The Ale Star

[Andreas Ricoletti]

Darling Lust, you are the principle
to which a man exists.

Darling Lust, how you make a soul
sigh in the sheets.

Darling Lust, how we hide behind
such masques as these.

And partake not in your sweet touch....

~Andreas Ricoletti, "Darling Lust"



Andreas gave an appraising look to the newest floor of his five story building. After owning the Ale Star Brothel for the last five years and turning it completely around to become a place of distinction, he had managed to succeed in making his short term dream come true. The Brothel had become a place of great distinction in the city. He renovated it in the style of a manor, providing a dance floors where the people of varying classes could dance and at times mingle, if the aristocrats wished to enjoy the company of their employees. Improved kitchens showcased experiments in spices that were wielded by talented cooks that made mouths water. Women were in high abundance here, both customers and employers alike. Some were singers, dancers, and others were those who would entertain other male parts behind closed doors (even other women, if so desired by a client). Or, if a woman so desired, then she could find romance in the arms of a few of his male guards. Whatever taboos were broken were of no concern if the pay was good and the masques remained on outside of the rooms.

However, he made it a point that no woman was to be treated less than a lady. If anything could be said of Andreas, it was that women were his greatest weakness. He surrounded himself with their feminine frames and sensibilities, which he found as intoxicating as wine. Although he had nothing in his blood that would make him noble, he had the mentality of such men.Many people would call him a deviant, a sinner. But those people hardly concerned him. For his great works of charity in improving the downtown district and giving jobs to those needing them surely cleaned his slate in the eyes of whatever God there might be, he reasoned.

All was silent in the brothel as his large staff all gathered on the dancefloor. Glittering masques covered the faces of his employees. This distinquished them from the customers, who all wore masques made of ivory and other materials. Identity was protected at all costs, to protect both the customers and the employees. He smiled when he looked upon these fine people he had hired.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Star, I believe it is time to entertain the guests who have been waiting a month to bask in the delights of your food, your humor, and your company. Let us keep them waiting no longer. "

With that, he made an eloquent display of walking to the door. His miniature palace awaited the masses, and he wasn't going to disappoint them. He opened the door and addressed the masses outside, which included men who saved up coin for months to have a woman's company, to the noblest of men and women who wished for a little adventure. All of them wore masques of varying colors to show status, or even to deceive others of what their status may be.

"People of this fine city of Marn. I welcome you to the Ale Star. May you discover laughter, good food, or fantasy here!"

The people cheered wildly and slowly ascended the wooden steps up to the brothel. Varying waltzes snuck outside into the night sky from the seperate floors and as the people passed him by he looked to the moon and smiled. It would be a wonderful night of business.

[Anonymous]

An unlikely pair stepped into the Ale Star. One was a lady, well-known to Andreas Ricoletti. She was actually one of the women under the employ of the Ale Star, young Mae Lillya. She had been running late.

She was dazzling tonight in a scarlet gown which seemed to show her assets to best effect. She wore a shimmering mask under a cascade of golden curls. The woman's hair was probably her greatest vanity and she never seemed to wear it the same way two nights in a row.

A young man followed her he was unremarkable and unkempt with an old worn duffel on his back, hardly the signs of a paying patron. She'd given him one of her masks to wear, a feminine thing with jewel-like green feathers on it.

Mae looked around cautiously then made straight for Ricoletti. "I'm sorry I'm late, Mr. Ricoletti." She said in her usual breathless manner.

The young man was clearly out of his element. He looked everywhere except straight ahead and nearly tripped over his own feet several times as he followed after the lovely Miss Lillya.

[Andreas Ricoletti]

Andreas simply smiled as Mae entered. Not only was Mae an employee but she was a confidant. Andreas hardly expected it of his courtesans, but he had occasioned to become a lover to a few of them (although he continued to honor them with payment doubled if they asked for it). Mae wasn't one of these women, but his imagination always ran rampant when he looked upon her. The red dress only sent his senses spinning a bit before he collected himself to respond eloquently.

