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| Topic Started: Nov 1 2010, 09:34 PM (1,093 Views) | |
| The Karlminion | Nov 1 2010, 09:34 PM Post #1 |
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180-proof Redneck
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"No! No! I don't care, the answer is NO! Get out of here, leave me alone, no no NO!" the querulous old man shouted, ducking and waving his arms and generally acting panicky. "Calm down, Raku, or I'll lose my temper," his customer replied. The customer was a tall man in rich black robes, with a variety of rare and magical jewelry on his person as well as a fat purse of coin and a long purple dagger. "You've been retired, fine, I don't care; I want a new ship and you're the only man I trust." "Damn it all, Illyrian!" Raku shouted. "I can't build for a war criminal! Do you know what people are saying?!" "Yes indeed," Illyrian replied, and for the first time his flat voice had a tinge of emotion: happiness, gleeful relish. "I know precisely what they're saying, because I told them to say it. Now please, don't make me lose my temper and do something we'll both regret; it's just one ship." "That's what you said LAST TIME!" the old shipwright yelled, indignation overcoming his fear as he finally stopped ducking and waving and stood up straight; he barely came up to Illyrian's neck, so it wasn't very impressive, but still. "'One ship', you said! 'It'll be your masterpiece!' you said! I spent months on that ship, MONTHS on it! I put everything I had into that thing!" "I did pay you rather a lot," Illyrian murmured, nodding in agreement. "That's beside the point!" Raku raved. "I haven't drawn anything since then! The Dark Score Run was the last ship I ever made and you use it to destroy Yafutoma!" "No, just their home fleet," the sorcerer corrected gently. "And I had help, too. But have you seen her recently? She's outdated, outmanned, outgunned; I'm a war criminal and I need a new ship, and you, my friend, are the only man I and my purse could trust for something like this." He took Raku by the shoulder and led him outside, where the ship was moored and bobbing gently in the wind. As expected, Raku's ranting halted mid-sentence, and he could only stare dumbly in insulted pride at his last and greatest creation. "What... have... you... done...?" he muttered, his eyes wide and his jaw slack. "New sails, blasted Esperanzans..." He ran over and stood closer, and Illyrian's newly acquired crew looked down in bemusement at the old shipwright. "New guns, new cannon..." Abruptly he whirled around, furious all over again. "You ruined it!" he cried at Illyrian, stamping back over to the sorcerer. "My greatest ship, my entire heart and soul and you, you... you upgraded her!!" "Like I said, I was outgunned," Illyrian replied, unruffled. "I needed firepower and I needed speed, and ship technology has moved on since you built her." He waved at the crew, and one of them brought a box of notebooks down. "These contain a comprehensive study of all the advances and improvements made in ship design and construction in the past two years, with an emphasis on Valuan, Yafutoman, and Esperanzan military usages. No doubt you'll find it all quite useful in designing a new Dark Score Run." "I'm sure I will," Raku mumbled, already lost as he picked up the first notebook and opened it. He was trembling, his eyes were alight; the fires of inspiration had burst into life once again within his creative soul, and he had to put pen to paper before it was lost again. "Come back in a week, I'll have your plans by then. Damn you, Black Mage, if you don't come for them I'm burning the whole lot down!" "Never fear, I'll be here then," Illyrian said reassuringly... --------------------- A few weeks later, early in the afternoon, Illyrian was at Polly's Place on Sailors' Island, sitting in the corner; the plans for the new ship had been delivered to a shipyard known for honorable service and tight lips, and he was told it would take some time to build it to the exacting specifications indicated. To pass the time Illyrian decided he would go on a voyage, and he figured he may as well take other people along with him. Since then, handbills had begun circulating amongst the Sailors' Guilds of Arcadia, advertising for a job involving the Purple Continent: Hardened, experienced sailors and soldiers required for