Open The Docks A Hire Purpose

[Griblo Jankweed]

Griblo puffed out his chest and help out his paws eagerly as Emilio offered over the scabbard and pack.

"Aye, mate! Ye can trus’ me!"

The moment the badger’s weapon and gear were in his grip, however, the ferret staggered backward a step, knees buckling under the sheer weight. He tottered dramatically, jaw clenched as though it were dragging him through the floorboards.

"Blazes, what’s dis made of, lead!?" he wheezed, though the twitch of his whiskers betrayed that he was playing it up just a touch. With a grunt, he shuffled to the side room and carefully set the load down, brushing off his paws with a loud exhale, as though the deed were herculean. "Hells teeth, beast like yew coul' pull a whole 'ouse down!"

He shot a last lingering glare back at Kaii and the vixen, sharp and narrow-eyed, before slinking out into the wet with a swish of his tail.

--- 2 Hours Later... ---

The warehouse door shuddered open again without a knock or warning, and in slunk Griblo, soaked through, fur plastered flat, dripping like a drowned rat. Yet his grin was as wide as ever, and his claws clutched a tightly woven basket bound against the rain.

"Vittles bell!" he crowed, water flying as he shook himself out. "Oi got’s ye all o’ de goodies a badger the likes o’ ye needs. Hope i’s enuff, matey!"

He plonked the basket onto a bench, flipping it open to reveal its bounty: several slices of buttered raisin toast, three steaming meat pies, a paper sleeve crammed full of non-fish fishsticks, and a battered canteen. With a spring, he hopped up onto the same bench, leaning in close to Emilio’s ear.

"Even snuck ye some grog from m’ per’snul collec’shin! T’is in d’ canteen!" he whispered with conspiratorial glee, before bouncing back down to the floor, chest puffed.

Casting his gaze across the trio of laboring beasts, his grin widened.

"Roight! So, did ol’ Twin-Tails ever show ’is mug or wut?"

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Kaii was now in the middle of working on assembling the crane mechanisms again. Sitting on a wooden beam, he dutifully worked with his wrench, attaching the elements at adequate tightness. Focused on work, and not really too concerned with such matters, the unpleasant ferret from before was now an afterthought. That is until they came in, bringing a multitude of foods for their friends. At least, Kaii considered, they were kind to those they did care for. That was something.

To their question however, Kaii pulled out his watch, checked it and then flatly responded. "In about forty-seven seconds. Be patient." He hid the watch again at continued his work as usual. Knowing that at least mister two-tails would be pleased upon seeing him work. And indeed, as if the marble fox could predict the future, an iguana stepped through the doors exactly forty-seven seconds later. They were an iguana, green and visibly chubby (for a reptile). Indeed their tail was splitting into two a short bit after it begun. Both tails seemed independent of one another, giving a rather mesmerising dance that helped the iguana to stabilise their walk.

"Greetings Mister Nah-she-ru. How's me crane doin'?" He asked just before taking a look around and noticing an extra badger and ferret with lots of food at paw. He got somewhat angry, as his crest spiked up. "AY! Who are those beasts? I dun remember gettin' a catering, nor any extra workers fer today!" He spun and stared at the marble fox who was absolutely unimpressed.

Kaii turned to him and got down from the wooden beam, brushing off some stray splinters from his clothes. "For the Ferret, they are bringing food for their friend. The Badger on the other paw sought work. He meticulously did so for the past two hours, hoping he would get an employment here alongside payment."

The Iguana for a moment tried to say something but wasn't able to. They just stood their, maw agape. After a while they pointed at Kaii with an outburst of energy, both of his tails now flicking around in anger, Kaii wasn't in any way bulging however. "Listen Mister. Am spendin' FORTUNE on yer repair of the crane. I dun need any more expenses today and fer sure not workers that are wastin' their time on breaks!"

Kaii shook his head and stared at the reptile, intensly, knowing they were just greedy. But also, just like with negotiations earlier about his own pay, the marble fox was aware that the lizard didn't like one thing more than spending money. Being seen as foolish. And Kaii could again use that.

