Bounty Hunters

Jira sat on the course wooden stool. He hadn't been in this world for that long already though eyes seemed to dart toward the jingling of those chains, silence would fall as he passed group of drunkards as he made his way to the bar. "Yo..strongest please." He said simply as the bar tender looked him over the first moving to those shackles and then to Jira's yellow eyes, without questioning or tab he handed him his drink and turned away. Jira would appear quite threatening to him after all and asking for trouble with some prisoner who managed to break out of prison just what could he do. Little did Jira know what was coming for him, or whom was coming for him actually. He took a long gulp of the strong liquid eyes wandered back to their individual place, perhaps not wanting to attract his attention and give him a reason to act.

Jira looked about then..music coming from the stereo, this place seemed packed and he slowly he slumped into invisibility once more, thankful for the darkened quiet place he had chose, he almost felt at home on this late eve despite the obvious awkward stares or the whispers regarding him..he just did not care he certainly did not make the quietest impression on people. Eventually all those whispers stopped and he was alone once again, to himself simply waving to the bartender for more if he needed. Suddenly he'd hear the door almost slam open but he did not look back simply reveling in his own little dark world.

[TruthSayer]

One of the best bars in Reshir, in Raa's humble opinion, was the Gallant Gem. Far from gallant, and so filthy it reminded him of the gritty black ore surrounding a diamond, it had one of the best whorehouses Altheria had to offer, despite having the worst alcohol. Males and females, all there for the taking if one's wallet held the right weight, all clean and disease free, and all well-versed in the arts of getting a man off.

As it was, Raa grinned down at the pretty woman beneath him, yellow hair splayed around her bare white shoulders in a halo that covered the stains on the ground in the alleyway, her small chest heaving as he ground to a halt within her. Her small chest heaved, her flat belly a sheen of sweat despite the cold air, her legs trembling around his waist as he thrust into her one more time before pulling out and rolling to his feet.

"What was the price? Ten?" Raa asked, digging into a hidden pocket sewn into the inside of his vest, the front of his pants hanging open.

"Twenty," the woman panted, rolling up onto her elbows with a small frown.

"Fifteen, then," Raa said with another grin, and tossed the money into the folds of her pulled up skirts as he turned away, doing up the front of his pants. He passed twenty others on his way to the mouth of the alley, three more when he turned the corner, and one couple clogging up the doorway to the bar. "Move," he grunted, shoving them aside as he opened the door, eyes sweeping the crowd within for the one he was in Reshir to meet. He saw no one that matched the description he'd been given, and he grunted, annoyed, as he made his way to the bar.

"Three ounce," he told the man, tapping his finger impatiently on the counter as he waited for the strong whiskey-like brew that tasted like piss, but certainly helped round off the buzz from a good back alley fuck.

Jira looked at the gruff man that sat next to him for a moment. He looked at something perhaps a bit more than what one may have expected..he looked for weapons his size..weight, sizing him up to see if he could take him. He moved his arm causing the chain to jiggle once more if the man hadn't noticed Jira before he'd certainly notice him now. He brought the glass to his mouth finishing off the drink before turning the glass to the bar waiting for it to be re-filled, all free it seemed, that made his ego just sort of slump.
He was that scary that he was being offered free drinks. Even here in this dark gloomy whore house of a bar he still felt like he was just not accepted. It was a rather sensitive feeling against this hard bar where fights were just a commonality. He didn't really mind honestly..it was just easier to be invisible than to be the center of attention little did he know what was about to happen with the stranger next to him.

[TruthSayer]

Raa downed the drink in one quick gulp, hissing through his teeth as it burned like acid down his throat. He tapped the bottom of the tumbler on the counter, signaling another, as the soft jingle of metal caught his ear. He glanced at the man next to him from the corner of his eye, automatically wondering if the jingle he heard was money, but negated the thought at the sight of a thick manacle shrouding his wrist.

Convict...? Raa thought, licking the side of his hand when the bartender, filling his glass, spilled a few drops onto his skin. He wore no prison's insignia that Raa could see, but it was rare for any but long-term villains to sport any institution's rags. But those manacles... No man who had just escaped bondage kept those bracelets on longer than they had to, even when presented with drink.

"Manuel," Raa tossed to the bartender as he turned more fully toward the man next to him. "Another round for my friend and myself. Put it on my tab." Raa grinned at the man. "Raa Hakesh," he said, holding out his arm for the standard greeting. He left off the captain, left out the information of the Absalom; could be this man was a mole from Reshir's Parliament sent to capture information. Or, even worse, wayward sky pirates. "You look like you could use another drink."

Jira played with the glass not noticing when the person next to him suddenly looked at his shackle. He was going to say something but the man turned away as he looked about the bar once more. It was the same rowdy crew for now it seemed no one had even taken notice of him anymore..This tastes like urine.. He looked down at the remainder in the glass thinking he shouldn't drink anymore of it. Heck he was barley even feeling the alcohol, more so he was feeling the shakes from that bitter taste that ran over his tongue as he finished his gulp.

