Get Blurry, Sloppy, Boozy and Blind

Marina had not expected to be slumbering alone, well, with Spike and without the presence of a familiar cheeky pirate. She had roused, curious as to the whereabouts of her impish man, assumed to be up to no good. Abandoning Spike to his deep slumbers, she too stalked, not before fiddling with her makeup and even typing back her sparse chestnut hair. Perhaps it was foolhardy for a woman to be alone upon the Chimera but honestly, aside from Sinbad the crew was gentlemen and never betrayed her trust in them. However, a certain captain decided to skulk the streets of Corona without even carrying his hound, perhaps he knew Spike would bring her along.

The she-pirate traced her steps from the harbor, initially acting the dock master if he had seen ‘a shifty man with a goatee’ in he replied, ‘The Snuggly Duckling, ma’am’ at first she was unsure as to the location until she asked a few others and in turn they replied the same place. They might have seen her ruffian? Perhaps not and as Marina navigated the beautiful streets she found herself trailing past the immense bridge to a secluded Tavern. It of course read the glorious name and she squinted towards it with skeptical eyes.

Throwing the door open, she fully realized why everyone told her to venture here for this place was swarming with ‘shifty men’. The scent was the first thing to invade her nostrils, alcohol and body-odor, vaguely resembling that of the Chimera but possibly thicker. Wrinkling her face she scanned the throngs of horrid men, her ears discerning a certain male voice which caused her to turn her golden gaze towards Sinbad and a looming woman. Hm, she assessed the situation, carefully stepping towards Sinbad like that of a lioness whilst assessing the woman. She seemed strong, and she found her to be ‘her type of woman’ at least appearance wise. She was always fond of the fatal ones, the ones who could kick someone’s ass.

Sinbad’s tone wasn’t mocking, but it could still be insulting and perhaps he had not shaken forth his masculine roots. Carefully sliding forward, she pinched his earlobe to make herself known before smoothly sliding into a seat whilst her back planted against the bar so she could lean casually.

“How about you, you think you can handle anything close to that?” she squinted dangerously, perhaps she was annoyed that he had left her alone back at the ship so she was poking at his pride. Her lips might have been smiling but her face was narrowed, like a feline who was waiting for a moment to sink her teeth into his throat. Then she poked him ever so slightly in the chest, Marina might have been taunting him and her gaze slid towards the other girl curiously. 

Sinbad must have had more to drink than he thought, because Marina had no trouble sneaking up on the pirate. He jumped slightly at the tug on his ear, tensing briefly as he prepared to swat away the advances of a drunken bargoer who’d decided to get fresh with him. He relaxed at once as her smooth voice hit his ears though, the sound of it somehow both calming him and exciting to him all at once. Still, the calm soon melted away as her words ignited the pirate’s love for a challenge. She’d always been good at doing that.

“Please,” the swashbuckler scoffed, an obvious dismissal at her insinuation that he could not, in fact, handle that much liquor. “Do you know who you’re talking to?” He asked, stating the next words with the boundless confidence only legendary pirate Sinbad could pull off. “I could handle twice that.” As if to prove his point, he signaled the bartender for another round.

He wasn’t blind to Marina’s irritation. He knew her, perhaps better than she thought he did, and knew she hated being left out of any adventures he undertook. He wasn’t about to admit out loud that she looked so peaceful while she slept that he didn’t want to wake her, he’d never hear the end of it. And, while the rogue had far too much pride to sit there and explain himself to his girlfriend, especially in a place like this, he did offer her a brief apologetic look, both because he felt legitimately bad that she woke up alone and in the hopes that it’d get her to put the claws away.

He’d been so wrapped up in her that he forgot he’d been talking to someone for a moment. He turned his attention back to the stranger, who'd taken to talking into her tankard in a language he didn’t quite understand. He was familiar enough with it to identify it as Latin, but even if her words hadn’t been distorted, he doubted he’d be able to discern their meaning. Languages had never quite been his thing. He raised an eyebrow and cast a sideways glance at Marina, assuming she’d know what was being said. He didn’t expect her to translate, but did intend to study her face to see if her expression gave anything away.

