[The Bazaar] Diligent Perusal (Open)

[Rhuryc]

Rhuryc set himself down with an unceremonious thud. They had not even begun to speak and already he was exhausted, tasked as he was to keep both his thoughts and eyes in line. The latter proved all the more difficult. Inca's propensity to, perhaps, come off more provocative than she intended mixed with the man's strange sense of honor and civility was a test all in itself. One that Rhuryc was in the process of failing. Miserably.

With his back against the wall he watched Inca approach the counter. With one hand sheathed in the pocket of his coat, the other remained on the table-top, his fingers droning in a constant pit-pat like the rhythmic beating of a hammer. Unlike his companion Rhuryc had no intention to dress down - his belief in the matter one that not only did he look better with the long, leather coat, but it hid the muscles and scars of his trade. From the exterior he could be anything. A swordsmen, a guard, something adventurous, not just a blacksmith from one of the most populous cities in the world. With thoughts like that Rhuryc felt his confidence waver. He checked his hair with disappointment, the length to his neck too much to handle on such short notice. A soft curse followed as he felt his chin next, now in a miserly state at the lack of attention paid to his beard. His head hung to his chest, but only for a moment as the clank of glass on wood brought his attention back up, his gaze centered and focused on his new companion.

Did she just buy the drinks? Rhuryc could barely contain his shock. A brow quirked but he accepted the offering without hesitance as his free hand grasped the mug. All the while he kept his eyes up, doing what he could to not dip his vision below the neck. Silently, he cursed low-cut blouses. A grin spread out over his lips before he opened them to speak, doing what he could to rid himself of the speculative countenance. He was supposed to enjoy this.

"Anything? That probably won't happen until I get another five of these." His baritone cut through the chatter in the background as it was silence. A neat trick, that. Almost as if to emphasize his point, Rhuryc raised his glass and gave a mock toast before taking a suitably long gulp. "Are you really into this whole customary courting period? You don't strike me as the elegant princess time. Ah," Rhuryc almost slapped himself. Smooth. "Elegant, sure. Just not the princess." Dolt.

[Inca]

Too true that alcohol was the ultimate supressant of peoples worry of making a fool of themselves; ironic then that it often caused them to do just that. Inca returned the toast, insincere as it may have been and was unable to halt the grin that spread across her face. For a reason she couldn't fathom and didn't try to she found his openness to be quite endearing. She wasn't sure if he was entirely used to it or was simply putting on the act for her benefit. Still, there remained a portion of the boy she had first observed after all, the little slip of the tongue reminded her of her brother...Inca realised quite quickly she should probably erase that thought from her mind considering where this was going.

"Relax." She said into another sip of sweet, golden liquid. "If you can even manage to offend me I'll buy you another beer." Hers was a very open and genuine smile. She could still fake one as well as the next girl when nescessary but unlike others in her business she rarely needed to. Who was she to complain anyway when neither of those words were ones she would ever choose to describe herself. She wondered he really saw her that way or was saying it because it was sweet. However in a style truly unlike her she didn't voice exactly what was going through her head. Instead she thought it more fun to answer his query. Inca leaned forward, resting her elbows on the stained wood for full effect. "But you're right. In my line of life I don't do this a lot. My idea of courting, as you put it, is just to take my clothes off and look sexy." Emerald eyes shone with unconcealed mischief. "It works too."

[Rhuryc]

"Relax?" Rhuryc asked in mock contentment. "M'lady, from the very sound of your voice to the words uttered from your lips, any man would find himself on the very edge of his seat in anticipation." As if to counter himself, Rhuryc kept his own body still, set as he was against the back of his chair in as lazy of a lounge as he could muster. Although logic told him to wait for some sort of response he was, in earnest, too embarrassed to not continue talking. While his countenance remained one of a jovial bar goer there was far too much below the surface than he could even hope to display. Emotions, he figured, were far too tiresome anyway.

"I suppose that works better than playing the mouse," He said, musing on Inca's tactics concerning men. There was not much to say on that matter. Men were easy. The site of a naked woman was enough to destroy any reason that particular specimen might have had, no matter how noble. Surprisingly, Rhuryc managed to keep his eyes at an upward angle for the moment, focused as he was above the neck. Perhaps too focused. He knew he was being manipulated in some fashion and it was working. Well.

He punctuated his momentary silence with a another drink. His mug was almost drained now. "And what line of life is that?" Subject change. Safe, for now.

[Inca]

Poised as she was in this conversation she could look down across the windswept valley that was Rhuryc and pick out any number of different ways of having some fun with the man. Such a gift of perception was something she was born with. It was only aided by her brimming-over confidence meaning she hardly ever turned an eye inward. Both of them spent much of their time fixed on those around her. Right now she assayed that she might quickly be dragging him out of his depth. It was an immovable habit of hers to assume that everyone was as comfortable as she was. But there was no need to scare him off, she told herself, perhaps holding back a little would be a good idea.

Inca sank back into a more relaxed slouch, allowing the abrupt halt to her teasing to wash over her, content to talk about most anything. A drink also washed away her original thoughts and gave her a moment to actually piece together exactly what it was she did do.

