Royal Hippos Part 1 - RPLOG

Participants

• Bite_PC
• Jera
• Saibh
• Selena

Date

22/3/476

Log

Murmers race through the crowd, the king has just been spotted yet again, this is the third sighting today! Various figures point to and fro, but a general consensus directs attention towards the market stalls. A kodiak bear can be seen grumbling angrily at two lionesses, trying to explain that he doesn't have the money for his incoming shipment because some hippo came and demanded a tax.

Selena paces through the stalls, shops and stands, taking a look at the odd item or curiousity, never actually seeming to buy anything. It'd seem from the assorted bottles of imported cider showing their necks from her bag that she'd already done enougb spending. Hearing the buzz about some kind of tax, the wolfess makes a line for the turmoil.

Saibh had been out shopping, again. One would think she's actually starting to enjoy looking for new clothes to try on. Or she's just indecisive, probably the latter. Flicking her tail after some haggling, she takes a new outfit that she carefully folds and puts away into her bag before turning to head out and almost bumping into Selena. "I hate crow-uh, hi there Selena" she offers, recognizing her a second too late. "What's all the noise about?"

Jera has been marketing his smuggled spiced wine in the marketplace, and when a commotion starts, he spies his chance to hide his evidence while he can, locking his strongbox just in case he's in trouble. "See, tax is why you smuggle." The kit fox grins, but flicks his wrist and keeps a bolt nocked in his wristbow, pulling his hood over his ears to cover most of the distinctive patterns he carries, and trying to slip past the crowd to look natural.

Selena and Saibh draw closer to the bear and lionesses they just avoid being hit as the bear violently launches a small clay object shaped and designed to hold liquids in their general direction. Jera gets a few glances as a few folk hear him, and as he takes off a guard shouts "Hey what was all that?". He moves to grab him but groans as the fox slips into the crowd. The bear shouts "I'm NOT lying, but I can't take your wares girls. I can't, I don't have the bloody crowns. King came by and said if I don't pay up I'd have to shut down, I'm not profiting today I'm just making up for lost income. Now if you want to go and tell that sleezebag that he's wrong, be my guest, I'm not getting taken in over this." His words draw quite a few frowns and gasps, but the lionesses sigh in defeat, preparing to take their goods elsewhere. Murmers continue to race through the crowd.

Selena pivots to face Saibh, smiling. "That makes two of us, Saibh." She comments with a smile. "Good to see you again." After hearing the outburst from the Bear, she rolls her eyes exasparatedly. "Naturally, the one time I'd like to see Rogna around..." She grumbles to the marten - having yet to notice Jera's presence.

Saibh looks to Selena, then looks around at the crowd and leans in close to murmur something to her. Her tail flicks out, then she adds more audibly, "Since when does the king send his own out to collect taxes, I'd think most of the collectors would be.. well, non-family"

Jera holds still until nobody seems to pay any more heed to him, catching the guard losing interest before continuing his way carefully through the crowd, darting into a bench and looking down for a moment to avoid attention before he finally ponders. "Last Resort Shopping, eh? Funny thing, the place's not too far off." With that, he starts a quick jog towards the store he thinks he remembers.

A husky rat woman in the crowd talking to a young mantis says "Oh yeah? I've heard of that place, isn't it in the back of the market stalls?" very loudly, in a harsh ear grating voice that makes the mantis she's talking to wince for a few seconds. He puts an arm over her shoulder and says rather softly "Remember what we talked about?" before him and a huffy rat begin to bicker in a whispering tone. The guard follows Jera into the crowd, his tall form trying to spot the fox. He feels like he saw a glimpse of him for a second before he completly loses him, sighing and looking back towards the bear and lionesses, he moves to see what all that noise was about. Jera makes it through the crowd, the distance between them and the stall rapidly dwindling as time goes on.

Selena murmers a response to the marten, keeping near her as she makes her way through the crowd. "It doesn't make sense that he'd announce a tax only to one person though. This just sounds fishy. Or like someone's naive." She comments, expression indicating she's taking a jab at the bear. "But either way, I suppose."

