Broken pillars (Bloody, open)

[Eve]

This city was a mess.

Dilapidated buildings, winding roots clawing at the land, trying to take it back. The sky seemed a permanent dreary navy-gray. Half of the population clutched their coats about them, the other half scampered impetuously. No law enforcement was to be found, which was why his journey had begun here.

Afzhal moved through the town, appearing to be nothing of any interest at all.

And despite the fact that he did not drink, Afzhal headed straight for the tavern. He entered the drafty and stinking place without any flourishes, without words. He sat at the bar with a quiet composure, and smiling at the bartender, ordered "just water for now."

The crowd of people filling the place seemed not to notice the foreigner. That was okay. Afzhal still had a feeling that trouble, or at the very least, interest, would find him here.

Which was exactly what he wanted. Because trouble? Meant opportunity.

[Bloody]

The Windshark was nestled in the trees some distance away from town, away from the prying eyes and sticky fingers of Howe's residents. For the ship itself was a valuable commodity, and Howe's less than privileged people would be perfectly willing to take off with it and leave it's owner stuck in the rampant town. The value of the ship itself, coupled with it's cargo of essentials and what Riley would casually refer to as "liberated merchandise" made it common sense to avoid docking it in the middle of town.

Riley had left the ship less than half an hour ago, and already she was worrying about it. This was evident on her face, as she chewed at her lower lip and tip-tip-tapped her fingers on her leg. The fairy was a common sight in Howe, most of the locals knew her by name and the few that didn't knew her by sight. Seeing as she was a rather abnormal figure in town, 6'7" and rude as hell. A full head and shoulders over most of the population, the dueling scar that marked her face and the heavy clockwork machinery that hung from her back marked her to the townsfolk as "Good ol' Captain Riley" to her business partners and "That damn pixie" to anyone else.

So most of the townsfolk weren't surprised when she kicked open the door of the tavern; western-style and roared; "Alrighty boys! Which one of you's gonna buy Captain Riley a drink tonight?!" A unanimous groan arose from the normal tavern patrons at her entrance and a loud rather drunk figure anonymously yelled "You're crazy, Riley!" With that the fairy planted her legs apart, tilting her head back to laugh uproariously "Damn right I'm crazy! I'm the goddamn bull goose looney!"

She'd grin like an alley cat at the bar, her yellow eyes still demanding a drink.

(I've been reading One flew over the Cuckoo's Nest and one of the characters is starting to bleed into my RP style xD)

[Eve]

(Dude, the style in the book is excellent! And I totally do that too, let stuff I've read influence me.)

The fairy's entry had been as dramatic as Afzhal's had been mundane. At her bellowing, Afzhal smiled. He knew things wouldn't stay quiet in the bar for long. Bars shouldn't be quiet. She was a strange mixture of fairy gloss and very human-like mutilation and grit, and the combination was intriguing.

Afzhal saw the demand in her yellow eyes as she approached the bar, and he made a motion at the barkeep. Answered her feline grin with one of his own. In an appropriate "inside voice", he spoke, accent thick, "Well sir, it seems you should get the lady a drink." The implication that he would pay was obvious. "It does not seem like a good idea to keep someone who is a....'goddamn bull goose looney'...waiting."

The man behind the counter chuckled, as though he thought the stranger was dumb as fuck, or weird as fuck, one of the two. But nonetheless, he plopped a glass of watery golden liquid down on the counter, and turned away to attend to some other sod.

"It seems you've developed quite the reputation..."

What do you have that I might need.

[Bloody]

The tavern was expectantly silent for a few moments, but only a few, before some timid mouse-y looking foreigner spoke up "Well sir, it seems you should get the lady a drink. It does not seem like a good idea to keep someone who is a....'goddamn bull goose looney'...waiting." Her grin split her face from ear to ear, surprisingly white teeth bared in a expression of hedonistic glee.

Without hesitation she plopped down beside the tan stranger as the barkeep gave her a glass. "The. The bull goose looney. It's a title ya see..."

"It seems you've developed quite the reputation..."

She downed it in two gulps and then smirked broadly, ever cat-like in the grace of her movements and the wild ferocity that lurked just behind the sharp elfin features of her face. A strange thing next to the tangible plainness of the man next to her. "Course' I do." she said with a roll of her shoulders. "I dunno if you've looked around, but I'm the most interestin' thing in this town by a long shot."

Ah...a kind person would say she had boundless self confidence, really she's just a conceited little bitch.

[Eve]

"The. The bull goose looney. It's a title ya see..."

He could only smile more broadly. "Pardon me." Voice was sandy and dark. The girl engulfed the alcohol in seconds. The only response was a raised eyebrow. Well, it was pretty shitty alcohol anyway, he doubted she was gonna suddenly get massively tipsy. Though there could be advantages to that as well, if it came to it.

"I dunno if you've looked around, but I'm the most interestin' thing in this town by a long shot." Afzhal had indeed looked around. She was right.