"Worry not, darling Mae, you should know that the men in this brothel often hold their breaths in the suspense of your arrival but now that I notice you have a young man already vying to understand your womanly treasures they may just have to fall to the floor, lacking air. "

He looked to the man, who seemed rather clumsy. It reminded him of his younger days, before money purchased the best education to encourage grace.

"However, before you privileging this man with your company, I must insist that you join me at my table and introduce me to this young fellow and sharing a drink with your dear friend."

[Anonymous]

Mae laughed lightly. "Ah, but that would be a spectacular evening wouldn't it?" She remarked and gave the young man a look which made his insides melt. "Actually I brought him here because he did me a huge favor today carrying packages from the market like the properest of gentlemen."

Philo had reddened to the tips of his ears and was looking down at his hands. In all he could not believe his good fortune at meeting such an incredibly beautiful lady earlier that day and was even more stunned to learn of her occupation.

Mae took a seat at the table with Philo bumbling over her chair. She turned slightly into a mildly provocative pose and somehow managing to ensure both Philo and Andreas a superb view. She gestured for Philo to come forward and take a seat as well.

Finally finding his tongue, Philo offered a hand in greeting to Andreas. "The name's Philo Keegwin sir. A pleasure to meet you." There was a tinge of awkwardness in his introduction but otherwise he radiated confidence.

"He's looking for work." Mae said folding her manicured fingers together neatly. "He's an actor. I was thinking perhaps you might know someone who could employ such a fine, gentlemanly actor." She smiled warmly at Philo before turning her blue eyes appealingly back to Andreas.

[Andreas Ricoletti]

The pose. The smile. Andreas knew that Mae knew of his weakness for the arts and after shaking the gentleman's hand, he smiled back at Mae.

"Why Mae, you knew that answer all along. In fact, I'm looking for actors of all kinds to perform in the Three Penny in the back there. I'd be glad to hire this proper gentleman."

Andreas smiled and leaned back in his chair.

"However, I'm lacking a playwright, a few musicians, and other actors of course. I'm looking for entertainers that have taken the time to take up other studies. Can you sing and dance as well as act, my friend? Saying yes would greatly raise your stock in this matter."

Just then, the door burst open. And Andreas couldn't help but laugh.

Francis Le'Amorie had returned from his trip to the west. The man was dressed in an elegant black dress that any other woman would have died to get her hands on, assuming it was a smaller size, considering the full frame of the man. His wig was silver tonight, which seemed to outshine his white teeth. Fabulous was his nature, but as a drunk man was about to find out, he was certainly no woman.

"'ey ya fairy, what're you doin in here? We don't take kindly to your kind in here."

Andreas knew this was going to end badly for the drunk. Francis delivered by making a show of giggling and hitting him with his fan, but then throwing a vicious punch to the man's stomach. The drunk toppled over and moaned in pain.

Andreas stood and applauded, "Francis, it's great to see you friend."

Andreas then clapped his hands twice, "Men, get this man out and remember his face. He isn't going to be a continuing customer here."

The music struck up a lively chord, and Francis led the stunned audience back into dance. Women, oddly drawn to this effeminate but strong willed man left some of the other male courtesans who accompanied them and flocked to him. They knew better than to look disappointed, though. For whatever mysterious reason, Francis had become one of the premiere escorts in Andreas services, as well as incredible actor of female roles.

"Well, it seems that Francis has returned from his trip, " Andreas mused towards Mae then he returned his attention to Philo, " what was I asking again?"

[Anonymous]

Mae looked to Philo, choosing to allow him to take an initiative in this. She watched with interest, but did not move as Francis made his appearance and sent one patron packing. Her eyes flicked momentarily to Philo to catch his reaction to the scene.

Philo for the most part was puzzled by the appearance of Francis. He'd seen plenty of men in dresses both in the carnival as well as in his last encounter with real theater. In fact he'd been squeezed into a too-small dress once or twice to fill-in as an extra. What he didn't understand was why the man wanted to wear a dress when he might have other options.

The solid blow to the other man's abdomen was impressive. Philo mimicked the gesture with one hand and made a wince appreciating the force of the blow. Dress or no dress that man had the moves down on all ends of the spectrum, possibly a master at studying the behavior of people, not just an actor but a true ack-tor! And so that explained the dress as well because a true ack-tor was always on stage.

