02-18-2016, 12:56 AM
It was a busy day at the Velvet Dolphin, and Dasha was finding her new employee hardly worth the coin. She grunted in frustration and continued to count the coins for this months taxes. The Imperial codes were getting more complicated every month it seemed, and she was pretty sure they were inflating. There was a crash as Kelp stumbled over a chair leg and crashed into a table of mercenaries from Dwarfholm, spilling their drinks all over the table and their beards. Dasha cursed and slid the coins back into the chest under the counter. She had to derail this quickly, or she'd end up mopping the boy up along with the drinks later that night.
The leader of the dwarves had grabbed a fistful of Kelp's apron, and was shouting directly in the terrified fools face. Nearby patrons were already clearing out before the nearly inevitable brawl. Fortunately he was only half-way through his list of ancestors by the time Dasha arrived.
“Free drinks, on the house, take that table over by the fireplace. I'll be by with some towels and the drinks in a few moments.” Her voice was louder than one would think given her stature, and it caught the attention of both Kelp and the mercenaries.
It was important to keep them off balance, dwarves had a tendency to belabor a point when they got it, but they were honorable enough that they wouldn't cause trouble if they didn't know why. As it was, their leader was completely derailed, and lost track of where in his genealogy he had been interrupted. He paused for a moment attempting to regain his position, but gave up and went grumbling over to join his companions at the new table.
“Ye best talk ter tha' one, Aye? If'n I'd wanted to go swimmin' I'd be outside in the ocean!” Their leader, a regular patron by the name of Daedlin, called as he left.
“Mayhaps the boy was just trying to give you a sea more your size!” she hollered after him, which elicited a roar of laughter from the dwarf and his companions.
Dasha led Kelp back behind the bar. “You need to watch yourself pal, I wouldn't want to have to tell your mum something had happened...” The boy nodded and rubbed his nose on his beer-stained sleeve. He was only thirteen, and less polite folks might be inclined to call him simple. Dasha felt relatively sure that the boy was just extremely quiet. He followed directions well, and there was definitely enough work to go around. She left him there and moved back to the Dwarves with a tray of drinks.
“My apologies boys, everyone alright?”
There was a chorus of minor grumblings, which Dasha figured was good enough. She turned to head back to the bar, and found herself face to face with the Officer Belt.
“Everything in order m'dear?” he asked, with the grin of someone who perpetually finds themselves clever. “I do wish you'd reconsider your position...” he asked her.
“Not going to happen, Officer. Your troops want to come in here? They do it off-duty and out of uniform. I ain't gonna have armed troops in my bar, not now, not never. Sorry.” She said evenly, staring him down. He paused just for a moment, and Dasha started to head over to another table. Officer Belt coughed lightly, then started again with a wheedling voice,
“Just think of them as bouncers! This is a very fine establishment and I'm quite partial to it. They can help keep an eye on things for you, so that nothing... unpleasant... happens to it.”
Dasha wheeled around to face him. “If you do anything to this place, I will do whatever it takes to get you court-marshaled by Admiral Kizaru... or maybe I'll talk to Vi.” She turned back to her work, and was pleased to find that Belt did not keep pressing her further.
She moved back to the counter and pulled the coins back out. The deadline was coming up, and her funds were stretched too thin to come up late on the payment. She had just found her place in the work when a new arrival pulled up a seat at the bar, making it screech on the wood just enough that he was doing it on purpose. Dasha promptly ignored him. He sat there for a moment, then started to reach for a mug himself. In a flash, Dasha clamped down on his arm, pinning it to the wood of the bar.
“I have not been having a good day, so with Tyrael himself as witness, if you are planning on giving me trouble I will bodily throw you out myself!” she hissed through gritted teeth. The newcomer was younger than many of the patrons, clearly an adult, but not someone with experience. He looked at her with a mildly surprised expression.
“Aggressive... I wasn't stealing, if that's what you thought. I simply assumed you were busy with those papers and coins over there. I fully intend to pay you.” he said with an innocent tone.
Almost patronizing. she thought with a grunt, “Show me your coins then.” she barked gruffly.
