The Down and Out was starting to fill up rather nicely, an assortment of all shapes and sizes coming through the doors of the pub and it wasn't all low life poor vagabonds either. No there were some people of noticeable looking reputation coming in. Weren't exactly the billionaire type, but certainly they had found their calling in life, per-say. Made you wonder why they'd pick a place like this over the more fancier places down the main streets of Aule Trade Hub. Could be the fact that there was little to no security here. Sure everyone drinking here was probably packing a blaster of some sort and Mani most certainly had a weapon of some variety stashed under the bartop, but there were no security scanners, no bodyguards and no ID checkpoints. No, here at the Down and Out, you could walk inside, ask for a drink and get one. Sure, you needed to be old enough, but that was about it really.

As Mani, the bald barkeep, went off to serve other customers who had arrived, Ruce placed both hands onto the bartop and leaned forth over the bar to quickly snatch a pack of potato chips from a box full of them under it. Sitting back down and swiftly rotating 180 degrees on his stool with an oil-lacking squeak, the scruffy man opened the bag and started to munch down on them, giving the person sitting next to him a wide, potato chip filled grin when they had clearly seen what he had done. This resulted in a roll of the eyes and a 'tsk' being muttered. Looking back ahead of himself and stuffing another fistful of chips down his throat, Ruce blinked when his view of the bar was blocked by rather sturdy looking piece of chest armour. The accompanying voice to the armour made the brunette grumble and slouch his shoulders. He glanced up to their face but couldn't see anything below the eyes from this angle. Squeaking his stool around slightly so he could reach for his drink, Ruce took a swig followed by another handful of chips.
[color=007236]”Look, I'm tired an' hungry, so at least lemme finish me chips before we fight, okay?”[/color], Ruce said, taking a tiny sip of his drink now followed by eating his chips one by one, closing his eyes and holding his nose up, pretending to be a noble.

The second comment from the armoured individual caused Benner to open one eye as a confused expression spread across his face. [color=007236][i]I recognize that voice...[/i][/color], he thought to himself. Opening both eyes and looking down to the hand of the man blocking his view, Ruce glanced at the sword he gripped before looking back up at the individuals face. There was only one person the scruffy man knew who used a melee weapon over a blaster or any other type of firearm in this day and age. What the heck was Sky doing here of all places? Had his luck finally run out as well? Raising up his hand that wasn't holding onto his bag of chips and pointing a finger towards the ceiling, the scruffy brunette went to speak when a voice from across the bar caught his attention. He glanced over his shoulder to spy an azure-haired woman sitting a few stools away, engaging in conversation with Mani. She looked pissed. The barkeep seemed to know her, which was interesting. Actually, it wasn't. Mani seemed to know pretty much everyone that lived in Aule Trade Hub. When the pair finished their conversation, Ruce frowned as he lost sight of the azure-haired woman in the sea of bodies that was still arriving.

Benner squeaked his stool around back towards the bar where he finished his chips and crumpled the bag up into a ball, tossing it onto the bartop. Getting Mani's attention with a wild arm wave and a couple shouts of 'Oi baldy!', the barkeep approached and frowned at the name caller.
[color=red]”I've got customers Benner, what do you want?”[/color], he asked, sounding a trifle displeased at the 'baldy' name. Ruce beamed a grin at the barkeep and raised his right hand, flicking a thumb over his shoulder in the rough direction the azure-haired woman went.
[color=007236]”Whose tha' blue-'aired chick?”[/color], Benner asked with a quick glance over his shoulder to try and spot her again, but failed to do so.
[color=red]”Just someone else down on their luck. Go find out for yourself, I'm not at liberty to say.”[/color]
[color=007236]”Not at liberty to say? Yeah right, yer tha' most dishonourable one in 'ere with tha' face.”[/color]
[color=red]”When'd you buy those potato chips?”[/color], Mani asked with a frustrated huff.
Ruce blinked, paused for a second, then snatched the empty chip back from the bartop, squeaked his stool around and tucked the bag into the folds of Sky's armour, before squeaking back and smiling innocently at the bald barkeep. [color=007236]”Wha' chips?”[/color], he asked with a wide-eyed smile. Mani frowned hard and shook his head, going back to his other customers. Benner took his drink and span about in his stool, standing up and crashing into Sky who was still standing there. Flopping back down onto his seat, Ruce grumbled and looked back up at the mercenary. [color=007236]”I'm workin' on it! Go tell yer boss he'll 'ave his money by tha' end o' tha' week, alright?”[/color]