Yarl in Charge

[dmw71]

"They're soft, flaky..." Oak starts to detail biscuits to Franklin, then stops. "You'll see."

"It probably won't be right away; the place where we can get them isn't nearby, but we will be sure to get some extras the next time we're there. Then we'll visit again."


"Do you understand what 'neighbors' are?" Oak asks sincerely.

[hedgeknight]

"Do you understand what 'neighbors' are?"[/dialog] Oak asks sincerely.

Franklin shakes his head. "The word is foreign to me. Does it mean you will be nearby?"

[Computer +1]

Yarl nods appreciatively at Oak. Yeah, it means we would be living in the house upstairs while you are living in yer home down here...

[hedgeknight]

Franklin tries to smile again; the expression foreign to the muscles in this face. But his eyes appear softer and he nods. "I wouldst like that...very much."

Somewhere in the city, bells are ringing. An alarm? A call to worship? It's hard to tell for this is Baldur's Gate, and who knows what is going on now? Franklin doesn't seem alarmed by them, although he does cock his head to the side to listen and then makes sure the poultice is in place before standing up.
"Yarl," he says, looking down at the kingpin.
"Oak," he says, turning toward the rogue.
"Neighbors."

[Computer +1]

Yarl also stands up. After a moment he offers is hand to Franklin. Well met, neighbor.

Yarl moves to start heading back up. We can um introduce you to the others a bit at a time. Thanks for the treatment.

[dmw71]

"A pleasure to meet you, neighbor." Oak says to Franklin before turning and following Yarl.

Then, to Yarl: "So, what's the plan?"

[Computer +1]

Looks like upstairs will be fine fore the Rats. We just gotta make sure no one wanders down here unexpected.. Yarl thinks for a moment. Otherwise, I need to get some money. Everything I own went up with the Den.

[hedgeknight]

Judas, Trueshot, and Fingers are waiting when Yarl and Oak emerge from the house.
Fingers is grinning, Judas has his arms crossed with a scowl on his face, and Trueshot just shakes his head and rolls his eyes.
Standing nearby is a Dwarf...a bearded female Dwarf, dressed in dirty clothes but sporting gold in her hair and beard. There can be no mistaking who she is. It's Diamond Urchin, the kingpin of Brampton. And...Straightstick's ex-wife!
"We need ta talk," she says in a tone that urges little disagreement.

Diamond Urchin.jpg (72.12 KiB) Viewed 1472 times

[Computer +1]

Oh fer fucks sake, you are Diamond Urchin. Yarl says as he already feels another weight being put onto his shoulders. If you are down here in the fucking slums of Rivington then yer day must be about as shit as mine then eh?. Yarl shakes his head. I’m Blacktongue, lets talk.

[hedgeknight]

"I am Diamond Urchin. I'm glad me reputation proceeds me."
She absentmindedly fondles a very large ring through which the center braid of her beard is looped; the diamond on the ring would choke a horse!
"Now, where can we go and talk privately? Ye know, kingpin ta kingpin? And do ye have any food and drink? It be proper respectful ta offer such when a kingpin comes fer a visit."
She glances at the burned out Den and then back to Yarl. "I brung three o' me own with me. I assume I can trust yer men not ta rough 'em up whilst we talk."

[Computer +1]

Yarl is dumbfounded. Uhh food er drinks? he says and looks at the Rats to see if anyone has anything.
Assuming they dont, because why would they.
Err Diamond, everything I own went up with the Den. We aint got much fer hospitality fer the moment, no disrespect intended. We can step back inside an talk if you like, yer men will be fine, our fight isn't with you.

[hedgeknight]

With a firm nod, Diamond Urchin, the kingpin of Brampton, follows Yarl Blacktongue, the kingpin of Rivington, into what is going to be the new Den for the Rats. The Dwarf wrinkles her nose at the smell inside the long-abandoned house, but Yarl finds two chairs and a small table near a window filmed with dust.
As soon as they sit down, Diamond Urchin leans forward, hand resting on one knee, and points the other at Yarl. "I want to know what that fucker Straightstick promised ye to help his sorry ass invade me territory!"
There is fire in her eyes and even though she sports several wounds, Yarl ain't sure he could take her.
"I didn't see none o' yer Rats around. None attacked me crew. What the fuck were ye supposed ta be doin'? Runnin' interference or sommat?"
But before Yarl can reply, the door bursts open and Cookie comes running in. With a squeal of glee, the child runs to Diamond Urchin and flings herself into the Dwarf woman's arms! "Diamond! I didn't know you was comin' for a visit!"
Diamond Urchin wallows Cookie for a few moments, commenting on how clean she is and her new dress, before saying, "Ye and me got some catchin' up ta do. How's about tea and cakes the next time ya come and see me?"
Cookie hugs the kingpin tight and nods her head, but doesn't get down out of her lap. Instead she begins fidgeting with Diamond Urchin's beard braids, and the the Urchin doesn't seem to mind.
Instead, she gives Yarl a fierce glare. "Well, don't just sit there with yer teeth in yer mouth. Answer me, boy!"