difficult mission to the frozen extremities of the world. Generous pay assured. Inquire at Polly's Place on Sailors' Island; ask for the Black Mage. Beneath that was the seal of House Telcondera, a wealthy and powerful Valuan noble lineage that had survived the Rains of Destruction and even now helped shape policy under Enrique. That wouldn't have been necessary, though; no one would dare falsely claim to be the Black Mage, especially not through the Guild. He had already had several applicants, none of whom were up to the task, and he was thinking about giving up for the day. But he shook his head and told himself to stay put until the sun went down, at least; he could go to bed then, like a normal person. |
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| Jet Blackbeard | Nov 6 2010, 02:46 PM Post #2 |
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aka Bear
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The hearty grin that Bear usually wore when entering Polly's Tavern was shockingly absent on this day. In its place was with a look of grim resolve. A few of the regulars paused for a moment, their mirth put on hold, as the big Glacian made his way to the bar. Bear's unusual expression was not lost on the barkeep either. "What's up big guy? Is something wrong?" The elderly man, a fellow by the name of Joe, asked as the Viking stepped up to the bar. "Lookin' for this man." Bear answered curtly, extending his right hand to wave a tattered handbill before Joe's face. Three of the men who were seated at the bar immediately got up and hustled towards the exit. Joe scowled at the loss of business and then turned to glare in Bear's direction. "Why? What's he done?" He asked irritably. "You gonna pick another fight in here?" "What? No, nothing like that." Bear answered, his eyes twinkling as a smile of understanding began to twitch the corners of his lips. "I'm just here to apply for the job he's offering." "Oh! Well then....." He began, relieved that the brawl he'd been dreading had turned out to be a figment of his imagination. But his scowl returned as he took a closer look at the handbill. "Oh, yeah. That guy. He's here but.....I don't know if you want to sign on with him Bear. He looks like trouble." "And I'm not?" Bear shrugged. Joe sighed. "Fine then. But don't say I didn't warn you." "Mind pointing him out?" Bear asked. "Take a look around. He's not hard to spot." Joe returned. Bear arched an eyebrow as he turned to survey the crowd. The bill had been written by someone called the Black Mage. Bear's eyes were immediately drawn to a corner booth and the man who was seated there. "Hmm. I see what you mean. That's gotta be him." Bear muttered. The fellow with the flowing black robes definitely fit the description. The big Glacian turned to leave but Joe's voice stopped him. "Here, you'll probably need this." The bartender said, placing a tankard filled with rum down on the bar. Bear thanked him and accepted the drink. Dropping a gold coin on the bar he made his way over to Illyrian's booth. "You the Black Mage?" He asked bluntly. "I'm here for the job." |
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| Raiu | Feb 15 2011, 01:25 AM Post #3 |
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Alba sighed as she sat at the bar of Polly's Tavern. The runaway noble was now dressed in a pair of trousers and a worker's shirt, the dress sold at a second hand store to increase the funds she could use. Funds that were running increasingly low at this point. "Great..." She sighed again, she really had to find a way to make money that did not include prostitution. A hand bill proposed an idea that seemed like it would be good... Except she was not hardened, experienced, a sailor or a soldiger. She sighed for a third time before the bartender, and the name sake of the bar, forced her to move away from the bar since she had not bought a drink. The distraught runaway noble moved to a corner table, within hearing distance of a strange man wearing a huge white pelt and another wearing a cloak. She didn't pay them any mind, seeing plenty of stranger people at Nasrid and on the trip to Sailor's island. Handbill still infront of her she started to play with her magic, making small arcs of lightning jump between her fingers. The arcs made small cracks as they journied from one finger tip to the other. Edited by Raiu, Feb 16 2011, 10:41 PM.
