Bromthen Heaven
In a slightly more downscale section of the Temple District is where this below-street-level restaurant makes its home. The air is thick, and the walls and ceiling darkened by years of greasy smoke, but the overall atmosphere is warm and welcoming. The tables and benches and other pieces of furniture are all slightly over-built to handle potential rough handling – and to survive Titanian patrons as well. Among all the smells of the place, that of roasting meat is dominant.

After meeting with Spring Meadow, Tasha feels the Karnors need to finish washing out the taste of the Temple ceremony they attended earlier and have a chance to mingle with the native Jupani. Even this early in the evening there is a good sized crowd, as various Temple Guard units go off shift. One of the same serving wenches that brought their dinner to Aaron's house greets them when they enter, saying, "Oh, the scholars! Will it just be the four of you this evening?"

"Aye, though we're open to company," Tasha answers, feeling the Karnors could use more socialization. She takes a moment to look around at the gathered people. Guards, merchants, laborers, and the like; she hopes at least one of them will make the Karnors feel more at home, here. She can cook for them, watch over them, but she can't do much to make them accustomed to this day and age. That, she thinks, takes seeing the world and becoming a part of its people.

Most of the customers are still in temple uniforms, although not all of them are of the Guard – there are plenty of civilian positions. Although one isn't likely to find, say, an Inquisitor in Bromthen Heaven, there are still a few Technopriest acolytes, along with some older looking wolves in unfamiliar Temple-style clothing.

"Karnors!" Remiel whispers loudly at the sight of so many wolves.

The serving wench looks around, and then says, "I can fit you in at one of the larger tables if you like?"

To the Karnors, Tasha explains, "You already know wha' the Star an' Anchor means 'ere, bu' you may not know abou' the Technopriests an' the other branches o-" She blinks at the vehement whisper, then grins at Remiel and corrects, "Jupani, remember? We're all Jupani 'ere. Well, 'cept me. I'm a Vartan, bu' I'm close."

Looking back to the serving wench, Tasha nods. "Tha'd be righ' fine by me. Lead on." The serving wench reminds Tasha of her time as a barmaid in her mother's bar, which inclines the woman to treat her with special kindness.

"Of course, we are also Jupani," Akkers says, reminding the two doctors. The girl leads to one of the long tables where some of the older men are seated, and apparently engaged in a game of k'trinzhai.

Tasha slides in beside Akkers, resisting the urge to lean on him possessively. "'Ello," she greets the older men at the table, giving them a smile. After so much time in Amazonia, Tasha finds it a relief to be able to show her teeth and smile without scaring anyone.

"Fair day to you," the Jupani in unknown Temple clothing says, looking up from the board and adjusting his glasses. He then offers his hand in greeting, saying, "I'm Librarian Vought, and my friends here are Captain Sojours, retired, and Technopriest Sprungwald." The Technopriest nods in greeting as well, while the third member – the retired captain – just grunts as he studies the game board.

"'Ere tha', Gabriel? Migh' be you ought an' talk with the captain, when e's no' wrackin' 'is brain for a victory," Tasha tells Akkers. Then, to the Jupani, Tasha offers, "This 'ere is Gabriel, also a retired cap'n. This 'ere is Remiel, an' this one's Eli, both scholars. I'm Tasha, nice to meet'cha." She gestures to the Karnors when she speaks their name, trying to maintain a positive expression, despite worrying about them. She also resists the urge to add, "these are me men," as she doesn't think the older men would get the joke, and she's trying to act more lady-like.

"A pleasure to meet you," Vought says, shaking paws all around. "Please don't mind if Sojours is a bit quiet – he got a lung-full of nastiness during the Plaguebringer attack, scarred his vocal chords a bit," he adds, a bit more quietly.

Eli twitches, clearly wanting to ask more about that, but worried about appearing too unfamiliar with 'common knowledge'.

"Oi, the Plaguebringers. I wasn' in town when tha' 'appened, bu' I 'eard abou' it after. Since you're no' native, I'll explain," Tasha says, picking up on Eli's desire to know more. After having spent almost all her waking hours with these men, she's come to understand them much better. She turns to Eli and tells him, "Durin' the war between Rephidim's allies an' the allies of the Nagai Empire an' Babel, these odd vehicles attacked Rephidim proper. Looked like giant bugs, some sort o' ol', los' technology or somethin' – your sort o' somethin', aye?"

"Confed-" Zerachiel starts to say, then recovers. "Amazing! Are there any of these vehicles still around?" he asks instead.

"All destroyed," the Technopriest replies. "Such weapons… could not be allowed."

