Waldemar nods quickly. 'Sure, sure, not a problem. Kaspar! These people want to talk to you.'

One of the other boys looks up, a chestnut-haired youth with grey eyes. 'I am Kaspar,' he says plainly. 'And who might you be?'

While Kaspar introduces himself to you, Waldemar continues talking. 'As for the bridge, I took a quick look at it this morning. I reckon the four of us working on it would take about a week, so let's say 30 silver for the four of us.'

(OOC: Sorry guys, was laid up with a nasty cold and my posting has been suffering for it, but I'm finally pretty much caught up with everything)

Ludwig blinks and tries to rub some of the morning daylight out of his eyes. Farmers' hours indeed, this is why Montcliff does all his detective work at night, who can think this early? "Nephew!" Ludwig exclaims, "The bridge was damaged, not destroyed, just because we're family doesn't mean that we can pad the budget, think of your fellow towns-members, that is their hard earned coin that you are taking. I'm sure we could come to a more agreeable sum, as well as lend a hand or two, also I'm sure Winston or Hamfast would also be more than willing to help out."

(On a related note, isn't Kaspar our cousin? He's our uncles son, not brothers son.)

Griff shoots Ludwig a look, but shrugs. The prank was only half formed in his mind either way.

"Hey there Kaspar. We're your cousins from away. Uncle Holger invited us up for a bit. We wanted to come up this way and meet you, and of course Uncle figured we'd best do some work while at it."

Waldemar looks at you unconvinced, his arms crossed. 'Oh I think the price is fine- we all need to eat, and there's the cost of materials involved as well. Still,' he says, 'if you have someone willing to help us fix the bridge, we'll split those 30 silvers with you evenly. If you want to give your earnings back to the treasure, well, that's your business.'

---------

Meanwhile, Kaspar squints his eyes, like he's trying to remember, then suddenly gives you a broad smile. 'I thought you lot looked familiar! You're Griff, right? Then you must be Klaus and Ludwig!'

At the mention of his father, his expression sours somewhat. 'So what did dead old dad want with you? I mean it sure sounds like him, pressuring others to do the jobs he's too lazy to do, but I didn't think he'd grown bored of exploiting ma and my sisters yet.'




[OoC]
D' oh! Yes, I meant cousin. I'm Dutch; we only have one word for both cousin and nephew!

Also good to know you're feeling better!

Also also, Ludwig rolled 3, 4, 6, 8 on his Spirit test. No matching numbers means the test failed, but the option of having extra workers is apparently too enticing to pass up...
[/OoC]

D' oh! Yes, I meant cousin. I'm Dutch; we only have one word for both cousin and nephew!

I really feel like there's a joke to be had there, but usually we tell those one's about Americans from the south!

**

Griff shrugs. At this point he figures he might as well be honest with Kaspar. (Besides, if your honest in the beginning, people are more likely to believe your jokes and stories!)

"To be frank Kaspar, he wants one of us to take over his farm. We kind of got the vibe that the two of you... well, weren't seeing eye to eye." Griff say's, trying to be friendly. "So he's having us up to... 'experience' what its like running the farm."

He nudges Ludwig in the side. "Of course it seems Luddy's signing us up for extra work as well! This is country life is it?"

[OoC]The Lannisters send their regards .[/OoC]

Kaspar raises his eyebrows, but doesn't seem offended, merely surprised. 'Huh. I thought dad was selling the farm to the Bundels. Taal's backside, are they ever going to be cross. Seems typical of dad though, why accept a load of money from people who actually want the farm if you can just drag more family into it, kicking and screaming.'

He turns away, fidgeting with some of the tools on the table absent-mindedly. 'Well if you want the farm, don't let me stand in your way. I spent the first half of my life mucking about in dirt and manure, and if I ever have to see a live cow again it'll be too soon.'

He looks up as if suddenly realizing something, then smiles. 'Say, if you're to run the farm though, do you think you could keep my sisters on to help out? The Bundels would probably toss them out as soon as they bought the farm, but well, you're family, right?'

I really feel like there's a joke to be had there, but usually we tell those one's about Americans from the south!

In the book I'm reading now the main character has been living with his first cousin for twenty years or so, and they live as husband and wife. Another character, from the same book, her father is also her grandfather. The amount of incest that seems to occur within the books is astounding, and why yes, they do all take place in the American South, Arkansas to be precise. What's funny is that they're part of a large series and before I got to all the incest stuff (well, he touched upon some of it, but I didn't realize how much sex and this stuff would be in some of the other books) I had recommended them to my dad, I'm not sure if he picked up the other books but we've never talked about them again in any type of depth.

