"Well, I do wonder why you have this nice room in the sewer? And I wonder who is talking to you. But I guess you won't answer that. So are you hiring me for this job? And just what is it you want me to do?
And as to your question, I don't have any bishani and I don't have any food. I lost my job at the pub, you know. And I can't cook in the hay shed, because it would burn down."
Scouring for Magpies
Re: Scouring for Magpies
Puck smiled vaguely, narrowing his eyes slightly. "I think I know what you speak of, and perhaps I can clarify matters. Miss, you have exceptional ears. Marvelous, in fact, for I barely hear the sound myself. But your cognitive hearing must be miles away on a vacation in magic-land for you to call that tinny gurgling in the pipes a voice, or indeed anything other than sewer sludge.
"Now, for the matter of food. You may take this, as advance pay for your next job, the details of which you shall receive on the morrow, when Benjamin is back. Sundown at the water tower will do nicely. Don't try to run off anywhere."
He handed her a satchel of coins, ten bishani tinkling inside, and pretended he hadn't heard the stream of questions that he had failed to answer. "I have some matters to attend to elsewhere this evening, I suggest you get yourself a good meal somewhere, and try not to think too hard about who we are and why you're here. The working partnerships that we like to maintain here require trust and secrecy in equal measure. You wouldn't expect a foot rub from a man that had only just started courting you, would you?"
"Now, for the matter of food. You may take this, as advance pay for your next job, the details of which you shall receive on the morrow, when Benjamin is back. Sundown at the water tower will do nicely. Don't try to run off anywhere."
He handed her a satchel of coins, ten bishani tinkling inside, and pretended he hadn't heard the stream of questions that he had failed to answer. "I have some matters to attend to elsewhere this evening, I suggest you get yourself a good meal somewhere, and try not to think too hard about who we are and why you're here. The working partnerships that we like to maintain here require trust and secrecy in equal measure. You wouldn't expect a foot rub from a man that had only just started courting you, would you?"
Surrounded by poo
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Dianelopa
- Citizen
- Posts: 200
- Joined: Fri Sep 12, 2008 8:50 am
- Name: Dianelopa
- Race: shifter human werewolf
Re: Scouring for Magpies
With ten bishani tinkling in her sachel, more than Dianelopa had ever had at once in her life, she left Puck and the sewers in a kind of daze. What did it all mean? Even his last words about the foot rub made little sense to her. She'd never had a man courting her. Thus it was that she didn't notice the rustling in the grass until a voice all to close shouted, "hey there."
Dianelopa jumped, not really in fear but more in surprise. After the first shock she recognized who it was. "Ah, Mr. thief," she said then. "What are you doing here?"
"That's what I was going to ask," he answered. "This is no place for a young lady, it's grisly and dark and very dangerous."
"Well," said Dianelopa, "I was just looking for something to eat."
The thief burst into laughter. "There's no pubs here, for sure."
Dianelopa felt her face get flushed. "Rats," she muttered. "I was searching for rats."
"Ugh, you eat rats?" he said mockingly.
"Well, no," said Dianelopa.
"Ah," he said. "You look for food, rats to be precise, but you don't eat them. Odd."
"I do eat them," said Dianelopa obviously a little befuddled. "But only if they are cooked, they taste like chicken actually, quite good." She took a deep breathe in order to ban her confusion and then said, "but what are YOU doing here?"
He laughed again, "What'd you think, hey I'm a thief, girl. There are lots a objects sailing down this river, and right here you got a nice dark place to launch from."
"Oh," said Dianelopa, not a hundred percent sure what he meant.
"Where you headed?" he asked.
"I need a nice meal," she said.
"Rats?"
"Well, a pub would do," said Dianelopa.
"Come with me then," he said. "I know a good place."
Dianelopa looked at the thief more closely. Was he leading her into a trap? This was the third time she'd run into him. By chance? He looked friendly enough. In fact, there was a kind of twinkle in his eyes. And she was after all a young woman and this man was, she perceived though not so consciously, rather good looking, and an odd tug occurred somewhere in her bowels. So she said, "OK."
