One Last Round Before We Go (Open/Pre-Trial)

[Claire]

It had been ages since Claire stepped foot in this place, but the ambiance was familiar and missed. The place was too busy for anyone to recognize her hopefully- she was certain her wanted poster was someplace in this establishment- but tonight she hoped that she looked too starkly feminine to draw suspicion to her status. Her face on the poster was gaunt and haunted and furious and tonight she was dressed like a Novian woman looking for a good time. Her dress of simple golds and reds flowed, her skirt shifting seamlessly over the dagger bound to her thigh. She wore a leather vest over it, bound tightly to better protect her if she got into a fight and it was enough to hide the still pockmarked scars on her chest from leering eyes. Her short dark hair brushed against her jaw, wavy enough to seem feminine and hopefully not too eye-catching in the Novian sea of long snow-white hair.

It was the night before the trial and the place was packed- the chilly air outside was replaced entirely with the sweltering humidity of all the people gathered. The Bloody Mary was always an accursedly popular spot, with the middle class to castle workers and anyone who could afford the space, but tonight Claire needed the news. There was only so much you could hear in the Third District about what was happening in the castle. Getting more reliable news was easier in the Second District. And if the guards drinking in the corner were any sign of that, she was in for an interesting night at least.

So Claire squeezed through the crowd to the bar, settling down and ordering a mead, listening around, trying to pick up on what was happening.

[Sai]

Sai had been at the Bloody Mary for some time she been drinking most of the time she was currently on her seventh drink of the evening and she was starting to feel the effects. The reason she was there was because it had been two days since she had given @alekirrelki a little mission to try and find someone that she had contact with during her last job. Looking down at her clothes before looking at the other women who were laughing and flirting some were even sitting in the laps of guards from the castle and here she was in her normal black clothes from head to toe and loaded with more weapons that a blacksmith. Glupping down her current drink she looked around seeing everyone was more are less busy until she spotted a beauty entering.



The wave of chestnut colored hair that reminds of her the trees that she use for target practice and her skin tone was exotic. Taking her hair out of its ponytail letting it pool around her she quickly fixed up retiring the ribbon in her hair leaving a few strangles to frame her face curling it as best as she could with her finger. Grabbing another drink she turned her eyes to where the lovely goddess in gold and red had gone. Finding her she smiled maybe she could have some fun tonight.



Not wasting another moment she slipped out of her seat and made her way to the bar. Slipping into a seat at the bar she orders another ale, turned to face the goddess she smiled. "Well hello you know it's not often I find a woman as beautiful as you here. So might telling me what a lovely lady like yourself is doing here alone."

[Claire]

The drink came quickly and Claire took a sip, letting the honeyed taste settle in her mouth. She only needed enough to settle her- she couldn’t drink too much tonight. While she could drink a lot, she couldn’t let her pride go to her head and lose her wits now. Not without backup. As she lowered her cup the tell-tale clink of metal caught her ear and she turned her head, sudden alarm shooting through her. Had she been spotted already? There were plenty of people with weapons here but one was headed right for her.

Claire could feel herself relax slightly at the sight of the woman approaching, clearly Novian with her long silver-white hair. There wasn’t any recognition in the woman’s eyes that she could see and that satisfied her that she wasn’t here to arrest her. As she turned to take another sip of her drink, she didn’t expect the woman to turn her gaze on her, the woman’s slightly tanned features flushed with alcohol.

Claire blinked at the proposition, stunned by the woman’s boldness. She stared at the woman for a second, her muddy eyes wide before she could respond. A laugh escaped her and she covered her mouth with a calloused hand, beaming at the woman.

“Well, hello to you too.” Her Novian accent was improving- maybe the woman won’t notice she wasn’t native if she was drunk. “I just happen to be alone at the moment, but now you’ve joined me.” she extended her calloused hand to Sai to shake. “I’d like to know your name before you rain down more complements, though.”

[malpheena]

Phee wasn't one to drink very often but tonight was a good night for it in her eyes. She was still alone and had nothing much to do with herself that was actually going to be satisfying. So she figured she would go see if she could pick up someone who was drunk enough to not care that she was also a woman. Hell she didn't mind doing most of the work but she wanted to at least get someone that was good to look at.

Using her looks as a way to part the people around her and get to the bar, her first four drinks already paid for by several male patrons she noticed a couple of women sitting together at the bar and moved closer to them as they seemed to be unattached to anyone in the bar. She took a big swig of her ale and waited now to see if they would take notice of her. She was dressed in rather form fitting attire and showing off a lot of cleavage. She had even taken the time to style her hair a little bit even with it being as short as it was, barely reaching the middle of her neck in the back.

[Sai]

Sai watched the woman's eyes as her own sunset coloured one glazed into the smokey brown eye. The color was common but still for some reason she thought that it looked better on this woman that everyone else she has seen the same shade. Taking the hand extended to her Sai noticed one that right away that the woman's hand wasn't one of a servant or a waitress the callouses prove that the woman has seen hard labor and possibility was skilled with a weapon. "You might call me Light," Sai said not realizing that this was the first time she gave any close to her birth name.



Turning to order a drink she notices that another beauty had decided to join them. The golden hair that reminded her of the sunlight and the valley of flesh that was most pleasing to the eye. Turning her eyes to the heaven's for a moment she gave silent thanks to Ai for allowing her to meet with two goddesses of female beauty after meeting a man a few days prior who was more than her match in bed and with a weapon.



