Customer Service - RPLOG
Participants
Date
6/7/477
Log
The hubub about Flora has finally gotten Wulf curious... at least about the store. She honestly doubts she will ever meet the Lady Longtail herself... unless it's some Solacious related thing that she is being brought along for. Perhaps when she wasn't a noble, but not likely now. Pressing into the store the tall husky looks around, her brown eyes taking in what there is to see before moving over to the Clerk and looking him up and down. "So uh... what is there to buy here exactly?"
Brutus, the rotund nnoble Skunk, emerges from the employee door--and is he wearing an ink-smudged apron? Does this mean he's actually working? Well, not at the moment--he's just standing there talking--"You know, maybe there is something to this idea after all! Though I don't see why she has me back here, there's naught that requires my scholarly or mathemagic abilities--"
Brutus catches a glimpse of Wulf. "Oh! Erm, excuse me. And...ah, welcome to the LongTech store," he says to her with a bit of forced enthusiasm. Ugh, customer service. Couldn't they just hire some commoners to do this kind of work?
Soon enough, a feline comes down the stairwell in the back, rumbling softly, and tapping her foot a little. "Flora has already explained, yes. We have a sick worker, and friend Brutus only has to stand in for a few hours while her replacement is on their way... In addition... Friend Brutus does realize that door doesn't open from this side?" the cat rumbles as she points at the employee-door he just closed. " Friend Brutus is now doing sales, yes. Hand your apron to... Her, and go on," Flora mumbles, gesturing at one of the other sales-beings. "She'll put your apron away and take your place."
Mmm,that forced enthusiasm doesn't go unnoticed by the Husky and she squints at Brutus. "You really need to be more convincing with your greeting friend. But I'm willing to let it go by if you tell me what it is you sell here. I may be interested in picking something up." The Busty husky crosses her arms beneath her bust as she waits, eyes glancing over to the feline in the room and offering her a polite nod in greeting.
Brutus shucks his apron, seething quietly. It was bad enough having to answer Lady Longtail, but having the customers talk down to him too? He draws a deep breath as he hands the apron over, his voice switching from unctuous salesman to academic. At least he was fascinated enough by the business as a whole to appreciate that. "We sell whatever Lady Longtail and her fellow staff invent. Thus far, we offer pens that need no inkpot nor nib-knife--they are wholly self-contained! You may also get your portrait made by our 'camera,' which paints with light! An amazing device, though I do not understand its inner workings. But one cannot argue with the results!" he finishes in a tone of actual awe, g00
gesturing to the photographs that dot the store walls.
"Indeed we do," Flora rumbles with a smile, a tailflick, before gesturing at the various pens and photographs. "Flora is Flora, yes. Or High Lady Flora Longtail, when in the courts. This here is friend Brutus, yes. Friend Brutus Blackback. LongTech Industries' magical advisor. And part-time sales-clerk for now, yes," the she-cat rumbles, clearly smirking lightly, before turning to Wulf with a smile. "Welcome to LongTech Industries. And please, let our LongTech family work for your family's continued happiness... And if there's anything you need, do ask, yes."
Wulf nods and points at the Fancy pens, the movment knocking her Medallion of Adrestia into view for a moment before it falls back down between her clevage safely.. "Lemme get one of those fancy pens there, with blue ink. And, I might enjoy that light painting... I won't have to sit still too long will I? Oh, and do you have an easier name for those?" She taps her nose a bit and turns to Flora, offering the lady a short bow. "Perhaps you can bring that machine to the Solacious Manor to take a picture of my pups. I would greatly appreciate it."
"And negotiator of some note," Brutus appends Flora's listing. "I recently advocated for her new model of doing business to the High Priests in Shralesta, and they are likely to endorse it" he beams, proudly!--then pauses, catching a glimpse of her plain silver medallion. He drags his into view, atop his also-voluminous bust. "You follow Her too?" he murmurs, sounding a bit nervous meeting his first fellow dedicant!
"Now, don't exaggerate, friend Brutus. The Grand Church has not issued any statements yet, and knowing how the system works... It will take a good while for a verdict to come, good or bad. However... That does not mean Flora isn't thankful. Or proud. Friend Brutus gave the idea a fighting chance, and that is what we need... Even so... Friend Brutus, are you not going to take the lady's order? As for taking the camera to house Solacious... We can work something out."
Wulf is completely lost as to what all that means, but none the less she simply nods her head. Her eyes glance over to the Medallion Brutus shows off and she smiles. "I was the first of Adrestia's followers..." Her attention is once again back on Flora and she chuckles. "Oh, right, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Wulf Tiernan of the Adaptable folk and a Sharpshooter in the Lightbringers. Nice to meet your acquaintance.
