fairyland fun! (your levels of fun may vary)

[fair_trouble]

[New day, new town, and hopefully new opportunities. Specifically opportunities to make some money because Zel and Emery’s funds have been running kind of low after their most recent misadventure. This has meant a temporary separation while Zelgadis goes to look for merc-type work and potential cure leads and Emery goes around chatting up the locals without terrifying them.

Or at least that was the plan, until Calanthe showed up.

By the time Zel gets back to the inn, Emery’s still busy talking to Calanthe in their inn room, although the conversation’s just about wrapping up. If he’s perceptive he might even catch a bit of Emery’s words.

“...some funds this time? ...Seriously, is that it? He’s always such a cheapskate. …Okay I got it. I’ll see you later.”

A few moments later a woman wearing a green cloak exits their inn room. Her hood is up, partly obscuring a pale face and hair, and she barely spares anyone a passing glance as she drifts down the hallway.

Emery is still standing inside the inn room looking pensive, but when Zel enters he’ll give him a bright smile.]

Oh! Hey, Zel. Did you manage to find anything?

Comments

[fair_trouble]

[Emery squeezes in besides Zel to be polite, but he very quickly kind of wishes he could wait outside. The space is not only small, but very warm thanks to the little metal stove the Hob sits in front of, and it's not a situation that's going to be improved by the addition of two bodies. Ah well.

Even if one doesn't know much about how goblins age, it's pretty obvious that the Hob is a very old man- he's thin and fragile looking, almost entirely bald except for some wisps of grey hair at the base of his skull, and his skin and eyes are a pale wilted brown-grey, as old age has leeched not just his green but his color entirely.

He gives the two of them an assessing look and oddly, it's not Zelgadis who the Hob's gaze lingers on for longer.

Well, maybe it would be understandable if it were more of a leer (in case anyone forgot, Emery would like to remind everyone that he is very attractive), but there's nothing indecent about the Hob's gaze, it's merely thoughtful. Emery returns the gaze calmly, and soon enough the Hob resumes eye contact with Zel.

"And who do you mean by we?"]

[chimerad]

[with gestures:] Zegladis. Emery.

I can do more of the heavy lifting or whatever grunt work will cover the ride and roof.

[fair_trouble]

And I'm not as strong as this guy but I can handle a bit of manual labor myself.

[Just saying! Emery knows they're going for the noble pretty boy and manservant dynamic, but he's not fragile!

The Hob thinks for a moment, looking neither pleased nor displeased by this offer. "There's a lot to do in a caravan. You'd have to handle the cargo, care for the donkeys, help with the cleanup-" He goes on listing various things, although to Emery's ear none of it sounds that much out of the realm of what traveling normally entails.

Afterwards, the Hob segues into "Now if none of that is a problem for you, then we may be able to come to an agreement. Of course, there's also the matter of finances."

Beat. "The cost of extra provisions, as well as any wear and tear to our equipment..."

Ah, Emery thinks. He's trying to see if he can wring some money out of them as well as free labor.]

[chimerad]

[the ridge of Zel's brow lifts a little. damn, short guy's got audacity.

blandly:] If paying our way through labor wasn't enough, then would you rather we just pay silver and skip giving you any help whatsoever in exchange?

[fair_trouble]

["That depends. How much silver are we offering?"

One can tell the Hob's a merchant. Emery watches Zel's reactions sidelong; he doesn't mind if they give up a few coins, but they'll need money for further down the road. He trusts Zel's experienced enough not to get flustered by this sort of thing, however.]

[chimerad]

Cost of a room for a night at an inn seems fair. More than what folks pay to take a wagon cab.

[he's split on this: part of him wants to win just on the principle that winning is good, but part of him isn't completely jazzed about sharing the road with a bunch of strangers. makes it hard to feel comfortable alone with Emery!

...but Emery did ask him to give this a shot, so he can't lose, either. that's uncool.]

-dreamwidth wdym this was five days ago

[fair_trouble]

["Well then, how about..."

The Hob tosses out a few figures, and in the grand tradition of haggling he initially starts higher than what is clearly reasonable but is easily argued down to a modest price. Emery's familiar with the procedure, although despite the best attempts of his dad and his dad's family he's never been a hard bargainer himself.

Once a price is settled on the Hob finally nods, and turns to Emery.

"Emery, could you go and find my granddaughter, Tantabel? Tell her we need the box of spring tisane?"]

