RP:Flirting and Deception

Synopsis: Zahrani stops in Kelay for some rest and refreshment, crossing paths with a rather fetching rogue named Rinn. Upon the intervention of another rogue namedTiber, Rinn would learn that being lied to is one of the feline's biggest pet peeves.

Rinn was a petite little thing with auburn hair, piercing blue eyes and her attire was all black. She had spent the majority of her day occupying a stool at the bar drinking on someone else's coin. She wasn't drunk however due to the fact that whoever's gold she spent had promised to hunt her down so she was sure to keep -some- of her wits. Her left hand carefully cradled her rum while she idly traced the woodgrain of the bar top with her right's pointer finger. Occasionally her gaze would follow a male patron studying his intoxication level and attempting to gage their net worth. Though there wasn't one that seemed worth her time or efforts, looked like she'd be digging up a grave tonight. There was a sigh washed away with a sip of her spiced rum.

Zahrani quietly walks into the tavern, the panther bearing a more humanoid face beneath her off-white hood. The only thing that appears to betray her feline nature is the long black tail swishing behind her. Aside from her humble robelike attire, the panther wears a simple chest plate, plus armored leggings and boots beneath her robe. She's built like someone who knows how to scale a building with a full armor set. Or otherwise carrying a lot of gear. She doesn't appear to have a lot of jewelry, and an aura of serenity about her is the only thing giving away her station as a paladin. She walks up to the bar, taking a seat not far from Rinn and ordering an ale. Cyan eyes alight upon the other patron, surrounded by dark-brown skin and a somewhat neutral look. A polite nod is offered while she awaits her own refreshment.

Rinn noted the robed woman as she entered the tavern, the bright glow of the outside world embodying the feline as she pushed through the door. It wasn't until Zahrani sat down that she was truly studied. There didn't seem to be much of value on the woman nor did she seem to be that of an easy target, though Rinn bet there where plenty of nooks and crannies she could slide through to loose the woman. Rinn had already robbed the Rani in her mind, she had already played out the escape, maybe she would test the woman just for fun. Rinn hummed to herself as she drained her glass, she already had two after her was she ready for three? "Evening." She purred to the feline from behind a sweet smile as she awaited a refill. Her elbow rested on the bar and her fist propped her head up casually, her demeanor deceptively friendly, "New to Kelay?"

Zahrani accepts a bottle of ale from Mesthak, meeting Rinn's gaze and resting her own elbow on the bar. Every bone in her body was telling her ~This one's trouble.~ She sees a familiar hungry look in the other woman's eyes, behind the friendly mask. It was a look she had seen, and sometimes used, growing up in a feline colony in Cenril. The cat has her own sort of modest charm, absentmindedly placing one side of her lower lip between her teeth before answering, "I know my way around well enough...what about yourself?" Her hood lowers, revealing black, well-maintained dreads.

Rinn 's pale gaze dropped to the woman's lips as she replied with her own question, "Oh I'm here more then poor Mesthak would like." She beamed pivoting her head to glance at the barkeep who offered an expression that indicated the redhead to be telling the truth. "But at least I'm easy on the eyes." She offered the dwarf a wink before twisting back to the feline. Rinn straightened her posture momentarily only to maneuver herself one set closer to Zahrani before retuning her elbow to the wooden counter, the rum traveled with her, "Ale, huh?" The corners of her lips curled into a full pearly white grin, "I would have pegged you for more of a milk kinda gal." She teased lightly while her eyes digested the fully visible face.

Zahrani rolls her eyes. ~Oh, you're gonna start with that line, are ya?~ The feline has a slight accent and speaks in a mid-tenor. "Milk is for cubs and kittens." To the barkeep, she adds with a grin, "No offense to humans, Mesthak." The barkeep smirks, before turning to Rinn and giving a single eye-brow raise, as if to say, ~Ya might wanna think twice before playing cat-'n'-mouse with this one, lass.~ But no words are spoken, as secures his coin and checks on another patron for a moment. Rani takes another swig of ale, glancing at the graverobber before offering a grin and saying, "At least we agree on something."

Tiber said, "ooc - I would, but I’d have to wait an hour? I’m tied up with some stuff, so I’m only mobile." Rinn bit at her lower lip as she lifted her hand to rake through her auburn locks. The contents of her glass stole her focus for a moment, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were flirting with me." She replied smiling behind her mug. Rinn would play coy and allow her checks to flush rose petal pink to drive it home, after her little act was over she'd finally meet the woman's gaze, "Seems cats got my tongue." She laughed downing her rum, maybe she didn't need to test her thieving skills on Zahrani. A girl like Rinn could always use an ally though she was never able to keep one around for long. There were already two very angry victims hunting her she decided this to be the healthier route, for now.

