2024.01.23: Fishy Deliveries

Fishy Deliveries
Miranda goes to meet Deirdre on her boat to ask about setting up regular deliveries of fish to Thunk, the Ogre, that Miranda has made a deal with.
IC Date	January 23, 2024
Players	Deirdre, Miranda
Location	Siren's Song Boat
Spheres	Changeling

The crew is just finishing unloading their cargo. Several large trucks are leaving the dock as Miranda arrives, laden with the bounty of the sea. The crew of the ship is leaving as well, with Deirdre acknowledging each of her sailors as they leave. Once they are all down the gangplank which doesn't take long at all, Miranda can walk up.

Miranda has been trying to catchup with Deirdre for a bit now, and finally they are able to meet. Given the all clear, she walks up to find Deirdre. "Captain, oh Captain! Permission to come aboard!"

Deirdre throws up a lazy salute. "Permission granted, my friend. Welcome aboard." The redhead smiles as she invites Miranda aboard ship. "Just watch your step. There's still some ice about the deck from unloading."

Miranda takes careful steps as she walks onto the ship. "It looks like a bountiful catch. I'm glad to see that, as I am in need of your services."

Deirdre gently guides Miranda over to a place on the deck where they can sit, relax, and be mostly safe from being overheard. "As a sailor, a fishmonger, a diver, or a seal?" she asks, taking a seat in one of the deck chairs near amidships. "If I can help in any way, I will, of course."

Miranda opens her hands up, "Why not all of the above? As I mentioned in my message, I'm in need to setup a daily delivery of fish. A crate filled with fish. To a very hungry hungry man." She's not going to say Ogre here. "I'm more than happy to pay for it, but this was a deal to have some added protection in the Great Eastern Woods. We also will be protecting the wildlife from him hunting them down. In fact, I have a new ward... companion in the glade from this whole situation."

"How much fish? A whole crate, call it, umm, 25 pounds? On the low end let's call that 7.50 a pound, depending on the fish. Daily . . ." Deirdre pulls out her calculator. "Okay, call it around 70 thousand a year. Now, if we just buy farmed catfish, that's going to be like 1.50 a pound, round it to two for transportation." She punches in some more numbers. "18 thousand and change." Sure, she's rich, but she didn't get to be rich without a head for numbers. "This deal sounds more like a racket, Miranda."

Miranda says to Deirdre, "It's what I agreed to so we could save a life. I was asked to help find this girl before something bad happened. He is a dangerous man, and we've had enough death. I probably could have offered less, but I'm willing to do this as we've seen enough of it. He simply is hungry and well.. not very smart. But still a good ally if it came to it. Because having a Hulk on our side is better than on their side, no? If you could see it in your heart to help me with these arrangements, I'll be sure you are not out any money. I took this on, I'm not expecting you to lose out because this was the best recourse I could think of short of more death."

"That's a fair exchange. I'll have to place the order for catfish. Most of what I fish out is small-quantity, high-value items. Sea urchin, tuna, swordfish, those kinds of things. And the tuna that is in cans is nothing like true tuna. The Albatun Tress can catch 3000 tonnes of skipjack tuna—the kind in the cans—in one trip. So, I am sure you can see why the canned stuff is cheap. If I was in that kind of fishing, I would be able to fulfill all the fish requirements easily," Deirdre says. "But that's not the kind of sailing that I am interested in. No one ever got inspired by a can of tuna fish, not for at least a hundred years. It's our never-ending battle. What was once new and glamourous becomes stale and banal."

Miranda nods, "That makes sense. Look, if you can help me provide enough fish to keep this hulk fed, it is going to make a huge difference in the Great Eastern Woods. The wildlife will be so thankful to no longer be in fear of Thunk. He was eating whole horses when he could catch one. I'd also like to throw in some rum from your distillery. Perhaps once a week? I'd much rather pay you for this than anyone else."

"Everything that is being distilled right now is going into barrels and will need to stay there for a few years still at least," Deirdre explains. "New-make spirit for rum tastes like sweet gasoline." She smirks. "White rum has all the taste filtered out and is mostly used for cocktails where the flavor comes from other things." Deirdre has less use for a white rum than she has for a screen door on her submarine.

Miranda asks, "Perhaps do you know some supplier I could get cheap rum from? Nothing high end - it isn't like this hulk has a pallatte for anything unique or ... good. If you could recommend, something with a higher alcohol content even. Mainly thought I need the fish."

"Suppliers I do know. Market research," Deirdre says with a grin. "I can get some bottles of 151 easily. Since we're not wasting the good stuff on him, getting a few bottoms of bottom shelf. Bottoms of? Bottles of bottom shelf." Deirdre snerks as she corrects herself. "Oh well, not going to quit drinking today!"

Miranda laughs! "Sounds good! We've also talked about anyone that wants to go meet and greet and drink with him, they would be welcome. He may be an ogre, but I'd rather have him on our side than the alternative. Perhaps just is misunderstood?" She is a bit too hopeful.

"Well, uh, an ogre. I can't say I know anything from personal experience. Or any faerie lore. Just the fairy tales. I can deliver the crate to . . . the glade? And then someone with more of a disposition to dealing with monsters can take it the rest of the way? Maybe a troll or someone?" Deirdre asks.

Miranda nods, "Oh yes, that is perfect. I have someone to take it there. It's just getting the actual fish that is the issue. I knew I could count on your help. THank you so very much."

"I'll have the first crate delivered tomorrow. Don't worry about remuneration. It's not that much of a problem. I wound up deciding not to buy a jet. So, I'm in a pretty good situation, financially," Deirdre says.

Miranda gasps, "That is wonderful, and soon, you must come meet me at the glade to meet Elara. She's still recooperating, but I'm hoping to have her mingle more at the glade as she feels more comfortable. Please, let me know what I can do for you at any time. We do need to get plans going for the air ship."

"Elara? Who is that? And is she hurt?" Deirdre is a healer. In the autumn world as well as in the faerie one.

Miranda replies, "She's the one we rescued. She was hurt, her leg was broken when she was caught. But others... Erin and Amberlee. They healed her leg. I think for her it is more that she was hurt that she got captured. That she was close to death. That her herd no longer welcomed her back. She broke the rules. I was asked by their herd leader to find her and help find her a new home. To which I gladly have welcomed her into the Glade." She leans in closer to Deirdre, "It isn't everyday you find a Unicorn in need."

The selkie's eyes widen. "Once the ship is secured for the night, I will have to come visit." Deirdre is suitably impressed.

Miranda smiles, "Then I'll see you over at the glade tonight. I'll go check in on things there, and I know Sark and Zeller both wanted to come by as well. I'll let Elara know we may have visitors. Thank you again!"

"That would be lovely. I look forward to it," Deirdre says, making sure to escort her guest to the gangplank safely.