"Fane," she said, reaching out and taking his hand, giving it a firm shake. "You know of anyone else we could recruit? However much I appreciate a good scavenger hunt, it'll take up less time if you could point us towards some good people."
"There's a lady back in the bar," he said, pointing back to the Lonely Mermaid, "Sneaky as hell, she is. Nearly stole me coin purse right out from under me nose."
Fane looked to Anto and nodded, then offered a smile towards White. "Thanks. We'll talk to her." She waved Anto over as she started for the door.
"I felt like I handled myself fairly well," he said, checking to make sure both of his knifes were still at his hip. They were.
"You were quite impressive, I'll admit," she said, folding her arms over her chest. "Don't expect many more compliments, however. You've run out of your fair share."
"Yes," he said, smiling in an amused manner. "You can't be babying me anymore."
She scowled. "I'm not babying you. I'm doing what's necessary because your incompetent ass will get itself killed within three seconds of me not watching over you like some eternally disappointed guardian."
"Oh, how did I survive 7 years abroad without you?" he asked sarcastically, rolling his eyes as they entered the bar again.
"You never had a taste of piracy, that's why you survived," she reasoned, looking around for the sneaky woman. She didn't need a description—she had a good sense of what a sneak would look like in a crowd of drunks.
She sat on the far end of the bar, sipping on a cup of ale while eyeing the entire tavern like a cat would look at its prey. She took notice of the two immediately and frowned, beginning to stand.
(Iḿ not good with female characters, hlep)
(lmao. It's funny, because I've got more male than female characters)
Fane came up to the woman without fear in her eyes, something that intrigued the woman. Usually, someone took one look at her and saw something in her that made them hold their purses just a little closer. Fane, however, kept herself open, arms over her chest and belt pockets on full display. "How can I help you?" the woman asked, angling her head curiously. She stood shorter than Fane, perhaps a good 3 or 4 inches, but her presence was clearly felt in the area around her.
"I've heard that you're the best master of stealth there is in these parts," Fane said, "I'd like to offer a proposition."
Anto followed Fane, standing about a foot behind her and a couple to the left. He doubted his presence would affect the conversation at all, so he just stood patiently and kept his mouth shut.
(Bump?)
(i'm here, i'm here. I'm slow this morning)
The woman rose a brow. "Really? Well, you heard correctly. What's this proposition, and what's in it for me?"
Fane shrugged, looking nonchalant. "I'm a crewmember of the Merry Watch and am forming a small and specialized crew. You look like just the kind of person I'm looking for. You'll be paid well, and will be free to steal to your heart's content, within reason, of course."
"We already have our first soldier," Anto added, trying his best to repress the noble nature of his voice. "He suggested us to you."
"Hm, was it that one with the parchment?" the woman inquired, tilting her head. She was weighing the pros and cons of joining this crew, and so far, she couldn't think of anything that would be enough to say no. She had no job, save for theft, and joining some pirates in a specialized group sounded like fun.
"Yes, in fact, it was." He gestured to the door with his left hand. "He's waiting outside for us."
"Alright, I'll join this crew of yours," she said, reaching out to Fane. They clasped hands. "The name's Johnnie."
"Fane." They shook, then the smaller woman turned to Anto to do the same, brow raised in question.
"Anto," he said, shaking her hand. "Nice to have you aboard."
"I look forward to seeing who else you dig up from the trenches," Johnnie said with a chuckle. "I have a few errands to run before hopping aboard, so I'll see you then." With that, she strode off, almost immediately getting swallowed up by the crowded bar.
"This is going much easier than I expected," he said, watching the woman go with a pleased smile. "Now we just need the big guy."
"That one should be the easiest to find and hardest to convince," Fane said, also watching the woman go. "Any thoughts on where we could find someone like that?"
"One of the dock hands?" he asked, scratching the top of his head. I need a haircut, floated through his mind before he got back on track. "Those guys are typically pretty big."
She thought about it, then shook her head. "True, but I wouldn't see a soldier working as a dockhand," she said, then reached up and played with a strand of her hair while glancing around the bar. "And we should discuss this somewhere else."