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BAIRNELL'S FOOTHOLD - THE MYSTERIOUS MEERKAT - AFTERNOON
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Narrator: The normally busy bar is mysteriously quiet today, the patrons have been shooed out for some 'special patrons' today, several rough looking customers are in the bar, snakes and others sitting at the tables, while several of the private rooms have been claimed in the back, with the staff of the bar catering to this crew of ne'er do wells rather frantically.
Gareth approaches the Mysterious Meerkat, a letter in hand bearing a familiar crest stamped next to the writer's signature. Without much fanfare at all, he makes his way into the bar, only to pause and look around as he suddenly feels a bunch of eyes turn to him. "Uh..."
Narrator: The crew of the Emerald Crown eye Gareth up and down, but one of the snakes coiled in the back notices him and whistles him towards the back hall, leading to the private rooms. "Gareth Gwynn, eh? Weapons out. You know the drill."
Gareth laughs a bit as he nods and folds up the letter. He tucks that away in his overcoat before he starts to remove his weapons as usual while making his way over to the one that called him. "O' course. Guess I was just surprised to see ye bein' so open about this. Rentin' out the entire common room and backrooms, ye know?"
Narrator: The bouncer shrugs, "Queen's in a good mood. Gave her word not to start any trouble unless the townsfolks come looking for it. Reckon you know what'll happen to anyone who breaks the Queen's word. Besides, our gold's as good here as anywhere else." He takes the look a rather fine looking dagger that Gareth hands him, then hands it back. "You can keep that one. A uh, token of trust." With that, he slithers out of the way, motioning for Gareth to head down towards the private room in the back.
Gareth accepts the dagger back and slips it back into its (almost completely hidden) sheath in his boot. "Aye, thank ye kindly. I know better than to cause any trouble, especially fer the fine folks o' the Emerald Crown." He flashes a bit of a grin, then heads down the hallway to the room at the back.
Yanahuatl lays coiled at the head of a table within the private room, several other Captains from her fleet around her as they have a fairly casual meeting. She's in slightly more casual attire than the last time Gareth saw her, though still wearing her leather overcoat. Less jewelry and flare at the moment, though she remains quite imposing. As Gareth knocks, she nods to one of the guards standing at the door, who opens it for the wolf, "Ah! Gareth! Come in, come in! I am ssso glad you anssswered our letter."
Gareth dips into a respectful bow as he enters the room. "O' course, Captain Yana. Ye hinted at somethin' o' considerable interest in the letter, but even then..." He grins as he rises back up, "Not like I'm the sort to ignore a letter from a friend, aye?"
Yanahuatl grins wickedly, waving a hand to dismiss the others around the table. The Captains file out of the back room, their business concluded for the moment, lastly the guard at the door follows suit, leaving Gareth alone with Yanahuatl. She motions for the wolf to take a seat "Yesss! I am glad you sssee it like that! Makesss thingsss easssier. Our little arrangement hasss already been profitable for both of usss, no?"
Gareth chuckles and nods as he moves out of the way of the others, respectfully dipping his head at them as they file past. Once everyone is out, he goes to take a seat as offered. "Aye, that it has! We've not had any issues, and the guards that sail with me know the drill by now. The pirate "raids" by the Pirate Queen o' Orela have definitely been helpin' to keep other pirates well clear o' me ships."
Yanahuatl gives Gareth a calculating grin, reaching down under the table to retrieve a rather pecular looking bottle. "Yesss, mossst profitable indeed. And ssso I began to think, what elssse ssshould friendsss do for one another, yesss?" She pours the wine into two glasses, and passes one to Gareth. The other, she lifts herself. "First, a drink. Tell me what you think of thisss wine."
Gareth accepts the offered glass, and spends a few seconds examining it as one should for any proper wine. Once he's bidden to do so, he takes a sip, only to immediately note how unusual it is compared to the wines he's familiar with. "Hmm... considerin' the focus ye want me to put on it... Nothin' like anythin' I've tried before. I'd go as far as to call it exotic, even. O' course... I'm guessin' ye've got some good ideas brewin' in yer head about wherever this wine came from?" He smirks as he talks, knowing full well that Yanahuatl is crafty enough to be leading his questioning along to get to the point.
Yanahuatl takes a sip, "It isss a Eukune vintage. Pre-War. Their war, that isss. My Mother negotiated for thisss bottle, ssso I sssuggest you Savor it." She puts particular emphases on 'savor', watching Gareth. "Did your crew ever deal with Eukune goodsss? Quite a profitable market in Ondoga for those goodsss. Very rare, and my Mother made sssure to corner that market."
Gareth pauses as he continues to examine the wine in the glass. He's definitely taking the opportunity to savor it, even without being prompted, and he's quite obviously liking the taste the more he gets used to the profile. "The Victory North? Almost never, as far back as I can remember. We were too far to the north fer most goods to make it through, but the rare things that weren't claimed were worth quite a bit."
