Deeds Done in the Dark - 20/05
May 24, 2021 9:34:33 GMT
Delilah Daybreaker, Velania Kalugina, and 1 more like this
Post by Greebo on May 24, 2021 9:34:33 GMT
“- This is, umm…. I’m… not really sure what I'm supposed to do here?”
“Don’t worry, you’re doing fine”
“I mean, I’m… I’m just a guard, y’know?”
“You’re overthinking this my good man. I told you it’ll be fine.”
“But I can’t afford to drink somewhere like this”
“Aha! Well it’s a good thing you’re not here to drink! Well, maybe a little - but it’s fine, I shall be the one paying.”
Brian casts an eye around the Flourished Hook, feeling extremely out of place. He was still trying to come to terms with his drastic change in position since yesterday, but was still very much out of sorts. The cat had been polite to him and so far everything he said seemed to make sense. He was promising to pay more than his old job as well but it was all feeling a little out of his depth.
He’d of course heard there was supposed to be a cat around but assumed it was someone using magic to change shape somehow. He heard adventurer’s did that kind of thing a lot but was not generally something he had to worry about. He had a simple job - stand here, guard this - and it paid a decent wage so he could put food on the table at home. But now…
“Hmm… ok” - He shuffles awkwardly - “I’m uh, still not really sure what it is I’m supposed to be doing though?”
The cat in the seat next to him turned his head and locked eyes with him. It really does just look like a normal cat, if you ignored the backpack of course. He keeps expecting it to meow back, making the answering voice a little startling every time it speaks.
“Hmmm yes I suppose I did kind of drop the offer on you without much explanation… Well, the long and short of it is I require you to assist me with the day to day activities pursuant with my station. Now, in my younger days before -”
“Persoup-ant?”
“...Never mind. Suffice to say the idea is that you help me with day to day running of things and generally help to make sure I’m free to carry out my other tasks. Now, in my younger days when I was of a slightly taller stature, the position was filled by one Otti Ottarson. Impeccable man, loyal to fault. Generally speaking however I would suggest that the position has changed somewhat since those days. Otti was quite well versed in combat himself so assisted me with my armour and weaponry as well as helping manage some of the day to day tasks that needed handling - Tending the horses, cooking, sending messages, arranging accommodations, restocking our supplies and the such - allowing me to carry on with other matters that needed attention - Addressing the public, attending councils and well, generally getting on with the messy work of adventuring. The slaying and rescuing and what not.”
Brian’s face starts to pale; “Oh… I, uh….”
“Yes?”
A very awkward look crosses Brian’s face. He wasn’t sure if it was going to be offensive or not but wasn’t exactly sure how else to raise the topic
“Well… I didn’t realise cat’s did so much?”
The cat laughing in response was more unsettling than he expected it to be.
“No no no, I wasn’t always so diminutive. No, this was many years ago now. Not quite as busy these days but the unfortunate nature of things means I still require some assistance from time to time.”
“Ok… assistance with what?”
“Well… Doors for one thing”
“That makes sense…” - Wait, does it? He’s a cat. What about this makes sense?
There is a long moment of silence between the two of them. Brian can feel the cat's eyes boring into his very being as he struggles to make sense of the thoughts swimming around. He has so many questions, so many conflicting thoughts all at once; He was supposed to be at work now but the warehouse was in ruins and his boss was missing and that strange man showed up out of nowhere and he had woken up tied up and what the hell was he going to do about -
The door bursts open as a few more faces pour into the bar area, interrupting his runaway thoughts. The cat was still looking at him.
“Look I… Thank you for being kind but... I have a family, I can’t… I…”
“... go on…”
“I...I can’t leave my family to just go running around fighting Gods knows what and possibly end up dead. I’m sorry but I heard you talking earlier about Devils and contracts and… I just, I just, I just… I’M JUST A GUARD!”
His outburst causes a few faces around the bar to all stare in his direction and he feels his face burn with embarrassment.
“Brian, what makes you think you’ll end up dead? I asked you to help me, not fight monsters”
“But then what happened to Otti?”
He watches as some of the light behind the cats eyes fades a little at the question
“Otti left. That is… a long story and perhaps one we can talk of another time. But I assure you, he left in quite good health, as may you whenever you want. I said yesterday, due to some of our activities your old job was no longer an option, so I have offered you a new one. I’m expecting you to go headlong into danger at my expense and I assure you it will always be my intention that you return home safely. You have my word”
“So it’s… just a job. Not adventurin’?”
“It’s just a job. Maybe some adventuring... but you’ll be there to assist me, not get your hands dirty. Arguably more interesting than your last job.”
“I liked that job”
“I know, and I am sorry. It wasn’t quite our intention when we set out, I can tell you.”
“What were you doing there?”
“We were… well we were doing something! Somewhere between the theft, the arson and tying people up - again I am sorry for that - we were trying to do something good. Well, I was anyway. I can't speak for the others of course. Delilah, Wanda and Tayz I had never met before and well Mace, polite and helpful as he can be, is a sly one for sure. I imagine he was keen on some kind of corporate espionage.”
