Loneliness is a Bane

Cass knew all too well that trading what people wanted was a dangerous profession. While her father might seem to be a perfectly honest businessman, he also traded in the darker side of things, which meant she did too. She played on desires, figured out what people wanted, and gave it to them… for a price. What happened to them after that wasn’t her problem. “I imagine the danger is part of the appeal for many.” She knew people too well to deny such a thing.

With a little nervous laugh, she shook her head. “I don’t know how lucky I’ll stay. My father is looking to arrange a marriage for me.” She was arranging it herself, once she found someone that suited her, but women weren’t supposed to control their fates. “And I don’t… know much about… pleasures.” She wasn’t supposed to know. She’d had a few moments, she was hardly pure, but she knew she couldn’t compare that to the women who worked here. “Mm, yes, people are sore losers. Sometimes they complain that my father got the better end of a deal, but really, he’s a businessman. He’s hardly going to allow people to cheat him.” She was always at the ready to defend her father, even though she knew better than anyone else how much of a con-artist he could be. She was his daughter, after all, and took after him.

“You must have a good boss.” Since she was a fair boss herself, she could respect that. It inspired loyalty, meant people worked harder. “I wonder what it’d be like. Having the freedom of who shares your bed. It must be more liberating than being bound to one man, over and over again, and at his discretion. It’s always seemed unfair to me that men are allowed to take mistresses, but women are never allowed affairs.” She laughed. “I don’t know, I’ve known many sailors, and when they’ve spent long periods at sea, they might be desperate even for an older woman. You wouldn’t believe - well, actually, you would. The things that the sailors start to say in my presence when they think I’m not listening, it’s really quite… shocking. They have some rather interesting desires.”

Alice chuckled at her words. There was dangerous and mischievous spark in the girl’s eyes, and the succubus liked her for it. She wasn’t like the meek and timid girls, who aspired to get married and act like broodmares. They way she spoke and the spark behind the cunning blue eyes, told Alice that is was girl or kindred, if not same, spirit. “Danger means adventure, and all’s a good choice when you’re bored.”

She could feel for her, truly, and she did, so she only felt a little bad when she laughed in deep amusement to her words. “Oh, lass, you ain’t gonna learn much about pleasure in marriage. Men like their own pleasure and they don’t think about ours, and guess which one’s harder to achieve?” Her laughter ebbed to chuckle, then to smile, and she nodded. “Mine was a merchant too, so I know where you come from. Fathers do for us the way they see most fit. They try to give us a good life, but it’s a hard thing bein’ a girl in this world. I’m sure he’s a good man, and given your robe, a good merchant, but people want valuable things and they ain’t ready to pay for them, and there’s the conflict.” She said, revealing nothing but a portion of her past. Her father was never going to arrange her marriage; their family didn’t work that way, but she could understand Cassandra’s. Marriage was the only way to guarantee one’s safety and wealth in this world.

“I do, aye. They give us all the freedom we need, and if we don’t like a bloke, we don’t have to fuck ‘im. If they get demanding, we can call on guards who’re patrolling the Tavern hidden in plain sight. We’re safe and well payed and have the liberty only rare few can pride on having, and in return they have our full loyalty.” It was odd speaking of herself in such a distant manner, but it amused her to no end. When the topic of loyalty came about, Alice nodded. “It’s a scary thought, aye, but if you find someone who’ll be your match in every way, then it’s a privilege to be with just that one person. I’m not the marrying type, but if I found him, I’d only be a barmaid here, nothin more.” Yes, if she found him then her lustful nature would only be his. But, she knew that such a man existed, and while true love and soulmates was a heartwarming concept, life and people in it made sure that every hope of finding it is smothered. Her hope of such happiness vanished long ago. At first it bothered her, but now she found herself okay with it; there’s plenty of men she can feed off of, and there’s irony that shields her from being hurt. 

At Cassandra’s words she laughed, nodding. “I’m sure they’re rowdy, but lemme raise you one up. A few weeks ago, a sailor sat by the bar proclaiming her wanted to fuck a mermaid, then proceeded to ask himself how he’d do it, since they have a tail and seemingly no hole for his stuff to get in. Fast forward and hour or so later, I find him in the back tryin to fuck a salmon.”

Elyris laughed at the barmaid. It wasn’t that she laughed at her, rather with her. Throwing things, more accurately knives wasn’t as easy as it sounded. “It’s not that easy to hit something from a big distance, so I can’t say I hold it against you.” Her laughter turned to a chuckle, then it silenced completely as she thought of her offer. “Yea, I can. I don’t have anything else to do, so tomorrow night works swell for me.” She answered with a quick smile and a nod.

