Filtered rays of blue and white light streamed their way through the clouds only to cascade across the soft sands to illuminate their way. While the desert was harsh at most times, it seemed to have held a beauty all of its own during the night hours. It was a side of the desert he never took witness upon in all of his times out to Istan City. Scanning his eyes across his surroundings for a brief instance, they would soon befall upon the city off not too far from them. It was like a pillar of hope standing above the harsh deserts, granting a safe harbor to the poor travelers venturing throughout the desert. That was…The travelers who were dumb enough to travel during the high point of the sun; it was truly a foolish concept to take upon.

As the soft breeze of the night air swept up around him, a soft smile crossed his lips. It was truly a beautiful night, there was virtually no heat and there was nothing there to hinder them from getting to and into the city. That was when he had spoken too soon, because as they approached the city three guards remained poised in their positions at the gateway to the city. Stopping a short distance off from them, his eyes followed their movements as they lifted the sharp points of their spears up to his face. Lifting a curious brow at their behavior, a single hand would move out to the spear only to place the tip of his index against its sharp point. Frowning at the resulting feel of it, his hand would drop back to his side as his eyes narrowed slightly, “What’s with the sticks fellas, you could poke an eye out with those things. And I’m lookin to keep both of mine.”

The center guard lowered his spear briefly, only to speak up in a deep commanding tone, “We’ve had some issues within the city, at this time we are currently allowing no one entrance, especially to the likes of you Avarice. We have enough problems on our hands.”

Offering the guard a slight shrug, a soft laughter would resonate forth through his parted lips, “Big deal, you kicked me out, but now I need access for something important. I won’t cause any trouble and if I do….You can kick me out again.”

The guard scoffed at Avarice’s remark, before bringing the sharp tip of his spear just mere inches shy of the skin on Avarice’s nose, “If we don’t let you in, we won’t have to kick you out again. I think that’s an easier solution to any issue further down the road. So why don’t the two of you turn around and head back.”

Frowning at the guard’s brash actions, his voice would pick up in a darker tone, “Look…At least let the woman in. Can’t you at least do that if you won’t let me in?” Tearing his eyes from the guard and back to Iolanthe, he would give her one of those, ‘I’m trying everything I can’ looks, hoping that she would catch on.

The guard seemed to contemplate it a moment, before looking over her appearance, “I’m sorry, I can’t allow either of you into the city. For all we know you could be apart of the opposition, so please make this easy and turn around now.”

A low key growl emitted forth from the depths of his larynx signaling the first signs of his growing frustration. Who the hell did these people think they were, not letting him into the city and no less heeding his request to at least allow Iolanthe entrance. Well, two could play the game of who’s more stubborn, it was a game that no one often beat him at and was quite frankly one of his favorite ones. Plopping down to take a seat, his legs would shift themselves into a cross legged position, “Well, I’m not leaving and neither is she. Io lets take a seat for a while.” He highly doubted that she would listen to him so freely, no less with the current position they were in with a couple of spear wielding fools in front of them.

The guard eyed the two of them aggravated by their childish actions. Again the man brought his spear point out to Avarice’s nose, this time darkening his features and speaking more fiercely, “If you don’t leave, we’ll kill you! Don’t tempt us.”

A wry grin crossed Avarice’s lips as he peered up the length of the long shaft of the spear and to the man behind it, “Is that so…? I don’t believe that’s within your jurisdiction OUTSIDE of your city. What kind of punishments does your city have for killing an unarmed and innocent man? I never did one thing against you or your city; therefore, you have no grounds to take punishment within your own hands unless deemed by a superior. You stupid little pawns don’t understand that do you?”

The guard groaned and withdrew his spear slightly, knowing full well that what Avarice said was truth. Whether or not he liked to admit that fact was another story entirely, “Come on Avarice…Just leave.”

Resilient in his nature, he wasn’t about to cave in and walk back across this god forsaken desert at least not without acquiring entrance to this bloody city. Deciding to take this task of aggravation to a whole new level, a soft humming would pick up from his throat, before breaking out into a burst of singing, “99 bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beer, take one down, pass it around, 98 bottles of beer on the wall---“ Continuing on with his little jaunt of singing, he would soon be stopped by the guard at the number sixty-two.

“FINE FINE! Just stop that damned singing….We’ll let you in under one condition..” The guard then motioned his head back towards the gate, where the other two would immediately head to make sure that the no one was there to witness them allowing entry to Avarice and the woman.

Blinking a few times, he would rise back to his feet and dust off his back side, “And what’s the condition if you don’t mind me asking.”

The guard lifted the tip of his spear and moved it out to the chest of Avarice, where it would drift upwards barely gracing his flesh only to stop at the diamond incrusted locket around his neck, “You cause one lick of trouble, you get booted out of the city and we get that pretty little necklace of yours. Deal…?”

Reaching a hand up to the locket around his neck, his digits would carefully wrap around it before gripping it tightly, “F…F-Fine….” Swallowing roughly at the thought of losing his precious item, his eyes would drift over to Iolanthe briefly, “Lets go…” Moving around and past the guard, he would then slip in through the half parted gate of the city only to swiftly turn around and stare at Iolanthe, “We can’t get into any trouble. Even if you get into some sort of confrontation, they’ll throw me out too. Please…?” His eyes picked up a soft demeanor as they gazed into hers, almost pleading in their nature.

