Business Interrupted

[Eirene]

Spring, 122PW

Lars was a successful Gnome, and considered himself well regarded in some circles. He had made his money as a tannery owner, and was on his way to collect payment for a shipment of goods from local leatherworks. Two steps in front of him walked Eirene, a mercenary he had hired for protection. On most days Marn could be rough, but not so rough as to necessitate a personal bodyguard for anybody but the paranoid. These were not most days. Talk of insurrection hung heavy in the air, and a wealthy man could make an easy target for mal contents. Lars had not become a successful businessman by being imprudent after all.

Eirene scanned the opposite side of the street for the telltale heat signature of someone crouching in ambush. A forked tongue flicked out, tasting the air for predators. All her shifter enhanced senses revealed was the usual crowd going about its usual business, and the sellers hawking their wares from sidewalk stalls. With a nod she let her employer know that it was safe, and they crossed the street towards the leather shop. Eirene wasn’t certain she liked Lars, but she never let a thing like that get in the way of business.

On the other side, the two companions expertly slipped through the cross current of bodies on the sidewalk and into the leatherworks. Seeing Karrion focused on his work, Lars wrapped upon the table with his cane to get his attention.

[Peppercorn]

Karrion's eyes shot up from his work like he'd heard a scream. For whatever reason, he was feeling unsettled today. It was probably just the bad dream he'd had last night, but then it wasn't every moment that someone came banging quite so loudly on your table. A simple "ho there" would have sufficed.

When he saw Lars awaiting him, cane against wood, he tried not to let his shoulders visibly sag. He almost managed, but let the corner of his expression slip into a frown. Perfect. Lars. Karrion always hated it when the dealings with the richies landed on his days on. Most likely, he'd get stiffed for something small and easily noticeable because he wasn't shop owner and Peppercorn would get on his case about it when she looked over the books. Perfect.

In an attempt to recover from his now all-to-obvious frown, Karrion gave a sharp wave to Lars and whoever that was with him, then quickly looked back down at the leather he'd just been working, tugging angrily at a few things to make it look like he'd just done something wrong. He shook his head and muttered something to himself, then flashed another look back up to Lars.

"Sorry, sorry, just in a pinch here. Give me half a flash and I'll be right with you Lars, good man," in a rushed tone that said very clearly: my bad mood is about me, not you.

[Eirene]

Eirene leaned against the door frame, trying to look like she was watching the room. The truth was, she knew what was about to happen, and wanted no part in it. Lars was in a fowl mood. That Eirene had refused to help him bully clients, once again, this morning was certainly not helping things.

Lars pulled back his shoulders, standing a straight and true three foot five, and puffed out his chest. "Half a flash. I will do no such thing." Lars exclaimed "See here, we had a deal." With that he pulled a folded invoice from inside his coat and slammed it on low work bench. "You and that insufferable woman have shorted me yet again. Every month I tell you I expect payment in full, and every month I have to waste my time coming down here and fix it."

Eirene suppressed a sigh, and silently shook her head.

[Peppercorn]

Karrion was used to this routine by now. The problem was knowing whether or not Peppercorn had actually shorted the gnome. It was possible that she had, planning on getting him back for whenever the last time he'd shorted her had been. But then again, it was equally possible that she'd paid in full and Lars was now about to rip Karrion off worse than he did Peppercorn because he'd have made some deal with her that Karrion was too stupid to know about.

Then again, there was a third option: that neither was true and there was a genuine error in the transaction. If that were the case and Karrion tried to call Lars out, he'd get it from both ends. Neither their clients nor Peppercorn were the most understanding of these sorts of sticky situations.

Karrion now set his work down without another thought. He hadn't messed it up, after all, and it could wait the several moments it would take to deal with Lars and his money problems. Karrion advanced on the counter, meanwhile shooting a glance at the obviously strong woman shaking her head in the corner. What was this all about? A crony? That was bad for business. As he extended his left hand toward Lars, he did a quick check with his right to see if he had his knife under the counter. He did. Good.

Eyes still on Lars and the invoice he'd slammed down. "Let me have a look at that invoice. Should be able to fix you up right," he said with a false confidence he'd learned to keep on around here.If it were his shop, it'd be a real confidence. One that would tell Lars he could take the deal he'd gotten or get his ass out of the shop. But, it wasn't Karrion's shop and Peppercorn made sure he remembered that often.

[Eirene]

Eirene's muscles tensed reflexively. Something wasn't right here. She was certain of it. Or at least she was paid to be certain of it. Her boss had a ... talent for rubbing people the wrong way, so that feeling that things were about to get out of hand was something she had become accustom to. Personally, she would like to watch it play out and hope that Lars learned a lesson. Professionally, she knew better.

