s brief horror as she suspected the inebriated Dwarf to scare off her whole crowd by shooting randomly, he waved his hand at her briefly in reassurance before stowing it away. He shook his head. “Gods, sometimes I forget everywhere’s not like home.”

The Brithian laugh and slumped onto the table. She reached down to her hip and undid the claps holding her hurdy gurdy to her hips and slung the strap off of her shoulders. Afterwards she thunked it down on the table, looked the Dwarf in the eyes with a smirk. “Mine’s bigger. Ten pounds of sculpted hickory, fourteen wires, tuned between high-low Gs, and a crank barely held in place by the threads. The hurdy gurdy. Smash someone over the head with this, and the only thing they’ll be mumbling is ‘hur-dur’.”

Playfully, Barris slams his fist onto the counter. “Come upstairs, I’ll show you my blunderbuss, bastard can clear a whole room in a single shot, far quicker than even that fine instrument of yours.” He leaned back, smirking beneath his beard at his pun, the more reasonable tracts of brain wondering what the hell he was doing, but the more dominant parts telling them to shut up and enjoy it.

Now… Raux couldn’t contain her laughter. Oh she was hawing up a storm, she was! She’d likely have relocated across seas and into the next major landmass if she wasn’t holding onto the table. But when her merriment finally died down, she gave nod through teary eyes and a grin, “Alright. Yeah. Name’s Raux by the way…” she slowly stood up, shakily at first. Then fetched the letter from coat pocket and tossed it across the table, “A distant Jarl’s wit, and a wayward minstrel. We’ll be working together.”

Barris glanced briefly at the letter, and waved an identical matching one to hers from his pocket.”Figures that one of the more interesting people in the room was evidently one of the people I’d be working with. Makes me wonder how many of the others have walked in. Smart money’s on that Lady demanding the attention of the entire room being one of them . . . though she could also be one of my cousins for all I know, she’d certainly fit with them. Name’s Barris Isengrim by the way, Gunslinger formally of Viguard, now of the Charred Republic.”

“Mmmph… Lucilia Von Wolfram, Heiress to the legacy of Earl Von Wolfram… and also bond-maiden to it’s property, lands, and exploits,” Raux drawled as she lifted her gurdy off the table. Once she had her letter slipped back into the pocket’s she made a nod to the stairs, though had to move a foot to counter balance herself. “The family of power in these lands. Drunk, and lustful in the limelight forged from a foundation of brutality… be it pen or blood. They cling to the animal of wolves. Yet shows none of the majesty such beast afford, but the predators they are. Poweful yes. But they’ve not learned one thing. A lesson in humility.. Or a lesson in frailty.” She sniffed and looked down to the dwarf with pursed lips. “Also the family tree is a cactus. Everyone on it is a prick.”