The Crow's Nest Tavern

Transcript

This is insane. You're insane. I.

.. Well, I knew what kind of books you liked, but at this point you might as well enjoy reading the script of a porno, if those even exist, rather than erotica. You do realize that even the dirtiest of smut has some kind of storyline to it, don't you? Don't.

Don't you dare. Don't ask me what I mean by fucking audacity. I.

.. Oh, you must either be a goldfish or simply trying to annoy me. Lux, sure, I'll take that one for granted.

A tall, muscular, blonde, dressed from head to toe in golden plate. He's practically the textbook. ..

God, do I hate textbooks. Definition of a knight in shining armor. Did you even hear a word that he said, though? Did you? Could you even see the damn lines under his eyes? Did you even wonder about them? The way that his shoulders drooped? The expression on his face? Of course it was disappointing, even boring.

Not like you did a lot to help with that anyways, but your affinity for the brute suggests that this is your type regardless, and being ragdolled around is enjoyable instead of changing things up every now and then. But honestly, with all the weird shit that gets written today, I guess I could have gotten worse. So I'll take it.

Or, I would have, if you ended it there. Tell me, honestly. Open up that tired mouth of yours and spit out one sentence that he said before you looked me in the eyes with that gleam and smile on your face.

Well, I'm waiting. No? Well, maybe a sentence is too hard for your petty.

.. Ah, sorry, pretty little brain. His title, the one that he holds, starts with an L? O? R? No? That's too bad.

What about this island, you know, the one that you're stuck on? Did you even realize that you were stuck on an island? Need a refresher? Let's see if I can jog any memories of yours before they were knocked out of you.

Oh, wait, they weren't. He didn't really knock anything out of you, did he? Maybe slowly pushed would be a little more accurate.

The number of ships that come and go regularly? No. Just how long you have to wait until the next ship comes and could potentially take you away? Also no.

The disease that's been spreading around the kingdom, the number of murders, the string of strange events, the whispers of gangs in the night, the lack of funding for the city guard, and hardly a fucking word about any of it from the king himself. Has any of that stuck in your mind? Do you remember a single word that I'm saying? One.

Single. Fact. That's all I'm asking for.

About, you know, about this book. The book that you're in. My book.

The one that you picked up so eagerly after I told you not to. No. How could you? Of course, because after Lux it was the first three guards that you walked past.

Then the ones in the training field. Then the one on duty at the front door. You know, if I'm counting right, I think that's over half of the employed guards at the barracks.

And now, here you are, headed, quite purposefully, to one of the most regularly visited areas in the city. Can you even tell me what the name is? Crowsnest.

Yeah, okay, alright, fine. I'll give you that one, simply because you needed to remember it to continue your little, what should I call it? Personal crusade? Bedtime marathon? Ah.

No, I see that you knew the name because we are already here. That was a little faster than I expected. Oh well, it's been a while.

So, what'll it be? Can I guess? Every single sentient creature inside, maybe? No! Oh, no, you're right.

You need to know what they look like first. Of course. How could I be so silly? Well, in you go then, please.

You first, I'll give you the first look around the room. What time even is it? Noon? Not even? Oh, it is going to be one long fucking day, isn't it? Pun intended, I suppose.

Not that you were even listening to that, either. No. So what's on your mind? Already flicking around the room.

Over there on the left, maybe? Group of big-broods mercenaries, perhaps. Although, if you were thinking at all, you would realize that this island is one single kingdom, and being an island, there's no need for a group of mercenaries within itself.

You wouldn't ask any questions about that, would you? No. Moving on, then, I see.

Perhaps the bartender. He looks big and hairy enough for your tastes. Though I suppose that taste also includes one-dollar boxed wine from the grocery store, so not a lot to be said there.

I'm sure he wouldn't mind drinking it with you, either. Maybe you'll actually get some of that aggression you've been craving. The priest, at the bar.

Hmm? Maybe something about sparks your imagination. A little bit of corruption of the innocence, perhaps.

No, but he's starting to bold, isn't he? He's a little old, a little strange. Gosh, I wonder how I knew he was a little strange, even though I've never talked to him.

Not like you will, I'm sure. It would be a, uh, brief introduction before you move on to the next person. Or, perhaps, at the bar, before you move on to the next person.

Or, perhaps, after having so much fun with the guards, maybe you'd like to get to know a little more about the people that they lured over. Not that you'd be able to pick them out anyways, would you? No.

Maybe I'll tell you, then. That table over there on your left? They're all fishermen.

Best friends, actually. If my memory serves me correctly, it wouldn't be the first time that they happened to invite over one guest to have some fun together. Oh, that got your attention, didn't it? Of course it did.

Why wouldn't it? It's too bad that the first one on the left over there, Bill, is going to die tomorrow at 2.15pm. Unless you do anything about it.

