"Tch." Her upper lip curled as he sat proper and spoke. She was on the verge of saying something likely regrettable when one of the barmaids arrived, bringing another drink for the man and for Zhavi. The wench dipped into a half-curtsey for him before sweeping up the coin into her apron. Like any good worker, she was there and gone in the time it took to spit, without fuss. If only employers could be so circumspect.
Zhi heaved a huge sigh, the finger picking at the scab on her arm digging into the flesh there: it was the main sign of her annoyance as she considered the man's words.
"'Malready in th'shitter wi'Yayabuko. Wouldn't surprise me none if he saw t'hand me somethin' crooked none else was bitin' at. So let's cut th'pissin' contest an'talk plain, fancy?"
The scab came off. Zhi flicked it sideways.
"Y'came t'deal, but saw a chance t'pit yerself against me. That means y'want t'play games -- big man wi'yer big stones, up against a runner, hey? But see, churls what mix their business an' pleasure tend t'think they can take all sorts o'shit out on their hired men. So either y'know what yer doin' an' yer thinkin' t'roll me, or yer some gadabout lookin' fer a thrill in the city."
Blood was welling in the space left behind from the scab.
"I ain't a scrag what gets rolled, rutterkin. So, yeah, y'gonna play by street rules, don't be gawpin' at me when I play back."
She bared her fangs in a brief, hard smile.
"Fifty gil fer new clients, seventy in yer case. I contract per moonspan, y'set yer targets, I agree, when I meet 'em it's two hunnerd an' fifty. If I don't meet 'em, I don't get paid. If y'contract fer more'n one moonspan at once I'll take half up front, rest paid per moonspan like normal. If the job's dangerous, rates go up another hunnerd. 'Mcheaper'n most, an' I do rougher work'n most -- if Yayabuko gave ye me name, like as not 'cause it's summat rough. He ain't sweet on me, but that'll mean y'ain't got many options. An' I ain't gotten me reputation by gettin' played an' takin' it up th'bunghole, fancy?" She tapped her knuckle on the table, hard.
"So tell me, we dealin'?"
Zhi heaved a huge sigh, the finger picking at the scab on her arm digging into the flesh there: it was the main sign of her annoyance as she considered the man's words.
"'Malready in th'shitter wi'Yayabuko. Wouldn't surprise me none if he saw t'hand me somethin' crooked none else was bitin' at. So let's cut th'pissin' contest an'talk plain, fancy?"
The scab came off. Zhi flicked it sideways.
"Y'came t'deal, but saw a chance t'pit yerself against me. That means y'want t'play games -- big man wi'yer big stones, up against a runner, hey? But see, churls what mix their business an' pleasure tend t'think they can take all sorts o'shit out on their hired men. So either y'know what yer doin' an' yer thinkin' t'roll me, or yer some gadabout lookin' fer a thrill in the city."
Blood was welling in the space left behind from the scab.
"I ain't a scrag what gets rolled, rutterkin. So, yeah, y'gonna play by street rules, don't be gawpin' at me when I play back."
She bared her fangs in a brief, hard smile.
"Fifty gil fer new clients, seventy in yer case. I contract per moonspan, y'set yer targets, I agree, when I meet 'em it's two hunnerd an' fifty. If I don't meet 'em, I don't get paid. If y'contract fer more'n one moonspan at once I'll take half up front, rest paid per moonspan like normal. If the job's dangerous, rates go up another hunnerd. 'Mcheaper'n most, an' I do rougher work'n most -- if Yayabuko gave ye me name, like as not 'cause it's summat rough. He ain't sweet on me, but that'll mean y'ain't got many options. An' I ain't gotten me reputation by gettin' played an' takin' it up th'bunghole, fancy?" She tapped her knuckle on the table, hard.
"So tell me, we dealin'?"