"Mister Two-Tails. You typically employ few beasts because of your crane. For the past few days as it was broken, before you bothered to seek someone to fix it, your warehouse almost came to a halt. You actively would rather lose money on not having enough paws to run things here rather than employing a beast that did two hours of honest work without a payment from you in an attempt to even get a job? Look around at all the unorganised crates that still need to be done. Observe also as most of your actual employees did not come today due to the weather and unwillingness to work too hard without the mechanical support." Kaii explained so flatly, one could claim his voice was like a razor. "Besides all this, you told me many times that I am responsible for this place. Thus I took it seriously and sought help for running your business." He added and then turned away from the speechless and much much more docile reptile. Kaii once again climbed the wooden beam to continue his work.

And as Two-Tails swallowed the loss of his pride, in order to not act like a fool anymore, he turned to the rest. "Alright. Miss Marble, please tell me how's yer work in the past hours." He then walked closed to the Badger, still somewhat wary but humbled enough to overcome it. "An as fer you. Me apologies. Times are tuff an all that. Yer here fer work yus?"

 

[Marble]

Watching the ferret stumble under the weight of the badgers gear, trying to stifle a laugh as they would waddle around slightly like a commedy skit before putting it down with a dull thud.
"Well now with that resolved and a little bit warmer. We still have a lot of boxes to do and two tails is a little bit of a uhhh... what is word... like teapot, loud when they boil haha. Just follow my lead friend Emilio"

The work was as she said repettitve and hard. The boxes were fortunatly small enough for one person to carry alone but also large enough that it was rather cumbersome to do. The carts being loaded from the front to the back, Marble thankful for the extra help allowing her to get up onto the carts and load the boxes with the badger passing them over. Whilst this was going she would start to sing again to make the work less tedious, simple working songs and maybe a few shanties she had picked up in her life.

It wasn't until Griblo came back that she realised how long the pair had been working.
"I expect two tails will be here soon." And then he walked through the door and she made a comment about 'mention the beasts name and it shall come' although it was in her native tongue and probably lost on everyone. She would continue to move boxes and gesture for the badger to do the same until two tails came up to them, wondering if she should have warned the badger that their employer was an iguana, knowing how some folk felt of reptiles.

When he came up to her she would hop of and gesture to the carts.
"Still going as well as ever, first three are loaded and should be collected within the next hour, next three aren't getting collected till the afternoon and the harbour master has yet to inform us on any updates to the boats coming in so my best guess is the fog is too thick to unload. Doesn't excuse the others not showing up to deal with this backlog but we make good work without yes? Though workhouse not happy big crate not move but I'd need three badger lords to make that work. Kaii does good work though, is complex and delicate, like sculptor but heavy machinery" She would smile streatching out her body a little.
"This badger good worker, no complaints, strong, good with moving, and quick learner"

 

[Emilio]

Emil smirked as he saw Griblo stumbling about with his things. Sometimes he packed heavy, that was true, but his sword was still just that- a sword, and not a giant bar of steel! That ferret sure knew how to flatter him. He waved him off and blew on his tea, cooling it best he could before taking another big sip and setting the cup down; 'twas time to get to work. His stomach growled again, but he still looked to Miss Marble and nodded, "Aye aye, ready." all the same.

Crate to cart. Simple as, really. Tedious, repetitive, physical, it was work for an honest beast, and smoother once he and the vixen had developed something of a system for getting them neatly packed in the carts. A new job, but just another day of trading time and energy for coin. It was really nothing new except for the specifics of where he was and what exactly he was moving. He didn't mind when Marble started to sing, but with her accent, boy did just about anything she sang about seem exotic. It broke up the monotony, but the badger kept quiet himself except for the occasional "Left!" "Right." "Heavy wun comin' up." and "Phew!" He had to save his breath, after all.

Two hours of monotony had passed, and Emil stretched his weary limbs as he heard the call for food. "Oh, boy!" He hustled over to the delightful smells, gleefully picking through the basket as soon as Griblo set it all out for him. Toast, pasties, fishy sticks... frankly, it was unfair that he didn't have a paw with which to grab one of each at once. In a second, he crammed a half-slice of raisin toast into his maw, and munched through a fish-adjacent stick held in his other paw. He swallowed as he heard the whispering about the canteen... and took it into his freed paw at once. "D'aww... Yer really lookin' out fer my wellbein', Griblo. This oughta fortify me o'er the rest of the dae. Thank y'." He flashed a grin with his almost complete set of teeth, further specked with crumbs from what he'd just been chewing on, and opened up the canteen to have a gulp. Warmth coated his throat as he swallowed... and then came a relieved "Ahhhhh!" as though he'd had a drink of liquid vigor!