There was a pause, and the newcomer seemed a bit uncertain.
“What, ah... what is the currency here...?” he asked a little bit hesitantly.
Dasha stared at him a chewed her lip. This guy was on the leeward side of dumb she decided. He had to be a new prime, otherwise he'd know the imperial credit was the only form accepted in Imperial cities.
Her eyes darted to Officer Belt, sitting in one of the corners. He didn't seem to have noticed them. What, are you planning on just summoning some coins once I tell you? Omni's arse you're new! The Empire was always looking for more primes, not that she really wanted to know what for...
Officer Belt sat up with a start as something came crackling over his earpiece, and Dasha made her decision. It was the wrong one, and she knew that. But she would see herself banished before she'd help that kind of scum.
“Hello?” The prime asked, vaguely looking over his shoulder in an attempt to follow her gaze. While he wasn't looking she slid a few coins over near one of his hands.
“KELP!” she called, and the boy rushed over. “Take this one upstairs to a room, Try number seven, you cleaned it, right? Get him a meal, and I'll be up once we close.”
the boy nodded, silent as ever, and made to go upstairs. Officer Belt had learned something important, he was sitting up attentively and regarding the other patrons with a renewed interest. Time is short pal.
“Oh... well... thank you?” the prime said, clearly confused. He started to get up.
“Payment.” she said evenly, making sure she was audible. The idiot just looked more perplexed, then noticed the coins on the bar. He gave her a look.
“Just hand me the coins,” she hissed. “I don't want to draw undue attention.” Understanding seemed to dawn, and he quickly palmed the coins, making a decent show out of pulling them out of his satchel. A lot of white fabric... she observed, he clinked them on the table, and she took them back
“Stay low, I'll explain later.” she said quietly. He nodded slightly and followed Kelp up the stairs.
Dasha quickly went back to work, and after a few moments Officer Belt left.
he could well have seen all of that... Dasha quickly made her way over to the chest under the bar. Pulling out the false bottom, she reached in and retrieved the Dataverse device she had found on the black market. It was old, some prime had probably lost it when a fight went against them. She moved through the menus slowly, reading through each option before choosing. She wasn't well versed with the device, and almost never used it. She was certain this sort of thing was not allowed under Imperial command. She reached the information on the current imperial bounties, and cursed.
The leader of the dwarves had grabbed a fistful of Kelp's apron, and was shouting directly in the terrified fools face. Nearby patrons were already clearing out before the nearly inevitable brawl. Fortunately he was only half-way through his list of ancestors by the time Dasha arrived.
“Free drinks, on the house, take that table over by the fireplace. I'll be by with some towels and the drinks in a few moments.” Her voice was louder than one would think given her stature, and it caught the attention of both Kelp and the mercenaries.
It was important to keep them off balance, dwarves had a tendency to belabor a point when they got it, but they were honorable enough that they wouldn't cause trouble if they didn't know why. As it was, their leader was completely derailed, and lost track of where in his genealogy he had been interrupted. He paused for a moment attempting to regain his position, but gave up and went grumbling over to join his companions at the new table.
“Ye best talk ter tha' one, Aye? If'n I'd wanted to go swimmin' I'd be outside in the ocean!” Their leader, a regular patron by the name of Daedlin, called as he left.
“Mayhaps the boy was just trying to give you a sea more your size!” she hollered after him, which elicited a roar of laughter from the dwarf and his companions.
Dasha led Kelp back behind the bar. “You need to watch yourself pal, I wouldn't want to have to tell your mum something had happened...” The boy nodded and rubbed his nose on his beer-stained sleeve. He was only thirteen, and less polite folks might be inclined to call him simple. Dasha felt relatively sure that the boy was just extremely quiet. He followed directions well, and there was definitely enough work to go around. She left him there and moved back to the Dwarves with a tray of drinks.
“My apologies boys, everyone alright?”
There was a chorus of minor grumblings, which Dasha figured was good enough. She turned to head back to the bar, and found herself face to face with the Officer Belt.