“That’s okay, I’ll bring my own, but it’s good to know there are more weapons here. It’ll make the girls feels safer. I’ll come by around six, so I guess I’ll see you then. Do you think the owner will come down to meet me?” The valkyrie asked, wondering if the barmaid will tell who owns the place.

Alice offered her a thankful smile as she accepted. “Wonderful, six-ish works swell with us.” Her reply was full of gratitude, but as she continued with the seemingly innocent question, Alice’s guard went back up, tensing by a fraction of an inch. She didn’t think the woman would notice, but it made little matter if she did notice. The succubus shrugged, a mischievous smile dancing on her lips. “Who knows, they are elusive. I haven’t met the owner yet myself, and I’ve been workin here since it opened. I heard they like their privacy and anonymity and, frankly, who am I to disagree, aye?” She retorted with a chirp in her voice.

Elyris found herself enjoying the company of the barmaid, but she enjoyed the company of everyone who wasn’t optimistic, or disillusioned about life. As a valkyrie, she’s seen things no one would ever imagine and it left a bitter taste in her mouth. While she thought mankind, in general, wasn’t trustworthy or particularly kind, she didn’t find it fair to eeny-meeny-miny-mo who lived and who died on the battlefield. Alice’s words brought a chuckle from Darcy, and she rose her glass in agreement. “Aye. They’re more delicate than they want us to know.”

Elyris smiled at her comment, nodding. Yes, men did bring annoyance to her, too, unless they were of the more polite sort. Gentlemen were a dying breed, it seems. “Swords, daggers, bow and arrow. Name it, I’ve used it.” She added, and when the barmaid asked, Darcy smiled. “Whenever you’d want me to start, really. I have some time to spare.”

Alice had to admit that she liked the blonde. While, yes, she was the friendly type, that didn’t mean she liked everyone she interacted with. But this girl, she did like. She liked strong women and this woman radiated strength; the same kind of strength she sensed in Erica. “Yea, they’re fragile and delicate.” She chuckled in reply, raising her glass in return.

It wasn’t all that easy to impress the succubus, but she was impressed by the blonde. “Admirable skills. The only skill I have is throwing things, and not necessarily hitting the target while I’m at it.” She chuckled. Her smile widened as Darcy accepted. “Great! Can you start tomorrow night? Come ‘round here at six, meet the girls and see what you need. There are some weapons upstairs on the attic. I’ve the key so I can show them to you, but if you want you can bring your own.”

Elyris made a face, something bordering on shy mischief even if she was far from shy. “I have ‘em plenty. The longest one is to be left as least annoyed as I can be, but some people are testing my patience.” She chatted, revealing nothing, yet saying a lot at the same time. “A desire for justice, you could say. For equality, for peace. But, I ain’t foolish enough to think of ‘em. So I settle for booze. Occasionally men.” As a valkyrie, she couldn’t really get drunk, but not for the lack of trying.

Snorting at the latter part of her offer, Darcy smirked. “Sure, if your boss wants to find his customers dead.” The snort ebbed to a cunning chuckle, as she asked about her skill.”Oh, I think you’d be surprised. I might not have the voice of angels, but I’m pretty handy with a sword. More than decent. If you need a guard, or someone to linger around and protect the girls, I’m interested. But, the more servicing part of the job? I don’t have the nerves for that.”

Alice chuckled as the woman spoke. Oh boy, can she relate. Though, more than half of her desires were of the carnal side, thanks to her backfiring spell that left her lustful, but she supposes it could’ve been worse. I could’ve lusted for a particular bland of alcohol, or cigarettes, or a particular part of meat coming from a particular animal; that would’ve been a little bit more awkward. Imagine if she only desired for the brains of goats. That would’ve been awkward to ask. “Aye, us girls have always been more intelligent than men, that’s for sure. They’re the ones being optimistic about everythin.”

Swords? Well that could prove useful. She wasn’t really on the lookout for a bouncer, or another guard, as she didn’t have that many problems, but a lady guard? That would make her girls feel more relaxed, safer. It’s easier to trust a girl, than it is to trust a man. To her latter words, she laughed. “Same. I get real annoyed by men, real soon.” She took a shot of her drink and smiled to the blonde. “So, swords, huh? That’d be useful. When do you think you could start, if you’d be interested?”