A paw went to one of the little pies, the other went for swigs of grog... he kept it up for the better part of a minute before the boss arrived according to the engineer's oddly precise measurement. Huh. He moved to wave, and was immediately met with Splitty-Tail's hostility. Whoops! He flashed the same nervous grin that often crossed his face as the other workers spoke on his behalf...

"Yes'ser, been movin' crates with Miss Marble. Y'can see we got a few full up'n loaded already." The badger responded as the boss addressed him at last, a faint stench of booze on his breath as he set down the canteen. He looked about the carts, wagering that the two of them had done a pretty good job. "Be happy t'keep at it if y'wanted t'hire me." His eyes darted around. Reptiles were an odd folk he'd never gotten used to talking to. "Uhhh- y'want a fishstick?" He offered.

 

[Griblo Jankweed]

Griblo gave Kaii a side-eye the moment the fox pulled out his watch. When told to be patient, he stuck his tongue out at him with all the subtlety of a dock-kitten.

"Patient, he says. Forty-seven seconds? Fox brain’s wound tighter’n a winch cable if'n he t'inks dat'..."

He was still muttering when the warehouse doors burst open and in waddled the green, double-tailed lizard himself. The ferret’s ears perked, and just like that, the tongue-wagging street mongrel melted into what he clearly thought was a picture of professionalism. He straightened, tugged at his soaked coat, and slicked his whiskers back with both paws before stepping forward.

"Griblo Jankweed," he announced crisply, puffing out his chest and holding out a paw to shake."Oi am dis great beast’s job broker."

When the lizard made no move to shake his paw, he instead coyly threw the paw toward Emilio like a show-beast unveiling a prize.

"Now, Mister Split-Tail, wot ye got ’ere ain’t just a pair o’ paws fer th’ day. Nah, this one’s built fer th’ long haul! Strong as yer crane, an' smarter too! Hell, wit' 'im, ye can let it take a lunch break an' this fella w'll keep th’ work movin’. 'E's loyal, steady, never a growl outta place. Ain’t intimidatin’ till ’e needs t’be, an’ gentle round th’ kits! Ye could line ’im up fer storytime an’ still trust ’im t’haul a cart after."

He finished with a toothy grin and re-extended his paw to cinch the deal.

"Smart investment, if ye ask me. What d'ya say?"

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Kaii himself got back to work, climbing onto the wooden beam again, he had nothing more to add nor to intervene with for now. Being the model of efficiency, he knew he could contribute to the conversation enough while himself continuing to reconstruct the mechanisms of the crane. Setting down into the nook, lying his back on the wooden support, once more, from his side, one could hear a few grunts and sounds of wood and metal friction.

Two-Tails on the other paw... was very much in the heat of it all. Three beasts talked to him in rapid succession just after he withstood psychic damage from Kaii's cold logic. As such, to him, following it all, was difficult and it could be noticed by how both of his tails suddenly stilled in very much separate directions. After a moment of this shock, he stared at the other beasts one by one. First at Marble, then at Griblo, finally at Emilio. He twitched a bit, staring with his lidless eyes at the badger before finally, loosening up and sighing. An internal battle, endured. He turned to the red vixen for the first part of his talk.

"Alright... Miss Marble. Thank ye for yer words and honest work. Ye are doing some serious work here and I shudda reward you well. 'Tis rare to find a worker who cares this much to go beyond 'er responsibilities. Ya will be gettin' a pay of me foreman fer today. The bastard of a rat didn't bother showin' so I ain't gonna show 'im his money." The Iguana first did the easy part, rubbing their stomach scales with their paw. Creating weird water-like movement of it due to the layer of a fat beneath it. Two-Tails was greedy, but not stupid. He still would not have to pay a lot of beasts for today, while he could ensure the one that came got more motivations. It was truly a simple PR stunt.

Then however, he had to tackle the bigger issue. Literally. The badger and his sidekick that seemed all too... eager to get his friend into the work. He took the fishstick of non-fish kind that was offered and basically are it whole. in one go, showing in a process his very wide and definitely dangerous maw.

