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Post by Brennon on May 7, 2020 5:47:58 GMT
"I know what I paid, for what I have to sell," Brennon admits, thinking of his hand, "but, I'm only the middleman. Its true cost, and value, is found at the ends of existence. If I can get away with only money in exchange, I'll count myself lucky."
A coded reference to Amber, (or Chaos if he was closer to that end of things,) and a warning that his 'cargo' is hot- that, or carries its own penalties for keeping it.
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Post by Admin on May 7, 2020 7:58:40 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/qMBZm3j/plasticwatch-tumblr~jpg "Standing in the middle is the most dangerous position," she purrs while continuing to stroke Brennon's hand. "The ground is unstable, shifting, and few have a long enough reach to help you when you fall. Pick a side and make a deal before someone else discovers how valuable your cargo is."
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Post by Brennon on May 9, 2020 16:11:11 GMT
"Unstable and shifting. Like the sea, then, would you say? And, what deal are you offering me?" he counters. "If you insist on sides, my current location says a lot about my opinions."
Actually, he was wondering why she was talking about sides in the first place. He lived near Amber, and made his living from her. If there was no trade to and from Amber, then he had to brave the more dangerous and unpredictable tides and seas near Chaos. Possible, but not preferable. Only a fool or a desperate man would kill his last milk cow. The analogy brought back some unpleasant memories, but they didn't hurt quite as much as they did before he had Celessia. He'd had plenty of unpleasant memories since, too, but they didn't tug at him quite the same.
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Post by Admin on May 11, 2020 7:17:39 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/qMBZm3j/plasticwatch-tumblr~jpg Her fingers continue to caress Brennon's palm. "Unstable and shifting, yes? Just like your loyalty or do you find it convenient to be able to shift away from your troubles? Let's see what your palm says about that, yes?"A moment later she speaks again. "Word has spread around the docks of the special cargo you need to unload. Desperately trying to sell, some say. Others tell of a cursed artefact from Old Agnisaar driving your crew to madness, hence the woman with the strange voice. Some call her Pinky and say she is a witch who has ensorceled your crew. They are fools but I would like to read that one's palm.
"What is the price you ask for this cargo?"
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Post by Brennon on May 12, 2020 6:04:23 GMT
When she accuses him of running from his problems, Brennon gives her only a few moments to continue looking at his palm, pulling it back and closing his fingers around it as he replies almost automatically, "It's not the destination that matters, but the journey."
He quotes her a price for his prisoner, high enough that only someone interested in the information in the broken conductor's mind would bother.
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Post by Admin on May 13, 2020 5:51:16 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/qMBZm3j/plasticwatch-tumblr~jpg "Ticklish there, yes?" she says with a smile and arched eyebrow as Brennon pulls his hand back. "That is a high price. And to be clear this is an item not from Old Agnisaar but from Kasaba? Something from there but also not from there?"
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Post by Brennon on May 17, 2020 19:29:53 GMT
[ooc:I'm assuming Old Agnisaar is one of the former kingdoms of Delgos? If it's not a place or quality Brennon is familiar with, his answer would be a little different.]
"At least partly from Kasaba. There's been some other influence on it, it was found with demons defending it, and some inquiry proved it isn't entirely normal any more. I think that would qualify as the 'not from there' part."
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Post by Admin on May 20, 2020 5:42:21 GMT
[OOC: Old Agnissar is something I threw in for color. But maybe, if I or one of you players remember the name, it can be used in the future. My attempt to make the world seem larger than just the PCs, like how in the first Star Wars movie places like Toshi Station were mentioned just to make it seem more lived in.]
"Mmmmm," she purrs. "That sounds just like the kind of cargo my employer likes to buy. How about you bring me to your ship so I can inspect your merchandise?"
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Post by Brennon on May 22, 2020 19:11:01 GMT
"Of course. Few things are certain enough to buy sight-unseen."
Brennon lets her finish the drink he bought her, then he will lead the woman to the Celessia, trying to get some idea of her employer's influence and interests along the way, as well as a moniker to call her by. He also checks the position of the sun, to judge how long he has until his daily trump call, and whether it will need delayed a bit today.
One they board the ship, he will lead her down into the hold to view the tiny room used as a brig, and more often as a drunk tank. Seeing as the man is for sale, Brennon has had the crew keep him generally tidy and fed, but the lack of exercise and the conductor's mental state have inevitably taken some toll on the man, as well as the previous surgical procedures, though by now the sutures should have closed on their own.
He is slightly wary of the potential for double-crossing, and someone being sent to slay his prize before it can talk, but this close to Amber it doesn't seem like a huge risk to let her view the man. Touching him without supervision is another matter.
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Post by Admin on May 23, 2020 9:02:50 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/qMBZm3j/plasticwatch-tumblr~jpg While walking to the ship Brennon learns the woman's name is Anna May. Of her employer she says nothing. Coming onto the ship Pinky glares at the woman as Brennon leads her below decks. The Conductor is still in a delirious state when they enter the brig. Anna May looks at him suspiciously for a moment then raises her hand and moves it about slightly as if sensing an aura from the man. "Yes...yes, he should do nicely," she says then offers a generous - but not too generous - price from him. "Since you are already willing to sell this one, how about throwing Pinky into the deal too? I can get you a good bit more cash with her sweetening the pot."