Outside, Oak and the others are standing around keeping a close eye on Diamond Urchin's crew, when Trueshot pulls Oak off to the side. "I think we have a situation on the river, behind your parent's place. We've detained a barge there, but the crew is refusing to give us our cut. They are insisting the Faithless promised them safe passage into the Gate. You wanna come help me deal with it?"

[dmw71]

"Yeah," Oak replies simply to Trueshot's request to accompany him to the situation near is parents' house. "But let's give this situation here a second to play out --" he says, nodding in the direction of Yarl and the dwarf. "Things seem a little tense," he adds.

[Computer +1]

Yarl is unsure what tale to spin. Should he lie lie lie? Should he blend lies with truth? Paint Sticks' as the big bad? ACTUALLY TELL THE TRUTH??!

Cookie's entrance surprises him. He is even more surprised to see Cookie cuddle up with Diamond and Diamond agreeable to it. Truth be told Yarl never took mush interest in Cookie before, he was too busy keeping his head down and doing what he was told. He only brought Cookie along to drop off Vic because he thought that having a little girl along would make Yarl look less, Yarlish. It wasn't until Yarl saw Cookie's small body face down in the sewers that Yarl felt the massive sense of responsibility about her. About all the Rats really.

Yarl lets out a long, deep, sigh. Diamond, I am going to be totally honest with ya. I mean, totally fucking honest.. He looks around the room and gestures with his arms at the space. This whole fucking thing has been fucked from the beginning! I'm a fucking nobody enforcer for the Rats, not a kingpin like you! I get sent to Sticks cuz' the Rats jacked a shipment of his and had to make it right. He says we gotta keep the Fist busy so he can make a move against ya or theres gonna be war. We do that and debt is paid an', on account he's movin' up, we get both sides of tha' river. I come back and tell Slymorn and he gets pissed. He comes at me and he an' I get into it and he ends up killed. Suddenly, I'm in fucking charge.. He pauses for a moment. I didn't wanna be the Pin' but what was I gonna do? Slymorn was an evil fucking cunt and I ain't sad he's dead but, he knew things. He had all the contacts. He had all the experience an' all the plans. Now I'm in charge and I gotta decide, war with Sticks or go help him take yer place.. Yarl's face flushes with color, I did me best to keep me Rats alive. We used the tunnels to get into yer turf to distract tha' Fist. Lost some Rats before we even got there and all a sudden we git backstabbed by the fucking Faithless. We killed those cunts and instead spent the whole time trying to stay alive and the me crew out. We hole up at Harborside. Get a few patches and heals and then we got the fucking undead coming up from the basement led by a scary fucker. We somehow get out via Tumbledown to find the Den burned and more of me friends dead.. Yarl looks down in shame and he feels tears, which he hasn't shed in years, forming I tried my best to keep the Rats together an' alive but everything has been going wrong. Every decision I make has got someone killed. Thats the truth of it.

[hedgeknight]

Diamond Urchin listens to all of it. Every...filthy...word. She never flinches or takes her eyes off Yarl's face. But when he's finished, she kisses Cookie on the head and sends her outside to "fetch tha sack from me man, Rivers. He'll give it to ya on me word."
Diamond Urchin waits until the young girl returns with the sack, then kisses her on the head again, and slips a silver piece in her palm. "This be fer sommat nice for ya, okay?"
Cookie gasps at the silver, but closes her fist tight around it while giving the Dwarf kingpin a fierce hug. She nods to Yarl and then dashes back outside. Only then does Diamond Urchin reach into the sack and pull out a large metal key ring dangling with...ears! Not keys, but fresh, bloody ears!
Diamond Urchin holds the ring of ears up where Yarl can see them clearly. "Me and me men took these from them Faithless bastards! We sent at least a dozen o' their number back to tha mud. And see this one here? That one used ta belong to me ex-husband. I was fer sure he was a dead sumbitch, but while I was cuttin', five o' his men attacked and dragged him away in tha ruckus.
"Now, normally they'd take him ta Harborside, but since it be crawlin' with undead critters, they had ta take him sommers else. Two o' me men saw them carry him ta tha Low Lantern tavern. Place is run by one o' them patriar's, Amrik Vanthampur. Word is he and Straightstick made a pact, sealed it with blood. I aim ta storm tha place at midday. Ain't waitin' 'til nightfall. Gonna hit 'em while they be recoverin' and I'm a gonna get tha other ear and then some from me old husband!