"'Right. Mister... Badger. Am hearing ye've worked all honest an' well. Truth is, I may be needin' some non-lazy workers 'round here. Just I need an explataion first..." He now slowly turned towards the ferret. "What's with yer friend here? Mister Jankweed, rarely I getta see somebeast tryin' this hard to get 'er friend into a work they don't even do. Is 'ere something that is not being said on purpouse?" He finished with his tails twitching again as he leaned towards the ferret.

Yet before anybeast could respond, Kaii spoke from this spot, without even looking at the group below, as if he was a part of the conversation this whole time, in his typical flat tone. "Mister Jankweed is unamiable, but they do show impressive level of care for their friend. I wouldn't read too much into it. Their personal relationship is after all a private matter."

As if struck by a lightning, Two-Tails froze and after a moment, with a little twitch, looked towards where Kaii was still working on fixing the gear to the position it was meant to be at. Then, with a little hiss, he spoke to noone in particular. "Gates' I don't have time fer this."

Turning to the two other males on the floor, looking at the badger, he half-spoke, half-muttered. "Pay's two gilders per hour. If yer fine with it. Ya can come over to me office. I'll have a question in private."

 

[Marble]

She enjoyed working with the badger, he was quick to learn and had enough endurance to keep up with the work, plus the extra strength was a bonus with the heavier cargo. Without the crane though there was a lot of backlog with the heavy crates that were far too large for a team of beasts to move without incident, large pieces of machinery and heavy materials sat to the side waiting for the engineers work to be done.

When Griblo arrived with the food she was, at first, a little cautious given their first interaction but couldn't help but chuckle at Emilio's interactions with him. She was also starting to feel a little hungry herself with the site of the veritable banquet that had been brought for the badger. Kaii then predicts the Salamanders arrival down to the second and to the surprise of the doubtful ferret.
She would let two tails speak and be very formal to him, after all he was paying her. The extra pay was very much appreciated considering she wasn't a full worker, and it was a lot of coin.
"Well thank you very much Mr Two-tails, I do very much appreciate the generosity" Perhaps kissing the boot a little but this sort of free work was what was able to fund her adventure into this strange land. Then making herself scarce of the ongoing conversation and discussion between the three men, considering that the issue of the badgers employ didn't have anything to do with her and taking the opportunity to warm up a fresh pot of tea and eating the food that she had packed for the day

 

[Emilio]

Emilio regarded Two-Tails' immediate consumption of the offered fishstick with a simple nod, even as the lizard's jaw seemed to unhinge. He understood well the appetite a big beast could work up, even if he wasn't quite so... soft as his potential employer.

He was quite willing to speak up about his theory of how owing Griblo money was a large factor in the ferret's eagerly vouching for him, but the crane-fixer put the idea to rest by speaking up himself, soothing Two-Tail's questions, or at least making him abandon them for the moment. Convenient! With any luck, that two Gilders an hour would be his, and steady work'd be a blessing while he was away from home in the city and in debt. "Arrite, boss. Right behind yuh." He stopped to nab another slice of raisin toast before going anywhere, biting off a chunk of it. And took hold of the canteen, as well. With his paws and his mouth full, only then did he truly feel ready for the discussion.

 

[Griblo Jankweed]

Griblo puffed out his chest the moment the office door clicked shut behind Emilio and Two-Tails.

“Ha! Wot’d I tell ye lot?” he crowed, planting his paws on his hips like he’d personally secured a royal appointment. His whiskers angled up in pure, unfiltered smug.

He strutted a slow loop around the warehouse, kicking a splinter out of his path. Not three beats passed before he drifted a little too close to Kaii’s neatly sorted tools, snatching up a long bolt and twirling it as though it were a bauble.

“Ah, lookit this! One o’ dem structural whatcha-call-its. Makes the crane go up ’stead o’ crash down. Very technical,” he announced, entirely unhelpful. He tossed the bolt lightly into the air, caught it, and set it down almost, but not quite, where it belonged.

As he continued his prowl around the warehouse, his paw dipped into his coat. His claws brushed something round, shattered, and cool. The broken compass. For a breath-long moment, his eyes softened.

Then, as if embarrassed by the lapse, he yanked his paw free and immediately puffed up again.

“Hope ’e ain’t sayin’ anythin’ daft in there…” he muttered, pacing. “If that lizard stiffs ’im, oi swear I’ll...”

He cut himself off sharply, straightened, and raised his voice to its usual swagger.

