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in #fiction5 years ago

The Dragon's Head Tavern and Inn, Vorland, 1438 ATC

Brea Rowland hummed to herself as she continued to clean the same spot on the counter. Her rag made a wet trail of a figure eight as she sipped from a tankard with her free hand. She was a little tipsy, that much was true, but she wasn't drinking for any reason in particular. No celebration, no mourning... Just a nice little night where she could actually enjoy herself by herself. It seemed like everybody was out working, on an adventure, or spending time with their loved ones. Most of the people who stayed here were asleep. So, she simply enjoyed the peace and quiet whilst alone at the bar in the middle of the night, wearing a simple green work dress.

A familiar figure lay on the floor in the middle of the bar, face down and wearing nothing but a leopard print thong.
She stepped over him and deposited the rag in the sink. With a slight prod of her foot, she nudged her boss's side and calmly said, "Hey, sleepy. Try a bed."

A loud groan was heard and Venser flipped over, gasping heavily. ''Brea! Mhmm...!'' He sat up and got on his knees, grabbing her leg. ''I was sucked in a way I've never been sucked before!'' His raven hair brushed back and his beard neatly trimmed. Venser looked very presentable tonight.

She stumbled a little, but caught herself on the counter. "Ugh. Was it a dream or somethin'?" She asked, words the tiniest bit slurred. Her brown eyes shot daggers down at him, and from gritted teeth she asked: "Did you get on that powder shit again? I heard... Grey Amber was it? And you spent so much time trying to kick your addiction."

''No! No... You got it all wrong. Grey Amber... No. No more. Ahem... Hic! When my kids were born... That's when I put that powder SHIT down for good. Theyyyyy...Hic! Saved me.'' Venser rambled shaking his head, snapping it a bit and looking right up at her. ''Are you drunk?''

Brea blinked and looked to both of her sides slowly. "No...?" She said, phrasing it almost as a question.

Venser stood up and took the tankard from the barmaid. ''Then what's this?'' He asked before taking a heavy swig. ''Mu- Erp! Must I ask?''

"Mead." The sandy haired barmaid said with a shrug. "Sometimes a person enjoys a little nip now and again..." She tried to defend herself, but she looked at her feet to avoid eye contact. ''Some more than others, clearly.''

''I'll show you clearly...'' Venser grabbed Breas's cheeks and locked his lips with hers, allowing the mead in his mouth to flow into hers.

Brea wasn't prepared for that in the slightest, so the mead dribbled out of her mouth briefly, and down onto her dress. Soon she was able to catch onto his game, and once he was out of mead, she pulled herself away and wiped the corner of her mouth. "That was warm." She said, irritated at her fairly nutty boss. He certainly had his moments.

''I know right?'' The bearded man asked cracking his joints, stretching out his back. ''Wanna go back to my room and continue drinking? Not sure how longggg you've been in here.'' He looked around at the empty tavern, the moonlight pooled in through the windows, their shadows flickering along the wall from the single candle atop the bar.

She shrugged. "I think the weirdest thing that could've happened just did, so why not." The sandy haired barmaid said, grabbing her tankard and starting the route to his room.

''Oh? It could have been more weird.'' Venser said as he walked behind her, catching a glance at her fat rear. ''Speaking of which,'' He said with a pause lifting up her dress and letting out a goofy laugh. ''Mashed potatoes with a molten lava center.''

''Delicious.''

She swatted his hand away. "Quit it, you." She said, turning her head back over her shoulders to glare at him, but it was followed with a quick smile.

''Pfft. You love your boss.'' Venser said moving past her, pushing the door to his room open. He then flopped over into his queen sized bed and stretched out his back, it cracked. ''Ah void... I feel so lazy today... It's been GREAT like... Like, it feels great and weird... Time to myself sorta.''

"Nobody's asking you to do anything, Ven." She said, drinking the last from her mead cup. She looked at his almost-nude figure on the bed and chuckled. "And aren't you cold at all?"

''Naw. You get used to it. And besides,'' He patted the silk turquoise sheets before getting under it. ''Warm. Come here.''

Warm did sound nice, but she also didn't think it'd be that smart to crawl under the covers with her boss, again. "I'll just take this blanket here." She said, pulling a tawny knit off from the back of a chair.

''Naw c'mon. You've been in my bed before.'' He said sitting up. ''Is it the beard? I can go shave right now. Ehhh but actually... Naw. I've grown to enjoy it. Women enjoy it.''

Brea blushed, remembering that random time with him and Ruari the islandic elf. "Nah, this is fine." She said, wrapping it around her and moving her ponytail to the outside.

''Do you remember?'' Venser asked looking to her. ''A really fun night of drinking... Threesome...''

She blushed and nodded. "Yeah, I remember." Damn, if she had more mead...