"See, was that so hard." Lars responded, giving a particularly insincere smile. "It's right here, in black and white." He unfolded the parchment. It was obviously a long column of numbers, though their intent was incypherable. The old joke was the only thing more impossible then a Gnome's machine was reading his handwriting and Lars' invoice did nothing to dispel it.

"As you can see" Lars continued, indicating at a line of numbers scribbled on the ledge page "You clearly still owe me for last month's shipment. I expect recompense at once. You are only lucky that I am too merciful to insist on the interest I could so rightfully claim by terms of our contract."

Pretending to be lost in thought, perusing the store's merchandise, she slipped towards the two men. She let the natural, animalistic, swagger of her hips hide the deliberate intention of her movement. While she certainly was not going to pry her employer's foot from his mouth, she needed to be in position to diffuse what ever situation he pushed himself into this time.

[Peppercorn]

Karrion was shaking his head, now, with a real confidence. His eyes were flashing with a temper that, until now, he hadn't let show. It was slipping. Lars was being pretty damn gusty today. Gutsier than he usually was. Out of line gutsy, you could say. Slap Karrion in the face gutsy. He'd had just about enough of this bullshit. Besides, he had real work to do, excuse me.

Other accounts that weren't going to rush in here every time an invoice went out and claim some ridiculous tripe like not having paid at all for last month. That wasn't just an insult to Karrion, it was an insult to Peppercorn's ability to - as shop owner - do decent, respectable business. If anyone overheard Karrion take the heat for that kind of overblown accusation, the shop would definitely lose business. Word of mouth was your life and death in this part of town. No way. He wasn't having this old gnome.

Karrion didn't even bother so much as to take a glance at the invoice that was still being held aloft for him to, obviously, take and make calculations with. "Whatever sort of person you have managing your accounts has obviously made a mistake in filing your paperwork properly, then, my man. You can't possibly mean to say all of last month's charges are missing." He just about tsked his tongue at Lars. Just about. But, managed to hold back and simply scowl at him, pointedly sharing it with the woman who was clearly getting closer to the counter.

So, that was what this was about, was it? Karrion slipped his hand onto the knife. A fight defending himself and the shop was better than a shop that simply ripped you off while looking respectable. The authorities would sort it out on the other end. Peppercorn would make sure of that, if Lars kept on this line and thought he'd pummel Karrion into submission.

God, the richies were getting worse and worse these days. Maybe there was something to that whole rebellion thing he'd heard read snippets of in the paper, after all.

[Eirene]

From the corner of her eye Eirene saw the knife, and Karrion's fingers clinched white knuckled around it. A good pummeling meant she could let Karrion get a solid hit in before breaking it up, but a knife changed things. Oh well, time to save Lars from himself.

Eirene turned and flashed smile that wasn't quite human "He's not worth it my friend. Trust me. If you pull that blade I'll have to shoot you. Then you'll be dead and I'll be having a long conversation with the city guard. That isn't good for either of us." Eirene spoke in a tone more conversational then threatening, though the hand that rested upon the flintlock tucked into the sash about her waist eluded to her seriousness.

[Peppercorn]

Karrion's eyes shifted from Lars to the woman talking to him, though his hand didn't move from the knife. The message clearly sent: you aren't intimidating me. His face, growing red, showed that his intent was to stand behind that message, too.

"Ah well, the blade's more about my defense against you than against the gnome. So, if you'd like to tell me what's going on here, I'd be more than happy to not have any blood messing up my shop. I have enough work to do without it," a hand waved at the work he'd been doing as he spoke crisply, but not rudely. Professionally. Like he did own the shop, after all. In this case, he might as well. It was his person on the line here.

[Eirene]

Lars opened his mouth to speak, but the glance she shot him was obvious to even one self involved as he.

"It's like this. I'm paid to protect Mister Lars' person. If he wants to bully clients, that's on him." Eirene spoke. With a sigh, she continued "Right until they get a notion to punt him. I mean, it's understandable, but I just can't allow it. That would be bad for business. I'm paid as a bodyguard, not a thug."

Lars face was red, and sweat was starting to roll down his face. "Look how my own employees treat me. It's bad enough my clients try to weasel out of their bills, but now this!"

Nodding towards Karrion, Eirene replied "I believe it's your turn to try and talk sense into him."

[Peppercorn]

Karrion was on the brink of having none of this. He set the knife clearly on the counter now, as if to say, "I'm not afraid to use that if I have to, jackass." This, naturally, was directed mostly at Lars. But, it wasn't outside of reason to assume it might also still be aimed at this new bodyguard as well. She seemed to be on his side - at the moment - but who was paying her? Exactly.

