Floating Along (Anya's Intro)

It was difficult to tell when the day ended and the night began on the aptly named Shadow Island. Gladiia herself was docked with her airship floating above the water. Though to call it a airship suggested it was grander then it actually was, the vessel she called her own was from the salvage and no bigger then a sailboat. It didn't mean she could claim the vast riches other crews on the port did regularly but she preferred the solitary vessel. It's small size allowed her to travel unnoticed easier then most, which was needed.

Ever since her joining she had been wary of the mainland of Fiore, fact was she did not relish another encounter with their legal guilds. Not right now at least. Not to mention she had to figure out how to climb the ranks, she needed more wealth if she was to realize her goals. Not to mention the questions that the depths below her-

Gladiia caught herself as she stopped following the rabbit hole in her head, it was time for a drink. With flask secured in her coat pocket she made her way off the dock and into the mainland. It was a lively night; crews celebrating bounties and successes, finding lovers and enemies alike. While it was rowdy, the huntress preferred this crowd to most, it was a reminder of an older life.

After walking around she found a haunt for the night; The Teetering Toad. Sad their was no Toad balancing itself on a bar stool. She entered without much noise as she soon became enveloped by the bar's commotion. She wasn't surprised a few glances were thrown her way; her usual wear of white and black leather with the frayed cape trailing behind, she looked more gothic then what you would had guess in this crowd. Still they turned back to other matters, she had already proven that unless she wanted it, conversations with her were curt and kept short.

Finding a seat at the bar, she gestured for a glass which the barkeep silently obliged. With glass exchanged for coin, she looked at today's choice of rum. Taking a sip of it, she set it back down and pulled out her flask. The liquid inside poured out into her drink, the only hints of it's contents was the small pieces of leaves that poured out with it. Stirring it a bit and trying it again, Gladiia smiled as it now was satisfactory. Letting her mind wander, her attention was drawn to a giggle.

The huntress spotted the lady fixing her hair as she asked the barkeep for another glass. Once it was put in loops, the huntress placed her as Anya. Truth was she dealt with her a week back; she needed new hinges and locks for her skiff and found the mage to be quite adept in making such things, though at the time she kept their interaction short. Nothing wrong with the pink haired mage, it was just hard for Gladiia to do banalités(1), she needed a time and place to detach herself from her work.

Such as here. She listened to Anya's rant about how she felt she could had been doing so much more then a floating shipwright fixing the occasional leak. Gladiia couldn't have helped been reminded of her own time when she was green in her organization; as while she did it without complaint, tending to stables and maintaining others equipment was quite boring when compared to the hunt. Course their was reason, that same reason the one before her wasn't grasping in her stupor.

"You could also have your own ship to travel the waters if being a floating shipwright has become too boring for you. Though let me know; I think I will have to replace the railing on my skiff by next month and I quite enjoy the prior work you've done."

Gladiia would had slid closer to where Anya was sitting, removing her hat as she set her ruby eyes on the mage. "Actually, I fear if they did have you making artillery it'd get dull quite quick, only so many ways you can make a cannonball before it becomes repetitive no?"

WC: 699

OOC: (1) Small talk

Gladiia held back a laugh from the pale ladies remark, the honesty though salted was not unwelcomed. Anya seemed well aware of her finances in the least, something that most here at the bar lacked to some degree. Then again, she was also more then a few glasses into her own night.

However Gladiia did take notice of her next rant, of how the work she has been doing was not as solid as she was advertising. Gladiia watched from the corner of her eyes to the rest of the room. Most were caught up in their own conversations to spare the attention here. Even the bartender had their back turned working on another matter. Or were they merely pretending?

She took advantage of the woman's change of subject as she demonstrated her own knowledge of artillery. "You know I would be quite disappointed if a mage didn't know a thousand ways how to break another." She said with a laugh.

Perhaps the huntress's mention of break highlighted what was mentioned, as her guildmate's expression appeared to darken. Gladiia knew she should be irritated at the new information revealed to her, she was expecting the parts she had to last at least a year, knowing they would be defunct in a month's time was a sour bit of news.

Yet their was a honesty in how Anya spoke and doubted the woman had malicious intent towards her cliental. Call it a hunter's intuition. Gladiia would lean in, her voice a murmur as well. "Fait pour durer jusqu'à son utilisation.(1). This would be quite hard to forget, especially since it seems like you were looking for a quick jewel. But I will not hold it against you do not worry, though to let you off so easy feels wrong..."

Gladiia would had turned her head to look towards the wall on her left, there she spotted a dart board that sat unused for the moment. Though it seemed in the state of the night, most if not all the darts had vanished from sight. "How's this then? A game of darts to decide what happens next. If you win the game, then you can walk away from here without worry. If I win though, then you owe me a...sizeable favor. Deal?" Gladiia would had looked the woman in the eyes as she finished speaking. If she had accepted her proposition, she would had allowed Anya to go first. Though Gladiia realized if her guildmate was too far gone for such a game. Ah well, what happens next should be interesting regardless.

WC: 431/1,130

OOC: (1)Made to last until it is used.

She bought another glass and mixed it with the mix from her flask as she watched anya at work. Gladiia did admit the whole thing was on purpose, their were many ways to know who a person was in how they reacted. And so Anya obliged the huntress's request, though warped.

She watched as Anya began her cast, a glow emanated followed by the emergence by what Gladiia could rightfully describe as liquid silver. In a gesture and speed that would had surprised the huntress, six hand axes had appeared on the bar in front of them. She would had realized Anya had put a twist on the little game she had proposed; throwing axes instead of darts.

Gladiia couldn't have helped that she had set herself up for this, and destroying the bar she was frequenting did seem like bad manners. However upon seeing Anya's smile it was clear to the huntress that she could not back down from this change. What kind of hunter turns away from a challenge, a unexpected turn on the trail?

Gladiia after going through most of her second drink stood up, if the drinks had taken effect on her it was not showing yet. She would had picked up one of the axes and examined it. Simple in design, but had a polish to it that would had made sense for it to be decorative. Though as she moved with it in her grasp she would be pleasantly surprised by it's well balanced weight, even taking a few practice swings that she had done many times before.

"And the crews only have you as a shipwright? Scoff Indeed what a waste of your magic." She would had commented. If her swings prior hadn't given it away, Gladiia was well versed with many melee weapons including axes. Such knowledge was needed to make use of a arsenal as varied as hers. Of course, swinging an axe and throwing a axe...

She steadied her arm as she aimed for her desired spot on the board, she held her breath before letting the silver axe go. The force behind the blow was evident as it sung through the air, landing on the edge of the right side of the dart board, the wood itself clacking on the wall from such a blow.

...were two different things. Their was a reason why she preferred fire arms to javelins and slings.

Far from her intended mark, she hummed as she sat down on her stool finishing her second drink, hailing the barkeep for a third. "I'm surprised you chose throwing axes for this, and fine ones at that. Why aren't you part of some artisan guild learning how to sell weapons and other metal trinkets? Or did they tire of your choice of games?" She took the drink but the barkeep held onto it, giving her a look. "I will replace the board if our game gets too rough on it." Seemingly satisfied, he released the drink and returned to his own matters.

WC: 505/1,635