12-08-08 - Oh, the Rum!

The Black Gull - Tavern

Characters involved: Darkfur, Ande, & Kharsh

Darkfur is sitting in the Tavern at a table in the back with a mug of rum in his paw. standing around him, are Four beasts, who look like guards, wearing some sort of odd Armor and uniform type Cape. Next to Darkfur, is a pregnant Female rat, snuggled close to him, appearing to be his wife or something. They're quietly talking to themselves while Darkfur looks around at the vermin in the tavern.

The Male Ferret Kharsh enters the tavern vestibule from outside.

Kharsh has arrived.

Amongst those vermin is Ande! Well, he's walking in, anyway. The ferret looks a bit - no, okay, a lot - cold. He's got a somewhat threadbare cloak thrown about his shoulders. He shivers his way towards the bar, bumping into one of Darkfur's guards on his way from the door.

The stoat in the armored uniform Growls at Ande and tries to Grab him. "Watch where your going you idiot" He growls. Darkfur jerks at hearing growling and the female next to him is forced to jerk towards the sound too thanks to...chains? Okay, She's not his wife...lucky her >.>

Thump! Thump! BOOSH! An oversized ferret comes tumbling down the stairs from the guest rooms. He's apparently just tripped down the flight of steps. Getting up quickly he glares around, as if daring anyone to laugh.

Ande is effectively grabbed. His ears flatten and he hisses through clenched teeth, shrugging his shoulder to loose the grip. "Watch who you're grabbin' - might just have piss on 'em." Uh.

The Stoat that has a hold of Ande's arm was about to punch him but the King, King Darkfur, quickly grabbed the stoat's wrist before he could. "Now now...Let em go..." "But Sire..Ow ow ow ow" the Stoat's wrist is bent back as the grip on Ande is taken away. The loud Thump and boosh noise, gets the other guard's attention, glaring at the ferret.

Kharsh glares right back. Walking over to the bar he takes a seat, orders a flagon of rum, and proceeds to give the crown wearing rat a critical look over.

Never one to know what's best for his hide, Ande smirks rather ferally at the guard as he is released. "Bye-bye." He twiddles his fingertips at the stoat, starting toward the bar again. He slides into a stool, tosses a small pouch of coins on the counter. He digs through it, pushing forward some coinage, "Rum."

Darkfur Goes over to the Ferret at the bar, glancing once or twice to the one sitting a bit away from where he was but pays no mind to him yet. "Lad...." he says to Ande. "Ever think about becomin' a Pirate or a Guard or sometin?" he asks

"You suppose ta be some sort of king or somethin?" Kharsh asks, sneering at the crown perched on the rat's head. Not waiting, or possible not even wanting an answer the ferret continues. "Ya look more like a water shrimp that's found 'imself a piece ah metal and stuck it on 'is head."

Ande's eyebrows quirk at Darkfur. He looks a little incredulous. "I ain't thought about that, no."

Upon hearing the other ferret, All three guards Guards go over to that ferret, weapons drawn. "Should we kill him Sire?" one of them ask. The Rat at the bar just shakes his head. "Let it go...We'll Send The Bloodwave back to deal with him later.." Darkfur turns back to Ande. "Want a job then?" he asks. "Ye look like ye can take care of yourself after all"

Ande eyes narrow speculatively. "Do I get... /paid/ for this job you speak of?" His eyes slit further, "Or do I do a bunch of grunt work and get smacked upside the head 'n' get kicked in the manhood like last time I took 'a job'?"

Kharsh cackles with something near insane glee. "Yer pin 'eaded guards think they could take me? Ya would nee more than three fer that job mate."

Darkfur laughs at Ande. "Oh no.....You'd get payed" he chuckles before looking over to Kharsh. "You'd be surprised Ferret...my guards could do what ever i told them to..if I told them to kill you...They'd kill you"

Ande eyes Darkfur thoughtfully for a moment. "WHAT," and he says it loudly to get the rat's attention again, "Would the job be?"

Kharsh snorts, "If it weren't for the rules in dis place yer 'guards' 'eads would be spinnin cross the room." Taking a large gulp from his rum the ferret shifts to get a better look at the others. Ignoring the groan from his bar stool.

