Ye Olde Gaol (CLOSED)

[Wicked Basket]

"Recruits," Grazen replied inquisitively. "When you have your heart set on something you don't mess around do."

Grazen's eyes scanned the outside of the inn and peered through the windows.

"I hate inns," he grumbled to himself.

[Brisinger987]

"No, I don't mess around. And you'll put up with it. If you're good, and don't whinge, you might get a little extra from me tonight." Janette walked into the inn, Megraph hanging round her neck, and immediately saw a scene she liked. It was dark, gloomy, but busy, the noise of regular customers enough to drown out anything that Grazen or her said. She walked in a bit further, and immediately someone caught her eye.

He was tall, brutish, and looked like he might have even been half Orc, and he was sat alone drinking a beer. He was ideal, and she was sure she could make a convincing case.

"Over there, in the back, a man on his own, tall, broad, looks like a suitable recruit."

[Wicked Basket]

Grazen followed close behind Janette. There was no way he was going to let her out of his sight in a place like this, plus the prospect of 'a little extra' was very tempting. Janette was quick to point out a very large, brutish fellow who was sitting by himself and mentioned making him their first recruit. Grazen leaned in close so that Janette would be able to hear him over the noise of the tavern.

"This was your idea," Grazen reminded her. "You do the talking. You know how good my people skills are. I'll be right behind you."

[Brisinger987]

"Better be. You're my protection." Janette approached the man, and cleared her throat.

"You look like you don't have enough ale?" Janette's voice changed sound drastically, and it became much more adult, with a heavily seductive and promising tone. She let Megraph slither onto the table, and smiled.

"So how about I get you another?" She beckoned to the waitress to bring three tankards of ale, an produced some coin.

"You better not be tryin' ta pull something funny..." The brutish man frowned, unsure who these two new people were.

[Wicked Basket]

True to his word, Grazen stood close behind Janette. There always seemed to be this odd correlation between a man's temper and his size. The bigger the man, the bigger the temper, and this man was quite large. He was also unsure if the three tankards of ale were all for the large man, or one for each of them. If it was the latter option, then Grazen perhaps should have told her that he didn't drink. Being drunk with a demon lurking within you is a very bad thing.

[Brisinger987]

The waitress brought three tankards, and Janette paid the coin for them. Then she gave a rather mischievous grin.

"Help yourself. And the only thing I ask in return is that you listen to a proposition of mine."

[Wicked Basket]

Grazen was relieved that all of the drinks, but he did think that buying the guy three drinks was a bit much. They were short enough on coin as it was. She was probably trying to give the illusion of being wealthy, but they didn't exactly look the part. Grazen kept his eye on the other patrons in the bar as well as the potential recruit. Things could go bad very fast for very ridiculous reasons in a place like this, and he didn't want to be caught off guard.

[Brisinger987]

"I would like to offer you a permanent position of employment, under someone who can rake in business like a magnet. It would be on a basis of being given a job I deem most suitable, and you will get an 80% cut of the pay of any jobs. The 20% would go towards us finding the jobs for you, and partially to fund more suitable facilities for a man of your professional needs. No swindling, no tricks, no backstabbing. Don't screw us over, and we won't screw you over, simple as that. We'd make it regular too, and if you're not fussy about jobs, then it gets even more regular." Janette scratched under Megraph's chin, and waited for a reply.

The man took a drink, considering the offer in as many ways possible, before deciding.

"Fine. I'll be your employee, your terms sound like something I can work with, and maybe even make a bit o' money off." The man smiled and held out his hand. "The name's Borak. And yourself?"

"I'm Janette, and this is Grazen behind me."

[Wicked Basket]

Grazen gave the man a nod as Janette introduced him, but them continued keeping his eye on the other patrons. He really didn't want to be here longer than was necessary.

[Brisinger987]

"Are you staying here tonight Borak?" Janette enquired, deciding that she might go job hunting for Borak instead of sleeping, and possibly dragging Grazen along, or perhaps leaving him with his hands for company.

