Hazelnuts and plaid

[Nikolaos "Niko" Kingfisher]

"Nogood worthless staff left catcat in the lurch," he growls. "I'm the only one who cares about this damn store, that's for sure."

[Varric]

"Everyone huh?" He makes a 'tsking' noise. "Good help is hard to find. How many do you have? Before today, I should add."

[Nikolaos "Niko" Kingfisher]

"Three brewers. Two, I mean. And six clerks."

[Varric]

"Three no two?" 

[Nikolaos "Niko" Kingfisher]

He waves a paw. "One got in some trouble, got locked up. Piss on her. Ruined my schedules."

[Varric]

"Real heartbroken about her trouble I see. Not a friend I take it?"

[Nikolaos "Niko" Kingfisher]

"No. Employer only. I didn't know she was running with bandits. Bad for business. Haven't replaced her yet."

[Varric]

"Bandits huh? That's pretty bad," Varric agrees evenly. "Who knows what she might have gotten up to.. who she hurt, who suffered because of her... And with the training and supplies from your store."

[Nikolaos "Niko" Kingfisher]

"Training, mayhap. Supplies, no. She was on leave. Said she had a sick grandma at the Oak, she did. Traitor."

[Varric]

"What kind of training?"

[Nikolaos "Niko" Kingfisher]

"A few formulae. I only hire experienced alchemists, but I teach them my preparations, so we all work to the same standard off the same formula. Keeps things standardized. Quality guaranteed."

[Varric]

"What kinds of formulae? Health tonics? Healing potions? Toxins? Curatives?"

[Nikolaos "Niko" Kingfisher]

"Yah, yah," he agrees, then shakes his head. "No toxins. Curatives, healing, defoliants, adventurer supplies, anything little and useful around the house. No poisons, nothing like that. Rat poison, sometimes, but no more."

[Varric]

"Really? Not even for special orders?" 

[Nikolaos "Niko" Kingfisher]

He stills, peering at Varric. "What did you have in mind?"