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| Tondc Public House |
| A pub. |
| Day 64 |
The warband has returned victorious from the Mountain. And while there are lots of celebrations happening in the encampments outside the city proper, some of it has spilled over to the pub as well. It's a little more crowded than usual this evening, but it's early so it's not too packed yet. Give it time and it probably will be. Of course, with the not-insignificant Coalition casualties, not everyone is in the celebratory mood. Britt falls into that category, sitting alone at a table in the corner. She people-watches over the rim of her mug, a glum look on her face.
Kai, on the other hand, despite seven bullet wounds and the likelihood that she should be on bed rest, is meandering in post-dinner kind of late without any particular hurry. And though Britt actually wasn't the person she was specifically looking for, she's never going to complain about the company of a certain redheaded archer and elects to stroll her way with a smile that's only marginally tempered by the glum look on her friends face, "You looked like that near the wagon, too." the girl grunts with an upnod in her direction,"What happened?"
The familiar voice draw's Britt's attention. "Kai." Seeing the younger woman actually brings a faint smile to the archer's lips. It fades, though, when she asks what happened. "The Mountain," she snorts, and motions to one of the seats at the table in invitation. She takes another sip of her mead before asking in a subdued tone. "I can't remember - did you meet Veks? The Coesbur houndsman?"
"Is dead at last." Kai grunts as she very carefully takes the indicated seat before dipping her head,"He travelled with us to Indra's camp, Eli.." of course that brings a pause to her,"Eli rode with him. Didn't talk much, but was nice enough to offer us water when Wren was going to get the horses." she remembers shit like that,"What abo.. no, he didn't die there, did he?"
Britt snaps her fingers when Kai says that. "Oh, right - damn, I forgot he came with us." She frowns at herself. "Getting old I guess." Or, more likely, it can be attributed to her third concussion in almost as many weeks - the evidence of which is a healing bruise and scrape on her cheek. When Kai asks if he died there, there's a pinched look on Britt's face that might lead one to believe he had. She bites her lip for a moment before shaking her head. "No. One of his mothers did. Ibem. She -" Even having delivered the news several times over the past two days, having had some space to grieve, it still hits her like a sword to the gut. "She was my sister, if not by blood."
Kai grunts,"Not that old." she insists as she watches Britt curiously and then ahs softly,"I am sorry to hear that, Britt." she's not entirely sure what to say, worrying at her bottom lip with her teeth, "She at least died well, helping insure that the Maunon will never be a threat to her kru, her son or others for the rest of their days?" she ventures softly,"Which I know does not make things better right now, but could we ask any more from our own deaths?"
Oh look who decides to show up. Those two Azgeda. The ones that were harassing Sev, and by association, Britt. And they're the only two Azgeda in the bar. Seems like they're being tolerated more than anything else. Have to play nice with the other clans, which is all just more frustrating that now they're going to drink Trikru mead. Obviously, these two know it, even beyond what they might've done to Sev himself. But they go up to the bar, ordering drink, perhaps not entirely intent on paying for them. They both look a bit injured themselves. And Britt has been around Sev long enough to recognize his particular style of healing. How he ties bandages, the angle that he burns wounds shut. Like a maker's mark. They don't look great, but good enough to walk around, boast, and drink. So…good enough. Editor's note: Beard and Baldy the Azgeda are played by Sev.
"Thank you. And yes, you're right. It is…" Britt's jaw works, struggling with the words. "A familiar pain - the warrior's lot - but not one you ever get used to. Especially when it is family." She takes another drink, bullying her composure back into place a bit in the ensuing silence. Then she asks, "How are your healing? I was worried when I saw you at the camp." And it shows a bit still in the worried crease of her brow. Her gaze is drawn past Kai, though, to the two figures who just entered, and there's a noticeable narrowing of her eyes. She frowns.
Kai doesn't immediately notice the Azgeda owing to positioning, nodding slowly for Britt's words,"I heal well, and faster than many it often seems. I think that's why Arlin keeps checking on me." it doesn't stop her from itching at her chest, but still, "Seven shots, total, but none of them hit anything vital. Once they pulled out the lead and stitched them closed they were.. comparatively minor. Wren suffered worse than I did." though when Britt looks past her, she can't help but turn about with careful stiffness also, "Those guys." oh yeh, she remembers. Unshy about following them with her eyes as they go through the bar and up to order drinks.
