(PRP) Bog of Eternal Stench

[Milo Chernobog]

Milo simply blinks at Carnival Guys first rebuke. He had meant to speak to Jard, but the information made it's way regardless. Plus he might have the satisfaction of slashing Carnival's throat later, so all was good.

"And what precisely are you looking for?" Eyes watched the spokesman as they made their way to the parlour. "We have some other trifles that might sweeten the deal, but maybe there is something else you were looking for?"

The Fairest looked to Daniel for a second, wondering if he had anything to add to the deal. Of course if the Darkling had used his contract to divine the talker they had all Milo felt they needed moving forward.

[Daniel Leto]

Come in to my parlour. Daniel wasn't sure he liked the way Jard said it. Too much like the spider for his tastes. The Gravewight also didn't like that the ax still was being held, ready to use in scaly hands. Milo was already moving, though, and at least they weren't being herded into a room to be slaughtered. All the same, Daniel preferred to give the Boggan's a reason to keep them alive. Given what he had seen, he had an idea of what might entice at least Cleg and Jard. Assuming they thought at all like humans.

"We can also services for contacting the dead. Four questions to any one dead person you know. So long as you got a body, grave, or shrine to them somewhere close by that is." Daniel knew Cleg had the dead Gentry. A chance to find out more of his origins. Summoning even an unintelligent shade of Them was probably not a good idea, maybe not even possible. However, Jard had his tribe and seemed much more attached. If one of them had died in the raid maybe potato head had kept a memento. If that was the case, given his defacto leader status, Red Cap would probably take the offer of the clause over Carnival Guy.

Or they'd ask for multiple invocations. Which Daniel could truthfully say he couldn't do without hurting himself. Something he was willing to do, but a good way to make the clause a more powerful bargaining chip.

[Yumyumcrow]

Daniel clause infused senses chimed when Jard spoke - he definitely believed that the contract was expensive.

Unknowing, the hob trotted over to the broiling cauldron and set himself down. Cleg and the Reptile Woman followed suit; she simply slid into a squat while the raggedy Carnival Guy went looking for a chair - he returned with a folding chair like those used by experienced campers, festooned in vines and slick watery plants.

Interest glimmered in Reptile Woman's eyes when Milo began negotiations, offering trifles but she held her tongue. Shifty reptile eyes kept sliding to the pondering form of Jard, his bargainers eyes completely at odds with his mashed potato face. However he had begun, the hob had learned the harsh lessons of the hedge.

Jard's eyes now locked onto the Gravewright. "Um. Dats possible. See - we knows where the body is. And Cleg here got the name. We could do something with that. Fo' sho'."

Daniel's clause infused senses triggered, recognising the truth in Jard's words.

The little hob continued, turning to Milo. "Yo get trinkets and trifles? Lots of trifles! We needs things to sell, see? Yo bring us trinkets... And intelligences from the rightful departed... And we's can talk more, yo."

Again, Daniel senses chimed - this time with falsehood.

Jard had not finished, however. Not with Milo - the Fairest had planted a seed, a seed that became an itch the creature had to physically scratch, rubbing his head under his voluminous hat. Eyes glowed with mischief and curious hunger. "Yo got sweetener? Yo got... princesses?"

At Jard's side, Reptile Woman placed her hand over her eyes and sighed; Cleg simply seemed to deflate into his seat.

[Daniel Leto]

Daniel scratched his back with his left hand after Jard's second statement, indicating the lie to Milo. His hand stayed there because the Gravewight was a little stunned when they were asked if they could provided... princesses? Was the hob serious? Did this have to do with the book Daniel had seen the young Jard read? He glanced to the handsome Fairest wishing he could relate that particular vision but now wasn't the time.

"We could get you books on princesses. Movies; disney princess dolls. But, actual princesses..." Daniel looked to Milo for help explaining that that was an impossible request.

[Milo Chernobog]

Milo's eyes darted over to Daniel's hand for a second before returning his attention to the trio. Reptile woman's gesture pretty much summed up what Milo thought of the request for women. Thankfully, he was more reserved and didn't want to risk screwing up the negotiations for the contract.

"We can get you princess memorabilia, but as my friend said, not actual women." Milo sighed, a fake sign of his fake regret. "However, we can agree to the trifles and communion with the dead. Everything in the basket is yours, after we have the contract. The morbid talks may occur at your earliest convenience."

Eyes bobbed to the Boggan Brothers and then to Daniel. "Is that an acceptable place to start?"

[Yumyumcrow]

"Yo come back 'ere with trinkets and princess... stuff... then you have deal. We take the basket too." The Red Cap bounced and bobbed and wiggled as the hob nodded; the kind of nod that brook no questions. "We take the Communion with the udder side as well - but we can work out times for that, yo."

Shifty little eyes slid from Reptile Woman to Carnival Guy and back again. Jard's pudgy face warped into a smirk.

"We gives yo a month. One of 'em moon cycle things, yo. We knows yo from the udder side. We knows what yo mean."

All of this chimed true to the Gravewright's expanded senses. The hob spoke truth. They had a deal if they could gather what they claimed within a month.

[Daniel Leto]

Daniel scratched his cheek with his right hand as if considering. He actually would be fine giving up the mandrake tonight, both for collateral and because carrying the fussy root baby made him uncomfortable. Trifles they had already. Daniel was able to summon the dead any time. That just left the 'princess stuff'. Daniel's finances weren't the best but he could easily spare a couple hundred dollars to go to the Disney store.

"Sounds good to me. We get you the goods, then you trade us the contract and don't go selling it to anyone else until we get back." The mashed face hob's words were shaping up to be a pledge Daniel was willing to seal. However, he still wanted to make sure the other enterprising parties looking for the contract didn't buy it out from under them.

[Milo Chernobog]

Milo caught Daniel's scratch, continuing to smile to the group they were negotiating with.

"Agreed. We'll return with everything within one cycle of the moon, as per your wording." Eyes bounced over to Daniel as he nodded in agreement with the Darkling's condition. "If we can all agree on Daniel's condition, we can leave immediately."

[Yumyumcrow]

Cleg the Carnival Guy leaned in toward Jard. "It is a good deal, brother. Let us take it."

Jard prevaricated, then rocked back on his heels with a throaty chuckle. "Oy don't see why not. We have an accord. No Pledge needed." The shifty twinkle in his eye suggested that this was as much a test as the hob being lax.

Jard extended his hand regardless, small, child-like and podgy.

[Daniel Leto]

Daniel knew Jard was telling the truth. The mush faced hob intended to go through with the deal. For now at least. The funny thing about personal truths was that they could change with new information. Say if a better deal came along. Milo and Daniel knew there were other buyers out there but they didn't know their resources.

"We'll take the pledge," he said clasping the pudgy hand. They might be failing a test to see if they trusted the Boggans but it just as easily meant that they passed the test to see if they were fools.

-1 Willpower to seal pledge