This was not the usual place Fang stayed at, for as they entered the establishment, she was immediately aware that it was a bit...rougher than she was used to. From the thick scent of booze and alcohol to the shady-looking gamblers loudly arguing to the drinkers whose eyes lingered just a bit too long...
Indeed, Fang looked—and felt—painfully out of place. And though she had a sword on her hip, she didn't have the look of a Khan. Almost everyone of her caste carried a sword after all; it didn't mean everyone could use it.
Spike on the other hand appeared to be well in his element. No surprise there, she supposed, but hmm...perhaps they should try somewhere else—oh!
An arm slid around her shoulders and Fang let out a quiet squeak and jolted before she saw it was him, having not realized how tense she was until that moment. Instant relief replaced the shock and the tightness in her muscles eased. Stay close, right. No, there was nothing to worry about, she shouldn't judge these people. After all, look at Spike! People were people, and all anyone craved was understanding.
"Got it," she whispered back, and nodded toward the bar where a scarred, irritated-looking woman in her middle years was wiping down glasses. "Think we can ask her?"
She seemed their best bet; Fang couldn't pick out any other workers and wouldn't have been able to pick out even the barkeep if she wasn't behind the counter! Putting her hand on Spike's arm, she turned them toward the bar. The older woman arched a brow as they approached, flicking her eyes between them—though her narrowed eyes lingered longest on Spike.
Foreigner.
"Whatcha gettin'?" she asked in Thanati, addressing Fang.
"Oh, um, we were just seeing if you had any rooms available. I know it's late, but—"
"We have one," the woman replied, cutting her off. She named her price—an inflated one, no doubt because it was late, Fang imagined, not realizing it was more likely because the woman knew she was Temple caste and had the money—and held out her hand impatiently.
"Er...just one?"
"Yeah. That gonna be a problem?" the woman asked, eyebrow lifting as she pointedly looked between them again.
Fang flushed, shaking her head quickly. "No, it's no problem, it's not—" She winced, looking up at Spike, and then back to the woman. With a sigh, she dug around in her coin purse and handed her the coin, receiving a key and directions in exchange.
As the woman went back to her cleaning, Fang held up the key and flashed Spike a sheepish look. "They just have the one room."