"To begin, I urge you all to relax and order your favorite dinner, because you're going to want a lot of energy for our main event... An electrical music rile!"

Cedric scratched his head idly, "A... what?"

Grey howled in excitement, "Oh, yes! This is gonna be awesome."

Cedric turned to face the Man-Maker, "She seems excited? Oh - Mani?"

Even she seemed rather excited for the coming event, it shown clearly on her bright brown orbs. She turned to face Cedric, "An EMR - Or Elecrical Music Rile. We haven't had one of these in forever. Lots of music, lovely cage dancers, and of course everyone else getting in on the action. Be cautious though dear, these events get... Quite hot and heavy."

Cedric could swear he witnessed a steam erupting from her maw. Wild. He chuckled at his own joke.

"Hot and heavy huh? Well, I've never been to a rave or anything - so now I guess I'll enjoy seeing it first hand."

"A rave?.."

"Ah, just another name for a rile I picked up. I think..."

"I see, well do enjoy dear, this show should be absolutely scrumptious."

"I'm sure it will be..." He answered flatly, nursing his drink. He noticed many of the crew getting up and going to the opposite end of the bar, forming a line. It appeared they were all ordering something. Food, he guessed - since he was on the proper 'bar' side where Rainbow found purchase.

"Now then, Animas abound - for our introductory show, a sultry ballad from Gardenia!"

"Gardenia?" Cedric asked.

"She suffers from albinism, like myself dear." Mani answered, "She's a white vulpes, gorgeous girl. Barely just recently turned thirteen. She has a lovely voice, still can't charm the males like I can though."

"That sounds... So wrong." Cedric commented.

"What does, dear?"

"Being thirteen... Where uh, I was raised - adulthood began at eighteen. A thirteen year old would still be considered a child, very young at that."

"You come from such a strange upbringing. This is normal honey, I'm not sure where you were raised but it certainly doesn't sound like you were born in the Empire. Ah, I won't pry though."

He nodded. It made a lot of sense, thinking about it. Dogs and cats grew up when they were about one or two, they also only lived about seventeen to twenty years at most. For the Korellei, this was much the same. Unlike humans, who could grow to be as old as one-hundred and twenty on average, weren't considered proper adults that could voice consent until eighteen or twenty-one, depending on the country. Korellei had much shorter life spans, so while awkward to him - it was normal for them. If Cedric heard about a thirteen year old sultry dancer, he'd be absolutely appalled. For the Korellei though, who grew up significantly faster and had much shorter life spans - maturity came much earlier. Had they not explained that to him, he never would have noticed. In fact, he very rarely saw any Korellei show any signs of old age. Either they aged very well, or it was something more sinister. Either way, he'd have to accept what the norm was for them and not compare it to his own. They were completely different biological specimens with radically different culture and histories. In fact, this thirteen year old Korellei looked more like nineteen or twenty to him, if he had to take a guess at a visual comparison now that he began to witness her emerge from the curtains.

Thinking about it now, something much more concerning crossed his mind. If he fell in love and had a family, his wife would die before he barely got into his mid fifties. He could technically get another wife and STILL outlive her too. He felt like an Elf in fantasy, far outliving any human - making half elves extraordinarily rare. If someone got married to a ten year old Korellei at eighteen, they would theoretically outlive them by three lifetimes, and that's assuming average life span. Their first partner would die at old age while they were just hitting thirty-eight! That was assuming fourty was on the high end and thirty was the average. At least it seemed, Mani still looked no more than maybe fourty? Because of her albinism which oddly didn't also give her red eyes, maybe he just couldn't see any graying in her fur. Perhaps this odd mixture of traits was what made it so easy for her to find partners. Was he... Basically talking to a grandma? He shuddered at the thought.

A gentle paw on his shoulder sparked him from his musings.

"Are you quite fine dear? You suddenly went silent."

He shook his head, "Quite fine, yeah. Just thinking."

"Well don't get too distracted, miss Gardenia is about to start her show."

