It’s been a while since my last visit to Bridgegarde. Though I can not say that this city is showing any signs of change. It still was the city of seemingly random designs of all kinds bundled together without any care for aesthetics. Chaos looms around every corner, screams blending into the rippling crowd’s noise. People of Bridgegarde are also always on the edge, living moments away from outbursts that lead to massive fights. Almost as if the city is an entity, its presence chokes those residing there. The more I stay in Bridgegarde, the more it takes away from me.
She was probably in her favorite rundown bar, the Wolf Den. Just like her, the place was old, filthy, and reeked of alcohol, the strong kind. I quickly made it through the maze-like streets of Bridgegarde. The bar’s sign barely held itself together and the stench hit me before I even went in. The raspy bell hanging above the door jingled with my arrival.
I looked around trying not to make eye contact, especially with the regulars. Of course, there were eyes on me but I did my best to not even glance in their direction. I was aware of my reputation. Being acquainted with her was a lot of hassle. I took a seat at the counter and gestured to the barkeep. The Wolf Den ran through barkeeps like wine but there was someone among them who had been there since the beginning.
“I’ll have wine, honeypea please. Also… Is she here?”
The old barkeep Still Monsoon was a sapphire. Being a ruby and the owner of multiple companies, I never blamed him for his prejudice against me during my first visit here. Like our Eji’derr Ruby and Sapphire, the two gems never meshed together well. But part of being a good barkeep is to be welcoming and know what your patron wants and Monsoon was an excellent master of this craft. His lips furled into a smile hidden under his groomed thick white mustache.
“She’s at the back, dozing. Been a blightberry rot since you were here Baron, I’m sure she missed you. Though she would bark rather than admit that…”
His voice zoned me out of the ragged clamor of the bar. He always spoke in thick, smooth, and slow words, letting you soak in one before uttering another. His outfit choices were in the most melancholic tone of blue, he preferred simple and muted pieces. From the way he moves to his simplest gestures, he made sure that it was warm and welcoming. Perhaps he was the single reason that grumpy old hound loved it here. He served me bloodpumpkin pie with my wine, the single reason I loved it here.
“No need to wake her up, I’m sure that old wolf already got my scent. I also missed her, mostly. But I definitely missed this, Monsoon.”
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I flicked my nail at the wine glass to make a satisfying click, nodding my head while I surrendered to the pie’s sweet fragrant aroma. We talked about our regular days and time passed smoothly enough for me to not notice the prowling predator stalking me. She was not reeking of alcohol yet so that threw me off. She jumped at my throat and choked me, in a hug. She was too strong so I hoped that she wouldn't crush my bones and waited for it to end.
“You sly fox, I almost thought you forgot about me! Is it too hard for the ever-important baron to visit the streets? Mons, pour us from my bottle… And throw away that red filth. You’re going to love this Baron, it was a gift from a client of mine.”
I threw a surrendered glance at the barkeep as I let him take away my dear wine. He returned a defeated smile and winked, putting the wine away instead of spilling it. He reached under the counter to get a masterly-crafted exotic bottle. This was probably from Miragepalace, a place known for its many unique types of alcohol. At least I had the chance to finish my pie before the detective strangled me. Her choking grip loosened while I tried my best to reply.
“It’s good to see you too, Gray. Still as strong as ever… Unfortunately, I was too busy. And you know that you can also drop by the mansion whenever you want… It is your home too.”
I finally took a full breath when she released me. Her attire was the usual. Scruffy black tailcoat jacket that swung behind her like a happy pup. Underneath she had the oceancamellia blue blouse of the Gemsoil Protection Force. She wore comfortable and elastic gray leggings, perfect for kicking the heads of those who disagree with her. Her extremely long and puffy silver hair was tied into one big braid with a metal piece dangling on the end of it. She used that piece as a blunt weapon to catch her foes by surprise. But it was her gem that showcased the beauty in the beast. Placed on her forehead, right in the middle like all the alexandrites. Their gem didn’t have a set color and it was different for every alexandrite. Hers was gray, such gray that it had neither black nor white in it. It was pure gray.
She groaned and yawned. Her two ashen blue eyes locked mine back into a corner. This was a habit of hers, staring deep into your eyes while she conversed. Unlike her polar opposite of a woman Great White, I could never predict this gray-clad woman.
“Busy, huh… As if I don’t know you are busy! It is not a matter of having free time to visit me… You should *make* the time to visit me, you rock-headed man! This is no way to treat an esteemed detective… I was busy as well, do you have any idea about the current situation of Gemsoil, watching from your literal ivory tower?”
Her words sent me into a short moment of thinking and she capitalized on that moment. She pushed further, jabbing with words before I even get my guard up. This is why I never visit you, grumpy old hound.
“You are not here for me now, right? You want a detective, not a friend. You only came here to get me on a case… I’m not disappointed since I expected nothing else from a sly fox. But you already know that I won’t take any case so you have some kind of leverage or there is a catch. Let’s just get this over with then...”