Trudging, for hours, Iolanthe’s eyes had dulled to a blank stare. She made little noise, and though it was no longer scorching hot, Iolanthe was not used to being on her feet this long. She could feel blisters forming on the balls of her feet, and as the breeze wafted through the desert, Iolanthe sighed. Damn desert. And there was Avarice over there, smiling, enjoying himself. Iolanthe rolled her eyes, and crossed her arms, ready to get rid of all the sand.

Finally, the city was within eyesight and Iolanthe’s eyes seemed to require a bit more life, but soon diminished again as a couple of guards blocked the two’s entrance. Iolanthe’s head rolled over to Avarice, quite perturbed. Not only were these guards with big sticks and a haughty attitude, but they also seemed to have a particular passion for hating Avarice, her traveling comrade. She felt as if she would sit down, and rest her dogs as Avarice agued with these men. Finally, she did so, not out of disrespect or mocking or anything, just simply because her feet were killing her. Though sand wasn’t really the first thing she desired to sit upon, it was the only thing available. She ran her calloused hands through her hair, and rubbed her forehead.

The guards and Avarice continued to argue, bantering back and forth like a game of racquetball. When Avarice looked back at her though, trying to assure her that it wasn’t idle conflict, Iolanthe nodded, trying to look as innocent as possible to the imbecile guards. Maybe they wouldn’t recognize a pirate. Just a simple lass in black, right?

“I’m sorry, I can’t allow either of you into the city. For all we know you could be apart of the opposition, so please make this easy and turn around now.”

Iolanthe raised an eyebrow, and rested her elbow on her knee, and finally her cheek on her fist. As she tried to make herself less obviously a pirate, she adopted her ways of the educated tone. “I’m sorry, ‘opposition’?” Iolanthe stood, and walked over to the guard, having the intention of sharing a friendly conversation with him. “What is this opposition? Are the people not happy and rebelling or something of that nature?” Why the bloody ‘ell were they quarantining the people of Istan? Especially when Ornell had some damned quest coming up! When the guards threatened their lives, Iolanthe raised an eyebrow. Oi, stupid scoundrels. She was rather certain that even if they did try and rob her life, she’d be able to take them easily. Avarice’s retort however was too funny. Iolanthe mustered up all the self-restraint she could, and crossed her arms with a small smirk on her face. Respond ta that, buddy, she thought.

Then, Avarice started singing the worst drunkard’s song ever contrived in a human’s head. 99 Bottles of Beer. Iolanthe didn’t even sing that damned song when she was drunk let alone when she was sober. Though she kept her silent smug grin on her face, watching the guards’ pain slowly give in to Avarice’s torments. Finally, they had access to the city. Iolanthe was packed and ready to go, but the guards had a proposition that made Avarice think twice. The She-Pirate raised an eyebrow as they pointed to a necklace that she had not noticed before. When they entered the city, and Avarice pleaded her to resist trouble. Iolanthe stared into Avarice’s pleading eyes and nodded. “Ye have me word, comrade.” She knew the liability of a pirate’s word, so she refrained from using that expression, because she could see the weight the pendant carried with it upon Avarice’s breast. She would not betray a companion so easily. However, if he ever decided to do something to her, she’d know how to receive her revenge.

The second she gave him her word, a slight smile crossed his lips and for just that brief instance, he felt as though he had a friend among his countless enemies. It would quickly wan though the second he would push off again, while his thoughts trailed over her questions for the guards that went unanswered. He knew the answer as to why they kept them from entering the city, but what importance it held to her was something he couldn’t quite place. Shrugging faintly, his voice would pick up through the silence of the streets, “Istan has a struggling conflict with the Sand Bandits. They have a foothold rumored to be somewhere out within that hellish desert wasteland. When they need supplies, they raid passing caravans and even make an attempt on ransacking the city for whatever they can get. It’s also rumored that Istan is at fault for such things, having cast out those said band of people from their city walls due to crimes committed against the city itself…” Never breaking his watchful eyes from his surroundings, he would wind his way around a corner, intent on keeping on the back streets for fear that someone may see him and cause a ruckus. That was the last thing he needed, especially now. Thinking for a brief moment, he would shoot a quick glance over his shoulder, “We’re going to chill out at the Inn if that’s fine with you. They have a bar there.” Judging by what he knew of her, that was all he needed to say to get her to come along with him. Hell, it was all he needed to know as well, especially after a trek like they had just endured.

A faint wind blew, bringing a chilly gust across his exposed chest, causing him to shiver slightly. It was quite the temperature change from earlier and during their trek his skin seemed to have gotten a little burned in the process. Its reddened appearance was the thing that had signaled it.

The soft crunching of the sandy streets was the only thing that came to his ears, at least until a couple of men called out his name. Glancing at them briefly, he would blatantly ignore them and continue on his way down the shadowed streets. Now was not the time to deal with them especially in the position he was. Again they called out his name, this time getting a raised finger in response. Doing his best to ignore them, a single hand would rise and curl his digits around the locket around his neck, just to remember what was at stake if he failed to do so. Though, try as he might, they would begin to follow behind them both only to turn their calls to the woman in his company.