-To seal the deal?

["Yes, that's right."

Emery clarifies mostly for Zel's sake. It's traditional in the fae realm for contracts to be sealed by splitting some food or drink. That said, he's still surprised- for an agreement this small, most people probably wouldn't bother.

Is the Hob just an overly formal sort, or is there something else behind the errand?]

its ok my lagtimes are worse

[chimerad]

[the notion gives Zel pause, too, and he realizes in dreadful hindsight that it was probably not smart to give them him their actual names. would it be worse with it in writing, bound by some shared drink as well?

he shoots a furtive glance at Emery, but ultimately stays silent, feeling it a bit too late to back out without rousing suspicion on them as some kind of con artists or worse.

he's going to try to trust the process here. sort of.

...actually he's just going to stare a bit too intensely at this Hob guy when Emery exits, ears straining to keep Emery's movements tracked just in case while he slowly counts out the agreed-upon sum.]

[fair_trouble]

Alright, I'll be back in a minute.

[Emery feels around for the doorknob and then crawls backwards out of the caravan with about as much dignity as one can muster under the circumstances. It's a relief to be out of the cramped, warm caravan, but he hopes Zelgadis will be okay alone with the Hob...

It's shortly after Emery's left and is presumably out of earshot that the Hob speaks.

"There's something I'd like to clarify before we finalize our agreement." The Hob frowns at Zel. "Your companion, Emery. Is he a human?"]

[chimerad]

[the question catches Zel off-guard, who stays quite still for a beat to consider how to answer. what are the consequences of being human in this land? do the creatures here like to take advantage of their like?

and moreover:] Isn't that a question for him?

[fair_trouble]

[The Hob looks nonplussed by the deflection, and then his gaze gets positively gimlet.

"No. I'm asking you."

(Meanwhile, elsewhere in the area, Emery is getting into small talk with some members of the caravan.)]

[chimerad]

[his eyes narrow.]

Why does it matter, one way or the other? [maybe it's an upcharge? maybe it's something worse.]

[fair_trouble]

[And now the Hob's beginning to look irritated. "Have you ever dealt with humans before? Do you know how much trouble it can be? If you're really just a pair of vacationers going to see the Ganaranth then I have no quarrel with that, but if you're one of those fools trying to curry favor with the nobility by bringing them a human then our caravan doesn't want any part with that sort of thing."

(Current Emery status: Asking for the whereabouts of Tantabel.)]

[chimerad]

[Zelgadis bristles, feeling a hot feeling in him; his eyes sharpen.]

I'm not a trafficker, and I have no business with higher-ups. Emery's here of his own accord, and I'm here at his request, no other's.

[is that what humans are seen as here? toys for nobility?

...is that what Emery is?]

[fair_trouble]

[A touch of befuddlement colors the Hob's wrinkled features, but he's still clearly suspicious.

"Then what are you? What is your relationship to that person?"

(Emery's current status: Found Tantabel, is asking about the tisane.)]

[chimerad]

[this is none of this guy's business! does he want the money or not?!

prickly:] As I said before: I'm his bodyguard. So if anyone tries any of that business, they'll deal with--

[with Emery poking back in, prompting Zel to bite back on his remark and glance over his shoulder.]

[fair_trouble]

[Emery squeezes his way into the caravan, holding up a small box with flowers carved into it.]

Hey~ I got the tea! I do hope you two weren't terribly bored without me.

[Emery grins as if he's entirely oblivious to any tension within the wagon... Though his gaze goes from the Hob's suspicious face to Zel's pricklier expression, then back again.

Alright. What the fuck did these two talk about while he was gone.]

So. Are we drinking this or what?

[The Hob accepts the box Emery holds out, but he doesn't open it and still frowns. After a moment's thought, he seems to come to a decision.

"Are you a human?"

Emery blinks.]

No. I mean, I have some human ancestry, but the rest of me's seelie.

[The Hob's brow furrows but after a moment he shrugs. "Oh, I see. You're one of those situations. You'll pardon my directness, but your bodyguard was being evasive."

So saying, the Hob turns to the little wood stove and begins preparing the herbal tea.]

[chimerad]

[irritably:] I'm not in the business of airing out other people's business behind their backs.

[the pout is hidden by his mask, but Emery doubtless can imagine it lining his features as he shoots a glower his way.]

[fair_trouble]

[Emery's expression is sunny, as if the Hob just pointed out a silly little quirk of Zelgadis's and Zel had laughed it off.]

