The Lost Elf Inn was typical of the inns in the adhiel quarter. From the outside it looked like any other house along the street; all that made it stand out was a sign over the door.
Upon entering the visitor would walk straight into the common room. At the far end was a small bar, and behind it was a young elfess serving. Scattered about were a few small tables, a few taken by what was probably the normal evening's clientele.
On the right of the bar a set of steps led up to the next floor. Above the entrance to the staircase was a simple sign in adhiel and human: "Rest Here". It obviously led to the rooms to rent.
A sign on the wall, again in adhiel and human, gave the prices.
5 banner per night. See behind the bar.
On his way back from a successful meeting at the Lycaeum, Adriano had absentmindedly reached into his pockets and delivered the stealthily delivered message from Vaularin. The secretive manner in which it was delivered was typical of the adhiel, he thought, but what wasn't typical was the fact he was being contacted. Pacing swiftly towards the Lost Elf, he speculated as to the likely cause of the urgent meeting. Perhaps the rumours about Alvero turning on Hart were true - this would require a lot of careful planning and modification of certain arrangements. Or perhaps the higher-ups had gotten wind of his initiatives around the Lycaeum, and weren't quite enthusiastic about risking so much for paltry gains.
Whatever it was, he'd find out soon enough.
It did not take long for him to find himself in front of the humble inn in the West End and stride inside. Once in, he scanned the tables for signs of the old adhiel.
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OOC: Popping in as agreed. Woo! My first-ever entry into another PC's thread.
IC: Arnholt strolled into the Lost Elf a burn or two after Adriano, though, for now, he noted the other man only in passing. Actually, Arnholt was almost little-boy excited to be walking into an elf bar. A pagan elf bar, if the redcoats had the right of it. The big man had had to pause at the door a moment to try to lower his expectations. Still, somehow he had walked into the Lost Elf with a small part of him expecting to get to see dark adhiel sacrificing virgins on the altar of Anasati. It came from having been raised as a good little Oneist, properly suspicious of the adhiel and their strange heretical ways.
Okay. So, no pagan altars, was Arnholt's first thought upon glancing around the inn. He felt a slight twinge of disappointment at that. Which was ridiculous, and he knew it. But still-- an elfess! An honest-to-Dominicus girl adhiel! Serving drinks, right there at the counter! Not that Arnholt had never seen an adhiel before, but he had for sure never seen an elf-girl up close, let alone had the chance to buy a drink from one. He lifted a fist up over his mouth to hide the goofy grin developing on his face. Dammit. Can't afford to look like some hick from the sticks come in to gawk at the elf-folk. Guys like that get the shit beat out 'em where I come from. With an effort, Arnholt composed himself and resumed his usual, casual smile.
Belatedly, Arnholt took a moment to scan to room for other customers, and any sign of trouble. If he seemed to be in no immediate danger of getting jumped, he strolled up to the bar to greet the elfess there. He'd get a drink first, then find a good place to sit where he could watch the room. Maybe overhear some interesting conversations.
"Hey. You got beer? How much for a tall glass?" He thought he managed not to stare like a cretin as he looked the elfess over.
Although the Elf Quarter now contained far more humans than it ever had before, due to the mass deportations, the Lost Elf was still very much a tavern for the non-human. Other than the two new arrivals, only adhiel and achadhiel were to be seen.
Adriano was known as an elf-friend and accepted (although it had been a long and difficult road to get that far). He even received a few good-tempered greetings. But the same couldn't be said of Arnholt. In fact, listening to conversations was going to be tough, because he seemed to project an aura of silence about him as he walked through the common room. Wherever he went, patrons fell quiet and glanced suspiciously up from their drinks. The atmosphere wasn't one of hostility, but it wasn't a friendly one either. Few humans in the Mouth bore any love for the adhiel race, and even those who were neutral towards them would rarely choose to spend their leisure time in a tavern full of them. There were therefore only two reasons a human would visit the Lost Elf: either he was lost, or he was looking for something only the locals could provide. It remained to be seen which category Arnholt fitted into.
The young female adhiel serving at the bar raised a characteristically angular face as he approached, with pointed ears and nose and slim, prominent lips and cheekbones. She was dressed in a very plain green-grey dress, and her expression was more one of puzzlement than anything else. Still, Arnholt had the potential to be a paying customer, despite his race. "We got beer, ninadhiel," she responded dutifully, moving to a tap and filling up a long mug as she continued. "One banner a time."
It didn't take long for Adriano to spot Itinori. The elder adhiel was a common fixture at the Lost Elf, usually sitting in a corner smoking nonchalantly. Today he was sitting in a corner smoking, but his demeanour was anything but nonchalant. In fact, he was puffing on his pipe at a faintly ridiculous rate, and shifting in his seat - almost leaping to his feet when he spotted Adriano. Instead he managed to restrain himself to a quiet call. "Snookums, acha!" He beckoned with a long-fingered hand, some ash falling from his pipe as he did so.
[size=84][i]"She told me I had too much to dream last night..."[/i] - [i]Apprentice of the Universe[/i], Pure Reason Revolution
Avatar by [url=http://pixieface.deviantart.com]Liz Green[/url][/size]
On second glance, Arnholt didn't quite know what to make of this place. He'd sort of figured from seeing another human in here right away that the inn was open to anyone. As he headed to the bar, however, he quickly got the feeling that it was not. The big man kept his easy smile in place, but was very much aware of the sense that he might as well have just wandered into some rival gang's territory back in King's Copurt. Maybe no one here was sizing him up to stick a knife in him, but for damn sure no one looked like they wanted to be his buddy.
Careful, Arnholt. He was trying hard to cultivate the habit of thinking of himself that way, and forgetting the name Bram. I got a feeling these guys wouldn't need much excuse at all to kick me out of this place.
Disappointing. Arnholt didn't had never liked being on the outside, looking in. Brought back all kinds of bad memories from before he hooked up with his first kiddie purse-snatching crew. But, what the fuck. He wasn't going to slink out of here with his tail between his legs just because a few elves looked at him kind of mean. Sure enough, the barkeep at least seemed to think his money was as good as anyone else's. Arnholt studied her face briefly. Pretty little thing, he thought.
"One mug, then. And some conversation?" He slid a lance across the counter toward her. Arnholt figured it was worth a shot, as this girl seemed to have the least-unfriendly face in the house. "If I can ask a question. How come I get the fish-eye from everyone, and that guy over there..." he indicated Adriano by pointing casually "...doesn't?"
That was what most confused poor Arnholt the most. They were both human, after all, but somehow he was the one being treated like he'd come in with cow turds on his boots.