The next words she spoke he (mostly) understood and his interest was immediately spiked. “With her? It’s always a challenge.” He joked, poking Marina in the side playfully. “I’m always up for a drinking game.” The pirate told the stranger before turning to Marina. “And you?" He asked, the subtlest hint of a dare in his voice. He fully expected her to refuse, free spirit thought she might be Marina was still too refined for a place or an activity such as this. However, he’d likely never let her hear the end of it if she backed out and left him to face down this unknown rogue on his own. “Up for a little bit of fun?”

Drinking games, huh? Drunk humans meant they would be prime for pickpocketing, and Rita was primed for listening in on what they were talking about. The saluki had been resting, curled up in a comfortable corner of the Snuggly Duckling, when she'd happened to hear Sinbad, Kaia, Marina, and a newcomer talking amongst themselves. She didn't know any of them, of course. She lifted her head from her paws and smirked a bit. This would be interesting. Rather than jumping right to the task at paw, though, she decided to test the waters. If they were going to hang around the Snuggly Duckling, then that meant having to deal with the residents within it. She rose, gave herself a light stretch, and started to pad toward the bar. Once there, she seated herself and posed herself in the classic dog posture. Dodger and the others had practiced this at Central Park now and again. Suckers never could resist a cute face.

Her nose was going quickly and trying to pick up any food scents they might have had. Much to Rita's surprise, though, she couldn't immediately smell anything that was worthy of snacking on. Oh well. It still didn't hurt to beg a bit. Just to emphasize a point, she whined a little and batted her eyes to try and get the nearest human's attention. That would have been Marina, she was guessing, based on the fact that the woman was the nearest to her. She

And now we wait, Rita thought. She knew she could speak with them now. Humans and animals communicating was nothing new to her anymore. Nevertheless, Rita was going to wait out this situation before launching into conversation. Even boozed up humans, which she was guessing at least one of them was, could be surprised by a sudden talking animal. Rita wasn't going to catch them off guard. Not yet, anyway.

Her tail beat back and forth and she held her front paws up a little bit higher. Even if all she got was pets, she couldn't really complain. Food, attention... it didn't matter to Rita. She wanted to try and snatch something from one of them, but she needed to win them over first. Then she could try and grab a bit of their cash when the wool had been sufficiently pulled over their eyes.

The exchange between Marina and Sinbad had gone ignored by Kaia, once again feeling she was intruding. So instead she sculled down the rest of her first tankard and was starting to move onto the second. Of course, the duo’s response to her offer hadn’t been ignored. Setting down her second tankard, Kaia’s grin widened, violet eyes practically gleaming with hidden depths. The light of the stars and the moon? Perhaps. To outsiders, the Nox clan had been known for their mysteries and secrets. And their members (formerly) did little to nothing to confirm or disprove such things. Kaia, unsurprisingly, was no exception.

“Perfect~” She chuckled, almost impishly. Taking another swig of her mead, she tapped her nails against the bar, thinking of what drinking games they could play. Never have I ever was always good, but how comfortable was everyone revealing their dirty secrets to each other? Perhaps not. Kings cup would’ve been a little more fitting but Kaia had left her cards with Gypsy. Straight faces could also work but given how, for a lack of a better phrase, messy and sloppy everyone would inevitably get, then maybe it was best to avoid writing. Kaia tapped her chin pensively. Hmmm… A drinking competition's probably the best way to go… And probably the easiest too. Yeah, alright. That'll do. She thought, whilst another newcomer had made their way over to the bar.

