Lureene moves off to check the rest of the customers, seeing Amber with her hand raised, she walks over to her table, asking, "Something you need, Amber?"
"Will that damn goblin ever be quiet?"
"Uhhhh... hmmm... what?"
Olivier raises his head off his folded arms and looks around groggily. The old man seems genuinely confused. He takes a few moments to examine his surroundings, and starts to speak when he suddenly stops and looks down at the piece of parchment and the two wooden tables in front of him. His eyes focus on the bizarre scribblings, and finally they widen in recognition.
His voice sounding scratchy and only somewhat louder than a whisper, he mutters, "Ahh... yes... well it seems that I fell asleep. I don't really remember coming in to this fine establishment, but nonetheless here I am. I realize that I didn't actually rent a room here, but the evidence supports a hypothesis that I slept here at the table. Therefore I insist that I pay a night's rent - and while I'm at it, I would like to reserve an actual room for a few days."
He glances around the room a bit, and his gaze settles on Lureene. Noting that she's clearly taking Amber's order, he softly says, "Please, my dear, do not hurry on my account. I am in no rush whatsoever, and some of your...um... customers... do seem to be."
Something suddenly catches Olivier's attention, and his eyes open even wider.
"Something smells wonderful. Excellent! I do not believe I have eaten in some time...perhaps I should pay a bit more attention to details..."
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She leads him over to a counter at the back of the kitchen, measures out some flour, yeast, sugar, water, and oil and stirs it all up to make some bread dough. She shows him how to knead the dough and says, "Here, beat this dough as much as you want until it gets stiff, then I'll come make you some more to knead...I mean...beat."
Looking a little disappointed that his heroic actions in saving the sauce went more-or-less unnoticed, Biter lets himself be lead over to his new cooking job. Disappointment fades to eagerness, however, as the Lady explains how to beat the dough. Once she has demonstrated a time or two, Biter is eager to show that he understands how important the job of beating the dough is, and dives in up to his now-flour-covered elbows, smiling the whole time.
WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! Biter rhythmically hammers out the dough, until his supervisor is happy that he understands what he's doing.
A minute into working, however, Biter has an idea...
My feet are much bigger and stronger than my hands.. This would go so much quicker if...
Biter dumps the dough from the table top onto the floor, then takes a flying, foot-first leap onto it, jumping up and down repeatedly to "need" it with his powerful feet.
Oh yah, he thinks, this is working much better.
"Biter is'ing figure it out, Lady. Lady is not to be worrying."
Another piercing shriek escapes from the kitchen to the ears of those in common room. "What in the name of all that is good and holy do you think you are doing to that bread!!!!???"
"Wha... what was that? Oh dear... "
Olivier reaches into his worn and weathered satchel and comes out with an equally worn and weathered alabaster pipe. With a practiced motion, he opens a small pouch at his belt and scoops some of its contents into the pipe.
Holding the pipe to his mouth, the old man subtly points at the bowl. In a couple of seconds, the calming oaky-berry smell of tobacco wafts around the tables on his side of the common area.
Relaxing back into his chair, Olivier begins to blow what at first appear to be smoke rings into the air.
"Biter is beating the bread! Biter is being doing 'zactly what Lady is being telling Biter to do. Lady is saying 'make dough flat and hard'… so Biter is doing this."
Suddenly realizing that the Ruler of the Cutlery is not actually playing a cooking game with him, and that she is, in fact, upset with him, Biter steps back from the dough and crosses his arms, face scrunching up in confusion and frustration.
"Lady is being angry for Biter?"
Therena sputters for a bit, gesturing at the bread dough that's been stomped into the floor, trying to find useful words. She takes a deep breath.
"No, Biter, I am not...angry, but you are the most exasperating little man I've ever met! Please, PLEASE, just do it the way I showed you. Food has to be kept clean, and the floor is not clean." She stoops down to scrape the dough off the floor and throws it in the trash. She takes the ingredients and makes more dough. "Now, please, just do it like I showed you or we won't have breadsticks in time for dinner."