Getting their drinks, the pair turn their back to lean against the bar, perhaps enjoying the dirty looks being thrown at them from more than a couple people. More like half the bar, likely. But that's when he spies the pair of Britt and Kai, and one says something, causing the other to laugh. Not hard to figure out that Kai and Britt are being talked about, even if it's too soft to hear.
Britt continues to frown at the Azgeda for a moment before returning her attention to Kai. "Seven? Damn, girl, we need to cover you head to toe in steel." Her tone is too serious for it to come across entirely as a joke, and yet the idea too ridiculous for her to be serious. "Anyway, I'm glad you're on the mend. Arlin is a very good healer - I trust him with my life." Just for the record, since it seems Kai would have use for her own personal physician. Her eyes narrow again when the Azgeda laugh at them. "I'm going to go pick a fight," she declares abruptly, the statement as matter-of-fact as if she were saying she were going to get another round. "It would probably be better for you to stay out of it," she advises, even as she stands up from her chair. "You're still hurt, and what you do reflects on your First."
"Don't laugh, they used to do that." Kai points out, military history and tactics, some of her favorite subjects,"But not so great for hiking through forests or sneaking up on deer.. and unless we go to war with the Skai I'm probably not going to get shot again." she smirks vaguely as she watches the Azgeda,"So are you. So are they." she points out as she watches the Azgeda through narrowed eyes as she endeavors to sort through things mentally,"It would reflect more poorly to have one of our gonakru go wounded into battle alone. That would be wrong." at least that's her supposition on the matter as she slowly rises from her seat.
They see Britt, and then Kai coming up towards them. There's a couple more word between them before one takes a drink, while the other talks. "What do you want, Red?" This is the one that had been insulting Sev earlier. "Where's your niron? Where's No-Man? Off being a coward somewhere?" he sneers at Britt.
The other looks at him. "Nah, he's probably off fucking a tree or whatever healers do. Picking flowers or something." There's a nod at that.
"Probably, I bet the tree would be tighter." That look is right at Britt. "What did I tell No-Man before I decided to leave him with a reminder of what the weak receive?" he, Beard, asks the second, Baldy.
Baldy acts like it's something he's trying really hard to think about.
"Yes, I saw one of those knights armors once. How anyone managed to move in those is beyond me." Britt slants Kai a look, though. "But do you think the Coalition will avoid guns forever now that the Mountain is defeated?" It might have spiraled off into a more in-depth conversation about the future, but right now Britt's mind is more focused on the present. She offers Kai a grateful nod for her support, not trying further to talk her out of it. Drink in hand, she marches over to the Azgeda. "No-Man?" Britt echoes, her expression completely calm. She doesn't correct the assumption that Sev is her niron, but does let her eyes drift up and down Beard, quite obviously sizing him up. She smirks over to Kai, but it's obvious that there's no mirth behind the gesture. "From the looks of it, I'd say he's twice the man you are, where it counts. Tell me, do you have the balls to insult me to my face the way you do behind my back?"
"There are only so many bullets." is Kai's grunt about things, of course, that's just one of those things for which there could be a whole 'nother discussion in and of itself, but she's swaggering up in Britt's wake. Her armor might have bullet holes in it, lots of bullet holes, but that doesn't mean that she doesn't give her best, flattest, most disdainful look from her spot off to Britt's left,"Clearly he's an expert in fucking tree's.. probably never even touched a woman." she elects to chime in with the best dismissive sniff she can add to it,"And funny you'd talk about cowardice, given that from the state of you looks like you must have hidden behind the skirts of the Skai in the Mountain. Or.. no.. you probably gave each other those injuries while pretending to look for Reapers outside."
"A coward. A man who kills and then runs when he doesn't want to face justice. A man who will stand alone until his bones are dust." Beard replies, frowning. "He killed my cousin. Planting his dirty Trikru seed in her belly. She may only of been half Azgeda, but she was my blood. I can't kill him, but I can make him remember what he did. He is is a coward and he ran. He is No-Man. And he will be alone."
"But now No-Man has this one." Baldy remarks over to Beard. "What favors do you owe him? I can't imagine someone would stay with No-Man willingly. What is it? Trade? Or maybe blacktrade? Does he hang some secret over your head?" he offers, maybe giving Britt a way out.
