[Location] The Establishment

[Zenai]

Season of Fall, Day 13, 511 AV

People respect a person with a job. Even thieves. No exceptions. So Zenai decided to drop by the Establishment where he heard he can get a job. Zenai sighed at the more "unconventional" and "unacceptable" jobs but this was Sunberth and of course, hit lists would exist and are acceptable. Still, Zenai is a man of honor and he checked the various adds for a more honest job. There were the typical ones like woodcutter and blacksmith. He passed over those since he needed something that would matched his skills much more appropriately. Some of the more obscure jobs were out of the question as he likes to know what he's getting into before accepting a job.

"Hmm...armed guard...", he said softly. He nodded to himself as he decided to take on a job as a guard. He walk before the clerk's desk and asked, "Excuse me, I would like to accept this job application as a guard." He made sure his armor clanked and the clerk could clearly see his swords so he knows Zenai is serious about the job and it doesn't hurt to make yourself look more qualified as well.

[Archelon]

@Zenai The clerk looked at Zenai for a moment, and then at the flyer in his hand. The man seemed armored enough for the job. But was he imposing enough to ward off thieves and the common ruffian who would interfere in moving goods from the warehouses to the ships? The clerk didn't know. All he knew was at Tua's there was one single policy to ensure that those who needed the hired men got the ones they needed; and likewise those that needed jobs got what would work for them: for a price of course. "Of course, Of course, there's always a need for more guards the clerk said... but there's one small problem. You have to be recommended to be trustworthy. Isn't that the key around here? Trustworthiness is in high demand and something you'll only find at Tua's. Five gold mizas for a recommendation and we can set you up guarding shipments to the docks in no time. "

[Zenai]

Looks like appearances aren't enough as Zenai feared and it seems he need some kind of reputation to go along with it. Fine, he said in his own mind but then; in a split second, he thought otherwise and he needs to be a man of repute and worth otherwise he would be considered a less-than-respectable person especially in this kind of environment. Never mind that the people here are anarchist. It would seem that some merits and virtues are still needed especially in the dark underworld...

"5 gold mizas for a recommendation? Wouldn't I look less trustworthy if I just buy my way through things? A start to a bad behavior if you ask me especially a person in my position of little to no reputation. Well if I can't get this job, I might as well look for another then."

[Archelon]

@ Zenai The clerk looked upon Zenai with a seeming bit of amusement in his eyes. "I take it my friend you are new to sunberth; so let me explain something to you. That five gold mizas gives you a chance to be hired, along with the recommendation a... applicable skills test will need to be performed. You see, the merchants come to the Establishment to post word for hirees, knowing that in the dangerous ones that we would screen out those unable to do the job. This is such a one. However, such comes with a price for the middleman, which is the Establishment to be exact. If you cannot pay then we would surfeit a debt to your... esteemed personage and come to collect it in a season." The clerk smiled a little as it went unsaid that if Zenai did not wish to pay the fee at all then it would be very hard for him to find employment anywhere with some relative honesty and repute. The only other possibility being him to join a set of thieves. At least with the Establishment's backing he could be placed in groups that wouldn't be inclined to stab him in the back right away... and thus improve his chances at staying alive in the city that much longer. That was the point of a middleman who kept watch on new people of note coming into the city. The clerk leaned forwards a moment, lowering his voice so no one could hear him. "Of, course our fine washed -out squire, we do know of you Mister Alexander. Came to do business in sunberth with a friend, didn't you? Tua's Establishment is loyal to our business partners we hire for, and the workers we provide them are carefully screened as I said. The five gold just gives you a chance as we know everyone who wants to do business in this city, especially if they come through those doors. I must say: Were you not to pay the five gold then it would be harder for you of course. Old legs is very fickle about what the merchants bring through his docks with Robern looking over his shoulder." oocShould you accept this then a short modded thread by myself would occur detailing what would be expected of you.

[Zenai]

Zenai rubbed his chin as he absorbed the clerk's explanation. Surely a small fee for being the middlemen, intermediate and negotiator can be justified. There are documents to sort out, salaries to pay the administrators and some bribes to hand under the counter. It also make sense that he needs to lay down some gold so everybody knows he means business. He was embarrassed by his own naivety but it was only a moment's shame. It would be more dangerous if he goes about his business in Sunberth in ignorance. It would have gotten him killed but he was glad enough the clerk was courteous to explain the workings and gears of some of Sunberth's mechanization. However, the clerk also chilled his bones at the mention of him being a former squire of the Syliran Knights. He would have hoped that he could come as a nobody but it seems that fate and gossip would have it otherwise. This time around, he needs to be more careful.