“A mighty fine piece of meat you have there Avarice. Perhaps we should take her out for a taste test, after all it’s the least you could do for screwing us over the way you did.” A sneer crossed the first man’s lips, as he eyed the two of them, but taking more notice to Iolanthe than to Avarice. At least until the second man spoke up,

“Psh, she’s tainted meat, look how she walks. No womanly sway, nothing. I don’t want something that Avarice already sunk his claws into.”

While the two men jeered between themselves, Avarice begun to slow to a dead halt, and turn on the balls of his heels. Knowing full well that Iolanthe wouldn’t take too kindly to what the two men were saying and would be prepared to stop any entailment that would break off from the comments or even stop further comments from being made…

An unexpected smile was granted upon Avarice’s lips, and Iolanthe, despite her shell, couldn’t help but match it. There was an unspoken bond that Iolanthe had just agreed to for the time being that seemed to bring the two closer. It wasn’t more than a friendship, rather an obligation or something of that matter. They were anticipating a quest together, and there needed to be someone to trust within that realm… And Avarice seemed like one of the more beneficial ones to do so. All the other blokes she’d talked to seemed a little self-righteous. They could never be trusted. Of course, there was more to their friendship than simple ‘benefits,’ but Iolanthe would never admit to such a thing.

Avarice explained to her why the guards had been so pushy, and, Iolanthe supposed that made sense. Living in the desert definitely had its cons. But hey, in her opinion, if you were stupid enough to live in a desert, you deserved whatever hell you got. But then, as she continued to chew on the subject, that same perception went with wherever you chose to live. Each place as its own ups and downs, though Iolanthe couldn’t really see a pro to living in a giant pit of sand.

“We’re going to chill out at the Inn if that’s fine with you. They have a bar there.”

Iolanthe grinned, nodding. “Couldn’ta made a better suggestion, mate.” She looked around for the tavern, wondering where exactly it was so she didn’t have to look so lost. For whatever reason, if you didn’t look like such an outsider, people tended to leave you alone. Which, for Iolanthe, seemed to be the better of situations. “A pint and a stool is gonna be the Gods’ gracin’ themselves!” Okay, maybe that wasn’t the most coherent expression in the world, but it worked for a dehydrated pirate.

All was going well, until someone started to call out Avarice’s name. Iolanthe did not turn her head, but looked to him through her peripheral vision, seeing he was ignoring them. “Oi, they obnoxious mates o’ yers from grade school or sumfin’?” Iolanthe ignored them as well, though could feel the tension building between the approaching lads. This wasn’t going to be a very cut and dry situation at all. Iolanthe had no problem in simply continuing their trek towards the bar, keeping the idea of a pint and a stool in her grasp of thinking. Normally she would have just turned around, stuck a dagger in each of their guts, and continued on her way without a word… But she’d given Avarice her word to refrain from such actions. Until…

“A mighty fine piece of meat you have there Avarice. Perhaps we should take her out for a taste test, after all it’s the least you could do for screwing us over the way you did.”

Clenching her fists, Iolanthe took in a deep breath, wondering why the hell all the scum of the world was drawn towards her when she was with Avarice. She looked to Avarice, obvious fire noted in her eyes, the refrain in her fists. She wasn’t going to do anything… She kept telling herself that, kept repeating it in her mind. Avarice trusts her; Avarice is investing his confidence within her… She can’t trash it, not now. It wasn’t until the second man piped up that Iolanthe was receiving the opportunity to go back on her word. Avarice stopped, making Iolanthe stop as well. But then, the two weren’t obviously easily discouraged.

“Psh, she’s tainted meat, look how she walks. No womanly sway, nothing. I don’t want something that Avarice already sunk his claws into.”

Gritting her teeth together, Iolanthe’s eyes flashed green in anger. She lifted her chin slightly, to refrain from boring a hole into their skulls with her glare. The scimitar at her side, and the dagger concealed within her boot tempted her, calling her to take vengeance upon the boarish males. They knew nothing of which they spouted. It was not by the likes of Avarice that ‘tainted’ her… Though, by the looks of the situation, they were long grudge buddies, so just to irk their ego, Iolanthe turned to Avarice, wrapping her arm around him, biting at his ear. A sly eye rolled towards the two men, her voice soft, making them listen; again, refraining from her pirate roots. “Babe, I’d like to see you try and sink your claws into me.” She kissed Avarice’s neck, hoping that Avarice would get the hint at her acting abilities. “Once you’ve been broken by Avarice…” She laughed coyly. “Nothing else compares.”

There would be no avoiding the inevitable confrontation that would soon take place and his mind was almost certain that Iolanthe would make the first move in it. She was a fire cracker, someone who didn’t take crap from anyone or anything, which made it almost a given to assume things were about to get sticky. Though, the next action that she took was something that stunned him and almost left him dumb founded if he hadn’t caught onto it so quickly. Frozen in his place for a second’s time, goose bumps began to rise on the back of his neck when he felt her heated breath against his ear and the arm around him. But all stiffness in his stance seemed to leave him once she began to lightly bite at his ear, leaving his eyes to stray over to the two men in curiosity to their reaction.