@DemonSlayer: If Peter Karst is the town's butcher, and Sepp Bundel the butcher is on the town council, does that mean that the town has two butchers? And do we know anything about either man? I know I'd want to know about Karst because we'll be talking to him later (you'll see the beginnings of my thinking in the IC post below, but I'd also have asked Holgar or Maria what they knew about the butcher and miller so that negotiations could be carried out with us knowing something about what they'd want or what they'd value in bargaining, if that makes sense.)

@Gankom: We need to come up with some type of signal so I know you're preparing to prank somebody, I'm totally the type of guy who will step all over your setup without ever realizing it.


***
Ludwig quickly turns to Griff, "Oh, no, not us. I don't know much about bridge building, but I'm sure Hamfast knows which end of a hammer is which." Ludwig unconsciously rubs his gloved hands together.

He then turns back to Kaspar, "Exactly, we're family! As far as food, I'm sure that Peter Karst, the town's butcher, who we're going to be seeing a little bit later will be willing to cut you boys a deal on lunches for the time it will take you to fix the bridge, once we come to an agreement about time, we can then talk to him about providing some box lunches for you all, that way you won't even have to worry about food and can fix the bridge that much quicker. And since we'll also be speaking to Lars, the miller, we'll be able to get you some bread as well."

OoC: Yeah, I... sort of messed up. Peter Karst is the butcher, while Sepp Bundel (who is on the council) is the baker. I sort of got his profession wrong a couple of times- sorry!

If you ask Holger and Maria, they'll tell you that Peter is a friendly sort, smart and kind, and will make a fine council member once his father steps down.

Sepp Bundel is his polar opposite- acts like he's better than the rest of the village, and looking to take over the farm and the mill both. Also Maria will mention the dreadful amount of gossip that comes out his wife's mouth, and will describe their son as a regular alpha male who doesn't actually contribute to the village in any meaningful way.

Finally the millers, Lars and Karla Felsreich, will be described as being sort of the Bundels' unwilling toadies. Holger doesn't seem to like them much. Maria will remind everyone they're basically dependant on Sepp to buy their flour at whatever price he wants to pay. When pressed, they will also tell you that both their sons work as charcoal burners, and neither of them is interested in taking over the mill.


At the mention of food, the other two boys pipe up. 'Sandwiches sound good,' one of them says. 'Very good,' the other one echoes. Turning to you, the latter says, 'if you can get Gitte to bring us some sandwiches every day, why, my brother and I'll work for free on this one. Name's Reiner, by the way, and this is my brother. Ingo.'

'Pleasure,' Ingo says. 'And if you can scrounge up a crate of beer from Peter's brother Dieter for us, that'd be even better.'

Waldemar's eyebrows raise, then he throws his hands to the sky. 'Fine. You know what, fine. Pay us 15 silver for the job, ten if you get one of yours to help us. And some sandwiches for these knuckleheads.'

A lazy grin spreads across Klaus' face as Kaspar recognizes them; he hangs back from the haggling - not his style, truth be told - but at the mention of food and drink, he nods eagerly. In his opinion, there was nothing like a 'free' meal to grab interest in doing otherwise bothersome labor.

This stuff about the Bundels, though...

As Ludwig and Griff attend to the negotiations, Klaus moves a little closer to Kaspar, giving him his undivided attention.

"He does seem a very family-focused sort..." Klaus shrugs. "And of course, none of us would dream of turning them out. Apparently there's a witch in these woods, no sense giving her someone to turn into toads. Or, you know. Whatever nonsense witches get up to." He glances around at the trees, taking it all in. "So how's life out here? Evidently cow-less..."

Kaspar chuckles. 'Cow-less? Ha! Well, not if you count my sisters- they come by when their work allows for it. Usually when they have to run errands- dad doesn't approve of them coming here.' Casting a glance at Reiner and Ingo, he adds, 'can't imagine why...'

'Life here is, well... It is a tiny town, everyone knows each other, and some people like that while others don't. Sorta quiet at times- we've had to put down the odd wild animal walking into town, but that's to be expected at the forest's edge. Good thing too- I'd be halfway out of a job otherwise.'

He looks east, back at the forest, before continuing. 'In fact there's very little game the past few years. Plenty of cadavers, though, so I expect there's a bear or wolf out there- though I never found any tracks.'

At the mention of a witch, his expression turns slightly exasperated. 'Don't believe everything they tell you,' he says. 'Agatha's not a bad sort, she just likes her privacy. That and she knows her way around herbs gave her a reputation only a tiny village's tiny minds can think up. She lives down the road- go see for yourself. I promise you, none of you'll come back as toads.'