"Philo?" Mae's voice broke through Philo's peculiar reverie. "Mr. Ricoletti was asking you if you could sing or dance?" She was hoping to bring the conversation back to where it had come from. Her voice had remained light and held a minimal note of amusement.

"Why yes indeed sir." Philo said giving his full attention back to the table and the Ale Star's magnificent owner. "I write some poetry too, most of it in my head. I haven't got formal training mind you. Just, I have experience with a traveling group that did one tragedy after another and I think it was a real tragedy too. People don't need that much sorrow coming their way always. I've known it's my calling though, since I was just a kid. I've always known I should be an actor someday."

[Andreas Ricoletti]

"No official training, yet has the willingness to say he can. I like this, Mr. Philo. As my father always said; 'Success is based on the desire to do, rather than believing that you can not.' Tell me some of the roles you have played? Maybe I'll recgonize some of your works."

Andreas' eyes swept the brothel. His escorts and courtesans were making quite the impression upon the customers who had entered the main floor where all the classes mingled. His men behind the bar worked with lightning's grace as they prepared drink after drink. He noticed a few nobles heading up the stairs. That was the only problem with the so-called "nobles", they were either paranoid about being discovered when it was most likely that their wives or husbands were in the same place, or they thought themselves so important that they needed to enjoy the 'finer' pleasures of the upper floors. That, or their repression caused them to need favors at that given time and place.

Andreas returned his gaze to Philo, paying close attention to what he had to say.

[Anonymous]

Philo beamed elatedly at Andreas's praise.

"Unfortunately I have not had chances to play many lead roles, but I did get to play the third soldier in Wuther's Legion. That was a massive production and we needed everyone in the theater plus a few extras in order to pull it off. I was told by one woman that my soldier three brought tears to her eyes. I nearly threw my shoulder out with those heavy wooden prop swords!"

Settling into the discussion a bit more, Philo continued. "And then there was our production of The Black Well. I got to play the bucket-man. That was a hard role to perform. After standing so many hours holding those buckets I was sure my arms would fall off but that show earned us all a standing ovation several times over."

He seemed to slip to reminiscing then. "We did a rousing performance of The Dead Frontier. I got to play the faceless red-shirted man who died in the opening act. I was told that my death was very believable."

Mae's expression continued to show mild amusement. If she had any reservations about Philo's acting talent, there was no indication.

[Andreas Ricoletti]

"Well, as a wise man once said, there are no small roles only small people. Of course, I never understood what the man had against dwarves but I suppose there's a bit of wisdom in that. I've seen a few of those productions, and I seem to remember the people that filled the smaller parts were as useful as wooden planks. I think it's time to push you into the limelight. Plays around here have gotten so drab and I think it's about time my brothel's stage usurped the norm. Between yourself, Francis and I, we can being making a nice little acting troupe."


Andreas returned his gaze to Mae.

"Mae, it seems you've found me a new employee, an esteemed (but none know it yet) actor no less. You will see a bonus added to your pay tomorrow. Let's celebrate by having a few drinks. Rafaldo, bring us another round of ales!"

[Anonymous]

Mae had surmised that things would probably go positively. Andreas was always in his best mood when everyone was happy. But she had not booked on him offering her a bonus for scrounging up a meager acting talent like Philo. She knew better than to look a gift horse in the mouth though and kept her thoughts to herself instead patting Philo on the arm. "You see? I told you that I would take care of you." She said. Under any other circumstances those words probably would have made a man like Philo very hot around the collar. As it was, his flush was fully refreshed and visible through his hair in fact.

"That is awfully generous of you Mr. Ricoletti." Philo said in a small voice. "I want to say I really appreciate your generosity and I look forward to working with you." He was about to start rambling on. It wasn't everyday that fortune smiled so warmly upon him. But he stopped himself as the drinks were being served. Philo raised up his glass. "To acting, drama, and standing ovations."

Mae smiled a little bit smugly. "Standing ovations." She said raising her own drink.