She perked up at their order, subsequently being drawn out of her thoughts, and violet eyes flicked over to Kale. As she briefly examined him, a relaxed grin tugged on her lips. Truth be told, he reminded her of Asharo- even down to the playful teasing. Kaia found herself being put at ease by it, tension in her shoulders that she didn’t even know she was carrying, was slowly relieved. So in response, Kaia beamed brightly at Kale and stuck her tongue out playfully as she placed a hand on her heart. “Aww, thank you- I’m touched. Truly.” She said, barely restraining from giggling towards the sentiment’s end, unaware of the saluki that had padded over to Marina.

However, upon hearing the strangers’ names Kaia’s joyful expression faded away and was replaced with a frown, brows furrowing together. “Huh. Ya names are weird…’Specially yours,” she gestured towards Marina. It was obvious Kaia still hadn’t gotten entirely used to the odd system the people used to name their children here. Especially considering nearly everyone at her former home had been given names inspired by the cosmos. And if not that, it was something Latin- which was why Marina’s name had thrown her off. As far as she knew, while Latin was still more or less spoken, most didn’t give their children Latin names. Therefore Marina was an anomaly in this strange place, and yet that made Kaia want to know more about her. “Sorry, sorry- too forward, I know. It’s just where I come from, our names were a tad more...Thematic n' dramatic. Dunno what the elders were smokin’ at the time ta make them come up with that. But ‘m Kaia. Call me whatever, n’ ta meet ya.”

Teasing poor Sinny aside, seem’s like they’re on board with the drinking competition. Alright, let’s get this thing started! She mused before whistling at the bartender, practically vibrating with anticipation and excitement. “Bartender, six shots here!” Nothing wrong with being a little prepared, right? “Vodka n' water please.”

“Alright, alright- ya lot, finish ya original drinks first. Ya paid for 'em, so don't waste 'em. If ya not participating, don't drink. Now, before us're six shots. Some've water, others have full vodka. Everyone drinkin' each takes a turn with a shot, whoever gets water gets a point. Those of us who get the vodka get nada. There'll be three rounds, six shots each and whoever first gets three shots o' water, wins. Losers have ta pay...”

Violet eyes glanced over to the already filled shot glasses. A wicked grin tugged on the corners of her lips as an idea began to form. “Around ten coins per vodka glass; dependin’ on whatcha got.” In Kaia’s opinion, the price of a few shot glasses wasn’t much of a reward, or much of a loss for the loser. But ten coins, however? Now that would be a little more interesting. With an incentive established, the drinking game would get more competitive… Something Kaia was very much anticipating, despite the game not even starting. “Winner also gets braggin’ rights. How much they wanna brag’s up ta them. Bets a’re welcome.”

Somewhere in the back of her mind, a voice told her to stop and quit while she was still ahead. That Gypsy would not be impressed to return and find her intoxicated rider downing shot after shot with no end in sight. Kaia drowned the voice out with a final chug of her tankard and placed it against the counter, pushing both towards the bartender. “No refill please. But keep us stocked up on the shots, yeah?” She grinned charmingly at them, and then dropped a small pouch of coins on the counter. If things went to plan, she’d not only win back the amount, but even make a profit.

Her gaze flicked over to Sinbad, then Marina and Kale. “Alright, ya guys ready? Threetwoone drink!” And with that the game had begun, with Kaia nabbing her first shot glass. It’d be a miracle if she didn’t destroy her liver after this.

Kale chuckled in good humor at Sinbad's protest. "Oh, I have plenty of faith in you, Sinbad," he stated, an amused grin on his face. "I just know you too well." His gaze slipped back to Kaia for a moment as he looked the exotic-looking woman over in admiration, unbothered by her appraisal of their names being weird. Different lands, different customs, and all that. Deciding he'd looked long enough, and spending any more time looking would cross over into leering, Kale gazed at Marina when she spoke, and glanced at the slender brown down that had padded over.

