Stray Shot Meets Judy

Stray Shot trots up to the bar's big wooden door, his big ears already able to hear the rowdy crowd inside. He usually preferred to go to lesser crowded bars when he was passing through a town, but this seemed to be the only one around the small village. He lights up his horn, opening the door with tk. Slowly, and somewhat hesitantly, he steps inside, keeping his tail lowered and his ears flickering about from all the noise of ponies laughing, yelling, talking, and arguing. He blinks his blue eyes a few times to adjust to the dim light of the room as he makes his way to the counter. With an agile leap, he hops up onto an empty barstool between two ponies, taking a deep breath through his nose and looking around for the bartender.

Judy licks her lips as she slams the mug down on the counter, excited more than annoyed. "I've been living here for enough time to know this," She yells at a pony sitting next to her, ignoring the presence of Stray until he was already accomodated. "Storm Bringer was the best damn king we pegasi had! And one more thing! The fucking international treaties, without offense, are worthless!" Her voice was somewhat coarse, and clearly mature. When she turned around to glance at the bartender, he inmediatly filled her mug with cider, knowing what she wanted. The yellow mare finally gave a look at Stray Shot, her frown going away and a small smile culring up her lips. The long and curly mane of the mare, of lighht blue color, was grayed out on its tips, which in addition to the few wrinkles on her pretty face spoke of an older mare. Despite that, she still looked strong and energetic, specially given her brusque attitude. "Ah, I was yelling all next to a baby! Who are you?" She asked, a blush product from alcohol decorating her cheeks.

Stray Shot's oversized ears reflexively fold back as the mare sitting next to him begins ranting loudly, and he gives the bartender a shy nod when asked if he wanted a brew. Listening to the lady next to him, he instinctively scoots a little to the opposite side of the barstool to give more room. Immediately he can tell by the slight courseness in her voice that this was a pony probably older than him, and it sounded like she already probably had a few drinks. Growing up in a rural area, he only knew of the political events she spoke of from reading history books. Nevertheless, he smirks slightly to himself hearing the mare bash treaties, finding it amusing. Running a hoof through his unkempt blonde mane, he quietly mutters a thank you to the bartender when he brings him a tall mug full of beer. Taking a hearty gulp, he savors the barley taste for a few moments until he sees the loud mare next to him turn in his direction and call him a baby. The stallion studies her for a moment, his young-looking face and big blue eyes looking her up in down as if scanning. He knew pegasi were usually military veterans, and this one definitely fit that stereotype. Seeing the alcohol-induced blush on her face makes him smirk with a lop-sided grin as he addresses her in a meek voice. "Stray Shot, ma'am. It's okay, you can yell all you want." He states passively with a shrug, his oversized tall ears trained carefully in the yellow mare's direction. She seemed like she was just having a good ol' drinking time, though her mature appearance and rough attitude did make him ever so slightly tense.

Judy returned the smirk to the stranger, and lifted one of her forelegs to his head. Without hesitation she ruffled on his mane, and pulled him closer to her, hugging him as she chugged down her cider. The mug slammed on the counter again and she kept on ranting, the face of Stray in between her leg and her chest, "I remember a baby colt like you from when I was in the army! He shat his armor each time those frigging fragging batshits assaulted at night. Still a fine shooter, he knew that those scums were behind each and every disgrace the three kingdoms have suffered! So brave he was in the end!" Clearly drunk, she gets a weird look from the bartender due to her gesture for the newcomer, but she just pushed the mug against him and got more cider in the end. "Straight Shewt, tell me about you!  Are you here on your way to join the army? You look like you are on the right age!" The alcoholized mare asked him, at the same time she let him go.

Stray Shot lets out a barely audible yelp as the stranger ruffles his mane and pulls him against her chest, looking up at her face with smushed cheeks. It threw him off guard, but his main concern was not spilling the fresh beer he had just been poured His bright blue eyes blink up at her as he tk's the mug of beer out of his hoof and onto the bartop so it doesn't spill, though his ears, trained on her voice, soaks in every word like a recorder. Not struggling against her, he just stares up with wide eyes as she tells him the tale. "Nah I'm not in the army, I'm just a delivery pony. Just passin' through town," He says as best he can with his face smushed against her making his cheeks squeeze, distorting his words slightly. "B-but... what happened to him?" He asks inquisitively, his curiousity making him unable to help but ask a question. It sounded like this was some kind of battle veteran, which he had never talked to up close and only learned about from books.

