Patchwork Universe

Jones · Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 11:48 am Post subject: The Cutpurse's Quest

Jane sat down in the window seat and as she did so glanced outside.
"More travellers," she remarked. "That Trubshawe's back again and he seems to have made some friends." She huffed her breath out in a sigh and then added to Karl. "Well, I'm not going to open the door one more time. If people are too stupid to understand that this is a pub, there's no point trying to help them."

Glancing across at Larkin, Jane noticed his occupation without comment. After all Larkin was a thief and the pirates were pirates, doubtless it all evened out somehow.
"Hang on a moment and I'll get us some food," she said. "I'll only be a second."

Leaving the window seat, she headed into the kitchen and returned moments later bearing three plates of bacon and eggs and three brimming tankards of beer on a tray. Unloading it on a small table near their seat she took her seat again and took a deep gulp of her beer.
"Not too early in the morning for you, I hope?" she said with a challenging gleam in her eye.

Larkin Quickgrip · Good Joined: 21 Jan 2004 Posts: 137 Location: The Slums

Larkin eagerly tucked into the eggs and bacon, as if he hadn't just commited a rather gross act of thievery in front of a room of witness'.

At the question he glanced at Karl and then said to Jane "Yer kiddin aren't yer? Us brave adventurers over here are always up this kinda time. Makes life worth livin." Turning the thief then looked at Karl again and said "Ain't that right Karl? Accordin ter Jane yer a bit of a fortune-hunter yerself."

Nodding his head backwards at Harlequin he said to the pair "Whats up with him anyways?"

Jones · Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2004 11:21 am Post subject:

Jane shrugged.
"Who knows," she said, looking up as Trubshawe entered the bar. "We get all sorts, sure enough."

Karl Groever · Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2004 10:12 pm Post subject:

'Sorry,' Karl looked fazed momentarily.
'I was just caught in something of a brown study for a moment there, my friend. Could have sworn your father,' and here he looked at Jane a little quizically 'mentioned my name. I must have misheard him.'
'But,yes,' he said to Larkin 'fortune - hunter is as good an appellation as any. Archaeologist by trade I am, certainly, apprenticed to the Polytechnique for five years, but I come from one of the lesser districts of the City, and I've had to work my way up. Makes for some making of ends meet, I can tell you. You look like a City man, yourself, Larkin. What's the urban dream like at your end?'
He nodded at Jane. 'No wonder there's little enough adventure for you here, Jane. It's all cultivation run riot.'

Larkin Quickgrip · Good Joined: 21 Jan 2004 Posts: 137 Location: The Slums

Larkin, who had heard Trubshawes comment about having places to go, but had decidedly ignored them on the grounds that he now thought the man was a bit of a git, was still munching merrily upon his breakfast.
Looking over at Karl his expression darkened just a tad and he said "I'm from the Slums of Peerblind city. The largest city 'pon the entire Plains." Taking a slight breath he said "Its a very dark an grimy place, hundreds of pickpockets roam the streets, beggar lie on every street corner hopin ter get enough just ter survive. Old wimmen cackle an groan from inside the collapsin houses and buildins."
Leaning back in his seat he scratched the back of his neck and looking quite small and young said "I miss home."

Jones · Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2004 9:13 am Post subject:

"According to my father there were cities back in the old world," Jane said. "Pity we ended up with a patch full of nothing. Or next to nothing."

She took a swig of her beer and continued:
"The thing about this adventure of Larkin's is I'm not sure I can leave here. If my father's got it right I won't be able to. But maybe he's got it wrong, or travelling with other people would help. In any case it'd be good to have some company at least for the first step."

"Where are you supposed to be headed anyway, Larks?"

Karl Groever · Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2004 1:34 pm Post subject:

'Yes, Karl echoed 'I am intrigued to know the answer to that question, too.' He looked expectantly in Larkin's direction, hunching his body forward across the table.

Larkin Quickgrip · Good Joined: 21 Jan 2004 Posts: 137 Location: The Slums

Larkin hunched forward slightly as well, matching Karl. "Well" he began "We are headin on over to the Map room which accordin to my sources is either West or it used ter be West, dependin on when the last move was."

