OldCity Newsletter 12 - 01/30/06

From FiranMUX

What's The Word

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The stench of the canals permeates everything in the Old City as the temperature rises. Clothes hung to dry (for those who can afford a second set of clothes) come off the line smelling of dead fish and rotting vegetation. But at least they're (mostly) stain-free, for the moment. The end of the Olympics means the free tolls into the Palace District are a thing of the past, and the clan celebrations, with their free food and drink, will soon be over as well.

Usha, a young girl earning her bread as a messenger, returns to the familiar surroundings of the Nook in the evening, after a busy day in and out of the walls, and pushes open the door to the Barnacle. Draping herself unceremoniously across a bench close to the bar, Usha moans, "Yelda, c'mon an' bring me an' ale, I got some news f'ya." Pursing her lips, the barmaid considers then shrugs, pouring the urchin a short mug from the batch that's a bit off-balance, and walks it over to her. Taking a sip, Usha wrinkles her nose, "Oy, that's bitter!"

"Whaddya spect fer free?" Usha sists up indignantly, "Free? After I run my damned feet off all cross th'city an' bothered ta bring ya somma th'news?" Yelda scoffs, "News don' put stenis in m'pocket, nor food in m'larder." "Well, then y'ain't tellin' th'news ta th'right people, is ya? Anyway, tha's why ya's workin' here! Don' that Sus let ya et fer free, after yer shift? Anyway, s'bin a long time since I had some a that fine Firona ale. Ain't ya got none a Kachina's left, in th'back like?" Yelda growls, "Iffen I did, ya think I'd waste it on yer sorry tongue?"

Usha glares, rinsing the dust out of her mouth with a careful swallow, trying to make the ale last. But, after a minute, she begins her story, pitching her voice so the regulars can hear (in hopes they'll refill her mug, most likely):

"Angada and Niobe got into a fight at the Dagger... they were drunk (but they din't invite me, what's a girl got ta do ta get invited ta a party these days?)... There was mention that they'd both feck'd Jariko (an' they admitted it? Crazy, th'both of 'em). Niobe took the worst of it as Reesa joined in to break them up and cut Nio with her dagger."

Yelda looks unimpressed, and Usha continues with the next bit, before the wench rethinks that free ale, "Well Kamar says he's had a pretty stressful life for the past coupla weeks. Since bailing Rabianos out from jail he's had ta keep a constant eye on th'lout ta keep him out of trouble with both the Guards an' Narin. Then there was the long 2 day kidnapping of their sister Ladonna, who'd threatened ta go to the guards and rat them out, fer Rabianos not intendin' on attending his own trial. (Really, kin ya blame him, th'way we gets treated?) Rabianos smacked her around a bit, something which Narin almost killed him fer. Other than a love affair with a former Dove, Naivia, Kamar has been in a constant state of stress. (An' it ain't like lovin' a whore's like walkin' on rose petals but I din't tell /him/ that.)"

A couple of the sailors guffaw at that, and refill Usha's mug from their pitcher, "C'mon, what else bin goin on? We's bin deliverin' supplies ta git ready fer th'war season." Nodding her thanks, Usha whets her pipes, and continues, "Yah, well, who else ain't bin hasin a good time, is Panyos, having been imprisoned for forty days and then some, an' hasn't been seen at least once since his protest of the First Division's invasion of the Old City. Some of the Old City folks have tried shouting from behind the jail, but to no response. He's been questioned twice already, presumably locked up deep in the jail cell, and has not been able to return any messengers at all whatsoever. No one from the Old City has been imprisoned this long, not since the days when Pangaros, Pandarus, Moira and Orthia were imprisoned." One of the whores at a back table calls out, "Th'feck ya know of Pangaros an' Pandarus, y'ain't e'en borned then!" Her friend, sharing a few drinks between clients, reminisces, "Now, there was two mers what knowed what ta do wit" "Gi' on wit' it, awready!" A ganger yells to Usha, who wonders, "Perhaps it's prelude to something darker for the future of the Parnassis head of household, ya ken?"

Her philosophical phrasings fall on deaf ears, and she changes subjects, to a long-time favorite, "So Svenja's bin round lately challenging almost everybody in the city who is good with a sword, from Jalil on down! She's beaten Achillus, Zhara, Lucas and Icarius so far, 11 to go! (Svenja is on her legendary quest for swords 6 at the moment. Which is beating 15 people with at least swords 4.) An' word is, Svenja challenged Taleo to a sword duel but he said he was too busy. Wuss! He ain't bin too busy ta send th'guards inta th'Ole City an' let 'em rape an' pillage Nor ta leave a historian in prison. Feck, what's he so busy /doin'/ ever day?" She gives a significant look to the whores at the back table, but they shrug, their silk-clad shoulders of gold and burgundy fluttering. "Hunh, don' they know his fav'rite color's red?" Usha mutters, to no one in particular.

