(Hogshead) A quiet drink

[Jake Gobien]

A wanted man slipping into his local pub for a quiet drink was never going to end well was it? Especially not where Jake Gobien was concerned; trouble just followed him everywhere. At first he wasn't noticed as he kept his scarf wrapped tightly about his throat, then had a wide brimmed hat to pull down over his head. Of course a pretty waitress had immediately asked if she could take his coat; how could he refuse a beautiful purring voice? So he'd handed over his hat and scarf rather than divest himself of his coat, for he had objects within it that would doubtless prove needed hear; money for one and a knife for the other.

Immediately he'd lept upon a bar stool, stealing from a man who'd just fled to the toilet to puke his guts out as he'd drank far too much. Ordering a glass of champagne, for the simple reason that he felt like celebrating his being alive. Plus he'd come into a little money, from a certain profitable business transaction.

Settling back with a pint glass full of champagne Jake began sipping at it, feeling the effects of the alcohol almost instantaneously, it always did go straight to his head. Unlike spirits and beers which he could drink pints of before feeling any real affect, champagne went right to his head; perhaps that was why he'd ordered it. After a few minutes just drinking and absorbing the atmosphere Gobien refilled his glass with the remenants of the bottle, toasting the barkeeper with a laugh, "to the downfall of all corrupt organisations," he whispered to him. The man's face changing was a picture, then it went deathly pale as he pointed behind Gobien. Giving an exasperated look Gobien acted instantly dropping his glass, which shattered upon the floor, and driving his elbow straight back behind him. The whoosh of air and grunt showed he'd connected. Spinning on the stool Gobien kicked out knocking the drawn wand from the man's grasp, another swift kick sent him toppling to the stone flagons beneath.

Jumping off the stool Gobien grabbed a hold of it's legs then abruptly ended the fight by bringing it crashing down upon the man's skull. He'd been struggling to rise but now crumpled to the floor unconcious. With a smile upon his face Gobien looked about at the startled occupants, "I owed him a little money," he explained with a shrug, "didn't feel like paying yet." As if that was ordinary happenstance everyone turned back to their drinks, mainly because they were used to a bit of a raucous. Some recognised the fallen man as a Ministry Official, but his disturbing their precious drinking time every night mean they cared not a jot. They believed he'd only got what was coming to him, and besides they didn't want in on any fishy business, best to steer well clear of trouble.

Turning back to the bar Gobien smirked at the innkeeper then proceeded to order another. "They'll turn up later,"the burly man whispered as he set down a firewhiskey, "that's on the house."
Chuckling Gobien pocketed his cash, that man appearing had been a blessing then, "cheers," he cried relaxing again.

[mayella]

Ah, well. A girl just couldn't get away from trouble, could she? Tired of her ministry job and all of the trouble that came with it, May had taken a few days off. She went to Hogsmeade for a while, thinking she could see her brother and other friends that worked the shops. Sitting in the Three Broomsticks, she ordered gin and tonic and by now she was on her third glass. Drinking away her problems was only a temporary fix, but a small fix it was. Hearing the man to her side mention something about corrupted organizations she instantly knew he was one of the Rogues she was supposed to take out. As if she would do that, they were people too. "Here, here." She said, for she was thoroughly fed up with the ministry but she loved her job.

May believed what she heard about the Ministry, but being inside it she knew that not all of them followed Dietrich to the T, some not at all. Swirling her drink a bit she took another sip. She spotted the look of the bartender and recognized the man after the rogue. Just to keep her public view of still supporting the ministry, she pretended that she would back him up. She watched as the Rogue took him down with little or no effort and then went back to her own business.

"I don't appreciate you dragging more ministry people here; clearly I'm trying to keep a low profile." May snapped under her breath to the man. Mayella was in a bad mood, and she wasn't going to let some troublemaker get her knee-high in her own troubles.

[blah, It’s early here so it sucks.]

[Jake Gobien]

On hearing a few people congratulate him Gobien smiled, maybe things were looking up for the people, perhaps they were beginning to realise just how corrupt their governing body was, especially the head. Casting such thoughts of that damnable woman from his mind Gobien felt a pat upon his back from a young man who bobbed about in excitement, "just like to say hitting him with that chair was...awesome," he breathed with a huge grin, either he'd had too much to drink or he always looked ludicrously happy to be alive. No Gobien was putting his own circumstances upon him, the boy was just exciteable, probably the first bit of decent violence he'd seen, and hopefully the last thought Gobien.

As the prone officials body was quite uncermoniously dragged from the pub by the single large bouncer Gobien sipped at the firewhiskey savouring it's strong taste of alcohol. Hearing mutters behind him he knew not everyone was happy with his antics but he was definitely used to that. Besides pub talk rarely went too far, he thought knowing the irony.

