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The Big Oof! Volume 2 Chapter 47: Finding a New Employer
🕑 Added 2023-06-15 09:16:30 +0000 UTCElijah finally descended the stairs into the common hall after enduring an entire night of relentless questioning from two extremely curious women. Even following their rather modest meal, they had kept him captive, bombarding him with question after question, trying to find any flaw in his story.
To make matters worse, he noticed a substantial shift in Auri’s behavior and tone as became absolutely relentless and merciless in her interrogation. Trying to break him, seeking any hint of deception in his words and his only solace was the fact he wasn’t alone. Even after Bennett had long since gone to bed, Azeline sat there right next to him, enduring the same treatment, thinking her story was just some kind of well-constructed lie.
Upon entering the common, Elijah let out a deep yawn as he scanned the room. His eyes finally fell upon Bennett sitting alone at a table, mechanically shoveling spoons full of porridge in his mouth.
“Have fun last night?” Bennett said in a deadpan voice as Elijah pulled a chair and sat down.
Giving his Engineer a snarl, Elijah sat down on the chair with a heavy thud and propped his head up with one hand. “Fuck you.” He replied in a tired and irritated tone.
Bennett smirked, unfazed by Elijah's response. "Why yes, I did indeed get a decent night's sleep, thanks for asking."
A deep sigh left Elijah’s lips as he rolled his eyes “Eat my ass." he shot back, scanning the room for a barmaid. “Where’d ya get the food?” He grumbled, using his free hand to rub an eye in an effort to shake off the lingering exhaustion.
“Her.” Bennett pointed at one of those Satyr-like creatures that just so happened to exit the kitchen.
Elijah turned his head to see the barmaid letting out a heavy sigh as she placed an empty platter on top of the counter. And when their gazes met, the Satyr cocked her head in curiosity, trying to determine if the man was genuinely looking at her or if he was simply dozing off. However, it soon became clear that his eyes were indeed fixed on her after the groggy patron sluggishly waved in her direction.
"Um, can I help you?" she asked nervously, her hooves shifting as she approached the table.
"May I-” Elijah let out a large yawn. “Get some food too, please?” He finished in a tired and garbled voice.
The Enaeris barmaid head shifted between the strange man and the simple breakfast next to his companion before she responded. "Ah! You'd like some porridge?" she asked, attempting to clarify his request. Elijah simply nodded as he tried his best to keep his eyes open.
"Of course! I'll get you a bowl right away," the barmaid said, somewhat amused by the patron’s sleepy state. She then turned around and quickly made her way back to the kitchen as Elijah’s eyes lingered on her rear for a moment.
His expression then became complicated for a brief moment as his eyes shifted to the side in contemplation. He couldn’t help but wonder why the proportions on the Not-Satyrs were so good and whether the exhaustion over the past couple of days was affecting his judgment and.
"It's always nice to see that you're not only as articulate as ever, but you're also indiscriminate in your thirsting," Bennett commented with an amused smirk on his face. “Furry.”
Elijah shifted his head towards Bennett for a moment and scanned the table for anything to throw at him. However, his Engineer was a step faster. Bennett reached forward and grabbed the mug of white liquid and any utensils that were within arm's length of his Captain, effectively foiling any attempt at retaliation.
A grumble left Elijah's mouth as he shifted his gaze over to an Aethari woman who was bent over trying to clean a particularly long table. While not as... supple, he appreciated the elegant beauty that the Elves usually possessed. Elijah admired her delicate features, light brown hair, and all natural slender figure. It was a stark contrast to the more robust and curvaceous Satyr’s and he could appreciate the beautiful imperfections of them all.
Modern society had gone hog wild with body sculpting and gene-modding to a point where everyone was virtually perfect. Not that he could talk, Elijah himself had gotten some work done. Cosmetic enhancements were practically the norm back home, and Elijah had chosen a few improvements to make himself both more intimidating and charismatic, which had helped a great deal in his career as a mercenary and an independent cargo hauler.
But there was something refreshingly authentic about the people in this world. Their physical imperfections, their diversity, and their raw, unaltered beauty captivated him. It was a refreshing change from the sterile perfection he had grown accustomed to. However, Bennett was the only exception to this rule. The man couldn’t give a rat's ass about what anyone thought of him and chose to shove as much technology into his body as possible without going full borg.