Zahrani's ears twitch periodically at the surrounding noise of the tavern. The ears are elf-like, but they seem to have a coat of black, velvety fur on them. At the mention of flirting, she gives a simple and coy, "Maybe..." She does her best not to roll her eyes a second time at the woman's last statement. She gives a deadpan, slightly sarcastic response, "That's the second most cliche thing anyone's ever said to me." Mesthak does his best not to snort a laugh. Shaking her head and taking another swig of her drink, the panther turns to Rinn, looking her up and down again, "You're attractive and you know it, but in all honesty, I'm probably not your type." Rani herself certain looks like a heartbreaker, especially with that face, but her instincts are telling her that getting entangled with this particular person will only make her current work that much harder.

Rinn offered a rise and fall of her shoulders before she spoke, yeah she was a looker and she knew it. That was part of Rinn's shtick, the walking Venus fly trap, "Oh I don't know...big...strong...devilishly good looking..." Here kitty, kitty. Rinn winked, "Hell." There was a pause as she sat up to glance about the room, "I bet you could take on anyone in this room." There were wheels in motion with the redheads words, "It's important for a little woman like myself to feel safe and sound." Rinn batted her lush lashes as she ignored the scoff that Mesthak produced. Her peripherals caught the smug little man parting his lips, probably spill the beans on how 'helpless' Rinn really was, "Yes, another for us both thanks." She was quick to cut off the bar keep with an order and coin to follow, coin that wasn't in fact hers.

Zahrani maintains a neutral face as she finishes her ale, placing it smoothly on the bar as she curiously takes in the woman's scent with her keen nose, her pointed ears listening to every sound made by the stranger. She doesn't smell or sound like a frail damsel. The flattery and the suggestion that she could take on anyone in the room might have been more effective if she were a young adolescent male. But it seems like this particular cat is not as easily snared, "You certainly seem capable to me, and you certainly have coin to hire a bodyguard." A pause as she orders a glass of water to go with her second ale, before she adds, "...and before you ask, no, I'm not a sellsword."

Tiber sits in the corner of the tavern. He is not one to make a move automatically; instead, Tiberius enjoys the game of lurking in the shadows when it is time to play. The human wears a cabbie cap that lowers over his face to pretend that he is a drunken customer taking a snooze in the corner. His feet are propped up on a table. Underneath the cap, an eye keeps steady on the auburn girl who is oblivious to his presence and who is spending the pocket money that he collected from another plus a mixture of his own coin. The woman had mentioned Sage in their last conversation, and he had just taken a guess of a popular place she might scandal the next sad sap in her path. As the women flirt and drink, the man grins to himself. He slowly rises out of his seat in a casual manner like any other customer, but he makes a firm decision to make sure Rinn has her back facing him before he plops casually beside her and her friend. Right on cue the man speaks in the thickened accent. “Make that three drinks in the next round. A stronger one for ‘trouble’ right here,” meaning Rinn. He flips the cap up, and it falls off his head revealing his true-self. He raises his index for attention for Mesthak while the other attempts to reach for Rinn’s arm to keep her put. “You know, you should hire a bodyguard with all that loot, huh? Fishy people around here, y’know?” Beat, there was too much sarcasm. “Actually? You know what? I volunteer,” he slaps his hand down on the counter. Zahrani was in for a treat of a personality if she let this slide, however he was some random dude, so actually Tiberius might be in for a treat.

Rinn grinned as she leaned towards the woman, "Don't worry you don't come across as the kind of woman one can buy." She teased flirtatiously before a familiar voice cut through her sentence. Oh boy. Rinn rose to her feet with a nervous chuckle as Tiber's hand captured her arm, time to think fast. Poor Rinn was sweating like a sinner in church. "I-uh.." She paused moving for her rum as she flashed Zahrani a nervous look. The glass was drained, three...two...one...showtime, "I told you to stay away from me!" Rinn replied twisting back towards Lowell as she tugged at her arm, "We're through, I'm tired of the abuse, it's time to move on!" Rinn returned the mug to the counter as her free hand moved to his grasping his thumb in attempts of freeing herself from the male. Each jerk bumping the redhead's frame against the panther's. "He's gone mad! I told him it wasn't working out and he stalks me with these crazy delusions telling me he'll drowned me before he ever lets me go." Her eyes were wide with fear as she searched the feline's gaze for help. Eventually Zahrani would turn to see Tiber and when she did Rinn would offer the man a smile and pucker her lips blowing him a kiss to taunt him further, certain Rani wasn't able to see her actions. Tiber is shooketh.

