Seth entered the Queen with Murmur, Rita settled on his shoulder, his pouch full with a third of the crowns they'd found in the chest, and five extra shills from Amani's payment. He'd also managed to obtain a few extra daggers from the box of weapons where Amani kept the guns, and hid them in various places on his person. He and Amani had let Murmur keep the wine and the cutlery. Perhaps all this wasn't quite enough to get him out of Old Rose, at least not in any great comfort, but he felt he may as well celebrate the success of his and Murmur's job with a drink or three. Perhaps he would swipe a few extra coins while he was here? Pick a pocket or two? Maybe gamble? But then, with his luck he didn't much like the idea of gambling. Maybe after a few good drinks?

Upon finding an empty table, he ordered two Magmas, one for himself, and the other for Murmur, which he set before her on the table, "There we go, one Magma, I think my debt is repaid?" He smirked, "Either way, you're buying your own after this." He downed his in a quick gulp, a tingling shiver running down his spine with the burn. This was even stronger than moonshine! He liked it. "All in all, I'd say this evening was pretty fun. I almost got my head blown off, you saw your dead body, and we both came out of it with money, and perhaps more importantly, all limbs intact!" He grinned.

((The payment and items split up between the party has already been agreed upon by Amani, Murmur, and myself))

The last time Murmur had entered the Mad Queen it had gone badly, and she'd walked out of the place barefoot after losing her boots in a bet.

Perhaps she'd avoid the gambling deck all together tonight, she thought- though the the spoons in her bodice were just begging to be wagered on a game of dice.

With any luck there might be a bar brawl too, she couldn't let her black eye get too faded now, could she? Someone might mistake her for a respectable hardworking human without one, vita forbid it.


Murmur took her drink, watching Seth down his own before lifting hers in a 'bottom's up' motion.

"Watch closely, yer about te see something very special happen," she grinned, "provided ye're able te stay conscious the whole night." Murmur downed the liquid easily, unsurprisingly considering she'd been practically brought up on the stuff. She shuddered a little in delight, the burn still the same after many years.

"I might not be much, Kitten- I ent a lady, or a swordsman or a magic doin’ golly…but I’ll tell ye one thing. I can drink any man, beast, golly or god under any table ye care te name. Shall we have another, or do ye need te wait for this one te settle?"

Ah, a challenge! Seth loved such challenges, being darn good at holding liquor himself, he almost forgot he was supposed to be saving his money, but then figured a few cheap-but-strong drinks wouldn't hurt anything, especially if the woman went down first. 'Sides, after seeing what an 'honest job' entailed in Old Rose, he figured it would be more honest to just pick a few pockets later and avoid the excitement of such boring honest jobs altogether. "A drinking game, then? You're on!" He ordered three chrove's erse for himself, letting Murmur order three of her own shots. "We'll start small so you don't go under too fast." He smirked.

"No need te hold back on my account," said Murmur ordering her drinks so that she matched Seth measure for measure in Chrove's Erse...she took a long hard sniff of the drink, "Ye know, some people find this smell unpleasant...but I think it ent without it's charm, meself."

The young human tipped her head back, and felt her head start to swim already. But Murmur would be damned if she let Seth beat her in a drinking match, she'd switch to Dealbreakers if she had to prove her point. Maybe the two might even end up re-inacting the famous Queen's corpse legend, in the very tavern where the drink had been invented....although, thought Murmur, eying Seth and then knocking back another shot- that probably wasn't going to happen. She pounded the table happily, getting a few odd glances.

"So, emm, what will ye do- back in Vienda?" she said, her voice growing quieter, "ye know...what sort of thing do ye do fer them?"