[Anonymous]

Naru walked down the street, glancing at the shops and businesses he passed, and shifted his knapsack from his left shoulder to his right. It had been five days since he left the wilderness and two days since he had decided to make a go of it in Marn.

He had heard travellers—derelicts mostly, as far as he was concerned—say that Marn was a rough town. They said it was run by a mayor or minister of some kind who ruled with an iron fist, and who used a large, well-armed corps of guards to keep order in the town. Naru felt pretty sure that he would be able to hold his own, physically, against anyone who might try to intimidate him.

Naru was fairly intimidating himself. Naru was a square-jawed, thin-lipped, wide-mouthed man with light hazel almond-shaped eyes. His skin was ruddy and his hair and beard were a dark umber with a tinge of red. His muscular forearms, legs, chest and back were covered with thick hair, and his jaw showed four or five days’ stubble. Unlike some of the other travellers making their way to the city gate, he carried little with him. In fact, he had little that he could call his own. Other than the clothes he wore (a workman’s outfit of study but well-worn canvas trousers and a clean but slightly sweat-wrinkled homespun cotton shirt), all he had was an extra shirt or two, the boots on his feet, an old brown woolen cloak, a handaxe, and a little bit of money (about enough to buy a round of beers at the local pub), all of which he carried in a scuffed, stained canvas knapsack.

One of the taverns he passed looked particularly interesting. “The Ale Star” it was called. It seemed like a strange name. Was that some kind of constellation, like the Dog Star or the Big Dipper? He shook his head and peeked in the door as a patron stepped inside. There were a lot of people in there—people of all kinds, men and women, many of them wearing fancy masques and dressy clothes—and they all looked happy. He glaced down at his own humble garb and shrugged. Hey, I am what I am, he thought. He figured there were doormen or bouncers, burly men like him, who would stop him before he got very far. Whatever, he said to himself.

He took a deep breath and stepped inside the bustling establishment. After all that travelling but having next to nothing in the way of cash, he knew he needed two things: a pint of hearty ale and a job. Perhaps he could find them here.

He was not particular about the job he got, but he knew that he needed cash to survive in the city. In the wilderness, he could live on his own, hunting for meat, gathering berries and other earth-grown morsels in the briars, building his own shelter from the elements, and finding fresh water in the creeks and cool subterranean springs. But here, he felt out of place and awkward. Perhaps he could get a job washing dishes. He did that for a couple of weeks, a few years back, when he passed through that little town—what was it called? Or perhaps he could be a doorman, keeping an eye on things and making sure the wrong kind of folk didn't gain entry into the tavern.

He dusted his shirt off with his hand, frivolously perhaps, and straightened up his posture. He was not a tall man, being only about five feet eight inches, but he was built like an ox, and he wanted his potential employer to see him in the best possible light.

He watched people—very well-dressed people, mostly—heading upstairs, away from the main floor. He wondered where they were going. No matter, he said to himself.

He made his way towards the bar to inquire about getting a beer and a job.

[Andreas Ricoletti]

For Philo:

Andreas raised his glass, "Indeed, to many, many standing ovations!"

Andreas, in the spirit of brevity, swallowed all of the contents in his mug and slammed the glass down upon the table with a celebratory yell. He wiped his mouth and smiled, noticing that the lower classes were still having quite a bit of fun.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a young man who was built like an ox. He looked over to Otak and gave him the signal to have him send the man over.

"It looks like some business is afoot. Darling Mae, would you please take Mr. Philo over to the bar to speak with Otak so that he may add Philo to our roster. Please take this, " Andreas said, and flipped a gold coin, which would be worth two more drinks to Philo, " and enjoy another round of drinks. Dance, be merry, and watch out Mr. Philo, I hear that Mae tends to change a man's entire world with one night."

As the two excused themselves and left the table, Andreas smiled and enjoyed a glass of wine from the bottle stashed at his owner's table.


-------------------------------------------------------------
For Naru:

Otak was one of Andreas' main bartenders, a small globe shaped man with a double chin, a jolly smile, and a happy disposition. While he was slinging the drinks for the masses, he noticed a signal from Andreas and then him pointing at a rather large man who was coming towards the bire.

