"Ehh, what..?" came Ghent's response as he turned around to consider the other patrons. "... just looking at what else they 'ave on offer... you go right ahead and order," he added with a dismissive wave of the hand. 'I'm sure the store clerks know their business and who to serve next, by gods...' he added under his breath as he squinted at the various goods on offer.

He suddenly turned around, an idea suddenly striking him: "How's their coffee..? Do you know, mate?"

In reply to Ghent Bel-Andis (msg # 66):

"We just flew in today, never been here before" Teddy said shrugging his shoulders.

"Do you have Bavarian Cream Doughnuts?" he asked the clerk. "They have a yellow custard filling, not the white cream."

Viridian had listened to Teddy's response and then began looking over the displays. Like Rayjay, he didn't know what a 'Bavarian' was nor what sort of creme they made, so it was hard to tell if the shop sold something similar just under a different name.

"Custard? I once looked into it--did you know there are 17 different things that are called custard? Half of them are puffed-up whipped cream while the others are some sort of pudding. Ha! And even that term has many definitions."

"Ah, here we go! Doughnuts with creme fillings! Quite a variety. Strawberry creme, khaffay creme, hazelnut creme, peanut butter creme, chocolate creme... Mmmm. That sounds good. I'll take a dozen of those!"

"So, how long has this bakery been here?" he asked the proprietor.

Just at that point, someone else came into the shop. Viridian didn't pay much attention to them... until Teddy felt he had to challenge the man. With a sigh, he felt like Teddy was determined to start a fight here on Theev. Damage and death could result in them getting thrown off the planet... if they made it that far. He glanced out the shop window to see if a Black Widow was anywhere in sight--they had been keeping on their group.

Turning back to the newcomers, Viridian's eyes widened in surprise. It couldn't be... could it?

"I'll be damned! If it isn't Bell-book-and-candle himself! Hello, there Ghent! What brings you to Theev again? Didn't get into enough trouble last time?"

Teddy paused and looked again at the interloper. "You know this guy Vir?"

"I did once... a little matter of some gambling. He lost, I won," Viridian answers. "Well, we weren't playing against each other. I tried to warn him about overstaying his welcome and overplaying his hand."

"I have to admit... I've been leery about running into the Blackstorm gang again. Galt wasn't all too happy when I walked away with my winnings."

"B-book-and-candle-what-now...?" was all that Ghent managed to grasp before turning around from the pastry display case in confusion. 'I need my krifing wits about me,' Ghent thought with sudden alarm since he wasn't expecting any type of reunion.

He considered the people around him with one eye closed, his right hand shielding him from the store light's glare. Three sheets to the wind, he wasn't quick in figuring out who had spoken, but then some kind of recognition washed over him as he recognized Viridian, but wasn't sure where he had met him before.

"Just in Theev to wash down my dread at having quit my job with the Merchant Marines... though, I dare say, I've been in good hands since... right, ladies?" He grinned down towards one of the girls, one of them asian, and the other a brunette with blue eyes. "May-may and Jackie here hav' been showing me a good time..." He returned his gaze back to Viridian, and looked him over again, but shook his head.

"Right now, I couldn't recognize my own brother from a three-mast ship, mate... might you refresh my memory..?"

In reply to Viridian Starfire (msg # 70):

"Ahhh, a little thick is he, well, I don't like being told what to do either. Go ahead, get your doughnuts, we'll wait.

It is like a pudding custard that I'm talking about, with chocolate icing." he switches back the conversation.

Ghent ignored the thick comment the ex-marine quipped, unsure as he was that it was directed to him or that Galt person, but being between jobs now, he decided to show some of his magnanimousness shine through.

"Look, fellas..." he said as he turned around to the bakery clerk in attendance, "my friends and I would like a bulk order of your best pastries, khaffay / teas, and your big breakfast for me, please. I believe some wanted Raspberry Beret, Bavarian Creme doughnuts, and I believe the girls would like the strawberries. I'm sure we can get everyone something, so me and my friends here can catch-up. This one will be on me..."

He then slips closer to the clerk to hammer out a few more details.

In reply to Ghent Bel-Andis (msg # 73):

Teddy grabs a table that will hold them all so they could eat and catch up for Viridian and Ghent.

Viridian sure did get around, into the social circles of the strangest people that is, first the lovely Miss Stella, then the clothier, whose name escaped him, and now some washed out merchant marine and drunkard, a Ghent or something. "I see, t'ose donuts do sound quite sugar coma inducing." He said, not disliking donuts himself, but being his age he unfortunately had to watch what he ate, or else it'd come back to bite him sooner rather than later. Either case he hoped the Admiral would appreciate the gesture, once they were finally able to secure a meeting with him of course.

"If I was as sloshed as you, Ghent, I probably wouldn't remember me either!" Viridian quipped. "It's me, Viridian Starfire, though I'm not sure we ever exchanged surnames back then."

"You do remember that 3-day gambling session back in aught-7, right? Over on Nekrino? Your ship was doing the Palindrome Loop, as I recall."

"I told you to never draw to an inside straight. In spite of actually getting it, though, you still lost because Galt filled his higher straight. I mean, it's okay if you are just gambling for fun and don't really care how much money you lose. Bigwigs, hotshots and nobles do it all the time. That's not for the likes of you and me, though."

"Besides, I'm pretty sure Galt cheated. Don't know how he did it, but I suspect marked cards. Or the proverbial 'ace up his sleeve'."

