PM to join Just Another Day at Work (Guest ST Philomena)

[Leila]

Timestamp: Spring 50, 513 Leila walked through the door of World's End Grotto, and immediately knew that tonight would either be a great night, or a horrible one. Her lounge was filled with a bunch of really sweaty, tired men, and they all had the look of seasoned workers. She immediately put on a smile, glad she'd worn her simple white sundress tonight. While no beauty, these men were not picky, and many a pair of eyes were fixed on her as she walked behind the bar. Her companion was a newer male bartender, "First things first, what's going on here, and are you staying tonight to help me out?" The man nodded, looking a little flustered, so Leila new she'd have to take charge, "Okay you'll be in charge of delivering food, prepping drinks for me to deliver, and busing tables. I'll take all of the drink orders, deliver the drinks, and take the food orders, and maintaining the bar. Understand? Now tell me, who are all these men that we are so lucky to have?" A gruff voice from down the bar answered her, "Why missy, I do believe I can answer that, if you'd be so kind as to bring me a nice ale first." Leila saw the mountain of a man, with his dark tanned skin, rough beard, and arms that looked to be made of stone. Sitting on the barstool, slouching over the bar, Leila still had to look up at him. She smiled at him, grabbed a pitcher, since she saw that's what the man had in front of him, and deftly filled it with the warm, golden ale. On her way over, she hooked her leg into the stool she kept for herself behind the bar, and pulled it behind her as she set down the man's massive drink. "Let me guess, you work down at the docks?" "You have a keen eye for details missy. But we aren't shiploaders, no, we are ship builders. We just finished a big ol' galleon for some big shot privateer. I met da man, a lot of balls, not many brains, and bigger mouth than a whale. Spouting off about going to da Suvan and taking it from da Svefra. Good luck wit dat I say. But da boss say he good for da money, so his ship we build. I dun know what sorta man has a hundred and fifteh tousand Nilos lyin' round. So tonight, we celebrate, I hope you are stocked heavy missy, for we plan to drink dis place dry, don't we boys!" That last line caused a loud cheer to echo through the lounge, and elicited a smile from Leila. "Well, we will definitely do our best to keep you boys happy, even if we have to drain this town dry to do so." Leila smiled, it seemed that tonight was going to be a great night.

[Philomena]

The men started with a round of beer, raising the glasses high, and cheering their luck. A few of the younger men gathered at the end of the bar, and clealry glad of the excuse of oncoming intoxication, launched into a bawdy song, winking leerily at the barmaid in between verses.

"I 'ad a lusty lassy,
With a skirt o' russet red,
Her back a cotton blouse it had,
A scarf tied o'er her head.

I can't recall the skirt so well,
Or th'blouse upon her back,
But oy do I recall the way,
She rumped me in the sack!"

Well. They weren't drunk yet. They'd get dirtier as the night went on, more than likely. One of the girls in the group slugged her beer back, and shouted something - the loud repartee to some private joke of one of the other shipbuilders:

"Aye, he did, Lummy! And that's when I clocked him wi' an 'ammer!"

The row of them broke into loud laughter.

The door jangled loudly and a man walked in. He'd clearly been bolstering a bit of Dutch courage, and tromped across the bar with just the slightest of a weave to his steps. A group of four other toughs followed him, rough-hewn sailors. One of them stroked a sail-makers knife at her hip. The man moved to the bar, and leaned in, tapping the head ship-builder's shoulder.

"Mr. Kilrenny? A word with you?"

Kilrenny turned. Smiled with a false politeness on the man.

"Oh! Captain Duggers! The man of the hour! Let me get a drink for you, in honor of your upcoming voyage!"

[Leila]

Leila watched the tipsy man and his group enter her bar, and she flashed them a bright smile. She was going to greet them properly, but they, or at least their leader, directed his attention to the leader of the shipwrights. Leila stood up from her stool, "Can I get you all a refreshing Honey Mead? Or maybe a more stout lager?" She turned to her assistant, and pointed to the pitchers, then to the kegs, and he immediately caught the hint. He grabbed the pitchers, filled them both to brimming and brought them to Leila, for she knew if the new arrivals didn't want them, someone else would. She heard the exchange of greetings, and didn't recognize the name of Captain Duggers. She wondered if this was the wealthy man that purchased the galleon, the privateer that wanted to raid the Suvan. A carpenter at the end of the bar called out for her, she looked at her assistant, "Stick with these pitchers, and get them to whoever wants them and has the coin. I'll be right back. Then bus some tables, quickly" She made her way down the bar, studying the man, tan of skin, broad of chest, and covered in hair. He had an honest smile, "What's your name, pretty little bartender?" "Leila, Leila Hughes, and who might you be, manly big customer?" "The name's Kris, though most around here call me the Hammer, since I hammer the ship's spine into place." He reached onto his belt and gently laid what sounded like an extremely heavy metal mallet. "No one can swing, or make the wood sing, like I do. Do you think I could get some more lager, and the pleasure of your company and beauty for a little while?" "Sure thing Hammer, maybe one day I can get you to come here and fix the bar for me at this end, it's not quite level any more." Leila went back to her assistant, with his pitchers, noticing they hadn't been touched, so she reached for the pitcher of lager, assuming they hadn't been paid for yet.