Seth eyed the foul-smelling ale in his shotglass. The stench ws something he'd gotten used to after the first night he'd tried the stuff. He'd gotten quite drunk off of it after six good shots, but it was nothing to him, now. He knocked it back, and then another to match murmur. He felt the welcome heat on the back of his neck and shoulders. This was only the beginning. He knocked back the last shot that sat before him, a one-up on the woman, grinning at Murmur, "I don't think this is the place for such chatter." He avoided the question- best not to let anything slip in a bar full of ears, drunken as they may be, even if they didn't know what they were talking about; someone might just have the brains to figure things out. "Maybe later, in private. More ale for ya? Or are you getting worn out already?" He grinned. He was still alert- still sober. Perhaps Mumur was, too. He would decide later, when she was good and knocked out. Or when he was waking up, looking at the girl's triumpant expression as she greeted his wakefulness. Which ever came first.

"Right...eh, sorry," shrugged Murmur, catching herself- discretion was needed in something like the resistance, and was something she herself would have to get a lot better at,"though ye'll have te watch it. Few more drinks might loosen yer tongue...not that I'm a spy or nothin'."



She downed her last drink and shuddered happily, "This? My ma used te put more drink'n this into me bottle when I were teethin'," she narrowed her eyes at Seth, "An' since we're both so convinced we're gonna win...I think we oughta make this more interestin'...ye a bettin' man, Kitten?"

"Depends on the situation. I only make bets I know I can win!" Seth smirked, "And I know I can win this game, so bring it on. Hmm?" He turned to Rita, who was eyeing the empty glasses of ale, mewing in a demanding way. "Oh, right. Sorry about that, got caught up in the excitement." He turned back to Murmur, "Rita here wants a Gioran Whiskey." He smirked, petting the cat between the ears, "In the meantime, what sort of bet were you looking at?" Maybe they would get to the poin of downing Queen's corpses, or even Deal Breakers.... he hoped- for Murmur's sake- it would not come down to this. Ok, so maybe he also hoped for his sake. As much as he loved ale, as easy as it was for him to hold it all, he hated the hangovers in the mornings.... they were nasty.

Murmur laughed and held her hand out to the cat...she liked cats; they always used to hang around outside the fish shop when she was a girl and Murmur had always assumed cats liked her, though most of the time they had just mistaken her for kibble.

"I'll get this one for ye Rita, since yer boy got one fer me. Reckon ye might beat us both at drinkin, puss?"



"Well...since I ain't got much money I'm thinkin'," Murmur narrowed her eyes at Seth and grinned, "Total humiliation on yer part." It must be the drink bringing out something rather vindictive as she continued, "As it so 'appens, I 'ave a spare dress...one that I keep for special occasions- like hot days an' when I'm guttin' fish," she said with a small chuckle pausing to look at Seth's face.

"Ye can see where I'm goin' with this can't ye, Kitten?" she said evily, "If I'm the one still standin' at the end of this little session ye have te walk around Old Rosie tomorrow wearin me spare dress!" Murmur began to laugh at the very thought of it, and couldn't stop laughing-possibly due to the drink.

After a few moments she composed herself enough to order another drink, for herself and Rita "Ye sure ye don't want te start pacing yerself a little more?" she asked sweetly.

Seth stiffened as the girl kept talking, his heart sinking. This was downright wrong. Assuming the girl reeked so badly as she was, he didn't want to even consider how much her 'spare dress' would stink, and even if it is was a pretty galdori ball gown he couldn't see himself walking with complete confidence wearing one. His cheeks flushed at the mere thought, and he swallowed. Hard. Then cleared his throat, "Well, then..." Oh, do be a man. Last time you checked you had balls, didn't you?

He nodded firmly to himself, "Sounds like a plan... but if- no- when I win, you have to do something just as humiliating." He paused- maybe there was nothing as humiliating as wearing a fish-gutty, never-been-cleaned dress around Old Rose, but he would think of something just as horrific for the girl, "You have to..." He smirked, his eyes flashing, "Take a bath. With soap. And wash BOTH your dresses. Don't worry, I won't push things, you don't have to brush your hair and drink tea with a golly or anything, but the offer stands. You have to be sparkling clean. Got it?" He smirked. Maybe the woman would back out now out of her fear of soap. He just hoped she wouldn't melt. "Well, is it a deal then?" He spat in his hand, a good and gooey glob, and held it out to her, ready for her to shake it.

