Private Tales Brothels and Broken Things

[Cassian]

Cassian's most recent job had paid well, he'd managed to increase the fee by double, and yet in three days he'd still managed to blow all but eight coppers on women, alcohol and gambling. He'd been in the same brothel now for going on ten hours, but the ale kept flowing and the women were decent enough at least to this particularly intoxicated patron. His still half-full tankard slammed on the table three times, "More ale!" he grumbled and belched before lifting the vessel to his lips for another swig, though he held only the handle and squinted down at the table, the rest of the tankard on it's side with the remaining ale now trickling from the table and onto the floor.

"What kin'a fuckin' brothel are yeh people runnin'!?" the bear of a man bellowed, standing from his seat and flipping the table half way across the room, waving the broken tankard handle around in his fist in utter disgust.. "Kin'a shittin cups are these eh?! MORE FUCKIN' ALE!!!!!!" he yelled at nobody in particular, spinning his body around like a penned bull, waiting to attack whomever was responsible for his current lack of a drink.

A woman finally stuttered at him, her tone betraying her exhaustion from trying to ease the man's temper .. "It ent a brothel, sir! We've been tellin' yeh tha' fer hours - it's a tavern, an' yer been beddin' the owner's daughter - yer best get goin', he's been sent fer sir!" Cassian spun to growl at her, throwing the tankard handle at her without consideration of her words. She shielded her face and backed away "I don't care about the whore - just the fuckin' ale!" and he'd just taken a stride toward the wench when SLAM went the introduction to said tavern owner. And he'd brought company!

"That 'whore' is me daughter!!!!" he'd roared as he tackled Cassian.. Shit, maybe he wasn't in a brothel after all.

It'd taken four of them to get him on the ground, though his bulky arms and legs flailed as he lay in the puddle of his last tankard of ale. He managed to land al elbow into one man's face, hearing the crunch of a broken nose just as his fist found another face and a foot launched a third across the room and over the bar. Another few men piled on, now seven in total, keeping him restrained as he yelled and cursed, his voice booming with rage. "Get tha fuck off ya basta-!" He didn't enjoy surprises, most certainly not the kind of surprise that came in the form of a large boot pounding into his face. His nose exploding with blood as it too, broke. He fought hard, and the men struggled to keep hold of him, but they realised that if they let him go they'd live to regret it. They beat him with fists, boots, clubs and chairs until he was no longer fighting back, and as he lay coughing and spitting the blood from his mouth, the mob grabbed hold of him in unison, and threw him unceremoniously out into the street where he landed with a thud on his back, chuckling to himself with a gargle and sputter of blood. "Ay! Keep the change eh lass?!!" he snorted, blowing a kiss into the air and simply lay there, groaning in acceptance of a fair beating, uncaring of those in the street peering down at him or at the ginger kitten who'd tottered out of her hiding place to wander over and curl up on his chest to take a nap.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

"Well you look like a pile of shit."

* * *
​

Commander Lexi Quinzell had spent her day dealing with a particularly nasty water spirit that had had the misfortune of having her water source tainted with the blood of a Naga. The creature had been slaughtered by some local Monster Hunter and the fool had not bothered to clean the body away in the appropriate manner. The creatures blood had slowly leaked into the start of a spring and the poison had had an adverse effect on the local wildlife. Including the creature whose river it was. In her tainted rage she had flooded a town further down stream, wiping it entirely off the map.

The Monster Hunter, on realising what had happened, had called the professionals.

Lexi was still soaked despite numerous attempts to wring the water from her cloak and shirt. It was no use. The looks men had dared to give her before quaking under her glare was enough to send Lexi's thin temper flaring: why did the White Raven's have to wear white? It was a ridiculously impractical colour.

Once the spirit had been dealt with, which had lost her one man and nearly lost her another two if it hadn't been for Kain's quick thinking magic, Lexi had moved her troop on without rest. She wanted to put as much room between them and the site the battle had gone down as possible. Water spirits tended to have friends and she had no patience with dealing with the politics the death of the creature might stir up. They had been on the road for hours before they had crossed the threshold of the town and been pointed in the direction of several places they could stay. Most people tended to still treat the Templars with respect, especially the fame Lexi Quinzell of the White Ravens. Most people knew who she was simply by the eye patch, but the white cloak helped too.

