First day in Eavesdown

[cmky]

No book, no cortex vid, nothing could have prepared Selly for the Eavesdown docks. It wasn't the size that intimidated, she'd seen larger ports on Sihnon and Londinum, it was the pure, unmitigated chaos of it all. It was the wash of commotion, the yelling and haggling, the color, the cultures. It wasn't the sheer number of people, it was the reeking wonderful mix of them.

But Persephone was so much more than that. It was a gateway, the gateway, not just between the core worlds and the outer ones, oh no, but between the life that was planned for her and the life that could be. As Selly wandered from stall to stall, from vendor to clamoring vendor, she felt freedom. Freedom from the cloistered life in the Guild, freedom from the banal, shallow clients of the core, but most of all, freedom from him. This wasn't a smart decision. She knew that, even now, walking the dusty, winding streets of the port. This wasn't even a safe decision. But it was a decision. It was movement. Progress, if not toward a specific goal, then at least away from an otherwise certain eventuality. Starting here, in this port, she could make a new life for herself; choose her own clients, clients that valued her mind as well has her body.

The first part of her journey, from Londinum to Persephone, had been on the finest liner her budget would allow. Which is to say, not that particularly fine at all. Still, it had been the safe choice, the obvious choice. It was a fine ship, safe, clean, boring. As soon as they landed, she had her luggage -- a single trunk containing nearly everything she owned--taken to her room at the Barsand Inn. She had nothing planned for the remainder of the day. She could wander the market, maybe stop for tea at one of the many cafes that cornered so many intersections.

A familiar scent caught her nose. She followed it to a tiny shop stuffed to the brim with incense of every sort, candles, perfumes, teas, spices. After rendering the traditional greeting to the elderly Chinese proprietors, Selly spent considerably more than her budget allowed and left with a correspondingly large bag of supplies. Following that, she found just the corner cafe she was looking for, with a small street-side patio and a little round table she could sit and sip her tea and people-watch. It was perfect.

A ship came in low and loud, landing just out of sight on the far side of the buildings across the street from her. It could have flown right out of one of the dime novels she read growing up. Where had it come from? Where was it going? Maybe she could book passage on a ship like that. It wouldn't be clean, it probably wouldn't be safe, but at least it wouldn't be boring.

~~Selly's outfit~~~

[Jack "Trigger" Briggs]

Trigger had spent most of his day catching up with some old contacts. He had been neglecting his duties as of late, but with the very pleasantly confusing distraction of Sian leaving, he was finally allowing himself to get back on track. The Companion had definitely brought some changes to his life. Crime was the only thing he knew, and though it was starting to leave a bad taste in his mouth, he had to make money and keep his group going. Sian was having a bit of an influence on him in more than one way, it seemed.

The bustling docks were home to him, and as much as it overwhelmed some people, it comforted and called to him. He weaved in and out of the jostle with friendly greetings and tips of the hat. His hat was a gift from Sian; an exact replica of the one he'd lost to a pretty woman once. Beneath his hat was a slightly whiskered face, a white button-up with rolled sleeves, and his trademark red fingerless gloves. His dark pants were tucked into his boots, the tongues of the boots sticking out slightly.

Said boots led Jack in the direction of the cafe, and he soon had a mug of tea cupped in his hands as he scouted out a table. Many were full, so he made his way out back to the patio. A pretty young woman there caught his eye, but not in the way she might have once. His thoughts were occupied with another woman; no, he was interested because of where she was looking. Her eyes were on the docks, on the ships. Jack had been on Persephone long enough to know that look.

He stood near her table and watched the ships with her a moment, the sipped from his tea. "You want offa this rock, don't ya luv?" he asked, glanced down and raising an eyebrow. He nodded at the empty chair beside her, cocking his head. "This seat taken?" his grin was charming and open.

[cmky]

"...This seat taken?"[/i]

She had to shield her eyes from the evening sun to look up at the stranger presenting himself uninvited at her table. Her first inclination was a firm 'No thanks' accentuated by a now please move along gesture. Some of the worst trouble she'd ever gotten into in her life was of the sort she didn't have to go looking for. But there was a glimmer in this one's smile. A rogue, to his very bones, but was that always so bad?

"It is now," she said, tucking an errant strand of hair behind her ear, "and the name is Guiselle."

After he took his seat, she extended a hand, just like they taught her, and waited for him to take it. "Whom might you be?"