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THE THIRSTY MINNOW, EVENING
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Victoria is sitting at the bar, nursing a glass of wine and reading (!) a steamy romance novel. The leopard is dressed elegantly, in a white not-quite see-through evening dress that shows way much of her being in a way that's almost certainly on purpose.
Phoebe slips into the bar, a small bundle under one arm. She glances around to make sure one individual in particular isn't present, and not seeing him, makes her way to the bar, taking the seat next to Victoria as she setsg the package down and orders a beer, giving the leopard a curious but cautious nod at her attire.
Victoria smiles at the wolf, though refocuses on her book almost right after. Just getting to a good part...
Gareth comes striding into the bar, having decided to spend the last couple of days in town before his trip out to Orela just relaxing and seeing if there are any particular requests from merchants that might need things in from the archipelago outside of the usual trade times. He's currently dressed in his usual outfit, though it's been recently tailored to look crisper and cleaner. He likewise makes his way to the bar and takes a seat to order himself a good drink before giving the two others a friendly little nod.
Victoria glances at Gareth, then refocuses on her book... then looks right back up. "Hey, what's put the wolf in such a crisp look? I don't think I've ever seen you this sharp."
Phoebe blinks... having not seen Gareth since... the boat ride to Respite, before Aelia switched with her before the arrival. "Whoa, damn. Gareth? You look a bit different, from last time I saw you. Come into some good money or something?"
Gareth flashes Victoria and Phoebe a proud little grin. "Yer lookin' at the captain o' a new trade fleet, lass. I figured I should sharpen up a bit if I wanted to look the part fer business." He nods, "Good to see ye both again, Phoebe, Victoria. What's got ye dressed up so fancy, by the way, Victoria?"
Victoria shrugs and grins toothily: "Wanted to. Just spendin' an evening on my own." Her two tails swish excitedly though, and she's not exactly seeing Gareth as un-appealing right now.
Phoebe raises an eyebrow at Victoria, but doesn't press that line of inquiry. "A new trade fleet, eh? Well, uh, damn. That's a pretty big step, isn't it? You just... bought some boats? ...how much coin do you have?"
Victoria glances at Phoebe, then at Gareth: "And can I have some?"
Phoebe nods idly, unintentionally, at Victoria's words.
Gareth chuckles and shakes his head at Phoebe's question. "Ah... no, just one ship, so far. I could afford a second, but that's not a smart way to invest." He looks at Victoria with a wry little smirk, "If ye want to get hired on to help, I'm still keepin' eyes open fer folks wantin' to make some money."
Victoria grins: "Nah, I'm good. But I'll keep it in mind~." She takes a sip of her wine, glad for the distraction.
Phoebe blinks, sputtering out, "I want to make some money." She stops, coughs, and shakes her head, "I mean uh, I can't really commit to much, and probably best I don't leave town but... uh, if there's any odd jobs you need handled... I could always use some extra coin."
Gareth smiles in amusement at Victoria, but nods at Phoebe after a moment. "If ye don't mind a bit o' warehouse work, I'll keep ye in mind once we start gettin' a stock o' things in need o' shippin' or distributin' in town, Phoebe. It might not be fer a little while still, but it'll happen before too long."
Victoria shrugs and leans back: "You're all big leader type now, eh? Do make sure your grand headquarters is ambushable, though, or else it's no fun."
Phoebe nods, "I don't mind. I uh, not good for much, so whatever work you can throw me, I'd appreci-wait, what? Ambush?" She tenses up, "I wouldn't!"
Gareth laughs and pats Phoebe. "Ahh, nah, Victoria and I have a game o' sorts where we try to get the jump on each other." He smirks at Victoria, "Would a second-floor office be too challengin' fer ye, Victoria?"
Victoria grins wider: "I climb trees to hunt birds bigger than you~."
Phoebe lets out a breath and relaxes, as it wasn't an accusation afterall, "Oh, uh... hell of a game them... guess you two are old friends?"
Gareth shrugs at Phoebe's question. "Friends, but we only met... about, what, a year or two ago?" He grins at Victoria, "Good, so yer up fer the challenge after all."