It was on their ride through town the had halted to watch a grown man get tossed onto the street. Lexi helped up a hand when Kain went to dismount to see to him. Her Second gave her a questioning look but stayed in his saddle. Instead, Lexi slid from her mares back and walked over to where the man was laying, her boots echoing on the cobbles.

She lit her pipe as she walked.

* * *​

"No, in fact, I think I've crossed paths with piles of shit that smell better."

Lexi breathed out a perfect ring of smoke from her pipe and scooped the kitten up with one hand.

"You care to tell me why you're making trouble for these good folk?"

 

[Cassian]

Cassian's eyes remained closed over, his pain addled mind and blood alcohol levels threatening to send him into a very deep sleep, but he was still muttering to himself, cursing at the tavern folk regardless of whether they'd gone back inside or not. The woman's silhouette shaded the sun from his face and his brow furrowed, lifting his head and squinting one eye opened to look up at her but the halo of light around her made it a little more difficult to see her face. "Well.." he belched and his head fell back to the ground.. "That's just fucking rude.." he slurred, and lifted a grizzly hand to point his finger at her. "Cat's mine." he told her firmly, the little red kitten swiping a white mittened paw playfully at the woman's smoke rings.

Cassian flashed a handsome grin at the sky as the woman interrogated him, though he coughed on a little blood and leaned up to spit it onto the road. "The fuck is it to you? Jus' spending my coin on the goods ent' I? My fault they can't run a fuckin' brothel between em?.." he chuckled, and lifted a hand to scratch at his scruffy beard. He'd taken quite a beating, and the pain would most probably register more when he wasn't half sedated with ale. "Now... Kindly give me my cat back, and off you fuck.." he grumbled at her and closed his eyes again.. Right now this was as good a place as any to sleep.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

Lexi looked at the kitten which mewed pathetically at her and then scampered up her arm and into the hood of her cloak to try and play with her hair. Her eye turned back to the man on the ground and she took another inhale on the pipe, blowing it out slowly. She could hear the scrape of metal being drawn from a scabbard behind her and she waved a hand dismissively at the three men who were with her. Lexi couldn't care less about insults but her men saw it always as a point of pride to defend her.

"Well, you see," she put her booted foot on his chest and pressed down firmly making any thought of getting up a hard one. "I've had a pretty shit day," another inhale of smoke which she blew out again through her nostrils. "And I would like to know what kind of trouble I'm going to have to put up with when I'm trying to relax. Considering your smell, your temperament, and your current state, I'm starting to assume you got mouthy with someone ya shouldn't have," her eye flickered to the tavern closest.

"You're also just blocking the road," She glanced behind her where a steady stream of traffic was beginning to build up. The man was laying smack in the middle of the busiest street in town.

 

[Cassian]

He was drunk and beaten, but the sound of drawing steel was not lost to him. A beating he could handle, but he couldn't handle swordplay in this state, especially when there had been more than one. He had been a decorated soldier, once, he could handle himself, but it'd been long since he was sober and more and more often landing himself in situations through recklessness.

His brow creased and he exhaled a growled huff of air as he felt the boot on his chest. "I'm sorry to hear that...." he commented with a smirk that wrinkled around his closed eyes. "I've had a smashing day.." . It wasn't a lie, he couldn't write of a day of drinking and women because it ended in a beating. Many good days ended in a beating. "But the day isn't over yet, it could get better." he grinned, and one hand held her boot to his chest whilst the other explored the leg. A finely shaped leg it was too he found, as his hand slid from calf to thigh. "How bout you join me down here and get mouthy with me, lass?" oh how he was the embodiment of charm...

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

Lexi didn't bother to stop her men from drawing their blades this time. The sounds of three other sets of boots hitting the cobbled streets as well as naked blades was drawing quite the crowd. There were a few deep in takes of breath when the townsfolk realised who exactly this man was trying it on with. Whispering broke out in the small groups and a mother grabbed her child by the shoulders to stop him running forward to get a closer look. The Commander of the White Ravens was known for having a violent temper.