Saibh looks at the crowd around her, leaning closer to Selena to listen. She ducks behind her briefly, dodging someone in the crowd and while there leans in to whisper once more. She then resumes walking along side her and says, "I.. wonder if... eh, how common are uh, hippos? I've only ever seen the one, what's his name"

Jera is sure the guard is still on his tail and thus makes the proper precautions, slipping out of his cloak once he's out of sight to powder down the white streaks on his face, and then now that he's more able, lowers his cover a bit and starts sprinting towards that stall.

Jera makes his way swiftly towards Last Resort Shopping, his memory serves him correct, and his speedy movement brings him to the sheltered shady looking stall without any trouble at all. A warthog looks at him with a sly grin, his teeth flashing as he says "Welcome! To Last Resort Shopping. If you're here, I guess you've looked everywhere else. So what do you need, I'll get it for you no problem." Saibh and Selena are far behind, making their way towards the stalls idly during their conversation, the crowd around them buzzing with excitement, only inturrupted by the occasional outburst of a customer or store owner.

Selena shrugs. "Not very, I don't think. And chances are the one you met was Rogna. He was there when we met - at the quarry?" She notes. quirking a brow. "But that's not the most important thing. I mightn't be the best with politics, but usually a tax raise has some kind of official paperwork involved as well." She notes, keeping her eyes peeled for shady individuals, hippopotami or combinations of the two.

Saibh looks over and says, "Rogna huh, met him a few times, never got a name. Is he one of the family members or is he just a hippo?" she's scanning the crowd as well, mostly while ducking it, but she's trying

Jera waves to the storekeeper. "Got any dragon's tongue? Potent venom. You know the apocatheries stopped stocking it before, when it was used for more idle purposes. Oh, and I hear the Good King's been around." He's not silver tongued, but at least he's trying.

The warthog raises an eyebrow, looking Jera over. "I don't know you all that well, you been here before?" he says as he moves towards the back of the stall, watching him out of the corner of his eye as he checks his inventory. "You know how much you're looking to pay for it? People come to me when they can't get it elsewhere, I charge an additional fourteen percent on average market price." he says back to Jera before adding "I haven't seen the suc.. ah gentleman, but if I do i'll make sure to get him what he wants too." Saibh and Selena are nearing their destination, nothing out of the ordinary catches their eyes. The crowd grows distant as they move to a more secluded portion of the market.

Selena nods, gaze travelling around the alleyways a little more idly than it was previously. "He didn't seem too bad to me. And to my knowledge, yes he is. Interesting how the only hippos I've heard of are, you know?" She comments conspiratorially. "You've changed a lot since then, too." She muses, continuing on with the marten in her idle conversation.

Saibh looks to Selena and says, "Really? Never would've known.. then again I uh, didn't know his name" She gestures ahead and asks, "This way right?" she checks her coinpurse, then adds, "Not that many hippos around I guess, you're right you know"

"Couple of hundred, no more." Jera wagers. "But thanks for the info anyway." The kit fox slips out of the shop.

But that would be impolite. He taps his feet at the entrance of the store. "Well, you're going to have to hurry if you want my coin. Either you have it or you don't, I have other things to do."

The warthog says "Hold yourself, I've got it. Money first, too many people try to dissapear with merchandise." As he speaks heavy clanking can be heard, extremely heavy. The source appears to be four very well outfitted guards, spears held up, shields and swords in hand and within reach, approach the stall. They stand around a large hippo, regally dressed. He smiles as they draw near the warthog, who gives Jera a look and then looks back to the group. "Can I help you?" he finally says to which the hippo laughs and replies "I believe we need to speak about your neglect of the newly passed legislation. You owe a hefty sum of crowns." Saibh and Selena draw on the scene, just in earshot of the converesation.

Selena murmers something across to Saibh, quirking a brow. The wolfess opts not to take any rash actions, continuing towards the store with a little more than casual interest. "He calls himself a master swordsman. I'd certainly say he's skilled." She notes. "Haven't really asked you, how's the archery been going?" The wolfess smiles, allowing Saibh to stem the conversation or stop her movement when or if necessary.