Tasha thinks on that, then answers, "I 'eard their corpses – if you can call a vehicle a corpse – were all over for a bit. S'pose they burnt them all after the battle."

"Bloody monsters they were," Sojour rasps and finally makes his move on the triangular board, causing Sprungwald to pay attention to it again. "Burnt. Smashed. Saw the Champion of Sound wail on one with his infernal weapon."

"Do you men come here often?" Gabriel asks. "I come here to meet with my son, who's in the Guard," the Librarian notes. Sojours grunts something about not having anywhere else to go.

"Mus' 'ave been somethin' to see so many Knights Templar fight," the Vartan woman remarks. To Eli, Tasha explains, "The Knights Templar were an' order bound to the Temple, men an' women in odd armor wearin' masks. Elites. They left us after some sort o' fallin' out, I s'pose. Smells a bit o' betrayal, bu' no' all o' 'em left us."

"Well… " Vought says, and then stops. "The story of the Knights is a complicated one, as was their relationship to the Temple," he mutters. Then, in his normal voice he asks, "So, you gentlemen are visiting Rephidim for the first time, I take it?"

"Yes," Dr. Caravelli says. "It is… a fascinating place."

"I though' they ought an' see it," Tasha tells Vought, smiling. "I was born 'ere, bu' Rephidim 'as to be experinced. Tellin' 'em jus' won' do."

"Well, I hope you're enjoying it so far," Vought offers with a grin. "Where do you hail from?"

Tasha's ears flick, and she quickly offers, "They're from Beyon' the Gateway, from New Zion." She hopes that's exotic, and close, enough to make the Karnors oddities not stand out so much. "They don' like to talk abou' it much," she adds. "Bad memories, aye?" She then looks to the Karnors, brows raising.

"We… it was very expensive to get here," Akkers comments. "But we are explorers, and Sinai is a beautiful world for exploring."

"Ah, I wanted to explore when I was younger," the Librarian says, taking his glasses off to clean them. "But I contented myself with reading where others have gone."

"I suppose you're used to aliens here?" Eli asks.

"Bloody exiles, mucking about," rasps Sojours, while the Technopriest makes his move on the board. "News of other worlds and lands is always useful, one way or another," he chides the ex-soldier.

"You're no weirder than some," Tasha tells Eli. "Zelaks are still a mystery to me, an' I've seen 'em since I was a pup in me mum's arms. Then theres Exiles, an' 'o know wha' they're goin' to be abou'."

"Zelaks," Sprungwald says. "Essential but mysterious, yes. They think - if they think at all – unlike anything else on Sinai."

"I've never seen anything quite like them," Akkers admits.

"Ah, so they are an actual biological species then?" Eli asks.

"One would assume so," Vought mutters as he studies the board.

Tasha nods to both men. "Aye. Once tried to get one drunk at me mum's tavern – migh' 'as well 'ave offered water to a stone. Even showed 'im a bi' o' me … ," the woman pauses, quickly deciding she shouldn't say what she was about to say, and instead continues with, " … showed 'em somethin' to get their attention, an' they acted like they ain't seen nothin' at all. Odd sorts."

"Hive creatures, specialized for specific tasks," Remiel notes, just as the serving girl returns. "So, you blokes ready for something to whet your appetites, and will you be thinking of the table special since there're enough of you now?" she asks.

"'Ow 'bout it?" The Vartan looks to all the men gathered, and offers, "I'll pay. Don' be modest, now!"

"Yeah!" Sojours says immediately, and Sprungwald and Vought both roll their eyes. "War heroes eat for free," the Librarian whispers to the others.

"What is the table special?" Akkers has to ask.

"Oh, whole hog with fixins, pitchers of grog and truffles and mateh for afters," the girl says. "A bit like what you got delivered t'other night, just… more!"

"I'm a big fan o' more," Tasha remarks, looking around the table for confirmation and agreement.

"No arguments from me," Remiel says, and Eli nods eagerly as well. As the others nod assent, the girl smiles and says, "I'll bring round the mugs then!" and then she's off.

"I used to do tha'," comments Tasha as the woman walks off. She then suddenly realizes she's at a table of men much older than she, and now she's commenting on the past! I'm feelin' old, she decides, and then smiles at Akkers because he makes her feel beautiful anyway.

"Do what, Tasha?" Gabriel asks. "Wag your tail?"

"I still wag me tail," Tasha insists, giving Gabriel a amused look. "I meant I used to wait tables like tha'. It's a cute outfit, aye?" She then winks at the older man, to see if he'll pick up on the imagery, and blush.

"It's very… ah… cute," Remiel notes, and Sojours laughs at his hesitation.

