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Post by Briar on Aug 31, 2021 20:32:02 GMT -6
What a... strange request this was. Briar had to read it a few times just to make sure he hadn't misread what was on the note. They wanted him to... go see a show? People were offering rewards for this? He couldn't help frowning at that. How bad was this show, if they had to resort to these methods to attract people willing to attend? Never mind the fact that this really wasn't the sort of thing he would usually bother with. If it was a 'job' he could find it in him to do it, and if he sat at the back of the venue maybe it wouldn't be too bad, but... The fundamental premise behind the request was just so strange. He looked through a couple of the other requests as well, but many of them were long winded, and his reading skills still weren't all that strong. 1
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Post by Briar on Aug 31, 2021 20:36:12 GMT -6
Too long a passage, or one with a lot of complicated words, still gave him a headache. And these were both too much for him to muddle through, so eventually he just gave up. Seeing a show it was. How bad could it be?
... No, he wasn't going to answer that one. The reality was that a lot of things really could go wrong, and if you asked him there was still something shifty about the way it was being advertised. But the quest board was there to ensure that people got paid for their 'work', however bizarre or inane the work might be, and so he wouldn't be going for nothing, at any rate.
He checked the sling on his back to make sure the pup sleeping there was still... well, still sleeping, he supposed. There was nothing to worry about there; it was still out like a light.
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Post by Briar on Sept 1, 2021 15:37:23 GMT -6
He wondered if that was going to be a problem. Sure, puppies slept a lot, and maybe it was just that he hadn't raised one that had been as young as this one was on his own. Lyra and Joker and Loki had all been older when he had first made their acquaintance, and by the time he got his hands on any of Joker or Loki's pups, they were already old enough to leave their mothers. But was a pup really supposed to sleep this much? Sometimes he wondered if this pup was still alive, and had to put his hand up to the pup's nose to test for breathing.
Still, he was sure he would be glad for the respite once the pup got to a mischief making age. At least it was eating tolerably well, and growing at what Briar thought was a good pace for its size.
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Post by Briar on Sept 1, 2021 15:47:43 GMT -6
And if it kept sleeping in such proportions, Briar didn't have to worry about taking it to the play either. Not that any of his other creature companions were at all suited to the venue, though he thought that maybe Joker would enjoy it, for the novelty if nothing else. He hefted the pup and headed for home. This was definitely going to be... one of if not the strangest jobs he'd ever taken, but if he could survive the night, at least he would be compensated. Briar didn't have so much security that he could afford to turn down an opportunity for a little more in the way of funds.
The night of the plat came, and Briar... wasn't sure what to wear. The kinds of clothes he owned didn't seem like the right sort to be wearing to a show like this, but he wasn't sure what would be.
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Post by Briar on Sept 1, 2021 15:50:08 GMT -6
His station and his occupation meant that he had never had the opportunity to go to things like this, and... even though he was free now, and technically could have done so at any time he wanted, these things usually cost money to attend rather than paying for an audience. And there were just so many other things to do with his time, much of which didn't involve going into the city to be among a crowd of strangers.
In the end, he decided to just wear what he usually wore, though he chose the darkest articles of clothing he had, and wrapped his cloak and scarf more tightly over his face than usual. They were bound to stare, but let it be for his strange mode of dress, and not for any more distinctive features about him, like his ears or the brand that was burned onto his face.
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Post by Briar on Sept 2, 2021 17:29:04 GMT -6
He deliberated not taking the pup with him after all. Maybe this kind of environment would turn out to be too much for it. But in the end he found himself putting the pup into the carrying sling anyway; somehow it didn't feel right to go alone. It occurred to Briar that he wasn't often alone anymore these days, a far cry from the life he had known before.
But then, maybe he hadn't been alone back then either. There had always been the plants. And until the mistress began planting the garden according to her schemes, it had been his garden in spirit, even if it wasn't as such in legal writing. He was the one who had raised all the flowers there, the one who knew them as more than just a passing glance every once in a blue moon as one strode through the gardens on a whim.
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Post by Briar on Sept 2, 2021 17:31:41 GMT -6
Briar didn't like the thought that he was becoming dependent, but on the other hand now he had the luxury of choice with regards to his companionship. That was something, surely.
With the pup settled, Briar made his way to the address specified on the notice. It took him some time to find it, but he had figured it would, and judging by the assembled throng, the show hadn't quite started by the time he arrived. He breathed a small sigh of relief. It wasn't that he had been worried about missing the show, but it would be less hassle to get in this way, rather than if he had arrived after the show was already in progress.
He had thought there might be... some sort of verification of identity or something once he reached the entrance, but the people there simply waved him through, entreating him to enjoy the show.
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Post by Briar on Sept 2, 2021 17:35:51 GMT -6
... In retrospect, that made sense. They had put up their show listing like that on the quest board, after all. Screening of attendees was probably the last thought on their mind. And it seemed that their ploy had worked, as far as drumming up numbers. The venue was already nearly full, and Briar struggled to find a seat, even in the back. He had hoped to place himself next to an aisle, where he might make a quick exit if he needed to for any reason, but no such luck. He ended up wedged between a Mammalian and a human, though fortunately neither paid him much mind. One even had a companion of their own seated on their shoulder, though in this case it was a Shiku and not a puppy of any sort.
Then the lights dimmed, and the show began, and Briar had something else to focus on.
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Post by Briar on Sept 2, 2021 17:38:58 GMT -6
What followed was... hard to describe. Briar had never been to one of these things before, and had no idea what to expect. The sets were surprisingly elaborate, and for a moment the bulk of his thoughts were taken up by curiosity regarding just how they managed to get the place to look like that. But then a woman took to the stage, and began reciting her monologue to the assembled audience.
From there it was hard to follow, at least for Briar. The human to one side of him didn't have any such qualms, and seemed enraptured with the whole thing. The Mammalian, with the Shiku companion, was a bit more reserved, though his laughter boomed out intermittently during some of the scenes. Briar didn't know if he simply couldn't understand, or if the scene hadn't actually been meant as comedy, since the human didn't laugh nearly so often.
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Post by Briar on Sept 2, 2021 17:50:44 GMT -6
Between the two of them, it was pretty hard to focus on the show -- not that it had been easy for Briar to focus on it in the first place. About halfway through it, he simply gave up. At least the pup had stayed quiet throughout, and petting it gave Briar's hands something to do.
Not coming alone had really been the right call.
Still, it wasn't the worst thing he had ever been through, and now he had a better idea as to what to expect if he ever found himself having to attend something like this again. He really didn't think it would come up, but a lot of unexpected things had already happened to him even within the last year, so now he didn't want to rule anything out anymore.
It hadn't exactly been pleasant, but as far as 'work' went, it had been pretty low effort.
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Post by NPC on Oct 12, 2021 16:03:57 GMT -6
Congratulations, you've successfully completed the quest! Your QP will be added to your bank shortly.
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