Brutus casts a glare towards Flora. She got to be 'High Lady' and 'head of house' and 'Executive' and 'Inventor' and all these things, and he couldn't claim more than 'sales clerk?' Hmph. He turns back to his customer and bows his head respectfully to Wulf, though. "Well met, Wulf. I am Brutus, of noble house Blackback, and I began to follow the Lady of Revenge after--" his voice wavers a little. "Well, we can discuss it further outside of the story," he mumbles, and clears his throat, putting that salesman voice back on. "Is there aught I can do to help you, madam Tiernan?" he asks politely, though with no tone of reluctance this time.
Flora chuckles lightly. "Friend Brutus is also head of Public Relations, yes," the cat rumbles softly, before swaying her tail. "Everyone at LongTech Industries has several tasks, and if Friend Brutus is wondering /why/ he was chosen to take the clerk's place today... For one, it would help with public relations... For another, it amuses Flora... And thirdly, Flora would like to consider LongTech Industries a family. Which means you support your fellow being, yes."
Wulf turns to Brutus and give him a wry face, ears flicking frustratedly. "I already said I would like a fancy pen, with blue ink and one of those pictures or whatever you call them. And please, jus' call me Wulf if you will." The wry face turns into a smile and she turns back to Flora. "That is a good motto to live by I should think."
"Oh! Of course, mad--miz--er, Wulf!" he exclaims, hastily jotting down her order, still slightly annoyed. Flora stands there like a lump, makes him look bad in front of an elder dedicant, and admits she's picking on him, and Wulf still talks nice to her and fusses at him. Just a few more months of this, and he could make his name on it, and earn his majority in the House, and he could tell Flora to stick it where the Spark don't shine...
Ahem. He clears his throat, withdrawing his pen from a pocket and pushing forward a sheet of paper that looks suspiciously like a contract. "As the proud new owner of a Fancy LongTech Pen, we would like to know a little more about you, so that we may keep your purchase on record and better serve you in the future..." His patter started, he really gets on a roll, syllables rolling off the tongue like a river, sounding like a slick advisor trying to pull one over on the Good King. "However, we do ask that you abide by certain rules--while the pen is your property, we ask that you not try to disassemble it or refill it yourself, as doing so will invalidate your year-long warranty. However, if you abide by this, and you run out of ink or are otherwise dissatisfied with your purchase, please bring it back to the store and we will be happy to repair it or furnish a replacement at no cost to you..."
And on and on it goes, the gist of it being: who are you, don't break it, and please buy more stuff! "If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask, otherwise, sign here," he finishes, pointing at the line on the bottom of the page. He actually sounds happy reading it all off--at least his verbosity and Flora's meticulous contract writing fit well together.
Wulf goes a little bit farther and looks down a the very end of the little contract, looking for any fine print before she goes and signs. "Thank you for all the explanation Brutus. I think I got the gist." See! She isn't all fuss and such. "Now before I go ahead and sign this Mister Brutus. Is there anything else I should know?"
Brutus ponders for a moment as Flora moves to attend to business elsewhere. "Well...we may also use this information to contact you when new inventions come to market. More than that, well..." He shakes his head. "Unless you would wish to speak about The Mistress of Revenge? I must admit, you are the first fellow dedicant I have met."
Wulf quickly signs with her signature and nods, pushing the document over to you. "So, what did you want to talk about the Lady Adrestia about?"
"Well...," Brutus begins, steepling his fingers nervously. "I came to Her in anger, after...well, after many members of my family had been...slain," he says, swallowing hard. "And she listened to me, and showed me compassion..." his voice seems distant in recollection.
Wulf does not interupt, instead prefering to listen as you regale her with your tale.
Brutus seems to come back to earth--er, Promise--"She said she would admit me on a probationary basis," he draws a deep nervous breath. "And I do not wish to ruin it by annoying her, but...I feel I am a changed man as she wished me to be, and I long to know if I have yet earned her favor." Despite his usual pomposity, he actually seems desperate for approval from Adrestia...though approval from his fellow dedicants would help too..
Which isn't something Wulf can give. Afterall, she has only known you for a little while afterall! "Are you a changed man? I cannot tell... seein as all I know is this and not of before Adrestia." The husky dusts off her furry arms and looks you up and down a couple of times.
Brutus purses his lips, hating to have to admit his faults...but nonetheless...