"There we're gunna do a quick bit of liftin objects about so big" Larkin held out his hands in a squarish shape "and puttin them in a big mechanisim thingy."

Larkin pulled out his knife and scratched at his neck with it "From there we head on back up to the Rag an Bone and collect our reward. Now is that an easy job or what?"

Jones · Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2004 4:35 pm Post subject:

"Sounds a doddle," Jane agreed, but her eyes were narrowed as she thought about it.

"I don't suppose you know what the big mechanism thing is for at all? Or what the square things do once they're in it?"

Larkin Quickgrip · Good Joined: 21 Jan 2004 Posts: 137 Location: The Slums

Larkin shook his head "I don't no." Thinking back he added "She *did* say that it would liven the place up or somethin. But it aint gunna destroy the universe or nothin."

Grinning he said "The doddles are always the best kinda jobs. So you two in or not?" He looked from Jane to Karl as he said this.

Karl Groever · Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2004 11:22 pm Post subject:

'Yes,' Karl nodded, as he justified the next move to himself 'Yes, I should say that I am in on this...especially given the estimable company involved. Perfect Canting crew, are we not?'. He laughed briefly, then turned more serious.
'My only fear,' he continued 'is that, if the other locations around us are moving, as you seem to be suggesting they are, then it may not be so easy to find the place that we seek for, as you think.'
'But, still, better to take a risk than sit passive, I say. So, I'm in.'

'Now, my plan was to stock up on some extra essentials that might come in handy hereafter from Jones's store. Do you have any requests yourself?'

Jones · Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2004 12:45 pm Post subject:

The conversation was interupted as Jessica, Jones' oldest daughter, leant over the bar and called out:
"Jane, dear, will you take this lady's horse to the stable please? And ask Jack to bring up more produce from the farm while you're out there, would you?"
Her tones were gentle but she smirked when she finished speaking and Jane scowled in response.

"I'd better go," she said, standing up. "But I can get some extra supplies while I'm about it. Food and lanterns, things like that. I'll meet you back here in a hour if that's alright."
Her eyes suddenly sparkled as she added in an undertone: "I'm definitely coming, so don't leave without me. Just think, this is the last errand I'll ever run here..."

[ooc note: Jane now leaves this thread and returns to the main bar thread]

Larkin Quickgrip · Good Joined: 21 Jan 2004 Posts: 137 Location: The Slums

Larkin had grinned and nodded at Jane before she left showing his approval. Turning back to his new partner he said "So where are you from then? I've already told yer bout my home."

Karl Groever · Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2004 9:26 pm Post subject:

'My City is called Constant, for so she has always seemed to be to her inhabitants,' Karl replied. 'In truth, she was founded some thousand years before my time. Often, she is known simply as the City.'
'She rises in the midst of the Desert, Zaritza, we call those sands, a corruption of the natives' own name for them. She has seven storeys to the present time, for generation after generation has built succesively upon her original foundations.' he continued.
'There are many things inside and outside the City, should you ever journey there, Larkin. The desert itself is home to the aboriginal peoples, the Zayshi, we call them. They have their tribal traditions and their...' he paused for a moment to collect himself, remembering his capture. It felt both so recent and such a long time ago now. '...their strange ways,' Karl finished. 'In the Desert, too, are the Marble Domes...no - one knows what they are there for, nor who made them. Some say they predate the Zayshi habitation itself...and I, as an archaeologist believe them.'
'But it is not the Desert with which the City folk have prime concern. No, the City itself is a vibrant place; the arcades, the boulevards, the doss houses, the mausoleums, the brothels, the Polytechnique Library, the Laurentian Stair, the Collectivistes...' Karl shook his head sadly in recollection and momentary amaze 'I miss it, when I stop to think.' he finished, quietly 'for all it's hell, it's home'.

Larkin Quickgrip · Good Joined: 21 Jan 2004 Posts: 137 Location: The Slums

"Sounds like youd prefer ter be there now." Larkin sat back in his chair and continued to scratch the back of his neck. Deciding that seeing as he appears to be asking all the questions he said "So whyd yer leave in the first place then? Was yer just bored or what?"