Clara smiled in response. “It’s not that you’re transparent. It’s just that sometimes silence says more than words.” She took a sip of the drink the woman placed in front of her, nodding once she spoke again. “I don’t think we have to be of high status to perceive things. A beggar can have a better knowledge than a king, when it comes about the matters of humanity.” She commented.

“I don’t know about that. I find it easier to just not trust anyone, and assume the people are out to get one another or screw them over. It’s better to be pleasantly surprised than to constantly look at things optimistically. Optimism never did anyone anything good. Not by a long shot.”

“True.” Alice chuckled in return to the pirate’s words. Silence often said more than words, lover’s silence spoke the most, then the silence of darkness that could be both soothing or maddening, the silence of anger and the manipulative silence, she knew them all. She preferred the intelligent one, the one that speaks for itself, only if the other person is attuned to what it means. “True again.” She agreed to the latter.

“Have we met before? You sound awfully lot like me, and I don’t think the world’s ready for two mes.” Alice laughed. It was rare to meet someone who thought so much like her when it came to other people. Once, she was full of optimism, but them her spell backfired, and ever since many people showed their true colours, and often were those colours tainted by malice and betrayal. “Not everyone will try to screw you over, but most will. As a barmaid, I learned long ago not to really trust anything anyone says. But, no one says the truth as much as drunk men do. If you wanna know the real thing, just let them talk and buy them drinks.”

Clara’s question was replied with another question, but that was answering enough. Her time with the pirates taught her to read between the lines. It would seem that a good few people she’s met all had the same feeling when it came to the treaty; they loved the idea of it, but they all doubted it’d be achieved, not with people in charge, especially those who liked to keep everything magical at an arm’s length.

“Nah, I don’t. I don’t think you do, too.” She countered, taking a sip of the drink that the bartender put in front of her. “I think those without magic can’t be trusted, but those with magic might want to take things up a notch and show all who’s the boss. In short, hell no, I don’t trust either of the side to be decent enough to think about a higher good.”

Alice’s lips stretched into a pleased smile. Finally someone with a brain in the skull. “Am I that transparent?” She chuckled, her elbows resting against the surface of the wood, leaned on the bar. The evening was beginning to seem like it won’t be a complete waste of time and energy. It was a welcome change, unlike every other evening that was exactly the same. Copy and paste of the evening before, and so forth and on.

“I agree. Though what can I, a simple barmaid and an occasional lady of the night, really know about governors, leaders, kings and queens? Maybe we’re all wrong and they do have our best interest at heart, but somehow, I really doubt.” The succubus added. “I don’t think those with magic would have enough balls or would they be enough in sync to really damage normal people.” Not that she’d know for sure. There were whispers, dark whispers in the air, and she didn’t know what to think of it.

The barmaid wasn’t fully human, that much she knew ( she could smell magic from a mile away, and she reeked of it. ), but she wasn’t fully inhuman either. An odd bland, no doubt, which made Elyris believe this could be a step out of the habitual night for her. Good. “I’m sure you do. This place has a rep for filling all sorts of desires.” She commented with a knowing grin, drawing the glass to her lips as she took a sip. Quality, not watered down like she’d have expected, but then again, it was only her first drink; for now.

The offer came out of the blue, taking the Valkyrie by surprise for a heartbeat. “I wasn’t thinking about it, but additional coin can’t hurt. What kind of a job are you offering, if you’re offering?” Darcy asked.

Alice chuckled, the blonde’s words bringing amusement to her. Oh, she knew all about the reputation that followed Statue Tavern and she was pretty sure half of it came from her. She loved making up stories about this place. Rigged games? Oh, aye. Brutes and bloodthirsty guards? Ya, sure, by the buckets. Whores who killed customers with small dicks? Hilarious. She was proud on the last one, wondering sometimes however did she thought about it. Utter fabrications, all of them, of course. But, it kept her girls safe and her business as legal as it could be. “And what’d your desire be?” She asked, smirk dancing on her lips.

“Depends, what’d you be willing to do. Barmaid, lady of the night? Got any skill, dear? You could always sing on the cabaret nights.” Alice suggested. Yea, she could use more girls, but this one seemed on a less polite side, but she’d hate to impose. Or offend, by guessing wrongly. “Aye, we’re offerin. I wouldn’t ask if we weren’t, would I?”