Said Commander seemed relatively calm despite the hand on her thigh. She took another long drag on her pipe and then casually tipped out the burning ashes onto his upturned face right over his eyes, nose and mouth. She tapped the bottom of it lazily for good measure, just to make sure every burning ember descended on his face. Whilst he was concerned with his face she reached down, boot still firmly pressed upon his chest, and grabbed him by the throat. In one swift movement she removed said boot and hurled up only only to his feet, but off them entirely to the full reach of her arm.

The crowd collectively drew in a breath as the woman chewed on the end of her pipe and looked into the mans face with her one good eye, before tossing him as if he were a ragdoll into the gutter off to the side of the road.

"I'm keeping the cat," Lexi called over her shoulder as she continued her walk through the main street, her horse trotting to catch up with her. The kitten was already asleep in her hood.

 

[Cassian]

Cassian was lucky that his eyes had been closed, but his grin immediately turned to grimace as the scalding embers landed on his face and he hissed at the pain, retracting his hands from her boot and leg to brush away the cindering ash frantically "What the FUCK?!" he fumed. Okay. He was awake now, she had his attention, but before he could look at her she had him by the throat and pulled up and off of his feet.

Cassian's bulky form had been compared to that of a bear. Being lifted at all had not been something he'd expected, and he gripped hold of the woman's arm and looked down at his feet. Yep, they were definitely dangling a few inches off of the ground. The confusion showed on the boorish man's face, as did the inconvenience of being barely able to breathe. He tapped on her wrist, her point had been well made, and he needed air.

Wish granted, but of further surprise to him as he clattered down into the empty ale barrels that lined the alleyway, and being the size that he was, he landed hard. It'd taken six grown men to throw Cassian from the tavern and onto the street, and yet this woman had managed to throw him farther and harder with a single arm. What the fuck she was, he had no idea, but his groaning had turned into an impressed laughter as he struggled to his feet amongst the debris his bullish frame had created.

His cat though. She couldn't have his cat. "Are you fuck taking my cat!" his voice boomed out of the alley and he came staggering back into the street, noticing the gathered crowd for the first time. He made toward her, stopped by the three men who seemed quite amused by his misfortunes. He stopped, not bothering to draw his own sword. "Lass.. I'm having a bad enough day as it is." he growled, a few more bruises and burns added to the mess he had already been pummelled into. "Don't be a cunt now. Least let me buy you a drink.." ....bold.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

Kain was the first to step in front of the man, eyes narrowed and sword held in a very unfriendly manner. He knew his Commander could handle herself but he also knew that when her temper went too far she was hard to pull back from the edge. It would be a lot kinder on this man if it were he who dealt with his punishment for his impunity. The two men either side of him were no cadets either and he could sense in them the same kind of sentiment.

But none of them would dare do something without a command first. Kain glanced over his shoulder.

Lexi was already half way down the road. She didn't waste time fighting when her time could be spent drinking but part of her almost dared him to come after her cat now. She was wet, she was tired, but her fight had been mostly magic and she wouldn't say no to a bit of strength versus strength fighting. Slowly, her feet came to a stop. A drink? She looked over her shoulder, pushing her robes back to put a hand on her hip as she looked him up and down slowly, considering the pros and cons and whether they merited as worth it for a free drink.

"Go throw yourself in the river first - my nose is sensitive to the smell of piss. We're lodging in the Cheshire Cat," and with that she turned and strode off.

 

[Cassian]

He'd given the man in front of him a glare, despite his current condition he held a confidence in him that said he could handle him, even in his current state. Three of them with the addition of some super strong beauty however, probably not. But he growled all the same, his steely grey eyes fixing on the man with a look of challenge and warning and he fought every urge he had not to smash the man's skull into the ground.