“Point is: job’s his. Guaranteed. Oi practically built the foundation fer this whole operation!”

He strutted again, tail high, radiating a desperate sort of confidence that couldn’t quite hide the concern flickering beneath it.

“He’ll be out in no time,” he declared. “An’ when he is, we’ll see ’bout celebratin’. Oi got plans, I do.”

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Kaii stared at Griblo as he picked up the bolt and started talking about it, it was a good thing he wasn't one to act irrationally, but he had to react somehow. Even if the ferret put down the bolt soon enough and about in the same place, Kaii wasn't going to let it pass. Especially as they were doing a thing Kaii actually could say they've disliked. That was taking the credit for others effort.

As such Kaii promptly finished working on the part and once more got down, dusting off his paws and standing behind the ferret, towering with calm and stern as steel expression yet with flame of annoyance burning in his eyes. His tail flickering its tip from one side to the other. His voice was just as emotionless as his look, but firm and, in a way, cold.

"Mister Griblo. I gave you one warning before. Now, as you pose danger to the operations at the warehouse, as a beast of no interest to it nor to mister Two-tails, I will ask you to leave. You can wait for your friend in front of the warehouse. He is a hard worker and I am sure that more despite you than thanks to you, he will get the job he needs."

In the meanwhile, Two-Tails sat down their cubby bottom upon a chair that yelped adn creeked loudly under the weight of him. He pulled out a piece of paper, ink and a pen, then, holding the pen between his claws and gesturing with it for the badger to sit down.

"Before I'll ask ya fer all the information I need fer the contract to be written, I wanna know a few things from ye. Yer not a young badger I can see 'at. So tell me, are ye in the harbour legally? Not ta judge ye, but am wary of beasts so desperate ya know? I dun wanna any shady buisness 'ere."

 

[Marble]

Her ears perked up and a sigh of frustration slipped out hearing Kaii's frustration towards the Ferret. The two of them were just doing there work and trying to get all the cargo loaded up and the crane working so it wasn't as exhausting. To add to that their friend was trying to get employment and they were actively sabotaging it whether intentional or not.

So the huntress just stood nearby, her arms crossed as she looks at them
"You heard him malaka (insult), door is over there and don't think about messing with anything else or you'll be using the window" She didn't think that Kaii needed her assistance as he was more than capable of dealing with the ruffian, but that being said it was better two of them being there to further dissuade the Ferret from trying anything

 

[Emilio]

The creaking of chairs seemed almost rhythmic as Emilio sat himself down right after Two-Tails- he was probably about as heavy, owing to the extra height, even if he wasn't quite so round. He crammed the rest of the slice of toast down his mouth, pushing it in with his paw, and had a sip of the cleverly disguised canteen of grog to wash it down as the lizard spoke.

"I'm flattered y'think I'm so mature, boss, but I ain't even gonna be twenny 'till next year. But I've been workin' since I was right 'bout mouse height!" He chuckled in that dull 'haw haw' of his. "I was born in the Imperium, down southways on the Continent. Alton lad. I reckon ain't nothin' illegal 'bout comin' up to the main island."

The badger's ear twitched as he heard, barely, muffled conversation from outside of the office. It didn't seem too friendly just from the tone, but the main warehouse was too large and the walk over too long to get any specifics. He directed his attention back to the boss. "I have got some need for coin, ain't beggin' desperate, but I ain't got no family fer support up 'ere on Vulpinsuler neither. So I'm needin' honest work. And I ain't see no wolverines comin' in, so a badger's gotta be next best, eh? Haw ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

 

[Griblo Jankweed]

Griblo stared up venomously at the two foxes for a beat, lips curled in an ugly, crooked scowl. He flicked a paw dismissively.
"’Ell’s teeth, it’s colder in ’ere den out in de wet," he scoffed, rolling his shoulders as if shaking off the whole exchange. "If’n ye’s can’t take a laugh every now ’n’ again, I’ll jes’ see meself out, yeah?"

He turned on his heel and started for the door, tail lashing once behind him. Halfway there, though, he stopped short and glanced back over his shoulder, one claw lifting to jab vaguely in the direction of the office.

"But oi’ve still got biz-ness wit’ ’im," he added, voice sharper now, pride flaring like a last match struck in the wind. "So tell ’im I’m waitin’ outside when ’e’s done."