And then she spoke, which almost made his mouth drop agape at what came to his ears. Was she for real…? But then it had hit him like a sack of potatoes, it had been nothing but an act to get them to buy it. Though, did she really have to take it THIS far…? After all, it sort of made him uncomfortable in more ways than one, especially when her soft delicate lips grazed across the flesh of his neck. A few thoughts began to lightly trail through his head and a wry grin crossed his lips. If she wanted to act with him, then by damned she’d get acting. Moving his hands up from his sides, they would place themselves upon her arms only to slowly trail their way up to her shoulders where they would pause. Shooting the two men a glance, he would offer a grin and a wink, “Not my problem women like me better, maybe you should go cry somewhere, where someone cares.” Not skipping a beat, he would lightly push her back from him, before leaning in towards her and bringing his lips to hers, allowing them to graze across each other, before rearing back. It wasn’t exactly a kiss, but at least it would make them fall under the assumption that it was.

After all, he doubted that she was really up for the drastic “acting” that he had in mind, which was the real deal. No less, his body wasn’t really up for the repercussions that may have taken place from it. So there was no real point in trying to take chances when they weren’t needed. For a long while his lavender hues remained focused to hers, before reluctantly parting off to the two men who didn’t seem all too happy about the sudden display that had taken place. “Awww, it looks like we’ve upset them, sweet heart. Perhaps we should offer them a tissue for their tears.” The second the words left his mouth was the second that one of the men began to rush forward towards him only to be restrained by his friend.

“Whoa whoa, he’s not worth it. Screw this guy, let’s just go alright?” In reluctance the man would relinquish all attempts of escaping the binding grasp that held him only to be released a moment later. From there the two men would begin to turn and wonder off, before one would call out, “Just remember Avarice, don’t walk alone…”

What kind of threat was that…? Don’t walk alone, what the hell did they take him for? A sudden laughter broke free from his lips at the sheer thought of them warning him not to walk alone. It was absurd…Totally unethical to even be placed in the same category as a threat, but he soon subdued the laughter only to turn his attention back to Iolanthe. Whom he still had his hands firmly placed upon her shoulders, holding her from moving much more than arms length. In a nervous laugh, both of his arms would drop from her shoulders and back to his sides, “Errr, sorry about that. I hate roping you into my ordeals, but it seems I’m quite popular around these lands. Just keep on your toes when we arrive at the bar, because I guarantee I’m bound to not receive such a heart felt reaction…” A slight smile would cross his lips, before speaking in a slightly more upbeat tone, “Oh and thank you for what you did. There aren’t a lot of people that would have done what you did for me. Especially when it came down to what they said about you; just know that if it had been any other situation, I would have crushed them for you.” With a nod and flash of his pearly whites, he would motion his head off to the side, “But lets get going shall we?”

Iolanthe could feel his muscles tense as she grabbed onto him unexpectantly, and if she wasn’t involved in a performance, she would’ve bursted into laughter, punched the ‘ol boy in the shoulder and walked on her way. However, the circumstances were a bit different. He soon caught on, making Iolanthe want to kiss him in thanks. True, she had made a gamble on whether or not he would catch on… But she had figured from his previous displays of conning others, this should be no different. She was no different than he in the game of survival. Besides, she had her word to uphold.

His hands crawled up her arms, and though his grasp of her sent flashes of a shady past screeching through her mind, she grinned and bit her lip seductively. “Remember your word, ‘ol gal… You’re gonna need him when the trails get rough later.” She just kept telling herself that. He knew she was just acting. Didn’t he? The grin confirmed it. As Avarice mocked them, Iolanthe laughed coyly as they seemed to be lost as how to respond. She brought her hand across his chest, and tapped him lightly on the nose. “You tell ‘em, sugah.” And before she was able to finish her sentence, Avarice had pushed himself against her in a mock kiss. Her eyes widened as she realized what was happening, but couldn’t help but grin as they unlocked their lips, silently applauding Avarice. Good show, mate, good show! Despite her current ethics towards such a display of affection, desperate times caused for such matters, so for now, she applauded him for a good display of acting.

Iolanthe’s green eyes flashed… not out of irritation, but out of the sheer jubilee of their terrific talents. They should be on the stage! They could convince anyone that they were two little wee love birds flutterin’ through life without a wee care in the world. Bah. Nonsense is what that was, but people ate it up like their grandmother’s chocolate puddin’ at Christmas. Iolanthe’s eyes followed Avarice’s to the two men who looked as if they’d just witnessed Hell take place. A crooked grin split across her face as Avarice chimed his usual insult. "Well, I think they’re just struck with jealousy, is all, love. Don’t mind ‘em." Iolanthe lifted her chin, placing a quick peck on Avarice’s cheek as she turned her coy glance towards the two men stumbling over themselves to get away. Aw, she’d scared ‘em away. Pity that.

Oh, that was so much fun. As they left, Iolanthe bursted out into laughter, however not too loud that they could hear. She nudged Avarice in the ribs, slapping her knees. She could be an actress! Only problem with them… Is that ye can’t ever trust them tellin’ a lie or tellin’ the truth. Though as she thought about it, pirates weren’t much better. A sly grin muscled its way across her face as she thought about a traveling theatre on a boat. People would come from all around to see the grand and amazing play afloat. She looked to Avarice, who looked a little uncomfortable. She brushed herself off, standing up straight, listening to what the lad had to say.

