Perfect.
The bartering was quaint but Tarot was barely listening to the heartfelt plea of the man that so desperately wanted this coat. It was likely that if it had been anyone else, absolutely anyone else, Tarot would have let it go for what the man had in his pockets with a promise to collect on the interest later. But this was Osric he was talking to, and he knew Osric was good for the money and therefore pinning him with interest was not going to do much to expand Tarot's coffers.
But what was why the smile that spread on his face and brought a dangerous shine to Tarot's eyes grew larger by every passing moment. It was a delight to have someone in this state--very nearly titillating to the proprieter of the Crooked Phoenix; the thrill of victory when truly anything was possible.
Coming out from behind the counter, he put an arm around Osric's shoulders, clicking his tongue and speaking in one of the more deeply patronizing tones he saved for only those he marked being largely familiar to him. "Osric, Osric, Osric. Now, I know you're good for the money but I have bills to pay and a moon is too long for me to wait on a promise of money." He patted the man fondly on the chest as if speaking to a dear brother or friend, confiding in him some shameful secret. "Rest assured I understand your plight all too fully and that is why I must sadly say I cannot wait for funding for another month to let the articles go today."
He paused, then looked him over a moment, putting him at arms length and comparing their height. "However, perhaps you could do me a favor in exchange. I know you're in good with the Flames--" He forced himself to not snicker at the little charade he kept up concerning that and his ignorance about Blades and Flames, "So, why don't we do this. You pay for everything today and I will hold the coat and accoutrements here. You run along home and bring back to me a full Flames uniform to fit my robust self..."
He leaned in close, blue-and-gold eyes sparking with a deeper meaning. "I would like something authentic for a costume party, you see, and I really am not in a place to have an armor maker whip me up something convincing. It need not be anything fancy--no officer's gear or anything. Just a basic uniform. Can you do that for poor old Tarot? If you can then I can part with your coat and we can call the rest of the amount paid in full..."
It might be difficult to tell which was worse; the meaning behind the words or the fact that his tone was so genuinely, almost sickeningly sincere, you'd have thought it was a child speaking for a moment. "Besides, my Namesday is coming up. And let's not forget what happened last year when you made my Namesday sour with your bout of clumsiness. I know Moggie hasn't forgotten."
The bartering was quaint but Tarot was barely listening to the heartfelt plea of the man that so desperately wanted this coat. It was likely that if it had been anyone else, absolutely anyone else, Tarot would have let it go for what the man had in his pockets with a promise to collect on the interest later. But this was Osric he was talking to, and he knew Osric was good for the money and therefore pinning him with interest was not going to do much to expand Tarot's coffers.
But what was why the smile that spread on his face and brought a dangerous shine to Tarot's eyes grew larger by every passing moment. It was a delight to have someone in this state--very nearly titillating to the proprieter of the Crooked Phoenix; the thrill of victory when truly anything was possible.
Coming out from behind the counter, he put an arm around Osric's shoulders, clicking his tongue and speaking in one of the more deeply patronizing tones he saved for only those he marked being largely familiar to him. "Osric, Osric, Osric. Now, I know you're good for the money but I have bills to pay and a moon is too long for me to wait on a promise of money." He patted the man fondly on the chest as if speaking to a dear brother or friend, confiding in him some shameful secret. "Rest assured I understand your plight all too fully and that is why I must sadly say I cannot wait for funding for another month to let the articles go today."
He paused, then looked him over a moment, putting him at arms length and comparing their height. "However, perhaps you could do me a favor in exchange. I know you're in good with the Flames--" He forced himself to not snicker at the little charade he kept up concerning that and his ignorance about Blades and Flames, "So, why don't we do this. You pay for everything today and I will hold the coat and accoutrements here. You run along home and bring back to me a full Flames uniform to fit my robust self..."
He leaned in close, blue-and-gold eyes sparking with a deeper meaning. "I would like something authentic for a costume party, you see, and I really am not in a place to have an armor maker whip me up something convincing. It need not be anything fancy--no officer's gear or anything. Just a basic uniform. Can you do that for poor old Tarot? If you can then I can part with your coat and we can call the rest of the amount paid in full..."
It might be difficult to tell which was worse; the meaning behind the words or the fact that his tone was so genuinely, almost sickeningly sincere, you'd have thought it was a child speaking for a moment. "Besides, my Namesday is coming up. And let's not forget what happened last year when you made my Namesday sour with your bout of clumsiness. I know Moggie hasn't forgotten."
![[Image: tumblr_na3nykiJYw1tj8x6po1_400.jpg]](https://31.media.tumblr.com/9aff6ba119629667e6fc2104ce65b848/tumblr_na3nykiJYw1tj8x6po1_400.jpg)