"No. The only kind of woman that No-Man could ever deserve is a whore. And as far as I can tell, considering they bed Skaikru and even allow them to join their own ranks waters down Trikru." But he steps up to Britt, looking down at her. "How about you quiet your bitch? She share your bed too? She looks a little young to me. But fine. It must be a pathetic woman who not only is friends a No-Man, but beds him too. How about you walk away before we show you what real men are like."
Britt squints a little at the description of the cousin's death. But then she's smirking again to Kai. You go girl. To Baldy, she says in a tone of mild disinterest, untroubled by the insults, "Well you seem to know a lot about begging for favors. I imagine you have to, since I doubt you could entice a woman to your bed with all the riches in Polis." Her eyes drift up to Beard, and then the smirk finally fades to a more dangerous look. Not backing down, even though he has a good half-foot and a lot more muscle on her. "And what would you know of what real men are like? All I see in front of me is an mother-fucking Azgaeda coward who gives a beating to an untrained healer while our warriors lie bleeding and dying after a battle." If she were taller, she would dump her mead on his head. Lacking such stature, though, she does the next best thing and flings the liquid at his crotch. Less spectacular - possibly a bit more humiliating. Or so she hopes.
"Knew it.. these guys never saw the inside of the Mountain." Kai declares with the biggest smirk she can manage and the click-point of her fingers. If the girl knows anything, it's how to zero that bitch in on a weakness,"Probably never even seen a Reaper, either. And really, branwoda that beat up on healer's just after a battle are the sort of pieces of shit that should be left to bleed out forgotten." Her eyes have gone mostly to Baldy, seeing as Britt's got Beardy in her face,"Your sniveling cowardice in battle isn't sufficient, but you choose to risk ending the fight of real warriors for your petty ego?" it's been a while since she's been allowed off the proverbial insult chain, but Eden bless Cassandra for at least keeping her sharp on working out which knife to twist in a verbal battle.
"He's lucky I don't slit his cowardly throat. That old man should consider himself lucky I don't take his head home with me and use his skull to eat my soup out of." Beard is suddenly getting angry, able to dish it out, but perhaps not really able to take it as much. And the crowd has started to hush a bit, more eyes on them than anything else. And since it's a bunch of Trikru and probably some Podakru and Sankru in here, everyone is just waiting for these to get theirs. When Britt throws her drink, it soaks the front of his pants, and a good deal of the crowd breaks out in laughter, pointed directly at the pair of Azgeda. "Red-headed whore. Beat you just like your niron." Cool has officialy been crossed as he takes a swing at the archer.
Baldy isn't doing so much better. "Who let's the bitch talk? Some Skaikru acting like she's something she's not. What fool of a First would take a weak girl on? Who would rather use guns than a sword." he spits at Kai, waiting for her. But being called branwoda that probably is what sets him off as well. "You should watch your mouth, bitch. Your boots are too big for you." And when Beard rears back to swing at Britt, Baldy will join him, clearly intending to take Kai's head off with a swing.
<FS3> Opposed Roll — Beard=7 Vs Britt=Dodge
Beard: Good Success (1 8 2 4 7 4 2) Britt: Good Success (7 6 3 5 6 8 8)
Net Result: Britt wins - Marginal Victory
<FS3> Opposed Roll — Baldy=6 Vs Kai=Dodge
Baldy: Failure (6 2 2 5 3 3) Kai: Success (7 4 3 6 3 6 5 6)
Net Result: Kai wins - Marginal Victory
There's a moment of quiet satisfaction on Britt's face when the laughter prompts Beard to take a swing at her. For a moment there she was worried she was going to have to actually throw the first punch herself. Having expected such a reaction though, she ducks under the swing easily. She then comes back up with a swinging uppercut, using her metal mug as a sort of makeshift club.
Kai might still be learning how to be a warrior, but wow he telegraphed that punch so bad that even the Second can see it coming to let it fly past her and there's that grin, because well.. to her? Her favorite bit of making friends is when the fists start flying, even if with the current state of her hands she's probably going to tear a few stitches and get a few lectures. Entirely worth it in her opinion. This is almost familiar to her, she's had plenty of times sparring with other cadets, only this time she doesn't have to worry about an instructor telling her to hold back her punches.. so this time? She totally doesn't as she endeavors to jab her opponent in the FASE like he deserves. At least for the moment she's a little too distracted to continue sniping at him verbally.. that's a good thing, right?