Adriano strode quickly through the inn, nodding in hurried greetings to several familiar faces that greeted him and disregarding completely the arrival of a suspicious human. He had pressing matters to attend to, and any trouble would be swiftly settled by other Black Heart's men currently present. Soon, he noticed the familiar figure of Itinori Vaularin, and moved towards him. The wizened adhiel's behaviour confirmed that whatever they needed to discuss was tremendously important. Vaularin's usually calm, collected and sagely demeanour - typical of older adhiel - was gone, replaced by jitters and apparent anxiety. Something was amiss, it was obvious.
He sat down next to the old criminal and took off his hat, nodding in acknowledgement.
"Good to see you again. I see from the way you're shivering and squirming that whatever we need to talk about is pretty important, and probably dangerous.", he said, sotto voce. One never knew when there were spies about, and even in the heart of Black Heart's territory one could never be completely safe.
"Talk. What's up?", he asked and rubbed his goatee, deciding to leave his own topic for later. Chances were Itinori's business was far more pressing a concern for the gang than his own little schemes.
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The barmaid smiled as she took the lance. Whether the recipient was human or otherwise, money opened mouths in the Mouth. Her blue eyes were wary, but amused, too. "That's just Snookums," she replied airily as she pushed the foaming mug of ale across the bar. "I guess you could say 'e's earned 'is respect 'ere." A smirk flashed across her face as she remembered Val, and the monkey dance. "Some of the boys like to say 'e's the exception that proves the rule."
Pursing her lips as she remembered what the "rule" was, she endeavoured to explain it in polite terms. "'Umans aren't popular 'ere, as you'll 'ave noticed," she stated. "They mostly know that, but then again, you don't sound like you're from round 'ere, signore. There's been bad blood. Violence and such." Her voice dropped as a red-haired adhiel approached the bar, and she set about pouring out a glass of something almost as red as the newcomer's hair and clothing.
[hr][/hr]
"Not here." Vaularin ran a hand through his straggly grey dreadlocks, trying to create order from chaos. "Back room." He stood, tipping out his pipe onto the floor and motioning for Adriano to follow. There were dark hollows under his eyes, even more so than usual.
The older elf made his way to the room at the head of the stairs that was often used by Black Heart's gang as a meeting place when the matters to be discussed were too delicate even for the average adhiel's delicate ears. He waited until Adriano was within and the door was closed before speaking, still in a low voice. "I do not know if you were aware, but Hart fell last night. His organisation was decapitated." The grey-haired adhiel showed no joy at the news.
[size=84][i]"She told me I had too much to dream last night..."[/i] - [i]Apprentice of the Universe[/i], Pure Reason Revolution
Avatar by [url=http://pixieface.deviantart.com]Liz Green[/url][/size]
The matter was a very important one, as only the most confidential of information was discussed in the back room, in absolute safety. Nodding, Adriano got up and followed the old adhiel into the back room. Once in, he shut the door and took a seat. The news were... worrying, to say the least. Adriano's expression was one of concern. Although it meant a rival - one of the biggest fish in the murky waters of the Mouth underworld - was gone, it also meant someone else - a bigger fish - was stepping in to take his place. What both Itinori and Adriano understood was the fact said bigger fish might as well soon be swallowing the remnants of Black Heart's gang as well.
"I heard some rumblings to that effect, but I didn't know for sure.", he replied with a frown, "That's definitely not good news, though. We had an agreement with Simalde, right? Consequently, we had an agreement with Hart, Simalde's underboss. And I'm guessing whoever iced Hart ain't gonna be particularly bound by that agreement."
He rubbed his goatee, still frowning. It was obvious who was the "whoever" responsible for the beheading of Hart's syndicate. Alvero. Probably the only man in the Mouth with the balls and the resources to do such a thing.
"It was Alvero, right? That's another problem. You know he asked me to have lunch with him yesterday, right? It seems he's got business plans for our little part of town, and we're unfortunately standing in the way of said business plans. This 'decapitation' is definitely a cause for worry, seeing as we're liable to be the next ones chopped off.", he continued, "Question is, what are we going to do to prevent said chopping off? Now, looking at the numbers, he's got more men, more money, more clout, more everything. Going to war would be fucking insane, so it seems I'll be having some more lunches with signor ALvero in the near future. We'll have to try talking it through, and if that fails, we'll have to go down fighting."
The prospect of losing everything he had worked so hard to achieve, not to mention his life, was not pleasant, but it was a very real possibility. Shifting nervously in his chair, he awaited a reply from Vaularin. The old man was probably ten times older than him, and would likely have a lot of sagely advice to offer.
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"Snookums?" Arnholt stared at the elfess blankly. "How the hell'd he get stuck with a moniker like that?"
At least he assumed it was only a nickname. He was pretty sure that no mother would be cruel enough to name her kid Snookums for real. The guy didn't look like a Snookums, either... though Arnholt would have been hard pressed to explain exactly what sort of man would fit the name better.
"Me? Yeah, I'm from King's Court." The traveler scratched at his bald head thoughtfully. "Not great blood between humans and elves there either, I guess. But, hell, I dunno. I'm a friendly guy. I don't got nothing against nobody." Which wasn't strictly true, but was accurate at least where adhiel were concerned. Arnholt flashed the young elfess a winning smile. "Actually, miss, you're the first adhiel I ever really met."
And that was pretty much the end of that. Judging by the way the barkeep had grown quiet at the approach of another of her own kind, Arnholt figured he had more or less reached the end of his credit, for now. Asking many more questions would probably only make the locals even more suspicious of him. Too bad. At this rate, he for sure wasn't going to satisfy his curiosity about adhiel religion anytime soon. The elves here were just too squirrelly. They'd probably think he was a pain-in-the-ass missionary or an inquisitor or something, and then (at the very least) he'd be tossed out on his ear. It would take time to build up some credit with them.
Unless... Casually, Arnholt eyed the stairs where Snookums had disappeared to. Yeah. Apparently the man was popular enough among the adhiel that he had actually acquired a pet name from them. A guy like that had to know a thing or two about buddying up to elves. Might just help me get my foot in the door. So maybe he would just wait right here for a while, and see if the other human came back down.
Arnholt raised his beer to his lips as if he hadn't a care in the world. But he kept half an eye on that back door.
Vaularin shook his grey-maned head slowly. "No, Adriano... I do not think that that is the problem." He paused, took his pipe out of a pocket in his mottled waistcoat, and then replaced it where he'd found it. "Signore Alvero... I think that he has bigger fish to fry. Now that he has taken out Hart, he will have drawn the attention of every Mouthie othi* with a remotely sound intelligence network. I think that, fortunately for us... we are beneath his notice for now. Further, we are not in competition with his Union, or any of his operations of which I am aware. Thus, unless your little lunch date was a national catastrophe, I think that we are safe from him, at least for now."