She followed him back to the path and into the town, staying behind him and not too close. She wanted to be ready to run just in case. He didn't seem to mind either, not until they'd left Marn's main street and entered the darker alleyways into the poorer section where there were no electric lights and the people walking by were both shabbier and more boisterous than in the more gentile area that Dianelopa had been used to. "Come," he said. "How can we talk together if you stay so far behind?"
"I don't know what to say," said Dianelopa.
"Well, for a start, what is your name?"
"Dianelopa." She hesitated, afraid she shouldn't have said that and then thought the best of it. "What's your name?"
"I'm Thad," he said, "now that's a good start. You aren't from Marn, I can hear that. And you like birds?"
"I'm from around Shim, and yes, I like birds. I like all the animals, even if we sometimes have to eat them. I feel sorry for them."
Thad laughed. "You are very funny."
"So are you," said Dianelopa.
"There's nothing funny about me," said Thad.
"Where are we?" Dianelopa asked. "I've never been in this part of town before. It seems very dark."
"Yeah, well, it's where all the poor people live. But even here there are pubs with really good food."
The pub Thad went into was crowded, sweaty and noisy, the smell of greasy food hovered over it all; the people seemed to know Thad and were greeting him heartily, banging him on the back, and staring at Dianelopa with looks of curiosity. "This is Dianelopa," he repeated over and over and the men nodded, the ladies laughed. At a table near the back, people squished themselves together so there was room for Dianelopa and Thad on a bench. She sat down beside him, wedged in against his body.
The meal placed before them was huge and hearty. Dianelopa was happy to finally have something that could fill her stomach. "This is much better than dragonflies," she said.
"I would think so," said Thad. "You usually eat dragonflies."
"No," said Dianelopa.
"Well, I'm glad you like it," Thad smiled at her and his smile and the warmth from his body radiating toward her, made her feel mellow. "That man you were with the other day, is he your boyfriend?"
"Huh?" said Dianelopa. The question seemed weird to her.
"He's your husband maybe?"
"No, no," said Dianelopa. "Not at all."
"A relative?"
"It's Benjamin."
"OK," said Thad. "So why did he let you go alone to that forsaken place? He should be protecting you."
"He went to Shim, and I don't need protection," said Dianelopa. The questions were making her feel uneasy again.
After eating the meal, a bit too fast perhaps, Dianelopa said, "It was good. Now I have to go home. Please get the waiter."
When he came, Dianelopa pulled out her little satchel with the jingling coins.
"No, no," said Thad. "Put that away. It's on me."
"Why?" said Dianelopa in surprise. "Last time you wanted my bishani."
"Aw, com'on." he said. "Don't be so silly." And to the waiter he said. "Give me the bill."
Dianelopa got up to leave and Thad followed. "I'll get you home safe," he said.
"Oh no," said Dianelopa. "You don't need to do that."
"I know," he said. "But gezooey, you are difficult."
"No, I'm not," said Dianelopa. "I can find my way just fine."
Thad laughed. "Well, I'll get you out of this part of town at least. Cause I like your company."
"Oh? well ummm," Dianelopa felt a rush of embarrassment and excitement too. It was beginning to dawn on her that maybe this is what courting was. "Do you rub feet?" she asked.
Thad burst into laughter. "If it's necessary, I do it," he said.
The next day at sundown, Dianelopa walked back to the water tower. No one was there. The gates where she'd entered the night before looked rusty and deserted. Was it all a dream? She found a half rotted log and sat down.
Dianelopa jumped, not really in fear but more in surprise. After the first shock she recognized who it was. "Ah, Mr. thief," she said then. "What are you doing here?"
"That's what I was going to ask," he answered. "This is no place for a young lady, it's grisly and dark and very dangerous."
"Well," said Dianelopa, "I was just looking for something to eat."
The thief burst into laughter. "There's no pubs here, for sure."
Dianelopa felt her face get flushed. "Rats," she muttered. "I was searching for rats."
"Ugh, you eat rats?" he said mockingly.
"Well, no," said Dianelopa.
"Ah," he said. "You look for food, rats to be precise, but you don't eat them. Odd."
"I do eat them," said Dianelopa obviously a little befuddled. "But only if they are cooked, they taste like chicken actually, quite good." She took a deep breathe in order to ban her confusion and then said, "but what are YOU doing here?"