Victoria giggles, lifting her wine glass: "I'm always up for a challenge!" She looks at Phoebe: "An yeah, met some time back. He's fun to try and get to draw his weapon at me, then make blink." She blinks: "Make him blink."
Phoebe tilts her head, staring between the two, then lifting her bear and taking a drink, "Riiiight. Well, you're not exactly dressed for ambushes right now. Neither of you."
Victoria shrugs: "Debatable."
Gareth smirks. "Ye'd be surprised, lass. All these clothes muffle movement pretty nicely, and Victoria's dress doesn't impede her movement at all."
Phoebe looks down at Victoria's dress again, "It... doesn't? Hell, that's a trick I'd love to learn."
Victoria looks down at her dress... ending somewhere mid-thigh. She then looks up and grins: "Depends also on how much dress you're willing to lose if the situation calls for it."
Gareth gestures at some of the spots he can see through the material. "And considerin' I can see a couple o' Victoria's leopard spots through the fabric, it's pretty lightweight, too."
Phoebe looks down at her own outfit, currently her more usual slapdash affair of tight leather. "This stuff works well enough to keep me quiet, but I gotta keep it oiled. But... I like the protection, uh... you know... just in case?" She realizes she maybe sounds a little paranoid here when she says it aloud.
Victoria leans on the table, grinning at Gareth: "Don't go looking too deeply, or my girlfriend might turn you into a newt." She pauses: "Actually I have no idea if she could, never needed to test that theory yet." She smirks at Phoebe: "Protection is important. Or can be."
Gareth chuckles and holds up a hand. "Just sayin, lass. Wasn't thinkin' anythin' untoward." He then nods at Phoebe, "Aye, nothin' wrong with wantin' some protection. Respite's not too rough and tumble, but there's always the chance, aye?"
Phoebe perks up a little at the postive support, nodding. "I'd rather be cautious than dead. Got too much I still want to do. But any tips on the whole surviving thing I'd gladly take. ...maybe any advice on uh, that kind of dress too? Just in case."
Victoria smirks: "Best way to go about armor is to not get hit so you don't need any. Hit first, hit hard, and there's no fear of retaliation."
Gareth thumps his chest with a loose fist. "Under all these clothes, I used to wear a brigandine fer defense. Anythin' that got past the cloth bounced off o' the armor, but it was still light enough that I could move without issue. Cramped quarters on a ship deck meant ye got hit more often than not."
Phoebe reaches back in a fairly swift move and unsheaths one of Flux's knives. It's a nice move, but probably more than a bit sloppy to professional fighters. "Got my own offense for that too. A brigandine though... that's an interesting thought."
Victoria giggles: "For wussies like the wolf here." She then raises her hand: "Kidding! Mostly."
Gareth shoots Victoria an amused, challenging look. "Works well enough to stop yer claws, lass, especially since ye like to ambush by pouncin'."
Victoria looks at Gareth, then just shrugs: "...fair."
Phoebe sheathes her knife, glancing down at her own claws, which are ill-used and ill-sharpened, "I mean... better than what I've got."
Gareth chuckles and shakes his head as he takes a sip of his drink. "Still, it blocks the claws, but not the rest o' the giant bundle o' leopard muscles and fur landin' on me."
Victoria giggles, swaying her glass around: "I'm not that easy to just 'catch'~." She muses: "Well, barring certain fox. She caught me well, I must admit."
Phoebe raises an eyebrow again, but just turns to drink her beer. "I'll have to look into it, that's all. Not much looking to catch or get caught, so I'll leave that to you two."
Gareth scoffs a bit and would nudge Victoria if she was sitting beside him, but instead just leans a little against the counter to get more comfortable. "Aye, the way ye ambush me, there's no catchin' ye mid-pounce, anyway. Not that I mind losin' sometimes, since it keeps things interestin'." He smiles at Phoebe, "And aye, plenty o' folks around town that can help ye with defendin' yerself if ye want to learn more."
