tushanshu_logs | I'm just an average man

Characters: Westley and OPEN!
Date: July 19, afternoon
Location: Fire and Metal sectors
Situation: Westley is "browsing" aka sneaking around. In fact he might walk right into your home or business! You wouldn't suspect a lost farmboy, would ya?
Warnings/Rating: PG at most unless someone is hankering for a fight!

What could be less suspicious than a fairly recant arrival, lost in the city? Clothed in a simple tunic and pants much reminiscent of his past as a slave slash farmboy, Westley looks nothing like a brilliant, scheming pirate captain. In fact, he's a bit dirt-smudged (a state he can appreciate on some level) thanks to a few odd jobs he's been doing as a runner.

Which is, of course, a perfect explanation for how he ended up in the wealthier parts of the city, a puzzled expression on his face as he repeatedly and anxiously consults a slip of paper.

He heads "blindly" into a few buildings, and "accidentally" bumps into a few people as he goes. Totally by accident, assuredly! His innocent mistake. But no worries, he's not out to steal anything, and certainly never to hurt an innocent bystander. His goal is simply surveillance. Running into people. Figuring out the lay of the land. A sense of the social structure and power holdings.

So later he can come steal things. Potentially. He's a well-mannered thief, and won't burglarize someone he likes. It's dangerous people, the type who don't deserve power and riches, that he'll go after. Despite what certain individuals would have you believe, there is honor among pirates.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

With things getting back to normal, Bryn settles into some of her old routines. She sleeps a little bit more, works a little less than all the time and even spends the odd morning sitting at her front window with a cup of tea, watching people walk past.

Mug raised to her lips, she pauses as she sees someone who stops in her line of vision to look over some paper in his hands. His body language suggests he's double checking something, or perhaps trying to figure something out. Perhaps find someone or something? There isn't more that she can tell beyond that, but having the morning free and feeling like a walk might do her good, she takes her tea with her outside.

"Sorry to intrude but do you need some directions or something?" she asks, head canted to the side as she offers a smile.

He'd noticed the woman sipping from her mug, and more or less purposefully situated himself in her line of vision. Someone who watches out the window as she has tea is likely to know a thing or two about the area.

And if not, perhaps it will be a pleasant conversation.

"Is it that obvious?" Westley does a rather good job of looking sheepish. "My attempts to navigate this city have all ended up less than productive."

Bryn's smile widens, expression growing sympathetic, and she nods.

"I'm afraid so," she replies, shifting her weight from one foot or the other. Tucking one of her arms across her body, hand supporting her elbow, she sips at her mug before tilting her chin toward the papers in his hands. "Are those your directions then? What is it you're trying to find?"

Westley genteelly folds the papers out of sight. There is an address written on them, but he's careful to only let her see the sector name.

"I mean not to disrespect your gracious help, but I have found that when one is working for employers which hire by the day, they're seeking a certain amount of discretion. An assumption on my part, but if I wish to be retained again tomorrow..."

He smiles warmly. "I'm afraid I haven't enough sources of income to risk an inadvertent faux pas. But if you could share any secrets for navigating this sector, perhaps, that would be more than generous."

"Well I'd hate to do anything to endanger your employment," Bryn says easily, taking no offense to the way he hides the papers from her sight. "But tips I can provide easily enough."

Smiling faintly, she gives their immediate area a look around, eyes seeking something out...Ah. There. Bryn points down the lane to a small opening between buildings. It's little more than an alley, but tucked away in such a way that it's difficult to see at a glance.

"There, you will find shortcuts here and there in this sector. They're not uniform by any means and you'll have to go down them to figure out whether they're faster for you or not, but I find they can save some time," she explains. "But this sector is a bit rougher than some of the others so I wouldn't go down any of them too late at night, or in certain neighborhoods."

Which individuals would those be, Westley?

James, of course, knows the behavior of a thief when he sees one. What, you think he's never been dockside before? If the lad isn't stealing things now, he's getting ready to. And he's not particularly subtle about it, either. Not if you know what to look for.

He comes up behind the "messenger," not for a second buying the farm garb or smudged clothes. He brings his hand down heavy, aiming for the boy's shoulder. If the boy is really innocent, James expects to catch him.

If he slides away like a fish, then he's a thief.

Oh, he has a few such individuals in mind!

But he's no amateur. And he's not about to allow himself to be made by such an amateur attempt. He learned many things on the Revenge, and the first such lesson was to never do a thing halfway. James' arm lands right on Westley's shoulder, and there's a startled gasp to boot.

Of course Westley's hardly come unarmed, but his knife is well concealed. He makes no move for it.

"Have I run across an unfriendly area, perchance?"

James doesn't like what you're implying at all, sir.

Well, now he's got the man -- but it doesn't soothe him. In fact, he feels more strongly than ever that there is something off about this encounter. He stares down at the smudged face, looking beyond the dirt, and realizes he knows him. It's the man from the console. Westley, he called himself, though James assumes that is some alias.

Well, he certainly didn't seem lost or naive then. Quite assured of himself and his next steps, actually. Looking for weapons. James's own sword hangs at his side, and on instinct, he shifts his hips, keeping his body between Westley's and the blade. Thus far the man has offered him no violence, but if that changes, it is apt to change very quickly. James prefers not to give him the option.

"I think you'll find it unfriendly to thieves," he says bluntly. "Take yourself and your dockside tricks elsewhere."

All he has now are his suspicions, else he'd arrest the man here and now. (On whose authority, well... James hasn't thought that far ahead.)

[She's spent most of her time since her arrival hating this place and not caring what happened to anyone else, but Tea is out browsing some of the businesses today. The kedan seem to be in a better mood than when she first showed up, maybe the fact they aren't one second from going down with their reptile cruise ship is one of them.

She's about to enter into what she thinks is some kind of trinket shop when someone bumps into her from the side. She didn't even budge from it, but really?]

You don't look like you're missing an ear.

Westley takes half a moment to reconcile what he just heard before smiling and reaching for his ears in turn.

"Fortunately, it would seem I've made it here in full possession of both."

Kara squeaks quietly in surprise when he bumps into her. She was lost in thought, worrying about things she couldn't possibly do anything about. When she wasn't paying attention it was as easy to catch her by surprise as anyone else. She spun to make sure he was okay.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Are you alright?" It had never been a problem before, but she was far stronger than she looked. She didn't want to take the chance that he had bumped into her because he was injured or that she had made it worse.

Worry not, Westley is far from frail himself. Though he is a tad surprised at how solid she is.

"Quite alright, madam. It was my fault entirely, I'm sure." He lifts a folded bit of paper. "My focus was on where I intended to go and very much not on where I was going."

"Oh, good." She relaxes and briefly looks him over. He looks... poor?

"What are you looking for? Maybe I can help."

Bucky's out and about Fire sector, mostly heading home after hanging out with Steve and Peggy a bit. For a change, he's taking his time, looking around the stores and such, the pressure of having to do a thousand things at the same time relieved by the Turtle's recovery.

So he just eye-rolls when somebody bumps into him, looking over at the blond, dirt-smudged (hah, he's been there) man.

Not kedan.

"Can I help you, pal?"

I'm just an average man

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Hope this isn't too late...