Chapter LXXXIV – Brighter Tomorrows

The man looked rather nervous as the entire room quieted, staring at him.

With the vast majority of the Dunmer population already at the cornerclub, they hardly expected a visitor so late at night… or early in the morning, so to speak.

The Imperial looked around the small room, taking in the sights of the drunken patrons staring at him in surprise.

Aeyrin recognized that man.

It was Calixto. He gave them that tour of his 'House of Curiosities' – there was that strange blank book, the fork that he claimed was actually a spoon and other ordinary items to which he ascribed some mystical significance.

"Are you lost, sedura?" Ambarys smirked at him, looking him over curiously.

With a wry smile the man chuckled, shaking his head: "Not at all. I'm sorry to interrupt your… celebrations. I was walking the streets, unable to sleep, when I overheard the commotion in your club. I was hoping to grab a drink and join you for a while. There's nothing better to clear one's head."

"Walking the streets at this hour seems right daft to me, sedura, with a killer on the loose," Ambarys narrowed his eyes at him in suspicion, studying the man with intensity.

Calixto only chuckled again. He didn't seem concerned about the danger at all.

"Maybe, friend. But from what I hear, unless someone would mistake me for a pretty girl in the dark, I think I don't need to be concerned."

There was a quiet moment. Aeyrin wasn't certain if the patrons were doubting the Imperial's sincerity or actually considering his reasoning. It seemed too dangerous to assume that he wouldn't be targeted – there was hardly enough evidence to prove the killer's pattern beyond any doubt.

"No skin off my back, sedura. If you're paying, I'm pouring," Ambarys shrugged after a while.

That seemed to be the approval everyone's been waiting for. Idesa smiled, picking up Aeyrin's lute again and continuing her 'performance'. Gradually the rest of the patrons begin to drink, dance and laugh once more, mostly ignoring the newcomer. Calixto got himself a drink and sat at a table in the corner alone, watching the crowd with a gentle smile.

Susanna grabbed Aeyrin, leading her through the cheerful dances yet again.

"You might wanna ease up there, n'wah," Revyn smirked at Bishop, watching the drunken dancers.

"Can't… three bo'les…" Bishop grumbled, pressing his tankard to his chest protectively. At this point, it was a matter of pride.

"I thought you'd be more interested in other performances tonight," Revyn chuckled and inclined his head meaningfully towards the makeshift dancefloor by the bar.

The fuck was he talking about? Did he mean Aeyrin? Not like they couldn't do that anytime… He liked it better outside the cities anyways and there was barely any privacy at the cornerclub.

He raised his brow at the elf – it was currently easier than talking.

"Come on, n'wah, don't play daft… look at them…" Revyn gestured somewhat grandiosely towards Aeyrin and Susanna dancing among the crowd. "Those two are getting real friendly. If you play your cards right, you might need twice as much energy," he snickered suggestively.

Bishop snorted at him. Not like that would happen, no matter how drunk she was. Bishop was sure that she was not going to get that intimate with anyone this fast.

Besides, he was hardly interested in that. When they barely knew each other, he might have found that an interesting prospect, but now? Just the thought of anyone else touching her made him grit his teeth. What she did, the sounds she made, it was only for him.

He's never been concerned with commitment or fidelity before, but with her, he was seeing things in a different light for some reason.

He's never felt this possessive before either, but it simply irked him even when someone else looked at her wantonly.

He didn't think he could ever feel this strongly about anyone, but surprisingly enough, it didn't scare him in the least.

What scared him were the many ways he could fuck it all up.

"Not… inter'sted…" he scoffed, taking another swig from his tankard.

"You serious, n'wah? Come on, don't tell me you're not tempted…" Revyn smirked at him again, nudging the air with his elbow in a makeshift gesture of amicability.

"Not sh… sharing 'er," Bishop grumbled at him. Fuck, he needed to sober up a bit. At this rate, he'd be down in a few more sips.

Ravyn laughed heartily at him, narrowing his eyes at the dancefloor for a while, pondering.

"Well then… I might just see if I can chat up out newfound snowberry friend," he gave Bishop a cheeky wink… it looked like it, at least. He was getting kind of blurry.