Victoria giggles: "If you want to learn the boring way and know when someone's going to attack you." The leopard is definitely swaying a bit, having had a couple of glasses of wine just during this conversation.
Phoebe tilts her head, considering. "Or what's the alternative to 'the boring way'? If I don't know who or what might attack me? What's the other way?"
Victoria waves her hand: "Nearly-planned, unplanned random ambushes whenever ye feel like it~. Gareth knows."
Gareth nods. "As Victoria says, lass. Sort o' planned, but unexpected ambushin' around town, usually whenever we're feelin' like it. Nothin' dangerous, but just testin' reflexes and such, ye know?"
Phoebe blinks, "Wait, that's real? You two really- I don't think that's terribly safe. I wouldn't want to hurt you if you snuck up on me." She's likely not skilled enough to be able to hurt either of them, unless she got very lucky.
Victoria giggles: "Safe. She think the goal is to be safe. Cute."
Gareth chuckles a little. "Aye, it's real. We weren't jokin' at all about the ambushin' thing. Keeps our senses sharp, and it's kind o' fun figurin' out ways to surprise each other."
Phoebe does the math in her head, swallowing the sudden lump in her throat and silencing the little voice that calls itself common sense. "O-okay then... I want to be better at defending myself. So if you two are willing to try and challenge me like this... guess it's your own fault if you get hurt."
Victoria would help with Phoebe's query, but the last glass of wine was too much for the big kitty. She's now dozed off against the bar.
Gareth is about to respond when Victoria's movements draw his eye. Though he watches her for a moment, he answers Phoebe first. "If ye want, we could. Victoria's all about sneakin' up and pouncin'. I'm more about gettin' close and startlin' by grabbin' yer shoulder." He chuckles a bit, "And... uh... I guess she's out fer the night."
Annika came in, shortly after Victoria dozes off. She's got timing that's uncanny like that! "Hey Gareth. Everything good with you?" She smiles to Phoebe too "I've got a kitty to make sure catnaps in her proper bed, sooo" She would quietly bring herself under Victoria's arm, and help her stand, supporting her.
Phoebe sighs, "Probably stupid as hell but... I want to get better so..." She glances at Victoria, "Aye... she doesn't seem all that stealthy..." She raises an eyebrow at the fox who suddenly appears as well. "Um... hi?"
Victoria groggily leans on Annika, not really in the land of awakes anymore.
Gareth waves at Annika as the fox enters the bar. "Evenin', Annika. Aye, things are goin' well on me end. Hopefully the same can be said fer ye." He nods at Victoria, "Ye've got good timin' as always, lass. Poor girl just dozed off."
Annika: "Ahuh~ Super lucky timing" She gives both of them a smile, and pats Victoria's head, and starts to bring her away "Oh, and Victoria's quiet sneaky when she wants to be! She's just off duty"
Phoebe nods, watching almost suspiciously before it clicks, "Oh! You're... the fox who caught her, eh? I guess that makes a bit more sense then. I'm Phoebe."
Gareth chuckles. "If ye didn't show up, Phoebe and I would have carted her over to yer place once we were done with our drinks, I think, but good thing ye showed up when ye did." He nods, "And aye, that's Annika, Victoria's partner."
Annika gives a little wave "Who caught who is up for debate though~" She continues her way out the bar "Now, lets get her home before she does something silly"
Phoebe smirks at Gareth, "We would, would we have? Eh, fair enough. Well, g'night, Annika."
Gareth waves at Annika as she departs. "Have a good night, Annika." He shoots Phoebe a smirk in turn, "Well... I'd have if ye didn't."
Annika would half carry, half walk out with Victoria!
Phoebe shrugs, "Nah... I would have too, I guess." She finishes off her beer, setting the mug down on the bar. "Guess I should head up and get ready... got some uh... plans tonight. See you later, Gareth?"
Gareth lifts his mug in a salute. "Aye, have yerself a good night then, Phoebe. Hope those plans o' yers go well."
Phoebe grabs the small package off the bar and bows her head, clearly still a little nervous, despite the beer. She laughs, shaking her head, "Uh, yeah, me too."