His attention returned to Lexi as she spoke however, and his gruff and beaten face twisted into a boisterous grin that flashed a few bloodied teeth at her. He had to agree, he'd made a habit of being as unapproachable as possible, but this bitch had his cat and that strength intrigued him. He was rarely impressed by anything, and it'd caught him off guard. "Fair 'nough.." he lifted a heavy shoulder in a shrug, eyeing the red ball of fur in her hood. "Disloyal little shit." he muttered, rolling his shoulders and turning away from the group to do as he was told, shaking his head with a rumbled laugh to himself as he went.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

Kain and the other two stepped aside and sheathed their weapons when Lexi had voice her opinion on the matter, then they turned as a unit to catch up with their Commander. Lexi gave the man one last considerate look before continuing on her way

* * *​

The Cheshire Cat was a large Tavern right on the edge of town, almost the complete opposite side to the main gate. It overlooked a small stream and there was easy access from its yards back onto the road beyond. It was for that ease that Lexi had chosen it. Parading around towns were not what her Chapter were paid for and she would rather leave quietly if at all possible. As soon as she had arrived she herself had gone for a long hot soak in the bath in her rooms, the cat idly playing with the bubbles as it leaned over the tub. Every now and then she would fish the silly creature out for it to make the same mistake again a moment later.

Once clean and in a change of clothes she made her way back downstairs. Despite removing her cloak and armour there was no forgetting a face like Lexi's. The eye patch alone sent shivers down many a spine. As it was she had chosen a pair of breeches which were fitted around her waist and stomach but then loose and baggy around her actual legs. On top she wore a simple V necked waistcoat with a simple blouse. Her hair still dripped as she sat herself down by the fire with a sigh and plonked the kitten on the table.

The ginger fluff ball looked at her.

Lexi stared back.

Sighed.

"And a saucer of milk," she called back to the bar where she had just placed her order. A man brought them over a few moments later, the saucer on the table for the cat, and a drink and a plate of stew for Lexi herself.

 

[Cassian]

He was denied entry to the tavern he’d been ejected from, and his belongings were instead thrown from the window of the dingy little room above the door where he’d spent the last two nights sleeping and entertaining the tavern owners daughter. He could hear her father yelling at her inside, but it wasn’t his problem, he just wanted his property returned and he’d be gone. His spare clothes were thrown into the street, aflame, and he roared with rage as he stamped on them, unable to save them. He had to lunge out of the way to avoid being cleaved by his axe, and he offered the man who’d thrown it a few more choice words and challenged the fool to bring himself out onto the road, but his request was denied. They’d seen how difficult it’d been to bring him down.

He grabbed up his things and sheathed his weapons, gave the fuckers an aggressive hand gesture, and made his way to the river since a hot bath was out of the question. He didn’t have enough coin left for a room, and so the fresh stream would have to do. He undressed and let himself fall under the water, swearing at the cold as he’d emerged. The freezing water sobered him up a little more than he’d hoped, and the pain in his bruises and wounds ached and stung, he was sure he’d a few cracked ribs too, but wasn’t sure who to award that blame to. He washed gingerly before washing his clothes as best as he could, since it was now the only set that he owned, and he wrung them out and pulled them back on still soaking wet.

He really was having a shit day. Things could only get better, right?

He squelched his way to the tavern that the woman had spoken of, trusting that she’d be there. A woman like that had no reason to lie about that. It took him no time at all to spot her sitting there, treating Red to a saucer of milk, and he huffed to himself and approached, sodden wet but clean at least. He certainly didn’t smell as he had earlier. “Happy?..” he grumbled at the woman, hands splayed out by his sides in reference to his now washed self.

He cast a glance to his unlikely friend who mewed at him, lifting a paw in his direction as she stood on the edge of the table. “Don’t get too used to it.” He muttered at her as she licked at the milky droplets on her whiskers.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

Lexi raised her eye as she put a spoonful of food into her mouth and considered him quietly. Dripping... onto the floor. Her eyes flicked the the man behind the bar but he didn't seem to mind too much about the situation. If he was unconcerned, so was Lexi. She gave him a shrug as she finished her mouthful, then picked up her tankard and took a long drink. When she was done she ripped a piece of bread off the chunk she had been given and swirled it in her stew again.