''Ya good on mead or do I need to get you more drink? Well,'' He paused and clapped his hands together twice. ''Water!'' A snakey, shadowy hand set a glass of cold water down on his nightstand right beside a glowing feather on his nightstand he often used as a source of light. An odd artifact from a previous lover, he simply needed to tap it once and it would glow, and then another tap would make it glow even brighter, and then a third tap would simply make the light fade into a perfectly normal feather, though one imbued with divine beauty and benevolence.

Brea traded her empty tankard for the glass of water, sipping at it gingerly. "Thank you, kindly." She said, her words less slurred this time around.

''That was my water actually.'' He sighed and clapped his hands together twice, ordering another glass of water and a bottle of whiskey. ''We could share some of this.'' Venser said leaning over and picking up the bottle, shaking it in front of him. ''Haven't had it in a while... Whiskey makes me frisky... Oohh! Specially, okay... This. Mixed with lemons and limes and syrup... And wham! You have the best drinkkkkk- Hic! Drink, for getting smashed!''

Brea laughed a little. "Sorry, didn't mean to steal your water." She drank it until it was around halfway full. "No thanks, that wasn't my first tankard of mead, if you catch my drift." She giggled briefly before folding her hands in her lap.
''In a good mood? Celebrating?'' Venser asked sipping his water. ''You sure you don't wanna join me in bed?''

Brea nodded. "Positive, thanks. And not really. Just kind of drinking to drink."

Venser flailed his arms and laid back on his fluffy pillows with furry gold throwovers, staring up at the ceiling. ''Drinking is always fun.'' He yawned and rubbed his eyes, drinking down the last of his water and accidently getting some on his face. ''Don't make me beg now. It's what, past midnight? And I've had a long dayyyy-Hic! I'm sure you have to.''

She sighed, walking over and sitting on the edge of the bed, still wrapped in her blanket. "I suppose." With that, she kicked her legs up and scooted into the bed. He was right, it was warm.

''Are you really going to sleep in that thing? Why not just sleep in the nude?'' Venser asked making a backhand motion at the door. His mark flashed greenish white and a gust of wind closed the door with a small slam. ''It'd get wayyyy too hot for you. Trust me, I used to wear that suit over there to bed.'' He said gesturing to a mannequin wearing his signature red rubber suit with rubber nipples and an oversized codpiece along with a white comedy mask.

''Mhmh.'' The bearded man mumbled to himself and sat up, extending his left hand and trapping the mask in a green aura, pulling it over to him, his fingers gliding over the porcelain thing.

She chuckled as she looked at the mannequin. ''I suppose." She said again, undoing the corset and removing her green tavern dress. Underneath was a slim fitting nightgown, and Brea wrapped herself up like a burrito again before getting into the bed.

''Eh.'' Venser waved her off. ''I think you'd better wearing nothing at all. I mean, you do... And your ass...! Mhmph.''

Brea giggled. "Thank you, and you wish." She said, tugging the blanket around her tighter.

''Hey,'' He leaned in close to the sandy haired barmaid. ''Clothes are a prison. I mean... Why?'' Venser slide his thong down and tossed it over Brea, it landed on the floor in front of his dresser.

''Whoop!'' Almost losing grip on the theater mask in his other hand.

"Because I like them, and we already have... Had relations once, so why bother doing it again?" She said, grabbing her blanket and entwining her legs in it more.

''Well one,'' Venser said with a pause laying on his side and counting on his fingers, ''It feels good. Two, it feels great. And three, it feels nice. I mean... You had fun with me and Ro, right?''

The sandy haired barmaid scoffed, sitting up again and taking the mask from Venser's loosened grip.

''I did.'' She said slipping the mask over his face, and the bearded man allowed her, watching Brea slightly amused the entire time. She leaned in, pressing her soft pomegranate colored lips against the wide smile of the mask.

''It will be another time, maybe. You really should sleep, Ven.'' Brea said turning Venser down, gently pushing her palm against the center of his barreled chest, and the bearded man simply laid on his back when she pushed back against him, mumbling nonsense before letting out a yawn.

''Your teeth look so good...'' More drunken gibberish as he laid on his side, feeling heavy eyed.

''Mrrrmm… No one loves you more than The Ven... That's... I... Like, always been my biggest problem... I just love too much and too fast... Here you are loved... Stay with me... Please... Hic! Hic.''

Brea sighed softly, standing up to collect her dress and corset, quietly sneaking out of her boss's bedroom and now planned to enjoy a tankard of mead in her own room while Venser lay on his side for several long minutes, recanting all of the various women in his life, and the ones from his past life, the mysterious life he had before he ever set foot on the planet Laguna.

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The final paragraph is wonderful because it dramatically closes the story. I feel like I made a circle trip. Brea is an excellent character but Venser is a mystery pit. I really liked the ending. It has been a real pleasure to read you @vmmouchas