(Collab with [@MrDidact] and [@AtomicNut])

It had been a relatively normal day for Layali. Well, whatever counted as normal in the last couple of months. It seemed that even in a depraved place like the one she found herself, one could get used to things happening a certain way. She wasn't the most buxom nor the most alluring of women here, but even she knew to expect at least one or two swarthy pirates a day. It was rather a disgusting affair, and certainly not how she ever thought her virtue would leave her. She supposed her mother and father would be appalled, but she usually pushed the thought of them to a far corner of her mind which she didn't visit very often.

So, having serviced two men already, Layali was keeping a low profile, giving drinks where they were needed to men with prostitutes already on their laps or flanking their sides. As she did her usual rounds, she noticed that there were some people here she had never seen before. Her curiousity was piqued and she lingered, watching, wondering who they might be. There was one she noted whom Lira seemed to pay attention to. Was there some familiarity between the two? It didn't quite make a difference to her,  of course, but something seemed fishy. The feeling only intensified later when more entered the brothel, among them a couple of women as well. It wasn't odd for female pirates to come along and have a little fun of their own, but none of the newcomers seemed particularly interested in what the pirate den offered, unlike those from before.

She  was curious, that was for sure. It was hard to continue work as normal while her mind kept running around in circles. What if she followed after the ones who just left? Perhaps sneak onto their ship and hide in the hold? Anything to get away from this place was welcome. Yes, that was the way to go. Bidding her time, Layali slipped away from the crowd, heading to the room where she slept with some of the other prostitutes. There was little privacy in such a life, and every time she entered the musty suffocating room, she was unwillingly reminded of what she left back in Meereen.

"No time for that," she reminded herself, heading over not to her pallet but the far wall in the room. Crouching down, she grasped at one of the loose stones in the wall, pulling it out. Reaching inside with one hand, she grabbed at a small pouch filled with coin. A smirk came over her face. Lucky for her none of the dunderheads bothered to pay too much attention here, instead searching her pallet for stray coins she may have received as a tip. Her hand reached in once more, a little further. The smirked widened as she felt the sling she had made.

Once both were tucked safely away under her tunic, she headed out of the room. [i]Stay calm and cool,[/i] she reminded herself, though inwardly panicking when she saw one of the girls looking at her with narrowed eyes. "What're you bloody looking at," she muttered under her breath. She hurried forward though not for long, coming to a stop when she accidentally bumped into someone. 

"Apologies..." She looked down, trying to seem coy. Her eyes caught sight of a money bag. She wasn't a natural thief, though her eyes remained a little too long perhaps, because before she knew it her wrist was caught in a tight grip. "H-hey!" She looked up to see a woman looking back at her with a narrowed gaze. 

"Hope you weren't planning on stealin' my coin." Taria's voice was mild, but her eyes were firm.

Visenya, sitting down at table and nursing a mug of ale, took note of the confrontation and said, "Easy on the local, she could just be passing by." She eyed the woman with her cool violet gaze, "That is I hope you had innocent designs. If not, then we may have a problem miss. Who are you? What is your aim?" 

Taria cast a glance in Visenya's way, a little disgruntled, but then nodded. She supposed it was only normal for a prostitute to cast an eye wherever there was money; she'd seen her mother at it when she was a child.

"Me? Uh..." Layali blinked in the direction of the woman with violet eyes. "I'm just... passing by, yes." Her eyes shifted to and fro between the two women before she shuffled in the direction of lady by the table. "I don't have an aim besides getting away from here." There wasn't much of a point hiding that fact, seeing she'd been dumped here unwillingly on her part. "I never wanted to be here." She shrugged before smiling. "Anything else?"

Visenya mulled it over for a moment, before an idea sprouted in her head, "You want away is it? Well it could be that I have a use for you. Do you know anything of the Scorpions? The rebels?" 

"The rebels?" Layali's hopes had risen only to fall short again. "I don't know much. It's not like they come here to talk to me. I give them what they want and they go." She chewed on a fingernail momentarily before speaking once more. "I- I could learn more though! Anything to get me out of here."

Visenya hid a smile behind a thoughtful hand clasped over her mouth. This Layali could prove useful, "So the Scorpions are familiar with your face? They are content being alone in your presence. Interesting. I might have a job for you Layali. It may be dangerous, and you may have to shed blood. But it pays well. And if you do the job well, then I shall guarantee your escape from this place." 

It didn't take more than a couple of moments before the Meereenese nodded. She should have probably felt scared, but the prospect of leaving this place was too sweet a prospect to forgo. "I'll do it," she promised, trying to tone down the eagerness in her voice, though she did a bad job of it. "Er, what do I have to do?" 

Visenya suddenly took Layali into her lap, laughing as if she were a customer looking for entertainment and leaning into her, quietly whispering, "A man of ours has been taken by Big Cap. We want to know where he is. I can send you to the Maiden's Men and there you can... ingratiate yourselves to the sellswords. Find our man, Arak, get out and report to me everything you see. Then we can pay you a bag of silver and take you with us out of here." 

[i]Big Cap?[/i] Layali couldn't help stiffening at the name, gulping slightly. She opened her mouth to say something but stopped herself, deciding to think for once instead of letting words spill loose. It wouldn't be too difficult, to be sure... but what if she was discovered? [i]Think of the freedom.[/i] What would be the worse that could happen if she was caught anyways?

"Alright," she replied, tone a little less eager than before. "I'll... I'll do my best."