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| The Karlminion | Feb 17 2011, 12:07 AM Post #4 |
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180-proof Redneck
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From his vantage point, Illyrian could keep tabs on the whole bar, and observe the people and their affairs. Nearby a lonely and desperate-looking girl dressed like a man sat fidgeting with a slip of paper, one of the Guild's handbills advertising some job or other; he didn't put her chances of getting any well-paying work very high, and wondered if she had run away from somewhere. She had a look of nobility about her, though a nobility that had undergone some hardship recently. He looked back to the front as a large fellow stomped into the bar, and the mage's curiosity was awakened. The huge fellow was dressed in furs and looked for all the world like a native of the very land he was bound for! If he wasn't here for the job, Illyrian would see to it that he left in his employ or not at all. Fortunately he seemed to be here for something specific; he waved a handbill at the barman, and three others immediately left the bar, men who had been rejected by the Black Mage. That boded well, and it boded further when the barkeep glanced nervously in his direction and said something to the furry fellow, about whom Illyrian was increasingly certain of his identity. He'd heard of a sailor from Glacia, a pirate of some description who wore furs and horns on his helmet, who lurked about in Nasr and got into a lot of strange and unbelievable adventures. A sailor called Bear, either because that was his name or because he had the strength and size of one; seeing him in person, Illyrian could well believe either reason. He was gratified when the furry fellow took a drink and strode straight over to Illyrian's table, wasting no time in declaring his intentions. "The one and only," he replied smoothly, nodding his head in acknowledgment of the title. "And you would be the one they call Bear, right? I could definitely use some local talent on this expedition of mine, you're hired." He reached into his robes and withdrew a small notebook and elaborate yellow pen; he scrawled something on one of the papers, tore it out and handed it to the Glacian. "Advance on wages," he said simply. The paper was a makeshift bank note, on expensive stationary; watermarked into the center was an elaborate seal, that of the Telcondera house of Valuan nobility. The scrawl was a one-time authorization for the bearer to withdraw three hundred gold pieces, and scrawled at the bottom in intricate and hard-to-replicate cursive was Illyrian's signature: Illyrian Fortunos Telcondera. About that time he started hearing small sparking noises; looking for the source he saw that girl in boys' clothing he'd noticed before, idly playing with magic and causing lightning to spark between her fingers. Interesting, he thought, staring at her for a moment before focusing back on Bear. "Have you lodgings for the night? If not I have an arrangement with the local innkeeper; you could stay there tonight at a discount and we'll leave tomorrow. Sound good?" |
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| Jet Blackbeard | Feb 18 2011, 07:29 PM Post #5 |
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aka Bear
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"Ah, you've heard of me eh?" Bear chuckled as Illyrian confirmed that he was indeed the prospective employer he was seeking. He seemed to be a man with a definite agenda, as he dispatched with any sort of interview and hired Bear on the spot. "Just like that? Well then..." Bear spluttered, accepting the bank note. His eyes widened a bit as he read the sum. It was quite the allowance to be handed out so casually. Apparently money was no object to this Black Mage. And if that were the case Bear had to wonder what sort of profit he was looking to make on the expedition to Glacia. Stuffing the note into his pocket Bear took a seat opposite Illyrian and addressed that issue. "Oh lodgings? Yes, that sounds fine and I can return the favor if we're sailing into my neck o' the woods. But I have to ask. What's your interest in Glacia? Are you an explorer? Or a treasure hunter maybe?" Bear would be satisfied with either. Glacia was largely uncharted and likely held many hidden treasures, some formed at the hands of men, others by the hand of nature itself. The big Viking held both at equal value. Taking a long pull on his rum Bear listened to Illyrian's reply and idly watched a girl at a nearby table toying with a magic spell. He could tell she was uncomfortable at being in a place like this and briefly wondered what her story was. "Barkeep! Another rum here! And get my friend here whatever he wants!" Bear called out, his loud voice summoning a barmaid from the kitchen to take his order. As she scurried over to their table Bear fished out a few coins from his money pouch and placed them on her serving tray. On that note he gestured over to Alba's table. "Oh, and get the lady whatever she wants too." Bear added, feeling generous towards the nervous young girl. With Illyrian's bank note burning a hole in his pocket it just felt like the least he could do was buy everyone a round of drinks. Edited by Jet Blackbeard, Feb 18 2011, 07:32 PM.