"There's bin some talk of havin' a block party, like we usedta, either at th' Dagger an' Dice or in the Nook. Feck, I heared stories a them Doves hasin wet stola contests, an' all sorts makin piles a stenis with cockfights an' rat races. Iffen we's wantin' ta fleece them wallers, we might want ta be comin' up wit some anniversary or sommat. Otherwise, we'll jes celebrate bein alive, an' not in Scirlut or Ellish!"

A few gangers raise their mugs to her words, and Usha starts up again, apparently reminded of something, "Speakin of, Jaz apparently with her son, Moira, Pakeera and Barabus have been roped into going to Scirlut with the destined to fail Griffon Clan. Military reports indicate that at least Jaz is seeing some action leading the Griffon air force. Who knew? Well besides Reesa who was strafed one day in her alleyway when Jaz, on a very mangy looking griffon, dropped some food on her. Of course, most folks thought that Reesa was 'seeing things' again. Now maybe folks will start believing her when she says she sees a duck and a goat... nayh, probably not. (Goat an' duck in th'ole city? Sounds like a bar-be-que lookin' ta happen, ta me!)"

Trying to get the attention (and more importantly, the pitcher) of the barmaid back to her table, Usha calls out, "Hey Yelda, here's some juicy bits about Susia f'ya. She's bin tryin extra hard ta find a husband. Naw, not f'ya, fer herself. She e'en asked Yori to marry her but he got all mad about it Imagine, Yori thinkin' he's too good fer someun, an' him an Istems." Usha glances about, then adds, "Not that I got nothin' gainst them gangers, ya know. After a moment, she continues, "So Sus then asked Tanju to join her family as her brother and he's agreed ta that. She were so happy that she danced around the Barnacle. Hope she din't break no barrels with her dancing twould be ale abuse! I don't think she's tole her fam'ly 'bout their new brother, but damn is she pleased wit herself!" She nudges Yelda, "Mebbe ye'll git a raise, huh?" The barmaid just grunts, and starts collecting the empties, carrying them back to the washtub.

Raising her voice a bit, Usha continues, "Yeah, an' by fam'ly, I heard that Panyos fin'lly got hisself outta jail, bailed out by some waller. But there's rumor he got yanked back in, in any case, no one much 'as 'eared from 'im nor 'is family in awhile. Them kids a his shore got some attention, tho, I were hearin they was bein fought over, who would take 'em, with Pak packed up ta Scirlut, an' Panyos in solitary. At one point, that bastard Ronti claimed ta be takin' care of them an' that feckin' former-Dringle Lilana wanted 'em, but the Griffon Proxy Pia made some rule that Griffon kids needed ta be taken care of by a Griffon fam'ly member, or 'least another Griffon clan member, if neither parent could keep 'em. So Ise hopin' Sus or Orthia's takin care o' em, (many as there is, probly take both o' em), cause else they'd be wallerized, most like."

Finishing the last dregs of her ale, Usha adds, "An' Panyos ain't th'only one what's bin inside a jail an' not sent ta Scirlut fer 'is trouble. Rabianos were there fer awhile, but he's bin bailed out as well an' likely ta be in a vast amount of trouble. Hypieus it's said, went in to be questioned but no one seems ta be knowin o'er what. Litaros is said to be watching a young Furen while Jaz is off. Luralee is the new madam of the Dove, after that Bliss left. Huh, whores." Usha gets a cross look from a silk-clad wench, "Well? Feck, y'all's bin changin' Madames like ya do clients!" Ducking toward the door as a silk slipper flies at her face, Usha mutters the last tidbits for those holding the bar up. "Narin has been firming things up in the old city after Sangreos' hasty retreat. No word on his whereabouts yet. Feck, nice timin' on that, eh?" A few men deep in their whiskey grunt their assents. "An' Svenja had her chest crushed in the Olympic Battle Royale where she took fourth place. Word is she is laying low for a time on her way to become a legendary swordswoman."

On her way out the door, Usha pauses, and wonders aloud, "Ya think Niobe be missin' Jariko who was forced to go to Scirlut or remain in jail? I mean, /I/ wouldn't, but the two's bin seen frequently together in the past. Hunh, mebbe he's missing her, off on th'march." A drunken squabble breaks out at the bar, "Jarik's hate," vs. "Less feelin'," and Yelda sighs, just another night at the Barnacle.

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