“Errr, sorry about that. I hate roping you into my ordeals, but it seems I’m quite popular around these lands. Just keep on your toes when we arrive at the bar, because I guarantee I’m bound to not receive such a heart felt reaction…”

A smile now on her face, Iolanthe shrugged, “Ye know lad, tis was actually more fun than I’d planned. The look on yer face when I grabbed ye!” She punched him lightly on the shoulder. “Though I didn’t think that smooch was in ye! Good show, mate!” She wrapped her arm around him in a casual embrace, nothing to make him uncomfortable, to her standards. It had been a jolly good time, pretending to be lovers. Iolanthe almost was taken to fancy pretending to be something she wasn’t. Perhaps that was where she found such a joy in sounding educated, despite the fact that the only education she’d ever received was the Roman stories told to her from her father…

“Oh and thank you for what you did. There aren’t a lot of people that would have done what you did for me. Especially when it came down to what they said about you; just know that if it had been any other situation, I would have crushed them for you.”

Iolanthe’s smile faded, her arms falling to her sides, and her face became completely stoic. Her green eyes became distant and she merely shrugged. The thought of Avarice crushing someone in her defense was a little amusing… Especially since it was just her who had defended herself for… Let’s see… her whole life? She raised an eyebrow, and bit her lip. She opened her mouth, her jaw cocked slightly, as if she was thinking of what to say. “I gave ye my word, mate.”

“But lets get going shall we?”

Iolanthe fell out of her trance, her eyes filling with life again as she followed Avarice. “Aye.”

The second her voice picked up and she had punched him in the shoulder; a twisted look took upon his face of that of nervousness and perplexment. There was no certain way to take what had just happened or what she had to say, so instead he tried his best to brush it off. Bringing a hand up behind his head, it would lightly rub at the back of his head as a nervous laugh escaped his lips, “It’s nothing, I guess…Lets just get going.” And then it happened her arm coiled itself around him in a slight embrace. Not only was she beginning to make this difficult for him, but she didn’t seem to want it to end for him. But that’s when her arm fell back to her side and a look of blankness took upon her features. Tempted to ask her about it, his tongue would be quickly bitten by the better of his thoughts. If she wanted to talk about it then it would be brought up all on its own without his prying.

When she agreed to leave, his head would nod slightly to her before leading the way once again down the back streets of the city. Silence seemed to instill itself between the two of them, choking out any noise of the night around them. It was odd that neither of them had anything to say, especially with the last couple of days they spent together, but perhaps it was for the better that the both of them had some time to think about the events that had occurred. At least he felt that he needed some time to think things over. Again they rounded another corner and the tavern fell into his line of sight, but a soft hissing whisper of a voice caught his attention. Faltering in his steps, he would turn in its direction to find a scruffy looking man and a display of dresses along side of him. Right off the bat he knew he should have kept going, but his mouth would begin to move before his brain could even offer the suggestion, “And you are…?”

The man grinned and stepped forward into the dimly light street way and swung a hand out to present his dresses, “The name is Moosha, dress maker extraordinaire. I’d like to direst this to the young lady now; I have plenty of fine dresses here, anything from cotton to silk and everything in between. Now if you would step this way.” The man would offer a hand out to Io in hopes that she would take it.

A low key growl emitted forth from Avarice’s throat at the sheer representation of dress makers hand to Io. The hell was this; everyone flock to Avarice and give him a hell of a time day!? It was ridiculous, it was like he had a sign on him that said, ‘Hey I love a hard time, please give me one. Oh and PS, I’m a sucker too.’ Sucking in a deep breath and exhaling coolly, he would try his damned to keep his cool, but it was growing increasingly hard with each loony they ran into. Deciding to take matters into his own hands this time around, his hand would rise with a single digit extended which would then move down to the top of the man’s hand. In a soft, slow, and steady manner Avarice would push the man’s hand down and away from Io, “Don’t touch the woman…And she’s not interested. Now let’s go Io, please…” With the same hand, it would take up hers within it in a soft but yet firm grip.

Though before he could do anything the man’s voice would chime up in protest, “Wait wait, why don’t you let the woman decide for herself?”

Avarice’s face set itself into a deep set scowl at the very sound of the man’s voice. Man was this getting annoying and if he wasn’t in Io’s company and if nothing was on the line, he would have set each and everyone of these clowns straight long ago. Taking in another deep breath of air, he would speak in a soft dark tone, “Because I’ve decided for her!” While his voice was soft, it would pick up to add extra emphasis to ‘I’ve’ hoping that the man would catch the hint and leave them alone. Though, there was no interest in waiting for the man to speak again, so instead he simply continued on towards the tavern, pulling Iolanthe along if the need be. Once they reached the tavern, his hand would part from hers and his attention would shift to her, “Maybe you should go sit by yourself, I might have some psycho selling human body parts come up to me while we’re in there.” Avarice rolled his eyes at the thought, knowing full well that it couldn’t be too far off from the truth especially after the way the past two days have gone.

Iolanthe wandered through the streets, at a bit of a distance between herself and Avarice, but it wasn’t considerable. It was simply her taking in the new city and surroundings. They were the back alleys, the first thing that Iolanthe tended to find herself in. No, she was not one to merely meander through the open streets of a city. That usually led to suspicious authority interrogation, and Iolanthe tended to avoid those things at all costs. She feared them, to be frank. Well, she feared for their safety, rather than her own. She knew she’d be able to kick their ass and feed it to ‘em before they even realized their ass was missing.

