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I Shoulda Killed 'im
Ft. Jinora, Saja
Halyard Tavern:

Now that Dominik is out of the woods - both Dark and figurative - Jinora has had some time in her rented room to sleep, wash up, and change into her plainclothes. The doe wears a loose shirt, it's collared and ties at the neck, and trousers now as she sits, slumped at her usual place at the bar. The Major is leaned forward onto her elbows, a neutral gaze held on the dark contents of the ale she clutches; the remnants of a bowl of soup rest beside it - she's there, she's awake, she's tired. The Tavern itself is still abuzz - rumors drifting from muzzle to muzzle as word of the attack on the beach and the Patroller many saw dragged to Saja's Shop, half-dead. She doesn't do anything to dispell, correct, or encourage the rumors - in fact, Jinora, as the kids say, is simply straight chillin'.   

With one buck brought back (barely) from the brink of death using various curatives of dubious legality, Saja Hawkeye has declared the workday over. Poppy is absent for once, finally getting some well deserved rest. The fox himself, however, can't sleep and thus is out for a night on the town. He's ditched his usual robes for something slightly fancier. His breeches are a sleek black, well fitted down to the ankles in something light and silk-like. A navy blue shirt with puffy sleeves and a white cravat, the addition of a long black scarf draped over his neck and a silver-buckled belt completes the ostentatious outfit. There's even a silver timepiece looped on his belt. He checks a dueling rapier at the bar, before his good eye spies a certain Major, the target of his dances, healing, and general skullduggery these days. Ordering a glass of grog, he pads over with a smile. He offers a bow even before he speaks. "May I join you tonight, Major Windbell-Tottheim?" His eye sparkles warmly.   

"Righ' on time." Jinora smirks, not surprised to find the fox there. Really, where else is there to go? There's the Gambling Den, of course, but the Tavern still seems to hold the monopoly on the downtime of Halyard and the Mountain's residents. "Please." She sighs and turns a prolonged, critical stare on the fox and, just as it reaches the point of being a liiiiittle bit uncomfortable, she grumbles and reaches into her bag on the floor. A roll of parchment, tied and stamped with the seal of Halyard - should there be such a thing - is deposited in front of the fox. "Congratulations. Yer a legitimate business." The Major scowls. "Dinnae make me regret this, Saja." Even without the Patrol's legal sway in Halyard, the uniform still holds enough merit in these matters, it would seem.

   
(Saja sits, leaning back in the chair and crossing his legs. His tail flicks this way and that as he takes out a long, thin pipe. Loading it up, he strikes a match. Two smoke rings later, and his drink arrives just in time for the Major to present a piece of paper that's worth more to him than gold. He opens the seal, and sighs happily upon reading it. It's tucked into a pocket with as much care as it warrants. The hard stare is met with the look of a beast currently on top of the world...and reaching for more. Gears turn in his head, already planning. "Payment received and noted. If anybeast dares say that Major Jinora of the Long Patrol isn't a beast of her word, I'll duel them personally for the insult." Offers the tod dramatically and with a small wave of his pipe. He raises his drink, and knocks it back. "This will help our affairs greatly." Meaning, of course, him /and/ Poppy. A package deal these two. He looks over Jinora, some small bit of actual concern entering his eye. "...When did you sleep last?" There's the edge of a Healer Voice in there.   

"I'll duel ye m'self if it comes aroun' tha' ye abuse this position." The Major huffs - but she knows her own disadvantage when she sees it. He has saved her Patroller and, on top of this, seems to be the only one capable of unraveling the mystery of the foxes terrorizing the Western Shore. In order to protect the ideals the Patrol holds dear, and keep her own safe, she has to play his game - though it doesn't equate to trust. There is nothing to be done, but return to her drink with a snort of laughter. "Got a decent twenty winks 'bout... An 'our ago? Occasional nap in yer shop." She stretches, rolling her neck with a wince. "...Ye need bettah chairs. Ye cin afford ya fancy clothes -" She nods at his get-up. "-Ye cin afford some cushions."   

Smirk. The fox takes the opportunity to look a bit smug. Not /too/ much, he doesn't want to be rude to a beast he honestly likes and respects. He will, of course, toy with her. It's the nature of a fox, particularly one with Saja's sneaky nature. "Is that an offer, Jinora? My tail is positively quivering to hear it!" A hand goes to his chest. Then he sighs. "Good. You still look exhausted. Healer's orders, more sleep after your drink. I don't pity you the troubles you are no doubt fighting. If that buck is anybeast to go by, you have worthwhile subordinates. Remember that in order to take care of them, you must remember Jinora as well." A firm look, then he's back to lounging decadently. Sip. "...Are you my interior decorated now? Taken under advisement. I'll send Poppy to do some shopping." A shrug. "We have made a few breakthroughs. Ready to hear them?"   

The Major snorts again and dips her muzzle into her tankard. "I highly doubt ye pity me troubles, else ye wouldn' be such a trouble yeself." She rolls her eyes and leans back in her chair, throwing an arm over the back of it in a relaxation of the stiffness she's had to adopt since her premature promotion. "Aye, m'thinkin' a shar-troose fer th'walls." She has no idea what she's talking about. But, joking aside, the young Major's expression quickly dissolves into interest, eyes widening and ears perking. "Aye, ou' with it! Stones an' seas - give me somethin' t'kill an' put an' end t'this madness."   

"Oh come now, Major. I like to think I'm livening up your life. We have such a profitable relationship, don't tell me you that you don't find all of this mystery and intrigue over vulpines refreshing after the doldrums of regimented routine?" And then the hare is up in tankard and arms over the breakthrough. Just as he hoped. "I'd prefer it if you abstained with the killing. ...Immediately, at least. I don't care who you hack to bits on your off hours as long as it isn't my Poppy or myself." It's his turn to slide a rather large stack of parchment over from a bag.