Cedric got a nice, close look at the stark white and young vulpes. She was beautiful, for an anthropomorphic fox. A vixen, even. Cedric could barely make out bright red eyes staring into the crowd as she grasped the mic, her voluptuous body was accented by slight shadowing on the white fur. She wore a contrasting black silky dress that hid almost nothing from the imagination. A small tuft of fur from her cleavage rested ontop of the front cutout of the dress, adding a bit of personal flair. Large ears swiveled back and forth in response to catcalls and cheers from the crowd. She even took a short moment to take a look at the bar, letting her eyes rest on Cedric's for just a moment before scanning the rest. Digitgrade legs and a flowing, bushy tail waved back and forth from behind her - steady and rhythmic. Mid length claws were visible from her hand-paws, as she gently stroked the mic stand up and down. Not sexually, but more as a speakeasy singer ready to enrapture the crowd. She was a master of seduction. Seduction did not always have to be sexual, the ability to enrapture an entire crowd with subtle movements and striking attire could also be considered a form of seduction. Noted, he thought - maybe he could somehow figure out how to do that himself. It was the one thing his will was weak against, go figure.

Cedric took a long sip from his drink and considered lighting up a cigarette.

"She's astonishingly beautiful." Cedric stated, somewhat in awe.

"Oh. Isn't she just a gem?" Mani replied.

"What, you getting a hard on for her too?" Grey said accusingly.

"Wouldn't be surprised if I did." Cedric stated matter-of-factly, "She's excellent at what she does. She has the entire crowd pinned to her every movement, I can tell this number is going to be hypnotic."

"Goddess dude, you really are laying on the praise."

He shrugged, "Hey, credit where credit is due. It reminds of something the captain said. If you're good at something, own it. That's the way to be successful here, it seems."

"Well, I'd say she's right. Captain Garerra is smart as hell, even if she doesn't look like it." Grey replied, idly flicking her ears.

"Hello, loving guardians of the Ravager."

Cedric inhaled, her voice was so silky smooth! It carried with it the art of a silkworm, gently and diligently laying the foundations of its home with only the purest and worthy of silk threads. Its strands flowed easy amongst the crowd, gripping their muzzles tightly to face the artisan now on the stage. All howls and bellows were replaced with silence.

"Almost seems like a superpower, doesn't it dear?"

Mani was facing Cedric with a smug smile.

"Yeah. I can hardly imagine the voice training needed to talk like that, what's more - we're going to hear her sing. Whoever trained her, if anyone, should be proud."

"Oh thank you, she was like a little kitten to me. She's all grown up now though."

Cedric faced Mani incredulously, "YOU trained her?"

She closed her eyes and curved her body just the slightest distance, hovering a finger over her dainty muzzle - diamond earrings dangling in response, "Guilty as charged."

What a dangerous woman!

"Well, honestly I can say that makes sense. Lots of similarities."

"She volunteered, believe it or not. Hellbent on being a performer that could steal the attention of many without sex - well, here she is now. She did quite well, I think."

"I agree."

He laid back easy against the bar counter, and realized his drink was already empty again. He flagged Bee down for another one, which of course she accepted while sweeping away his empty glass.

"Are you excited for tonight?"

Many of the crew were still silent, yet bobbed their heads rapaciously in answer.

"I've decided on a ballad tonight, something nice and slow to ease us in. Are you ready?"

She worded 'ease us in' in a subtle, sexual manner. Cedric could immediately pick up the similarities between her sultry tone, and the Man-Maker's. Now that he knew she trained her, he was picking out many similarities in mannerisms between the two. Well taught indeed.

"Delicate flowers, Ravaged through the night. Storms and wind setting the night ablaze with mirth and light. Knights of old too well weathered to choke on their spores~"

It was a set of odd lyrics as she sang on, but each stanza eased easily into the next. A poem of storms ravaging the flowers of a great field, yet those flowers would not be deterred, no matter the weather. It was obvious she alikened the flowers to the crew, fighting ceaselessly for the right to grow where they found home. It was smooth, sultry, and personal. Much of the crew waved back and forth slowly to the steady lyrics, holding on to each word as a flower would viciously grasp every drop of dew in a foggy morning desperate to retain every last bit of moisture, for who could know if tomorrow would start a drought?

Cedric's trio, as well as the crew - listened intently in silence. Appreciating the godly voice presented to them from the stage. Upon finishing, she said not a word - simply curtseying before disappearing behind the curtains.