“Don’t get anyone or anything pregnant.” Bennett said, sipping on the mug of white liquid. “We can’t afford that shit right now.”
Elijah lip curled in irritation and refused to justify the comment with a response. Instead, he decided to change the subject. "Ulina managed to scrape together a couple of jobs for us. One’s personally from the Tavern, the other is for these Taskers to gauge whether we’re shitbags or not."
Bennett raised an eyebrow in interest. "Oh? What do these jobs entail? And how much are we getting paid for them?"
Eyeing the mug of white liquid for a moment Elijah finally lifted his head off of his hand and chose instead to lean back against his chair. "First job is for me, really. Basically they want me to treat a few mercs that got messed up on a job.” He said in irritation. “Not sure about the second one though, some dude is allegedly supposed to be making his way here in an hour or two to give us details.”
“Shoulda just shut the fuck up about being a medic.” Bennett said, taking another sip.
“Nah, there’s a reason why I mentioned it.” Elijah replied, stretching out his arms and letting out a satisfied squeal. “Not only would they be much more interested in keeping us around, but they’ll also go out of their way to keep our presence hidden.” He explained, giving Bennett a sly smirk. “Oh and they’re paying us an assload if I patch them up, along with other favors.”
A thoughtful look covered Bennett’s face until it morphed into one of understanding. “Ahhhhh, alright. Fair enough.” He said, shrugging his arms.
“Mhmmm.” Elijah hummed in agreement as his eyes once again fell on the mug. “What is that anyways? Gimme some.” He asked, stretching his arm forward.
Bennett took one last sip before sliding the mug across the table and stared at Elijah with interest. "It's a local drink and' It's quite good, actually."
Elijah raised an eyebrow before grabbing the mug and taking a cautious sip. He then made a complicated face as he started to repeatedly smack his tongue, trying to make sense of the familiar flavor. "Huh," he finally said, still smacking his tongue. Taking another sip and focusing on the taste, Elijah’s eyes narrowed in realization. “Bro, this is MILK.”
“Yep.” Bennett replied, grabbing the mug from Elijah’s hand and taking another swig. “It’s not as fatty, but it's definitely milk. Tastes pretty fresh too."
Scrunching his face in disbelief, Elijah sat there for a moment, processing the information. "I get that biology here is pretty similar but," he paused for a second, trying to grasp the similarities between this world and his own. “Why the hell does it taste like cow milk?”
Bennett shrugged as he continued to drink his milk. "I dunno, maybe they have cows or something here. Or it could be from those weird Bison things we saw at that shithole of a village."
Looking up in thought, Elijah hemmed and hawed as tried to recall the details of the village they had passed through. "Eh…. Maybe.” He said, remembering how they also looked like a weird mix of a Bison and a Rhino. “I dunno, my gut tells me that isn’t quite right.”
Just then, the kitchen doors burst open and out came the Enaeris barmaid with a mug and a steaming bowl of porridge sat nicely upon a platter. She approached Elijah and Bennett's table with a warm smile. "Here you go, one bowl of porridge and another mug of milk," she said, placing the items in front of Elijah.
Elijah hummed in interest as he looked down at his newly acquired bowl. He could tell from the smell alone that he was in for a treat due to the creamy smell that wafted from the bowl. "Ohhhhh, thanks!" Elijah replied with a little bit of life streaming back into his voice. However, before he took a bite, he paused and turned to the barmaid. "Hey, I've got a question. Where does this milk come from?”
The Barmaid chuckled softly at his curiosity. “Oh well… We make it in-house so it's nice and fresh!”
Bennett raised an eyebrow and interjected into the conversation. “Really? In-house?” He asked, trying to remember if he managed to see if the establishment had land necessary to facilitate animals to milk.
But before they could further their questioning, a yawn echoed out as Auri and Azeline pulled out a chair at their table. “G’morning boys…” Azeline said sleepily. “Get us some breakfast too, if you would please?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.
"Sure thing, no problem!" The barmaid responded happily, trotting away to prepare the newcomers' meals.