Murmur smiled triumphantly, she was going to have the best fun of her life watching Seth saunter through Old Rosie in her dress, and kept smiling as he tried to think of an equally humiliating forfeit as his one, confident he would not be able to top her idea- Murmur was not a girl who humiliated easily, obviously.



Murmur's mouth opened. And stayed open. Walk around Old Rosie starkers, kiss the barman of the Mad Queen full on the mouth, do a dance in the middle of the square...anything , Murmur would have done anything but this.

"Ye..." she tried but the words wouldn't come out, "Ye want me te wash? Ye want me te get in some water and wash meself with soap?" She held her hands in front of her eyes, "all of meself? Even me back? Oh vita I don't think I 'ave the strength."

She looked at Seth's hand,shiny with saliva, caught somewhere between horror and anger, "An' I can't say no now can I, coz you've agreed te the dress thing 'aven't you?" She took his hand firmly and shook. "Yer on. More drinks fer the table!" she shouted adamant that she would not lose this one. Murmur Muck would not be taking a bath any time soon, not in this life.

"I like the way I smell," she said crossing her arms and looking at Seth grumpily, "s'got character. I'm like a mature cheese," and it wasn't before long that Murmur was laughing again, a loud, bawdy laugh drawing attention to the table.

"Well, well, is that fear I see behind your eyes? You're not going to back out on me, are you? I mean, I would understand if you were scared and all...." Seth smirked broadly, so happy to see the girl was just as horrified with this as he had been with the dress. Theywere on an even playing field, then. And perhaps if he won, the whole of Old Rose would be grateful to him.



Seth grinned as she shook his hand, trying not to laugh at her reaction. "Well I do have to admit, your smell is rather unique. It's like fresh kitten poop mixed with chrove's vomit and a healthy helping of ten-year-old fishguts, all piled onto a sweaty woman, somewhere in there." He said it all with a gleeful, joking sort of voice. He was just as adamant on not losing as Murmur was. As soon as the shots arrived he knocked one back, quickly followed by another, eyes locking with Murmurs. He was still sober.. mostly, though there was a slight tingling in his fingers. Was she? She had seemed a tad loopy before they even made the deal. Either way, he refused to go down- anything to avoid wearing the godawful dress.

"Thank ye kindly sir," said Murmur cheerfully raising her glass and knocking back the shot, affecting a posh accent "One must do one's best." Murmur wasn't drunk, not yet, she was feeling slightly more...merry than usual, but not drunk. Not at all.

She belched.

"Scuse'm," she said putting a hand to her mouth. "I forget how fun this is," she started, directed more at Rita than at Seth, "ye know, Rita? A proper girl's night out, me an' me ma- gettin' absolutely trollied before stumblin' home an' vomitin' into a bucket of that day's left over shellfish."

"She used te sing," said Murmur turning back to Seth, she opened her mouth but stopped, shaking her head- smile wavering a little, "Maybe in a few more drinks, eh Rita?" She downed another shot, "All Ma's should take their kids out drinkin'...valuable bondin' time right there, don't ye think, Kitten?"

"we oughta buy a whole lot more...just keep em on the table...say, ten each an' we see ow we go from there? If one of us don't die in the process..." she grinned, "death over soap!" she raised her glass, "I think I found me new motto...what about ye? Death over dresses?"

"Heh, indeed," Seth raised a brow as he listened to the girl jabber on, quite fixated on keeping his consciousness, his sobriety. He smirked as she rambled on.



Seth grinned, giving a sharp nod, "You can bet your life on it!" He knocked back another drink, "Or in this case, your filth and grime!" He slammed the shot glass down, "More drinks!!" Oh, boy, at this rate he would be washing dishes. As long as it wasn't in Murmur's dress, he was fine. "You enjoying the ale, Rita? Just watch as your good boy Seth beats this woman at her own game." The cat looked up from her whiskey and let out a bemused meow, then cntinued downing her ale. "Haha, that's right. She'll be facing her worst fear-" He knocked another back, "Soap." He wiped his mouth on the back of his sleeve.