"'Ow 'bout you, Gabe? Thinks it's cute?" Tasha waggles her eye brows, deciding being a complete lady isn't any fun at all.

"Dangerously cute," the man comments, and grins at Tasha.

"I'll remember tha'," Tasha says, with an air of a woman up to something.

Once the beer and meat start flowing, the Karnors relax a bit more (although there is one incident where Eli tries to hide under the table when a few Titanians walk in). By the end of the meal, the place is packed and each table is taking turns leading the room in a drinking song. Luckily, Tasha knows a few already when its her table's turn. At some point, Remiel acquired an off-duty Guard woman in his lap, but is likely too drunk to really know what to do about it.

"Well, I don't feel so anxious about seeing that Life Mage now," Akkers admits to the Vartan. "If the prognosis is bad, I can gorge myself to death here instead!" he laughs.

Tasha laughs, too. "Don' die on me! I may 'ave to go with you, I'm no' abou' to leave you alone." Then, after glancing at Remiel and his new companion, Tasha decides to scoot herself in to Akker's lap before someone else gets there first. "Don' I owe you a drinkin' contest?"

"I've lost track of the score," Akkers admits. "But did I win?"

Sojours pulls the Bromthen truffle from the remains of the hog's jaws, and cracks it open to expose the brown nodules inside. He plucks one out and passes the truffle to the next person.

"I'm no' sure," the Vartan replies, feeling a bit wobbly after having drank so much, so fast. "We better 'ave more, jus' to be sure." She takes the truffle when it comes her way, plucks one, then two nodules, then passes it on. One nodule she tries to stick in Akkers's mouth.

"Chocolate?!" Akkers says in surprise while he chews on the ball.

"Wha'?" The Vartan pops the nodule in her mouth, munching on it. She suddenly has the rather tipsy desire to smooch Akkers, so she does.

There's a hoot from the next table, and a few men asking to be next, but Akkers doesn't seem to hear them – nor does he tip over backwards from the kiss. "Mmm, my favorite kind of chocolate too, it seems," he says afterwards.

Feeling good about the reaction, Tasha leans against Gabriel and rests her head on his shoulder. "I know I 'ad somethin' to say abou somethin'," she says slowly, in the voice of one trying to recall an important thought, "but I can' remember wha' it was. 'Ow are you all feelin'?" She looks around, curious.

Eli is laughing at some joke told to him by the Technopriest, and Remiel is happily intoxicated by both the drink and the woman in his lap.

"Well I think me jon 'ere is done," Tasha declares to no one in particular. After taking another drink, she blinks a little, and then tells Akkers, "You ought an' marry me, 'for I get ol' an' some bunny comes by again." She chuckles lightly, then smooches him again.

"Oh, so that's your plan, eh?" Akkers says, grinning and wagging a finger. "Get me drunk and then make me your love-slave."

"Hmmph," Sojours grunts. "Had a Lapi gardener. Kept the missus happy while I was off on missions."

"Love-slave, is tha' wha' they call marriage where you come from?" The woman gives the man a mock-suspicious look, leaning in a little too far, her nose bumping his accidentally. She rubs at hers, it a bit sore now. When the old solider speaks, she turns and tells him, "I don' know abou' tha', bu' then I do, I do. Spen' many days wit' bunnies. Bunnies this an' bunnies tha'. This man," and here she points at Akkers, "is wha' I got out o' it. 'E's me buried treasure."

Sojours puts a hand on Akkers' shoulder (the one Tasha isn't using) and says, "Aye… the bucks is okay to take the pressure off'n a busy man, buy you watch out for the does. They'll kill ya'."

"Almos' killed me," Tasha tells the two men, nodding a little blearily.

"Hmm, I think I'd better see about getting this doe to bed," Akkers says. "Not sure she can walk on her own. Good thing she's already paid the tab at least."

Tasha snorts, and insists, "I was a doe for a while too – a goddess. Bunny goddess. Fough' mon'sers an' such. Bu', then I met meself twice an' foun' this love an' … Wha' was I sayin'?" She shakes her head, and reaches past her mug. "Oi, stop movin', you!"

It's a bit of an effort, but Gabriel does manage to lift Tasha up once he figures out how to tuck her wings to the side. "Pass her to me, mate!" on of the wolves at the next table jokes. Eli stands as well, not having drunk much at all, but the woman with Remiel says, "I'll deliver him in the morning, promise! He promised me a free physical exam."

Tasha sort of dangles, looking a little confused. But, at the other woman's remark, she seems to regain some focus and says, "You jus' be careful Remy. I'll see you later, I see to be goin' somewhere."