Another yawn left Azeline’s mouth as he looked at the two humans. “Ulina came and woke us up, the Tasker should be here any minute.” She said before grabbing Elijah’s mug taking a sip of milk.
“Hey! That’s mine!” Elijah protested, but Azeline simply ignored it and continued to drink.
Azeline simply waved her hand dismissively as she continued to drink. “Ahh… this is pretty good! Anyways, the Taskers job should be pretty simple.” She said with a casual tone, placing the mug back on the table. "No Tasker worth their salt is going to trust some new band of idiots that pop up, even if they’re recommended by someone reputable."
Seeing that Azeline wasn't going to relinquish his drink, Elijah turned towards his porridge and pouted as he stirred it. However, just before he slipped into sadness, the Barmaid came rushing back with another platter laden with steaming bowls of porridge and mugs of milk. "Here you are!" She announced, placing a mug of Milk in front of Eli giving him a warm smile, before distributing the food to Auri and Azeline.
A large grin spread across Elijah’s face as he grabbed his mug and looked at the girl. “You have no idea how much I love you right now!” He said, taking a deep gulp.
The barmaid had been in the process of placing the platter on the table when she suddenly straightened up, nearly dropping the food. She stared at Elijah with wide eyes and a flushed face. "S-s-sir! We've only just met!" she stammered nervously.
Elijah just stared blankly at her in confusion for a few moments before a mischievous grin formed on his face. He had forgotten how reserved and proper the people of this world were. "Well… if you keep treating me well like this," Elijah chuckled, raising his hands in a reassuring gesture. "I just might, you know. There’s nothing wrong with falling in love with a beautiful… um!" he paused for a moment, looking at Azeline for help.
“Enaeris.” Azeline replied with a roll of her eyes.
“Enaeris, like yourself.” Elijah turned back to the barmaid with his grin still in place.
Still flustered, the Barmaid quickly placed the bowls of porridge in front of the two women seated before covering half of her face with the platter.
Auri, who had been watching the exchange with a tired expression, sighed in exasperation. “So you really are just a charmer.” She said with disdain before turning her head to the Barmaid. “Be careful, this one is only interested in your breeches!” Auri said before taking a bite out of her porridge
The barmaid's face turned an even deeper shade of red. “I-I hope you all enjoy your breakfast!" she shouted before trotting off back to the kitchen.
Both Bennett and Azeline broke into laughter as Elijah narrowed his eyes at Auri before taking a sip from his mug. “THANKS.” He said bitterly. He couldn’t help but wonder who this snarky and brash person was and what she’d done with their timid and nervous Auri.
A contented huff escaped Auri's lips, responding to Elijah's annoyance while she continued to enjoy her meal. The others couldn't help but smile at this new side of Auri they hadn't known existed. It seemed all she needed was to warm up and become comfortable with the group to reveal her true personality.
As they continued to eat their breakfast, the atmosphere around the table continued to be light hearted as the playful banter continued. Each and everyone of the crew had something to tease the other members about and laughed between mouthfuls of porridge and sips of milk.
Just when they finished their humble breakfast, the Tavern doors swung open as Ulina and a large man with a little paunch came strolling in just behind her.
Elijah and Bennett's gazes were immediately drawn to the stout man as they took note of his round face, thin mustache that curved downwards at the ends, and a lengthy goatee that reached the middle of his chest. However, what truly captured their attention was his striking resemblance to a human of Asian descent. The two men seated at the table might have assumed he was indeed a human if it weren't for the monkey tail swaying animatedly behind the paunchy fellow.
“This here the Freelancers?” The large man said, stepping in front of Ulina. His light, but tanned skin glistened with perspiration as he wiped his head with a handkerchief.
Ulina’s head was slightly lowered as she walked forward gesturing towards the crew. “Yes sir! These are the ones!” She said with enthusiasm. “They’re new, but I know they’d be a lot more reliable than even veteran Freelancers!” Ulina continued, trying to sell the group to the man.
The man raised an eyebrow at Ulina's fervor, turning his gaze to the group, taking in their appearances and demeanor.. "Is that so?" He mused uninterestedly, his deep voice resonating in the room. He crossed his arms over his chest, the monkey tail still swaying behind him. “Ya’know, this is a big favor yer askin’ of me.”
