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Post by Fate's End on Feb 22, 2023 21:37:26 GMT -5
The Eurydice mansion, extravagant, spacious, and in the late morning sun it gleams with a radiance not often seen on the world of Haven's Garden. Of course, even radiant jewels require a modicum of protection. And the estate and surrounding gardens and grounds are surrounded by a modest twelve foot wall. The Eurydice's of yore were peacemakers, not stupid.
The current owner, and if truth is being told (which it is) one of the only residents of the gargantuan construction . . . stands near the relatively understated gate to the property. It has stood open for weeks now, a symbol that the owner is unafraid. But then, of course, the majority of people in the surrounding district are imperial guard, to whom a twelve foot wall is really more of an enticement than an actual challenge, especially when there's no one to defend it. Better to keep it open and inviting than to have it knocked down.
She stands silhouetted in the shadow of the gate, garbed in purest white, contrasting with the darkness surrounding her. Galen Eurydice, head of the house by dent of being the oldest left alive, abandoned by almost all of her family and friends, now picking up the pieces. And specifically, waiting for someone. In the recent weeks she had enacted several measures to keep her family's name in good standing. One was opening the Mansion up as a barracking post for the Guard officer corps, the other was of a more personal nature. Subdued postings to multiple job boards, some of them less reputable than others. She had a list of men and women she needed found, and chasing down fugitives was not in her skillset. So she'd been forced to look for outside help.
Several people had responded, but one stood above the others. She'd arranged a meeting for today to discover if he was the man for the job. If he was on time for the meeting, she had only a few minutes to wait.
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Post by silverruby on Feb 23, 2023 0:41:00 GMT -5
The sound of a motorbike's engine heralded the arrival of said man, arriving just on time as previously arranged. The rumble of its engine dipped to a growling purr as he slowed and parked the bike in front of her, leaning on one foot to brace it as he released he handlebars to sit back against the padded seat.
"Galen Eurydice?" Yul addressed her with a tilt of his head, nodding in greeting as he settled his hand on his holstered laspistol, then introduced himself in the same breath. "Yul Altanbaatar."
As Galen was dressed in white, looking like a radiant fount of light in the shade; Yul appeared in stark contrast, swathed in dark brown and black leather inky as the night, all but melting against the leather and matte metal of his motorbike, blending into the shadow of her estate's front gates. He gave her a once over, before glancing around, looking for any other guards or hired guns likely on watch.
"Word on the block is that you're looking to hire a hunter."
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Post by Fate's End on Feb 23, 2023 0:50:14 GMT -5
Would he be surprised that there were exactly zero guards? Galen had considered hiring some, but money was tight and technically speaking . . . she was completely safe here in the inner district. Guaranteed by the Imperial Guard.
Technicalities can get you killed.
She bowed gracefully, the motion fluid and natural, practiced in a thousand meetings in front of a thousand different nobles. Her dark eyes never strayed from his form, thoroughly taking in his appearance, ascertaining what she could about his gear and more importantly his bearing. When she straightened, there was little emotion on her face, the expressions carefully controlled as they almost always were. "The Word on the block," she replied, her voice modulated for softness, "would be correct." She motioned gently for him to walk with her, waiting a moment to see if he would. "I seek former employees of my family who abandoned their posts during the Coward's Dash." For just a moment there was a flicker of emotion at the mention of the event that had seen most of her family dead and her noble house brought to its worst moments of plight. Not rage, not disdain, but a brief glimpse of sadness quickly replaced by impassive stone.
"Four of them in total. I would greatly prefer they are brought to me alive. Is that something you could see yourself accomplishing?" She left the true question unsaid. In her digging on the Altanbaatar scion, she still wasn't sure if he did "live returns" or if he just brought back dead bodies.
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Post by silverruby on Feb 23, 2023 12:12:09 GMT -5
If Yul was surprised at the lack of security personnel, he didn't show it. He held himself with a confident, but unaggressive bearing that betrayed his background to her scrutiny; It was a disciplined posture that was schooled into noble children early in their lives, not to embarrass themselves in front of others, and one difficult to forget. He was a reflection of the old Altbanbaatar pride that Khasar was known for amongst his peers, and used to rule the late House with an iron fist.
The hunter's eyes glanced to Galen's face as she mentioned the Coward's Dash, gauging the authenticity of her emotions, and it seemed enough for him to dip his head in acknowledgement of her gesture and accept her invitation to go inside. He swung his leg over the back of his bike after shutting off the engine, replacing his hands back on the handlebars as he shifted the vehicle into neutral gear. Some nobility didn't like to broadcast to others that they had stooped to hiring bounty hunters, and he assumed that Galen was no different. Leaving his motorbike parked outside was not only a big advertisement that she was, it was as good of a tempting target for theft with the city now impoverished- despite the presence of the Guard keeping things relatively in order.
Yul walked his bike beside the noblewoman, eyes straight ahead as he processed her request. From what Galen would have dug up about Yul's reputation, the likelihood of him bringing a target back alive was a solid fifty-fifty. He had a decent record, snatching up escapees and turning them in to his employers. His reply would more than explain the lack of a perfect score when it came to complying with bounty terms.
"Four total... I can, but if they decide to fight back with deadly force, I will neutralize them in order to complete the bounty."
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Post by Fate's End on Feb 23, 2023 22:10:27 GMT -5
Galen's head tilted as she glanced over at Yul, expression calm even as inwardly she sighed with frustration. She'd hoped the information she had on Yul was padded for effect, and that he was more adept at taking people alive than he let on. The truth was more realistic, and she didn't begrudge him the will to defend himself. It was just so damn annoying that some of the men and women she desperately needed might end up dead because they were stubborn.