Brian sits for a moment thinking things over. This was still a lot to take in but if it’s just a job then maybe - wait a minute
“Look I- I don’t think I can be a criminal either… I don't want to break into places or burn things down”
“Brian! You won’t be! Look, how about this, give it some time and see how you feel. I’ll pay you for the week anyway and if it’s not to your taste you can always go back to guard work. Just... maybe somewhere else than before.”
He thinks it over for a few seconds
“Well, ok… But, uh… well, what am I supposed to do?”
“Right now? Carouse dear boy! We are here to drink and, specifically, make some new friends. I can appreciate that most of the time when you see ‘adventurers’ drinking it usually looks like they are just there to get, well, fucked up I believe is the best description I’ve heard. And of course, that's not to say that some don’t but OUR goal is to make some new acquaintances. Some new friends whom we might call on if we need help with something - No, don’t give me that look, they won’t be doing anything dangerous either! Sometimes we might need to gather information or find someone or something. Having a steady source of people we can turn to is imperative to that end. So we drink. We meet people. We have a laugh and see if we can help them and maybe, MAYBE, earn ourselves their trust so they can help us later in turn. Does that make sense?”
Brian finally picks up the drink in front of him and takes a long draft. He had to admit, it was a lot better than the stuff he usually drank
“I guess. And… THIS is what I’m being paid for?”
“Partly, yes. Think you’re up for the task?”
“No.”
“Good Man! Now most of the faces in here are new to me so what so we go introduce ourselves, shall we?”
Several hours later, a few strong drinks and lots of names and faces he can’t remember now, Brian is walking beside the cat along the Tri-Tooth Wharf. They had spent a couple hours talking and meeting with people, the cat telling strange stories of his ‘supposed past’ and generally gathering a bigger and bigger crowd. People even started trying asking him how he had ended up working with this mysterious cat. It was all going pretty well and he had to admit, he was having fun. That is until someone started shouting something about the cat not being real. Suddenly people started accusing HIM of making it look like the cat was talking and for a moment he wondered if maybe he was. Maybe he had just drank too much... Needless to say, after much arguing and shouting they were finally kicked out and barred from going back.
The cat, ‘Beranwald’, said something about eyes in the back of the room and perhaps the strange man who turned up in the yard last night was still holding a grudge against them. He had protested again but still found himself going along with it anyway, despite having been tied up, lost his job, scared witless and now barred from a posh bar in the short time he knew the cat.
If nothing else, he had been right. It certainly was more interesting than his old job
“Don’t worry, you’re doing fine”
“I mean, I’m… I’m just a guard, y’know?”
“You’re overthinking this my good man. I told you it’ll be fine.”
“But I can’t afford to drink somewhere like this”
“Aha! Well it’s a good thing you’re not here to drink! Well, maybe a little - but it’s fine, I shall be the one paying.”
Brian casts an eye around the Flourished Hook, feeling extremely out of place. He was still trying to come to terms with his drastic change in position since yesterday, but was still very much out of sorts. The cat had been polite to him and so far everything he said seemed to make sense. He was promising to pay more than his old job as well but it was all feeling a little out of his depth.
He’d of course heard there was supposed to be a cat around but assumed it was someone using magic to change shape somehow. He heard adventurer’s did that kind of thing a lot but was not generally something he had to worry about. He had a simple job - stand here, guard this - and it paid a decent wage so he could put food on the table at home. But now…
“Hmm… ok” - He shuffles awkwardly - “I’m uh, still not really sure what it is I’m supposed to be doing though?”
The cat in the seat next to him turned his head and locked eyes with him. It really does just look like a normal cat, if you ignored the backpack of course. He keeps expecting it to meow back, making the answering voice a little startling every time it speaks.
“Hmmm yes I suppose I did kind of drop the offer on you without much explanation… Well, the long and short of it is I require you to assist me with the day to day activities pursuant with my station. Now, in my younger days before -”
“Persoup-ant?”
“...Never mind. Suffice to say the idea is that you help me with day to day running of things and generally help to make sure I’m free to carry out my other tasks. Now, in my younger days when I was of a slightly taller stature, the position was filled by one Otti Ottarson. Impeccable man, loyal to fault. Generally speaking however I would suggest that the position has changed somewhat since those days. Otti was quite well versed in combat himself so assisted me with my armour and weaponry as well as helping manage some of the day to day tasks that needed handling - Tending the horses, cooking, sending messages, arranging accommodations, restocking our supplies and the such - allowing me to carry on with other matters that needed attention - Addressing the public, attending councils and well, generally getting on with the messy work of adventuring. The slaying and rescuing and what not.”
Brian’s face starts to pale; “Oh… I, uh….”
“Yes?”
A very awkward look crosses Brian’s face. He wasn’t sure if it was going to be offensive or not but wasn’t exactly sure how else to raise the topic
“Well… I didn’t realise cat’s did so much?”
