Orel - 26 02 2009 - Rum and Oppurtunity

Halyard Village: South Road

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Halyard Village ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Much like the road to the north of it, this one is likewise lined by various

cottages and homes, though these appear to be even less well-kept. It would

almost seem that the square has a partitioning force, keeping the two areas

separate. There are fewer gardens out front of these homes, and the reason

becomes obvious when one notices the large number of vermin sort that

populates this area. One still might catch a few dibbuns out and about, but

the play might seem just a bit more rough, on the southern road. Other than

the creatures inhabiting the road, the only other object of note sets at the

far end of the road. There, a stone well has been constructed, from which one

can gather fresh water.

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Early afternoon and there has been a light rain fall, which has now turned to an intermittant drizzle. Moving furtively down the street at the southern end of town is Orel, the scruffy, less then clean and tidy sea-rat is moving from alley way to alley way, glancing about fearfully. He's not been back to the taven since the night when that Badger tried to murder him and he's only just now re-emerging from his shack.

Well, Keita hasn't come looking for him! She has business. Or had business and is now done? Unlike most of the woodlanders, she walks down the middle of the southern road without much fear. /Most/ of the vermin in these parts give her a pass on account of the fact that she provides them booze. Her eyes catch on movement out of the corner of her eye, though, and she glances that way. But there's nothing there. Brow quirk?

Orel spots Kieta and considers things and then moves out at a low crouch towards her side, slinking up on her good side and nodding up at her. "Miss.. keita.... ello." he looks arond warily then grins up at her, keeping his shoulder's hunched as he scuttles along besides her. "Ave.. nae been tae see me beautiful doe friend in soom days nae! Did ye miss yer favourite rat? Ah bet yer ale barrels be growin lonely widdoot me."

Aha! It was Orel. Keita glances to the side at him, flashes a grin. "I /did/ miss my favorite rat. Where've you been? Don't tell me ya let a coupla grumpy badgahs scare ya off! Where's the love? Where's the /devotion/ t'yer drink?"

Orel sniffs and scrubs at his whisker's. "Ah couldnae coom back! Those.. those orrible beasts were lurkin! E'd ave killed me if aye'd a tried tae come back! But I missed me booze! N me nice food n me darlin 'ares! Only me sweet paramour came ta see me! She even walked me ome.." He runs a claw over his bandana, straightening it. "Ye be nae safe doon ere though.. vermin at this end o town dinnae be as nice as yer rat chum!"

Keita claps Orel on the back of his shoulder, smilingly. "Ahhhh, don't worry about this ole barhare. She's learned a trick or two ovah the seasons. You just worry 'bout yerself." Patpat. "Ya know, I'll have a talk with those badgahs if you'll considah comin' back t'us."

Orel's muzzle splits into a wide grin, "Ye'd do tha? Fer me me beautiful corsair queen?" he seems oblivious to the fact that back clapping has left Keita's paw covered in a fine film of grease. "Aye'd dearly wont ta come back! Ah got coin! N ken afford it n ah gotsta be given ye yer readin! An gvin tha tavern soom o me luck!"

Keita doesn't seem too bothered by the greasy. She wipes her paw on her thigh, shakes her head. "Well, I'll do that then. Why doncha come on ovah with me now, eh? You'll have a drink on the house for yer troubles."

Free BOOZE! This rat will be singing Keita's praises all night. "Ahh tha be moighty foine o ye ma sweetling! Ah be coomin wid ye right nae! Aye'll give ye oone o me charms too!

Gotta take care of your reliable customers!

Halyard Tavern: Main Room

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Halyard Tavern ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Warmly lit by torches along the walls and lanterns set upon the many tables

scattered around the room, the main room of the Halyard Tavern is an often-

populated area. One corner of the tavern is taken up by a stage, about a

foot or two higher than the rest of the floor, where live entertainment

performs, while circular tables, both large and small, are set up in front

of the stage, spreading out into the center of the room. Meanwhile, around

the perimeter of the tavern, booths are set, and, of course, the obligatory

bar rests against the far wall, a bartender or barmaid always on duty.