"It would seem the parts of you I took the most offence at don't just wash off," she put the stew soaked bread in her mouth and chewed as she watched his reaction to her words carefully. It was a blank expression she wore, but her eye was piercing. Though she was strong it was clear from her gaze that it was not her physical traits that had been what had raised her to Commander. Her gaze dropped from him as she motioned for him to take the seat opposite her and absentmindedly she fed the cat a chunk of the meat floating in her stew.

"What's your name and business in town then?"

 

[Cassian]

Cassian sucked in a breath and pressed his large, bruised hand to his chest, exhaling through pursed lips as though in pain at her burning words “You wound me lass. I agree I ent much to look at, I apologise but there ent much I can do ‘bout it.” he grinned in amusement and sat opposite her at her go ahead. He could see her clearly now, and his grey eyes studied her as he scratched at the kitten’s head. The feline finished her stew and climbed up Cassian’s arm to nuzzle at his bearded face with a purr before settling in against his neck.

Cassian smirked at the cat and gestured to the bar keep for two mugs of fresh ale, and leaned back in his chair, his arms folding casually across his chest. “Cassian Hart. My business is my own lass, I do whatever I’m paid well enough to do.” he grinned at her. “And you?..Want to tell me how the fuck you managed to throw me like that?”

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

"A sellsword, well I should have guessed that one," Lexi snorted as she again dipped her bread into her stew, swirled it around and then popped it into her mouth before chasing the whole thing down with a long swig of the ale. The mug came down a little harder than some might but she seemed to pay her extra strength no mind, picking up her spoon and continuing with eating her meal. She made him wait whilst she finished another two mouthfuls of food and a sip of her drink before finally answering his question.

"Not particularly," Lexi raised the one eye, quirked an eyebrow at him as if daring him to push further. "My name, however, you may have as it is public information. Alexandria Quinzell, Commander of the White Ravens. Charmed, I'm sure," most women would have perhaps purred the words at the end, Lexi's were more like a scoff. "Want to tell me why I had to scrape you off the floor? You're welcome, by the way."

 

[Cassian]

He laughed under his breath at her quip about being a sell sword “I tried honest work, it didn’t pan out.” his brow rose, and he tried to ignore Red who was currently biting at his earlobe. His eyes were blackening from his recently broken nose, and the more sober he became the more he began to hurt. Everywhere. He slammed payment onto the table as their drinks were brought to the table, and he slid one toward her whilst downing the other in it’s entirety. He belched and groaned, wiping the trickles of ale from his beard that’d escaped the corners of his mouth.

His eyes narrowed at that eyebrow of hers, the dare in her single eye. He chose not to press the matter and perhaps revisit it later. His lips curled as she granted him her name in return and he nodded “Oh I am charmed, Alexandria Quinzell, Commander of the White Ravens.” he leaned closer again, his folded arms resting on the table.

“And you didn’t have to. I was quite comfortable there.” He mused “I picked the wrong girl. Seems it’s becoming a habit of mine..”

“So. Who are these white ravens of yours? ‘Fraid I don’t know much outside Vel Anir..”

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

"You were also being a public inconvenience. I hear it took four men to get you out of the Tavern," Lexi pointed out and slowly pulled her pip from inside her waistcoat and a match from behind her ear. She struck it off the table to light it and then carefully brought it to her pipe, puffing on it slightly until it was going nicely. Then she threw the match into the scraps of her leftover stew and took a long drag. She blew the smoke away to the side so it didn't go into his face and then a slow smirk changed her features. "How are the eyes?" The amusement was clear.

She chewed the pipe between her back teeth as she thought on his question. Vel Anir explained why he hadn't heard of the Templars and their various Chapters, those Dreadlords were something else entirely and hats off to them. Lexi has only have the unpleasant experience of being in that city once and she intended to keep it that way.

"The White Ravens are a Chapter of the Templar Order," the puffs were smaller this time, pushing out small rings from the end of it. "All the Chapters deal with something slight different - the undead, powerful evil mages etc. We deal with the old and unusual creatures that are more myth and legend than real for most people."

