tampered | LOG; Completed

LOG; Completed

When; Late Morning
Rating; G, maybe PG for language
Characters; Blitza

young_once, open to anyone that wants to help Hook stay out of trouble.
Summary; Blitza welcomes Hook to the city over a meal, and attempts to pull a fast one, but gets taken by the Hook.
Log; Blitza walked over to the restaurant and smiled, the newcomers to the city were so easy to convince that he was helpful, so alone and afraid. A few kind words and a smile was all that was needed to convince them that he was sincere and a nice person. A favor in exchange for showing them around the city? Not a problem at all, a bargain in fact. Of course, once they signed the contract they would be paying him for each kindness that he showed them, and such payback was always worthwhile. He stood at the entrance to the cafe and waited for his current victim to arrive.

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The man that came to the restaurant was alone, yes, but he did not carry himself as one afraid. He was pleased to have found that upon awakening on dry land that his clothing had been restored to its original splendor, and Captain James Hook was once again a sight to behold, adorned in his familiar wealth of fineries and quite a few visible weapons -- the least of which being the iron claw he had for a right hand.

Seeing the demon-like figure at the entrance, he was at first surprised, and probably would have been much more intimidated two days ago than if he'd just come from a gigantic ship where much stranger things had been seen dying in the water. Seeing that it appeared to be waiting on someone, he guessed this was the one that had spoken with him before from the box. James lifted his chin regally, staring down his nose at the smaller creature.

"You are the one I am meeting, I take it."

Blitza smiled, his pointy teeth showing and bowed, "You are quite correct sir. I am Blitza of the Airflyer clan, but please, the time for pleasantries will come later, after we are seated and eating."

The goblin stepped to the side and gestured Hook into the restaurant waiting for the taller man to walk in until following him inside into the restaurant.

Hook moved past the goblin into the building, but he stopped just past the threshold to meet paces with his host; he wasn't going to leave himself open by letting a stranger take up the rear. Always, he had been wary of people offering favors and exchanges; the Never Never land did not work like that, and for good reason. If anything came to the island wishing to make deals, it was often the last sort of thing you would want to owe anything to.

They assumed a table once inside, and Hook sat across from Blitza. It'd been so long since he'd come into a tavern or restaurant of any sort; after all, his food was often brought to him in his cabin by the boatswain, Smee.

"If we are to eat -- I still have no money to offer to pay for mine," he said carefully, "but I intend to repay you in my own way for that." It would have been fair to simply treat the goblin to a dinner of similar price later, after all. Nothing suspicious about that.

The goblin nodded and smiled again, "A fair offer. Please enjoy yourself here."

There would be plenty of time to tempt him into signing the contract, and convincing him that he was a good person was the first step. Blitza called over the waiter and placed his order then waiting for Hook to do the same.

"Tell me sir, what kind of activities did you pursue prior to your arrival in the city?"

The tone of voice was light, but it was the start of Blitza's business pitch and well rehearsed. As long as nothing went wrong, he would be leaving the restaurant with a signed contract and a confused customer.

Hook smiled slowly. He did not brag about his exploits in piracy when he was away from the Roger. If he did that, the more likely it would be for scandal to make its way back home, and he was all for preserving the reputations of his friends and family from younger years.

"I captained a galleon," he answered plainly after ordering his meal. He chose something modest but filling -- mostly because he knew what they were, and better safe than sorry.

A ship captain...Blitza didn't have much use for such activities, but then, he was a citizen of the city so there were other options through which he could work.

"I see, and what was the level of technology in the world you were living in Mr...?"

"Captain James Hook," he returned tightly. "And I am not certain. There were technologies scattered throughout the Never Land from many eras. I, myself, before arriving there, came from the proud dawn of the nineteenth century."

Blitza nodded, though he had only the vaguest of ideas what the technology was like in the time Hook was from.

"I see. Various technologies you say?"

That sounded appealing, perhaps this person would have more use than being just a warm body after all.

"Yes. Some more archaic but well preserved, which I found strange. But that world was built up of fancies; it does not surprise a body that has become accustomed to it." Hook drummed the fingers of his left hand on the table in agitation -- not at his current host but the many people moving about around them. Even when he took guests he had the privacy of his cabin. No -- this was not to his usual tastes at all.

Blitza noticed the drumming fingers and his agitation, and thought about whether to press that feeling and use it to his advantage, or to ease him out of it to appear more friendly. He decided that using it to his advantage would likely produce the best results.

He sat back in his chair and enjoyed his drink, waiting a bit before speaking again, "As a new arrival to the city I'm sure that you will find a way to fit into the flow of things. Everyone finds that they have some skill to offer which other citizens need, and that an income is necessary for most to survive." He paused again to eat and gauge the reaction of Hook before continuing, "I offer to you a welcoming hand into the city, an explanation as to where you are, and descriptions of some of our more prominant citizens, and a temporary place to stay. In exchange I ask of you for 3 favors to be granted in the future. The first of which will be paid during the next Warden election, in which you will vote for the candidate of my choice, the second will be paid upon gaining your own employment, after which you will pay me a sum of 1 orange a week until such time as you have paid me a number of oranges equal to the number of days you have spent living in the quarters I provide, unless you should choose to continue living there in which case you need merely pay the rent of 2 blues a month, and the third being an unnamed favor which you will provide for me in the future. Such a favor must be one which you find acceptable, of course, and you may reject such favors if you should so choose."