Not that you will. The man sitting right next to him, Joseph, he lost his son yesterday, drowned on the eastern lake. I bet you didn't even know that there was both an eastern and a western lake.

Were you aware that the city that you're in is squeezed in between them? Or, perhaps, it's just ironic that a fisherman's son drowns while his dad is fishing on the other side. Not that it would matter, anyway.

Because, while he may not be in the mood, all you have to do is look at me and tell me that he needs to be in the mood, and then voila. He is. Isn't that wonderful? But perhaps that's a little too depressing for you to think about before you go away and have your own fun.

Oh. What's that? Not even paying attention to me while I talk about the one subject that you seem to care about? No.

Instead, you've gone and fixed your eyes on the most important character. Alright, perhaps second most important character. I am still standing next to you.

In the bar. Actually, going back on that, normally I would say that you being the main character of the story would be the most important, but it doesn't seem like that's happening, so I'll take that role instead. But let's go back to our friend over there.

Sitting in the corner. Boy, he sure seems like a strider-like character, doesn't he? I suppose that was kind of the point when I wrote him.

Strong, tall, dark, deadly. Sitting with his back against the wall so that he can observe the rest of the bar. Noticing you as soon as he walked in, not like you noticed him.

But boy, you sure do stand out like a sore thumb. Did you even know that you never changed out of your fucking clothes that you got when you washed up on the beach? You look like you drowned, and yet here you are.

Oh, well, never mind. Let's move on. Back to Friedrich.

Because that's his name, not as if you happen to know any of the character's names that you've already introduced yourself to. But I'll give you his because he has a soft spot in my heart, just like he will have a hard spot in you. Or will he? Shut up, please.

One minute, I'm trying to think. No. No, I don't think I will.

I don't think I will. Don't think I will what? You can't look at me like that for the, what, 20th time or more today and not expect me to know what it means.

I realize that I have made a mistake with our little deal that we had earlier. I make mistakes. It's possible.

Rare, but possible. And while I really do hate going back on my word, I'd rather much just twist the truth in the moment to avoid doing it at all. But I think I have to.

Just this once. And by this once, I mean on that promise that I made forever. I don't mean that this very second I'm saying no and you can ask me again and suddenly I will have to say yes, no, no, no, no, no, no.

I'm going to have to take our deal off the table. My precious little adventure. Because you seem to be really lacking the emotion.

That this story was meant to draw from you. Here you are, head held high, legs a little further apart than they should be because something might hurt, a smile on your face and eyes like a puppy. I don't think you even know that your life is at danger every second that you spend on this island.

Do you? Not that this early on you should have been able to catch some of the whispers that have been going around, some of the glances that people give you as you walk past and they know that you aren't looking. But let me tell you that it's happened.

And it's not in the friendly way of undressing you with their eyes. Except perhaps to find a nice set of ribs to slide their dagger between. You are not wanted here.

Friend. You're not supposed to be here. But you don't understand that, do you? You're lost, you're supposed to be confused, scared, lonely.

Anything but what you're feeling now. So let me put your little fantasy world on hold for the time being until you earn it the way that it was meant to happen. Oh dear.

What's wrong, upset with me? Good. Because I think you also forgot something that you really shouldn't have.

Back when I introduced myself to you, I am not your familiar. You are my witch. Mine, not yours.

You may be here because your own stubbornness and idiocracy brought you here. But you remain here because of me. The alternative, of course, being nowhere.

So I think first of all you should actually be owing me an apology. But short of that, you might be wanting to look to me for advice, guidance. Where to go next, who to talk to, what you should be doing instead of throwing off your pants.

Not that there's much left of them anyways. What I'm getting at here is that you don't tell me what to do. You ask me.

And I might say yes. I thought that perhaps you were a little too afraid when you first came here. But I can see that I am wrong.

So let me instill that emotion in you again, as it was supposed to be the first time. Oh, what's wrong? Where did that smile of yours go? Your eyes glancing around, something's off, isn't it? Where did the music go? Perhaps you should be asking why is everyone sitting still.

And not just still in subtle observation. Still as stone. As if they were stuck.

Perhaps you've never realized what goes on when I let you have your fun. But the rest of the world looks just like this. They are caught in the moment.

Time freezes in this lovely little land of Extempore. But this time, since I won't be letting anyone out of it to robotically obey your commands, it's just you and me. My darling little witch.

And I think it can stay that way until you really begin to understand what is at stake here. And just who you are compared to what I am. How does that sound to you? No, I actually don't answer that.

I don't care. I'll tell you how that sounds. That sounds like how I want it to be.

And your answer doesn't matter, does it? No. There it is.

What a good girl. That look that I've finally been waiting for. Your eyes widening, your lips just slightly pressed together, flicking around the room.