"That was incredible." Cedric said, breaking the silence. Not soon after he said his piece, the crew uproared in a standing ovation of applause in light of the voluptuous vixen's heart-crafted song.

"Wasn't it? You really should attend one of her two hour shows dear, they are quite lovely." Mani replied.

A grumbling from Cedric's stomach reminded him he hadn't eaten in a long while.

"Shit, I was so focused on that I forgot to get my food."

He turned to the opposite side of the bar, still flush with Korellei ordering various dishes. He'd already seen several waiters around delivering food to the tables. He noted that most of them were male.

"Damn it, guess I have to wait a while."

"Or, you know - I could just take your order." Rainbow spoke up, slightly startling him.

"If you don't mind."

"What's your fancy?"

"Uh... Meat."

Grey and the Man-Maker eyed him curiously. Grey of course, was the first to say something. "Like, the real stuff - or?"

"If you want the real stuff dear, I'll foot the bill. In fact I'll join you."

Cedric was stuck in his head space. I mean, sure the 'real' stuff came from volunteers but... Doesn't that sound s little fucked up? I mean, he wanted food. He wanted genuine meat. The stigma associated with it though...

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"I didn't realize you were a carnivore, Scourge." Grey stated, "I thought you were an herbivore, you know given your teeth."

"I'm neither."

"What?"

"I'm an omnivore. Your question surprises me, are ingredients like rice and peas not normal staple on ships like this? We had those kinds of things in prison too."

"An omnivore? Man, you are just full of surprises. Also yeah it is, but that's more for filling if that makes sense."

"There's no actual nutritional value for you?"

"Nah, not besides carbohydrates really."

Interesting, he thought. Could this be why the Korellei were so much weaker than him? The Farai as well. He didn't know enough about Korellei or Farai biology to serve a definite answer. Another mystery to be unraveled with time, he surmised.

"Well, I can eat just about anything. Vegetables in any state, meat needs to be cooked."

"You can't handle raw meat?"

"I suppose I could, ate raw bacon once because it was technically pre-smoked - it was delicious, but slimy and somewhat rubbery."

"Bacon? Like, you just gutted a Suidae and ate him?"

"What? No Grey I bought it at a - nevermind. Raw meats can contain harmful bacteria or parasites that would be detrimental to me."

"Oooookay..." Grey said in a puzzling tone.

"Well it's far from unheard of to enjoy cooked foods, it's just most tend to eat meat raw dear." Mani pointed out, "I take it you want the real stuff, based on what you've said."

"Well, I'm not sure..."

"Is it because it comes from other Korellei, Scourge? Think of it this way. Would it not be a diservice to those who sacrificed their bodies to support their families? The least we can do is honor their sacrifices by consuming what they left behind. I daresay it'd be truly dishonorable to refuse to eat the meat of such brave Anima."

"If I died a glorious death, I'd want you to eat me." Grey chuckled, "Maybe it'll bestow you my spirit."

As awkward as it was, they had a very valid point. Within the Empire it was seen as a great taboo, but here - on the border, where food was no doubt more scarce - it would be seen as a travesty to waste food. Honestly, their logic was sound. In fact he felt sort of dirty in a haughty way for outright refusing to eat real meat, now that he understood their mindset on it. What, he was so much better than them that he refused to eat what they did? No, no he was not.

"The logic is sound, and I understand. Well, since you're footing the bill... Sure, let's honor someone's sacrifice."

Grey and the Man-Maker nodded in agreement.

"Well dear, you first." Mani urged, "Don't mind the credit cost darling, it's nothing to little old me."

"In that case... Do you have a menu of sorts, or?"

"We don't really have a menu, you just pick what you're in the mood for and then you get what you get." Bee informed.

"Country fried steak?.." He said cautiously.

"A... What?" Bee said.

"Uhh... Like a pork cutlet covered in egg wash and flour, forming a base. Then that's fried in oil. After being done, it's set on a plate and smothered in gravy. Gravy is made using milk, preferably bacon grease, and flour gently stirred constantly as to prevent sticking to the pan."

"You're a chef too? Dude." Grey exclaimed in awe.

Cedric scratched the back of his head, "I don't know a lot of recipes. I generally just throw a bunch of stuff together that sounds good and make something with it. Not a lot of credits uh, growing up. So I had to make do with bulk ingredients. Ordering food was out of the question."