The cat laughing in response was more unsettling than he expected it to be.
“No no no, I wasn’t always so diminutive. No, this was many years ago now. Not quite as busy these days but the unfortunate nature of things means I still require some assistance from time to time.”
“Ok… assistance with what?”
“Well… Doors for one thing”
“That makes sense…” - Wait, does it? He’s a cat. What about this makes sense?
There is a long moment of silence between the two of them. Brian can feel the cat's eyes boring into his very being as he struggles to make sense of the thoughts swimming around. He has so many questions, so many conflicting thoughts all at once; He was supposed to be at work now but the warehouse was in ruins and his boss was missing and that strange man showed up out of nowhere and he had woken up tied up and what the hell was he going to do about -
The door bursts open as a few more faces pour into the bar area, interrupting his runaway thoughts. The cat was still looking at him.
“Look I… Thank you for being kind but... I have a family, I can’t… I…”
“... go on…”
“I...I can’t leave my family to just go running around fighting Gods knows what and possibly end up dead. I’m sorry but I heard you talking earlier about Devils and contracts and… I just, I just, I just… I’M JUST A GUARD!”
His outburst causes a few faces around the bar to all stare in his direction and he feels his face burn with embarrassment.
“Brian, what makes you think you’ll end up dead? I asked you to help me, not fight monsters”
“But then what happened to Otti?”
He watches as some of the light behind the cats eyes fades a little at the question
“Otti left. That is… a long story and perhaps one we can talk of another time. But I assure you, he left in quite good health, as may you whenever you want. I said yesterday, due to some of our activities your old job was no longer an option, so I have offered you a new one. I’m expecting you to go headlong into danger at my expense and I assure you it will always be my intention that you return home safely. You have my word”
“So it’s… just a job. Not adventurin’?”
“It’s just a job. Maybe some adventuring... but you’ll be there to assist me, not get your hands dirty. Arguably more interesting than your last job.”
“I liked that job”
“I know, and I am sorry. It wasn’t quite our intention when we set out, I can tell you.”
“What were you doing there?”
“We were… well we were doing something! Somewhere between the theft, the arson and tying people up - again I am sorry for that - we were trying to do something good. Well, I was anyway. I can't speak for the others of course. Delilah, Wanda and Tayz I had never met before and well Mace, polite and helpful as he can be, is a sly one for sure. I imagine he was keen on some kind of corporate espionage.”
Brian sits for a moment thinking things over. This was still a lot to take in but if it’s just a job then maybe - wait a minute
“Look I- I don’t think I can be a criminal either… I don't want to break into places or burn things down”
“Brian! You won’t be! Look, how about this, give it some time and see how you feel. I’ll pay you for the week anyway and if it’s not to your taste you can always go back to guard work. Just... maybe somewhere else than before.”
He thinks it over for a few seconds
“Well, ok… But, uh… well, what am I supposed to do?”
“Right now? Carouse dear boy! We are here to drink and, specifically, make some new friends. I can appreciate that most of the time when you see ‘adventurers’ drinking it usually looks like they are just there to get, well, fucked up I believe is the best description I’ve heard. And of course, that's not to say that some don’t but OUR goal is to make some new acquaintances. Some new friends whom we might call on if we need help with something - No, don’t give me that look, they won’t be doing anything dangerous either! Sometimes we might need to gather information or find someone or something. Having a steady source of people we can turn to is imperative to that end. So we drink. We meet people. We have a laugh and see if we can help them and maybe, MAYBE, earn ourselves their trust so they can help us later in turn. Does that make sense?”
Brian finally picks up the drink in front of him and takes a long draft. He had to admit, it was a lot better than the stuff he usually drank
“I guess. And… THIS is what I’m being paid for?”
“Partly, yes. Think you’re up for the task?”
“No.”
“Good Man! Now most of the faces in here are new to me so what so we go introduce ourselves, shall we?”
Several hours later, a few strong drinks and lots of names and faces he can’t remember now, Brian is walking beside the cat along the Tri-Tooth Wharf. They had spent a couple hours talking and meeting with people, the cat telling strange stories of his ‘supposed past’ and generally gathering a bigger and bigger crowd. People even started trying asking him how he had ended up working with this mysterious cat. It was all going pretty well and he had to admit, he was having fun. That is until someone started shouting something about the cat not being real. Suddenly people started accusing HIM of making it look like the cat was talking and for a moment he wondered if maybe he was. Maybe he had just drank too much... Needless to say, after much arguing and shouting they were finally kicked out and barred from going back.
The cat, ‘Beranwald’, said something about eyes in the back of the room and perhaps the strange man who turned up in the yard last night was still holding a grudge against them. He had protested again but still found himself going along with it anyway, despite having been tied up, lost his job, scared witless and now barred from a posh bar in the short time he knew the cat.
If nothing else, he had been right. It certainly was more interesting than his old job