An old man made himself apparent to Avarice, stopping them, and Iolanthe rolled her eyes. Could they not walk through this damned street without getting stopped by someone? She stared at the strange man intensely, and then at Avarice. What was he thinking, stopping? All they could have done was continue moving, and who knows, maybe they could have prevented this little delay in their plans. Yet again, her plans for enjoying a nice cold pint would be put aside for the moment. The luscious, brown, relaxing liquid would have to remain in the nozzle for a bit longer, or worse yet go into another glass that would not be meeting Iolanthe’s lips. She chewed her lip a bit, in irritation, her composure not quite friendly.

Moosha, as he had introduced himself, tried desperately to show off his dresses, trying to sway Iolanthe and Avarice’s mind. However, both were eager to do a bit of damage towards anyone who dared to get in their path. And if it weren’t for that damned necklace of his, Iolanthe would have satisfied her sword’s calling a long time ago at those damned guards that wouldn’t let them in the city. She looked at the man as Avarice deterred his hand from hers, then Avarice grabbed her hand, pulling her away. But as the salesman persisted, Iolanthe’s eyes flashed with irritation. “Oi, lad, does it look like a lass such as meself wears the likes of tha?” Temped to shove the lad, Iolanthe turned towards the direction Avarice was facing, and squeezed his hand, letting him know she was just about to lose her mind as he.

“Maybe you should go sit by yourself, I might have some psycho selling human body parts come up to me while we’re in there.”

Iolanthe watched him for a moment. Hadn’t he realized she was willing to put up with whatever she had to? She furrowed her brows, hearing the pleading in his voice. Though, it was apparent all she wanted was to have a cold drink. Hell, that’s all she wanted all damned night. She nodded her head, and shrugged. “If ye think it ta be best, mate.” She nudged him in the ribs, letting him know that if things got sticky and if he needed an ‘anonymous mate to assist him in whatever cons he had going for him,’ she was that man. Figuratively speaking. She ventured into the tavern and sat at the bar, ordering a large pint. As the bartender presented it to her, she gulped it down in a matter of minutes, ordering another one just as quickly.

The second she had nudged him in the ribs, a disdained look crossed his face, but he did his best to wash it away once she stepped within the tavern doors. Following shortly after, he emerged through the threshold only to be immediately greeted by the thick and heavy scent of alcohol. It was an intoxicating scent, but his mind would quickly be distracted when a woman began to lightly caress his face and drape her arms around his neck like he was some sort of previous lover. The truth of that was only just that, truth…But even still it wasn’t often that he held connections with previous flings like this. Apparently she had gotten some sort of mixed interpretation that they had indeed been much more than just lovers. A faint frown traced his lips the second she placed a kiss to his laps and began laughing.

“Oh Avarice, you’re such a stiff, lighten up I’m just playing with you.”

The frown upon his face turned from that to a slight snarl, “You’re just lucky I’m not in the mood to speak my mind.” Soon as those words left his lips, both of his hands moved to the back of his neck where hers were, and one by one, plucked them from their placement there and tossed them back in front of him. The action seemed to bring another bout of laughter from the woman, as she lightly patted him on the cheek. Which brought about the urge to lean his head back and away from the offending hand.

“You’re such an interesting man. One minute you can be the funniest man in the world, the most caring, and then the grumpiest and most sour person you could ever meet. But enough of that though, I should really get going, I’ll see you later Love.”

And with that, the woman disappeared beyond the open door to be swallowed up by the dark of night. It was at that moment when he came to the conclusion that he must have had some sort of sign on him to tell everyone to mess with him tonight. No other night was half as bad as this. Sure he had pissed off a couple people here and there, but it would only be a few annoyances like that per night, not everything all at once. Such as it had been with Iolanthe, or even just now by himself. The thought of her, brought his eyes towards the bar where she had perched herself upon one of the seats, drinking away happily at her only love. Not bothering to even throw in a slight attempt to sit next to her, his feet would carry him off to one of the distant tables, where he would plop down exhaustedly into its hard wooden embrace. The day had been literally exhausting and it felt good to finally take a break for a short time. Even if he knew that it would not last as long as he would have wished it to.

Releasing an exasperated sigh, a small shapely woman made her way to his table to take his order, only to then disappear and return moments later with three mugs of ale. Glancing from one and then to the others, he would take up the first one to bring it to his lips, where he would swiftly drain its contents. Placing the mug back down, he would do the same with mug two, but once he got to the third one, his pace slowed rapidly. This was the one to milk out its contents and enjoy it as long as he could, before being forced to re-order. Besides, it was nice to have silence and to be alone for a change. While he enjoyed Iolanthe’s company, it was beginning to wear on him mainly from the fact of everything they were forced to endure together. Lifting a hand towards the brim of his hat, he would give it a light tug to bring it down to shadow his eyes and face better from all those who were looking at him.

Iolanthe snorted as Avarice was pummeled with a woman as soon as he entered the tavern. Must feel like the lucky guy on the block to be receiving so much attention, huh? The woman was all over him and Iolanthe couldn’t help but chuckle at her. She was so pathetic… So lowly… that all of her entertainment came in the form of a man. Didn’t she know that feminism was so enriching for the female soul? Iolanthe sighed, disappointed that there weren’t more women out there as strong as she. Did it take her particular life events to turn a woman into the coarse soul she was today? She figured it to be so. Of course, Iolanthe had her own little problems and occurrences that the average woman probably wouldn’t’ have grown from, but felt even more submissive to.

