The young waitress Bri could barely contain her surprise as she eyed the chipper. She shifted her gaze to Tau, eyebrow raised, but she held her tongue. She left to get their drinks. While she was gone, shouting could be heard coming from the kitchen.

Tau remained silent, fidgety, until after the drinks had arrived. Bri had brought Titan a fruit-flavored ice-blended cocktail of some sort, and Tau a dark, flat ale. Picking up her mug, without even taking a breath, she downed the entire drink within about three gulps, before Bri had a chance to leave. Looking unsurprised, Bri again left to refill the large glass.

[color=gray][b]"Defend myself?"[/b][/color] Tau looked at him suspiciously. [color=gray][b]"My line of work generally doesn't require me to."[/b][/color] She fell silent once again as Bri dropped off her second drink. She was once again waved off. Tau sipped this one. [color=gray][b]"I'm just a runner, man. I don't fight people. That card doesn't even contact me. If you send a message it goes to Freedom, who sends the order to the Contractors, and then I'm given the item to deliver once someone else deals with it."[/b][/color] She shrugged. [color=gray][b]"It's not a glamorous job but it's good and easy money. I don't ask questions and I've never-- [i]NEVER[/i]-- had a problem. Until today. But I guess that was minor, all things considered."[/b][/color]

She checked the time on her wrist. A couple hours yet until her shift started. Her gaze shifted to the cage in the middle of the floor, set high atop a platform, surrounded by tables and chairs. She was not looking forward to a turn in the box.