Darkfur grins a bit, thinking to himself before looking back to Ande. "Well, We could use anything ye want to do...Cook, Watch slaves, Serve on a ship, guard at the Fortress..." He says before looking back to the other ferret. "You...you want a job?" he asks.

"Where's yer ship?" Ande queries.

Kharsh scoffs, "So ye could order meh around all day? Make me wear stupid armor like them." He jerks his head at the rat's guards.

Darkfur laughs. "The Rivermoss..." he replies before looking to Kharsh. "The armor is only for guards...as i just explained, anything ye wanted, job wise, ye could 'ave..."

"Does it... /stay/ there? The ship? Or go other places?" Ande's working this all out, here.

Darkfur laughs. "It goes places...thats what a ship does...or at least, last time I checked" he laughs again. Oy the beasts in this world...

Kharsh takes another gulp of rum. "Do I look like tha kinda beast that works fer a livin? I fight fer blood and fun, I don't 'old no crummy jobs."

Darkfur shrugs. "I guess our current Assassin will stay the only one...for now" he smirks a bit before going to look back at ande...ande...staring at ande...

"Assassin? I don't sneak 'round in da shadows. I'm a fighter, I fight." Kharsh looks, a little agitated.

Darkfur ohs. and shrugs. "ye're loss" he replies, going back to staring at Ande..

Ande seems to be considering this all rather deeply.

You say, "Could I bring a... a slave /with/ me?"

"My own slave! Just mine. Not for any of you," he is quick to add.

Darkfur nods. "Aye...any and all slaves are welcome. Good for working" he laughs.

"Then maybe. Maybe I will..." Ande's eyeing Darkfur like he might not quite trust him. "How much?"

Darkfur hms. "Depends on what you want as your Job" he replies, glancing to the other ferret in the room every now and then.

"Somethin' with the slaves," is his immediate reply.

Kharsh narrows his eyes at the rat, "If ye have something ta say then say it, don't keep throwing glances at me"

Darkfur nods to Ande. "Slave driver then....Ship, or Fortress?" he asks, before looking over. "Yeah...your face would be great to patch my ship up with" He says with a laugh before ordering a rum.

Hum. "Fortress," Ande decides. "So how much?"

Kharsh flexes one of his spiked gauntlet backed paws. "Keep it up rat, and you'll be even uglier than ye are at the momen'"

Darkfur Thinks for a few moments. "Well lets seeeee...." he thinks.

Ande adds rather quickly. "I'm okay with bein' paid partly in booze!" Just to sweeten the deal. Come on, you know you want to hire him.

Kharsh snorts, "If I were ya I would at least be asking for rum as a bonus."

Darkfur laughs. "Well...You'd be able to drink all ye want with the pay...how bout..." he thinks again. "Three hundred gold every two weeks?" he asks. Its not really THAT much pay but its more than any beast here probably makes in a life time.

Three Hundred gold!!! That's enough to get even Kharsh's ears perked up a little.

Ande may have just gone catatonic. His jaw drops and he becomes very, very still.

You say, "Yer lyin' to me."

Darkfur shakes his head. "a large empire with No money is not an empire at all..." he says, now just Ignoring Kharsh.

Kharsh equally ignores the rat for the moment. Wrapped up in all of the rum weapons and more rum he could buy with that much money.

Darkfur thinks for a moment. "Four hundred, final offer" he says to Ande.

"I'll take it. I'll take it 'n' I'll lick yer boots if I have to! I'll take it!" Ande slams down his mug and jumps up from his stool. He actually does a little caper. "Rum, the rum, oh! The rum!"

Darkfur laughs hard. "Oh...I've never had any beast do that before" he laughs, slamming his fist on the bar hard.

Kharsh rolls his eyes, "Knock it off will ya?" Its not totally clear if he's talking to the wild Ande or bar slamming Darfur.

It's like a little chant. "The rum, the rum, the RUM!" He turns, his expression lighting with a fiendish grin. "When do I start, my King? Highness! My highness!"

Darkfur laughs. "We'll be setting off in about a weeks time. The Phantom will be waiting for you on the Rivermoss. And If ye cant spot her, your blind...big...Black sails..Big ERS Phantom on the hull...You'll see it. You'll start then. Any slaves you bring, will give you a fair bit of coin in advance"

"Can I keep one if I bring 'im? For myself? Not have t'give him over? Just for me? For me?" This seems to be a very important point for Ande. His paws are clasped in front his chest. He is no longer capering.