Saibh glances to Selena and murmurs back to her as she checks her kit. Standing on her toes and shifting from side to side, she continues, "It's going well enough, still quite terrible with supporting it by math, but I never relied on that much anyway" She then settles back and adds softly, "Should we ask for their badges?"

Jera is glad he put on his makeup now, slipping the warthog some crown before bowing politely to the Good King. "One'd think an announcement like that would have been done in advance, your majesty." He keeps his head bowed down, at the same time placing himself juuust in front of the counter.

The hippo smiles at Jera and says "There was never any reported effort to meet my notification, so I took it upon myself to come out here while the courts are not active." He then looks to a surprised, and slightly aggitated warthog. "I didnt get any notification, that's why you haven't heard a thing from me. Now what's all this about? One hundred crowns? Take it and leave, I have a business to run." he says with a shake of his head. The hippo shakes his head and says, as saibh and selena draw up behind them. One of the guards turns to face them, a heavily clad being of unidentifiable species and clan, likely heavy.

Selena quirks a brow at Saibh, commenting "Probably." With a shrug before she looks over to the Hippo. "Not to imply anything, but it's a bit suspicious you'd collect takes when the courts haven't even issued a forewarning. Care to tell me what this tax is for and why you're collecting on it before it's been finalized? I want to know where the extra crown is going. It must be VERY important if it can't wait for the courts." She asks politely, veiled irritation at the amount requested by the unnamed 'noble'. She then returns her eyes to the guard, keeping herself ready to move.

Saibh checks the guards and says softly, "Hey, I think I saw something back a ways I wanted to look at, I'll be right back" She then leans in closer and whispers something to her before trying to duck into the crowd, hoping to use them as cover while she tries to disguise that she's swapping souls out in case of problems, just a hunch she's working on.

Jera frowns and spots something strange. And decides the best way to fight royalty is in sheer numbers. He uses the help of air magic to amp his voice to travel a bit further than usual. "Ack, a new scar? What grievious combat has your majesty sustained this terrible wound?" He slips more crown over to the warthog while he's at it, always one for contingencies.

The warthog notes the crowns being passed his way and slides a tightly wrapped something to Jera, shaking his head. "Well 'King' I've got the crown, and you're welcome to try and pry it from me in plain view of these good folks... but I don't remember you having any combat lately, think I would heard about all this." The king frowns and shakes his head once more. "If that's what you wish, if you continue your sales the city guard will have you hauled in. It was a nasty accident, I fell on a decorative piece." he says before turning to Selena. "It has been finalized, and we took measures to notify everyone it would effect. The taxes are for the restoration of shanty town, a place in desperate need of crowns. Would you have me leave what has happened untouched?" The warthog sneers and reaches behind him for something, drawing two of the guards to attention. Jera's ploy seems un-noticed.

Selena rolls her eyes. "You think I don't care what happened there? Evidently your efforts were posted in the wrong places, given the amount of shock I saw in my walk along the marketplace. It would seem nobody heard about this until you came by to announce it." She replies skeptically. "Shanty town isn't only in need of crown. Throwing money at a problem does not make it go away, and I don't doubt you could suffer a small loss to your coffers to help out rather than take it from merchants that might just need it." The wolfess notes, making no attempt to hide her disbelief of the response.

Saibh returns soon enough, shaking her hands out and muttering to herself, "Someone beat me to it" she offers to the wolfess before looking at the gathered guards. She leans from side to side, trying to get a look at unit markings or any other details to either pick up on or spot that's out of place. Not that she'll probably do great, but there's that

"The Solacious'll say that money is better spent on war efforts. And almost anyone can tell you that our merchants are the backbone of our country, your majesty." Jera continues, a bit disappointed at how darned secluded this area is. "And taxing a store with only one customer is just bad form." The kit fox holds his package close to his chest, moving to sit on the counter.