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| Raiu | Feb 18 2011, 09:26 PM Post #6 |
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Alba was jolted out of her little musings about how wrong she was to run away when the huge barbarian man talked about her, telling the waitress to give her what she wanted. A quick head turn saw the last of the stare that the man dressed in expensive clothes that was directed to her. She had not even noticed that and a blush worked its way across her face. "Um... W-what?" Her fingers sparked with small, weak bolts of lightning for a moment, one wayward bolt jumping onto a corner of the handbill that was situated infront of her. It took her a moment to notice the blaze slowly eating at the paper and when she did she yellped, beating at the flame till it died. Nearly every eye was on her then and her blush deepened. "S-sorry!" She really didn't like all this attention right now. Edited by Raiu, Feb 19 2011, 05:16 AM.
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| The Karlminion | Feb 21 2011, 09:52 PM Post #7 |
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180-proof Redneck
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"A bit of both, you might say," Illyrian replied. He paused to consider his next words, when Bear turned and bought them all a drink, even the nervous cross-dressing girl in the next booth. He couldn't help but frown when she jumped in surprise and burnt her handbill at the offer; what mage could be so untrained and careless as all that? In the light of the flame he got a look at what the bill was for, and his frown deepened. It was for his job. "Wait a moment," the Black Mage muttered toward Bear as he abruptly came to his feet and went over toward Alba. Without a word he took her chin and forced her to look up at him, into his cold green eyes as he tilted her head this way and that so he could examine her face. What he saw didn't seem to make him very happy; on the contrary that frown became a scowl as he let her chin go, and he simply stood over her, looking for all the world like he was seconds away from rendering her into ash. Then the scowl went away, and he nodded to himself. "You need a teacher, young lady," he said suddenly. "Someone who knows magic, who can keep you from indiscretions like that," and he indicated the charred handbill with a twitch of his hand. "You had an interest in the Black Mage? Well here he is, and he has an interest in you. Get up, sit with us; you're coming along." His manner of naturally assumed authority was hard to resist. Once Alba was seated at his table, Illyrian sat down again himself. "Gin and tonic please," he told the waitress when she came up with Bear's rum. "And a soda for the girl." The waitress jotted it down and left, and the sorcerer looked at his companions. "Now then... as the flier stated, I am organizing an excursion for Glacia, the frozen bottom of our world. Vyse and his crew barely scratched the surface when they went down there, and the larger governments have not been in any shape to mount subsequent geological expeditions; we're going to do their job for them, albeit without as much science. "I expect a great deal of danger, and a greater deal of treasure," he went on levelly, placing his hands on the table in front of him. "I have no idea how long it will last, or exactly how much treasure or danger we will find. At the end it will all be divided into shares; I will take two shares, you will each get one. Naturally if more of you show up there will be smaller shares, but consequently less danger for each of us individually. You will sleep at the Inn tonight, and we will depart in the morning on my ship, the Dark Score Run; this is her last voyage, as in light of recent events I have commissioned a new vessel." By 'recent events' he of course meant the actions over Yafutoma, wherein he acted on behalf of the Black Fleet and smashed what resistance the Yafutoman Navy could muster without their most skilled leaders. A great deal of stories were already circulating, and he had no doubt the Yafotumans would be issuing a bounty for his head in due course; the Black Fleet didn't officially exist after all, but the Black Mage certainly did. And he had been rather... flashy, in his actions at the Battle of Bluheim. "There is also a chance we will find the remnants of Rhaknam, the Purple Gigas," Illyrian concluded, "also known, I believe, as Plergoth. I have no designs myself for the thing, but certain contacts of mine might; depending on their disposition we may receive a greater reward at the end of the voyage, if they are not already aware of the location and existence of the thing." Sometime during his explanations their drinks had come, and now he sipped from his. "Any questions?" he asked, looking at each of them over the rim of his glass. |