"Pathetic," Kharsh muses to himself at the sight of the other ferret. Handing over his empty flagon to the bar keep he pulls out pipe and flint. After a minutes work he successfully lights it, puffing acrid (to some) smoke.

Darkfur nods. "If ye want to..." he replies. "Still get payed for it...Slave is a slave" the rat shrugs and then looks over. "And how would you react to a beast who offered you four Hundred coin per two weeks? Eh?" he asks

"Bend over 'n' kiss his own arse, I bet," is Ande's tittering reply. "/I/ would. /I/ would do that. /Anyone/ would do that for four hundred gold..."

You say, "So much rum..."

Darkfur laughs. "I'm scared to know what you'd have done if I offered you more" he laughs.

Kharsh chuckles, "No, I would jus' take the job and not jump 'round like a drunk rabbit. Then again, how do ya know he's not just playin ye?"

Ande stills, veryvery still. His eyes shift suspiciously to Darkfur and to Kharsh with dislike, at the very notion. "I would kill him."

Darkfur laughs. "I pay them five Hundred gold Every week and a half..." he points to the Armored guards. They chime in all at the same time. "Its True!"

Darkfur grins. "In fact" he stands up and goes back to where he was sitting first before returning to the bar with a pouch. "Here's your starting pay" he tosses over a heavy pouch.

Kharsh laughs again, "What lil pets you have there /king/. I bet they'd jump off a cliff fer ya. Then again, they probably aren't smart enough to think fer themselves in the firs' place."

Ande catches the pouch and almost bobbles it, for the surprising weight of it. He cups it in his paws, staring down at it in dim disbelief. "The rum," he breathes reverently. "My King..."

Darkfur laughs. "See...I dont play my loyal Subjects" he grins. "So Ferret, want to Rethink my job offer to you instead?" he asks Kharsh.

Kharsh gives the rat a long cold look. "I won't be no damned assassin. You wan' me to fight, I'll do that. And I ain't going to be like them idiots back there and wear some armored suit neither."

Darkfur laughs. "You can choose your job ye lunk head" He says before shrugging. "Your loss"

Kharsh glares, "I neva said I didn't want a job, your lord ship." He adds a fair amount of sarcasm to the lord part of it. "All I said was I'm not wearing no hunk of metal that'll get me killed cause I can't move."

Darkfur nods. "Then what do ye want?" he asks. "could always use a few good Slavers for the ships...The phantom needs a slaver on board" he says.

Kharsh stands, fold his arms, and lays down his terms. "I want at least one hundred and fifty gold a week, free room and board in this fortress or at yer docks. And, I wan' you to get that ferret to shut up!" Apparently jumping, rear end kissing ferrets get on Kharsh's nerves, go figure.

Darkfur laughs. "Alright...Let me counter offer. I give you Two hundred A week, Free room and board, and the ferret can yell and scream as much as he wants" the rat laughs. "And you do as your told....Which means Multi jobs...no uniform required"

Kharsh sniffs, "If I am going to do multiple jobs then I wan' extra pay, that is unless they are simple strong paw jobs."

Darkfur nods. "of course..." he stands and extends his paw out. "So Do we have a deal?"

Kharsh does NOT extend a paw in return. "I'll accept that paw when I 'ave me money, not before."

Darkfur laughs and Nods to a guard. The Stoat he nodded to goes to the Rat's first seat, and comes back with a pouch of Two hundred coins. "There you are..."

Kharsh snatches up the pouch. Weighing it carefully in one paw he dumps out some of the contents on the bar. After checking over each and every coin he dumped he nods. "I suppose that is satisfactory."

Darkfur nods. "Then do we have a deal?" He asks, paw Still extending

Kharsh looks down at the rats paw for a moment then takes it. "Yes." He gives it a unnecessarily hard squeeze before backing away again.

Ande has just been, well. Counting his gold. Quietly and intently. The occasional murmur can be heard, either 'rum' or 'my kiiiing'.

Darkfur Grins. "Good..." he smiles before sitting back down with a yawn.

Darkfur Yawns and stands again before slowly heading for the Exit with his guards and Personal Pregnant Slave. "I'll see you around I take it" he says before leaving