He shook his head once again. "I asked you here because of a problem that is closer to home. I must request now that you hear me out and do not strike me down before you have heard the full tale, acha. Once you have heard, then you may judge." Itinori sighed, agitated and despondent.
"You mentioned the truce with Simalde," he continued after a few flickers. "Did... did anything seem unusual to you about that, at the time? Did anything not ring true?"
[hr][/hr]
Arnholt's honesty seemed to please the adhiel girl, whose angular face split into a smile for the first time. The red-haired adhiel didn't stay at the bar, instead taking his drink and sitting at the table where until recently the old Itinori had been. When he'd gone, she spoke to Arnholt again. "And you're the first human I've met for a long time who hasn't looked down his nose at me, or looked down my top, or both." Her eyes dropped for a flicker to the low neckline of her dress, which revealed a modest amount of her small breasts.
She swiftly moved on. "Snookums got given his name by... by Val," she continued, stopping short at this last name. "What I mean to say is, it's a long story. But Val has a way about her. When she gives someone a name, it tends to stick. And she was the first person Snookums ran into when he arrived in the West End." Having started the story, the slender girl seemed unwilling to finish it.
* othi is used in the Elven criminal slang of the West End of World's Mouth to mean "big shot, powerful person". The Councilors would be in this category, as would powerful churchmen and criminals such as Hart. Its literal meaning in Adhiel is "knight".
[size=84][i]"She told me I had too much to dream last night..."[/i] - [i]Apprentice of the Universe[/i], Pure Reason Revolution
Avatar by [url=http://pixieface.deviantart.com]Liz Green[/url][/size]
Adriano's face was frozen in a worried scowl. It seemed they had a traitor in their ranks, and this was indeed a much more serious problem than having Alvero breathing down their necks. A well-placed saboteur could scuttle the entire operation, making more damage than any external enemy could do. This was serious business, business that had to be dealt with as soon as possible.
The mention of the truce with Simalde seemed odd. As far as Adriano knew it was a gentleman's agreement between Simalde and...
No.
"Unusual? Well, for one...", he said, a touch confused by the old man's exortations not to hit him before he finishes his story, "Dunno. Maybe the thing that it all happened so quickly. Or that the big boss would be so willing to let Alvero keep the exemption licence racket under his control - I mean, thousands getting booted out of the city, thousands reduced to de facto fucking slavery, and we can't do shit about it? And maybe the thing that we abruptly switched our business model - y'know, I'm a burglar by trade, and I came to you people to do some burgling for you. Things turned out differently. I ain't seen anyone do a job other than small-time extortion around here since I arrived."
He scratched his nose and coughed before continuing.
"I put it all down to just general things being what they are, or, y'know, differences in whaddyacallit... mentality, right? I figured if I don't understand what the boss is doing, it's probably because he's an adhiel and I'm a ninadhiel - izzat the word? - and he's probably 10 times older than I am, so he knows his shit.", he said, and cast a nervous gaze at Itinori, "But from the way this conversation's turning out, I'd gather there's something else to all that. Now you tell me, Itinori, straight-up, no bull, no pussyfooting around the matter - what the fuck is going on? Who's our problem?".
He awaited a further explanation from the old adhiel, not quite sure what to make of the situation.
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The wanderer had come in here firmly intending to be on his best behavior, in the hope of making friends. He could be a real gentleman when he put his mind to it. He was, however, still a man. Naturally the girl's downward glance caused his own eyes to dip downwards as well. Arnholt jerked his gaze back up as soon as he realized what he was doing, but managed to swallow his beer the wrong way in the process. He spent a few flickers coughing and struggling for breath, then wiped his mouth with the back of his fist, before his merry smile returned. At this point he was just as glad as the elfess to let that particular topic drop.
Arnholt just looked at the young adhiel as her brief explanation wound down, mystified and interested and not trying to hide either of the two. Who the hell was Val? The barkeep looked like she thought she'd blown some kind of secret just mentioning that name. It meant nothing to the human, of course. Could be some weird adhiel thing he knew nothing about, or it could be that Val was some kind of player in the elf underworld. With no other elves hanging around, it looked like the girl was willing to chat at least a little bit more, but Arnholt still figured his hunch about not asking too many questions was well-founded. Oh well. Since he'd already decided to hang around until that Snookums guy came back, he might as well just keep up with the small talk. If nothing else this elf girl was pleasant enough company.
"Huh," he said instead. "Guess I'd better watch out. I run into this, uh, Val, who knows what they might be calling me?" The big man chuckled at his own weak joke, then he extended his hand. "My name's Arnholt, by the way. Pleased to meet ya."
"Oh, burglary and thievery are still on our agenda," Itinori assured Adriano. "We're just on the wrong side of the business for that. That's not the big issue either, but you're getting warmer." He seated himself, and crossed his legs awkwardly. It was clear that Itinori Vaularin wanted to be anywhere but in that room at that flicker.
"The question that's the key to it all is... why did Simalde agree to a ceasefire?" The old adhiel asked the question with the air of someone who already knew the answer. "It was at the end of Samheen, if you recall. After the big purges. The Elf Quarter had never been as empty. That filthy Lo Russo had been given acres of property from our turf to reassign, most of which he sold to humans. Not to mention the fact that half our operatives had been deported... we were on the retreat, acha. Hart was moving in, and we were losing badly." He shook his head, causing his grey dreadlocks to flail. "We had no way to even the odds stacked against us. So tell me. Why would Simalde suddenly call off his men and declare a truce? It can't have been mercy. I do not think that a word in his vocabulary."
Itinori did not give Adriano a chance to respond, instead launching into his explanation as if he wanted to get it out of the way as quickly as possible. "You keep coming back to the big boss, Snookums. Black Heart. But the truth is... Black Heart is gone."
Gracefully, the grey-haired adhiel allowed half a flicker for this to sink in before forging on. "It was around the close of Samheen. Suddenly, and without warning, Master Honloth vanished." In his haste, Itinori had casually dropped the name that was so closely guarded a secret. "No one knew where he had gone, and we did not have time to search, either. For the very next day I was visited by Hieronymous Hart himself. The man stated that Black Heart was dead, and that, from that moment on, we were to take orders from him alone. We were to become a part of Hart's organisation in all but name."