"I noticed. So what is someone as...interesting...as yourself doing in a town like this? Business?" Maybe a bit nosy, but he didn't see her as the type to bother with too many secrets. An ever-present focus and cunning looked for any cracks in the conversation, anything that he could make use of. "Or just enjoying the atmosphere?" Someone in the background threw a glass against the wall and it shattered. Raucous laughter followed.

He shook his head in falsely awkward manner. "I am sorry for my rudeness, by the way." Cheshire grin took it's place again on his face. It seemed to linger there naturally. Like maybe it was unconsciously painted there to distract his audience from the silver eyes. "My name is Afzhal. It's a pleasure."

Held out a tanned hand. How polite, and surely trustworthy, this fellow!

(sorry about the boringness. gotta get the meet 'n greet part over with lol)

[Bloody]

For once, Riley wasn't too interested in drinking. A rare and likely fortuitous happening for the small seedy little Howe bar. She'd come to town to sell some goods that were to hot to get rid of anywhere else, Howe was good for that if nothing else. The people didn't ask to many questions because they didn't want any questions asked of them, which is why she was surprised when the strange man who bought her drink asked of her: "I noticed. So what is someone as...interesting...as yourself doing in a town like this? Business?"

"Or just enjoying the atmosphere?"

An eyebrow quirked upward, incredulous at this inquisitive stranger. You didn't ask questions like that in Howe, doing so was likely to get your kneecaps busted. Or at least make you very unpopular very quickly. The tinkle of broken glass was lost on her, and she didn't so much as twitch at the sound. "I am sorry for my rudeness, by the way." Riley watch the guy shake his head like a awkward puppy, so that was it. He was just an oddball, or maybe he was just an idiot. Regardless of which, she didn't see the harm in indulging his question.

"Same thing everybody does in Howe," she said with a roll of her shoulders, "Enacts upon their get-rich quick schemes." She lay a posh, fancy accent on top of the last part. Then laughed at her own joke, the fancy words sounding ridiculous in her rough and tumble accent. "My name is Afzhal. It's a pleasure." she took his offered hand. The strangely inhuman and yellow tone of her skin accented next to the warm brown tones of his.

"Well, well Afzhal. Mind me askin' the same?" she matched his sly smile, "What brings you to good ol' Howe?"

Like two hungry cats circling each other, undecided whether to lash out screaming or purr and cuddle like every good putty cat should.

[Eve]

Hey watched her eyebrow shoot upwards, an interesting gesture on such an angular face. First she seemed incredulous, but it quickly dissolved into less strong of a reaction. Afzhal frequently wished he possesed some sort of mind-reading magic. That would make things much more interesting.

Whatever the case, she eventually answered his question. "Same thing everybody does in Howe," she said, adjusting her posture. "Enacts upon their get-rich quick schemes." She laughed at her small joke, and Afzhal chuckled along with her good naturedly.

She accepted his handshake. Her hand was bony with long fingers. Felt alien.

"Well, well Afzhal. Mind me askin' the same?" He'd expected the conversation to head this direction, with her offering the sly smile this time. "What brings you to good ol' Howe?"

Thinking of how best to word his answer, he took a sip of his water and streched his figure into a more comfortable position. "I am in the business of looking for a business, actually." He said. "My last job was not such a good match with my personality." Another chuckle. "I came here looking for...a job that matches my interests."

He as watching her face closely for a reaction. Whether or not he was making an offer or simply stating his situation was up to Riley to decide.

He wanted to know what her resources were. But it was too early to ask. Had to either wait it out...or get her to tell him without being prompted. Besides...he legitimately needed a job right now. That drink had cost him almost all of his remaining coinage.

[Bloody]

Riley watched Afzhal chuckle along with her, his laugh was warm enough. Yet it felt empty, she was damn good at reading people and absolutely horrible at trusting them. That was likely the reason she was still alive, when she got a feeling in her gut she went with it, fuck the consequences. She got the impression this Afzhal was only as interested as long as she had something to offer.

Unfortunately for him, she was the same way. After all, one doesn't get to be a successful pirate captain by being generous and unassuming. She was damn paranoid and was a greedy little bitch, she knew it well, and saw no point or interest in changing that. "I am in the business of looking for a business, actually." Ahh...he must be a bum, only bums are desperate enough to be so forward with 'business' in Howe. The more she looked at him and listened to him talk the more Afzhal was painted in her head as a penniless drifter.

"My last job was not such a good match with my personality. I came here looking for...a job that matches my interests."

Penniless drifters being exactly her type of fellow.

Riley tapped her slim long fingers on the counter of the bar, laying down a few coins to signal the bartender to get her another drink. "Well then...what are your interests, mate?" The bartender would bring her another, filling the glass with watery luke-warm golden liquid then sweeping the coins into his pockets with little more than a glance at the fairy. Riley picked up the glass, lifting it to her lips then spoke softly her voice sounding hollow and strange in the echo coming out of the glass in front of her mouth.

"Or maybe more importantly, what are your talents?"

[Bloody]

Bumpy?