"'Sa perfectly valid fear," shrugged Murmur toying with her latest drink, not that she couldn't handle the break neck pace that the two were drinking at. "All them oils an' fats an' what 'ave ye..." she shuddered, "an' water...I ent the biggest fan of water..."



Unbeknownst to Murmur, she was having the same thought as the slightly younger boy. Why she was paying for this much drink, when she had some perfectly disgusting wine was beyond the girl. She drank another shot and grinned.

"So, Seth, who turns up on piers with cats who andle whiskey beautifully," she nodded out of respect to the cat, "what do ye think of Old Rosie then? Ye not been persuaded te join the ranks of tha bad brothers like so many other men ye see round 'ere?"

Seth smiled quite fondly at the cat, "Well it's kind of a long story, I'll try and shorten it for ya. This amazing feline, here, loves two things that makes her perfect for me- shiny things, and beer. Taught her how to obtain shiny things for me, and I always reward her with a beer of some sort, sometimes other ales." He shrugged, "Just so happend a few days ago something particularly shiny caught her eye and she went for it, and I had to go after her. We ended up accidental stow aways on a ship heading here... the rest is history."



"The Brothers? Pah!" Seth waved a hand carelessly at the idea, "Used to have an interest. Used to want for my own gang to rival ol' Hawke's. Not anymore. I have more important things to worry about. Not that Old Rose doesn't have her charms, it's just... Vienda has more... special things for me." He downed two more shots, shuddering, then noticed they were almost out. And he was supposed to be saving his money for that trip back to Vienda. Oh, crap... He looked around, Give me some good pockets to pick... "What about you?" He turned his attention back to Murmur, taking his mind off the money- for now, "What's so bad about Vienda? And why so terrified of boats? You'd think a fishmonger would love the water."

Murmur laughed at the story loudly, "Sounds like ye had quite an adventure!...Still, ye know what they say, all things 'appen for a reason an' animals, why they 'ave a 'abit of knowin' things we just don't, us and gollies." She scratched the ears of the cat, "I reckon Rita 'ere knows somethin' she ent tellin ye...maybe ye were meant te end up in Old Rosie...maybe ye were meant te meet me an' maybe ye were meant te spend tomorrow wearin my old dress!!" she laughed, slapping her thigh.

"Yer defeat is written in the stars, isn't that right, Rita?"



Murmur grinned widely at Seth, "Ooh, Special...ye mean a girl don't ye? Or a boy... I don't like te judge." She read his face and then reached into the bag at her side secretly, "'ere...don't let the barman catch me, I'll top us up."

She reached into her bag and as discretely as possible began to pour some of the wine taken from the house earlier that evening into some of the empty shot glasses before quickly putting it back into her back. "This stuff is poison I'm tellin' ye...but it'll do the trick fer now."



Murmur took a deep shot of drink and put a hand to her face. "I said I 'ad a fish shop there didn't I? My Ma ran it...there were a lot of us, fifteen or so I reckon if yer countin' the ones that didn't live long ....I were the youngest, but I was always her favorite- she trained me up, said she was gonna leave it all te me, the shop, the rooms above it, everythin'"

Murmur took a deep breath, alcohol heightening her emotions, the raw pain stinging anew.

"Anyways, bout four months ago now, night before I turn twenty she vanishes...poof..." Murmur made a sign with her hand, "and an old fishin' acquaintance of mine comes round says they found my Ma's body in a net.

"obviously my Ma got drunk, fell in the river and ended up catch o' the day...which I daresay is amusing te some people, though I 'ave yet te find the funny side."

"And I was left with everythin, like she promised," added Murmur bitterly, "all the bad business links, an the debt, an the people bangin' on the door askin' fer their money. What could I do? I 'ad te sell the place, an' I couldn't stay wi' family, not now me siblin's all 'ave careers an' families, so I come 'ere with a mind te get some money an one day go 'ome te start again...only..."

she took another drink and smiled, "only I talk too much...'ows the wine? I think old whasshisface...Yarvin from earlier pressed the grapes wi' his own feet, bunions an' all."