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| Jet Blackbeard | Feb 22 2011, 07:52 PM Post #8 |
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aka Bear
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Bear listened to the exchange between the Black Mage and the girl with mild confusion. To his mind it seemed as if the two knew one another. Illyrian spoke to her as if he did anyway, and his mention of teaching her added weight to that assumption. "Hi there. Welcome to the party." Bear smiled, greeting Alba warmly as she joined their conversation, and apparently their expedition as well. Then he turned his attention entirely to their employer as he outlined their itinerary. "I've been in my fair share of fights and a good ol' fashion dungeon crawl is always fun." Bear stated, nodding in satisfaction. "No questions here but I'll need to buy a few things before we head out." Draining the last of his rum Bear rose from the table. "I'll meet you both back here in a couple of hours. Anything I can pick up for either of you while I'm out?" ~ Five minutes later Bear was standing at the counter of an item's store close to the docks on Sailor's Island that catered mostly to magic-users. "Can I help ye sar?" A young girl of some fifteen years asked as she stepped out of the backroom to see to her customer. Then, catching sight of the burly Glacian, her eyes widened with delight. "Cor, Bear! Where've ye been all this time eh? Haven't seen ye in a hound's age!" The girl gushed, fawning over the Viking. "Hallo Liz. Good to see you again too. I've been here and there, y'know?" Bear returned her greeting. "And I'm getting ready to sail out again so I'll be needing a few things." Liz's lips turned up in a pouty expression. "Oh fie on that! T'was hopin' ta here more o' yer tall tales before ya went sailin' off again ya big lug! But it canna be helped I s'pose. Whatallya have?" "I'll need a Red Moonstone, some Sacri Crystals and a Pyri Box. A Pyres Box would be even better if you have one." Bear rattled off his shopping list. "Goin' home again are ye?" Liz asked. "Sure sounds like it, what with all that gear eh? Er, ya want ta get a refined 'stone for a bit more?" "Yeah, back to Glacia but for work this time. And no, a regular moonstone will be fine. It's not like I'll be casting spells with it or anything." Bear answered. Liz rummaged through the drawers built beneath the counter and came up with a half dozen crystals that sparkled with a soft green light. "Pity that. Ever'one could stand to know a bit o' spellcraft." She said as she stepped back behind the curtain into the storage room once again. "I don't think we'll be lacking for that on this voyage." Bear muttered. A moment later Liz returned with a handful of items. "Right then, here's ye 'stone and we did have a Pyres Box. Lucky you, 'tis the last one. Oh! And here, take a look at these! Just got 'em in all the way from Yafutoma!" Bear arched an eyebrow as he inspected a vial filled with blue liquid. "Tenkou speed potions?" He asked, interested. "Aye, that they are luv! Make ya move like the wind!" Liz answered enthusiastically. "I'm thinkin' a big oaf like ye'd be needin' a couple eh?" Bear snorted in mock indignation. "I'm not an oaf! I'm just......yeah, I'll take 'em." He sighed, adding three of the potions to his pile of goods. "Right then. Lessee.....six Sacri Crystals, three Speed Potions, a Red Moonstone and a Pyres Box. That'll be....." Liz whipped out an abacus and tallied up the charge. "Three hundred gold coins if you please." Bear counted out the amount and handed it to Liz. "Thank ye sar! Pleasure doin' business wit ya!" She chirped as she accepted the money. "I guess that's everything. I should get going but I promise I'll have a few stories to tell you when I return." Bear said, stowing his items. "Wish me luck!" "Good luck to ye luv! And ye better bring me a souvenir when ye come back, eh?" Liz answered. With a wave of his hand Bear exited the shop and headed for the next shop. Edited by Jet Blackbeard, Feb 25 2011, 06:31 PM.