The bile was starting to rise in Bishop's throat.

He really needed to sober up a bit.

After some time Aeyrin looked over to where Bishop was sitting, finding him nowhere to be seen.

She got a bit worried. It was concerning how codependent she was… but he was really drunk, who knew what trouble he could get himself into.

Susanna didn't seem inclined to let go of her so she could investigate though, swirling her wildly and making her a bit nauseous again. Dancing was not a smart activity when one's drunk.

With a wry shake of her head Aeyrin headed back towards one of the chairs, hoping that her head would stop spinning soon.

"Wow, you weren't kidding… you really can't dance," Susanna laughed merrily as she took a seat next to her. She had an admirable resilience to alcohol. Maybe it was a Nord thing. Bishop was certainly able to drink more that anyone she's ever seen.

"Y-yeah… it's fine here, everyone's… drun-…drunk and friendly. It was way worse at the… at the ball," she stammered a bit, her head still swirling. She was lucky she wasn't this drunk at the ball. That came later during the memorable afterparty…

"A ball? You went to a ball? You get invited to the best places!" Susanna gave out a mock pout before peering at Aeyrin curiously: "Tell me about it."

As Aeyrin's dizziness slowly subsided, she started to tell Susanna about the ball in Solitude. She enjoyed sharing these things with her. The Companions generally didn't care about her stories from social events and Lydia only groaned at how annoying it must have been. To be honest, as uncomfortable as she was during the event, there were moments that she really enjoyed and she was excited to share them with someone who wasn't put off by the mere mention of 'ball'"

She did mostly leave out the drama between Bishop and Casavir – only noting that they knew each other from before and didn't get along.

"So… you're really uncomfortable with the Dragonborn thing? I would have thought you'd enjoy the perks…" Susanna pondered after Aeyrin finished telling her about the events of the ball.

"Perks?" Aeyrin scoffed in response. She didn't notice any perks whatsoever – there was only pain, scrutiny and social pressure.

"Look around, sweetie. You went to a ball with a paladin who paid for an expensive dress and jewelry. Meanwhile the elves here are getting let go from their low-paying jobs because Ulfric constantly paints them as monsters," Susanna looked around the room sadly. Most of the elves were already calming down their celebration – too drunk or too tired to continue the singing and dancing.

"That's not… not fair… you make it soun… sound like I don't care. And I never… I never asked for this…" Aeyrin sighed. It wasn't as if she had enough money to spare to help the whole quarter out of poverty. And she had a responsibility now with the dragons around – she couldn't exactly sell all her equipment to help the needy then tackle the dragons bare-handed.

Besides, if her influence actually meant anything whatsoever, she would have been able to make sure that Ulfric couldn't hurt the people as much as he did. As it stood, she was barely a figurehead. Even the Legion's general only wanted to use her as a tool, without any concern for her own plans and ideas.

"I didn't mean it like that… It's just that you discount it so adamantly. Other people would have used it to their advantage. In fact… they already do…" Susanna's brows creased somewhat worriedly.

"Whaddyou talking about?" Aeyrin scowled in confusion

"I… may have overheard some things some time ago…" Susanna shook her head exasperatedly before explaining.

"Last time you were here, when you got sick, it was only a short while before you left… Two soldiers were drinking at the Candlehearth Hall. They were talking about a dragon attack on their military camp. They said that they managed to slay the beast. After that, apparently the dragon… disintegrated or something. They said that its soul was consumed… that it travelled in the direction of the city. They… they thought that… Ulfric absorbed it. That he was the 'real Dragonborn', that you were just a pretender, sent by the Thalmor to get the Stormcloaks to defect or something. I don't know how much of that was true… I'm not sure how it would have been possible… but… Ulfric can Shout, you know? Is it possible that…" she gave Aeyrin a questioning look, worry etched on her face. The thought of Ulfric being a Dragonborn clearly unsettled her.

It was no wonder. The support he could garner if it were true…

Aeyrin shook her head vehemently. Not that Susanna had that kind of a pull that she could stop whatever rumors were circulating, but still… she felt like she needed to set the record straight before any of this got out of hand.