"You are one interesting guy, Scourgie."

"Scourgie?"

"Don't like it? Too bad, that's what I'm calling you know. You act way more like a male than I thought you would."

"I - what? I am a guy though?.."

"Sure, but you act like a female."

"What?"

"Dude, look around you. You got any guys around you?"

Looking around (albeit pointlessly) - Cedric did in fact realize he was surrounded by females currently.

"What about Bengal? And some of the crew?"

"Some are outliers, like Bengal. A few others are a bit more boisterous - but generally the males are the ones that homestead. You know, take care of pups and all that. We do everything else."

Of course he remembered that the Korellei had a matriarchal society, but still.

"You met Soft didn't you?" Grey pressed.

"I did, yes."

"How'd he seem to you?"

"Submissive." He said flatly.

"There ya go. Proof is in the pudding."

"You guys have pudding?"

"Not to interrupt, but I've been thinking about what you wanted. Pretty sure I can make it happen. Well, the kitchen can. They got a lot of talented cooks."

"How the hell is a Pirate crew more talented than the denizens of the Empire?" Cedric asked, more out of surprise than anything else.

"Probably because we actually let people do what they're good at, instead of restricting them to education like the freedom-robbing Imperials do. Those guys will be a doctor for profit, not because they're good at it. Here, we don't do profit - so everyone is free to do what they actually want instead of worrying about pay just to survive." Grey stated, and in a very serious manner.

"That being said" she began again, "We have to fight almost everyday for what we have. The Imperials would love to lock us all up and reform us into something that's 'Beneficial to the Empire' - to hell with that, I want my freedom!" Grey's growing tenor aroused a few cheers and phrases akin to "Here here!" From nearby crew. She was obviously starting to get drunk, and now that he thought about it he was sort of starting to as well.

"Get me one of those fried thingies too while you're at it, Rainy-B." Rainbow nodded.

"This does sound like an intriguing dish. I would like one as well sweetheart, if you don't mind. I'll pay for it, been a while since I've had the real thing."

Rainbow nodded again, "Okay so three - what was it called Scourgie?"

"You too?"

Rainbow shrugged.

"Country-fried steak."

"Steak, but it's pork instead of beef. What a weird thing to call it." Rainbow mused.

"Another round of drinks as well?"

Grey splayed her arms wide, "Big ole' glasses Rainy-B."

"Of course." She stepped away, presumably to fill their orders.

"Man it's getting kind of hot in here." Grey said, then removed her jacket and laid it behind her stool. A spaghetti strap crop top revealed a few series of tattoos adorning her arms and back.

Cedric pointed to her arms, her tattoos appeared to be dyed within her fur - a deep black complimenting her lightish Grey tone.

"How'd you get those?"

"Oh these? Follicle dye."

"Follicle dye? What about when you shed, if you shed - and hair constantly falling out and replacing itself."

"Self replicating magitech. Tattoos can get expensive, but the dyes keep their pigment and shape - even if I lost hair or shaved there for whatever reason."

"That's cool."

"Isn't it? Got a few works done. Farai are way better at it though, they full send their luminescent fur dyes. Lots of glowing colors, like blue."

"I don't think follicle dye would work on me, I've always considered getting tattoos - could just never afford them."

"Who says follicle dyeing is the only way to do it? You can just get yours the old fashioned way - laser pigmentation."

"Laser pigmentation?"

"Yeah, for species with little or no fur. Fun little laser zaps where you want after you tell the technician what you want. For an arm like yours? Three hours tops."

"For an entire sleeve?"

"Oh yeah."

"Damn, alright adding that to my bucket list."

"Your... Bucket list?"

"Yeah, you know - things to do before I die. Or 'kick the bucket' as it were."

"Whatever you say, weirdo."

"What?"

"Animas abound, male or female - it is time for the start of our E. M. R!" The familiar croak of Wimbledon could be heard throughout the mess hall, "Get ready to party like animals! To kick things off, our dancers will take to the cages with Rose on the stage! Our DJ expert will rile up this party something fierce. Enjoy your hard-earned entertainment!"

"Rose huh, what's her thing?" Cedric asked.