The She-Pirate had often wondered what kind of person she would have turned out to be if her rotten sperminator hadn’t sold her out to the bloody pirate that had broken her wee girlish soul. She could still remember each and every dirtied pirate face that had completely robbed her of everything she knew before that long journey across the seas. Though it was strange… How she felt such a connection to the sea… When it was the very thing that had isolated her from an escape… But had granted it to her as well. There was a certain two-sided coin to everything she felt towards it. It was beautiful, enchanting, but wicked, unforgiving and violent. Was there a level of irony to the fact that she’d become a pirate herself? Perhaps.

Growing a bit bored, after ordering a pint, she brought the glass up to her lips, and started up a conversation with a burly man sitting next to her. She asked him about his travels, and what brought him to Istan, and if he heard anything new lately. He responded with the ‘ol standard crap. Iolanthe, to say the least, was sorely disappointed. Iolanthe cut off the conversation, growing tired of listening to the man babble about how hard it was to support his ten kids. Keep your head in check then, she wanted to say. Instead, she filled her mouth full of ale, and wandered over to Avarice.

She plopped down, taking another swig of her ale. “I don’t care if Hell falls upon me. I’m tired of listenin’ to that ‘ol bloke.”

The second she sat down at his table, a quick regarding glance fell upon her briefly until it dropped to the mug resting in front of him. Taking the mug up in hand, he would lift it to his lips to take another draught from it. Once he placed it back upon the table, two digits of his left hand would lift together and push the brim of his hat up enough so he could clearly see her without much effort on his part. Now content with everything, a satisfied look quickly etched across his countenance, as he folded his arms over his chest. Peering at Iolanthe for a few long moments, a soft laughter pick up from him, “Sounds like you had a blast over there…”

There was a question that had probed his mind for quite some time, but he had never really gotten around to asking it. Probably partly due to the countless interruptions or perhaps the fact that there really was no specific need to know at the point in which he wanted to ask. Regardless of the reason, the opportunity was now present to do so…Clearing his throat, he would shift in his chair slightly, before speaking in a rather slow and drawn out tone, “Iolanthe…You have no ship of your own do you…? I probably already know the answer to that…So, I’ll ask this.”

Shifting again, this time forward in nature, while both of his arms lifted and came to a rest upon the table top in order to support his now forward leaned frame, “What do you plan to do with this treasure we may end up finding…? If I had to guess, I’d say a ship. But once you do…Then what? Are you just going to leave like nothing else mattered or what…?” The questions really didn’t make sense or really hint towards anything in particular. They were just questions, something to drive along conversation and the likes.

“Sounds like you had a blast over there…”

Iolanthe crossed her arms across her chest with a huff. “I’ll be damned if I hear one more story about how the bastard couldn’t stop pokin’ his wife, poppin' out kids like the world had a population problem!” The She-Pirate rolled her eyes and shook her head. Too many damned children. More little feet to populate the earth, and more likely, to populate the growing amount of idiots. Though, Iolanthe couldn’t complain, because idiots were easier to manipulate than others – especially when pick pocketing. Ah, the optimist side of Iolanthe could be shown every once in awhile… and on the subjects of idiots, this was her brighter lining.

The She-Pirate licked her lips, shaking her head; still quite disgusted by the bloke she’d been conversing with. Really, when does one realize how children come about? And maybe, after ten, you’d realize ye had too many! Iolanthe shivered at the thought of bearing children… Hah, tha’d be the day… When Iolanthe became a mother! It’d never happen – especially after her earlier years. Every girlish thought of becoming a maternal figure had been slapped out of her before she’d hit puberty. And once she had… It was repressed like the dickens.

“What do you plan to do with this treasure we may end up finding…? If I had to guess, I’d say a ship. But once you do…Then what? Are you just going to leave like nothing else mattered or what…?”

Avarice soon pulled Iolanthe out of her fuming recollection of not only the bloke, but her history on the sea with those damnable pirates as well. She blinked several times, letting his words soak into her brain before even thinking of a retort. She rubbed her chin, and tossed her head, letting her choppy hair catch the stale air in the room, as it made a soft, faint whistling noise. She wasn’t much of a planner, or a seer into the future. It was more of a goal –achievement basis. She only looked as far as “I need a boat,” and it hadn’t gone much further from there. Iolanthe grinned as Avarice started assuming what things she’d do with her treasure.

Though, he wasn’t too far off.

She merely shrugged, “ye know, I ain’t thoughtta that much, really.” She looked up at the ceiling, as if an answer would be hidden within the beams of the tavern. “Jus’ getting’ a vessel of me own is me main objective, mate, and sailin’ away…” She stomped her foot on the cracked boards of the floor. “I could do without dirt, ye see.” She grinned and shrugged, “why? Ye got ‘nother adventure for meh?” She laughed and shook her head. Despite her love for the sea… She couldn’t turn down her love for adventure and excitement as well. And… if by some chance she could have both at the same time… well, life couldn’t be much better. “Ye thinkin’ bout becomin’ a pirate, Av?” Iolanthe shoved his shoulder lightly, playfully, unaware of how he might react.

“Ye thinkin’ bout becomin’ a pirate, Av?”

