"You've always had more balls than brains."
The blue-eyed man lowered his cup of alcohol and raised a brow at the night-skinned goblin who sat, hunched over- with legs dangling from the table beside him. The goblin wasn't a fan of chairs. They made him feel shorter than he was, and when he was around Winston McKeane- he'd rather not feel any smaller.
"Because we'll be meeting a woman?"
"Because you'll be meeting a woman," the goblin repeated, slower, and with much emphasis on each word. His beady eyes shined darkly, the dancing flames from the hearth casting deep shadows into the unique recesses and bold shapes of his face.
The human companion of his shook his head and knocked back more of his drink.
"Coin is coin, you know that,...right? Lenny?" the man asked, belching as he went to wipe off the alcohol from his lips onto the back of his leather wrist guard. Then he paused to belch again. "And if the purse happens to belong to a woman...well.." He could only shrug at that.
The goblin sneered, eyes still glittering as he muttered something under his breath.
But the blonde haired man only retorted to the muttered goblin-tongued curse with one of his own. Lenny grimaced. He never did like the fact Winston knew so many tongues- especially not some of his own.
"You make the language sound like rotting fish." Lenny sneered, eyeing the other man as Winston waved down a tavern maid to order another drink.
"Well, I can't make the sound of rotting fish sound like anything but rotting fish, now can I, Lenny?" Winston went on mildly, holding onto his cup as the serving woman poured. He got a nice eyeful down the front of her shirt as she did so. Then he nodded, grinning at her as he slipped her a coin as she blushed, then sauntered off to the next table.
Lenny was grinning now, that smile nearly cutting across the entire wide width of his face, exposing rows of little sharp, jagged teeth. The very sight of that smile made Winston pause with the cup of beer to his lips.
"What?"
The goblin snickered.
"You going to be able to keep it in your pants this time, McKeane?" the goblin looked from his companion to the barmaid.
Winston snorted.
"This is a job, Lenny."
"Exactly.." the goblin continued to eye his companion, before finally turning away as the serving woman disappeared into the back. He shook his head when it was obvious Winston's eyes had been following her. "You.." he went on, placing a curled hand onto his shoulder. "Are too predictable my friend."
"And you.." Winston went on, plucking Lenny's goblin fingers from his shoulder. "Shouldn't be sitting on the table when she brings us our stew."
Lenny sneered then muttered more in his tongue- he always did that when he had something colorful and nasty to say- he also always did it while turning away, so Winston couldn't catch all of it.
But somehow.. Winston always caught all of it. The man was just looking at him now, and Lenny narrowed his eyes before swearing more in goblin tongue before he hopped down from the table. He didn't take a seat, however, and made his way over to the hearth, where a warm fire crackled and kept this side of the tavern warm- despite the chill of the desert night.
Winston had followed to where Lenny had moved to, his own eyes going to the flame as he stared off in thought.
Lenny grabbed the fire poker and prodded at it. Winston was about to say something, about the fact the goblin shouldn't just touch any old thing in the Smiling Crocus, the owner - after all, was a rather mean looking Rah-Souk, if the scar on his snout could attest to any of that. In fact..
He turned to look for the owner, wondering where the crocodile man had gone off to.
The Smiling Crocus was.. an interesting establishment. It wasn't in the best part of town- but it certainly wasn't the worst. But you wouldn't find rich folk dining here. No.. the merchant princes and their lot tending to remain in the heart of the city- or in their fancy delta establishments.
The city itself was a colorful town, although many were desert dwellers that lived here- the people here were far more diverse than the stiff-molded people of Connlaoth to the far north. He himself was a Connlaothian, although with how deeply tanned and ruddy he's skin had become from just being in the desert.. one might compare him closer to Adelan than Connlaothian- if it weren't for that blonde hair of his-
And his exceptionally blue eyes.
"So why are we here so early, McKeane?"
Lenny's gripe had his attention return to the goblin and he raised a brow at the other.
"I'm always early for my appointments."
"But are we not to meet her for another 3 hours? Curious.. that.." the goblin went on, thumbing his lip in thought. He turned to regard Winston. "It can't just be because she's a woman..."
The man said nothing, tapping the table a few times before he realized he was doing it and stopped. That's when Lenny's eyes and ears perked up, then a snake like grin split across his face.
"Oh.. she's not just a woman.. is she?" Lenny began, moving to close the distance between them, grabbing the back of a nearby chair. But before he could pull it out to take a seat, Winston's hand snapped out to grab a hold if it, and Lenny started, beady eyes looking over at Winston. But the man didn't look at him. He was staring at his cup- no.. distantly past it.. eyes unfocused, in thought.
"What did you say her name was?" Lenny said, clearing his throat and jerking the chair out, despite Winston's hand still remaining. But the chair didn't fully budge, and Lenny turned to regard Winston again.
"I didn't say her name."
And then, if it was possible, Lenny's grin grew even wider, the teeth nearly cutting his face in half. He knew.. he knew much from nothing. If his companion did not wish to divulge much until they actually met her...
That meant she was someone of some status...
And that meant there would be quite a lot of money.
And Lenny really.. really liked his money.