He was about to signal the bar tender for another deciding to to blow caution to the wind and continue his drinking habit despite the fact he couldn't seem to take the awful aroma and the taste. It was almost making him feel a little bit better about being different like he was almost forming into apart of the crowd here.

"Hmm?" He suddenly said as he looked over to the person near him with an odd expression. Was he just..offered a drink by another man? He was sort of on his toes suddenly, he wanted to be apart of something but every time he was it somehow ended up with him having to get himself out of trouble and leave corpses in his wake.

[TruthSayer]

Raa's natural smile did not wane, though he wondered how much this man had to drink that he hadn't understood a simple greeting. Then again, Raa's Nefiran accent tended to come out a lot more when he had a few three ouncers burning their way through his gut. "Raa Hakesh," he drawled again, dropping his arm to his side. "And you are...?"

Jira turned now naturally to the man after looking at the odder drink in front of him. His drink was no where near as..dirty looking as the one that the man had ordered for him. He brought it to his mouth before he asked him something. "Jira, you?" He asked as he took a sip..he swore it felt like he had actually had urine in this thing..he knew there wasn't but he couldn't help but feel almost gratitude for this man, even though the drinks were free on his end anyway. He seemed to speak without slur perhaps something was on his mind and he'd only half heard the drinks were for him (or I didn't see that as apart of the post and this is merely an excuse XD!) Jira turned his head back to the drink then his chain jingling as he rose the glass, honestly Jira had forgotten they were even there at this point.

[TruthSayer]

Raa's brow arched. "Raa Hakesh," he introduced himself a third time, careful to slow his speech as he leaned in a bit closer to make certain he was heard. He moved his finger along the rim of his still-full tumbler, watching the chain dangling from the man's wrist with a thoughtful expression. "What brings you to the Gallant Gem?"

"Oh wow..I thought that was the name of the drink.." He had simply put two and two together quite wrong as a matter of fact ..whenever he said those words the bartender seemed to pore something into one of their glasses. "I apologize.." He said trying to clear the awkward air as soon as possible. He put the drink down now..somehow he was thinking he was almost drinking the man nearby..not something that he considered pleasant.
"Oh..just wandering a bit, trying to find some purpose, you know what everyone does, not sure how it ended up with me being here of course. Was just in the mood for some drink, entertainment." He said as he pushed the drink away now. "What about you? Whats your story?" he asked deciding to continue the conversation. There was an almost grim mood about him..he spoke low, it was audible but had a hint of almost sorrow behind the voice.

[TruthSayer]

Raa chuckled and downed his drink. His name was unusual, that was true. He'd not heard of another 'Hakesh' out there, something he thought specifically of when he'd chosen it after breaking off from his family. He tapped the counter with his drink again, feeling the warm splash of alcohol against his skin when it was instantly filled.

"My reasons for being here involve a rather sensitive nature," he said with a wink, thinking that those reasons were now null and void. His contact had yet to make an appearance, and while the woman was little known for her punctuality, forcing him to stay put in this rat hole for three days was pushing it. Not that he'd not spent his time waiting wisely. "My pleasures for being here are rather a bit more... obvious." His eyes strayed to a male lingering in the doorway, wearing nothing more than a rope knotted in some very strategic places.

"What sort of entertainment are you after?"

Well at least the air had cleared a little and the awkwardness has suddenly gone away. After moments he thought for a second. Thinking how weird it would be if the man somehow knew he thought he was drinking him..that certainly would be an awkward conversation.

Jira listened closely now deciding not to ignore a word he said since he seemed to become his drinking buddy..even though he wasn't technically drinking anymore. He turned back this time hoping he had gotten his assumption a tad more right. "Oh..your into that are you?" He said pointing for a moment at the man who seemed to be someone's sex toy. "Never tried..never will." He said simply..in fact another look at that man almost reminded him of himself. He had tried that before, in a jail cell..non-consensually..so apart of what he said was a lie..the other part..well that was more of a truth though technically a false as well..given the shackles he still wore.

"Oh..im more waiting for something." Jira had almost felt himself drawn here, he wasn't sure why but he had obviously ..felt a need to be here..as if something was going to happen at any moment that he'd almost want to be apart of. He did not know what but what he did know was it would almost bring him great pleasure of some sort. He would simply go with the flow with whatever his mind and body told him to.

[TruthSayer]

"I'm into pleasure," Raa said with a light shrug, still playing almost absently with his drink. "His pleasure... her pleasure... my pleasure..." His grin grew slightly more lecherous for a moment. "But mostly my pleasure.

"Helping people," he said, nodding toward the shackles on Jira's wrists. "I find pleasure in that as well. If the price is right."

Jira couldn't help but chuckle. He wasn't new to the pleasure game, just too busy for it. Given his life and the drive to find and dispel darkness perhaps taking it into himself. All that he knew was he loved doing it. He loved being against some sociopath ..the brutal attacks that he'd make for survival which were ultimately useless against someone like him. When someone goes into survival mode they'll do anything they can think of to survive even if that thought involves..perhaps due to an influence of Jira's or something more..sinister.

