Ash 14, 121
Freshly bathed, in newly washed clothes, Franky was thumping his way down the stairs this morning. As he reached the door to the kitchen, he could already hear movement inside and smiled. A staff that was just as willing to get to work as he was, it was a nice feeling. He opened the door and saw Dirdy, the newest kid on the kitchen staff, scrubbing down the kitchen, while Zeerd was scrutinizing a boiling pot.
That rich, earthy smell that wafted the kitchen told Franky that it was coffee, and a sly grin grew upon his face, his eyes taking in a bit of sparkle. Yes, it truly was nice.
"Good morning everyone. What's the plan for today?"
Zeerd didn't look up, "We got a troupe of hunters dropping off their loads soon. Should be anytime in the next hour, if the word of their manager is anything to go by. Once we saw what we got, me and Dirdy will be running breakfast and prepping for lunch. Chef Evzark comes in for lunch, and the new girl should be coming in shortly after that for afternoon prep and dinner."
Franky nodded, "And if the hunters don't show?"
"We got plenty of cured and brined meats to get through lunch, and then I'll go to market to find materials for dinner."
Another nod, "Alright, I'm gonna go run some books out here, and when I'm done, I'll come help with prep. Would you bring me a cup of that coffee when its ready?"
Zeerd sniffed at the pot with his large nose, still not looking up, "Sure thing boss."
Franky, his ledgers tucked under one arm, cut through the kitchen, stepping out into the bar. Birx was there, in his suit that was much more suited for West Side than here, going through with a clipboard, checking the inventory of the liquor bottles on the back wall. At the end of the bar, was Weston, a cigarette hanging from his lips, and the bar ledger open in front of him. Out in the seating area, Merial was inspecting the tables and chairs for damage, and adjusting them to be in just the perfect spots as they should be.
"Good morning everyone."
Birx looked up, flashing a charming smile, "Good morning, Franky." Weston nodded and grunted slightly, and Meriel came over, seemingly gliding on those silent feet of hers. "Good morning Franky. I hope you slept well." She stepped in close, fixing a corner of Franky's shirt collar that had gotten tucked in on itself, giving a firm pat upon his chest when she was done.
"How we lookin' out here, Meriel?"
A polite smile, "We are looking well, Franky. I'll need to put in an order for some new chairs, a few of these are ready to send someone feet over kettle." Franky could only smirk as she corrected his speaking and such. She had a very particular way about her and that was why Franky had hired her.
Franky nodded, and Meriel went back to her work, and Birx popped up, "Just finished morning inventory, about to head to the basement to get us stocked up. Everyone else back here will be in after lunch. And we have a merchant coming by later, bringing in samples from Dalquia."
Franky nodded, moving around the bar to sit on the other end of the corner by Weston. Franky looked up as the kitchen door opened, Birx disappearing and Zeerd coming out, two mugs in hand. He set one each in front of Weston and Franky, knowing they both took them black. "I got some tea on for you, Meriel, whenever you want it."
She flashed him a grateful smile, "Thank you, Zeerd, I'll be along shortly."
Franky took the coffee, taking in a deep waft of the heavenly scent, before taking a sip on the hot beverage. Perfection. "Let's get these books knocked out." Weston grunted and Franky smirked, knowing the man wasn't really a morning person. He and Franky had this meeting every morning, then Weston would return back to bed. He preferred the afternoon and evening shifts, it let him see all three of his managers between the two shifts.
As the two ran the numbers, Franky copied them into his two ledgers. One was the bank ledger, which was a set of two. He would turn that one into the bank whenever a deposit was made, the bank would count it, make sure the numbers added up (so that appropriate taxes could be paid), and return it the next day, with their stamps on it. So he had two of those, rotating them every other day. The other book that was open in front of him was his master ledger, that was just for him. The book in front of Weston was the front of house ledger, and it never left the bar, and these morning meetings were to ensure its accuracy.
"I never figured a tavern would make this much money."
Franky smiled, "It's only gone up since we've staffed up. I didn't expect it either, we grew far faster than I ever would've thought. It's why it was just me and Jane before we hired you all. Caught us by surprise."
Weston nodded, "Isn't it odd though? It seems to me that the Knob is growing. Why do more keep moving here, despite Zaichaer's... views?"
Franky shrugged, "I think Zaichaer in general is growing, leaving more opportunity. The things we do for coin."
Weston grunted, and they went back to working the numbers over coffee. When it was done, Weston put it into the drawer by the lockbox, emptying the coins and notes into the various sacks. Franky cocked an eyebrow, "Staying up this morning?" Weston chuckled, "Gotta visit my sister on West Side, she's been insisting for a while now."
Franky handed over the banking ledger, "Have fun."
Weston laughed, grabbing his holsters from behind the bar, strapping them on, and taking his cloak from the rack. Franky finished his coffee, walking around the bar to wash the mug, setting it on the hook to dry. Grabbing his master ledger, he pushed back into the kitchen to the smell of baking bread, seeing Dirdy peeling potatoes and dropping them into a barrel of water, while Zeerd moved quickly and efficiently around the kitchen managing several things at once seemingly effortless.
Franky went upstairs, locking away his ledger within his office, and returning back to the kitchen. He rolled up his sleeves, preparing to scrub in, when there was a knock on the back door. Franky strode over to it, opening it up, to see a wagon parked out back and a trio of tired, dirty looking elves, difficult to tell the variety under all the muck. A broad smile from Franky, "Whatchya got for us today?"
Franky stepped out back, and Zeerd was quickly by his side shortly, looking into the back of the wagon. The hunter in charge pulled back the tarp, smiling, hoping for a startled reaction. But neither Franky nor Zeerd flinched. "What type of beetles are those?"
Zeerd piped in, "Horned brawnies. Good find, pain in the ass to hunt."
Franky looked over at the hunter, "Eh, were they hard to come by?"
The elven man scoffed, "Not at all, easier than fish in a barrel." Franky had to stifle a laugh as the young man literally puffed out his chest. Zeerd climbed up in the wagon, inspecting the beetles, "They're in good condition, we can definitely work with these. Can cook up half for today, brine the other half for tomorrow. Are these their eggs here in the barrel?"
The elf laughed, "Yup, sure is. Real delicacy I'm told."
Zeerd hopped down, and Franky crossed his arms. "Fifty for the lot."
The elf looked offended, "Fifty! It took us two days to get all these!"
Franky put on a glower, "I thought you said it was easy. Fish in a barrel."
He stared directly into the elves eyes, "Okay, so they weren't that easy. I was boasting."
Franky growled, "I do not care for liars when it comes to my business." He looked down at Zeerd, and the pair turned to head back inside. "Wait wait wait, I'm sorry!"
Franky stopped, turning back to walk right up to the elf, who gulped as he did. The nervous elf sputtered, "We can do fifty."
Franky shook his head, "Eighty, for the extra difficulty. But if you lie to me again, I'll cut you off."
The elf looked sheepish, "Alright. Thank you Franky. Sorry about lying."
Franky smiled softly, "We all make mistakes. Just do not make that one again. Kick off those boots and head inside. Meriel will get you a room so you all can bathe, and breakfast is on us. I'll unload the wagon."
This brightened the spirits of the elves, "Thank you Franky."
The older hobgoblin simply smiled, and dragged the corpse of the first large beetle to him. Just another day.