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| Raiu | Feb 23 2011, 09:46 PM Post #9 |
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Alba nodded at the words of the rather gruff looking man, trying to gather her wits from her conversation (if such a short exchange that was more him forcing her to listen to him as he both insulted her, slightly complemented her, revealing just who he was and telling her that he would acompany him on a trip to one of the most inhospitible places in the world could be called a conversation) with the man who called himself the Black Mage. In the same building that she had found the handbill that told her about the job, there was already a bounty poster up with his likelyness on it. Or rather, what the Yafutoman artist thought he looked like. While the picture had featured a man a few years older than the real Black Mage with a long crooked nose that left no doubt in mind that distruction was a pastime, the real Black Mage obviously had a great deal more noble Valuan blood in him than she did and was handsome enough for Alba to momentarially forget that he could easily wipe her and the island from the face of Arcadia without breaking a sweat. Her quick little fantasy was broken, or rather smashed into little pieces, ground up and fed to a rabid horde of Loopers, by the gruff man talking yet again. She shook her head to clear it of any other thoughts and to indicate her lack of demand of anything. "I'm... Ahem! I'm fine, thank you sir." Finially noticeing the glass of soda water infront of her, Alba took it in her hands and drank, trying to remove the restraints that had decided to work their way around her tounge. She sighed as she placed the drink onto the table and tried to speek again. "Thank you for offering," The girl tried very hard to keep any venom out of her words, sarcasm, even thinly veiled, had been her way of speeking for too long, "To teach me sir. I just hope I will not be a burder to you sir." In the back of her mind, a small part of her chanted, Do not screw this up! |
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| The Karlminion | Feb 26 2011, 07:14 PM Post #10 |
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180-proof Redneck
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"No, but thank you," Illyrian replied politely to Bear's offer, as the Glacian stood up and walked off. He glanced at Alba, who was stuttering and mumbling again; he couldn't help but smirk at her unease, though he kept it to himself. "Respect," he said with a nod, "I approve of respect. But do speak up, however, much better for everyone involved if they can actually hear you." He realized he didn't even know her name, but that didn't matter; while he could probably guess if he stared at her face long enough, that wouldn't be very appropriate and she might be put off. Not that the girl's embarrassment wouldn't be amusing in its own way, of course. "This will be your first lesson, girl," the mage went on, sipping from his glass. "Always speak up, never stammer; be polite to those around you, respectful to those who deserve it, disdainful of the people beneath you, and wrathful toward your enemies. Never give in to slovenly temptations, always eat as if there's a death penalty for being sloppy; go to bed early every night, and rise up early every morning." He put the glass down, and looked straight at Alba with his intense green eyes. "From now on, and until I say otherwise, you are my student," he said simply. "Your task is to learn, to emulate, to do what I say when I say it and no sooner or later. Sometimes I may not be the best role model, but there are reasons for that; I have a ruthless streak a mile wide, and if you think I'm pushing you hard just remember that I've pushed myself harder before, and always am. The world is cruel; I am crueler, and you must be so as well." The mage leaned forward, and gestured for her to do likewise. "Magic is a demanding mistress," he went on in a lower voice, the fire of his eyes intensifying. "You must not show fear, never be afraid to dare the highest peaks and the lowest pits in search of mastery. The stories they say about me are, for the most part, true; I did not achieve such heights by whiling away my years in obscurity, and I will not allow you such leisure either. "It may be that it is not in you to achieve true greatness, but that is not a concern you should trouble yourself with; in time you will know your limits, and by knowing them you will better judge how to break past them, how to overcome yourself and perform such miracles of magic and sorcery that none will ever look down on you again. I promise you that." Illyrian leaned back, relaxing perceptibly. "But for now, you will eat. You are little more than skin and bones, and that will not do at all." He waved at the waitress and ordered two of Polly's Specials, with a third on reserve for when Bear returned. "You should also, perhaps, introduce yourself to me; it would be improper of me to call you 'girl' or 'lass' for too long, after all." |
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6:56 PM Jul 11