[Philomena]

As the barmaid wandered off, Duggers shifted uncomfortably, trying to appear high and mighty.

"Aye, well, I'll be turning you down. As I come to ask for m'money back."

This declaration sends an infectious quiet through the bar. Even the flirtatious Hammer, stops a moment and looks to see what's going on. There is teh subtle sound of shifting chairs, craning necks, tankards quietly being set down.

Kilrenny frowns hard, and takes a deep mildly drunken breath. He takes another drink of his beer, and sets it on the counter, then turns to look at the man, with a quiet, thoughtful anger. His fellows shift uncomfortably, seething alongside him.

"Well, Mr. Duggers. A man can always as'. And I can always say no. Jus' signed on all these fine gents, 'ere, for a two month's contract. You want ter go ask 'em one by one for their money back? Go right on. But then, you'd 'ave to ask the mill for some back, too, as I've ordered lumber. And the smith. Sailmaker's. And then, you'd 'ave to ask me for what I 'ave kept on for myself. And being as you made a contract, Duggers. I'd be likely to say no, I'm 'fraid."

At this, Duggers frowned, his face showing a sharp mixture of fear and anger. The man had someone else breathing down his neck, clearly.

"I'm not askin' you, Kilrenny, then. I'm telling you. You figure out how to cancel your contracts. I haven't got a ship, you haven't laid a keel board for it, yet. I don't want a shaip, and won't be buying one. Give me back my money."

[Leila]

Leila heard the phrase that halted the entire room, a palpable tenseness filling it quickly. This sounded bad, really bad. These men were hardworking, honest, and did not care to be taken advantage of. Leila slowly looked around the room, and noticed that every pair of eyes was either on their leader, or on the man who was starting trouble. She knew this could end very badly. She slowly grabbed the pitcher, trying to not make any sudden, startling movements. She made her way back over to the Hammer, and then quietly asked, "What's going to happen? How big of a problem is this going to be?" Leila looked around the bar, assessing the odds. There were so many shipwrights, surely no one would be stupid enough to start a fight. They were all in shape, rough looking, the kind of men you really wouldn't want to upset. Her assistant was at the far end of the room, near the door, frozen in place with his tray of empty flagons, plates and the like. Leila motioned for him to return to behind the bar. He started toward her, behind the group that had entered, when Leila saw his tray teetering. She set down her pitcher, and began walking toward him, trying to stop the inevitable. A flagon slid into another, into another, and the tray tilted right. He tried to catch it, and Leila wasn't quick enough to get there in time. The entire tray fell, crashing loudly, exploding behind the group, breaking the silence. Leila was upon him, and began scrambling to pick it all up, some of which had spilled onto the boots of those there. She whispered quickly to her assistant, "Get behind the bar, now."

[Philomena]

The crash, and the sudden splash of cold ale startled one of the wrights beside Kilrenny, a broad-shouldered woman with a long chisel hanging from her belt. She stumbled forward, running into one of the companions of Duggers. In a normal moment, perhaps, this would have been passed over with a clumsy few words. But the man she ran into, inebriated and clearly keyed up panicked, thinking he was under attack, and took the woman under the jaw,with a hard punch. The woman went back a few steps, and a tense moment ensued, but Kilrenny put a hand to her shoulder, and looked darkly at the thug.

"I'm thinkin' you owe my friend her an apology, eh?"

The man frowned darkly, sullenly, and Duggers stepped forward, "And I think your friend oughta not get so petching drunk she can't stand up, then."

Kilrenny growled, and raised his fist, and threw it forward at the man, just as the woman by his side lifted a leg to kick his companion. The companion, though, that was the dangerous part - for his hand went to his belt, reaching for something...

[Leila]

Leila was still knelt down behind the group as the first punch was thrown. She was in a very dangerous and vulnerable position, and if she didn't get out of there, she would get a lot more hurt than most of these people. But more than that, she didn't want any of these good men to get hurt either. They were her friends, albeit newly acquired, but they were all kind to her. This was her shift, her bar, her responsibility. She was about to stand, to intervene, to tell them to calm down or get out, in the nicest, calmest of ways she could. The beer from the broken flagons was sticky in her fingers, having scooped up most of the pieces onto the tray. But from Leila's angle, she could see something everyone else had noticed. One of them was going for what Leila assumed to be a weapon. That's when her protective instinct took over, for fighting with fists is one thing, but weapons an entirely different situation. A deadly one. No one was dying on her watch, if she could help it. Leila's unskilled hands were moving before her brain could catch up. One hand held the tray steady, as the other grabbed the only non-broken flagon by the handle. She gripped it tight, stood on tiptoes, and brought it down as hard as she could on the weapon-wielding man's head. It shattered, scraping up her hand, forcing her to drop the remnants of it. She then pushed up at the bottom of the tray, and forward, fragments sliding off and hitting the floor. The tray left her hand, not hard enough to do any damage to the man, but possibly provide a moment's distraction as Leila quickly skirted backwards towards her bar, trying to keep eyes on everything. She hoped she'd drawn attention to the man she'd hit, so she wouldn't be the only one realizing what he had been doing. Her assistant came to her side, confused and scared. The lightning had already hit the mast, as they'd say.