"You know, that's a hard one." She set the mug down, in no particular hurry to catch up with inebriation. "My brother calls me a handywoman for the underworld. That's about the closest anyone has ever got to it." A brief sojourn back to his reaction when she had asked about the knights made telling him exactly what she was doing in Syliras a poor choice. But he was sharp enough that she'd already said enough to raise eyebrows. Oh well,she doubted there was anyway to describe what she did and make it sound entirely clean. "Mercenary, private investigator, hell, a merchant even hired me for a week to teach his son how to handle himself on the road. Not that you can really do that." She added, reminiscing for the first time this week. "I told him that too but it was still easy money." Her expression shifted then, coalescing into the closest thing to serious she had so far displayed. "But mostly I travel. I just wander, see where I end up. Its about the only way I know how to live without going mad."

[Rhuryc]

Handywoman for the underworld? And here he was, a devout follower of Tyveth, the very bastion of honor and justice. Oh how the gods could be cruel. Still, Inca had done nothing wrong that Rhuryc could see. Assumed illegality was worse than the activities themselves, or so he believed - and though this woman was far beyond his typical trends, she was nonetheless a wondrous break form the norm. Why spoil a perfectly good evening?

Despite his wanton machinations Rhuryc's exterior remained calm and humored. He listened as she spoke and did what he could to drain the remainder of his ale, the mug clanking against the table as it hit the wooden surface. It would take a great more than a single glass to get the man even half-way tipsy, but the loosening of his tongue was the goal. He always made for better conversation while drunk. Best to be rid of those silly inhibitions.

"Huh." He started, seemingly content with her words. "Makes my life sound boring in comparison." Finally he removed the hand hidden in his pocket and set it next to his glass. Comfort was important, after all. "This may be a bit sobering, but I'm not a complete moron you know." Rhuryc almost sighed. "Perhaps more than I believe. You are in Syliras, Inca, you can find a Knight around almost any corner, whatever you're here to do I'd suggest otherwise. I've seen people get caught with the quickest hands and largest shadows. Oh," He paused for a moment, wishing he had more alcohol. "I'd suggest you didn't ask so many questions. The whole Knight thing might raise a few eyebrows."

[Inca]

Inca found herself edging ever so slightly toward annoyance at the lecture she received, however that unpleasant emotion quickly gave itself over to an almost arrogant sense of smugness. It was an internal self defense mechanism that only manifested itself physically as a slight smirk. As a woman who had lived under the iron hand of the knights for eighteen years, two of those darting around in the shadows actively hiding from them, she was well aware of the seriousness of attempting to cross them. Their view of crime was perhaps the most simplistically black and white that she had ever encountered and therein lay a weakness. It was one she intended to exploit fully.
"Only amateurs lurk in the shadows Rhuryc." There was certainly no lack of pride in her words. "And I don't care about eyebrows. It's when the swords start going up that I should be worried." Her ability to sense danger was an invaluable tool. She saw it coming the same way that rats could sense an earthquake and overtime had evolved an invaluable sense of exactly how far she could push. With the young man sitting opposite her that limit appeared to be rapidly encroaching.

In her mind there was little need or point in defending her actions. She had always considered her moral compass to be remarkably centered. She had her lines after all and unlike others of her ilk they lay a lot closer than was usual. She paused for an uncharacteristic second before plowing onward. "Besides in my case the lie would be a lot more boring than the truth right? I guess you might believe I was a travelling musician or something but..." She gestured to her half empty mug. "Get a few more of those in me and my singing will blow that idea out of the water."

She was, perhaps, treading a fine line between trying to return the conversation to a more amiable topic and crossing into sounding pathetic. "Besides I've been getting myself into trouble since I was seven. No offense but you're not gonna talk me out of it that easily."

[Rhuryc]

Rhuryc felt like Tyveth was sitting on his shoulder. Truth, honor. Justice. Was she planning something nefarious? A murder? No. She did not seem the type, but then again who did? He knew his warning would warrant little regard and, in truth, he hoped it would not. That, after all, was part of the woman's unyielding charm. Or so he believed. Still, his unwritten code prodded at the back of his mind. He could most likely wrestle Inca, subdue her and turn her over to the guards to be questioned by someone with actual experience in the manner. Yet, who was he to be judge? He felt the evening slip away after each moment of deliberation.

"I didn't think I would." He shrugged and leaned back in his chair, one hand now idly droning on the table in a constant, repetitive motion. In truth, the rhythm helped him relax enough to concentration. "So. How about we forget you're planning some grand caper into the castle and go back to being socially awkward? Maybe even drink some more and do a bunch of things we'll regret." Somehow, Rhuryc seemed more at ease now that he knew he was dealing with some kind of criminal. Strange. His mind was clear, for one, now that nothing nagged at the back of his mind.

Silently, he mourned the lack of ale in his mug. "Or you know. We could just skip the pleasantries and formalities. I'm terrible at flirting. Really. It's taking just about every ounce of will power I have to not look down." Blunt. Honest. Foolish? Maybe, but his grin left a sense of humor in the words at least.