He laughed again, "What'd you think, hey I'm a thief, girl. There are lots a objects sailing down this river, and right here you got a nice dark place to launch from."
"Oh," said Dianelopa, not a hundred percent sure what he meant.
"Where you headed?" he asked.
"I need a nice meal," she said.
"Rats?"
"Well, a pub would do," said Dianelopa.
"Come with me then," he said. "I know a good place."
Dianelopa looked at the thief more closely. Was he leading her into a trap? This was the third time she'd run into him. By chance? He looked friendly enough. In fact, there was a kind of twinkle in his eyes. And she was after all a young woman and this man was, she perceived though not so consciously, rather good looking, and an odd tug occurred somewhere in her bowels. So she said, "OK."
She followed him back to the path and into the town, staying behind him and not too close. She wanted to be ready to run just in case. He didn't seem to mind either, not until they'd left Marn's main street and entered the darker alleyways into the poorer section where there were no electric lights and the people walking by were both shabbier and more boisterous than in the more gentile area that Dianelopa had been used to. "Come," he said. "How can we talk together if you stay so far behind?"
"I don't know what to say," said Dianelopa.
"Well, for a start, what is your name?"
"Dianelopa." She hesitated, afraid she shouldn't have said that and then thought the best of it. "What's your name?"
"I'm Thad," he said, "now that's a good start. You aren't from Marn, I can hear that. And you like birds?"
"I'm from around Shim, and yes, I like birds. I like all the animals, even if we sometimes have to eat them. I feel sorry for them."
Thad laughed. "You are very funny."
"So are you," said Dianelopa.
"There's nothing funny about me," said Thad.
"Where are we?" Dianelopa asked. "I've never been in this part of town before. It seems very dark."
"Yeah, well, it's where all the poor people live. But even here there are pubs with really good food."
The pub Thad went into was crowded, sweaty and noisy, the smell of greasy food hovered over it all; the people seemed to know Thad and were greeting him heartily, banging him on the back, and staring at Dianelopa with looks of curiosity. "This is Dianelopa," he repeated over and over and the men nodded, the ladies laughed. At a table near the back, people squished themselves together so there was room for Dianelopa and Thad on a bench. She sat down beside him, wedged in against his body.
The meal placed before them was huge and hearty. Dianelopa was happy to finally have something that could fill her stomach. "This is much better than dragonflies," she said.
"I would think so," said Thad. "You usually eat dragonflies."
"No," said Dianelopa.
"Well, I'm glad you like it," Thad smiled at her and his smile and the warmth from his body radiating toward her, made her feel mellow. "That man you were with the other day, is he your boyfriend?"
"Huh?" said Dianelopa. The question seemed weird to her.
"He's your husband maybe?"
"No, no," said Dianelopa. "Not at all."
"A relative?"
"It's Benjamin."
"OK," said Thad. "So why did he let you go alone to that forsaken place? He should be protecting you."
"He went to Shim, and I don't need protection," said Dianelopa. The questions were making her feel uneasy again.
After eating the meal, a bit too fast perhaps, Dianelopa said, "It was good. Now I have to go home. Please get the waiter."
When he came, Dianelopa pulled out her little satchel with the jingling coins.
"No, no," said Thad. "Put that away. It's on me."
"Why?" said Dianelopa in surprise. "Last time you wanted my bishani."
"Aw, com'on." he said. "Don't be so silly." And to the waiter he said. "Give me the bill."
Dianelopa got up to leave and Thad followed. "I'll get you home safe," he said.
"Oh no," said Dianelopa. "You don't need to do that."
"I know," he said. "But gezooey, you are difficult."
"No, I'm not," said Dianelopa. "I can find my way just fine."
Thad laughed. "Well, I'll get you out of this part of town at least. Cause I like your company."
"Oh? well ummm," Dianelopa felt a rush of embarrassment and excitement too. It was beginning to dawn on her that maybe this is what courting was. "Do you rub feet?" she asked.
Thad burst into laughter. "If it's necessary, I do it," he said.
The next day at sundown, Dianelopa walked back to the water tower. No one was there. The gates where she'd entered the night before looked rusty and deserted. Was it all a dream? She found a half rotted log and sat down.