She tosses the ring of ears at Yarl's feet and leans forward with her elbows on her knees, and looks up at Yarl's face.
"I need 10 of yer Rats ta come help me. Help me finish this, and we'll be square, savvy? Then ye'll truly have tha river fer yer own."

[Computer +1]

Yarl doesn't immediately reply. "Think you fucking lug! Think like a fucking Kingpin fer once!!" his brain screams at itself. Yarl wants revenge on Sticks bad but he knows the Rats have been taking beating. He also doesn't fancy jumping to the tune of another rival gang after getting screwed over literally the day before. Not to mention if Diamond needs 10 men, how strong could her position be? If she had the muscle wouldn't she have seen to Sticks first before even coming to Rivington?
Diamond I acknowledge the Rats stepped in yer turf without permission and you have my apology as the Rivington Kingpin but, as ye said yerself, we didn't mix with any of yours nor cause any harm to those under yer protection.. He moves on quickly and doesn't allow himself to be interrupted. Now it happens that we Rats got a score to settle with yer piece of shite ex and the Rats would be agreeable, but we need to work out the exact terms. I'd like to be settin' up good n' proper relations between Brampton and Rivington so that both groups can take care of their own.

[hedgeknight]

Diamond Urchin sucks her teeth and flings the ring of ears on the floor in frustration. She runs her stubby fingers through her disheveled hair and touches the big diamond ring on her beard braid. Then she looks back into Yarl's eyes.
"Me and me crew have worked with tha Rats afore, when Sylmorn were kingpin. Never did trust that fucker, and when I heerd he was dead, it brung a smile ta me face, indeed it did! He and me ex were thick as ticks on a dog's back, and he screwed me out of a many a deal. If'n we was ta work together on this one job, I'd like ta put that deal back in place. Brampton be a hot bed fer smugglin.' Me crew has contacts in tha city and we can fence off just 'bout anything...give ya, 30% o' tha profits. How's that sound to ya?"

[Computer +1]

Yarl feels Diamond's frustration but he knows he can't back down, all the Rats are depending on him not to fuck this up. Rivington's got the best smugglers in the Gate'. My Rats bring your crew stuff to fence we get 30%, you get 70% cuz you know the buyers, its yer backyard. When yer clients need something specific smuggled in then I want yer word that you use the Rats to get it in and then we go 50% 50%. You can pass whatever loss you are takin' on to the buyer and jack the price on their end so you ain't end up short on yours.. He gives her a moment to process. I also got two more points to work out. First, I wasn't kiddin' when I said everything I own went up with the Den. The Rats had ta call "burl" just to get through the night. So I'm asking for a personal loan, you to me, so I can get my Rats fed and looked after.. He pauses another moment, Last, once we settle things with that fucker Sticks', then I'm askin fer your help in making a few contacts. I ain't sure who or how to get in touch with the Guild proper. I don't know the other Pins', I could use a few introductions.. He stops and waits for her reply.

[dmw71]

Relieved the situation between Yarl and the dwarf seems to have de-escalated a bit, Oak still requests another moment from Trueshot. "We should really let Yarl know of your findings first, right?"

[hedgeknight]

Diamond Urchin fingers the braid on her chin, the one with the huge diamond ring looped through it, for a minute or so, her eyes glancing off to the side as if she were thinking. She sniffs and looks back at Yarl. She spits in her hand and holds it out to Yarl.
"The deal is done," she says formally, waiting for Yarl to comply. "Fiddy, fiddy and a sack of silver fer ye ta get back on yer feet, eh?"


Meanwhile, outside...

Relieved the situation between Yarl and the dwarf seems to have de-escalated a bit, Oak still requests another moment from Trueshot. "We should really let Yarl know of your findings first, right?"

"Then let's go tell him," Trueshot says, looking anxiously back at the river. "For all we know the Urchin has smashed his skull in," the archer says, glancing at her men, the crew from Brampton.
"I don't trust these fuckers or their Dwarf kingpin," Fingers says, approaching Oak and Trueshot. "What's taking 'em so long? She in there jerking him off?" he grins at his own joke and then spits in the direction of the crew from Brampton. This action doesn't go over well, but Fingers doesn't care.