 

[Cassian]

“Six.” he corrected with a boyish smirk, batting the cat’s paw as she insisted on attacking his fucking ear...“Four men to get me on the ground, eight to beat the shit out of me, two to hold the door, and six to throw me into the street. And you... you managed it with one arm.” He leaned back again, his fingers lacing together behind his head as he regarded her, quite clearly more impressed than insulted by her efforts.

He sneered however as she asked about his eyes, a few red burns peppered around them. “I’ll live.” he muttered. “I suppose I deserved it, alcohol does horrible things to a man.” He told her as he gestured once again to the barkeep for a refill. Alcohol also numbed the pain..

Cassian suppressed a shudder as she spoke of the unnatural sorts. He hated magic, he hated pretty much anything not human, and talk of undead and mages caused his face to grimace. Again he paid for the two drinks set down on the table, drinking his own a little slower this time. “How noble of you.” He commented dryly.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

Lexi didn't rise the bait he left dangling open about her strength. Instead she picked up the ale she had brought for herself, finished it, and passed it to the barkeep when he came over to give Cassian his latest refill. The only gesture she made that suggested she had even heard his comment about the fact she had been able to do the job of six men was a small twisted smirk. She picked up the fresh one and swirled it a little whilst returning the pipe to her mouth and taking a few more delicious draws on it.

"Ain't nothing noble about it. It's a job and somebody has to do it so other people can live in peace. Just so happened my parents, and their parents, were all unlucky enough to be born to people who apparently did at some point or other think it was a noble calling," she tapped the pipe against the table to clear it a bit before taking a long drink from her mug.

"Anirian's don't tend to leave their precious city very often, why aren't you just in the guard over there? Got a hankering for seeing the world?"

 

[Cassian]

She had a smirk that would drive any man wild, and he tried to laugh but had to grip his ribs as they protested with a sharp pain that caused his jaw to clench hard. He drank down the last of his second ale as she spoke to him . “Family business then.” his brows rose and he nodded thoughtfully.

Her question caused his features to return to their usual scowl, a reminder that he currently sat drunk, beaten and now penniless, which proved his father right. He hated that.

“I did. I was a Lieutenant, but I beat the shit out of two of my superiors, one of them being my father. So, needless to say, I’m not exactly welcome in Vel Anir.”

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

Family business was one way of putting it. The White Ravens were a reclusive group and tended to rely on its members producing the next generations by finding a decent partner outside, or finding someone from within the order already. Her home was a sprawling city so there was plenty of choice, but now it had been reduced to two words she could see plainly that even though they were largely populated it did indeed feel like a Family Business. Nobody else understood the mania it took to willingly go out and fight these creatures. It took guts and a lot of confidence. At times it also required an eye.

Absentmindedly she rubbed just below her eye patch as if it were irritating her skin then considered what he had told her.

"Sometimes superiors need putting in their place, though," she took a long drink of the ale so she too finished it. "It depends always on your reason for beating the shit out of them. If it's just that you have a problem with authority, well," a shrug.

 

[Cassian]

“Aye, they do.” He agreed with her, leaning back in his chair and lifting Red from his shoulder to place her on his chest, rubbing at her ears with his thumbs and she purred. Cassian fell silent for a moment, listening to Red’s rumblings on his chest, he’d found her to be calming, which had been why he’d decided to keep the feline in his company. It certainly wasn’t to uphold his image.

“My reasons are mine..” he murmured and lifted his gaze to her “If I had a problem with authority I wouldn’t have gained rank. If I had a problem with authority I wouldn’t have thrown myself in a fucking river at your say so just to buy you a drink.” He did have a slight problem with authority It was true, but it’d only been since learning that his authoritative figures couldn’t give a fuck about him or any of his comrades, they were just numbers, even their own sons.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

"Or it shows you hope the drink would lead to more feeling up of my leg," Lexi snorted, causing the smoke to come out of her nostrils. Unlike most herbs people burnt in their pipes, the Commanders were not foul smelling things. In fact, it almost smelt sweet with just a little hint of mint. Like a treat you might give a child at Christmas. She considered what he said though with interest; it was true that it would be hard to gain rank if you despised authority entirely. It didn't mean he didn't hate it though. The fact he had attacked his own father made her question whether it was authority within the army or authority outside. Perhaps a blurring of both. Or, like with the Tavernmaster, maybe his cock had just got him into trouble again. He had said it was a reoccurring problem.