<COMBAT> Kai attacks Baldy with Brawling - Critical Stun wound to Head.
<COMBAT> Britt attacks Beard with Club - Light wound to Left Arm.
<COMBAT> Baldy attacks Kai with Brawling and MISSES!
<COMBAT> Beard attacks Britt with Brawling and MISSES!
<COMBAT> Baldy has been KO'd!
So the battle is joined. And the Trikru know what to do when a fight breaks out in the bar. Back up the tables and chairs, make a circle, start cheering for their own, and making some bets on who's going to win first. And well…apparently, Kai and Britt know how to handle themselves in a bar fight. Beard, taking a swing at Britt gets intercepted by the mug that Britt is using as a club, the dishware smacking against his hand and he cries out, reeling back a little bit in pain. "Fucking whore!!" he bellows at her, jumping back at her, clearly going for the neck to strangle the woman into unconsciousness. It's Kai however, who makes the whole crowd sound out in unison: a discreet "OOOOH!" as the blow to Baldy sounds like she either broke her hand hitting him so hard or she broke his jaw. Maybe a combination a both. The man staggers back just one step before his eyes roll into the back of his head and falls face first at Kai's feet, out stone cold. The Second gets an uproarous cheer for that one. She knocked out an Azgeda in one blow, that's going to earn her some drink. She can even see Nix, standing in the corner, slamming his mug against the table, cheering her on.
Well it wasn't quite what she was going for, but Britt will take it. Brawling isn't really her thing, honestly. Out of the corner of her eye, she catches sigh of Baldy collapsing at Kai's feet, and Britt just grins. "Hot damn, girl!" is the approving message from the elder archer. But then she waves Kai off, the grin fading to a growl. "Mine." She jabs with the mug again to the face, but it's just a feint. Because against a bigger, stronger, more highly-skilled warrior, Britt is not above using the woman's weapon - a knee to the groin. Her good knee, naturally.
Kai has the benefit, in this situation, of years of training. The Ark might not have prepared her for WAR at all, but some guy trying to take a swing at her and needing to put them down absent of shock lash or sword or anything but her fists? She doesn't even have to think about it, the action an automatic response ingrained in hundreds of drills and totally without any kind of consideration to the bullet wound or shallow cut that the hand currently sports. The blood that's on it when she draws back is not his, sadly, but there's no mercy in the Second's eyes when his eyes roll back and she simply takes a half step to the side to let him smack into the ground. A sneer crosses her lips as she plants a foot on the back of Baldy's head to mash his face into the ground. The archer has no worries about her deciding to interfere, though she's not above spitting on her fallen opponent to growl,"Branwoda." again for emphasis.
<COMBAT> Beard attacks Britt with Brawling and MISSES!
<COMBAT> Britt attacks Beard with Brawling - Light Stun wound to The Junk.
Yes, I know, there is no such hit location, but I used Right Leg as a called shot substitute and succeeded :)
Beard misses again. This must've been what Wren was trying to drill into Kai's head all this time. You fight in anger, you're gonna be off on your game. Fighting on pure rage never really does much good. And when Beard charges at Britt, all he gets for his troubles is a knee to the twig and berries. He coughs, doubling over for a moment, before rising up again. He will hit the archer at least once. And he only needs to do it once. He doesn't even bother throwing insults, he just wants to hit, as the uppercut would suggest.
Britt is angry, make no mistake. But her anger is channeled into an icy focus. Her arm deflects his punch even as her knee smacks him into the junk. Not as hard as she'd like, though, and that shows in a frown. "And here I thought you'd have nothing there," she spits at him while he's doubled over. He comes back up, and Britt is there, mug coming down towards his face in a hard overhand strike.
Baldy is out for the count, and Kai is not about to let him get back up again, granted, she's also making eyes at Nix off in the distance, as much as she's watching Beard and Britt brawl, perhaps even more than she's watching Britt and Beard brawl, because as far as she's concerned Britt can totally take care of herself one on one and she's just making sure that his friend doesn't decide to get up and join back in. Not to mention; her hands bleeding. She knows Silver's going to have things to say about that later, but for now she's just baring her teeth in delight at Britt clipping him in the joymaker because well, smiting evil feels good, in her book.
<COMBAT> Britt attacks Beard with Club - Serious wound to Head.
<COMBAT> Beard attacks Britt with Brawling - Critical Stun wound to Chest.