"Ri'," is all the biologist is able to say at this point. The other three wolves bid them good night, and Eli and Gabriel get to the street with Tasha. "Now, it's been awhile since I was a navigator, but I think we came down this street… " the ex-captain says.

"Aye, cap'n," Tasha murmurs. "The pteras are good to sail." She blinks, then squints at Akkers and remarks, "You're no' Eyeshine." A pause, and she adds, "You're better."

"Well, that's good to hear!" the man says, and starts leading Tasha back the way they came, hoping he can find the way back to the townhouse without doing too much backtracking.

"Mum always said I ought an' stay away from Jupani," Tasha confides to Akkers, in a rather loud whisper. "Says they migh' be jus' 'as bad as Vartans for me. Bu' I like you. We shoul' stay together, you an' I."

"Bad how?" Akkers asks, trying to keep Tasha's hooves from dragging over the cobbles.

"Makes your tummy big," Tasha explains, poking Akker's belly with her hand. "Lil' ones."

The older wolf laughs suddenly. "Ah, no worries on that, then. Unless the magic bunnies managed to undo certain things." Eli blinks at the notion, and says, "We had better get that checked then as well, Captain."

"I don' mind either way," Tasha admits, sounding sleepy. "Bu' I wan' a ring firs'."

Dr. Zerachiel just looks at Akkers when Tasha says that. "I'll worry about after I know we aren't going to drop dead suddenly," Akkers notes back to the doctor.

Because it's nighttime, and they left for Bromthen Heaven during daylight, it takes a little while to find the townhouse. Luckily the Temple and Scholars Quarters are adjacent, and relatively free of muggers. The house looks dark and quiet, however. "Tasha, can you get out the key Mr. Lightfoot gave you?" Akkers asks the soused hybrid.

Tasha, who had almost fallen asleep, blinks awake. "Wha'? Oh." She fishes around, then pulls the key out and hands it at Akkers. "There y'are, you lovely man."

After getting the door open, Gabriel sets Tasha down on the couch and goes about getting a fire going in the hearth, while Zerachiel works on getting the gaslights lit. "I am grateful that I will have a bed all to myself tonight," the scholar notes. The way he says it implies that he's not about to share with the captain should Tasha be sick or something.

Proving that she is listening, Tasha insists, "I know 'ow to 'old me liquor." As if to prove it, she nabs one of Aaron's nearby knick-nacks – and then promptly fumbles it to the floor.

"Well, do you want to go to bed now then?" Akkers asks gently once the fire is going.

"Are you one o' them men tha' gets me drunk an' then asks me abou' the bedroom," Tasha inquires of Akkers, eyeing him with mock, bleary focus.

"Well, did you want to sleep here on the couch?" Akkers asks, grinning.

Tasha's ears go askew for a moment, and then she's staggering to her feet and wobbling towards the stairs. "Oh, an' you win. Lemme show you wha' you won," she murmurs, grabbing Akkers's hand as she stumbles by.

Gabriel helps Tasha up to the bedroom, and wonders if she'll fall asleep before he can get her into the bed.

Though wobbly and obviously not long for standing, Tasha presses on, proving she's been a sailor longer than her age might suggest. "It's the buns," she insists. "Didn' 'ave anythin' bu' bun liquor, los' me skill at drinkin'. Stoped a bi' 'cause I didn' wan' to seem like a drunk aroun' you or them, bu' this is all in fun." She bumps in to the door frame, pauses, then staggers over to the bed and promptly falls over. Splayed out face first in the bed, she asks, "Do you still respec' me Gabe?"

"Of course, you haven't done anything to change my admiration of you," the man insists, and tries to get Tasha under the covers. At least she doesn't have any boots to worry about.

Tasha doesn't resist, instead letting Gabriel tuck her in. With her head on a pillow, eyes half-shut, she asks, "Woul' it 'urt if I said I loved you, Gabriel?"

The wolf pauses at this, and sits on the edge of the bed. "Only if… No, no it doesn't hurt, Tasha," he says, running a hand through the short hair atop his head. "I'm sure everything will be fine."

"Only if wha' … ?" The woman rolls over, trying to keep track of Gabriel, but she seems to be fading fast. Her head hits the pillow again, and she murmurs, "Come stay with me, at les' we 'ave righ' now."

Akkers joins Tasha in bed, after taking off his boots. "Yes, we have right now," he agrees with a smile.

"Good," the woman whispers. She rolls over again, wrapping an arm around Akkers, and then resting her head on his chest. Before long, the slow rise and fall of her chest signal Tasha's fast asleep, eyes closed, looking peaceful.

Gabriel puts an arm around the woman as well, and tries to get some sleep also.