The silver-armored hyur walked down the perfumed halls of the brothel with a shameless urgency. He did his best to keep his face even, though his nose did wrinkle at the masked scent of debauchery. Light filtered in through stained red glass, giving the place a most sultry look.Â
He stopped before one of the many dark wooden doors lining the walls and carefully knocked. The composed facade before his silvery-blue eyes fell for just a moment; he was loth to put even his gauntlets to the touch of anything in the place. Far too many voices inside responded to the disturbance, but a low sigh of resigned expectation was all he could manage. The door swung open, and the man simply could not hold up his neutral countenance any longer. A very pronounced grimace formed under locks of his golden hair. "Good Gods, man -- put something on, and -- the smell...!"
The fellow who stood in the door was a highlander, unlike his midlander visitor. He possessed a stocky and thickly muscular build, with finely carved features and a thick nose-bridge that seemed common among his clan. There was nothing of a highlander's height on him, however. So short was he for his blood, that he met the midlander eye-to-eye. Red hair was tied to the back of his head in a long tail, and bright green eyes offered a smug, almost taunting look. The man stood there quite in the raw, about as shameless as the two highlander women and the roegadyn man that sat on the bed behind him. The sheen of sweat upon them all marked them well as having been...exerting themselves. "Well hello there, Ray. Come to join?"
"I -- most certainly have not," Ray spat indignantly. "I've been looking for you, I should have known to visit this place first. Do you spend all your free time here, Rutherford? For -- for godssakes, at least a sheet, man!"
At Ray's words a bundled sheet hit the back of Rutherford's head, sending a nigh nauseating whiff of depravity out the door. "Fine, fine," Rutherford grumbled. He grabbed the sheet and wrapped it carefully around his waist -- but took extra care to wear it as low as possible. "But I insist that you call me Liucen. Or Lou, you know I like my pet names. Anyroad, you're early. Is it done?" The smugness left Liucen Rutherford's handsome features; he had become all business.
"It's done," Ray confirmed, "Though, I ran into a few complications. I dealt with it peacefully enough -- paid a few people at Highbridge to convince some tails that I had flung myself off the side into the chasm. That won't last long, but it'll last long enough for us to continue."
Behind Liucen, the three on the obnoxiously cushioned bed seemed to have grown bored and sought to entertain themselves in the meantime -- it caused Ray to look the red-haired highlander dead in the eye, forcibly obliterating his peripheral vision. "It cost me a fair gil, and I can't imagine your...diversion here is cheap."
"Now now, I've earned it," Liucen admonished, "And so have you, though you always refuse to join me. But -- other business. What's your count at?"
"Four."
"Oho, you're lagging behind. I'm at six now, and the other two are both above seven. I thought I'd been slacking," Liucen teased smugly. He had to raise his voice just a little; the three behind him had begun to get a tad bit noisy.Â
Ray scowled, but dared not look past his companion to the positive melee taking place upon the cushions. "Must they do that? The door is wide open and I'm standing right here...at any rate, it's not like I have much control over when I get them. I have to keep trying. I had hoped that those two would produce at least one...and the one I used for bait was far too corrupted to be of any other use."
Liucen looked back at his colleagues and bit his lip. "Well then. I can support your protestations on what they're doing because I'm not included." He turned back to Ray with a nod. "That's fine, we'll all be at the next step soon enough, and when that happens, they'll be singing songs about us instead. Now! Time's wasting and I really must get back to business. Offer's still open: will you join?"
"I am a married man, Liucen."
The smirk that swept across the redhead's lips was most unsavory. "So's the Sea-Wolf. I'll see you later then."Â
With that, he gently closed the door.
He stopped before one of the many dark wooden doors lining the walls and carefully knocked. The composed facade before his silvery-blue eyes fell for just a moment; he was loth to put even his gauntlets to the touch of anything in the place. Far too many voices inside responded to the disturbance, but a low sigh of resigned expectation was all he could manage. The door swung open, and the man simply could not hold up his neutral countenance any longer. A very pronounced grimace formed under locks of his golden hair. "Good Gods, man -- put something on, and -- the smell...!"
The fellow who stood in the door was a highlander, unlike his midlander visitor. He possessed a stocky and thickly muscular build, with finely carved features and a thick nose-bridge that seemed common among his clan. There was nothing of a highlander's height on him, however. So short was he for his blood, that he met the midlander eye-to-eye. Red hair was tied to the back of his head in a long tail, and bright green eyes offered a smug, almost taunting look. The man stood there quite in the raw, about as shameless as the two highlander women and the roegadyn man that sat on the bed behind him. The sheen of sweat upon them all marked them well as having been...exerting themselves. "Well hello there, Ray. Come to join?"
"I -- most certainly have not," Ray spat indignantly. "I've been looking for you, I should have known to visit this place first. Do you spend all your free time here, Rutherford? For -- for godssakes, at least a sheet, man!"
At Ray's words a bundled sheet hit the back of Rutherford's head, sending a nigh nauseating whiff of depravity out the door. "Fine, fine," Rutherford grumbled. He grabbed the sheet and wrapped it carefully around his waist -- but took extra care to wear it as low as possible. "But I insist that you call me Liucen. Or Lou, you know I like my pet names. Anyroad, you're early. Is it done?" The smugness left Liucen Rutherford's handsome features; he had become all business.
"It's done," Ray confirmed, "Though, I ran into a few complications. I dealt with it peacefully enough -- paid a few people at Highbridge to convince some tails that I had flung myself off the side into the chasm. That won't last long, but it'll last long enough for us to continue."
Behind Liucen, the three on the obnoxiously cushioned bed seemed to have grown bored and sought to entertain themselves in the meantime -- it caused Ray to look the red-haired highlander dead in the eye, forcibly obliterating his peripheral vision. "It cost me a fair gil, and I can't imagine your...diversion here is cheap."
"Now now, I've earned it," Liucen admonished, "And so have you, though you always refuse to join me. But -- other business. What's your count at?"
"Four."
"Oho, you're lagging behind. I'm at six now, and the other two are both above seven. I thought I'd been slacking," Liucen teased smugly. He had to raise his voice just a little; the three behind him had begun to get a tad bit noisy.Â
Ray scowled, but dared not look past his companion to the positive melee taking place upon the cushions. "Must they do that? The door is wide open and I'm standing right here...at any rate, it's not like I have much control over when I get them. I have to keep trying. I had hoped that those two would produce at least one...and the one I used for bait was far too corrupted to be of any other use."
Liucen looked back at his colleagues and bit his lip. "Well then. I can support your protestations on what they're doing because I'm not included." He turned back to Ray with a nod. "That's fine, we'll all be at the next step soon enough, and when that happens, they'll be singing songs about us instead. Now! Time's wasting and I really must get back to business. Offer's still open: will you join?"
"I am a married man, Liucen."
The smirk that swept across the redhead's lips was most unsavory. "So's the Sea-Wolf. I'll see you later then."Â
With that, he gently closed the door.
![[Image: tumblr_ojgu7zoaag1robwlio1_540.png]](https://68.media.tumblr.com/80be4033cdf57fb6268473ef9ce37db6/tumblr_ojgu7zoaag1robwlio1_540.png)