"Tastes about as bad as you smell... no, that would insult the wine, nothing's that bad, though it does taste godawful." Seth said flatly, curling his lip. "Think we should go back to-" he coughed, "Chrove's Erse... its stronger, anyway." He shuddered as the wine went down. The stuff made him nauseous, "As for what's written in the stars, I'd say all of Old Rose would be pleased to see your bath coming in the moring." He smirked.

"You know, at this rate I'll be peeling you off the floor..." He knocked back the last of his Chrove's Erse, a desperate attempt at getting the taste of the wine out of his mouth. "Need more..." This was getting downright unhealthy. He knew that- the slight buzzing that was ever so sluggishly slowing his thought process told him that. But he was downright determined not to wear that dress. "More ale!!" He called like a battle cry, arm stretched out in the air. He could feel many eyes burning into him as the two battled for victory. Apparently they were drawing quite a bit of attention.

"The only thing that is gonna get peeled off is yer clothes tomorrow as ye step into my dress," said Murmur a little more woozily than usual, though it was all par for the course "make no mistake about that one! By the time I'm through with ye, yer liver is gonna look like a jar of pickled onions an' yer gonna think kidney failure is clock's eve....ye gonna..." Murmur trailed off, suddenly very fascinated by the wood in the table.



"YARRR!" shouted Murmur in agreement, becoming even more acquainted with the table as her nose began to brush it's surface. Had her head always been this heavy? Murmur hadn't remembered carrying such a heavy head on her neck before this.

"S'only a matter of time now, before you go dooown...way down to dress up town," she giggled.

"Oh I am sure you would just love to strip off my clothes!" Seth teased as more ale arrived, "I can't say I blame you, my body is quite the sexy spectacle to behold, but I'm taken by a pretty young wick, a female for yer information," Never mind that that wick had been gone from Vienda for some time, "And anyway, the only clothes being stripped away in th' mornin' will be yours, when we dunk ye' inna bath!" Seth grinned broadly, muddy green eyes alight with humor, and perhaps a tad bit of drunkenness- Nope! Not yet... He knocked back another shot.



Not until she falls, oh, looky there! He noticed the woman's head bobbing dangerously and grinned. "You alright, there?"



"Oh-ho-ho! You sure about that one, then? Sit up like a real man- er, woman- and have another round, then! I think you've not been pullin your weight in ale!" He smirked, downing another. Ooh, he knew he would be sick in the morning. As long as I get to throw up in my own damned clothing, and not hers.

"If yer plan is te make me feel sick te my stomach it's workin'," said Murmur to the table. Come on, get yourself together, said a voice in her head, you are a Muck, pure alcohol and fish guts run through your veins. "An' don't ye worry about me, I was jus' restin' my head."



"An' now I am done restin'," she announced, pulling herself up with a little difficulty...all runners went through this, a wall somewhere in the marathon, but once they were through that wall they went on to win the home stretch and Murmur was definitley going to win this one. And then tomorrow she would throw all of Seth's clothes in the sea. "Real man...I'll show ye real man," she downed another drink.

"Now that's th' spirit!" Seth smacked her shoulder playfully, "Let's get this over with! All o' Old Rose'll be ferever in my debt when ye're good an' clean!" He knocked back two shots- three. "You countin', Rita?" He gave the cat a quick pet, before turning his gaze back to Murmur, "Make sure she drinks as much as I do! This does have to be fair, afterall!" He grinned, then swayed a little, placing both hands firmly on the table. No sir, not yet, you don't! He gave Murmur a look of pure, unwavering resolve. I will not lose this! He knocked back one more, holding back the urge to vomit. Ugh, not so fast. She still has to catch up. He leaned back into his chair, smirking. "Take yer time, then, girly, ye got four shots te go 'fore we're even, I w's countin'." He paused, "Not that I'm too worried, mind ya."