The words passed over and over in the trappings of his mind. In fact, they were the only words he really took any notice or interest to. A pirate….Him? The thought was absurd, there was no way he’d get onto a boat and travel any amount of the seas. For one, boats weren’t his thing, fighting on boats weren’t his style, and lastly being in a large group of men disinterested him greatly. Not one single woman would be present upon that ship and that thought disturbed him to the very core fabric of his being. Perhaps…..Perhaps, if there were a woman on there it might sway his perception, but more the less not.

On top of that, there was no boat within his possession and at the current point in time there wasn’t enough money in his pocket to even consider buying one. No one else he knew owned a boat and atop of that, he refused to serve as someone’s lacky. The lone wolf act was more of his gig, nothing else. And where the hell would even find a crew, no less a loyal one? With the idea thoroughly shot down, both of his hands adjusted on the table in front of him, interlacing each digit of his hands in calm reprieve, “If you think I’d be interested in becoming a pirate, you’re one looney woman. No crew, no ship, no women, no money, and no one to con. You’re kidding me if you think I’d even be halfway interested. Besides, I pay second banana to no one; I’m my own man and no one else’s. That’s the way it’s been and that’s the way it will remain.”

Happy with his rebuttal to her question, a sly grin crossed his lips, as he rocked back in his chair its wooden structure creaking as he done so. This woman was truly off her rocker if she believed Avarice would become a pirate. But then a thought crossed his mind, one that seemed to leave his lips without much more than an utterance of consideration, “Why, would you want me to…?”

“If you think I’d be interested in becoming a pirate, you’re one looney woman. No crew, no ship, no women, no money, and no one to con. You’re kidding me if you think I’d even be halfway interested. Besides, I pay second banana to no one; I’m my own man and no one else’s. That’s the way it’s been and that’s the way it will remain.”

Iolanthe leaned forward, looking into Avarice’s eyes. Then what the hell was she? A eunuch? Iolanthe picked up her ale glass and drank a big gulp, rolling her eyes. Sometimes she wondered what it was like to be appreciated. To be even noticed as a woman. But then, woman were viewed as powerless, and in Avarice’s eyes a little toy to be smacked around and later come back wishing for more: the idea of being noticed as a woman was quickly dashed out of her head. His long list of dashing against being a pirate made her let out a long sigh. Being a pirate wasn’t all that bad, and though you had a captain you worked under… well, there were some honor among thieves, supposedly. “Well don’t get yerr bananas all wrapped up in a bunch, kiddo. Really now, mate, I can give ya four good solutions ta yer little problems.” She set down her mug, crossing her arms smugly.

Pfft, your own man? So is every pirate. However, there is a mutual level of unity, rather than trust, of one common goal: gold. Each pirate gives another enough respect to get the ship functioning, to get the unit moving, to acquire fame, fortune, and the life of crime. It was a beautiful mechanism, the way the crew of a ship worked, and Iolanthe loved her chosen life.

“Why, would you want me to…?”

The She-Pirate raised an eyebrow. That was a rather offbeat question. She looked up at the ceiling, thinking about his question, rubbing her chin. Av, a pirate? He sure had his moments where Iolanthe had no doubt in her mind that such a man as Avarice could pull it off. Though at the same time, he didn’t work well with others, and that was always a potential problem for the crew unit existence. She looked back at him, her eyes scaling him from head to foot, trying to picture him on a ship, raiding others, going into towns, searching islands… Wasn’t too sure if it stuck well with her but she shrugged, “ye know mate, if I’m ta get together a crew, if I were to be a captain, I’d need a crew, ya?” Though she bit her lip, “ain’t ever been a captain before. Might jus’ settle wif an already functioning crew…” She shrugged, and picked up her glass, taking another drink.

Four good solutions to his problems? The thought brought about a lift to one of his brows; as if she could really offer him any solution to either of his problems, when she herself couldn’t figure out a single day ahead of the present. The moment she began blathering on, a slight irritated growl escaped his throat. She was doing that on purpose, ignoring his question without even humoring him with even the slightest response. Oh well, perhaps it was for the better and if it was the way she felt then there would be no changing it.

Releasing a faint grunt, he would force himself up and off of the chair, before stretching his arms out above his head, “Well…” There was a slight pause, while he once again lowered his arms back to his sides, “It’s probably best I turn in for the night, seems this conversation is going nowhere…” Taking a few progressive steps, he would smoothly work his way along the table, until coming to a dead stop beside Iolanthe. With a single hand, it would place itself lightly upon her shoulder, “A captain is only as good as its crew. Without a good and loyal crew, I don’t for-see you going too far.” There was a subtle hint in what he said, but there was no point in hoping for her to catch it. She was rather slow when it came to these sort of things, at least that’s the way it seemed from the time he spent with her.

Issuing a slight shrug, his head would tilt forward and a hand would lift up towards the hat atop his head. Taking it within his hand and from atop of his head, he would place it down upon the top of Iolanthe’s head, “A captain will need a hat, it’ll do you more good than I…” With nothing further to add or say to this already dying conversation, both of his hands would plunge themselves within the hands of his pockets, as he moved off towards the tavern door, “I’ll see you when the quest starts, Io…Take some time and stew on this night.” Moving a hand down to the handle of the door, he would give it a quick turn, pulled it open only to pause for a brief moment. If she would offer something else, it would be quite possible to reconsider leaving, but if what she said held no importance, then the Mistress of the night would have him.