Biter's head cocks to the side, "This floor is being cleaner floor than most places. Biter is being annoying to Kitchen Lady. Biter is stopping being the pest."
With that, he grabs up his discarded clothes and puts them on, armor and all, finally slinging his giant sword across his back. All prepared to leave her to her work, he approaches Therena.
"Biter is being sorry for being pest. Biter will pay greatly for his meal tonight. Biter does having one question, though…" he points to the food she has been working on while attempting to direct him and asks, "Will the Great Lady tell Biter whating she wasing preparing?"
"Sausage and vegetable stew, all there really is at the moment if I want to get some food going quickly. I'm sorry, Biter, you don't have to go. I do appreciate the help, I just need you to do it like I need it done, is all."
Havelock leans over to the old man at the next table over and clears his throat. "Excuse me, could you spare some of your tobacco? Something tells me I'll need something to distract me from this meal's taste."
"Eem ta needa faite o' a geem iffen eemtah stee wake thru such doollness! Hah kin ya awl stan it?"
Keane decides to pass the time by playing darts
Lureene moves off to check the rest of the customers, seeing Amber with her hand raised, she walks over to her table, asking, "Something you need, Amber?"
Amber smiles in return to Lureene,
"I was just wondering about rooms, dinners and...." She hesitates, slight colour rising in her cheeks, "...necessities?"
Lureene stares blankly at her for a few seconds before finally realizing what Amber is talking about. "Well, apparently our proprieter has setup some rooms in addition to the dinner." After hearing the ongoing commotion in the kitchen, she adds,"I am sure dinner will be ready...eventually."
She motions for Amber to follow her, saying, "I need to show you where it is though, if you'll come with me..."
Amber
Sense Motive
Amber smiles as she rises to follow along behind Lureene.
Lureene leads Amber to one of the rooms, and says, "Ok Amber here you go, I believe it even has a bath for you.
She then leans in and whispers:
Lureene leads Amber to one of the rooms, and says, "Ok Amber here you go, I believe it even has a bath for you.
She then leans in and whispers: ** spoiler**
Amber is at fist too distracted by the very well appointed room she has been shown and wondering about her meager budget when Lureenes' comment registers. She blinks at the lass, now the 'maid'.
"Um, while I do consider yourself as a freind. Please be reassured that I would be more than happy to help defend you from others that would wish you harm." Amber smiles and grips Lureenes' hand to assure the woman.
Amber is at fist too distracted by the very well appointed room she has been shown and wondering about her meager budget when Lureenes' comment registers. She blinks at the lass, now the 'maid'.
"Um, while I do consider yourself as a freind. Please be reassured that I would be more than happy to help defend you from others that would wish you harm." Amber smiles and grips Lureenes' hand to assure the woman.
** spoiler omitted **
Whisper
Feldus looks around the patrons after seeing the 2 women leave the common area. His gaze lingers on the hooded figure twirling around his wand. He motions to the innkeep for a refill of his wine, and then sidles over to Gyldyrs table.
"Greetings fellow traveler. What brings you here?" He asks the hooded elf, in a thin and high pitched voice.
"Sausage and vegetable stew, all there really is at the moment if I want to get some food going quickly. I'm sorry, Biter, you don't have to go. I do appreciate the help, I just need you to do it like I need it done, is all."
Biter shrugs, "Then Lady is being needing more sausage," pulls the sausage out of his shirt and takes a huge bite, and gives his version of a disarming smile (which is not disarming in the least). Then stalks over to the far end of the room and rips down another huge link of sausage, which he passes to Therena.
"Biter is'ing beating the bread now…" and with only the slightest eye roll, "…Lady's way."
"Of course, young man. Does your taste for tobacco run in any particular direction? I possess a rather wide variety..."
As Olivier speaks, he begins to pay a bit more attention to the somewhat elevated aura of stress in the room.
Perception
"'Tis indeed a rather strange assortment of characters assembled here, wouldn't you agree?"