Zahrani could smell Tiberius coming before she sees him, the hair on the back of her neck raising instinctively. A subtle dog-breath smell, mixed with human. He looks to be about her age, if not a bit younger. She didn't see very many of his kind wandering civilization nowadays. The panther stands, her right hand resting on the mace at her belt as she listens to Rinn tell her story about abuse. Her eyes narrow. The paladin glances at Mesthak, who seems to be shaking his head. Through the reflection of some nearby glass, she caught just a hint of the taunting expression that Rinn was giving to Tiberius. The look on the face of the panther is clear; she has very little patience for people who spin tales for their own gain. The air around her seems to thicken and become cold as her serene demeanor vanishes. "I don't know who you are, but if you ever want my help, with anything, I will give you a single chance to explain what the hell is going on." Turning to the lycan, her piercing cyan gaze bore into him, "You first."

Tiber almost gaped his mouth open at her response. He automatically lets her go. “You have got to be kidding me,” he leaned forward over the counter. “Playing the innocent act and playing victims like they’re candy.” He then stood up in his full tall frame, but he kept his distance enough where she he not in her face, but that she could not run either. He looks to the other woman who is trapped inside their feud. The time was running out. The panther was serious, but he was no fool either, he could smell her too. There were two stories he could say: either a made up foolish one, or the truth. Since Rinn was looking for trust, the truth would probably be the best route. Who would try to trust a rogue? No one. He knew that best because he was one as well. The two were just playing with fire. “She’s a liar. I wouldn’t date this piece of work even if she was the last woman on earth. She’s swooning you like she tried me yesterday,” he raises a stoic gaze towards Zahrani. “She raided me of my pocket knife and my change. I worked very hard for that too.” That could be true, the man was looking rather business-like with his black slacks and button-up shirt. This time he wore a tie. “I knew I’d find the she-devil in Sage. She picks me out to be some idiotic chump, but here I am, aren’t I?” His amber eyes shoot straight towards Rinn like daggers, but there is amusement behind his stare.

Rinn had been completely certain that the panther wouldn't have been able to see her taunts, so when the feline calls her out she deflates with a genuine pout. Guess that serves her right. As Zahrani demands, a much deserved, explanation Rinn rolls her eyes and emits a heavy sigh. Curiosity was the only thing that kept the little thief quiet through Tiber's explanation through when he is finished eyes turned to her. Rinn rose both her hands with a sheepish smile that was soon to morph into a soft fit of laughter. "Is it hot in here?" She asked with a chuckled glancing for the tavern door, Tiber blocked her path along with many other patrons, too exhausting. So with another sigh she motioned to Mesthak for another round as she parted her lips, "Well...now that I have a closer look, you're far too ugly to be my ex. That bit is true." She laughed in Tiber's direction before turning towards Zahrani, "Look darling, if I was going to rob you I would have lured you away by now. Sometimes I get bored and I just can't help myself, girls just want to have fun, right?" She smiled sweetly with a little wiggle of her body to gain herself more personal space away from the two making sure to be out of arms reach.

Zahrani sighs, looking up to the ceiling before turning to pay for her drinks and reserving a secured room. To Rinn, she says with a visibly disappointed look, "The flirting was fun...the blatant lies, not so much." Especially since the panther had, on more than one occasion, helped free people from abusive situations in the past. To Tiberius, she says, "I don't know what's between you, and honestly I don't care right now. It's obvious you don't need my help for you two to settle it." The cat doesn't even care what their line of work is, so long as they don't steal from her, the Paladin's Guild or its members, or the Chapel of Cyris (the majority of their donations go to the poor, the rest goes to upkeep and housing refugees). She's not a law enforcement agent. The paladin walks into her room and shuts the door, locking it behind her and unstrapping her armor. Gods, it had been a long day as it is.

Tiber only shrugged at Rinn’s comment. He was pleased to hear those words come out of her mouth. However, his eyes began to roll to the back of his skull when she called Zahrani darling. Please, tell him that Zahrani would not fall for such a stupid explanation. As Rinn began to wiggle, the man let her have more space, but he had a close eye on her. He was stealthy enough to catch her if she tried to run again. He was sure he would not mistake her escape this time. He was too observant. As for Zahrani’s response towards him, he nods. “I agree, I have it under control. I just need my knife, and I’ll be well on my way,” his eyes glaze back over Rinn with his hand out.