“All the heart can desire?” Cass couldn’t help but laugh at that. “What a dangerous thought.” She didn’t really desire anything, except for the business to remain strong as ever. Love, which she did believe existed, was a luxury, and she would not waste her time seeking out something that most never found. She’d stick with reality, and let life bring what may come. “Thank you.” She sipped the wine, making a noise of appreciation.

Wondering just how many unfaithful men had come through the doors, Cass covered her mouth with a little laugh, as if shocked by the implication. “Oh my, no. No, I am not betrothed.” Yet. She would find someone suitable, of that she was sure. “No, I… um…” She glanced around guiltily. “I heard some of my father’s men talk about this place, and I was… curious.” That part was true, although there was no difference in her expression at the lies and the truth. “They say it’s a den of iniquity, and, well, it seemed so interesting.” The forbidden was always interesting, but nothing had ever been forbidden to Cass, not really. “Are you one of the girls who takes men upstairs?” She asked, eyes wide with avid curiosity as though she was a virgin herself. “I don’t mean to say you look like one, it’s just you’re so pretty, surely the men would want to… bed you.”

Alice smiled in a cunning way. “This is a dangerous place, love. Everything trading desires is dangerous.” She said with a wink of an eye, her chin jerking in an accepting motion. Rarely anyone who came to drink to her Tavern ever thanked her for doing her job. Sure, it was the polite thing to do but men weren’t polite, and they hardly had any manners left after the first drink. That’s why she watered down the rest of the liquor - they’d be unmanageable if all her drinks were as strong.

“Lucky you. Men bring nothing but headaches. We’re more than capable enough to take care of our own pleasures, aren’t we? All of them.” The succubus added with the mischievous smirk dancing on her lips. She laughed, then, as the girl kept speaking. “Iniquity is another name for sore losers. Those who place bets and lose think we rig our games. But, it didn’t occur to them that if they want their brains in the game, they should keep their eyes off the girls and their throats dry. And men can never control their urges which is why the job flourishes.” Her tone was laced with amusement. The girl appeared innocent, and sweet, but Alice knew things were never the way they looked. She was beginning to like this girl, if only for having the balls to come here, alone. The next question brought a scoff. “Call it how you see it, girl. There are no manners here, and they can’t do you any good in a place like this. Do I fuck ‘em? Sure, if they’re tempting enough. Some of the girls prefer that job, and the owner lets us choose the men. I prefer being behind the bar, but if it gets too boring, I take a guy up for some fun.” Or a girl, though it’s been decades since she took one upstairs. Girls were customers only for drinks, or if they wanted to drag their fiances and husbands out by their cocks. “I wouldn’t be too flattered by men wanting to bed me. They want to bed youthful girls and we’re all young here. I doubt they’d want to bed me if I were sixty and soggy.” She chuckled.

Her father was meeting with someone, so Cass decided it was a good opportunity to go seek out more information about the various businesses in Atlantis. Knowing who might be rivals and who might be people she could sell to was always handy, and people so often underestimated the pretty flirt. Which was just what she wanted.

She went to the Statue Tavern, having heard about the place’s reputation (no one could gossip as well as Cass could) with a plan in mind, depending on who she spoke to. She’d play the rebellious girl, sneaking away from her father to experience a little more of the real world. If any of the men who worked for her father were there, she knew they’d play along. They were such good, loyal men, paid well and treated even better. Loyalty was something that the Armstrongs understood. For all their ability to lie and cheat people, they never treated their own people that way.

Settling into a chair, with her eyes a little wide as she looked around, she flashed a guilty smile at the woman. “Oh. Really? Thank you, that’s so kind.” Clever business, Cass noted, getting people relaxed and comfortable so they’ll spend more money. “Um, do you have any Arcadian wine here?”

Alice was only a little surprised by the visitor and she was rarely ever surprised by anything anymore. And, honestly, since that whole thing with her time spell backfired, it was a little dumb to be surprised by anything anymore. The girl was not the one she’d ever associate with Statue Tavern, but who was she to complain? At her question, Alice chuckled. “We have all your heart can desire, but it’s your lucky day. We just got a fresh batch.” She replied, turning around and taking out the dark bottle, pouring a tall glass for the girl, and setting it in front of her.

“Gotta say, you don’t strike me as someone who frequents this place. What prompted you to come here today? Don’t tell me there’s an unfaithful fiance upstairs with one of the girls.” Alice asked in a chatty tone, though if she bothered to really guess, she’d know it wasn’t something as trivial as an unfaithful boyfriend. No, the girl had a mischievous glint to her eye. Hey, this might even prove to be an entertaining encounter.