Post by jun on Jul 2, 2006 12:34:26 GMT -5
The tavern was smoky and poorly lit, full of the lower forms of humanity that crept out during the night. That was just the way Jun liked it, as she was always ready for, and, indeed, invited trouble.
She raised an eyebrow as two new figures came through the door, Fire Nation soldiers. She looked at the general contemptuously, though the lieutenant with him was another story, easy on the eyes and quite appealing. Still, she took her time, taking a long sip off her drink, as the general stalked across the room, the lieutenant following close behind. Jun rolled her eyes as they invited themselves to her table, but she knew this could be the fun she’d been looking for all night. The Fire Nation general before her was easily and amusingly annoyed.
"So, General Ling, what brings such a fine Fire Nation officer such as yourself to a smoky old dump like this?" she smirked, draining the rest of her drink.
"Damn it, woman, sometimes I wonder why I even bother with you," Ling growled, as the lieutenant sat by stoically, a rather blank look on his face.
"You bother with me because I'm the best at what I do," Jun replied silkily. General Ling fairly growled in frustration. Jun's lack of respect and devil-may-care attitude grated on his nerves. But when all was said and done, she WAS the best at what she did. The problem obviously was, she knew it.
"Aw, Ling Ling, you know you love me," Jun said silkily, leaning across the table. "Now tell me, who do you want caught this time, and what's in it for me?"
General Ling let out his breath in a frustrated hiss. "You've heard of the pirate, Zara?" Jun laughed heartily at the question.
"Oh, yes," she replied, motioning the innkeeper to pour her another drink. "I hear she's been giving the Fire Nation fits."
General Ling looked heavenward as if to say, "Why me?" then growled, "Do you want this job or not?"
"Like I said, what's in it for me?" Jun shot back, taking the drink the innkeeper handed her and knocking back half of it in one shot.
"Five thousand gold pieces for Zara, one thousand for each of her crew."
"Ha, only five thousand? For her? You have got to be joking," Jun snorted in derision. “Ten thousand for Zara, five thousand for each of her crew.”
General Ling didn’t answer immediately, forcing himself to stay calm. “Come on, Ling, I know you can give me what I want,” Jun sneered. “I bet the Fire Lord himself sent you.”
General Ling let out his breath in a hiss. “Fine. Ten thousand for Zara, and five thousand a piece for the rest of that pirate scum.”
“Dead or alive?” Jun asked, giving him a most beautiful smile now that she had a promise of gold.
General Ling snorted as he got up from the table. “It doesn’t matter,” he muttered. He turned to the young lieutenant. "Go. But remember we leave at dawn. If you're late...." He trailed off meaningfully.
"Yes, sir!" the lieutenant valuated then walked over to the innkeeper. There was a bit of conversation Jun couldn't hear, then the soldier laid two gold pieces on the bar and rushed upstairs.
“Oooooh, looks like someone is having fun tonight,” Jun grinned. General Ling snorted in derision, turning on his heal and stalking out of the tavern.
Jun laughed. “This is going to be fun,” she said to no one in particular.
She raised an eyebrow as two new figures came through the door, Fire Nation soldiers. She looked at the general contemptuously, though the lieutenant with him was another story, easy on the eyes and quite appealing. Still, she took her time, taking a long sip off her drink, as the general stalked across the room, the lieutenant following close behind. Jun rolled her eyes as they invited themselves to her table, but she knew this could be the fun she’d been looking for all night. The Fire Nation general before her was easily and amusingly annoyed.
"So, General Ling, what brings such a fine Fire Nation officer such as yourself to a smoky old dump like this?" she smirked, draining the rest of her drink.
"Damn it, woman, sometimes I wonder why I even bother with you," Ling growled, as the lieutenant sat by stoically, a rather blank look on his face.
"You bother with me because I'm the best at what I do," Jun replied silkily. General Ling fairly growled in frustration. Jun's lack of respect and devil-may-care attitude grated on his nerves. But when all was said and done, she WAS the best at what she did. The problem obviously was, she knew it.
"Aw, Ling Ling, you know you love me," Jun said silkily, leaning across the table. "Now tell me, who do you want caught this time, and what's in it for me?"
General Ling let out his breath in a frustrated hiss. "You've heard of the pirate, Zara?" Jun laughed heartily at the question.
"Oh, yes," she replied, motioning the innkeeper to pour her another drink. "I hear she's been giving the Fire Nation fits."
General Ling looked heavenward as if to say, "Why me?" then growled, "Do you want this job or not?"
"Like I said, what's in it for me?" Jun shot back, taking the drink the innkeeper handed her and knocking back half of it in one shot.
"Five thousand gold pieces for Zara, one thousand for each of her crew."
"Ha, only five thousand? For her? You have got to be joking," Jun snorted in derision. “Ten thousand for Zara, five thousand for each of her crew.”
General Ling didn’t answer immediately, forcing himself to stay calm. “Come on, Ling, I know you can give me what I want,” Jun sneered. “I bet the Fire Lord himself sent you.”
General Ling let out his breath in a hiss. “Fine. Ten thousand for Zara, and five thousand a piece for the rest of that pirate scum.”
“Dead or alive?” Jun asked, giving him a most beautiful smile now that she had a promise of gold.
General Ling snorted as he got up from the table. “It doesn’t matter,” he muttered. He turned to the young lieutenant. "Go. But remember we leave at dawn. If you're late...." He trailed off meaningfully.
"Yes, sir!" the lieutenant valuated then walked over to the innkeeper. There was a bit of conversation Jun couldn't hear, then the soldier laid two gold pieces on the bar and rushed upstairs.
“Oooooh, looks like someone is having fun tonight,” Jun grinned. General Ling snorted in derision, turning on his heal and stalking out of the tavern.
Jun laughed. “This is going to be fun,” she said to no one in particular.