"Your ghost foxes are taking ergot, along with a host of other interesting and extremely illegal stimulants to prepare for battle with your warriors, Major. Wolves' breath, opium...nasty, nasty stuff. That is why they seem to feel no pain at all. Because they don't. /This/ is a list of every beast I know that would be capable of making such things and willing to sell them to the highest bidder. The ones I've circled are the likely culprits from my...previous dealings in Ruingate. Old friends, if you will. Shake them down first, and we will be on top of whomever is organizing this little adventure of scaring your fighting hares into slobbering fools."

   
As soon as the list is in her paw, Jinora stands so fast she almost rattles her tankard off the counter. "Saja, yer beauty knows no bounds an' yer intellect cannae be matched." She beams, pocketing the list. "Any friends a'yours tha' I should take a gentle paw with?" She jokes, seeming to realize that her excitement drew her out of her chair. Clearing her throat, she settles back into her seat and gathers herself, pulling her tankard to her chest to cover up the outburst. "Daresay th'Village will be bored once these ghouls are done away wi', eh?"   

Wag wag wag goes the tail of a fox who just had his ego thoroughly stroked and brushed to a shine. "For /you/, Jinora my dear, anything. I am pleased you finally recognize my greatness and assorted superiority to scum like those half-rotted walking corpses that dare take up the name 'fox'." Oh yeah, he's drinking this in. Sorry, Jin, you're never living this one down. "...Try to leave Rot-tooth with most of his limbs in one piece. Not /too/ many, mind. He's a good customer. Make sure he can at least walk and beg for my services after you're done with him." The almighty coin is the first amongst Saja's considerations. He looks away as if ignoring Jinora's outburst politely. More booze incoming, and downed. He sets out coin, paying for the beleaguered Major's drinks. "No." He starts. A tilt of his head. "I think this village is in for a different sort of excitement. With you lot working on your own affairs, there is much to be done." A bite of a lip, and he purses his muzzle. "A friend once told me that stagnation is worse than any death. This village has been stagnant for far too long, don't you think?" A tilt of his head in thought.   

She regrets it all immediately, but Jinora can hardly take back the kind words with a lead so tangible in her paw. A lead that bleeds - that /will/ bleed - for the terror inflicted upon the Patrol and the Village, not to mention her favorite Tavern worker. Perhaps especially her favorite Tavern worker. "Rot-too- bloody 'ells above an' below, I was kiddin'. Now 'e loses all 'is limbs." Even as Saja speaks, her brain is in a different place - she will have to pull hares for this shake-down, fighters preferably. Perhaps Bobbin; Dominik would be ideal, but in his condition... "Wha'? Oh, aye - well, s'Halyahd fer ya. It is as tis allays been." ...Blast, if so many hares weren't still off in Mossflower, she would be able to bring Tarsa - and on the laments go. But something of Saja's tone gives her pause, and her eyes uncloud from their distant laundry to-do list. "Somethin' tells me I will no' like where this is goin'."

There's a big, big sigh, and Saja holds out his handpaws in a helpless shrug with shoulder and paws. "Maybe I will expand into funerary services after all. I stayed at the Abbey several times, that practically makes me an ordained priest. Poor Rotty, alas, I hardly knew ye!" The gaping hole where things like scruples and morality would be in most other beasts is a chasm in this fox. He goes back to puffing as the Major grinds her mental gears. "You strike upon my exact point, my friend. I am fond of this seaside village of vermin and woodlanders. No offense to your stalwart watch over it...but if Halyard ever wishes to grow from a /village/ into a /city/, then it needs to exist by it's own means. A place of vermin and woodlanders can only be ran by vermin and woodlanders who care." He snaps his fingers. Smile. "I'm going into politics." Four words likely to chill the soul.   

A knowing smirk flits across Jinora's muzzle before it disappears behind her tankard's rim. "Real encouragin' t'see th'protections ye offah y'friends, sah." She laughs, but as he continues with his plans... Well, those are words she never thought to hear. "Ye cannae be serious." The doe blinks. The pretty vision of a world of vermin and woodlanders living in peace... She's pretty sure that it's nothing but a pipedream, an anomaly where tenuous peace may blossom here and there, but his words hardly seem to sway her. "I cannae say ye don't seem th'type, though."   

"Pragmatism is life, sweet hare. /That/ is the lesson that you glorious mountain hares have never once learned. ...Maybe it's why you fascinate me so much. We may as well be living in two different worlds." He almost sounds sad about the whole thing. A brush of headfur out of his gaze. "...Doubting me? Wonderful. I will enjoy the look on your face, Major, when I prove myself right. Halyard can be more than it is right now. Shipping lanes, proximity to a great military power...opportunity abounds. Right now you stand above a mere drifting mercenary such as myself. Soon? We will stand on the same heights." He drops a stack of coin and polishes off his drink. "Enjoy your night on me. I look forward to dancing with you." Wink. And then he's gone, scarf swaying as he strides home.

As Saja leaves, Jinora lets her forehead press into the tips of her fingers. "I shoulda killed 'im." She laments before ordering another drink. She has a feeling that she needs it.

Exactly the kind of beasts I'm looking to attract with this! And I'm all about random baddy spoofing, it'll fit right in! Glad to have you along!

No worries Blisa, I posted this for feedback and opinions, so you're all good! And as has been said, you bring up a very good point. I hadn't considered time crunches. There's certainly a consideration for economy of words. I've found myself leaning into a lot of prose in other places which may not be to everyone's taste.

I may start asking people what kind of rp they prefer during a scene, since the styles are so very different. As Lutea said, goooo communication!