[Philomena]

Kilrenny's punch connected with a sickening thud of flesh on flesh, and it knocked Duggers to the ground. A roar went up from the other Shipbuilders, who began to ring around the ground, to watch the fight. The kick from Kilrenny's female companion connected as well, but was followed by a flash of silver at the man's waist - a long sail-knife flashing out. The crowd roared it's disapproval.

"Cheats! Petchers!"

And then the platter knocked the man to the ground. Pulling a knife out in a fair fist-fight? This nullified one's handle on gentlemanly propriety. Four separate ship-builders fell on the man with the knife, tearing it from his hands, and sending it skittering across the floor into a corner, then began pummelling the daylights out of the man. Duggers fought his way back to his feet and began a barrelling run at Kilrenny. The other of his companions paired up with others of the shipwrights.

It was the Hammer who saw Leila's dangerous position, having had his eyes, to be frank, on the woman's sashaying backside before the riot began. He stood quickly and stomped through the crowd bodily sweeping the girl up in one arm, her meek assistant in the other. The assistant he deposited outside the ring, and swatted his back, "Come on, kid, off with you, go get the watch, eh?"

Leila he bodily lifted up onto the surface of the bar itself, above the fray as much as possible, and grinned a winning smile at her. "And when they come, lass, you tell 'em we did nae start this, my pet, hmm?"

The Hammer winked then, shouting over the din, "You're alright, 'en?"

[Leila]

Leila was extremely surprised that the man had fallen over. She hadn't even hit him hard, and doubted she had the strength to do it if she tried again. Maybe he'd been surprised and jumped or was really drunk, or something. Something to explain what had happened. And then she saw the other men jump on him, remove the knife from the situation, and beat the poor man. Leila felt bad for the poor man, she hadn't meant to get him so hurt. She hoped she could get him some help after this whole ordeal was over. But if Leila had been surprised before, she was even more surprised when she found herself suddenly lifted off her feet. She squeaked in surprise, trying to figure out what was going on. She finally saw that it was Kris, the Hammer, who'd pulled them out of there, and for good reason, as some of the scuffling soon broke out where she'd been standing. She saw him reprimand her assistant, and send him off after the Wave Guard, which he quickly scurried off to do. Leila found herself sitting atop the bar, plopped there as easily as she might set a customer's food in the same spot. She heard the Hammer tell her what to say when they arrived, "Of course! I wouldn't think of telling anything other than the truth! I was there, I know they started it. And I'm fine, thanks to you!" She then blushed deeply and pecked him lightly on the cheek. "Is this going to be over soon? You all outnumber them three to one, can't be much longer. Can you do anything to stop it? I hate thinking people are getting hurt." Leila really didn't want anyone else to get hurt, and in a bold move that surprised even herself, she stood up on the bar, and so loud that it hurt her throat, shouted, trying to mimic her papa when angry, "STOP FIGHTING NOW! PLEASE STOP! ALL OF YOU!" She didn't know if it would work or not, but she had to try. She knew many people would be arrested when the Wave Guard arrived, and some would have to be taken to the Infirmary at the University. Leila wondered if the Wave Guard would let her come along, to help out in any way she could, to help fix them up.

[Philomena]

The Hammer blushed and grinned sheepishly at the peck on his cheek, looking at the woman, "Well, 'en. I wish we had brawls more often if that's what I get. HEre's to 'aving more chances at saving you, dear." And he winked, just as one of the assailants on the other side stumbled forward to whack the Hammer's head with a short wooden stave... no. That was a stool leg. The petchers were tearing the place apart.

The Hammer went down, but one of those great paws of hands grabbed the man's foppish hair on the way, pulling him with him. He landed a knee in the other fellow's belly with a great bellowing roar, and the man doubled, while The Hammer punched him again, shouting over the din.

"Dirty petchers! Nae worry, my far lady, this won't last long!"

In the meantime, Kilrenny had, somehow been laid out on the floor with heavy swollen egg on the side of his face, and Duggers was lifting a boot to smash it across the prone man's temple - these men were fighting without any of the decorum of a good and proper brawl. The woman who had been at Kilrenny's side saw the coming blow, and kneeing her own assailant hard in the groan, smashed her forehead into the base of his skull, revealed where the man was doubled over, then barrelled over with a screech and a drawn, leaping and throwing the other man to the floor.

But, the assistant had done his work, as had whispers of trouble. A ruckus arose outside the door, and a few blue uniforms raced past outside...