Casi inhaled deeply, revealing in the smell of fresh baked goods as she stood in front of the small stall that sold them and any other delectable treat one could think of. It was a heavenly aroma for sure, one she couldn’t help but to take in to its full extent. She’d always had a particularly strong sweet tooth, and that plus her usual lack of restraint equaled a half dozen cream filled pastries with chocolate dribbled on top, still warm from the oven, and a bag of crystallized sugar broken up into small chunks.
She paid for it all eagerly, using her newly acquired funds, and protectively stuffed it into her pack after stashing a handful of candy into her empty pocket. She thought she was perfectly deserving of having a little treat every once and awhile. And since Casidey considered neither sleeping on the forest floor or walking miles on end for days an particularly fun treat she figured she was well overdue. After all, what was life without a little indulgement?
She popped a sweet into her mouth and then veered back into the mass of humanoid traffic, vowing to herself that she wouldn’t get sidetracked again… unless she saw something else that she might fancy having. Cas had never really been good at narrowing her mind to focus on one thing. There were just too much that could be missed if she didn’t pay attention to everything around her. Whether that was considered being observant or nosey was of no consequence to her as long as she knew what was going on.
As she walked on the scene around her began to change rapidly. She was entering the largest slum in the city and it was definitely apparent. The streets were lined with waste and smelled of human filth. The few carts that came to sell things only carried items that couldn't be sold in the markets like bread with mold on the edges, half rotted fruits, and used cookware. People became gruff and raggedy in appearance, wearing old castoff clothing from the more wealthy or ill made garments. More often than not the clothes didn't fit the wearer properly since most here worried more about having them rather than if they complimented their figure. Once upon a time Cas would have blended in perfectly here, but now with her plethora or knives and finely made leather armor she stuck out like a parrot in a tree full of sparrows.
She could feel hungry eyes staring at her back, in both spite and envy or a mixture of the two, at her good fortune. She would get more hassle here than in other parts of the city but she didn't mind; she always loved to get into trouble anyways. She did, however, make the conscious action of placing a hand into her pocket that contained coin. Why? Simply put the easiest way to stop a thief from sticking their hands into your pockets was to put your own their first. That way there was no room left.
She made it to the Crow's Nest Inn after doling out a good amount of challenging grins, gestures, and words to some of the slum residents who were far too interested in her. She even had to resort to pulling one of her knives out at one persistent fellow who had followed her for a good three blocks. Luckily she didn't need to use it; the man ran off after she had displayed her prouous with a blade by spinning it quickly between her fingers while looking nonchalant about it.
There were only a few patrons at the Inn as the moment, but it was early yet. She took stock of the people present which consisted of a group of older men playing poker at one of the round tables towards the center of the inn, the barkeep who stood behind the bar with his back turned to her, and she could here someone washing dishes back in the kitchen. One of the men playing cards looked up, recognition of her evident in his smile. She put her fingers to her lips to signal him to keep quiet and then sealed it with a wink. Casi snuck up to the bar and leaned over it to tap the should of the tall, gangly tender behind it.
The man, Jack was his name, jumped at the contact and then spun around on his heel to find out who had violated his personal space. His face lit up when he saw who it was. "Casi of the Crooked Eye!?!" he exclaimed, perhaps even a little too loudly, "I never thought I would see your wicked little smirk here again. Found another house here worth breaking into, huh?"
"It hurts me that you would say such things," she said with mock hurt while putting a hand over her heart to add to the dramatic effect, as she so often liked to do. "It really does."
He raised a brow at her. "Ah ha," was all his reply was before he changed subjects. "Emma will be so happy to see you. She's back in the kitchens right now, should be back up front in few minutes... So what are you really doing back in Canyon City?"
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