Stopping for Some Fresh Meat

After that stunning show of expert intimidation, we all got ready for our potentially big upcoming battle. I'm still nervous. These Brood Wolf things are supposed to be a lot stronger than the Slimes and Living Fungi that Zuzu and I have been taking on until now... Boss says it'll be fine and that we won't actually have to do much fighting. I trust him, but it's still hard to fight down my anxiety.

I know he said not to worry about it and that he's not upset about our performance, but... I still need to try harder.

Before we leave town, he brings us to a certain butcher's shop for 'supplies'.

"We need to step in for a moment. You, ah... might want to wait outside. I don't think it'll be dangerous, but that's not to say the owner is going to be very pleasant company for lovely ladies like yourselves." Boss says as he stands before the entrance.

"Pft. Cut the shit. Where you go, I go!" I beat my chest and give him as confident a smile as I can manage.

'Indeed. I would rather wait inside the creepy shop together, than outside of it alone.' Zuzu begins to enter right after the two of us.

According to the crudely made sign the place is called 'Each and Every Meats' and as you might expect it looks just as shady as the rest of Dewhurst. It's rundown, bloody, and for some reason smells a lot more like murder than a butcher's shop has a right to... which y'know, is saying a LOT.

First thing we notice upon walking in is the dim lighting barely making anything visible, there's just a few candles here and there and the windows are all boarded shut from the outside. That's totally fucking normal, right?

Secondly, we can all vaguely see the butcher standing behind the front register. He wears an apron that probably used to be white at one point, stained with blood which you'd certainly expect but... I uh. I dunno if it's just the lighting in this shady ass place or what, but I don't think he's wearing anything else besides the apron.

This man is big. Stocky. Evil looking with deep set, dead fish eyes... So far, this dude looks like the 2nd scariest mother-fucker in Dewhurst from my experience- ranking just slightly less scary than the huge guy with the RAEP tattoo, but that's not really a fair contest, even for a dude covered in blood and offal.

Unafraid, Boss leads us closer.

"I need a lot of meat, Bludman, and some bear traps. As many as you have. What sort of meat do you have in stock?" Boss approaches the counter and leans over it politely but in a way that he can appear menacing as soon as things turn south. Almost like a predator hunched over, staring at its prey.

Something strikes me as odd, though. I look at Zuzu and she returns my suspicion. Neither of us seem to think this is normally the kind of place you'd pick up bear traps...

"Pork." The butcher answers in an emotionless monotone.

"What KIND of pork?" Boss is very suspicious, and he raises an eyebrow towards the shady man.

This Bludman guy is quiet and his eyes dart around nervously. At last, he sighs and admits. "Long and normal. Your choice."

"Normal." Boss says in an icy tone. "I have a proposal, by the by."

"Ah, I see you've finally decided to accept my quest then. Good. That sauntering slut has been shaking his tail on the streets for long enough. It's time that someone locks him up and gets him a proper home... in the safety of my nice, warm and entirely soundproof basement."

"Bludman, no. Stop it." Boss sighs and I remember suddenly where I saw this guy before. He was the one who posted that quest to capture Milly a week ago and then we saw him running after the little catboy later in the day! What a scumbag.

Boss continues, "We've received a quest to eliminate a number of Brood Wolves off of a farm up north of town-"

"Spliffert's place? Shit." The butcher interrupts and visibly becomes more anxious, sweat crawling down his face like icky slime. "I'll give you a discount since it's going towards protecting my dealer."

I get a sense that Boss is irritated, but he composes himself and sets it aside. "No discount necessary. I was thinking instead, you would give me the meat free of charge and lend me the traps. In return you can keep all of the wolves. I have no use for them and you'll make far larger of a profit than just charging me for the pork."

Me and Zuzu watch the sinister man's eyes widen in shock and then offer a handshake to the Boss. He smiles a yellow and broken toothed smile and laughs, "Shit, maybe you ain't as bad as they say ya are you fuckin' freaky eyed bastard. That's a good ass deal."