He shrugged. "So I agreed. What else could I do? The alternative was for us to be wiped out slowly and painfully. At least this way we retained some autonomy, although Hart gave us many orders, particularly for our specialists on the thievery side of the business. Otherwise, all it meant was that the cut that used to go to Black Heart himself was now going to Hieronymous Hart." He sighed. "And that all of our operatives, except a few of us at the top, were labouring under a misapprehension."
[hr][/hr]
The girl extended a tiny hand across the bar. "Aylmari," she replied, still a little tentatively, "and if you run into Val you'd definitely better watch what you say. The last people to get on the wrong side of her... ended up with their insides on their outsides. First some Soldiers of the One, then a Purificatio Confessor." Her slim mouth quirked into a frown, and from what she said next it was clear that it wasn't the punishment that bothered her. "The name Purificatio is worth less than dirt around here," she spat. "They emptied the whole quarter out last Samheen. My parents and I only escaped because we went to the country and then came back when it had quietened down. Since the war, they haven't dared come anywhere near here."
The girl realised she had said too much, and her face fell. "I'm sorry. It's just that... they're so sure, all the time. So sure they're right in making innocents suffer." Even now that she had trailed off, there was a certain ferocity in her light voice.
[size=84][i]"She told me I had too much to dream last night..."[/i] - [i]Apprentice of the Universe[/i], Pure Reason Revolution
Avatar by [url=http://pixieface.deviantart.com]Liz Green[/url][/size]
As Itinori revealed the dark secret that upset him so much, Adriano's jaw dropped lower and lower, an expression of utter disbelief on his face. The problem plaguing their organisation was something more structural in nature than a spy or a traitor in their ranks. The boss, the man who supposedly held the organisation together, was dead, for some time now. For all this time, they were pawns in Hart's game. A strange mix of emotions filled the young Mouthie gangster - confusion, anger, excitement. He didn't blame Vaularin for what had transpired, although it irked him a bit that he was not high-level enough to be privy to the secret agreement. The situation now called for swift and decisive consolidation of forces. If both Black Heart and regular Hart were dead, it was time to select a new leader, and the wizened old adhiel seemed to be a top choice.
Adriano clenched his jaw, hummed and stroked his goatee, pondering for a few moments.
"So... That's how it is.", he managed to mutter after an uncomfortable silence, "Merda."
He stood up from the chair and nervously paced around the small room, occasionally casting a glance at the equally nervous Itinori.
"Now, if Black Heart is dead, and Hieronymus Hart is dead, then the gang is going to need a new leader. And the way I see it, there's only one person in the gang with the neccessary skills, wisdom, authority and experience to do it. You.", he said, looking the old adhiel in the eye, "The good thing about all this is that we're off Hart's leash. We can do business independently now, without interference from the outside. Nobody's blaming you for what you did. You did your best given the circumstances, and probably saved all of our asses in the process. Sometimes you gotta make compromises to achieve long-term goals - I've learned that in the past few months. Right now is not the time for agonising over past decisions. We need to move on."
He kept pacing about, thinking. A whole lot of planning needed in one short day.
"I think we need to establish you as the head right away - anyone objecting can go fuck himself. I'd be your right-hand man, like I was until now. The last thing we need is squabbling, but I think we won't see any of that. Everybody knows you, and everybody knows me, and everybody knows what we did to keep this outfit operational through the worst of times.", he continued, "As of tomorrow, I'll get to meeting with Alvero to discuss some things. He may not be interested in us, but we need to cover our ass on that front just in case. If he learns of Hart's little arrangement, he might want to keep it going under new management."
It struck him that now was the time to mention his own business to Itinori. It was a fairly urgent matter, and it had to be done despite the complicated new situation.
"Oh, and, there's one thing I wanted to tell you about. I met with some people in the library today. They've got problems with Scullio and Penna, and I think we can provide the solution.", he said, "I think it's high time those two cazzos get what's coming to them. If we're consolidating operations, we gotta get rid of the only competition we have here in the West End. Sooner or later, they'll get and cocky and move against us, so it's better to cut them down while we have the initiative."
He slumped back into his seat.
"They're extorting money from the Lycaeum for some reason. Next payoff's tonight. I agreed with the curators to organise an all-out assault on their gang. We follow them to wherever they're hiding and cut down the whole stinking lot of them in one strike. If we play our cards right, they'll never know what hit them.", he continued, looking straight into Itinori's eyes in an attempt to persuade him, "I'll be at the payoff, at that magic show tonight, dressed as a library staff member. Then, we follow them to their hideout, along with all the men we got and some of the library people with special talents, and crush them. We need to send a message that we're not to be fucked around with, and I think this would be as good a way as any to send that message out. We're back, we mean business, and we'll have you swimming in the fucking Scillus with your throat slit if you got any objections."
He stood up again and began pacing around.
"Whaddyasay?", he asked Vaularin nervously, hoping that the old man would go along with the plan, or at least offer some sagely advice.
Last edited by Adriano Marinetti on Tue Jul 31, 2007 11:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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"Charmed." Taking Aylmari's little hand in his big paw, Arnholt clasped it briefly before releasing her.
All in all, he must have been doing a better job than he'd thought at inveigling himself into the elf girl's confidence... or else she was just younger and more naive than he had originally supposed. Either way, Aylmari's next words positively astounded him, though he tried hard not to let that show. Dominicus on a fucking stick. Had she actually just told him that this Val person was a mass murderer of Oneist soldiers? And that she had killed a Purification Confessor? Either crime should have been sufficient to get pretty much anyone burned at the stake. Unless, of course, you were really slick and had excellent connections. And she'd gutted them all just for talking some shit? Arnholt could hardly even imagine how bad this Val person had to be to be getting away with crap like that. The wanderer's pulse quickened in excitement.
Gang boss? he wondered. Underworld kingpin? What else? Unless maybe Val was just some psycho nut case. A rogue battlemage, or whatever. But that seemed exceedingly unlikely. And what ever else was true, Val must be in a far different league than the fucking Burning Crimson Fire Bandits had been.
"Well, hell," Arnholt said hoarsely. "I see now why Snookums didn't put up no fuss over the nickname she gave him. I ever meet this Val, she can damn well call me whatever she wants."
Interesting as Aylmari's warning had been, the big man found the elfess's condemnation of the Purificatio equally fascinating. Her words were not in themselves very surprising. Arnholt would have been willing to bet his entire meager fortune that every adhiel in here felt the same. But the fact that she had spoken so to him, a human and a virtual stranger... that was something special. If he were a follower of the Purificatio himself, one of the two of them would be in deep shit right now. Probably Arnholt. He could just imagine getting his tongue cut out before he started flapping it around and getting sweet little Aylmari in trouble. Possibly even by this Val person that the young elfess seemed to know so much about. Lucky for all concerned, then, that Arnholt wasn't anything even remotely close to being a sympathizer of that particular religious movement.