Karrion squared his shoulders. "Look, I don't have time for this sort of tripe Lars. You'll have to bring accusations that ballsy to Peppercorn. Got it?"

At which moment, a sweaty and panting Peppercorn stepped within earshot of the shop. The sweat was from the chase she'd just gotten back from - a nice fat rabbit she planned on cooking up for dinner. She'd finally felled it with an arrow to it's shoulder, but still had to give chase on foot for a few hundred yards. The troublesome little thing. Now, she had it tied up inside a sack on the side of her horse.

She'd only planned on dropping by the shop to invite Karrion over for the stew her mother would inevitably prepare with the meat. She also needed her skinning tools that she'd forgotten. No sense in tearing the skin off shoddily and wasting it. She could always turn it into some small purse or some-such. Little cheap things kids bought. So, she needed the tools.

Now, at the distance she was at, she could hear sounds she didn't like in the least. Karrion in his "I'm annoyed that I have to even be dealing with this" voice, going on about bringing something to Peppercorn? That was never good. Well, better show up and ruin the fun.

Peppercorn picked up her pace and rounded a corner that would take her into the back of the shop. As she came round, she caught sight of Karrion's problem - Lars. Oh, exactly what I was hoping for! Peppercorn had half a thought to back right back out of the shop without being seen and let Karrion handle it for now. Lars would, inevitably, come storming back tomorrow or the next day with a list of all the things this shop did wrong and an hour's worth of how he was going to drop them and find someone else. Then, Peppercorn would have to go around and around with him until he settled on some new price-rate that suited whatever it was that caused these sorts of outbursts. Peppercorn had a feeling it was the rest of the market, others prices adjusting, demand and supply changing as it did. Lars was just very bad at handling all of this. Why he was a business owner, Peppercorn still hadn't sorted out.

Karrion's eyes shot to Peppercorn just as soon as she thought she'd back out.

"Oh, what perfect timing," he called in that same pissed-off tone of voice, now waving Peppercorn into the shop. "Just who you needed to see, Lars, my man."

Peppercorn didn't hide her sigh and frown. She advanced on the counter. "This is an unexpected visit," she cocked her head suspiciously at him. "And with company," eyes to the woman with her hand on a weapon. "What's the purpose of all this? Let's have it out Lars."

Time to just cut to the root of the issue.

[Eirene]

If Lars noticed the disdain in Peppercorn's voice it did not show. He marched up to her and stood nose to ... well navel with her. "Just the person I was hoping to see. I expect you to honor the terms of our contract I was just explaining this to your employee here, but he is entirely clueless. Where is that invoice."

Eirene retrieves the now thoroughly wrinkled and mussed document from the table and hands it to Lars. "Oh yes, here it is."

[Navarre]

Navarre smiled as she looked out into the crowded street. She'd always despised the business district with a passion. It was a gallery of grotesques, packed with all sorts of horrific faces. Every week, these diseased animals flocked to the stores with their meager savings, hoping to strike a few deals to sustain their ever-growing packs. The last time she went into one of these stores, she had to burn her clothes because she couldn't remove the stench of failure. Normally, she would have detested being around such filth, so why was she smiling?

Soon enough, they wouldn't be a problem.

Her smile widened as she beheld the large poster on the wall across from her. Marn Restoration Campaign: For the Glory of Marn and Its People. She'd only started her campaign a few days ago, and yet it was all ready beginning to attract attention. But if she wanted to make her vision a reality, she knew she had to make a connection with the commoners -- as much as she detested it. Gathering support among the aristocracy would be simple, but they were but a small fraction of society. She needed to sway influential commoners to her side, and that meant face-to-face interaction and forced pleasantries. Annoying, yes, but a small price to pay.

A voice came from behind her: "We're finished putting up the stands, ma'am. What's next?"

Navarre scowled. "Weren't you listening to me? I told you to take to the streets -- chat up the shoppers, hand out flyers, compliment the guards! We need to focus on public relations." She motioned to several of her other workers in the crowd. "And if you'd paid attention to the others, you'd know what to do."

The worker nodded sheepishly and started for the crowd. "Actually, no," Navarre called after him. "You're too stupid for that. Go tell my publicist to meet with me, then, I don't know, stand somewhere until I need you."

Once her publicist arrived, Navarre set off in search of an appropriate business to visit. She needed to find a place without too many people. After all, her men were responsible for relations with the general public, and the thought of these wretches crowding around her made her squirm. She'd speak with the owner for a while and ask for support -- maybe answer a question or two -- and then she'd be on her way. Quick and simple.