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Keita is leading herself and a certain rat into the tavern! She holds the door open for Orel, gesturing him through. "Find yerself a seat, m'friend."

Orel bounces almost cheerfully to the bar and sits himself down at it. "Yer tha best keita darlin! Ye be a real chip of tha ole sea dog!"

"Well, not exactly off an old sea dog, but." Keita smirks, moving behind the counter. She grabs a mug, eyebrows perked. "So what would ya like, then? Anything ya want."

Orel drums his claws on the bar and considers. "Sea weed grog! Or... if yer got any! Rum! Ah cannae afford rum normally but it be seasons since this ere stinking beast ad rum!" he looks hopefully at Keita, patting his sash and searching inside his pockets for something.

Keita drops a wink. "Rum it is, then!" And she pours the required liquid, sliding it in front of him. She waits, expectantly, brow quirked. What's he searching for?

Orel frowns and unwinds his sash, leaving himself bare chested for now as he searches the little pockets in the sash's inside. He smiles nad pulls out a small tangled object, eyes on the rum. He leans over and inhales it and shivers, "Rum... ye ave rum..."

"Rum I have," Keita agrees with laughter in her tone. She sits on a stool opposite him, arms crossed on the counter in front of her. "Rum, rum, 'n' more rum." And then she's quirking a brow at the rat. "'Ey, mate, d'ya have any way of makin' coin? Or d'ya just beg, mostly?"

Orel untangles what he is holding, it appears to be a raw hide thong, threaded with tiny wooden beads, each one carved in the shape of an animal, hares, rats, stoats, weasels, badgers, mice, shrews, the lot, Hanging down the centre as a pendant is a curious mesh work of carefully wrapped copper with a small green stone in the middle of it. "Coin> No... I cannae make coin Miss Keita... ah.. ah beg.... on tha street corners... n ah give readins!" he offers her the necklace. "This be yers.. fer gud health! Keep tha bad humours away."

The necklace is actually quite nice-looking! Keita takes it, letting it dangle from her paw as she turns it this and that, examining it. She hms, sounding satisfied, and slips it over her her neck. "Thanks, Orel." She then studies /him/ a moment. "Don't s'pose you'd care for a job? Sweepin' up, takin' out the trash, things like tha'? Doesn't pay great, but bettah than beggin', I'd think."

The small chip of green stone, about the size of a dew-claw is an emerald, a small one but emerald. Either the rat doesn't know what he just gave away, or his superstitions stop him from dismantling the charm necklace. The rat stares at Keita, she's going to let him take her trash out! Which means he gets to root around in it and get all the best stuff first! He takes a swallow of his rum, paw trembling, eyes watering up. "Ye.. ye wud give a rotten rat loike me, a orid scruffy, disgustin sea-rat a job?"

Keita may or may not have realized what the necklace contained. She fingers it with a paw, while nodding to the rat. "Aye. I wouldn't want you servin' drinks 'less you cleaned up a bit, but I don't figure takin' out trash or sweepin' floors'd be a problem. Aye?"

Orel looks at his claws, and then sniffs his rum, seeming to savour the scent more then drinking it. "Ah.. .erm.. ye'd want me tae bathe?" he tugs at an ear. "Mebbe.. ah ken star oot cleanin n taking tha trash oot? Ye.. ye willane mind if ah root through it right?" Mebbe... if'n ah ken foind wit ah be needin tae make a proper charm! Ah ken clean up n na ged ill"

Keita chuckles, and smiles - actually kind of fondly! She likes the odd rat. "Well, you don't have t'bathe. Just stay away from the food 'n' the drink unless you do. Fair 'nough?" Pause. "And I don't care if you root through it." Hey, you have to make some allowances when you hire a certain kind of beast, ya know?