[Inca]

Inca had to admit surprise at this point. Or was it respect? For a moment there she had suspected that Rhuryc may have been more knightly than she had managed to glean. It would have been interesting, she supposed, but hardly the evening of whimsical desires she had set out for. Nevertheless she felt herself wading out of the deepwater and standing back on her home territory. She stretched again, perhaps with a little relief but mostly for Rhuryc's benefit, wondering how far she could stretch his self imposed gentlemanly values. A low, sultry chuckle escaped her lips.

"Then look." Inca had dipped her voice, deep and rich as chocolate. Her fingers plied the egdes of her shirt, revealing nothing, just enough to tempt his eyes into straying where they wished. Her current state was a coyness she never usually played. She was always the one on top, metaphorically speaking. But in her eyes, hell, in every part of her that just made it all the more fun. She rose then, in one fluid motion.

Part of his ineffable charm she had decided was that noble side, valiantly restraining his obvious instincts. Maybe she didn't want to destroy that just yet. Oh it was inevitable if things kept up this way but she'd allow him the first move. The red head had no problem leaving matters like this up to chance. No-one had been able to make her do anything she didn't want to do...ever. Such was the problem her parents had faced. However Rhuryc had promised fun and she was not about to let such an oppurtunity pass her by on the whims of some misguided social decency. Therefore she did what she had always done best.

"You have a place around here then, Rhuryc?" She lept onto the bull and grabbed a hold of the horns before even looking where it was going. Metaphorically of course.

[Rhuryc]

For a moment Rhuryc decided he did not like Inca. Or women in general. The stretch was good, subtle, and he could not help but feel that she was testing him. With all his training his uncle had never once taught him how to respond to such taunts, a challenge of words and motions, one of which he was ill equipped to handle. Still, his gaze was one of an iron will. His eyes kept to their stationary position, meeting the woman's stare on every level. How easy life would be if he were just a eunuch. What a terrible thought. No matter! He caught a glimpse of movement out of his peripheral and summarily ignored, set as he was to remain without fault. If that was even possible.

The fleeting foray of dislike vanished. Rhuryc was left in his seat with a lopsided grin, one of which was quick to fall to stoicism at Inca's words. That went rather well, and neither of them were even the slightest bit drunk yet. Huh. With a shrug the man pushed his chair back and rose as his companion did, his hands reclaiming their typical habit inside their assigned pockets. Strange how he rarely kept his hands in sight.

"It's a bit of a hovel," He started, his thick baritone sure and steady. He did not even appear to be nervous. How the face did lie. "But it's close enough to be comfortable. Or something like that." Rhuryc mused that the situation. What an interesting day. New friends all around it seemed and this would be a remarkable end, assuming that this wasn't just a ploy to steal every thing he was worth. There was some manipulation, he could tell, but it was fortunate that he was not akin to a great deal of wealth. Perhaps then he would be more paranoid.

"Well, m'aldy," he said, offering Inca a mock bow with an extended arm, "Shall I accompany thee?"

[Inca]

Inca willingly accepted the proffered arm this time, indulging the fantasy and also because she could no longer lead. Her free hand slid her glasses back into place and slung her coat over her shoulder. Outside, evening air brushed her face with a child's gentleness compared to the enveloping syrup inside the stallion. Her escapade inside the bar had been a brief one but long enough that the streets had begun to thin for the evening. Soon they would be silent and lives would be confined behind closed doors. But there were those, like her, who would take to Syliras' nights like fish to water. Inca had always been a nocturnal creature and the fact that many of activites lent themselves well to being conducted under the stars was a blessing. Of course here after hours merriment was frowned upon and the iron hand of the knights tended to clasp firmly onto those who skulked about after nightfall. In that respect Rhuryc had been right. But they would have to wait another day to lay their hands on her for Inca had found herself another passtime.

She surveyed her companion, 'her catch', and made no secret that she was doing it. An interesting experience awaited her that much was certain...although she may need to inject a few more drinks into him to loosen him up. The man carried a steel stubborness about himself which was fine, up to a point. She was confident that she could melt that particular barrier given enough time and the right tools. Certainly there was no-one who knew her who could claim she was inexperienced. This was her vice, her weakness or at least one of a wide selection. Afterall all everyone would mark this situation as either terrifying or exhiliarting, for her either whipped her blood to racing and that was really the only reason she was alive. A tingle of anticipation had already begun squirming in her fingertips. Tonight, she promised herself, would be fun. Work could wait. A one track mind she may have but it inevitably focused on the right task.

But there was one observation she had which had not lent itself to any easy conclusions; a subject which for the less open would often lead to problems. Only in her case the question found its way easily to her lips, unfettered by social inhibitions. "Hey, you have much experience with this sort of thing?". It may take him a second to realise what she was asking because her tone was so casual. However she was already mentaly preparing a curriculum just incase. That much showed on her face and she made no effort to hide it as the couple headed away from the bar.