"Sorry for what?" Arnholt asked mildly. "The Purificatio don't mean shit, far as I'm concerned." He contemplated his nearly empty mug, lost in deep thought for a moment or two, and then gave a shrug. Since he and Aylmari were getting so chummy and all, he might as well let spill some secrets of his own. He spoke in a much lower tone as he went on. "My dad always said the Purificatio was a bunch of loser fanatics. Anyway, he ought to know. The old man seriously knew his shit when it came to religious fanaticism. Came from being one himself. Now, me... I figure one god is pretty much as good as any other. Maybe better, if he aren't a crazy dipshit who starts wars and things." He shot Aymarli an almost sheepish smile. "Guess I ain't that great of a Oneist. Not much of a patriot, either. When the war started, me and my buddies were all scared of being press-ganged. We spent a lot of our time lying low, or pretending to be a gang of lame or diseased beggars. Lemme tell ya... spending days at a stretch stumping around on a crutch, with one leg tied up to make it look like it's missing? It hurts. I wished like hell I'd decided to be a leper instead. But at least I never got sent to stomp on the pagans in Pan's fucking Isle or wherever."
Arnholt slid his now-empty mug, and another lance, across the counter to the elfess. "Another, please. The extra is a tip for one excellent bartender." Story of his life. When he did have money, it tended to run through his fingers like water. "Now, I wouldn't want you to think I was a coward or nothing. It just weren't my fight. I don't hold with bullying, uh, innocents just cause you don't like how they think. In fact, I figure we have a lot to learn from the adhiel. By which I mean, I... have a lot I want to learn." He eyed the young elfess a little warily himself, for a moment, and then decided to go for broke. "For example, Aylmari. I ran with a crew up in King's Court. I was a bravo, sometimes a bowman. I don't suppose you know 'bout anyone around here looking to hire guys like me?"
He wasn't at all sure the girl would follow his admission, in cant, to having been a foot soldier and burglar in a gang of thieves. But given what she'd said about Val and her homicidal activities, it seemed quite possible that young Aylmari had some sort of connection to gang life in this city.
Now that he'd borne the bad news, the grey-haired adhiel seemed far more content. This time he took his pipe up and lit it for real.
"I'd run the show, no problem. I have been doing, these last few months, anyway. In theory, it is me, Althaluin and Kamazin at the top." Hierarchy within the Black Heart gang was a mysterious business, with the principle being that no one was to know the exact status of those above them, but the other two mentioned were hardly unlikely candidates. Althaluin was a brown-haired, broad-shouldered adhiel with a reputation for ruthlessness in his dealings even among the criminals of the Mouth, while Kamazin was a lithe thief who many quietly held to be the most talented at her trade in the whole city.
"Kamazin isn't a problem. She has no ambition to control. But I'm not sure that Altha would cede the leadership to me so easily." He sighed. "One of the reasons I told you all of this is that Altha's moved fast. He's already apprised many of his subordinates of the real situation. I believe he is already spreading rumours, as well. I think he means to discredit me by discrediting you." Vaularin frowned intensely. "He will not present the fact that Black Heart disappeared shortly after you were inducted into our ranks as a mere coincidence. And you are an easy target, acha. Despite your loyalty and dedication to our operations... you are still ninadhiel."
As Adriano outlined the situation with the Lycaeum, Itinori's gloom deepened. "You're right, although it is a bad time for it," he conceded. "But a few days ago we'd have had to seek approval from Hart, which he likely wouldn't have given. He valued us as a specialist addition to his own operations, so he wouldn't have wanted to see our numbers thinned by gang war. At least now we're free to act."
The old adhiel drew a short, vicious blade and placed it between his teeth as he refilled his pipe, for no obvious reason. "I say you should strike. Scullio and Penna certainly won't be expecting it. But I am leaving this to you. You are welcome to take as many adhiel as you can convince. If nothing else, it will give them something to think about other than Althaluin's slimy whisperings." Itinori lapsed into silence and awaited Adriano's response.
[hr][/hr]
Aylmari was bringing Arnholt his second beer when she caught his last words, and her brow furrowed. Even if she hadn't understood the exact terms used, she seemed to have picked up on the context, as she looked nervous for a few flickers. "I..." she began, then trailed off, starting again. "If you're interested in that sort of thing, then you should definitely talk to Snookums. There are opportunities, but like I said before... not everyone around here's too fond of humans."
She'd spoken quietly, but her words had still been overheard. An adhiel, broad-shouldered for his kind and with a ponytail of light brown hair, had caught the last of what she said as he approached the bar. "Damn right, Aylmari," he drawled, and turned to Arnholt, scowling. "So what are you still here for, ceffo? You come here to laugh at the poor pagans in their natural habitat? Or did you just feel like stirring some merda? Cause if that's what you're looking for, you don't need to look far." Despite being nearly a foot shorter than Arnholt, he held himself with an aggressive confidence, and he stared fiercely up at the much taller man.
[size=84][i]"She told me I had too much to dream last night..."[/i] - [i]Apprentice of the Universe[/i], Pure Reason Revolution
Avatar by [url=http://pixieface.deviantart.com]Liz Green[/url][/size]
Arnholt took back his refilled mug, his expression neutral while he waited for the young adhiel's answer. For a flicker or so he wondered if he'd blown it. Creeped the elfess out, maybe, by revealing himself for a petty thug. But apparently he hadn't. He grinned in genuine pleasure at the information he offered, leaning back for a moment with an air of perfect contentment. It' all coming together. Never had it ever crossed his mind, before, that he might one day join an adhiel gang. At present, however, he was quite willing to entertain the thought. And even if, in the end, he decided against signing on with the elf underworld, at least now he had actual business to discuss with that Snookums guy. He might could find out a thing or two regardless.
"Hey," the big human almost purred. "Thanks, Aylmari. You're the best."
The traveler glanced up mildly as another of the locals drew near. He was unsurprised by the adhiel's hostility. In point of fact, Arnholt had been expecting a confrontation like this for some time now. Furthermore... after taking a flicker or two to try to puzzle out what the elf had called him... the big man decided that the guy wasn't being quite as aggressive as he would have expected, either. Arnholt was reasonably sure he'd suffered far worse insults in taverns before. Which didn't mean this encounter could not prove dangerous if Arnholt came off looking weak, or if on the other hand he overreacted to the provocation. This could be the moment when he got tossed out into the street... possibly in pieces.
Little guy like that muscling up to me? He must be hot shit in a fight. Or he knows his friends here will back him up.
