New Trick|Aegestrom, Maelstrom

[Darastrix]

Brooke carefully picked her way around the puddles still standing from the rain the night before, glad that tonight, the sky was clear. Rain was bad for business. The chill afterward, though, that usually helped things pick up, at least a little.

She slipped into the Roasted Goose, pulling the hood of her cloak back as she entered. Here, she didn't dare approach a man. The tavern eatery wasn't a fine place, but it was decent enough that she'd get tossed into the gutter if the proprietor thought she was trying to ply her trade with his customers. She was just lucky she'd had the right sort of clothes and bearing to manage to secure a spot for herself in the better parts of Aegestrom, despite her newness back when she'd first arrived.

"Lucky," she thought, bitterly. Oh yes, very lucky to be a whore worth whole coins instead of bits.

Well, that was lucky, in a sense, but still....

Better get something to eat. Most men didn't give a damn if their whore was in a bad mood, but some liked to use it as an excuse to slap a girl around, or worse.

Soon, Brooke was seated at an out of the way table with a small, cheap meal made up mostly of what had been left over from the day before, but the cook--Etaf bless him--had given her the end of a fresh loaf. It was mostly crust and a little burnt, but it was warm. As she ate, she let her gaze wander the room, idly watching the other patrons.

[Devon]

Across the room, Brooke could see a tall man, lithe in build with a deep shade of red hair. He had slightly effeminate facial features and green eyes. He stood out not only for his look, but because he also stared straight at Brooke as he sipped his drink.

[Darastrix]

Brooke quickly dropped her gaze when she noticed the man staring, and focused on her food while she thought. Was he a guard? He didn't seem to be dressed as one, and she hadn't given them any reason to watch her, so likely not. A potential customer? That seemed more likely, though she couldn't remember ever seeing the man before. Or maybe he was just surprised to see another redhead around; there weren't many in Maelstrom that she'd noticed.

She chanced a look at him again, thinking that by now, he'd have found something else to catch his attention.

[Devon]

Nothing else in the tavern seemed to have caught his attention. Taking a chug of his drink, seemingly for courage, he stood up and made his way over to her table. Brushing a strand of hair out of his face he looked down to her and asked politely, "Would you mind if I sat down with you?"

[Darastrix]

"I'm afraid I do mind," Brooke said. "I'm not looking for company; I just want to finish my meal."

She knew she might be pushing away potential profit, but better to lose a stranger than be banned from the tavern and possibly arrested. Then she'd lose an entire night's worth of coin, if not more.

[Devon]

The man visibly saddened, made a half-hearted attempt to leave. Stopping on his other foot, he turned his head toward her, "I'm terribly sorry, I just...I'm really no good at this, I just thought you were attractive and I only wanted to say hello," he said softly.

[Darastrix]

Brooke sighed inwardly. Not even if I didn't need you to pay me, she thought. She'd tired of shy, sensitive men long ago. And most others, but that was beside the point.

"No offense taken," she said, though she didn't soften her expression. She didn't need to encourage him. "Have a good night." That said, she went back to her dinner, pointedly ignoring him.

[Devon]

The man's sad expression faded and quickly turned to something close to impatience. Without asking he sat down again and spoke in a hushed voice. "I know who you are and I know what you do. There is no need to cause a scene, I don't want you for your services..I want information and I'm willing to pay handsomely."

[Darastrix]

Cause a scene? He's the one that's liable to draw attention to himself, getting up and down like that.

"Don't talk to me here," Brooke hissed. She glanced quickly toward the owner, who was busy talking to customer, then gave her unwelcome companion an irritated look. "It doesn't matter if all you want is to discuss the weather. Other people know what I do, and if I'm talking to a man, they'll assume it's 'business' and I don't care to get kicked out. You want to talk, you leave and wait for me to finish."

[Devon]

"Don't take too long," the man said. "The coin I'm offering is better than any you'd stumble upon tonight or the next two weeks," he told her as he stood up and left the tavern.

[Darastrix]

Brooke didn't rush her meal, preferring to eat at a normal pace while she thought over what the man had said. Information.... If he was wanting that from a streetwalker, she guessed there was some man he thought would have loose lips in bed. So, really, it wouldn't be that much different than usual. And if she could actually make good money for once, so much the better.

Decision made, she finished up and rose to leave, pulling her hood back up before she stepped out into the chill, damp air.