He did so hope she would go down soon. Maybe waiting for the next round would give him a few extra seconds to settle. Oh, the next round! He had only a small amount of money left! This meant he would be picking a pocket or three to pay for more. While he waited for Murmur to take her next three shots, his eyes flitted around the room for a few particularly drunk men. Perhaps he could find one who was good and knocked out, or so drunk he would be too slow to notice anything.

Four more shots, vita give me strength.

"Ye better watch who yer callin' girly," said Murmur cheerfully, slapping Seth back- she'd been aiming for a hard blow but it ended up a lot feebler than she'd intended, like a chrove swatting away a fly. "Okay Rita, here we go," she picked up a drink and winked at the cat, "Rita wants me to win too ye know, she's wanted te see ye in a dress ever since ye met."

"One." Murmur downed the shot and gasped as her head swam, "Two." She slapped the table, "Ye know I am a lot smaller than ye," she said feebly before going for the third, "already ye have an unfair advantage. Four!" Murmur could only drink half the fourth shot in one go, she had to attempt it again, although this time the glass was drained.

"Oh Clock me I'm hungry!" she shouted, "me mouth feels like a Mugrobi sandal, but seein ye in a dress....well it's all gonna be worth it."

"Not going to be in a dress!" Seth fumed, "Never in my life, or the next!" He downed another shot, "And if yer as experienced a drinkr as ye claim te be, th'n weight shouldn't matter..." He knocked back more shots, and that was it for this round. Well damn, where did the time go? "Well clock it, I've gotta get another round..." He dug in his purse. There was some change, but no more than that- certainly not enough for another full round of Chrove's erse, "Oh... yer purse as dry as mine? I don't 'ave enough on me for 'nother round, not even fer one wee little shot!" Perhaps this would free them both from the bonds of their deal? Perhaps he would only have to pick pockets just enough to pay or a ship home, and call this a night? The look on Murmur's face seemed to say otherwise. And he did so want her to wear a dress, "What'cha thinkin', then?"

"That sounds like a forfeit te me," said Murmur gleefully, "I have money enough fer me, an' I am perfectly 'appy te continue on Yarvin's bunion wine- which ye've turned yer nose up at." She looked at her dress, holding the hem out and studying it.

"This dress is gonna come up pretty short on ye," she laughed, "though it'll be loose in some other areas...oh don't look like that, ye might even enjoy the breeze wearin a dress." Murmur looked at him, trying to keep a serious face, "if ye don't come up with the money some way or another, yer wearin that dress anyway...we shook on it, sealed in our spit."


I don't have to take a bath, I don't have to take a bath.

Seth tensed visibly as she went on about ths nonsense of him in a dress. Damn damn damn damn damn! "Fine, then, jus' checkin'. Wanted te give ye a fair chance te give up, incase ye needed it," He said stiffly, before standing up abruptly, his chair quite loudly scraping the ground as it was pushed back with the force. His hands- which had, under the table, been balled into fists- were now relaxed, though a tad twitchy, "I'll come up with the money right quick. In the meantime, you just enjoy yer break."

He scanned the room one more time for a good target to steal from. Lord knew these man- as drunk as they were- didn't need the money quite so much as he did, if all they were going to spend it on was ale. Sure, he was spending most of his money on ale as well, but it wouldn't take much more for Murmur to be knocked out in a pile of her own ale-induced vomit, and the rest of the money he'd take would be going towards a trip to Vienda- a noble enough cause, in his eyes. In a roundabout way, it was like the money was going to the resistance. Right...

There were plenty of good pockets he could plunder, in this place, what with everyone who was so drunk they coldn't see straight But it appeared most of them had spent the last of their earnings on their ale. There was, however, one quite handsomely stocked purse, it looked like, and this was the one Seth was after. Let alone the fact that the man it belonged to was rather huge, and not quite so drunk as Seth would have liked, and quite a bit bigger than Seth, and Seth quite a bit scrawnier than he. Seth, just drunk enough to abandon all caution, just determined enough to not wear that dress, stalked right up to the man, dagger in hand- not to shank the man, gods forbid- but to carefully cut the purse from it's secure bindings.

((Annnd... here I look to JaderGader to mod what happens next. ))