After some silent thinking, he looked at the clerk and smiled. "Make much sense. Alright, I will accept the job and the fee it entails. Here's the five gold mizas." Zenai took some gold mizas from his pouch and placed it on the clerk's desk. He then lean towards and whispered, "I assume everybody knows who I am?"

[Archelon]

@Zenai With a sly smile the clerk reached forwards and picked up the five gold and pulled them out of sight and into a new bag. "Only those who count Mister. Zenai. But I've been working here for years." The clerk said with a smile as he reached under the counter and pulled out his trademark hat. '' I'll go you a freebee this once since information is its own sort of coin. The name's Tua you see... it's my job to know such things. I keep an ear to the ground at anyone from syliras, we got a new minted thief of a boy, an old couple in the hills at the hotsprings, and now you. Wanting to be a guard of sorts; so run along to the Docks, and see Old leg at his wharf. I'll let him know you're coming to join the throng of guards he scrambles every morning, but you better get there fast. They start very early in the morning you know, and you'll already be late for your first day." Motioning to a guard, Zenai was nicely shown out to the streets and calmly sent along his way... the docks would be cold in the morning and Tuic snickered a little as he hoped the man had brought something warm to wear. OOC:This will be continued here.

[Leviathan]

Tua merely smiled up at the Akalak as he accepted the small donation. "All you need to do is go to the Marketplace. He'll find you." Tua took a piece of parchment from his pocket and scribbled a swift, crude, yet fairly easily followed map from the establishment to the Castle Commons. "There you go. Castle Commons. You go there and look for Meerson, and Meerson will find you first, I guarantee it." Guarantee, such an odd thing to say, that is unless you personally made sure it would happen. And what Tua guarantees something, it's usually proven true.

[Shai]

TImestamp: Fall 30th, 511 AV Shai slipped into The Establishment as soon as the doors were opened that morning. She'd watched from a nearby roof top the evening before and judged early morning to be the very best time to avoid the crowd and was willing to risk the early morning ire of the clerks. She quickly moved up to the posting board and scanned the advertisements while keep her cloak clutched around her. Her arm shot out from under her cloak as quickly as she could manage and pulled down one of the advertisements. Briskly continuing her business by presenting herself before Tua. She placed the paper down in front of him with 2 gold mizas on top of it, all the while her hand covered up by the sleeve of her white shirt. She was aware that in this city information always had a price and hopefully a few mizas would get her into a position to make much more. "How could I learn more about this job?" her diction was precise and her voice smooth but it held no hint of local color marking her as foreign. She tried not to look over her shoulder as she heard the crowd's began to gather for the day. Only partly resisting her eyes flicked over her shoulder to see how much a space buffer she still had. With her nervousness betrayed she squared her shoulders and looked back to Tua with a serious glint in her amethyst eyes. Written on the paper: To Hear Is To See Don't you think? - Killroy

[Leviathan]

@Shai You'd think early morning would be a great time to avoid the crowds in the establishment, but the thing was that there simply wasn't often a crowd in the place to begin with. This was a place where only the rough, the violent, the fearless, the desperate, or the ignorant gathered to pick up less-desirable jobs, or jobs with a steep and swift income. Night was when it was its liveliest. But for now, Shai was one of the few in the building scanning the odd jobs and cryptic messages. Foreign or not, her assumptions of Sunberth were accurate, everyone was looking to make money in any way possible. She approached Tua and handed him the parchment and two gold, which he pocketed before so much as looked at the woman. "It's going to cost you two more, for starters. After that, I can see that Killroy could use you." Tua grinned. Already Shai was down for golden mizas, and it was unlikely that she could sweet talk the man into returning the funds. And still he wanted another two. Was information and work worth it? Paying money so that you could get paid later. What an odd deal.

[Shai]

Shai clinked two more mizas in her hand hidden beneath her cloak, making it clear she was willing to deal. She swallowed nervously and took another peek over her shoulder. When she looked though she realized there were far fewer people than she’d original thought, her paranoia was working against her again. She took a breath and straightened her stance, looking Tua straight in the eyes with new found confidence.“Very well, two more then.” She flipped two more mizas out from inside her cloak towards Tua. She was also willing to pay him further for information on this Killroy, but saying so now would be to her disadvantage it’d just let Tua know she had expected to spend more before their conversation was done. Shai would let Tua extort her, but only to an extent. "So what can you tell me about this job?"