"It… it wasn't Ulfric. It was me… I was try-trying to get back to the city. I saw them kill the drag… the dragon… I… guess it might've looked… like the soul went… back here…" Aeyrin stammered in her inebriation, her thoughts swirling with the implications of what would happen if the Stormcloaks actually believed she wasn't really a Dragonborn. They may just try to kill her outright.

"I see… that's kind of a relief. But still… I've heard the same rumor several other times after you were already gone. Once… once I was walking through the city and there was a contingent of soldiers along with Ulfric by the gates. I don't know what they were discussing, but one of the soldiers laughed that they had nothing to fear with 'the Dragonborn' by their side. Ulfric just… he didn't even say anything. I think he lets those rumors go around on purpose. I don't know why… it might get him more followers. But it's concerning…" Susanna sighed, checking the empty bottles on the table for some remaining alcohol. There was none, aside from the rest of Bishop's third sujamma. She didn't dare touch that.

It was hardly surprising to hear. Ulfric definitely seemed like the type to revel in such attention. And he was undoubtedly cunning enough to use it to his advantage. These thoughts were starting to fill Aeyrin with more and more anxiety. This could all turn ugly for her really fast…

"Gather 'round! Gather r… 'round!" a loud raspy voice interrupted their talk. Belyn Hlaalu, another one of the Dunmer farmers stood in front of the bar in a slightly wobbly stance, wide grin on his face and surprisingly enough, Calixto by his side.

"Our 'perial friend over here… volun… volun… volunteered to wake y'all from your stu-stupor. He's got stories from his trav'ls… 'bout some… weird crap that 'pened to him," Belyn laughed heartily, smacking Calixto across his back amicably. He missed slightly and hit his shoulder instead.

Some of the patrons got up from their seats lazily and sat themselves on the ground in front of the two men. Others perked up somewhat in their chairs while the rest of them continued to try to sleep.

Susanna and Aeyrin shrugged at each other, both rather glad for the change of topic as Calixto started to weave his tales.

"There you are! Where'd you… where'd you go?"

Aeyrin exclaimed when Bishop appeared at the table at last, ushering her to stand up right away. He sat down on her chair and dragged her back to his lap, curling his arms around her with satisfied smile.

He looked a little better than he did before he left. The lull in alcohol intake likely did him some good.

He still smelled like a brewery though.

But then again, so did the rest of the patrons, likely including her.

Susanna seemed to be ignoring them, looking in rasp attention at Calixto telling his stories. She was occasionally whispering something to Revyn, who was sitting next to her, snickering under her breath along with him.

"Throwing up… then getting some air by the broken roof…" Bishop smirked a little tiredly. He really seemed determined to pass his own challenge.

Aeyrin threw him a somewhat disgusted look, earning a chuckle from him. He raised his hands defensively, letting go of her for a brief second before curling them around her again: "Hey, I washed!"

She snorted at him, but she rested her woozy head on his shoulder nonetheless. Well… at least he wouldn't get alcohol poisoning or something like that after the amount he already consumed. She really hoped he would manage to finish the bottle so that would be the end of his obsession. She wouldn't really be bothered by him getting drunk, but this challenge was getting worrisome. He didn't even know what he was getting as a reward and he made the whole thing up himself. She didn't think dares worked that way…

"Why… why three bottles?" she murmured at him after a while of pondering.

Bishop chuckled, looking at his tankard with a measure of reluctance before taking as deep of a swig as he could manage – likely eager to get it over with.

"It's a… thing… from when I took a hunting trip to Morrowind. Weren't a lot of Dunmer around anymore but I came upon a small community…" he smiled wistfully, swirling the liquid in his tankard for a while before setting it back down. His arm draped back over her stomach, pulling her closer to his chest.

"I went to their cornerclub, tried their drinks. Liked this one…" he pointed to the bottle of sujamma with creased brows, as if he was wondering why he ever liked it. "The patrons started to goad me that I couldn't handle it. That a Nord wouldn't outdrink them. So eventually the innkeeper said that if anyone in the whole tavern could handle three whole bottles, they'd get a reward. He had this… artifact. It was a bow… some adventurer paid his debts with it. And I really fucking wanted it. But no one actually won that night. The innkeeper laughed, that no one could ever handle three bottles. I don't even remember most of the night…" he chuckled lightly.