Hook listened to him intently, a frown knotting his brow as he did so. He didn't quite understand some of the terms used for what he assumed was currency, but that was not important. He did not much like the idea of having a landlord, either. He was not a child; he would find his own place.

"I thank you for the welcome," he began. "And while I have need of an explanation and perhaps information on prominent citizens, I will make due without the rest." He quirked an eyebrow. "What are your terms for those alone?"

The goblin smiled inside, even though he hadn't gotten the whole deal, the Captain was taking the offered bait.

"Without providing a place to stay the conditions drop to the other 2 favors."

Hook smirked. "And you'll trust me to just do those two things?"

Blitza reaches into the bag he brought with him and pulls out a small stack of papers and sets them on the table.

"Of course, after you sign this contract I will."

Ah, there's the rub.

The Captain chuckled and sat back in his chair, eying both the pile of papers and their owner. It didn't surprise him, such a creature offering him a contract of all things. And favors?

He snorted, then sat forward again.

"Mister Blitza, how stupid do you think I am?" he asked plainly.

"Having only met you I can say that it appears you have a higher level of intelligence than most within this city. Is there some kind of problem?"

Blitza was getting a bit worried, usually at this point they signed, albeit a bit reluctantly, and then moved on. Why was this man asking so many questions, the pitch had been done correctly, and he'd been interested. He should have accepted.

(ooc: how did I not even realize that I missed an entire WORD in that statement?)

Reclining again, Hook examined the nails on his good hand casually.

"No problem, provided you understand that no intelligent man, particularly not a man whom even the Sea-cook himself feared, would ever submit his written name to anyone, much less a stranger."

The goblin frowned and then sighed, "In that case we have a problem. I don't work without a contract."

He collected the papers and stuffed them back into his bag, "It is unfortunate that we can't conduct any business."

"What sort of place is this where a man's word means nothing?" he asked.

Blitza paused in his motions and looked up at the captain, "You'd like to enter a verbal contract with me then? That is another issue. We merely need to find a witness and we can continue."

Hook examined him carefully, thinking that he did quite like this person, even if he suspected he was trying to put one over on him. He was cunning, and one had to admire that. "So how often have you played this little game with newcomers?"

"Game? Oh, you mean helping newcomers get settled in? A few times sir. Why do you ask?"

"I mean -- how often has it worked?" He smiled, touching his hook as he said this, testing its sturdiness. The gesture was not without its warning undertone, however, as the harness proved to remain still tightly fastened, the hook polished, sharp and ready. "Convincing people to take from you for a price what they could freely obtain from other people on those boxes? Must be quite the enterprise if it works. I might have to look into it, myself."

Blitza's grin tightened, he'd lost him, he knew it, it was time to cut his loses and run.

"I don't know what you mean good sir, but if you wish to refuse my offer that is your choice."

The goblin's voice remained steady, but his eyes were fixated by the metallic hook.

"Oh, I think you know exactly what I mean," he chuckled. "And be still -- I will make good on what I said I would do, so you need not rush off without your meal, in the least."

Who knew? Perhaps he could get him drunk and get a bit of information off of him that way.

Blitza paused, he'd be accepting the deal still? That was worth looking into.

"Very well, Let us then continue our meal and we can finalize the contract afterwards."

Their meals were finally brought, and Hook addressed it probably very strangely to an onlooker. Paranoia had taken the last parts of his life aboard the Jolly Roger, and he'd taken to checking his food before devouring it. At that point it had been beyond him to imagine that Mister Smee or any of the other pirates might not think so badly of him as he did of them.

Once he was satisfied, he seemed to enjoy.

Blitza sat and ate as well, though he merely picked at his food, obviously uncomfortable around the larger captain. He spent most of the meal staring at the man's hook-hand and trying his best not to let the fear that was beginning to well up inside him become apparent on his face.

Those looks did not go unnoticed, and eventually, James held up his right hand to let more light catch the Hook. "Do you happen to know of anyone who works well with metal?" he asked, offhanded and conversational. "I've thought of looking into having other models constructed, though this one is quite faithful."

Blitza swallowed but...business before personal discomfort.

"Actually, I am quite adept at working with metals myself. I could construct for you attachments for that hand...possibly even a prosthetic hand if you would so desire."

Talking of business helped calm him down and he was able to keep his eyes on Hook and away from his hand.

Mostly.

"Pros--thetic?" he echoed curiously. "What is that?"

"Ah...A machine hand. You wouldn't be able to feel with it, but you'd be able to lift, grip, everything a normal hand could do, and much, much more."

Blitza's sales persona was returning, he was back in his comfort zone. He had something that the Captain wanted, and this gave him leverage.

"That is something to consider." He wasn't at all certain he believed it, but there were stranger things going on in this world. He would have to wait and see. James finished his drink. "I'll not barter with you today, however, but I would be happy to do business with you in the future when I have something of monetary worth to provide for you."

Blitza nodded. It wasn't the best deal, but it was a better outcome than was possible...especially with that hook.

"Then I shall endeavor to make myself available to you in the future."

Hook rose then with a careful nod. "I look forward to it, and happy hunting." In an uncharacteristic moment of cheek, he winked at the creature before taking his leave.

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LOG; Completed

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daah

I didn't even notice.

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