Visenya nodded, covertly slipping her a small dagger, "In case of an emergency. We're familiar with Lira, perhaps she is a friend of yours? Tell her the same offer stands for her, perhaps she can help you. Two eyes are better than one, and it would give you more freedom to act." 

Layali easily tucked the dagger away under her tunic, as she had with her money bag and sling. "Yes, I know her," she replied to Visenya, giving her a nod. "She seemed to know one of the fellows who came earlier." Her bottom lip stuck out as she recalled all the ruckus that had taken place. "Fine. I'll ask her as well." There was safety in numbers after all. "Uh..." Her voice trailed uncertainly before she continued. "Who are you people anyway?"

The bastard princess mulled it over for a moment, considering what she should tell the other woman before finally saying, "Suffice to say that we are working to stop this rebellion. On behalf of the Crown. If you help us, the rewards will be great. But say nothing of this association to the rebels, or it will go poorly for you. Do you agree?" 

"I won't say a word, promise." Layali nodded, still a little stunned by the admission. They were here on behalf of the Crown? Did that mean if she left here with them, she could finally see the Queen? Even if it wasn't in person, even if it was just from far away... "I'll do as you ask, I'll get all the information I can."

Visenya nodded, satisfied, "Go see to Lira, and leave now for Big Cap's. Take an hour or two, then report back here. We'll take you along then." 

Layali nodded, the look on her face quickly shifting to a flirtatious smile as she gave Visenya a hug, pressing herself against the other woman for a good moment before slipping off her lap. "I hope to see you again," she purred as she slowly moved back and turned away. Her heart was beating fast as she headed further in the tavern rather than the exit as she had planned earlier. The Gods had finally sent a boon her way and she had to avail it. [i]Now to find Lira...[/i]

Finishing picking up her clothes, Lira just eyed the door of the room quizzically. Who were those people exactly? It was clear that Seran was under orders of them, but they seemed far too... refined for the average scoundrel of the islands. Perhaps they were former fallen Lyseni nobles aswell? But it wasn't her turn to ask too many questions. In places like these, surviving was far more important than knowledge. One thing was clear, whatever Seran was working on, it clearly was not on the pirate's side, after watching Goldbeard being hauled away. 

"Lira." Layali had made her way up to the room where she guessed the girl had gone to with the other man. She paused at the door for a moment before shrugging and pushing it open, stepping inside. When she saw that it was indeed Lira inside, she quickly closed the door and headed over. "Lira, we have to go to Big Cap's place. Something's- someone's... we have the potential to get a whole lot of coin and a way out of here." She paused a moment before hurriedly explaining to her what Visenya had told her. "We just have to get information, see if that man... Arak is there. One person alone would be hard, but two of us... well we can get it done. I believe so."

Lira stood for a moment, thoughtful. "We could die you know. These...pirates won't hesitate to kill for the pettiest of reasons." Lira added, as an afterthought. Her mind reminisced about Seran and Vyseris. "Still... maybe death is better than being here." She gave an acquiescing nod. "Those Lyseni..."

Wait. She was Lyseni too, and she had never seen them. Seran wasn't too familiar with them either. Were they truly Lyseni? "Layali. Who did you say they were working for?".

Layali's gaze shifted to the side. She hadn't mentioned, in fact, because she wasn't sure if she should, at least not until she had confirmation that Lira was actually coming with her. "First tell me if you're coming or not," she said, sounding insistant.

"You are the one requesting for help, and yet you're the demanding one?" Lira added, her eyebrow rising. "Very well. I shall go with you. I was going to nag Seran about getting me out of here. That fool... he always had a soft spot for me after all."

"I had to be sure," Layali muttered, letting out a breath. "Otherwise it could go bad for me. She told me that they're working for the Crown... so you see why I have to be careful, yes?" She chewed on the inside of her lip before continuing. "Sorry. I do really need your help. You're... er, better at it, you know..." She waved her hand in a vague fashion.

"Well, I once was young and scrawny too." Lira said. "This explains why Seran is so... compliant. Enough to seduce a man even if he does not like it." She added. But something was nagging in her mind. Something really really important. And then it struck, like a revelation. Lira's eyes opened while, as she clutched Layali's shoulders, tightly, her face leveled against her.

"Layali..." she whispered. "They're not working for the crown. I think..."

"...they [i]are[/i] the crown." She whispered in her ear.

"Huh? Why would you say that?" Layali was looking a little dumbfounded now. "Did they say something to you?" She knew that Lira had been with the one man, but she wasn't sure if she'd been with any of the others, as her own mind was preoccupied. 

"They may look Lyseni... but their accent is different from any Essosi." She added. "That and I doubt Seran would be so pliable to anyone from Lys. We are a mistrustful lot."

It was a lot for the young Meereenese to take in at once. She let out a breath before nodding. If it was so, then all the more to go with this task she was given. "Let's get going then," she told Lira, jerking a thumb in the direction of the door. "Leaving for Big Cap's shouldn't be a big deal."

Lira just smiled and nodded, but she couldn't adding a final touch as a revenge for Layali's pushiness, as she started to walk exaggerating her hip sway, while looking back at the young woman with a smirk on her face.

Layali let out a small huff but reckoned she deserved it. She lifted her shoulders in a sheepish shrug before following along. Her mind was crowded with thoughts of danger and glory, but most of all, getting out of this place. Now that she had an actual chance of leaving the brothel, the idea of doing nothing was abhorent.