Nodding in understanding, Ulina lowered her head once again. "I know, sir, but I truly believe in their potential." She looked back at the crew with a determined expression. "They've already demonstrated they’re quite capable and resourceful. I'm sure they can handle whatever job you have in mind."
Turning a suspicious gaze toward Ulina, the portly man frowned. “Yer pushin’ these guys pretty hard, Ulina.” He said, crossing his arms. “I can’t help but think there’s some kinda catch or baggage associated with ‘em. Especially since yer throwin’ Marruck’s name around.”
Ulina hesitated for a moment, her eyes flicking towards Azeline, then back to the man. "There's no catch or baggage, I promise," she replied, her voice firm. "I've just seen-”
“Alright enough!” The man cut her off. “I don’t need no more bullshit, I’ll give ‘em a chance.” He said, narrowing his eyes. “Just understand that you AND Marruck owe me fer this.”
Relief washed over Ulina’s face as the tension in her shoulders finally eased. "Of course, sir. We won't forget this favor," she promised.
She then looked towards Azeline and gestured towards the Primate next to her. "This is Banri, The Tasker that’s willing to take a chance on you!” She announced, her voice filled with gratitude. "He'll be your handler from here on out until you guys build a reputation."
Azeline nodded, offering a respectful smile to Banri. "Thank you, we appreciate the opportunity and I’m more than confident that you’ll be satisfied with our performance.”
Banri eyed the crew once more, his expression still guarded but with a hint of curiosity. "I ain’t trustin’ you that easy," he said, marching forward to the crew and jabbing his finger on the table. “You ain’t gonna ruin shit fer me in the city if you mess this up. Y'all are gonna be doing jobs fer me OUTSIDE the city.” He said with a stern tone, making it clear that he was dictating the terms.
“That’s fair.” Elijah said, leaning back in his chair. “There’s no reason to run an unknown variable where people can see until you’ve been able to properly vet them”
A look of surprise spread across Banri as he looked at Elijah. Initially, he had assumed he would be working with green Freelancers that he'd have to cut loose after their first gig. However, he was pleasantly taken aback by the level-headed response. "Yer a smart one," he said, pointing at Elijah. "Glad to see that there be some youth that ain’t dumb as rocks.”
Elijah cocked his head and raised an eyebrow at being considered 'youthful,' but then remembered that life extension was most likely not a thing in this world. “Thanks, I try.” He responded with a sly smirk.
“Alright then, maybe y’all ain’t so dumb.” Banri said, leaning against the table. “Alright… I got a job for ye, it’s outside the city, but it’s still work.”
The crew exchanged glances, and Bennett spoke up. "We know we’re fresh off the boat and have no rep. We’ll take whatever we can get."
Banri locked eyes with Bennett and stared at him for a few moments before nodding in approval. “Yer all giving me a good feelin’. Okay, the serfs just out of the east gate have been bitchin’ and moanin’ about their wives and kids goin’ missin’ lately. A whole group of ‘em pooled their money to get someone to go investigate, but of course it ain't much so no one cared to do it.”
"Yer job," Banri continued, his tone serious, "is to find out what’s been causin’ these disappearances and either kill it or report it to the Guard Captain. Tell ‘em good ol’ Banri sent ye and so they’ll know to inform me of your participation.”
He then paused for a bit and looked around at the crew and, then added more details to help the crew understand the scope of their task. "It’s probably nothin’, but in the past few weeks, there's been an alarming increase in reports, even the local hunter have been goin’ missin’ after they took it upon themselves to go searchin’ for their loved ones."
“So we just patrol around and kill whatever’s snatching these Serfs or report back.” Elijah said, balancing his chair on two legs. “Sounds simple enough, when do we start?”
Banri glanced back at Ulina with a raised eyebrow. “I thought they would be askin’ more questions.”
Ulina simply shrugged. “I said they were new to the city, not new to working.” She said, unsure herself of what to make of the two humans sitting at the table.
Looking back at his new workers, Banri let out an amused huff. “Ye’ start tomorrow.”
Comments
scribbles
It can be so.
David Ellis
Please tell me the city is to the east of the serfs so monkey boy here is sending them on a Journey to the West. :)