"She's a stripper. All of em are." Grey replied matter-of-factly.

"Cool." Was all he could respond with, what else was he gonna say?

The curtains separated once more, and was that a-

"Is she a Mephitidae?.."

"Yup, and she's good at dancing too."

Cedric stared dumbfoundedly as the skunk revealed herself on the stage, both literally and figuratively. She tossed skimpy lingerie into the crowd, some of the males clawed for it viciously. Cedric had no words. She had a nice body for sure, deep dark eyes were too shadowed to be able to make out their distinct coloration. Black base fur with typical skunk stripes covered her body. Interestingly after stripping, she grasped her large, fluffy tail and brought it to her body, covering her modesty - egging on the crowd with questions as to whether or not she should uncover herself. She hardly had the air of Gardenia, in fact she was exactly the opposite. Rather than drag the crowd's attention with sultry and subtle movements accompanied by a silky voice, Rose was brazen and blatant - teasing the crowd non-stop with her body.

A large pole began to drop from the ceiling, as well as did the cages - the crowd separating from their landing zones. Several males and a few females of various species, also scantily clad exited from the sides of the stage not marked by lighting or curtain, taking their places in the cages. All of the cages suspended large water bottles on hooks above their occupants, allowing dancers to easily unhook the bottles and hydrate when needed. Said bottles had to contain, at least, two gallons of water each. Even though they were shaped as bottles, they were massive.

"That's an excellent design." Cedric pointed out.

"Hm?" Grey murred.

"I see you've noticed, quite the eye you have dear." Mani praised.

"Those hold what, two gallons each? A necessity if they are going to go crazy in the cages."

"Indeed, the dancers swap out every hour to rest and recover - then more take their places."

"Dancing for an hour straight? I can hardly imagine."

"Their stamina is quite lovely, if I do say so myself."

"I'll bet." Cedric reached for a glass that did not exist, remembering that Bee was still taking care of their order.

"Feeling it a little bit, bud?" Grey draped a furry arm over Cedric's shoulders.

"I think I might be."

"Get used to it, we got a wild night of drinking ahead!"

"Well, when in Rome." Cedric started.

"You've been to Rome?" Grey asked.

"No, it's just a phrase."

"Man you are just full of quirks and weird phrases aren't you?"

"Well-"

She waved a furry hand in his face dismissively, "Yeah yeah, orphan - grew up in a weird place - wacky compared to the Empire, yadda yadda."

"Right..."

They continued to converse with small talk for the next twenty minutes or so. Cedric was enthralled with the dancing skunk. He had his doubts, but her skill on the pole with sparkling fur reflecting the spotlights as she moved did nothing but extensively prove her skill and time invested in the art. It was quite admirable. Not long after she finished her routine, with copious amounts of credit chits being tossed on stage - their food arrived, alongside massive mugs of some kind of beer and the mixed drinks they ordered, in the same glasses they had been using before.

"Aweee Rainy-B, I said to give us BIG glasses of the good stuff." Grey whined.

"No no, the bar is already getting busy and there's a lot of the crew that haven't even started drinking yet. You got another round plus some big mugs of wheat beer, be happy. Not to mention I went out of my way to convince the kitchen to make the dishes you wanted."

"Okay, fine. Thank you Rainy~"

"Almost anything for you Grey, you better enjoy the food because the kitchen was weirded out when I asked them to make it."

"Yes yes, you are right. You're a queen, thank you~"

Rainbow nodded her feathered head with a smile and skillfully transported the plates of food precariously balancing on her arms as she set down the multiple drinks she was also holding within her claws. Mixed drinks in one claw, and the three mugs of beer in another. Her strength and sense of balance was astounding to Cedric. Upon placing them down in front of them, the aroma of the country-fried steak filled Cedric's nostrils - even through his mask. He was already salivating. Forks and spoons with a knife that carried easy in her dress was relieved of their positions and settled neatly down beside each of their plates, followed up by napkins for each.

With a wisp of air through her beak, she spoke - "Well now - enjoy! I gotta bounce and take care of some others. If you need refills or more food, just ask a waiter."

"Holy shit Bee, that's incredible!" Cedric exclaimed.

Bee curtsyed in an almost mocking gesture, "That's not even the best I can do. But thank you."