"Also stop hunting the poor catboy!" I throw in from over Boss's shoulder. I didn't really wanna butt in when the Boss is doing business, he's good at this shit while I'm a reckless bitch and Zuzu's a tiny mute, but... c'mon. I had to say something.

"Now that's a harder bargain..." Bludman looks at me for the first time, apparently just noticing I was here at all. He sizes me up, unsurprisingly, like he was appraising a mere hunk of flesh.

Zuzu grabs my hand and shushes me with her finger, and I make a face at her saying 'well what am I supposed to do'?

Boss slams his fist down on the counter and glares at the bloody butcher, letting his glasses slide a bit off of his nose and revealing about half of his eyes. Bludman takes a step backwards out of fear as a threatening glow starts to emanate out of them. "It's the only bargain you're going to get."

He raises his hand to the butcher and after a few seconds of subtle silence, resigning to his fate, the bloody hand shakes Boss's in agreement.

"Put all the traps in one big bag for us. My Great Blader here is far stronger than she looks." He smiles back to me and winks, and with that he closes off another successful deal.

Me and Zuzu aren't any less impressed the second time around.

I've watched Father give counselling, debate with ambassadors from other realms and broker treaties and trade deals but Boss is on a whole different level!

I feel bad for him, though... He could have been successful so much sooner in life if the deck wasn't so stacked against him. I wonder what he'd have turned out like if his Grandpa didn't die and he was trained to take over the Guild properly? Eh... I shouldn't be thinking about crap like this. Thinking ain't my style.

Bludman turns around, confirming my worst nightmares. The man was indeed totally fucking naked except for his apron of death. Me, Boss and Zuzu are gifted with a full view of his stocky, hairy ass as he saunters agonizingly slowly away, disappearing into the backroom.

"Just so you know, I was going to bring that up." Boss says.

"... You were gonna bring up his ass?"

"No, Sam. I meant Milly." He and Zuzu laugh at my mistake.

"Oh. Duh. Sorry, I didn't mean to blurt it out like that..." I blush just a bit out of embarrassme

'You're a warrior, Sammy, and I'm a Mage. Neither of us are suited for these kinds of talks.'

I roll my eyes, I've heard it all before phrased a bit differently but it's all the same. "Yeah, yeah. Little 'Princesses' are meant to be seen, not heard. I know the dri-OW!"

Zuzu bops me with the head of her heart shaped staff and blankly looks up at me. 'Gender has nothing to do with it. You being who you are is the important bit, silly. Sammy acts first and thinks at a later, undesignated time. Potentially. If you remember.'

Boss chuckles at my suffering. "She's fine, Zutiria. He didn't know it yet but he was already in my pocket by the time I poised my offer to him. Nothing else mattered beyond that point."

I can't help but snort and lean in to punch him in the shoulder. He winces like usual. "Look at him, Zuzu. Just cause he gets a couple of chances to look cool in front of us suddenly Daddy thinks he's all hot shit."

'I don't know about shit, but I certainly think he's hot.' Zuzu smiles gently and I see Boss's heart practically skip a beat. Dang, that girl is good at that... and she does it without even talking out loud, too.

He laughs and tries to brush it off but before he can say anything the butcher returns carrying one small, bloody sack and a much larger, slightly less bloody and heavier looking sack. I take both of them from Bludman and scoot away quickly before his eyes can wander too much up my body. Maybe wearing slutty armor to spite my Father wasn't such a good idea... I love wearing it, don't get me wrong but... ick.

"Should be everything. Just tell me when I can go pick up the wolves, I'm just itching to chop something up..."

"I'm sure we'll be in touch. And remember, Bludman- No. Catboys."

The scary man makes a somber expression before nodding his head in resignation. I think he means it, but it's definitely hard to be sure... He doesn't scream 'trustworthy' to say the very, very least.

After what feels like fucking eternity the three of us book the hell outta Each and Every Meats with a brisk pace. I don't think Boss is scared of the butcher but he sure isn't itching for more of his company- and for that matter neither am I.