Yanahuatl nods, having already known the answer before she asked. But ahh, a bit of drama is always fun, and she does enjoy indulging in the theatric from time to time. "A pity. The black market for Eukune goodsss hasss always been good, but sssadly, nothing lassssts forever." She drains the last of the wine from her glass and rubs her finger along the rim. "Their unification hasss endured, and sssuddenly Eukune isss looking out towardsss itsss neighborsss in Orela and thinking it isss time to open more legitimate trade channelsss. Once thossse goodsss become more widely available through open channelsss, our profit will become much sssmaller. Ah, tragedy becomesss opportunity with the right friendsss, yesss? If, for inssstance, I knew sssomeone with a legitimate trading company who could arrive before anyone elssse even knew of sssuch an oppotunity, why, they could negotiate exclusssive rightsss to Eukune trade... incoming AND outgoing. Quite a bit of profit to be had there, yesss?"
Gareth blinks at Yanahuatl over the rim of his glass, having been in the middle of another sip when she drops a hefty bit of info on him. He hums quietly as he lowers the glass, thinking deeply for a second. "So... they've managed to secure a lastin' peace, aye? Gettin' a foot in the door ahead o' anyone else would net the best o' deals... and doin' so as a fresh company would be quite a boost to profits, fer certain." He tosses Yanahuatl a smirk as he gestures with his free hand, "Sounds like ye might have some plans brewin', Yana. Ye've got me interest."
Yanahuatl grins wickedly. She always has plans brewing. "Quite ssso. Yearsss of trade with my crew and the localsss have engendered certain trusssts. And our friendssship of courssse meansss I thought of you firssst. I can make arrangementsss. You only need to work out a deal that sssatisfies both you and our new friendsss in Eukune. I already have arrangementsss with both sssides, which will, of courssse, continue, at a higher rate from now, as a resssult of your increasssed good fortune, yesss?"
Gareth laughs and nods. "O' course! Bigger profits means more to go around, aye? Besides, with the company still growin', that's goin' to be a lot more money goin' into the business bank account. An increased rate is only fair, within reason."
Yanahuatl shrugs slightly, "But of courssse! You are a friend, Gareth. Never let it be sssaid that the Pirate Queen isss not as generousss to her friendsss as ssshe isss brutal to her enemiesss." She hums, the deadly glint in her eye passes quickly, she is, as the guard said, in a good mood. "There may come other thingsss from thisss arrangement which I desssire, but we can negotiate that at your leisssure, of courssse. For now, consssider thisss opportunity a gift."
Gareth dips his head in a bow again. "It's a gift well appreciated, Yana. If ye've anythin' in particular that ye'd like to get from Eukune, I'll see what I can arrange, once I set out fer that way. I've got a shipment arranged to head to Orela on one o' me ships, but I think a trip to Eukune would be one I best take in person. Who knows what kind o' things I could get me hands on."
Yanahuatl shifts back upon her coils, lifting the wine bottle once again to examine it. "Perhapsss more of thisss vintage of wine, hm? I find the tassste sssomewhat cloying, to tell the truth. But it isss a rare treat. It was mother'sss favorite."
Gareth chuckles. "It's unusually sweet, aye. I'll poke around when I pull into port in Eukune, and see what I can find fer ye. I know the wine market is one that tends to pay quite nicely fer transport o' goods n timely fashion... and they tend to be good targets fer piracy, due to the cost o' the stuff."
Yanahuatl chuckles, setting the bottle down. "I am aware, yes. It is an option, but I shall leave that to you."
Gareth smirks as he nods. "The info's goin' to be quite valuable, Yana. I'll give it some thought, see what opportunities are present, and keep ye in the loop goin' forward."
Yanahuatl grins, "You know how to contact me. Rest assured, your correspondance shall always reach me directly, Gareth. We shall not wait long in Bairnell's, lest we overstay our welcome. I much prefer the locals to celebrate our arrival and our gold, then grow weary of us and seek their sense of 'justice'. These kinds of ports are rare."
Gareth laughs a bit and continues to enjoy the remainder of the wine in his glass. "Aye, that they are. It isn't often Bairnell's Folly gets such a well-to-do visitor and her crew, though, so might as well enjoy while yer here." He sighs a bit as he relaxes in his seat, "I think I just need to talk to Fury and see about gettin' the ship ready fer a trip to Eukune, but I'll be ready to head out soon enough."
Yanahuatl hums, "Ah, your partner, yesss. Give her my regardsss." She pauses, considering. "Or perhapsss don't. Sssomething tellsss me we would not get along."
Gareth vaguely waves a hand. "Maybe, maybe not. Either way, she'd know not to cause trouble with ye." He chuckles, "She wouldn't hear the end o' it from me if she decided to go crashin' through the roof o' yer ship, assumin' she even got off o' the ship alive after that."
Yanahuatl laughs, still grinning as she humorless says "She would not." Her expression lightens immediately after, "But I am sssure it will never come to that, ssso let usss put it out of our mindsss."
Gareth laughs as well, nodding along. "Aye, no need to worry about somethin' that won't happen anyway." He downs the last bit of his wine, then grins, "So... how's Orela been treatin' ye as o' late? I haven't been able to linger there as long as I'd like, these last couple o' trips."
Yanahuatl gives a dramatic sigh, "Orela. Ahh, where to begin." With a slightly more causal atmosphere, the two begin to discuss the more mundane occurances and gossip around the trade routes, with Yanahuatl offering another glass of the exotic wine, the two catch up like old friends.