Another possible bouncer. Excellent Otak thought, he also marvelled how these individuals fell so easily into their lap. Already, business had tripled with the new building, and another guard would be perfect.

When the man arrived to the bar, the jolly man smiled.

"Welcome to the Ale Star mate! Can I start you off with a complimentary drink?"

[Anonymous]

This place is great, Naru thought. I'm in here two seconds, and I'm getting free drinks! He silently congratulated himself on his outstanding selection of a tavern.

"Yeah, sure," Naru said with enthusiasm, "a pint of ale would be great!"

He liked the bartender already. He seemed like a happy, jolly type, and even though many—if not most—of the other patrons were clad in classier duds than Naru, he made Naru feel welcome.

Naru peeled off his backpack and laid it at his feet, on the floor against the bar as he reached for his pint. The sharp bite of the ale tingled on his tongue. He took a big gulp, bigger than he wanted to, and set the glass on the bar with a clank. He craned his neck around to see what was going on behind him, since he could tell the bartender's eye contact was directed to someone behind Naru, closer to the door.

He noticed there were a lot of women in The Ale Star, a lot more women than he was used to seeing in taverns. Some were clad elegantly, some more skimpily than others, and some where downright erotic with their bodacious physiques and their fanciful masques. He also noticed that none of the women seemed to pay any attention to him.

But the bartender sure seemed to take an interest in him, what with the free pint and all. Giving the pint another draught, he scratched his stubbled jaw and turned to the chubby barkeep.

"Hey mate," he said, "I'm new in town. Just came in from the west country and, to be honest, I'm broke. Do you know of a place a man can find some honest work?"

[Andreas Ricoletti]

Otak was only distracted for a moment, he thought there might have been altercation happening at the front, but it settled itself out. He returned his attention to the man, who spoke the exact words he needed to hear.

"As a matter of fact you can find some work right here in the Ale Star lad. As you can see we've got quite a crowd who will be coming to enjoy our women, in fact you should meet one of them right now!"

He whistled and called out, "Starr, come here!"

Starr was called the "Fire of the Star", a redheaded woman who could only be described with one word, voluptousness. Underneath a flimsy green kimono, her attributes were held back by undergarments that left little to the imagination. Her hair exquisitely red and curly, bouncing with volume in time to her other....additions. She smiled at the man.

"Hello there handsome," she said, with a gritty yet incredibly feminine voice.

"Starr, this young man wishes to work here, please take him to Master Ricoletti. And don't be afraid to be friendly, since he will most likely become family," Otak said, "but first lad, what's your name? I need to go ahead and get ready to add it to our roster of employees."

[Anonymous]

Mae could see that Andreas was busy again and promptly moved to take Philo's hand once more, leading him along in the direction of the bar. She kept the goings on between the newcomer and the bartender in the peripheral of her vision while Philo may as well have been her entire world for the way she looked at him.

She could have led Philo anywhere and the bar was as good a place as any. "Thank you as well." He said quietly as they stepped away from Andreas. "This is more than I could have asked for."

"You help me; I help you." She said with another shimmering smile as they waited to get Otak's attention. "So would you like me to--as Andreas put it--change your world?"

Philo wasn't always the quickest wit in any room but he knew what she was talking about and sorely tempted as he was he made himself shake his head. "I'm still trying to make sense out of the world I'm in Miss Lillya. And right now, you're about the prettiest lady I have ever spent this much time with. So, uh..." All the while he was saying this there was a little devil on his shoulder telling him he was probably the biggest moron that ever lived. "Uh... I think I'd rather keep things even. Friends, right?"

Mae wasn't going to press the subject. She wasn't in the habit of giving freebies and while Philo had a youthful cuteness to him, of the ladies at the Ale Star she often commanded an impressive commission from her regulars. "Well let me know if you change your mind, darling." She said and kissed him on the cheek.

At this point Philo's ears had begun to ring and the devil on his shoulder was solidly berating him in the manner of a drunken highwayman.