"You're very lucky Kain didn't cut your hand off for that," amusement in her smirk again. Her second in command was a good friend and extremely protective of her. He had seen what she had done on the field, the parts of herself she had given to save the lives of the White Ravens first hand.

"So have you got another job lined up now you've whored your way through all your coin?"

 

[Cassian]

Cassian’s cheeks dimpled with a wide grin and he rubbed sheepishly at the back of his neck. “Aye, well I won’t be tryin’ that again in a hurry, lass.” He laughed quietly, trying to avoid another reminder of his cracked ribs. He wasn’t used to much conversation with anyone, let alone women. But this one had piqued his curiosities and he’d made the exception. He didn’t normally find people very interesting in general.

“Mh.. Perhaps.”he shrugged a shoulder at her comment “Or perhaps he was lucky I had as much ale as I did..” he lifted a brow. He had confidence too. He’d trained since he was a child in the best army Arethil had to offer, he’d had a very promising future and though he may have derailed and spiralled into his mess of a life, he was a hired sword for a reason.

Cassian cleared his throat and glanced around at her jibe about whoring his coin away. It was completely true. “Have you been spying on me lass?” he asked in a low voice, his lips twitching with a smile “In fact I’ve just spent my last coin on buyin’ you a drink. An’ I’m sorta doubtin’ it’ll be worth my while.”. His brows rose, looking down at Red who blinked lazily at him.. “She’s playing hard to get.”

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

Lexi watched his nervous gesture with growing hilarity. She enjoyed nothing more than making men squirm and for some reason they always seemed to find it awkward when a woman brought up their nefarious activities. She took another long draw on the ale as she watched him, her eyes running from head head down to what she could see of him above the table. Assessing. He did indeed look like a soldier, she would have probably made the call of that or someone who spent long hours working hard such as a blacksmith or farmer. But he didn't have the tan for a farmer - or burn marks perhaps. He looked to pale to catch the sun easily.

"Not spying," Lexi set her tankard down. "I meet men like you all over the roads, drinking and whoring away coin, living job to job. It is probably a more common sight than a happy family at a place like this," she gestured to the rest of the tavern. Being so situated on the town once glance would prove her words right. Lots of single travellers of small groups clustered and hugged the walls. The conversations were muted and private. "If you were hoping for your coin to by your way into my bed then, yes, perhaps you have wasted it. But if you were hoping your coin might buy you a job then perhaps not wasted. I lost a good man on my last job and I have another two to do on my way back to our city. I can pay you half up front and half when we complete the mission if you want to join us. I figure a man who requires six men to restrain him will more than make up for the one I lost. What say you?"

 

[Cassian]

And squirm he did. It was a very new experience for the grizzly soldier to squirm over anything. He'd never had trouble with women, then again the ones he lay with were usually paid to please him and he didn't need to put any effort into small talk. He was a man of few words, and it suited him.

"Men like me?.. Sure 'bout that?.." he looked down at the purring kitten again, massaging the back of her neck "Seems there are many of us, Red.. The women of Arethil don' stand a chance." he mused. She yawned.
He did have a glance around him however, but it didn't surprise him not to see any happy families, he didn't believe in such a thing, those were the dreams of women, generally.

"Perhaps I've wasted it?.." his mouth curled upward at the corner and he whispered into the kitten's twitching ear "I think I might still have a chance. Act casual."..

The job prospect would normally have been a straight up 'fuck off' when it came to the sorts of creatures she and her men targeted. He didn't care for magic, and he was strong enough and capable enough to cut down countless men in battle. But monsters and magic was above his pay grade. Unless..

"Depends on how much you're offerin' exactly.." he eyed her, his head tilting in question.