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Post by Brennon on May 23, 2020 16:36:28 GMT
While outrage might be expected at selling a free individual, Brennon's only shock is that of making an offer on something that isn't saleable. After all, he is selling the conductor, who was at least plausibly still human, and were it not for his accident, might still be considered a self-aware, sentient person. While it might come across as acted indignation, a part of it is real. Brennon doesn't consider himself a slave trader (no matter how many 'involuntary personnel transfers' he may have been a part of).
"I'm afraid Pinky is listed as a passenger, and the guest of a pre-booked passage. Therefore, she is not for sale. Any arrangement would have to be with Pinky herself, or with the person who booked the passage. The man in the brig was released to my care or disposal, so he is certainly available. While your offer is fine, I believe my price was more in the neighbourhood of.." he quotes something just a bit less than his initial figure, indicating a willingness to haggle. "We can talk about it more in my cabin, if you like." He also makes a subtle motion with his off hand to tell a nearby crewman to get Pinky out of sight and keep her there until negotiations are finished.
All the crew knows the sign, and the rough translation of the meaning is, 'keep the silk out of sight when trading for brandy'. They aren't shy about enlightening Pinky as to what it means once she's hustled away out of earshot, either. It may take several of them to calm her down and reassure Pinky that Brennon won't sell her, or Hammett's things, since they're not listed as cargo. But since someone wants to buy her, she had best keep out of sight until they are gone. Violetta, a pretty, black-furred feline humanoid, has a few of her own stories to add about laying low in strange ports that Pinky might find fascinating.
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Post by Admin on May 25, 2020 6:50:05 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/qMBZm3j/plasticwatch-tumblr~jpg "Hmmm. You were so anxious to sell this one that we just assumed you'd be willing to sell any and all on the ship. Everyone is replaceable, no? I can assure you she would be well treated and safer in our care rather than facing the dangers of the deep on your ship. Why we could even bring to the port she has booked passage for; we will take her contract off your hands and pay you a considerable sum for it too."She responds with a price closer to Brennon's offer. With a smile she follows Brennon to his cabin. "This is not my usual way to do business, Captain. Often I need to be bought more than one drink before I agree to go home with a man."
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Post by Brennon on May 26, 2020 1:27:53 GMT
"Aye, well, there are more drinks inside." With a wink he adds, "You did ask to see the ship, and the room is public enough." Brennon shows her to his state room, which is awash in daylight coming through the fancifully carved window panels. A view of the harbour and the sea is visible though them, the elven artistry making the view seem to belong to the ship, like a multi-panel painting. The ceiling is low, only six feet, and designed to make people not built to Brennon's scale (5' 4" and wiry) feel slightly out of place.* There's a long central table, with space for up to a dozen chairs, and a sideboard with the more available of the Captain's liquor collection. Two closed doors are also visible, one on each side, presumably opening onto Brennon's cabin and office.
Brennon gestures for Anna May to take her choice of seats, and brings out a selection of drinks while a midshipman brings in a selection of mixers. Not long after the midshipman, a cabin boy brings in some fresh food, then stands against the bulkhead to see to other needs. He's perfectly willing to spend an hour or so haggling price and flirting, but with Celessia able to listen in on the entire conversation, he keeps his actual trysts ashore.
* [ooc: not necessarily consciously uncomfortable, but aware of not fitting the space, of being a guest or an outsider or just possibly, of being in the presence of The Captain. His first mate, Arthos, who designed Celessia, has his own cabin below. It has a nice 8 foot clearance, as he is rather tall (almost 7 feet). Brennon's lower ceiling gave him a higher head clearance, a luxury on a working ship.]
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Post by Admin on May 27, 2020 8:28:20 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/qMBZm3j/plasticwatch-tumblr~jpg There is a touch of pout about her lips as she enters the stateroom but that is quickly washed away with the drinks, banter, and negotiating. Eventually, she agrees to a price close to Brennon's initial offer but she does bring up Pinky a few times in the discussion. Brennon is able to notice a few times during the talk where Anna May makes under the table gestures to the cabin boys shooing him out of the room but he is too well trained to leave his station. In the end she says with a sigh "Now all that's left is to work out the logistics of getting him off your ship and into the hands of my associates. Would you be willing to let a few burly men onto your ship to carry off the merchandise?"
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Post by Brennon on May 31, 2020 1:50:08 GMT
"We can get him to the dock for you," the Captain assures her. Since the minimum strength requirement for his crew is strong enough to carry a grown man, not to mention Brennon's own prowess, he is confident in his answer. "Just have your strong-men ready to receive him on the dock, and we'll bring him out for you. If you want him medically sedated, we can do that, too." He offers another rakish smile. "No charge."
While Celessia might not object to the occasional visitor, she wouldn't be fond of a bunch of burly strangers traipsing all over her decks, their thoughts open to her like a man spitting into the wind. Whether the sea was calm or not, she could make the decks heave like a storm when she was displeased.
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