Orel leans over the bar and hugs Keita too him, big fat tears trickling down his muzzle as he sobs. "Ye a dame! A true dame! Ah'll na be leddin ye doon me boss! Aye'll sweep n clean n clear oot all tha rubbish n trash!" he wipes his nose and sniffles. No ones ever shown him that much kindness, ever. He sways and his eyes glaze slightly as he mumbles, "In tha lowering sunset o seasons.... she'll reconcile wid ye... before tha final fair well."

You room page-pose, "Orel awws. "I love him too! Some of it is a total sham. he'll happily leave the town and go a murdering woodlanders if he could! But as he can't hiss ham has become like a shell he lives inside :P"

Keita laughs at the hug, kind of air-patting his back. "You're... yeah. You're welcome. Orel. Um." She laughs again, sitting back once the hug is done. She is about to say something further when his eyes glaze and this last bit is uttered. She blinks. Closes her muzzle. Huh. "Who? Who will?"

Orel's head slumps against his chin, "Yer.. family.." he mumbles, his nose twitches and he suddenly seems more animated as he downs the rest of his rum in one go and chokes on the fiery taste. "When.. did ye be wantin me ta begin?"

Keita's muzzle twitches in a faint frown. She just studies Orel curiously for a moment and doesn't say anything. But

then she shakes her head as if to clear it. "Whenevah you'd like. Tonight, if you want."

Orel nods his head, "O course! Afta ye chuck everoon out i'll sweep n clean n take tha trash oot! Ah be gud fer stayin up late! Tis me... well natural. Sleep all mornin n den stay up!" He sniffs his claws and peers up at the hare. "Cud ah ged some food now? Some duff? Ye do duff right? Ah'll pay."

Keita nods. "You're in luck! We do indeed." And with that she rises and turns, heading for the kitchen door. "Comin' righ' up!" And she disappears inside.

Orel sighs, leaning his muzzle in his paws, idly playing with the stone that hangs about his neck. "She's sooch a dame... aye'll ave tae convince er tae coom ta mine fer dinner!" he sighs, happily waiting for his duff. He likes duff, booze, duff, and a job.

Keita eventually returns! With a sizeable portion of duff on a plate! Only the best for her employ, eh? "Cook says it's good t'night." And if the cook says it, it must be true!

Orel likes the cook, the rat then prods the spoon and discards it, starting to use muzzle and claws to eat the duff off the plate. He isn't sure why these woodlander's keep giving him weird wooden things with his food. Crazy decorations he figures, all you need is a dagger. "Thank's.. .ow mooch tha? Ah still got soom coin frae tha other day."

"Three coppahs," Keita replies with a nod. She watches this display of... eating, and smiles. She collects the discarded spoon, chucking it absently in the sink.

Orel pulls out a pouch from his sash, he hunches over it and opens it, sliding out the coins into his palm and nosing them. He currently has 4 rather large gold goins, 4 silver coins and a group of copper coins. He slides Keita 4 coppers and winks. "Fer ye lovely smile n yer lookin so dashin in yer necjlace."

Keita eyes this small fortune with faint amusement, but doesn't comment. She pockets the coppers with a nod of thanks and a return wink. "You /do/ spoil me." Ha.

Orel puts the rest of the coins away and tucks the pouch away. Shifty eyes lookin around the bar incase anyone saw his loot. Problem with being a sea-rat, he has gold coins and will never spend them. Just cannot part with the loot. "Ye be me beautiful Cap'n, me devilish Corsair Queen Keita ma'am! Ye will be doin k wid yer orel."

"Aye. I'm her yer devilish Corsair Queen," Keita agrees. No sense disagreeing, is there? Nope! She pats the countertop. "And now this devilish corsair has some work t'attend. I'll see you latah, eh mate?"

Orel gris, "Aye matey! Ah mean Cap#n ah'll see ye at closin time." he licks his claws clean and slips away from the bar to attend to an important business meeting with his tankard and a corner of the room.

You room-page, "And now I must to bed :P"

- End Log