"It wouldn't be the first time," he smirked, gently but firmly nudging Sinbad's shoulder with a large hand in a playful manner before glancing again at the dog. She seemed oddly alert, moreso even than Spike, and he briefly wondered if she might be one of those talking animals he'd heard rumors about. "Since we aren't trying to drink each other under the table, sure, I'm in. Otherwise it wouldn't be a fair contest," he declared, leaning an elbow on the bar as the bartender arranged shot glasses for them.

After a brief moment, he shrugged slightly and put a coin pouch of his own on the bar, meeting Kaia's eyes and grinning as he purposefully pushed it forward. He had plenty more to spare back on the ship, and a friendly wager was hard to pass up. Especially one from someone like her. Who knew? If Sinbad decided to stick around this pace for a while, they might be seeing her again. The prospect certainly wasn't an unpleasant one.

As he reached out and plucked the third shot glass from the bar, he joined Sinbad in giving Marina a meaningful look. She'd chosen this life, so it was time to see how well she planned to fit into it. Then he raised the shot glass in a toast to the other three contestants. "Here's to a good night of fun with old friends and new acquaintances!"

As a once noble, Marina had a sort of charm that radiated from her which was blatantly different from the ruffians and scoundrels who usually frequent such establishment. Marina was eloquent; she had learned the art of an ambassador since young and proficient in numerous languages, essential for visiting places. Now, she no longer did such things but she still possessed the regality as one who would have been queen. She abandoned those treasures and in doing so had obtained a treasure far greater than luxury and diamonds. Thin fingers lowered to stroke the hound, feeling the silky smoothness of her fur as she offered Sinbad a smirk for his cheeky comment about Spike.

“You think he wouldn’t like her?” she prompted, withdrawing from Rita to sit firmly within her seat. She had been listening to the rules the alabaster rogue explained, brows knitted together as such rules were uttered. To be honest, Marina was feeling quite cheeky herself, this gave chance to decide who wins but for whatever reason that wasn’t enough for her. Everyone snagged their glass but Marina hesitated not missing the look Sinbad offered her sly evasions. If this was merely a battle of tolerance, confidence or not she knew she’d lose especially in regards to these rougher sorts. Especially the alcohol in question, she was more of a wine drinker and she was better at tolerating such spirits but this one was of another brand.

Wrinkling her nose, she hesitated far longer than the rest, eyeing the glasses in which they took. For a moment, her gaze lingered atop the one beside Sinbad’s and nearly decided upon that one but her blatant stubbornness decided otherwise.

“Let’s… Sweeten the deal,” she began, offering a foxy look to the gathered. “What if there’s specific outer rules in play that doesn’t influence the game… Just the alcohol levels, would be a shame if some miss out of drinking for being ‘blessed’ with water,” she spoke in sophisticated tones, as if she was a seasoned drinker. To be honest, Marina had only heard of these additions on the wind, from other rougher sorts. “Let’s say… Anyone caught drinking with their right hand must drink from the bottle,” she gestured to the taunting vodka bottle, “And… You can’t say the word ‘drink’ or same ‘punishment’ applies,” smirked Marina, eyeing those right hands. “Of course these rules wouldn’t start till now but it’s to spice things up,” she laughed, totally intending for this to tease Sinbad at least due to his nature to get carried away.

Humming to herself, proud of her choice she snagged the sixth glass, sparing not moment before bringing it towards her lips. She’ll begin the drinking, she wasn’t scared or perhaps she was a tad uneased due to her logical mind.

“Gods be with me,” she muttered low, a little prayer that this wasn’t vodka and swiftly turned it bottoms up to allow the clear fluid to douse her tongue, purposely using her left hand to ensure her own rules. Fire poured into her mouth, potent and nearly choking her as she sputtered a bit, feeling the burn within her throat and nose. Coughing, she attempted to rid herself of such toxins, wrinkling her face a bit before shaking the distaste. It wasn’t pleasant; it took no time to discern she had not succeeded.

“No point for me,” she admitted, no slur to her words as the feeling of the alcohol had not set just yet.