[OOC]

Aleron strolled through the dark streets with casual grace– a feat few dared to perform at this time of night in Old Aether. No one could really afford to be casual about anything nowadays. She was on her way to the only place with lights still on: the Red Rose Tavern and Inn. Sidestepping a drunken patron who had stumbled out the door as she entered, she sat herself at the bar without hesitation, no doubt a regular here.

In spite of her small stature, she was strongly built though not overly muscular. This was all apparent once she took off her cloak and piled it nonchalantly on the stool beside her, along with the bag she'd obviously been carrying under said cloak. Inside that worn old tan canvas bag was about twenty pounds of small weaponry which, surprisingly, she didn't often use.

Examining the room, she noticed the large fireplace at the far wall was occupied by most of the patrons - those patrons being the drunken ones practically passed out on the table. The ones that were still coherent were slurring their compliments to a buxom lady, whom no doubt would be quite lovely were it not for the excessively painted face. Ah, ladies of the evening. Aleron loved them for their cunning; the way they slipped their arms about a drunken man and stole him blind before he passed out. After all, it wasn't really a bad thing if they were still awake. A slow grin spread across her face as she turned, quite aware of the bartender looming over her with a look of - what was that? Menace? Probably, but that didn't matter at the moment.

"Nice to see you again as well, Ajax." Aleron's smile made the tall man want to shudder. Which was indeed something. Ajax was a good six feet and eight inches or more with enough scars and dark spots in his past to keep everyone at a good distance. Still, Aleron managed to creep him out a bit. A dumber man would've found the smile sexy and made him think of tangled sheets and silky warm skin.

"I already told you, I haven't seen the guy. You know I don't like business with that type anyway, why do you have to come bothering me all the time? I'm about ready to throw the rest of this bunch out so I can get some damn sleep. I don't need a useless interrogation to get me all tied in knots before I join Lola in bed." Aleron simply smiled and tilted her head questioningly. "How is Lola? I should've known you'd have snatched her up as soon as she got back from her travels." This of course would send Ajax into a drawn out explanation that sounded more like an excuse - which would fall upon deaf ears. As Ajax went into his one-sided argument about how Lola had come back in need of a job and his unwillingness to have her harassed by the customers, Aleron poured herself a glass of whiskey and pretended to listen.