"I ain't the kind of guy who starts shit," Arnholt replied, pleasantly enough. Keeping his hands in plain sight, the human rose to his full height to tower over the hostile adhiel. And sketched him a short bow. "Actually, mister, I'm just waiting for the chance to ask Snookums for a few burns of his time. But seeing as how he's otherwise occupied right now, maybe I can buy you a drink." For now he focused on the elf alone, answering his stare with an easy smile. "I hate to drink alone. And I won't say a damn word, if ninadhiel talk offends you. Well?"
Adriano nodded and scowled while Itinori explained the situation at the top. It was a predictable development. When a leader is removed, the natural consequence is a scramble among his potential heirs to seize power. Right now, that was the worst thing that could happen. Internal squabbles while the competition grows stronger day by day would be disastrous, so it was imperative to deal with the issue at hand immediately. His hands clasped, he pondered a way to diffuse the potentially explosive situation. Offering the troublesome Althaluin a share of power in the gang was one option. Perhaps having one man running everything wasn't such a good idea. Those filthy rich cazzos in the Council realised that, and they were doing rather well for themselves, so maybe there was something to be said for a council-style system of running things.
The other option was simply killing the uppity cazzo, thereby confirming Vaularin's authority by force. This option was not as appealing as the former, not because he had any compunctions about killing, but because of the support base Altha had probably created for himself. Besides, having a human kill an adhiel would not resonate well among the gang members.
He sighed and cast another glance at Itinori.
"Well... That's more complications.", he said, ponderously rubbing his goatee, "This Althaluin sounds like he could be a fucking liability. What we need now most of all is unity, and having some ambitious faccio di stronza destabilising an already fragile gang hierarchy ain't exactly contributing to unity. We have to do something about him, it seems, but we can't kill him. That'd only work to strengthen the lies he's been spreading about us."
He got up from the chair and began to pace back and forth from one side of the room to another.
"I think we'll have to throw him a bone. Y'know, shut him up, at least for the time being. I was thinking... There's three top-level people in the organisation, right? Now, the question is, who of the three should run the business?", he continued, "But what if all three of you ran the show? We've seen what happens when you got one guy running everything. This way, even if one of you, gods forbid, gets whacked, the gang can keep running. And also, I think we really, really need to do some reorganisation. We're too... fuzzy. Fuck, I don't even know what my rank is supposed to be. We need a clearly defined hierarchical structure, where everyone has people above to obey and people below to command, and everyone knows just who exactly those people are. Look at the Merchant Council, look at the Church. Sure, they're filthy bastards, but they're efficient filthy bastards, and that's because everyone knows who's the boss and what they're supposed to do. The old way of doing things ain't exactly done us much good - fuck, the boss disappeared without a trace and pretty much nobody fucking noticed it! - so maybe it's time for some changes."
He sat down once again, pulled some coins from his purse, and arranged them on the table. Three crowns were arranged next to each other, with one a bit higher than the other two. A coronet was placed beneath the crowns, three lances beneath the coronet and several banners beneath each lance.
"This is what I had in mind. There's you...", he said and pointed to the highest crown, "And the other two are Althaluin and Kamazin. Everyone has their duties - Altha runs the enforcement and extortion, Kamazin runs the thievery, and you run everything else. You, being the oldest and most experienced, not to mention the most levelheaded and shrewd, have a more prominent role. I figure the best way to keep people from killing each other is to make everyone dependent on everyone else. We give Altha a piece of the authority, placate him for a while, but we keep a close eye on him, and maybe play Kamazin against him. The three of you coordinate affairs with each other - everyone runs things as they see fit, but they have to discuss it with the other two. Voting would be too slow, and we can't get bogged down in arguments while other people are out there doing things."
"The coronet is me. Basically, I'd be second in command to all three of you. Sort of an advisor to the bosses, a representative of the gang in dealings with others, and I'd deal with all communication inside the gang, from the capos to the bosses and from the bosses to the capos.", he continued as he pointed to the coronet, "That way we get to keep Altha in check, and we ensure nobody can act against anyone in the gang on their own. I get a position where I can put my talents to good use."
"The lances represent capos, lieutenants. They're the 'field officers', people actually doing the dirty work, and taking orders from the bosses.", he said while pointing to the lances, "Each of them is subordinated to one of the three bosses, and each of them has specific duties to perform and specific turf to cover. Each of them has exactly the same number of soldiers, and is equal in status to every other capo. We gotta keep a balance of power between the three of you. In any case, the capos answer to their respective bosses, but the orders from the bosses and the reports from the capos to the bosses go through me. I don't have any authority over them, unless given that authority by one of the bosses. Every team ought to have a messenger, who'd send and receive messages from higher-ups and send and receive messages from the other capos."
After finishing his little presentation, he scooped up the coins and returned them to his purse.
"I think this type of organisation has some advantages. For one, nobody has enough power in the gang to cause any shit on their own. Number two, we got transparency in business, which means cloak-and-dagger scheming and backstabbing is harder to conceal. Number three, we got a clear set of personal loyalties and a structure that leaves no room for conflicts.", he continued, "We'll also have some very strict rules in place. Punishment for disobedience to a higher official - death. Punishment for stealing gang property - death. Punishment for killing, or attempting to kill a fellow gang member - torture, and then death. Punishment for endangering the established hierarchy of power in any way - death. Punishment for ratting out - tongue cut out, and then death. We can't afford no fucking leniency at times like these."
He turned to Itinori.
"Well? Whaddyasay?", he asked with a smirk. The old adhiel would know how to pick apart any flaws in the system proposed.
Last edited by Adriano Marinetti on Sun Aug 05, 2007 1:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Avatar courtesy of [url=http://pixieface.deviantart.com/]Finn[/url]
Perhaps surprisingly, Itinori just shrugged. "You're right," he said simply. "For too long this organisation has relied on the charisma of a single adhiel, and most of our men had never even met him. And what is more..." He exhaled slowly, blowing sweet-scented smoke across the room. "We've been living under a delusion. Or I have, at least. We were always the good guys, in my mind. Standing up to the Purificatio, and Hart, and protecting the interests of the adhiel of this quarter... I suppose that is why I never wished us to adopt the trappings of a mafia as these people have. I didn't want us to become like them. But I see now that we have no other choice, if we want to stand up to them. They show no weakness. We can't afford to, either."
The old adhiel extended a long, sticklike finger towards the coronet and slid it to one side. "One change would I make to your proposal. It places too much weight on you yourself. If you were iced, Ithrainne forbid, all communication would be cut. No, we need the capos to report directly to the bosses. Of course you could still have the position above the capos, and advise the three of us, but sole responsibility for relaying orders and reports is more than can be trusted to any one being."