"That is an acceptable outcome." She replied, inwardly screaming that she didn't want them dead. "I have last known coordinates of all four, each went their separate ways in the aftermath of my family's death. I can provide you with that, as well as physical descriptions, identifying marks and a list of known aliases, as well as friends and family they might take refuge with." Their walk slowly brought them towards several small outbuilding garages and a sitting area in the shade, a small garden arrayed around the path, sprinklers gently swishing in the background. "What sort of pricing do you feel is appropriate for your time in this endeavor?"
The truth of the matter was she was not overflowing with currency. Maybe he does group discounts?, inwardly she scoffed again at such a thought. He wasn't some sort of entertainer, and she had little desire to barter. If his pricing was too outrageous, she'd simply find someone else. If within her budget, she'd pay his asking at the very least. It didn't do to negotiate pricing with people you desperately wanted to succeed.
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Post by silverruby on Feb 24, 2023 11:58:26 GMT -5
Usually, a bounty price was placed on a head-hunt before it was listed. Yul regarded her question with a suspicious squint. Either she was testing him for amusement- which was a grand waste of his time- or she didn't have much to offer. It was like patronizing a high-end luxury goods store. If one had to ask the price, one could likely not afford anything at all. Loaded people seldom checked the price tag before making a purchase.
While Yul would have normally given these kinds of listings [without a price tag attached] a pass, it was the name and manor address attached to the request that had caught the bounty hunter's attention in the first place. And it wasn't like he could afford to be too picky with clientele between jobs either. Accounting for ammo supply, fuel, food and lodging, his own funds dried up pretty quickly these days.
"One thousand a head," He starts, throwing out a number before he decided to test her, just to see how important these targets were alive. "Two thousand still breathing."
"Though..." The former nobleman reached up to stroke his beard, playing at thinking aloud, "I did hear something of a rumor that you're offering lodging to the Guard..."
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Post by Fate's End on Feb 25, 2023 14:04:01 GMT -5
Is it really that hard to take someone alive?
Of course she'd tried to reach out to them. But they had feared reprisal for their abandonment of her family and had avoided her communications like a plague. This would have been much simpler if they'd just answered her calls, rather than her having to send out a bounty hunter who might end up bringing their lives to an end. All of this passed through her mind in a split second, weighing costs against her monetary resources, their lives and needs versus her own. And then, of course, there was the mention of room and board. It didn't read as a poor attempt at seduction, but rather an honest inquiry as to a place to stay. She had room, and in the next week she'd have at least one soldier in the house who would likely take her wishes into consideration over Yul's, so there wasn't as much concern with having such an unknown quality of man in the house.
"Six thousand Thrones, as well as guaranteed lodging for a minimum of six months, with the possibility of extension if our business relationship continues to prosper." She offered, her tone delicate. "My preference is for them to be brought to me alive and as unharmed as possible. But of course your own life comes first when dealing with them." Finally she glanced over to him again, meeting his eyes, searching them for an aspect she herself couldn't quite identify. Trust was not easily come by, in this new and violent world. Exchange of goods, brokering of deals and the general assumption that nobles kept their word more often than not was what she had to bank on now.
"Do you find such terms acceptable?"
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Post by silverruby on Feb 25, 2023 19:29:12 GMT -5
And here I was, willing to offer a discount for lodging... Yul thought to himself with a small chuckle. But every throne counts...
"When you put it that way, it sounds like you think I won't try to bring them back alive at all," The hunter joked as he met her eyes, "Sure, that's acceptable. Half down-payment up front, and the other half after I deliver."
The look he gave her in return to her searching gaze made it very clear he didn't trust her much unless money was in his hands. But he'd throw her a bone, if she was looking for something to latch onto as a promise of good-will. Hell, six months of lodging was more generous than he'd expected, having thought it'd at least be for the duration of the job.
"Then you can decide if I've delivered them in satisfactory condition to pay the rest."
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Post by Fate's End on Feb 25, 2023 22:42:41 GMT -5
Galen stood still. He'd agreed. There seemed to be discord, and this was her first time dealing with a bounty hunter. But he'd agreed.
One task down. A thousand more to go. She was careful, oh-so-careful to hold her expression to neutrality. "I think, judging by what I know of you and your answers today. That you will do what is best for you. I do not begrudge this aspect, but it does make my hopes for live returns less realistic. I am at peace with this."
She withdrew a small datapad from her pants pocket and brought up a screen, "I can transfer the funds to your account, unless you prefer literal currency in hand?" She then nodded towards the mansion, still a few hundred feet away. "I have rooms available on the first three floors, you are welcome to pick one at your earliest convenience. Do be aware that there are very few servants within the estate, so if you need something in relation to your stay, it is best to contact me directly."
Because most of my staff are dead or ran away. A thought left unspoken, but still foremost in her mind.
And then, almost as an afterthought, she remembered to add, "Also. The 4th floor is restricted to myself and my family."
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Post by silverruby on Feb 26, 2023 14:49:34 GMT -5
Yul couldn't help the humorless smirk that came over his face at her lack of faith in his interest to bring them back alive for actual bonus pay. He nodded as he reached into an inner pocket and withdrew a small rectangular card.
"You don't strike me as someone who didn't do their background checks- I'm sure if you've heard of me, you also know my pedigree. My funds were frozen a few years ago, so... Deposit it here," He handed over the data-chit, "I'll take two hundred in cash, though... May need to ask around to find your lost friends."
"Understood," The Bounty Hunter nodded at her instruction, patting his bike, "I'll park her in the garage and find a room. Thanks. It'll be nice to have a solid roof over my head so I can focus on the work." He didn't make much of a remark to the floor restriction, only shrugging, "And don't worry, I don't want for much that I can't provide for myself. I got used to lack of serving staff a good while ago."
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