He couldn't help but laugh at that. "Oh..trust me, I do not need help with this." He said referring to his shackles. "I wear them as a sign." He said with a slight devious grin. "Do not. Try to. Capture me." He said in parts as he moved his arm bcak and leaned against the chair once more.

[TruthSayer]

"Wasn't planning on it, friend," Raa said, grin widening as he gave a little wink. "I pay others to put themselves in danger. It's a rare thing when I put myself there.

"Doesn't stop me from wondering why someone would choose to wear something that marks them as an outlaw."

"Oh is this a job offer then?" He asked suddenly thinking the man was offering something more than he was letting on. Some excitement would be good for the boy he wasn't exactly thriving in excitement at the moment merely looking for what he ended up being drawn to. He wasn't exactly sure what he was looking for all he knew was there was some sort of..problem for lack of better words that drew him here.

"Meh, why not, they work well as a weapon, help me better understand people around me and forces people to sometimes leave me alone." He shrugged as he almost admired the odd contraptions around his wrists.

[TruthSayer]

"That depends on your references," Raa answered, sipping his drink. He trusted little to those he did not know, but he was also not one to throw away a possible resource when it was sitting right beside him. Perhaps he could offer something small? The Duchess of Arubu had put word out there about wanting a stolen crystal returned, and had offered a pretty reward for it.

"How in the name of Buru does wearing shackles allow you to better understand those around you?"

"Well I have just me you and you have just me, so references on both ends are a little falsified aren't they?" He asked as he began to wrap the manacles around his arms so they were more hidden, it was clear he almost looked bulky perhaps strong as an ox as he pulled his shirt over them, they complimented his arms quite well he could almost pull off a bouncer or a guard captain.

Jira almost slipped his chain almost causing it to fall all the way back his arm when he said that. "You bring up a good point, here I'll give you an explanation." He said with a grin. "The 'true people' those who aren't tools or just boring will be more likely to approach someone wearing chains, its deviant, unusual, look at you compared to everyone else in this bar, their intimidated you are not. Clearly you have more to offer than most of the saps in this place and your different, as if you believe I am not a threat. While the others here simply shy away fearful of their own lives even though I have done nothing to them to intimidate other than wearing a few manacles." He explained in an odd philosophical sort of way.

[TruthSayer]

"Hm, and here I thought they had some magical quality," Raa said, viewing the manacles Jira wore in a different light. They looked normal enough, if a bit wide for modern prisons, but it was still possible despite what Jira said that they could have some... interesting quality that could make them quite valuable. Not that Raa would take them, of course. Unless Jira were somehow separated from them, either during a bath or death.

He chuckled. "I can offer you pages of references," he said, tapping his glass against Jira's. "Highly reputable individuals in the echelons of society from every country, and some not quite so reputable. All you need do is ask. However, should you have no references, and are still looking for a job..." Raa rubbed his chin, calloused fingers catching on thick stubble. "I might have a quick and dirty game that needs played."

Jira couldn't help but chuckle a little bit at his general comment about his shackles. "No, they aren't magic..would be a good idea though, I think suddenly them becoming electrocuted would be awesome in a fight." He said thinking of it

"One rule, no one innocent." He said simply as he finally picked up his drink the image of drinking of the man was finally put out of his head during their idle chatter. A job would be interesting though, he felt as if he would be better off with some cash and connections which could help him later on in his own pursuits.

[TruthSayer]

"I bet you could find a clockworker to make them that way," Raa said, nodding slightly. As a potential allay, Jira having shackles that had the power to electrocute others was beneficial to both Raa and Jira alike.

"A con not only with a conscious, but one so willing to kill," he teased. "No one innocent, and, Buru willing, this will not require anyone's death. But before I tell you about the target, let me tell you about what I expect, and then I'll tell you about the pay.

"It's rare for me to leave the comfort of my ship to embark on such games, myself, but when I do, I expect to get out alive and fairly richer than before. I do not put my neck out unnecessarily, and if you choose to do so with your own neck, considering we are newly friends, I have no qualms about leaving you to dig yourself out of your own shit. I will be accompanying you on this, however, because I don't trust the possibility of fattening my wallet to just anyone. I don't care about what you did to get those shackles on your wrists, but I do care about my money.

"That said," Raa continued, affable exterior still in place though steel lined his tone, "it is my reputation on the line, and I value that higher than all but a very few people I have met. You ruin my reputation, and I will ruin you.

"As for pay..." Raa rubbed his chin again. The exact price the blueprints would fetch him on the black market was unknown, the ever-fluctuating economy dictating sale prices there as much as with any street vendor. It would require possibly sitting on them until he found the right buyer, which would cost him money. "You'll receive nothing up front, and 1,500 lira and possible future jobs upon completion."