"No, I live locally though."

[Wicked Basket]

The later it got, the shadier the patrons entering the bar became. It was getting close to the time of day where that one guy itching for a fight would walk in and start something just for the hell of it. Grazen leaned in close and spoke to Janette so only she could hear.

"The rowdier crowd is beginning to show up. How much longer will we be?"

[Brisinger987]

Janette held her hand up to stop Grazen talking.

"Well then Borak, we'll meet here tomorrow? and we can begin to arrange your first contract with us..." Janette stood up, and smiled, holding out her hand to shake.

"Fine. You better show up though. I don't like people wasting my time..." He shook it, and then grinned.

"Never. We'll see you tomorrow." Janette beckoned for Grazen to follow, and left the inn.

"See, that's not so hard baby, is it?"

[Wicked Basket]

Grazen followed Janette out of the tavern. He was glad to be out of there. He rolled his eyes at her comment, but he could never stay irritated with her for long.

"So, what are our sleeping arrangements going to be like?"

[Brisinger987]

"I know a place..." Janette led him by the hand to another inn, much quieter, on the outskirts of Uthlyn. There, she pulled a favour from the bartender, and got them set up in the guest bedroom, where Janette set her things down, and began to give Grazen a peculiar look.

[Wicked Basket]

Grazen had to admit that he was somewhat impressed by Janette's connections. Once they got into their room, Grazen removed all of his weapons and his boots. When he took off his right boot, he found the dagger that Janette had taken from the demon at the prison. A demon dagger could be quite useful for someone in his profession, but maybe he should give it to Janette to defend herself. She can't always rely on that snake. The dagger also reminded him of how they had planned to put a ward on Janette to protect her from the demon within him. He would have to make arrangements for that as well. Grazen stood and turned to Janette. He saw that look in her eye and knew immediately what she was thinking. Without saying a word, he walked over to her, took her up in his arms, and began kissing her.

[Brisinger987]

The kiss that she gave back almost gave off the message that she was irritated he had taken so long to come and kiss her, but at the same time, it was infused with the passion of a young lover. She broke away briefly and smiled.

"You get something extra for behaving..."

------------------------------------------

((OOC: They're at it like rabbits))

[Wicked Basket]

(OOC Well yeah. It helps you get to sleep. How else would rabbits manage to sleep all winter long so soundly? They wore themselves out through spring and summer. :P )

Grazen awoke the next morning with Janette lying on top of him for the second time in his life. He was starting to like waking up this way. Not wanting to disturb her, he just gently wrapped his arms around her and kissed her lightly on the head. She was so peaceful and beautiful when she slept.

[Brisinger987]

Janette didn't know it yet, but the vivid nightmare she would experience would be the first of many nightmares, that would haunt her forever.

She saw blackened skies, monstrous faces, disturbed characters, distorted darkness, and many other horrors, as she began to toss and turn in Grazens arms. She saw faces in her dream world this time. Faces of people who had tormented her, people who tortured her.

People she never wanted to see again, people she cared for dying, the full blown picture of her misery.

On top of a pile of her family's corpses, sat a pike, with Grazen's head upon it. That was when she screamed in anguish, waking up in a cold sweat.

She looked around, terrified of what was around her, and falling off the bed in the process.

[Wicked Basket]

Grazen, always a light sleeper, was awoken by Janette tossing and turning in his arms. Before he could calm her down, she screamed and rolled right off of the bed. In mere seconds Grazen was on the floor with Janette in his arms, holding her close.

"Shhh. Everything's ok," he whispered. "What happened?"

[Brisinger987]

Janette pushed against Grazen for a minute, then her instincts faltered as she recognised the warm embrace of her lover. And in that moment of comfort every guard she had went down, and she broke. She snapped under every pressure she had ever felt, and began to confess about everything.

About her addictions, her problems, and she just spewed all her troubles, leaving her a trembling, sobbing mess.