[Episode] The Smuggler's Bounty

Marie Arquette wrote:
Name: The Smuggler's Bounty
Category: Episode
Player Participants: Marie Arquette (+0), Luka V. Tepes (+0)
Planned Location(s): North Blue, Lvneel
Planned Time Range: April 14-April 17, 1829

Summary: Two individuals come across each other, enjoying each other's company. In the midst of enjoying what the island has to offer, they accidentally come across a smuggling ring. With a teamup between the two and a bounty on the smuggler himself, they work together to take it down.

After that mess at the tavern of the Drowning Demons, Marie did her best to lay low. Now, she found herself sitting at a quaint café in Lvneel, the same idyllic kingdom where the tumultuous events had unfolded. Taking a moment to reflect on the ordeal, she had chosen to blend in with the locals by dressing in casual clothing.

Marie sat at a small outdoor table, enjoying the gentle breeze that rustled through her loose, white cotton blouse. The blouse featured delicate lace detailing along the neckline, adding a touch of femininity to her attire. Paired with the blouse, she wore a pair of fitted, high-waisted jeans that hugged her curves comfortably.

To complete her casual look, Marie had opted for high heel sandals that added a subtle elegance to her ensemble. The sandals featured slender straps that wrapped around her ankles, their heels providing a slight lift and accentuating her posture. Despite their height, they were surprisingly comfortable.

As she sipped on her cup of aromatic coffee, Marie let out a sigh of relaxation. Her casual attire served as a stark contrast to her usual battle-ready outfit, trying to make sure she couldn't be recognized. However, her eyes were still keen and ever vigilant on the scenery. The last thing she needed is some pirate recognizing her from that day and starting trouble at the cafe. She enjoyed the tranquillity, and decided to be a bit bold to get some "excitement" going.

Wanting to be social with someone that she believed wasn't apart of any of this craziness, she stood up, brought her coffee with her and sat at the next table, opposite of a gentleman. "Good afternoon. I hope you don't mind me joining you for a moment." she began, her voice carrying a hint of intrigue. "It's such a lovely day, and I couldn't resist the opportunity to have a pleasant conversation with someone new. I'm new here, so." and with that, she took a gentle sip of her coffee once more.

WC: 336

“Right, pleasant conversation…” the one-man sob-story spoke with a bewildered tone to his voice, as though struggling to remember what such a conversation would look like, “...I’m not from around here either, what brought you here?”

“Oh, and not to be rude…” the young man’s greenish-blue eyes scanned the room, the other patrons of the café were pleasant, provincial types, dressed in light-colored clothes; they all seemed rather pleasant and personable, “... but of all people to have a random chat with in here, why me?”

As he lowered his teacup, the man’s somewhat threatening appearance became evident, clad in all black, the man’s baggy clothing and heavy combat boots served largely as obfuscation; closer inspection made clear the fact that this man was heavily armed. In truth, the raven-haired mercenary was quite nervous; he’d never left Spider Miles, and he still hadn’t paid his debt, he was working on borrowed time and needed to make it count.

Worsening matters, Luka couldn’t find the woman he’d come to the island looking for; she’d said almost nothing about herself before departing, and he had taken a considerable risk in chasing after her to a nearby island. It was a gamble, and he’d lost; despite asking around, Luka had heard nothing of the sapphire-haired woman, it was as though she’d disappeared into seafoam.

Or perhaps strangers usually just weren’t too keen on gossiping or chit-chatting with visibly armed thugs in the wake of a civil war; though evidently there were exceptions to this rule.

“Oh, and one last thing, can I ask where you’re from?...” Luka spoke bluntly, “... I just got out of Spider Miles, I have to head back that way sooner than later actually, I came here looking for somebody.”

Post Word Count: 342
Total Word Count: 342