How long has it been since you've taken your last breath? But you misunderstand, my witch. My precious little pathetic thing.

I'm not here to hurt you. You are here to help me. Me.

All right. So therefore it is in my best interests to keep you alive and well. Well, alive, certainly, at least.

But I would never intentionally harm you myself. So don't look at me like that. Not me, at least.

Perhaps them. Everyone in this bar. But me.

You're here to help me, so why would I do anything to hinder you? And before you say that that little deal was helping you, I didn't say help you, I said hinder. I don't care if you need help.

You're supposed to figure things out on your own. That's why we had our other little deal. You know, the one that you forgot about, where you ask me to do something and I tell you what is needed in exchange.

So let's go back to that one, then. Oh yes, you suddenly remember it, don't you? Good.

Then why don't we get back to that? Oh dear, what do you mean, why is everyone still frozen? Didn't I tell you? This is how it is, just you and me.

No, that's right, I didn't mean just in that moment. I can keep it this way for as long as I'd like to. There we are, that's what I wanted to hear.

What would it take to keep you alive? What would it take for me to unfreeze this? Well, how about, since I really do hate going back on my word, I won't just revoke that privilege from you, but I'll make you take it away yourself.

For me to let you wander around the world unfrozen and regular as it should be. In return, you won't be able to fuck anyone until you go about it the usual way. Oh, whatever do I mean? Don't be an idiot again, you know exactly what I mean.

I gave you the ability to bang anyone you want whenever you want, however you want, as long as you ask me. Now I'm telling you, take that away and I will let you live your life regularly again. Well, as regularly as regular can be on this island, which won't be very much so, but a little more closer to the normalcy that you would expect.

Deal? Good girl. What does that leave? What do you mean, what does that leave? I mean, you will have to talk to them like a normal human being, get to know them like you should, and then perhaps actually go about doing this seducing part that you're meant to instead of just being able to rip off their pants and have your fun with them right there.

This is a story, not your fantasy. You'd do well to remember that. What about me? What about me? What do you mean? I.

.. suppose. Yes.

Since it is my magic, you don't have any control over me, so us having our fun was as natural as it could be and as void of my magic as possible, since it is still me. Oh, I see what you're getting at. What's wrong? Was it your boredom with the guards? Or is it just simply that now that you can't fuck anyone else, you turn back to the one person that you think you can?

Well, I suppose we do have a deal, my precious little witch. And, well, I would be lying if I said that I didn't have fun last time, so. ..

I suppose so, but. .. if you want to have your fun, I think you ought to remember what I just said.

Oh, what did I just say about our deal, little adventure? I shouldn't just be giving you things without you working for them at all. That's not right.

That's too easy. This isn't meant to be an easy story to get through. Oh, is that it, then? In exchange for me taking off my pants and fucking your face.

What do I want? Well, that's simple enough, isn't it? But I think, for that little deal, you have to take off your own pants first.

Ah! And before you do, please take a seat right there on the bar. Oh, are they all still frozen? Well, yes.

But then why does it look like their eyes are following you? Are they? Or are you just imagining it? It's hard to tell, really, isn't it? I'm sure it is.

But they're not moving. They're not saying a word. The only sound you can hear is my voice in your ears, isn't it? So you'll just have to trust me.

Why? Does the knowledge that they can see you and what you're about to do concern you at all? You trusted me before when I said that people wouldn't remember the things you did to them.

Why are you so scared now? If you're going to act like a slut, why do you care if people know it? So get up on the bar.

And take off your pants. Oh, come on now. That's not very hard, is it? Or is it a little challenging with me watching the whole time? Why? It's not like you can even see my eyes anyways.

Do I have eyes hidden behind this mask? Will you ever know? Do you need to? No.

That doesn't change the fact that you are still staring between my legs more than you are at my face, does it? Getting a little distracted, are we? No, no.

Come on. Hurry up. What are you doing? You know, I almost said that we don't have all day, but technically that's not true since I froze the time for us.

But this was what you wanted. So why are you hesitating? Maybe you wish I would help you? No.

Sorry. Not this time. Not yet, at least.

No, I think for this first bit you're going to have to be doing it all by yourself, which is exciting in its own, isn't it? Come on, don't lie to me. Oh dear, your face bright red.

That took long enough to get those pants off, though, didn't it? But don't play dumb. I know that's been your trick for quite a while now, but now's not the time, is it? I said I was a little fed up with your ignorance.

You can't just leave your panties on and look at me like this is over. That's right. No, no.

Take them all the way off. Good girl. And now, oh, I don't know, fling them off somewhere.

See if it lands on a table. You're not getting those back. No.

Why? You don't need them, do you? You've spent more time in this little world of mine without any underwear on at all, so I think I'll continue that just as a reminder that.

..