Eventually, she came upon a shop without a crowd around its door. This seemed like a good place to start. "This should be easy enough," she said with a grin, glancing at her publicist. "Have your pen and paper ready."

Navarre put on her best smile and stepped inside, ready to impress her audience. But her smile faltered when she noticed the scene: a well-dressed gnome glaring up at a woman; another woman, more muscular and dangerous-looking than the other; and an aggravated clerk with a... knife on the counter? Just her luck -- her first visit to a shop and she stumbled upon a showdown! Maybe if she quickly turned and left, they wouldn't notice --

Wait.

A gnome. If she played her cards right, she might just land a jackpot.

Feigning concern, she stepped forward. "Oh! I apologize. I hope I didn't step in at a bad time. Is there a problem...?"

[Peppercorn]

"No idea who you are," Peppercorn snapped the paper from the woman who thought she was going to come into her shop and throw some weight around for the short people of town, apparently, "but I'll deal with Lars and you can stand over there if you don't mind kindly." Her hand waved flippantly toward the far edge of the shop, near the street.

Without caring what the response to that was, Peppercorn stared down at the page. Here we go again, round and round the ring. She really did need to stop working with these Gnome types. She made the appearance of scanning the document, did a calculation or two in her head. Everything would have been in order, were this a legible invoice. Instead, it was obviously complete tripe. She slammed it down on the counter. "I think the clueless one is you, my friend. Feeling a little rebellious, are you?"

The jab was obvious. He'd had to have seen the posters and fliers around town today. They were not exactly ignorable. Possibly hysterical, definitely smear-campaign style tripe, but it was good for a quick stab at the gnome. Shake him up a bit. She was just about to really get into it with another snide remark about weeds or somesuch magical bullshit when a voice stopped her. She whipped her head around at the voice to see who else felt a need to join the circus in her leather-works today. God, it was getting really crowded in here with hang abouts who weren't doing anything for her business.

But, when she saw the face from the poster she was just referencing staring back at her, she perked up visibly. This could get interesting, after all. Perhaps, even scare good old Lars into giving her a better deal than he'd ever intended.

"Well, well if it isn't Lady Navarre herself. Just the person I wanted to see. You wouldn't be here to clean up some weeds, would you?"

[Eirene]

From behind the tinted lenses of her goggles Eirene watched the new arrival and put on her best inscrutable face. There was something familiar about the woman, but Eirene couldn't say what. However, she felt the animal inside of her hissing, trying to fight its way out, and that could only mean one thing. This woman was clearly trouble.

Hearing Peppercorn's comments. Eirene knew she had heard the name. It only took a second to remember where. Too bad it was all going over poor Lar's head. Eirene knew that the gnome was not going to back down. He never did. It is just so hard to intimidate someone that clueless.

By Eirene's estimation Karrion and Peppercorn were people trying to protect what was theirs, and that she respected. The Lady Navarre was a different thing entirely. Eirene had never cared for moral crusaders, they ultimately turned out to be bully's and trash hidden behind the veneer of social acceptability. Nice was not going to work here.

Lars was opening his mouth to speak, about some other outrage no doubt. Eirene shot him a look that could be fairly described as withering.

"There will not be any gardening today." Eirene said in a clear, even tone. Eirene was coldly confident (and heavily armed), giving weight to her words.

[Navarre]

Navarre inclined her head toward the tanned woman and smiled. She remained silent and stared at her for a moment, speaking veiled threats through her eyes. This woman could be a problem. No doubt she was the gnome's assistant: Such a small creature wouldn't bully a shopkeeper without some hired help. If she dared to try anything, she would find herself in the same position as her master -- or worse, depending on her mood.

She chuckled. "Oh, I'm not so certain about that. It would be improper of my me to neglect my duties, my dear. I'm sure you understand."

Her eyes drifted over to her publicist, who, as she hoped, was standing nearby with a pen in hand, ready to take down the juicy details of their upcoming conversation. The odds were in her favor: The gnome, judging from his fine clothing and aggressive expression, he appeared to be the villain here. A wealthy lord or businessman, no doubt harassing an innocent shopkeeper. A weed among the upper class would be quite a find. She needed to find out more about this man. Regardless of the outcome, someone would be getting slandered in her next wave of propaganda.

"You are the owner of this fine establishment, are you not?" she asked Peppercorn. "I had intended to speak with you about these troubling times, but I see there are more pressing matters at hand." She looked down at Lars like a tigress sizing up her meal. "Although many gnomes are fine and respectable citizens, as a whole they are a... suspect class. If this man is oppressing you, I would love to hear the details."