He sighed. "I will mention this first to Kamazin. Although I doubt that she can be played off against anyone, she may well be receptive to this proposal. If she is, it will be difficult for Althaluin to turn it down."
[hr][/hr]
Although the brown-haired adhiel before Arnholt was evidently itching for conflict, the human's response didn't leave him with much room for starting it. The tavern had quietened a little, now, as many of the place's patrons were concentrating on the little encounter.
The combative adhiel latched on to what he could, though. "Here to see Snookums, are you?" He virtually spat the word out. "No doubt you're an amico of his, come to help him sneak out of the city with the spoils. It wouldn't be any more than the filthy traitor deserved. Or maybe you're offering to buy a drink so as you can poison me to smooth his slimy way to the top. Don't you..."
"Leave him alone, Altha," a calm, sonorous voice spoke, with a hint of amusement. It came from an adhiel with a mane of pure white hair who was sitting at a table. This speaker did not seem old by the cast of his facial features, but his sharply hooked nose combined with his pointed ears and sharp cheekbones to give him an almost goblinoid appearance. "He seems like a good enough fellow, for a ninadhiel, and he doesn't sound like a local. I'll wager he'd be no happier at what's been done than any of us, if he only knew the extent of it."
Altha scowled, but the word of the white-haired adhiel seemed to carry some weight with him. He stepped backwards as the newcomer slid off his chair and approached the bar. "I'll take you up on that offer of a drink," he said to Arnholt, "and you don't have to be silent. As long as you listen. I've got a story to tell you."
[size=84][i]"She told me I had too much to dream last night..."[/i] - [i]Apprentice of the Universe[/i], Pure Reason Revolution
Avatar by [url=http://pixieface.deviantart.com]Liz Green[/url][/size]
Back in King's Court, Arnholt had not been known for his short fuse, but he hadn't exactly been famous for his patience either. Right now the slight buzz he had from his one beer was not quite enough to cancel out the rising annoyance he was feeling. This elf was actually accusing him of being some kind of roving beer-poisoner? The sheer insanity of that accusation strongly implied that the adhiel would not be pacified. Seemed like he'd imagine offense regardless of what Arnholt said, and pretty soon things would escalate beyond just words. Cocky little fucker. The big human's brow furrowed as he considered an appropriate rejoinder, and his eyes flicked briefly to the rest of the tavern, judging the mood of the crowd. Might yet have to fight my way out of here.
However, just as Arnholt was concluding that his luck had finally soured, the white-haired adhiel spoke up on his behalf. Given his lack of familiarity with elves, the human was uncertain as to whether the stranger was old or just unusually colored. He quickly decided that he didn't give a damn. If, indeed, it was the adhiel equivalent of a gray-bearded old fart who had just saved him from having his ass kicked out of an elf-bar by a bunch of guys half his size... well, Arnholt probably didn't want to know that. He'd just stick to being grateful in general that the man was willing to give him a chance. Turning away from Altha... but only partway, so he wouldn't be blindsided if the hothead tried to jump him... he casually slid another banner Aylmari's way to pay for the newcomer's beer.
"I love stories," Arnholt said, his usual, easy grin quickly returning. "An' I been told I'm a pretty good listener."
That wasn't just bullshit, either. The traveler's enthusiasm was genuine. Well, sure, he was expecting to hear some boo-hoo story about the adhiel people's suffering during that purge that Aylmari had mentioned, and that wasn't the most thrilling subject he could imagine. But he really did want to learn more about the elves, and this was as good a place to start as any.
Last edited by Arnholt on Wed Aug 08, 2007 1:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
"You're right, you're absolutely right. That'd be too much work, and Altha would no doubt be suspicious about giving orders through me. The bosses oughta communicate with the capos directly, I'll just advise you three, represent the gang when needed, and if neccessary help to settle any internal disputes that might arise.", Adriano replied. The old man's advice was worth following, and he was well aware the hierarchy was a bit oddly shaped with just him at the centre. It was better, and faster, to have the bosses deliver orders directly, with his counsel.
Earning the respect of the adhiel was a lengthy and difficult process, and he didn't want to endanger his gains in that area by appearing too ruthlessly ambitious. Settling for a position which allowed him a degree of respect and influence in the gang and was suited to his particular talents but kept him from exercising obvious power was ideal.
"You go talk to her, then, and we'll put it into practice as early as tomorrow. No time to waste. Meanwhile, I'll go get some men for the attack tonight. Rusty oughta be able to give me a hand. He's reliable and has the balls for the job, and will probably be able to get some of the boys on board.", he said as he got out of the chair, "Best pray those gods of luck of yours'll shine on us tonight. Scullio and Penna ain't much, but they ain't pushovers either. And they have ties to the fucking Council, so we need to be careful."
With a sigh, he opened the door of the room and stepped back into the inn's common room, where he was met with a most unusual sight. There was a short, ponytailed adhiel present, which he immediately recognised as that sleazy little leccacazzi Althaluin, but also a tall, bulky human, who seemed quite out of place in the surroundings. Still, from his expression he seemed not to have any hostile attitudes, and the fact that one of the gang was talking to him meant the screening had already been done, and he passed. Turning to the other side of the room he noted Rusty, and nodded in greeting.
Intrigued by the prospect of another human potentially wishing to offer his services, he made his way to the bar and leaned on it just before the newcomer was to be told a story.
"Any problems here, gentlemen?", he asked, facing the human with a raised eyebrow.
Avatar courtesy of [url=http://pixieface.deviantart.com/]Finn[/url]
"Aw, damn." Arnholt turned his glance back to the white-haired elf for just a moment. "Listen, could you hold that thought for a few burns? I'd love to hear what you have to say. Hell, I'll stand you another round. But business's gotta come first."
Unless the old(?) elf looked like he was about to throw a hissy fit about it, the traveler turned his eyes on Adriano next. What he saw up close sort of surprised him: a young guy, a lot skinnier than himself. Funny, that. But also kind of promising. In the sort of gang that Arnholt had run with, before, the work was decidedly low-end stuff. Mugging people in the street and like that. It was the biggest guy who was in charge, and brains were a secondary consideration at best. This Snookums guy, now... he looked like some kind of smooth operator. Guys like that generally belonged to a higher class of criminal than the penny-ante crap to which Arnholt was accustomed. That thought was enough, at least, to leave the big man intrigued.