“Everything in order m'dear?” he asked, with the grin of someone who perpetually finds themselves clever. “I do wish you'd reconsider your position...” he asked her.
“Not going to happen, Officer. Your troops want to come in here? They do it off-duty and out of uniform. I ain't gonna have armed troops in my bar, not now, not never. Sorry.” She said evenly, staring him down. He paused just for a moment, and Dasha started to head over to another table. Officer Belt coughed lightly, then started again with a wheedling voice,
“Just think of them as bouncers! This is a very fine establishment and I'm quite partial to it. They can help keep an eye on things for you, so that nothing... unpleasant... happens to it.”
Dasha wheeled around to face him. “If you do anything to this place, I will do whatever it takes to get you court-marshaled by Admiral Kizaru... or maybe I'll talk to Vi.” She turned back to her work, and was pleased to find that Belt did not keep pressing her further.
She moved back to the counter and pulled the coins back out. The deadline was coming up, and her funds were stretched too thin to come up late on the payment. She had just found her place in the work when a new arrival pulled up a seat at the bar, making it screech on the wood just enough that he was doing it on purpose. Dasha promptly ignored him. He sat there for a moment, then started to reach for a mug himself. In a flash, Dasha clamped down on his arm, pinning it to the wood of the bar.
“I have not been having a good day, so with Tyrael himself as witness, if you are planning on giving me trouble I will bodily throw you out myself!” she hissed through gritted teeth. The newcomer was younger than many of the patrons, clearly an adult, but not someone with experience. He looked at her with a mildly surprised expression.
“Aggressive... I wasn't stealing, if that's what you thought. I simply assumed you were busy with those papers and coins over there. I fully intend to pay you.” he said with an innocent tone.
Almost patronizing. she thought with a grunt, “Show me your coins then.” she barked gruffly.
There was a pause, and the newcomer seemed a bit uncertain.
“What, ah... what is the currency here...?” he asked a little bit hesitantly.
Dasha stared at him a chewed her lip. This guy was on the leeward side of dumb she decided. He had to be a new prime, otherwise he'd know the imperial credit was the only form accepted in Imperial cities.
Her eyes darted to Officer Belt, sitting in one of the corners. He didn't seem to have noticed them. What, are you planning on just summoning some coins once I tell you? Omni's arse you're new! The Empire was always looking for more primes, not that she really wanted to know what for...
Officer Belt sat up with a start as something came crackling over his earpiece, and Dasha made her decision. It was the wrong one, and she knew that. But she would see herself banished before she'd help that kind of scum.
“Hello?” The prime asked, vaguely looking over his shoulder in an attempt to follow her gaze. While he wasn't looking she slid a few coins over near one of his hands.
“KELP!” she called, and the boy rushed over. “Take this one upstairs to a room, Try number seven, you cleaned it, right? Get him a meal, and I'll be up once we close.”
the boy nodded, silent as ever, and made to go upstairs. Officer Belt had learned something important, he was sitting up attentively and regarding the other patrons with a renewed interest. Time is short pal.
“Oh... well... thank you?” the prime said, clearly confused. He started to get up.
“Payment.” she said evenly, making sure she was audible. The idiot just looked more perplexed, then noticed the coins on the bar. He gave her a look.
“Just hand me the coins,” she hissed. “I don't want to draw undue attention.” Understanding seemed to dawn, and he quickly palmed the coins, making a decent show out of pulling them out of his satchel. A lot of white fabric... she observed, he clinked them on the table, and she took them back
“Stay low, I'll explain later.” she said quietly. He nodded slightly and followed Kelp up the stairs.
Dasha quickly went back to work, and after a few moments Officer Belt left.
he could well have seen all of that... Dasha quickly made her way over to the chest under the bar. Pulling out the false bottom, she reached in and retrieved the Dataverse device she had found on the black market. It was old, some prime had probably lost it when a fight went against them. She moved through the menus slowly, reading through each option before choosing. She wasn't well versed with the device, and almost never used it. She was certain this sort of thing was not allowed under Imperial command. She reached the information on the current imperial bounties, and cursed.
If history is to become legend, it first must be recorded.