Judy stared at the wall past the bartender, as if she had been observing the few bottles and decorations placed there. The face of the mare went from gloomy looking and distant, to filled with some exhausted joy, and then back to a neutral, albeit distracted appearance. Her cider lasted more than the previous one thanks to that sudden meditation, but after snapping out of it, calmly, the mare sipped her drink and ended up chugging it down, emptying the mug in seconds. "It's all those fanged piece sof shit fault..." She murmured. The bartender re-filled her mug as she directed a new smile to Stray, less sincere than the one before. "He's resting with the sky fathers now, what else could you expect from one of their brave soldiers? Uuh... Am I-- Uh, Sorry, you just got me thinking. Hey, you don't look like a failed abortion, Strange Shore! Tell you what, your parents must be some fine unicorns. They must be proud you are such a responsible young stallion!" Blabbered she, grabbing her mug without looking.

Stray Shot sits back up straight on his barstool, watching the mare's changing expressions intently. His ears fold back as he realized he might've accidentally just made her recall some bad memories. Taking a big gulp of his beer, though not nearly as big as the mare next to him, he licks the delicious beverage off his lips and regards the soldier with an apologetic expression. "Oh... I'm sorry to make you think about that..." he offers quietly, though his meek demeanor fades and he raises a confused eyebrow at her exclamation. Not a failed abortion? Was that a compliment?' he thinks to himself before laughing heartily when he gets it and she distorts his name even more. He looks her over for another moment before turning back to face his drink, looking down into the mug. "My parents are old. I dunno about 'proud', I think they wish I'd just stay closer to home." He states honestly with a shrug.

Judy grants the younger pony a motherly look, like if he had once again strung on her some weak spot that changed her vivid attitude. "Dammit Estrangle Schlong, I bet they love you nonetheless... I'm go--" Before she can go on, a hoof over her mug stops her from pulling it closer to her face. The bartender was stopping her, and gave her a stern look. She glared at him and gritted her teeth, starting to frown extremely hard, her wrinkled aiding to the fury plastered on her face. Before she could start ranting, he shushed her with a hoof to her lips, and kind toned words. "You are already drunk, Judy. Can't smack batponies if you are too shitfaced." The veteran gradually calmed down, until she was looking just annoyed. Her changes in mood had been as brusque as her manners so far, not giving a good impression. Once the bartender let go of her mug, she finished its contents in a couple of gulps and left it delicately over the counter. "If you weren't so good I'd have slaughtered you, Morgan..." Judy said to the bartender, and he just rolled his eyes while going to tend to other customers. "Stray, I'm too dizzy to fly home, so I'll trot. Can I ask you for help?" Requested the grumpy mare, her violet eyes directed at Stray's.

Stray Shot opens his mouth to respond that he indeed knew how his parents loved him, but he closes it when he sees the bartender stop the mare from gulping down her drink. His already huge eyes widen and he feels a slight bit of anxiety when he sees her reaction, though he files away her name in his brain. He takes a deep breath of relief as the soldier calms down, and he can't help but chuckle at their banter. His blue eyes stare at her violet ones as he considers her request. He glances at his half-full drink and shrugs, mimicking Judy's behaviour and gulping it all down quickly. "Yeah sure, I'll help ya lady," the stallion's deep voice doesn't exactly fit his young features, and the slight rural drawl gives away the fact that he was not a city pony. He wasn't sure why he agreed to go along with her. Part of it was because he was concerned that she might actually not be able to get home, and part of it was because he didn't want to see what she would do if he refused. He knew it would at least be interesting. The short, stocky colt hops down from his stool, offering a thick hoof to the soldier. "I dunno my way around this town though, so you'll have to gimmie directions if you're sober enough."

tbc