Having thrown his rhetorical question out into the world, Oliver pauses for a moment and stares at his writings - scanning them in the order in which he wrote them - and then rolls up the parchment, puts it into his satchel, and begins to wipe the two tables clean.
Feldus motions to the innkeep for a refill of his wine, and then sidles over to Gyldyrs table.
Mors obliges him with more wine. Something feels amiss in the common room. Lureene seems to be on edge, for some reason - He can't imagine why, though.
Keane notices a tension in the room, and his thick mustache frames a large grin. He giddily mutters to himself, "Aye smeela faight commun..."
After many, many, many monotonous minutes of beating the dough, Biter puts them in their assigned spots and decides he needs a break, slipping out of the kitchen while the Ruler of the Rye's back is turned. (After grabbing one more handful of warm, fresh bread, of course.)
Biter, completely oblivious to any tension that may be in the room , wanders around the room, looking for something to catch his interest, a thick white flour cloud following wherever he goes.
The whispered conversation between the ebony-skinned long-ears and the new (but horribly rank) individual looks intriguing… then again, the ghol-shuukhaal dwarf is throwing little spears at the wall…
As Biter passes Mors...
"Kitchen Lady is being closer to being finished with the foods. She is maybe wanting some more helps."
Then strolls on, trying to make sure he doesn't get re-enlisted in the Kitchen Crew, wandering closer to the whispered conversation on his way to the dart board.
A hint of mischief crosses Olivier's face as he watched Biter move toward the dart board.
The old man digs through his satchel for a brief moment, and comes out with a dart that appears to be as old as he is. He subtly points one wrinkled finger at the dart board.
The dart slowly lifts out of Olivier's hand, and moves away from him. As it approaches the tall-for-his-family goblin, the dart picks up speed. Once it's past Biter, the dart performs a loop, a figure-eight, and then flies quickly into the center of the dart board.
Havelock slowly claps at the old man's display. "Bravo. I could scarcely do better" The sarcasm is obvious.
For a second, Biter is caught off-guard by the zipping little metal spear, but just catches Och Okaan's crafty smile and twiddling fingers, giving away the joke.
"Oh yah?"
In one smooth motion, Biter pulls his tiny bow out with his left hand while drawing a black little arrow with the right, loosing it at the target without a second's hesitation.
The shot sails way left, barely missing the dwarf's head on the way past and embedding itself with a thrummmmmm right between the eyes of one of Mors' prized mounted elk heads.
Biter slowly looks around, trying to sink through the floor in embarrassment.
Then he tosses his bow towards the feet of the dwarf, hoping Mors won't see that he fired the arrow... and walks away whistling tunelessly.
Olivier's look of mischief is quickly replaced by a visage that expresses empathy and chagrin...
With another subtle wave of his finger, the tiny black arrow dislodges from the elk's forehead and speeds into the center of the dartboard, right beside the ancient dart that is still quivering there.
The shot sails way left, barely missing the dwarf's head on the way past...
Keane spins around, freeing his greatsword in preparation for the next attack. Seeing Biter toss his diminutive bow at Keane's feet, he glares at his assailant.
”Wass thees?!?! Traen tu skoower me win muh back ees turn'd? Why doan you fait me 'onrably, ya yella lil gobble?!?!?!”
Feldus turns his attention to the commotion between the dwarf and the goblin, anxiously awaiting the conflict to follow.
For some reason, the dwarf's outburst strikes Olivier as funny.
As he chuckles, he squenches his face, squints his eyes, and tries to point his nose toward the floor. Adding a heavy, gravelly rasp to his voice, he speaks up.
"Wass ye bellerin fer, cap'n? Ya bin hollerin fer sum'at ta havin uh geem sinsye got in heer! T'ain't da lil gobble's fawlt dat he cain't hit da brodsaieduva barn frum tin payses! Heee heee heeeeeeee!"
Olivier's words bring a shocked look to Biter's face before he pitches onto the floor, grabbing his sides and pointing at the dwarf.
"AAAAAAAAAHHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHH. OH OKAAN IS'ING BEING FUNNY AT GHOL-GHUUR!!!!….*long inhale*…..AAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHH."
As if it were made of some sort of clay, Olivier's face morphs again, this time looking pinched with wide eyes and a gigantic mouth.
"Biter is'ing finding something with funnies, is'ing he? Biter is'ing maybe forgetting his breathings when Och Okaan speakses?"
Adding a heavy, gravelly rasp to his voice, he speaks up.
"Wass ye bellerin fer, cap'n? Ya bin hollerin fer sum'at ta havin uh geem sinsye got in heer! T'ain't da lil gobble's fawlt dat he cain't hit da brodsaieduva barn frum tin payses! Heee heee heeeeeeee!"
"Bwa haaaa! Uh geem! Wai deencha say so, gobble! Joos way tileem outta tha lino feer, 'afore ya star shoo'in!”
Sheathing his weapon, he collects the darts (and Biter's arrow) from the wounded dart board, and returns to the throwing line. He gestures to Biter wit the darts.
"Aff'er yoo, gobble"
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Olivier's horrible impression of Biter only doubles the force of Biter's manic laughter… who is now swaying from side to side on the ground, huge tears rolling from his eyes as he hysterically cackles.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAH AH. OCH OKAAN IS'ING BEING BITER AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH…. *gasp*….. IS'ING LOOKING SO AWESOME AAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!"
in his laughter, Biter rolls over and careens into Mudmouth's stout legs.
"HAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH. GHOL-GHUUR IS'ING HEARING THIS?!?!?….. *gasp*….AAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!"
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Feldus turns his attention to the commotion between the dwarf and the goblin, anxiously awaiting the conflict to follow.
As the peals of laughter slowly fade away, and Biter begins wiping the tears from his face, he feels eyes on him and turns to regard the skinny, foul-smelling little man. Big red eyes level challengingly on the stranger.
"Skinny man is wanting something?"
Wrinkling his nose even further, Olivier continues:
"Skinny man is'ing being jealous that his voicings don't be maykings Och Okaan be speaksing like him."
Feldus looks at the pathetic creature leering at him, and wonders whether he would be the answer to his problems.
"Yes, let me buy you a drink. Care to have a seat?"
"Yes, let me buy you a drink. Care to have a seat?"
Biter shrugs his powerfully small shoulders. "Sure," and slides into a seat beside the two cowled individuals with a glance at the dwarf that says, 'I wonder what this is about.'
"What is we being drinking?"
"Sure," and slides into a seat beside the two cowled individuals with a glance at the dwarf that says, 'I wonder what this is about.'
Keane shrugs, then goes back to his dart game. However, he keeps a wary eye on both the goblin, and his strange new drinking partner.
Biter shrugs his powerfully small shoulders. "Sure," and slides into a seat beside the two cowled individuals with a glance at the dwarf that says, 'I wonder what this is about.'
"What is we being drinking?"
"This is called wine, have you had it before?" After letting the goblin enjoy the beverage for a few minutes, he continues, "So, what brings you here to Limbo, my young friend?"
Therena pokes her head out of the kitchen, looking for Lureene. Not seeing her anywhere in the common room, she sighs, briefly thinks about calling Biter over and then comes to her senses, and ducks back inside. Shortly later, the savoury smell of stew wafts into the common room as Therena wheels out a cart with two large pots of stew, a ladle, and a pile of bowls and spoons. On the bottom shelf are baskets covered with linen clothes from which waft the delicious scent of fresh bread. She begins serving the food to all.
Moment of truth...
+2 from Biter for an Aid Another Profession(Cook) check??
Feldus, due to his keen sense of smell, could barely keep his mouth from watering at the scents of the fresh baked food. Realizing he had not eaten well for a long time, he decides to worry about the winged woman later, and enjoy himself for now.
He waves the cook over, looking her over appraisingly, and says, "Well, my compliments to the chef! may I sample some of those savory wares?"
He notices the drow edging away from him, but decides against challenging him. Best not to cause a scene, at least not yet, he he