"Still… even if I didn't get the bow… it was a good night. I kinda needed that… It was right after… after all that shit went down with Elisie and the tin-head. It was a good place to clear my head for a while…" he sighed, grabbing the tankard again and drinking with palpable disgust.

She looked at his faraway gaze for a while. She turned her head to him and kissed his neck gently, her back nestling closer to him.

"What're you try-trying to forget now?" she creased her brows slightly, looking him over again.

"Nothing… just wanna prove that damn innkeeper wrong…" Bishop snickered and gave another determined stare to the bottle.

The light started to creep through the small windows and the cracks in the wooden walls.

The curfew was officially over and all the patrons were free to return to their homes.

None of them did, though – the main event of the evening was just about to unfold.

"Come on, n'wah! A few more sips! You can do it!" Revyn laughed. He was still sitting close to Susanna, grabbing her by the shoulders amicably as they chuckled together.

"Dnnnn't do it! 'Tss POISON!" Malthyr was surprisingly still conscious, but his torso was splayed on the table, head resting against the moldering wood. His body was not moving at all.

Bishop was sitting on the floor, his back against the pleasantly cold wall. His right hand clutched the decorated bottle, the other the elf curled around him with her eyes half-lidded in weariness.

He tried to 'walk off' his drunkenness at some point only to stumble over a chair. He decided to stay on the ground rather than attempting to get up. Aeyrin joined him down there eventually. It looked oddly inviting and she was so tired – the wooden chairs were too uncomfortable and she didn't want to go to bed before seeing if Bishop finished to bottle.

It wasn't as if they were the only ones on the floor anyways… the night has certainly been eventful for all the patrons.

"Remember, n'wah. The bet was that you'll finish three and remain standing," Ambarys chuckled at his efforts.

Bishop looked so much better after his sobering trip around the cornerclub before, but several tankards later, his attempts were erased and he was right back to his deliriously drunken state.

He raised his hand tiredly, pressing the bottle to his lips with obvious disgust.

Maybe this would dissuade him from ever drinking that thing again…

He drank slowly. The tavern was eerily quiet while the only thing echoing through the air were the strenuous gulps he made.

At last his hand shot up victoriously. He propped up the empty bottle to the air before his arm fell back down weakly.

The tavern erupted in loud cheer and the patrons started to yell and encourage Bishop to stand up.

Aeyrin disentangled herself from him with a tired chuckle, giving him the room to maneuver.

He let out a couple of slurred swear words, supporting himself on the cold wall as he practically crawled against it to get himself up on his feet.

Finally he was confident that he could keep his balance, detaching himself from the wall and raising his hand in triumph.

"One… two… three… four…" Ambarys smirked, showing Bishop his hand as his fingers sprang up one by one while he counted. He instantly earned an angry and impatient growl from the swaying Bishop.

"Ten! Nchow, n'wah. Never thought to see this…"

The patrons started to cheer excitedly again while Ambarys grumbled something about thinking up a reward later.

Faryl rushed towards Bishop, supporting him and draping his arm over his shoulder. His brother Aval helped Aeyrin on her own feet and they both led them towards the stairs to the sleeping area.

"Get 'im a bucket!" Belyn laughed, watching the scene in amusement.

"Alright, show's over. Now get! I need to sleep too," Ambarys waved the crowd off with a smile, but after he looked over the messy room, his brows creased instantly.

Susanna rushed towards the two brothers dragging the drunken couple upstairs. She leaned towards Bishop and Aeyrin, hoping they were still lucid enough to hear her: "I'll see you two tomorrow at the Candlehearth, you hear? Or… well, I guess it's today already. Anyway I… I can't thank you enough, really. I haven't had this much fun in ages. I can't remember the last time I was actually excited for what the next day would bring."

She let out a genuine smile, giving them each a fierce hug in turn, as much as it was possible with the two Dunmer still supporting them.

She must have really been so lonely since Narvur died. It was heartwarming to see her this cheerful.

Aeyrin wavered, clinging to both Aval and Susanna at the same time before the barmaid disentangled herself from her.

"T'morrow," she nodded.