And with that, he was gone.

The warehouse door banged shut behind him, the sound swallowed almost immediately by the damp hush of the docks. The rain had eased to a fine drizzle, but the ground was still a churn of mud and slick stone, squelching underpaw as Griblo stepped out into it. He paused beneath the warped overhang, fished a cigar from his coat, and struck it alight with a practiced flick of a matchbook.

Smoke filled his lungs. He held it there longer than usual before letting it spill back out in a slow, uneven plume.

"Stuck-up todd…" he muttered darkly, ears flattening. "An’ dat huntin’ vixin’ lookin’ at me like I’m some dockside disease. Gods forbid a bloke keep things lively."

He snorted, shifting his weight, boots sinking slightly into the soft earth. Another drag. Another breath out. The irritation didn’t leave this time. It just sat heavier in his chest.

"An’ dat fox…" he went on, quieter now. "Actin’ like oi’m some sorta menace. Like I weren’t helpin’. Like I weren’t…"

The words stalled. He stared down at the glowing tip of the cigar as it sizzled in the damp evening air.
"…like I weren’t takin’ credit fer work I didn’t do."

The admission slipped out before he could hold it back.

Griblo exhaled hard through his nose, shoulders slumping as the bravado finally bled away. He leaned back against the cold brick wall, letting the drizzle bead on his whiskers.

"Lousy fuzzbrained scheme," he muttered, voice rougher now. "Can’t even tell de guy sorry wit’out makin’ a show of it. Can’t ever jus’… let somethin’ be clean."

His paw slid into his coat pocket without thinking, claws brushing against cold metal. The broken compass pressed into his pads, jagged glass edges dull compared to the welling feeling in his gut. He stilled at the touch, drawing it out, thumb pad tracing the fractured face.

The cigar burned low as he stood there, fog curling around his legs, the warehouse sounds muffled behind stone and timber. For once, there was no angle to work, no mark to size up, no clever lie waiting to be spun.

"Naw," he said at last, softer than before. "D’ere roight."

He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again, gaze steady.

"Oi’m a fraud."

The word didn’t sting as much as he’d expected. It felt… honest.

"But not forever," he added quietly, more promise than boast. "Oi ain’t runnin’. Ain’t schemin’ dis time. Jus’ gotta do better from ’ere for’ard."

Griblo pushed off the wall and took up his post by the door, mud squelching underpaw as he settled in to wait, drawing another puff of acrid smoke into his lungs.

For once, he wasn’t plotting against anybeast else.

Just his old self.

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Now that the ferret was gone, Kaii returned to his more usual self. His expression didn't change much, it was all in his eyes as they became less piercing and cold in a span of mere seconds. He politely turned to the foreign vixen and lowered his head in a show of respect.

"Your support was much appreciated agrotera. I do once more thank you for it and for your reasonable mind. I do sure hope someone of your capabilities will find a better job than this one, albeit I definitely approve of having someone capable at all positions."

He then moved back to his place and returned to his duties, he was going to be done soon and then he could come back home with a pay that was hefty enough to justify his extra efforts.

While Griblo was crashing down upon himself, Two-tails cleared his throat and rubbed the scales and pinched his dewlap a few times cleaning it from some dead scales while listening to the badger. He looked into his eyes for a moment, somewhat judgingly at a glance and then he joined in with a few deep, grumbly chuckles of his own.

"Darn right sonny. Lemmie tell ya, yer seem like an honest fella. Just was making sure ye aren't here illegally so I won't have issues with 'em Fogeys you know? Anyways, as I've said before, pay's two gilders per hour. Ya can eat an' drink at work 's long 's I ain't seeing ya slacking. No booze tho. I expect ya working 't least six hours a day. If ya won't be coming for a day or some, don't expect money, but I always need me sum more paws, so once ya come back, ya still employed. I draw a line at 'bout two weeks, unless ye tell me 'fore."

As he explained it all he wrote it all down onto the piece of paper, using much nicer and more professional terms, at the end putting his signature at the end of it. Then he turned it to the badger and just passed him the pen.

"If ya can write, just sign yerself. If not... tell me yer name so I can do it for ye. 's soon 's ya do so, ya can return to work. I'll add what you've worked till now to the pay once yer done for today." He offered no smile, but his slightly brightening scales and his both tail ends showed that he was happy with the transaction.