Croaks noted that if nothing else, Nina was trying to assure him of how nothing was useless in her trade. Well good luck to her then. Figures why he or Ribby hadn't become info brokers. He hadn't the patience, and Ribby had that reluctance to throw oneself into things. And hell, if the comparison or ideal was Nina's aptitude, then he wasn't having that either. So nope, that wouldn't be a business to consider if the whole gang thing went under thanks to this crop bullshit and they still had their lives after that. Which alone was enough of a stretch that it actually wasn't all that worth to think of. Croaks dropped the subject there.

But as for information gathering, Nina did seem to have picked up on what the pickpocket had tried, especially so considering she confirmed her own suspicions when the man flew down. Croaks spat after him for good measure. "Some people just don't know their place", Croaks commented on her musings on whether it was sensible at all that a pickpocket would aim for him. "He's either new around these parts, which wouldn't surprise me with how bad he was, or he thinks he can get one good target a week to get along. Forgetting that good targets might kick his ass for his troubles, used to it and all. And look at him, just a gentle reminder given. Nothing ridiculous, am I right?"

Then there was the whole talk about upper levels, how she had more regular access to those, figures, some favours for smuggling being pulled for that and… then came the other part. How he would stick out up there. Croaks slowly turned his attention from their surroundings to her, making eye contact if she was to look his way still. "You figure?" he asked with an almost offended tone. "Anything past level two really is a whole another deal, like I said. Been to three once, same trip got me to four. I'd rather not go back there ever, they'll probably shoot on sight too, but there was money I had to make. Good money too. Got me an' Ribby to business. But that's a story for some other time. We ain't got time as things are." And that much was true. The story would take the better part of an hour, and they'd be on the checkpoint to three long before that. Besides, saying no offence after going after someone like that was just wimp talk. Owe up to what you said. You wanna question the attire of the boss, that's your trouble. Not something two words can get you out of, one of which barely even a word.

But moving on from that subject, they indeed had a bit of a meet-up with the security detail of the upper level. Croaks was asked to wait, and wait he did, leaning against a wall a bit further down the stairs, waiting for the signal for him to climb up. The gangster had crossed his arms, and probably made an impression that wouldn't soon leave the pair of people that had come in the same checkpoint after Nina and him. Probably a couple by the looks of things. The man had looked nervous at first, but as soon as he'd noted his girl eyeing the muscles belonging to the bigger guy, he'd gone on some sort of show off gear, trying to puff himself out and in general yammering something that went right in from one ear and out of the other. Croaks wasn't listening to a word before he felt a kick at his reinforced boot and turned to look down at the guy who was a head and a neck shorter than him. "Piss off", was all that he had to say before he was freed from the waiting, leaving the man to wave his fist after him. Nah, he was too busy going fuck knows where with the info broker for fuck knows why. Oh yeah, he wanted to get on her good side, to get something out of the deal he might otherwise miss.

His approach was met with a disapproving look and a gesture to keep the gun on his back, not in hand. And as for the disapproval, it soon continued to words. That Nina shouldn't hang about with people like him. Croaks stopped at the line drawn on the ground where people were supposed to, and pulled his hands out of his pockets where he'd placed them for the duration of the approach. He showed both sides of them. Empty. "So who's this guy then? Output of yours, or a would be one at least?" Croaks belittled the security guard in return. "Look see, you don't want women around people like me. But you get what she is? An info broker. You think that trade gets you anywhere if you don't go to seedier parts of town? And haven't we met anyway? Croaks, amphibians. Got my card in my back pocket 'f you need to id. Or anyone to dive into that river for contraband. Like that one stash of stun 'nades that one time." That was as far as he would be throwing jabs and hooks, but he wasn't one to just take insults without returning fire. Not to start with, not to let the other guy get in the last word. But the check itself would go by the book, if Eric wasn't going to try and mix things up out of spite.

[@13org]