"Ain't no problem here, I guess," Arnholt went on, trying to put his two banners in before that fucking Altha could blow this for him. He stuck out his hand, real friendly-like. "Name's Arnholt. You're Mr., uh, Snookums... right?" Arnholt flashed his best professional smile. The one that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm just in from King's Court. Looking for work. And I hear tell that you're... a businessman. So, I thought maybe a gentleman in your line of work might have some use for a gentleman in mine."
To illustrate, the prospective thug tugged back the trailing edge of his cloak just far enough to show the brace of daggers at his belt, and a bit of the thick leather chest piece he was wearing. Arnholt hardly ever went around wearing his full set of leather armor. Too squeaky and noisy, not to mention foul-smelling and hot. But on the other hand, just a little protection could sometimes go a long way.
Althaluin's expression soured yet further, if such a thing was possible, upon seeing Adriano. "No problem until you turned up," he shot back darkly, and turned to half-swagger half-slink over to a faraway table, muttering. "I'll just leave you two to your business."
Not entirely managing to hide a relieved smile, Aylmari poured out another beer and passed it over the counter. The white-haired adhiel took it with a smile and a polite "Thank you," and his expression didn't change when Arnholt switched his attention to Adriano. Up close, it was possible to see that there weren't any lines or creases on his handsome face, and neither did he look youthful. That still put him at anywhere between 50 and 250 yahren old, though.
Adriano would recognise the white-haired adhiel, although only by sight and by name - the two had never spoken. His name was Carminello, and he was often seen in Althaluin's company. He was held in the same sort of regard as Itinori, as something of a "sage", although by his appearance Carminello wasn't quite as old.
In the meantime, Rusty returned Adriano's nod as he sipped at his drink. Although a little temperamental at times, the perpetually red-clad adhiel had proven himself to be a surprisingly level-headed and reliable person to have around in a tough situation. For his part, despite his initial distrust of the human, Rusty had built up some degree of respect for Adriano in the months they'd worked together.
[size=84][i]"She told me I had too much to dream last night..."[/i] - [i]Apprentice of the Universe[/i], Pure Reason Revolution
Avatar by [url=http://pixieface.deviantart.com]Liz Green[/url][/size]
Adriano's gaze focused on Arnholt. The man was about the same size as he was, but a lot bulkier. It was a good thing, too. Adhiel were tenacious little buggers, but not quite suited to tasks involving brute physical strength. Tasks such as the one awaiting them tonight. Having a big bear of a man on your side in a big fight was certainly a good idea. The fella's gonna have a baptism of fire. He carefully looked for any signs of lying, but found none. Arnholt certainly spoke like an outlander, and seemed not to have any hostile intentions. He responded to the newcomer's big, goofy smile with a welcoming smirk.
"Izzat so? Well, signor Arnholt, welcome to the free and prosperous independent city of World's Mouth, specifically to the part of it that ain't either free or prosperous. You understand that people around these parts are a touch suspicious of foreigners.", he said, leaning on the bar and turning in the direction of Altha, "IN FACT, SOME ARE SUSPICIOUS OF PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN HERE FOR MONTHS! But you know, I think you passed the first test."
He stroked his goatee and placed three banners on the counter.
"Aylmari, give the man another ale. And give one to Carminello, and that paranoid leccacazzi back there.", he told the waitress and returned his gaze to Arnholt, "To answer your question, I think I will have definite need for a man of your talents as early as this eveningtide. But you see, I'd rather discuss business in a more private setting. If you'd care to follow me over to that seat over there, we could talk the matter through."
He pointed towards the table where Rusty was seated and raised an eyebrow.
"Take your beer with you.", he added, and then turned to Carminello, "Sorry for the interruption, but there's some pressing business that needs to be attended to. Oh, and, go and talk to Itinori in the back room. I think you two could use a discussion on some internal issues."
With that said, he began to walk towards Rusty's table, expecting the newcomer to follow.
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Arnholt just grunted in what might be taken for agreement. No, it hadn't escaped his attention that the adhiel here weren't very friendly toward outsiders, at least not on first blush. He figured the 'test' he had passed was the one where you didn't get run out of the Elf Quarter on a rail. Interesting to see how the locals responded to this Snookums guy. All accept for that Altha, of course. There was obviously some real tension there. Unsurprising, really, given how the adhiel in question went out of his way to be a pain in the ass towards humans.
"Well, hell," the big man said agreeably, "you won't catch me turning down a free beer." Unlike some people who obviously don't have their heads screwed on right. Turning to the white haired elf, he said, "So your name's Carminello... right? Nice to meetcha. We'll talk later, yeah?"
All things considered, Arnholt was feeling pretty happy, now. And it wasn't just because of the two beers he had already had so far this Trade Tide, although that didn't exactly hurt. He'd come to World's Mouth knowing hardly a damn thing about the place and not really wanting to be there. Less than two days later, and he already had contacts and prospects in this place. And he was well on the way to making himself some new elf-buddies, too. This elf-gang stuff is a golden opportunity. It could be the perfect way to combine his skills and interests, if he played his cards right. If he ran with an adhiel crew, they elves would come to trust him. After all, it had worked for Snookums, sort of. Arnholt was pretty sure that within a few more days he'd be able to take to Aylmari, at least, about pretty much anything he damn well wanted. And if he stuck around long enough he'd soon have a much better idea of what all that pagan stuff was about... and whether they had any gods worth believing in.
'Course, there's bound to be some kind of catch to all this, Arnholt figured. But I really do think I could get to like this place.
The big man trailed along behind Snookums as bidden, taking a seat at the table with the elf in red. He nodded at the adhiel, friendly as ever, but said nothing. He figured Snookums would handle the introductions however he felt appropriate. Arnholt just leaned back in his chair, looking rather relaxed... though he had tried to make sure he had the table between him and the others, and a clear path between him and the exit. Just in case things went suddenly, horribly wrong.
"I'm at your disposal," he said mildly. "Boss." Which title he said mostly just to be respectful, since nothing was really decided yet.
Carminello quirked a slim eyebrow at Adriano's suggestion, and replied to Arnholt with a brief "Later, amico", before collecting the two beers that had been bought for him and making his way to the stairs leading upwards.
Rusty was lounging at a table, dressed, as was his custom, all in red. A red-dyed tunic sat atop crimson leather breeches, and his arms were bare from his shoulders down to his red gloves, displaying a strip of florid tattoos. The spiky line of hair atop his head was the most striking of all. "Namaste, Snooky," he hailed Adriano lazily, and jerked a thumb at Arnholt. "Who's your new friend?"
[size=84][i]"She told me I had too much to dream last night..."[/i] - [i]Apprentice of the Universe[/i], Pure Reason Revolution
Avatar by [url=http://pixieface.deviantart.com]Liz Green[/url][/size]