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Post by Ethan Flatrivers on Jul 7, 2016 18:55:42 GMT
"Stew will be done in a while," Kyle said. "I got some people looking for workers so I can have more time, ain't even really open yet but what the hell? I got time and I needed a drink. So," he looked to the two of them. "We got two Benjens? Well fuck," he said, "going to need some proper nick names so we can tell you apart." He studied them a moment. Then he shrugged. "But we got time for that. Welcome to the..." He strained his brain thinking up a name, "Lonely Ghost Inn, yep, perfect name for a haunted castle," he said archly. "Come for the beer, stay for the 'spirits', I say."
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Benjen Snow
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Post by Benjen Snow on Jul 7, 2016 19:22:11 GMT
At the mention of his name, Benjen turned and looked at the speaker. "Well, fuck me sideways!" He said, greeting a fellow soldier in the appropriate way, "Been a long time since I've seen the Other Benjen." He grasped the other scout's forearm in greeting and clapped him on the shoulder with his free hand.
"I heard tell that your family got a lordly title. Figured I'd stay the hell away from Old Man Glover and see if the best employer I ever had wanted to give me a more long standing job. What about you? Your lovers still crying out my name in bed?"
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Post by Ethan Flatrivers on Jul 7, 2016 20:09:38 GMT
As the other two men talked, Kyle pondered some suitable nicknames in his mind as he scanned over his bar. It was about ready, he decided, so he went to the sign outside the door and brought it in to carve the name on it while they drank.
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Post by Benjen Blackfort on Jul 7, 2016 21:49:42 GMT
"We have the same name, dumbshit," Benjen rolled his eyes, but clasped Snow's forearm all the same. "But good to have you onboard. Assuming Belric decides to hire your sorry ass." Benjen grins again.
The innkeeper was prattling on about something, but Ben caught the man's name for his inn. "A good name for the place," Benjen agreed, lifting his mug in salute, "as long as you don't think it'll scare off your customers."
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Post by Ethan Flatrivers on Jul 7, 2016 21:51:25 GMT
"If they live here," Kyle noted, "they're not scared of ghosts, right? More for the tourists. Might even make some corny decorations if we ever have a tourney here, have the full haunted manse experience." He grinned. "And nothing keeps off ghosts more than giving'em what they want, and hopefully they want to see drunk people."
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Benjen Snow
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Post by Benjen Snow on Jul 7, 2016 22:20:38 GMT
"The ladies know better," Benjen said, a wide smile on his face. "Still, I'm hoping Lord Blackfort -gods above that's strange to say- decides to hire me. It'll be just like old times, you and me. If memory serves, I saved your ass a couple times, and you saved mine even more." He looks over at the bartender and says, "Fitting indeed, for a name. Also, Master Kyle, would you mind pouring another round for a couple of war comrades. I think I still owe him a drink from the last time we had a bit of leisure time."
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Post by Ethan Flatrivers on Jul 7, 2016 22:33:36 GMT
"My life is to pour," he said. "This round is on the house for a few old heroes. I'd appreciate some good word of mouth," he heated. He filled three mugs with the frothy beer. "To old comrades and new friends!" He offered. "And I may never save either of your asses but I promise that my beer will knock you on them sometime!"
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Benjen Snow
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Post by Benjen Snow on Jul 7, 2016 22:50:54 GMT
"Cheers to that, Master Kyle," Benjen said as he raised his mug in toast, "Here's to a long and successful life for The Lonely Ghost. You can bet your ass that I'm going to be coming by for quite a few pints on my off days."
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Post by Benjen Blackfort on Jul 7, 2016 22:52:54 GMT
Ben had not finished his first drink yet, but there was an easy solution for that. He poured the rest down of it down the hatch and set his mug on the bar. "Damn right you owe me one," Ben smiled. "I can put in a good word for you with the chief, if you want. We could use some more good people." Especially after the fiasco at the clay pit, though Ben did not feel like dredging that subject up again.
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Benjen Snow
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Post by Benjen Snow on Jul 7, 2016 22:56:09 GMT
"That'd be appreciated, Other Benjen," he said, taking a long pull of the second beer, "I heard tell of what happened over at the clay pits. Nasty bit of business. Hope I can at least stop more nastiness from happening next time you go out on a bandit run." He paused and mulled over a thought, a thought further fueled by beer.
"I got a crazy notion, Other Benjen," he said, a cautious note to his voice, "These bandits have nothing personal against House Blackfort, yeah?"
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Post by Benjen Blackfort on Jul 7, 2016 23:05:36 GMT
Benjen had no idea how his similarly named compatriot had any idea what happened at the clay pits, given that you could count the survivors of that event on one hand. "Well the ones we killed did," Benjen said, "Or at least had something personal against one Blackfort at any rate. Who the fuck knows with the rest? Probably just your usual bandits and broken men looking to take some coin from those who can't defend it."
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Benjen Snow
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Post by Benjen Snow on Jul 7, 2016 23:09:26 GMT
"They want coin," Benjen said with a shrug, "Give them work. Harrenhal's a ruin. First person I talked to here was a master mason, probably looking to rebuild some of the towers and make everything nice and pretty again." He took another drink and wiped the froth from his lips with the back of his hand, "You're going to need men to quarry and haul that stone. A few extra hands could make it easy."
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Post by Benjen Blackfort on Jul 7, 2016 23:13:50 GMT
"Men typically take to the whole thieving and pillaging lifestyle because they don't want to do a hard day's work in a quarry," Benjen scoffed. "And how could you trust them even if they did?"
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Benjen Snow
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Post by Benjen Snow on Jul 7, 2016 23:17:43 GMT
"By giving them what they need," Benjen responded calmly, "Coin is nothing but pieces of metal, but what a man needs... that's different. A man needs food, clean water, and a place to sleep without getting murdered or buggered. Those things are hard to come by in this day, harder for some than others." He looked over at Other Benjen and gave a shrug, "We got lucky, you and me. Born well, lived well, worked well. Some folk don't have that luxury, but we can give them the option."
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Post by Benjen Blackfort on Jul 7, 2016 23:26:48 GMT
Benjen raised an eyebrow skeptically. It was not that he believed that the bandits who plagued the land were irredeemably evil; he could understand the way war could break a man down. But Northern Benjen's plan seemed incredibly naive and more likely than not to bite House Blackfort in the ass. "I'll let you pitch that one to the boss by yourself," Ben said. "Though probably not wise to bring it up when swearing fealty."
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