"Come on over and join us. These are my crewmates... Rayjaynul Brown and Baron Captain Theodore McFarlane of the FTS Vultine out of Drinax."

As Viridian told everyone of their last night out, Ghent snatched one of the Kaffay cups being handed out and took a small cautious sip before pulling in a long overdue mouthful of stimulant. He felt its warmth down his throat and hit his empty stomach, and he gave out a long sigh of relief.

"Why is that first sip soooo krifing good after a night out?" he wondered out loud as he saluted Viridian and the others with the cup. "Pleased to make your acquaintances... hope you enjoy the pastries," he said as he meandered over to the reserved tables and sat down across from the man who had recognized him, "the last time I caroused as much as last night was like... a decade ago." The last was said hesitantly, as if he was counting backwards, trying to recollect events over the years.

"I always did take my time with the Merchant fleet rather seriously...! And you did say I should loosen up, so I came back here for some serious down time," he conceded, and then considered Viridian again. "I hope you're better at avoiding trouble than you were back in the day..! I think I remember a few girls who weren't too happy at the time..!"

In reply to Ghent Bel-Andis (msg # 77):

Teddy sipped his coffee too, he dipped a donut in the coffee as well, it was good!

"The only trouble I had with women was them wanting to put their brand on me," Viridian quips back.

"Time was never right. I still had a few wild oats to sow. Still sowing."

"So, how about you? Were you married to the fleet? Or did some buxom beauty manage to throw a rope around you? And these two lovelies are... research?"

Ghent laughed good naturedly at the 'still sowing' and raised his cup in a solemn salute to Viridian not settling down. That jived with what he remembered of the man, "Nah... can't say many a woman want a man who's gone 9 months of the year to help her raise children," Ghent gave way by explanation, "these two are just here to lift my spirits while I figure out my next move. Speaking of which, you look like you've come about with a crew? What are you folks working on now if you don't mind my asking?"
This message was last edited by the player at 15:22, Mon 22 Nov 2021.

In reply to Ghent Bel-Andis (msg # 80):

OOC: Now, just why would all of you suddenly visualize a certain red-eyed glare, after Ghent asks this ...?   ^_^

ooc: allergies?

OOC: Nah, Vespexers just have red eyes.

"Quite the brazen question you 'ave t'ere, but currently we are enjoying a snack and ordering some for later. T'e rest is up to our wonderful captain to divulge, if 'e wants to of course." Rayjay said, taking a sip of his own coffee while listening intently to all the questions the newcomer was making, particularly those regarding their current business dealings.

"Just introducing ourselves here at the moment"

In the grand scheme of things, it was probably too early to explain that scheme to Ghent, but since Redthane's raid already seemed to be common knowledge, there could only be two possibilities for their interest in him: join or recruit him, or capture him (either for a reward or for the Admiral). There might actually be a third--revenge, but that didn't seem important.

"Besides doing a little bit of speculative trading and maybe improving conditions on some of these backwater worlds here in the Gap," Viridian responded, "we're looking for a pirate named Redthane. If you've heard of him, you wouldn't happen to know where we could find him, would you?"

He seemed to recall that Ghent had been a bit naive when they'd last met, but it now seemed as if the years of Merchant Marine service had hardened him up a bit, made him more cynical. He knew that Oleb and Varca had these 'glorious' albeit imaginative plans, and if they ever came to fruition, people like Ghent would be needed, so it didn't hurt to sow a few seeds now.

Heck, it sounded like he was looking for a ride off of Theev. Then again, just about everyone was. Theev wasn't like most planets... where frequent trade ships were the norm and you always find a berth going somewhere. On Theev, if you bought a ticket, it was usually one way to Hell (and not the planet Hell).

"Speculative trading I can help with, they don't hand off the captain's chair to just any Tom, Dick and Jerry with deep pockets," Ghent said after a bit. "I turned them down because of some legal shenanigans they pulled off. Now, typically in that line of business we try to steer clear of pirates the likes of Redthane, since it normally jeopardizes the profits from the trading, which share holders don't typically forgive (or forget about)."

The man considered them a while as he took a few bites of the warm breakfast that was now before him; a mix of breakfast potatoes, an omelette with a lot of veggies, all sandwiched between two flat crêpes, topped with a drizzle of syrup. If anything, Ghent liked his sweet and salty combinations, and was probably the type who enjoyed exotic foods from all over.

"The art to avoiding a pirate is usually knowing where he might be next," he said between two bites, a small grin crossing his face, "but we can't always be sure, eh?" He seemed to grow pensive a bit, as if trying to recollect something.

10:15, Today: Ghent Bel-Andis rolled 11 using 2d6+3.  Streetwise + Int. Info on Redthane in order to avoid / find him.

"Do tell Ghent! If you can figure out where everyone is it would make it easier on us."

Ghent doesn't know enough about Theev to point out any place on the planet where a pirate might hide, especially since the only habitation is Blacksand (city).

He's got an idea about where a ship might hide, though.

"If it were me with a warrant on my head, I doubt that I would be hiding on Theev proper, all things considered -- too easy for the authorities to bog me down, when I need time to breath. As a ship's captain, I'd be looking for a place to refuel and plan my next move, but with Theev and other inhabited worlds off-limits, then an uninhabited world with water sources is my next best option. Like a moon around a gas giant," Ghent offered after a bit.

"Hmmm, not a bad idea, send in 'spies' like Miria to scout the situation, but keep yourself out of it."