"You are free to choose,"
Cylus 4, 720
Soren scooped another cup of the barrel swill for one of his regulars. Feldvin. Feldvin wore clothes with several patches in them, all mismatching in color. His boots were worn and stiff. His hat was lopsided, also sporting a patch or two. But Feldvin still always managed a few coins to come into Soren's tavern and drink the barrel swill. Soren didn't know how the man did it, drinking the mixed cocktail of all the leftover and tossed drinks from the day. It was never good.
But it was cheap and typically strong.
Still, Feldvin was there every day after work, serving as a pest expert, so he said. Soren knew that it was somewhat true. People paid him to get rid of rats, or to carry out wares infested with fleas, roaches, ants, etc, and dispose of them however he wished. He did not make good money, but always enough to come drink in Soren's tavern and talk about his day.
"And tha's when I slapped that fekker with me mallet to get it let go! Finally twas over. Most pain my knob has felt since Gertie's cousin's landlord's wife bit me for sayin her sister's name."
Feldvin was two cups deep, with one more to go. Routine. Soren watched as he emptied the second and already had the ladle ready for the fourth, giving the man a fuller cup than most other customers. A perk of being a regular. And as he always did, Feldvin, smiled, winked and pointed at Soren, "You're a good man, Soren."
Soren smiled at the man, "You get that nest egg of yours built yet?"
The man leaned back, taking a deep swig, "Will be done by end of season. Me and missus finally getting a place of our own. No longer gonna be a rentin' man."
Soren nodded, moving to clean a mug, keeping his eyes on the man, muscle memory taking over so as to clean it properly still. "Hope you don't forget about my poor, humble tavern now that you're movin up in the world."
Feldvin laughed heartily, "You wound me sir! I ain't told the missus yet but I plan on movin' closer to your tavern. Less things to trip over on the way home."
Soren laughed deeply at this, "Well that's good to hear. Where you renting at now?"
The man's face actually darkened just a bit before he spoke. "Total shitehole over near the east gate. Landlord don't take care of it. Heard he's on the ambro. I have to keep the rats out there, for free. Total shite. But anything to keep my Lilly happy."
Soren's head cocked to the side, "That bad huh?"
The man guffawed, "That ain't even the worst of it. Drafty as all get out in winter, I swear it's colder inside than out. The apartment two doors down collapsed in Saun, ain't been fixed. I been complainin about a hole in the floor in me and the missus' bedroom and the bedroom upstairs. I'm shy, I don't need that old lady upstairs hearin' me plowin the missus."
Soren nodded, "Definitely don't want that."
"Ain't no place to be raisin' a kid... I want better for mine," the man said glumly
Soren smiled sneakily at the man, "There somethin you ain't tellin me mate?"
The man nodded, smiling, "Yeah, Lilly's pregnant. Finally. Been blastin her deep for three arcs now."
Soren turned around, grabbed one of his top shelf whiskey's, pour two glasses, one for him and one for Feldvin. "Congratulations mate."
The man beamed, taking the glass, holding it up. Soren shouted over the room, "Skol!"
Every person in the room with a drink raised it, saying Skol in kind while looking toward Feldvin. The man smiled, responding in kind, then everyone drank. "Let's get you home mate, I need some air anyways."
The man paid for his drinks, Soren depositing them in the lockbox, nodded at Harold, and walked out with the man, grabbing both their coats. He was being nice to the regular, as he always was. But Soren knew this feeling inside him. There was a business opportunity here. And he would not miss it. He'd need to find a property soon for the research center that he and Tristan would build. And he was beginning to think he may have found it.
"But you are not free from the consequences."