"Yeah, sure thing. Uh, could I just make one more request?"

"Seriously Scourgie?"

"Sorry, it's just - I tend to eat a lot more than the Korellei do. So if I could get a bowl of rice or something that'd be fine."

"Hmm, alright well I'll do that but that's it! No more favoritism."

"Thank you Bee, you're the best."

"I know I am." She clacked with confidence.

Rainbow delicately stepped away with her sturdy clawed feet, and the trio were left staring at their dishes. For Cedric, it was a bit small - but they had gotten the dish spot on. Crispy fried pork cutlet rested easy on a large, square black plate - it sizzled underneath a slathering of white gravy, which appeared to have flecks of pepper in it. He was certain there was a bit of salt too, just not visible. A couple slices of lightly buttered and toasted bread were set to the side, ready to soak up the gravy. It was almost exactly what he was hoping for. He thought silently for a moment - this was the real deal, real meat that was collected from a 'volunteer' and cooked expertly. He gulped.

"Whoa, that smells amazing. Dude, I think I'm gonna dig in right now." Grey exclaimed. The Man-Maker stared blue daggers into her brown orbs.

"Respect first Grey, you know this."

"Yeah yeah, I gotcha. You wanna lead Cedric?"

"I'm not sure what to say, honestly."

"Very well then dear, I'll lead us off." Mani clasped her claws together and closed her eyes - boring her head. Grey followed suit, Cedric did as they did - a prayer of sorts, it seemed."

"Thank you noble Anima for your sacrifice, that which you have given freely will be used to nourish and strengthen our bodies. For this, we thank you - blessed be to mother Gaia for your nurturing body."

After which, Mani began to delicately pick up her fork. Grey was about to get paws-on, but Cedric stopped her.

"Whoa whoa, gotta use a fork and a knife."

"What? Just let me dig in, man."

"No no, watch."

Cedric picked up a fork and a knife, stabbing a fork into the middle of the fried cutlet and placing a knife between its tines to use as a guide. Gently sawing back and forth, the cutlet cut easy. Steaming seasoned juices intermingled with the falling gravy, creating a sonata of smells. He could see Grey salivating at the sight.

"See? Now we just cut a little more and..."

Cedric sliced the cutlet into fourths, stabbing one fourth with his fork and rubbing it around the gravy a but before gulping and finally forcing himself to injest the piece now relieved of its previous position. Slowly chewing through, the fried crispy cutlet mixed with the gravy in his mouth, it was absolutely delicious! Well seasoned and well made, it was just the taste he was hoping for.

"Oh my god that is so good." He managed to say.

"Oh yeah?" Rainbow placed a sizable bowl of steaming white rice next to his plate, "Alright, I gotta tend to the rest of the bar, of fun you three."

"Thank you Bee."

"No problem, just remember M is paying for it, so be nice to her."

"Of course."

Cedric eyed as the Man-Maker and Grey followed his movements, expressions of bliss showed on their muzzles as they began consuming their real meat.

"Damn Cedric, this just might be my new favorite dish." Grey praised.

"What do you normally get?"

"Slabs of raw meat."

"Well of course it might be your new favorite, you haven't explored any of the other ones!"

"Hey man, I'm a simple girl."

"Well, that's admirable of itself I suppose."

"I must say it is indeed quite delicious, but I've had a few that were better." Mani said.

"Really?" Cedrix asked with surprise.

"Indeed dear. It's not bad by any means, I'm just more of a beef tartare or venison wellington kind of girl."

"Two sides of the same coin..." Cedric mused.

They didn't talk much as they enjoyed their food, strong beer washed down their meal as they topped it off with their mixed drinks. They were all really starting to feel the effects of the alcohol now.

Thirty minutes or so and they were finished, continuing their conversations.

As the dancing began and a few of the crew were already getting sleepy, Captain Garrerra arose from her throne. Her bellowing voice was laced with the affects of alcohol, but clear and authority-driven.

"The last announcement for tonight... Enjoy all that you like, for we are hitting a convoy next week!"

The crew roared in response, smashing their fists on their tables and stirring up even more commotion in the mess hall as they stomped their paws on the ground.

"I think I need another beer." Cedric slurred, he was going to enjoy this party to its fullest for sure.