<COMBAT> Beard has been KO'd!
Baldy makes some kinda squeaky noises under Kai's boot, but he doesn't look to be moving any time soon from that blow to the head or the fact that there's a boot on it. Could be that he's gonna be talking through a straw for a bit. Not much going on there. When she looks over at Nix, he raises his mug to her, toasting.
Blows are exchanged between Britt and Beard, and while they look like ones that rock the pub by the sound they both make on impact, it's the archer who seems to outlast the Azgeda. "YOU'RE MINE, WHORE!" he shouts at her, planting his fist in her chest with bare-knuckled rage. It's a hard hit, a nasty hit, and there's probably going to be a cracked rib from a shot like that. But Britt is just as tenacious, perhaps moreso. Because while the hits happened more or less at the same time, he's going to feel the one she lands on him. Hits him hard enough that the momentum from blow literally has his body reeling. It doesn't even register that he's been knocked out. He flies back, striking the bar behind him before falling to the ground in a heap. The crowd is deafening from a fight like that, and it looked like the Trikru made complete short work of a pair of Azgeda, taking them down more than a peg or two. Paying up is already happening and already calls are being made to buy the pair more drinks than they can possibly handle. If you want to make a name for yourself, that's one way to do it.
Uppercut to the lower ribs - crack! Yeah, that's gonna leave a mark. It's probably good that the fight ended when it did, because Britt would've had a hard time continuing to fight after that hit. As it is, it's only stubborn pride that allows her to stand up more-or-less-straight-ish, elbow tucked carefully against her side. Her face twists in a wincing smile as she turns to Kai. With her free hand, she goes to clap the younger woman on the shoulder. "Well fought. Thank you." And then she's setting her mug down on the bar, catching the barkeeper's eyes with an apologetic shrug.
Kai gives one last grind of Baldy's head with her boot before she pushes off, drawn away from Nix at the sound of the hit to Britt. She eyes the archer and her stance, reaching to clasp her own hand over hers,"You, also, do we need to go find Sev?" she let's her voice drop low at the question, though people calling for drinks is somewhat dragging at her attention because free booze. She doesn't have an apologetic look for the bartender.. that guy deserved it, she ain't sorry,"Next time maybe they'll keep their hands and their comments to themselves.. totally worth it."
A burly Trikru warrior, possibly someone Britt knows and Nix actually come up to drag the Azgeda away. "We'll get these back to their people. Or maybe just dump'em in a horse trough. Get'em outta here before they start to stink up the place." he grins, getting his hands under Baldy's arms. There's a smile at Kai. "I'm free afterwards, you want to get that rematch in, you let me know." A wink at her before he starts to drag the guy out. The bigger man, a bear-ish looking sort, bigger than an outhouse picks up Beard with one massive arm. "Good job, Britt. he rumbles. And he too will make his exit. The bartender shakes his head. "Hey, keep it. Trophy. And as far as I'm concerned the pair of you got free drinks for the next couple of days. Earned it."
Britt smirks when she sees Kai grinding the guy's head on the floor, then grimaces at the mention of going to see Sev. "Not much he can do. I've cracked ribs before. Hurts like hell, nothing to do but bind it." Nix and Bear get a nod of thanks too. She sucks in a wince, and snorts at the barkeep's offer of a trophy. "I'll leave it here. Use it for a good story." Hopefully Sev will approve. "Thanks, but I think I've had enough for tonight." She then looks to Kai. "You enjoy it. Have a drink with your friend." Her eyebrows lift a little when she says that, having noted the wink. "You've earned it. I'm gonna go." Then she's suddenly more serious. "Watch your back for a few days okay?" She wouldn't put it past those assholes to try for revenge.
"I'll keep that in mind." Kai utters with a smirk at Nix, then glances at Britt, shaking her head,"Well at least now you'll have a while to rest and recover.. and I will. They're not the first people to potentially want a piece of me when I'm not looking." she draws drily,"You be careful too Britt. Go rest, let me know if I can get anything to help." of course, the loft of her brow makes makes her cheeks color just a little,"He's just.. a friend. That's all." she grunts.
That blush gets another little smirk from Britt. "Nothing wrong with being more than friends," she quips, turning the younger warrior's words back on her. And then she's making her way back out of the pub, trying to dodge some well-meaning back claps and arm punches along the way.