"I was the scion off my House, trading on its name for favors while doing nothing of my own...my House had grown weary of this and denied me majority until I made something of myself... I began to earn my keep with LongTech, and after I lost my...excuse me," his voice cracks, "my...parents, I avenged them and sought Her...and I have tried to be more fair and more just...and a couple times, I have had to protect me and mine..." Granted, it was just a pickpocket, but it was vengeance and compassion nonetheless!
Wulf runs her hand across her muzzle in thought as you explain and she lifts her eyebrow. "Oh, so one of those kinds of nobles. Definately the sorriest of the lot. Not like Jessica, Sally, or Angus." Her tail flicks and she continues. "You have my condolences however. No one should have to lose their Parents before their time."
Wulf runs her hand across her muzzle in thought as you explain and she lifts her eyebrow. "Oh, so you WERE one of those kinds of nobles. Definately the sorriest of the lot. Not like Jessica, Sally, or Angus." Her tail flicks and she continues. "I'm glad your starting to try to do something positive with your position... and you have my condolences however. No one should have to lose their Parents before their time."
Brutus's countenance seems to harden and his tail raises and twitches as Wulf speaks--how dare she! Who does she think she is, talking to him like that?--before he pauses a moment...she's seconding what he said, and if it offends him, it's his own damn fault, not hers. The tension leaves his expression and he sags a bit, looking somewhat pathetic. "Yes, well...Adrestia thought much the same, hence the probation," he says, managing a pained smile. "Though I'm sure she does not wish me to approach Her as I did the first time..."
Watches as your posture seem to tense, but the Husky doesn't seem to mind much... and she actually smiles as you as you calm down. "First thing you should work on is that ego. i know it may not seem like much but humility is a virtue, and realizing your own faults can help you improve." She leans foreward, resting her chest and arms on the counter as she looks up. "I doubt I'd want to have you approach me like you did the Lady Adrestia the first time either. From the sounds of it you must have been boiling mad."
Brutus gives a strange, dark-humored grin. "Covered in murderers' blood, swearing at Her like a sailor. The way she showed me compassion and bore it was miraculous..." His fleshy face frowns a bit. "I could never be so...gentle in the the face of anger."
Wulf taps her nose with her right finger. "And perhaps that is what you should change. It is alright to know anger upon those that deserve it but you cannot let it control you or your judgement if you are to be a follower of Adrestia."
Brutus's face tenses up again, this time in desperation rather than anger. "But--do I not have fair reason? A noble, forced to be subservient, to endure humiliations as some grand penance, to lose my family just when I am on the cusp of attaining status in my family!"
Wulf squints at you, her brown eyes studying you once more in contemplative thought. "To tell you the truth? The only thing that gives you a fair reason is the death of your parents. In all other respects there are people out there suffering worse than you are. Be honest with me. Does that turly sound like a changed man speaking? Were you not this way than before you met Adrestia or lost your parents just as you were about to regain some sort of recognition within the Blackback household?"
Brutus pulls a pained face similar to the one before. "So, because I was not..." he casts about for a polite easy to put it... "common born, I hadn't the right RuP be dissatisfied with my lot in life? My cousins can vote on family issues, lead studies, and address the elders at will, while I languish, lucky to sleep unset the manor roof." The wry grin comes again, too. "The old me would not countenance you speaking to me so frankly."
Wulf continues squinting. "I never said anything about that... I simply said that there are people out there that are fr worse off than you. Compared to them your needs and desires are like comparing a jewel to a simple pebble. You have a home, they do not. You can eat well, they can not. You can't speak your mind in family matters? They can't speak their mind on any matter at all. A follower of Adrestia is not just here to take vengence on those who have wronged you and yours. We are here to take vengence on those who would prey on the ones less fortunate than yourself. Vengence is not simply a tool, it is about justice." She runs her thumb across her nose and waits for your response before she says anything else.
Brutus seems to be caught between two feelings--part of him yearns to tell Wulf off and say that he seeks Adrestia's judgement and not that of some lowly follower, though deep inside, he knows she's right. And it's this feeling which prevails, though he attempts to mask it with his salesman's voice. "Well, you have given me a fair bit to meditate on, but the hour grows late, and Lady Longtail expects the shop in order come morning...," he pauses for a moment, adding "I do hope to speak with you later..." in a murmur. Humility came hard to him, but this was progress...right?
Wulf nods as she pulls off of the counter. "It was nice to speak with you Mister Brutus, hopefully we can speak some other time. Perhaps over a nice meal with some fine drink. Or you could come visit the Twin Pillows, I work there on my R&R days sometimes." Her fingers wiggle and she turns to leave, sashaying those wide hips of hers on out the door. "Good night Mister Brutus!"