Ordering her drink waited decided to nurse the drink once it came. "One Goddess with sunkissed hair and another with hair the color of a ray of sunlight." Giggling a bit to herself knowing that no matter how the night ended she was going to enjoy it to the fullest. "Now I must know why are there two Goddess in a place like this and not somewhere more suited of they company."

[Claire]

Claire had to fight the urge to laugh at the name- it was so in line with the names she’d experienced in this place. Core and Rivers and now Light. She shakes, taking note of the familiar calluses on this woman’s hand. It felt about right- she was armed, after all.

“Light.” Claire beams, still fighting her laugh. “I’m Claire.” at least that wasn’t the name on her posters. She had to wonder what this woman did- maybe an outlaw like herself? She was drunk in public so it was difficult to tell. The question of her occupation nearly leaves her lips before the woman was distracted again and Claire looked to her side, finally spotting the other woman. This woman was also lovely and bravely clutching a mug of something, despite her delicate looking appearance. True to form, this woman’s hair was also light. Like the sun instead of snow, but still bright. “Ah- no goddess here, just looking for a drink.” she smiled sheepishly back to Sai, taking another swift sip of her mead.

Claire turned her head back to the new woman with her short sun-colored hair, leaning over to her and speaking quietly. “Is someone bothering you?” she wasn’t sure why this woman was here, but with her dress there was a strong chance she was dodging unwanted attention. “You can pretend you’re here to see us if some man is harassing you.”

[malpheena]

Phee was a little shocked by the woman with white hair's response to her arrival. A goddess...she wished some days but then again she was happy enough just making toys most of the time. She smiled at both of them, "Is she okay? How far down the barrel has she sunk?" She asked Clair in regards to Sai and when she was told she could say she was with them she just smiled again, "Thank you but I'll be okay on that front though I would enjoy the company of you two much more than the company of the men in here tonight."

[Sai]

"Clarie a fitting name for a beautiful woman," Sai said thinking that it been a while since she spent company with two beautiful women that didn't involve her doing it for work or information. It was a change of pace even if all she did was drink and talk with these women it would be different and just the change of pace that she needed to distract herself from the bounty hunter.



At the comment how far down the barrel she had sunk, she laughed she even heard the bartender laughing since he was in earshot. "I think I reach the bottom of the barrel dear." She stated before looking away from both of the women at the some of the men in the bar glaring at them daring them to try and steal her company for the night. Turning back to face the women she smiled as she extended a hand to the new female. "Well if goddess wishes to enjoy our company I feel like name should be known. You may simply call me Light." She said leaving Claire to make her own introductions.

[Claire]

“No idea.” Claire turns her head back to Sai, who was still swaying. “She was already- oh.” A burning flush comes back over her cheeks at Phee’s words, realizing what she meant. Another one? She should be flattered. What was it about her tonight that was attracting these women? Perhaps it really was the hair. But she hadn’t received this much female attention since she was home. Nova was odd in that way, she supposed.

“Claire.” she introduced herself, nodding and extending her hand. “I don’t- I don’t actually know her.” she looks back a little to Sai, mouth twitching a little in a frown.

[malpheena]

"Malpheena, but you can call me Phee," she tells Clair and shakes her hand. She smiled a little bit at the affirmation to not knowing Light as she called herself a moment ago. She understood how some might not be too keen on claiming someone that drink as their friend or even acquaintance. She had seen people get stuck with a drunk's tab a few times after they skipped out on it because they had claimed to be their friend or acquaintance.

She kept an eye on Light but was giving more of her attention to Clair since she seemed far more lucid than the other woman with them right now. "So what is all this hubbub about? It seems like the entire kingdom is all worked up over something." Seeing as she was locked up in her shop most of the time and children didn't really keep up with current events she was a bit lacking on them herself.

[Sai]

Sai chugged the rest of her drink, flagging down the bartender she might be drunk but she was always one to pay off her debts. Asking him for what she owes she reached down into her boots taking out a small bag of coins taking out a bit more than what was required and gave it to the bartender. The extra coin was because of the good service and she was a very giving mood that evening. She waved off Claire saying that she didn't know her since it was true they just met and she wasn't one to complain when it came to the truth.


At the mention of what had gotten everyone all worked Sai laughed a little. Placing her hands on the counter and she rested her head on it her eyes closed at she remember all the conversations that happen before two women had walked in. "There is a big trial tomorrow." Squeezing her eyes shut trying to remember what else happen and regating drinking so much already but she will deal with it come tomorrow. "What his name.... Roland ya Roland. He is be trial tomorrow before the king, the people here some are placing bets that he will be hanged for his crimes, others are rejoying that he is going to die. Some are upset saying that the man is innocent but most are placing bets on how he will die. The popular bet is the gallows." Opening her eyes with a small twinkle in them at the idea of blood that wasn't going to be on her hands for onces. "So you ladies want to join the betting pool?" 

[Claire]

“Phee.” Claire grins, shaking her calloused hand with Phee’s. Malpheena was a much harsher name than Phee, more tinged with some other meaning that this woman might not want to associate herself with, so she could see why she just called herself Phee. As Light began to talk she turned her head, listening intently.

Most of this information was something she knew already, but not that he might die due to some other method. She couldn’t remember hanging being a floated option for her. Maybe, she thought darkly, a hanging was a merciful way out for them. So instead, Claire smiled and leaned in, her expression one of rapt, girlish interest. “I haven’t heard that at all! Just… loose, little rumors here and there. They all seem so romantic, though, in a way. That he betrayed his kingdom for love. How do you know so much?”