He's very protective. And terribly loyal. I couldn't ask for a better guard.

[Emery doesn't actually see any pouts directed his way, as he's keeping his eye on the tea making process. But the Hob doesn't do anything untoward, and when he hands Emery a steaming cup of minty tea Emery can't detect any whiffs of magic to it.

The Hob raises his own cup as if to propose a toast. "Your silver in exchange for room, board, and transport to Fairford."]

Cheers~

[Emery blows on the tea and takes a swig; if Zel hesitates to do the same Emery will carefully elbow him and give him a smile. It's fine, don't worry.]

[chimerad]

[Zel does look for that cue, though he does feel a bit of indignation. what, like he should be embarrassed about being wary? no way! he's doing his best, dammit!

that said, he ducks his head a bit after taking the tea, hoping his hair can obscure much of his face when he pulls his mask down to have a small sip, after which the mask goes back up and his hand moves to push the silver toward the Hob, nodding.

done is done. he hopes they won't have to talk with the Hob every night of the trip...]

[fair_trouble]

[The Hob accepts the silver, slipping it into some secret pocket within his vest, and Emery downs the last of his tea. He gives the Hob a genial bow, insomuch as the size of the wagon allows for it.]

Thank you for your hospitality. I look forward to the rest of our trip.

[Emery dearly wants to ask about the conversation Zel had with the Hob, but when they get out there are a bunch of random members of the caravan loitering around the Hob's wagon. Doubtless curious about the weird, tall guests they have, but trying not to make it obvious.

Resigning any proper conversation and privacy for later down the road, Emery stretches, then turns to Zel.]

Tantabel mentioned there's rabbit stew cooking. Want to grab some?

[chimerad]

[despite the usefulness of being in secure company, part of Zel wishes negotiations had turned south, given them an excuse to bug off, be alone... how many days was he going to be under goblin scrutiny now? he's not secure enough in himself to be the boyfriend-bodyguard in such company, so he must now be punished by boiling in frustration.

the prompt pulls him out of said boil:] Hmh? [what? food?] Oh. Sure.

[he'll follow Emery along to the cooking fire.]

[fair_trouble]

[A few flimsy benches and chairs are arranged around the fire, where various other goblins have gathered in anticipation of supper. Tantabel and another, slightly younger goblin woman are busy attending to the rabbit stew. The pot is big enough that they have to stand on a stool in order to comfortably stir it.

Not trusting any of the chairs to hold Zel's weight or fit either of them comfortably, Emery opts to sit on a blanket that's been laid out instead, and gestures Zel to sit with them.

And naturally Emery and Zel attract attention, so Emery takes it upon himself to chat with the goblins that sit near to them.]

The Hob's letting us tag along to Fairford. [...] I'm Emery, that's Zelgadis. He's my bodyguard. [...] Yeah, I do! And we're just sightseeing, what about you? I hear you've got a stall at the Fairford Market? [...] Oh, what kind of boxes?

[And so on and so forth. Soon enough, the stew is ready and the women are passing out bowls of fresh stew and hunks of chewy, unleavened bread.

As soon as Zel's had some:]

How do you like it?

[chimerad]

[it feels much more comfortable to be Emery's silent prop sitting at his side, letting the other chat leisurely and leave a far better impression than Zelgadis himself could even in his best mood. he's about as content as he can be in the situation to be as such, but does lift his head a bit when Emery prompts for a response.]

Decent.

[it's just trail food, you know? not like a good sit-down place.

...but also, he almost fucking died at the last sit-down place, so:] ...Pretty decent.

[fair_trouble]

I think it's good. Beats eating fish on a stick over a campfire at least, right?

[Emery can tolerate such simple fare of course, but he prefers his fish cut up and deboned before eating. ymmv

Ale is passed around after a good chunk of the stew has been consumed, and several members of the caravan grow more gregarious, particularly since Emery's proven himself receptive to socialization. Thus, there's quite a bit more conversation to be had by Emery while Zel sits there like a rock.

A few goblins will try and engage Zel in conversation as well... but Emery decides that Zel has probably had Enough by now so he tends to draw those people in as well.

And at the end of supper, despite Zelgadis having paid money for the two of them to stay and not have to work to earn their keep, Emery volunteers to go fetch water from the spring for washing up.

Actually, he volunteers Zel as well.]

Zel's really strong, so it'll go faster if we do it!