Suddenly a sharp voice shattered his thoughts, so she thought like that did she? With a smile he set down his drink slowly, then turned to the young lady before him, "a thousand apologies," he nodded curtly to her, then slid a drink a fresh drink her way, "that'll more than make up for it I'm sure," firewhiskey's were potent and she didn't look like she'd have the largest metabolism in the world. Gobien smirked, she really was quite a beauty, but was she one of those who knew she was or not, that was the question.
"Are the Ministry arresting beauties these days?" He asked dryly relatively subtly giving her a compliment and showing his disdain for the Ministry as a body, rather than the actual individuals. He would have slid across to sit beside her, just for the company, but he guessed she'd spurn the offer.
"But I'll ask you no questions," he added, people who wished to maintain a low profile wouldn't take kindly to his prying even if it was tantalizing to. Maybe they even shared something in common, she didnt look like a Rogue though. "Being alone is more conspicuous though," he finished with a grin, he just couldn't resist the tempation of the flirtation was too great, for he flirted by nature and meant no harm nor even seriousness by it.

[mayella]

Mayella rolled her eyes as the man just seemed to show off to the pub. How barbaric, boasting about knocking someone out with a simple chair. She did enjoy the fact that it was not-so secret how the ministry needed something done about it and soon. May just hoped to be keeping her Ministry position on the down-low until then.

At least he has manners or relatively polite manners, since giving a woman a heavy drink didn’t seem to count under that category. Firewhiskey was not something May took to too well, but she wasn’t going to decline a free drink. “You could say that I’m trapped in the hands of the Ministry.” She said rather vaguely, smirking at his beauty comment. It bothered May when people tried to inflate her ego with compliments, but she’d let it slide with the stranger. “That is true.” She thought for a moment before scooting over to sit next to the stranger. He seemed to be worthy of a little trust, and even if he wasn’t May had her wand at easy access.

“I don’t believe I caught your name, my own is Mayella Reed.” She said, knowing that there wasn’t much behind her name that she would need to conceal it from strangers. May mostly wanted to know if she had heard of this Rogue among the more gossip-inclined ministry workers.

[Jake Gobien]

(ooc don't remember Gobien boasting and showing off there but meh)

Gobien's curiousity was aroused by the young lady's first comment, trapped eh? "I don't believe many are truly trapped in life," I won't take that as an excuse if she's Ministry he thought grimly, but keeping his face straight and happy. He genuinely smiled when she moved across, though if she thought she was going to get free drinks all night she was sadly mistaken, he needed the money to buy a certain something, a certain illegal something, otherwise he'd have been sublimely happy to wile away the hours chatting and drinking a little.

Naturally the swapping of names came next, but Gobien was already prepared for it, "Jim Harvey," he supplied promptly having used the name before, some within the pub would even know him as that. She'd probably see through the facade but it only had to last for a night, the drop would be happening soon anyway. As he drank he pondered to see if he could recall the name at all, he didn't recognise it, but that didn't mean she wasn't Ministry still, he just had to be a little careful was all.

"So Mayella I'd ask why you're here, but I don't rightly expect an answer to it. What did you make of the Chudley Cannons crushing vicory over the Kenmare Kestrels?" A Rogue wouldn't know of that, only Gobien was well informed, his informants tended to ramble on about all sorts, it was a challenge to extract the actual useful information. It was a good conversation starter, he was curious as to why she wanted to keep a low profile though. He'd have to find out a little more somehow, it'd be tricky he didn't think her tongue would loosen easily.

[mayella]

[ first paragraph. even if it was unintentional, we're all entitled to our opinons, aye? ]

May knew that a simple-minded rogue couldn’t understand the complexity that was Mayella Reed. She didn’t even understand herself sometimes, now would be one of those times when she was sitting in a bar talking to a rogue. She shrugged a bit at his comment. “Believe what you wish.” Taking a sip of the drink he gave her, she carefully tasted it to detect if anything unusually was added. This was usual protocol since she found that being labeled as ministry was more dangerous than usual.

May tried to keep her countenance from revealing her irritated amusement. If someone was going to take on a fake name, taking on that of a famous muggle would not be very convincing to people. Mayella grinned at the mention of the game. “I was there! It was simply spectacular, though I did lose a good bit of money in bets.” She frowned remembering that she needed to make up that paycheck. “I was sure that the Kestrels were going to kick the Canons sorry arses, too.” Games and sports were May’s specialty of course, since that’s what she devoted herself to. After it hit her a few seconds later, she calmed down a bit more. It was almost too ironic that he would bring up that topic considering it was what she did, May became a little more suspicious of ‘Jim’.

[Jake Gobien]

Wathcing the young lady with an amused expression he wondered how her mind was working overtime, what she was thinking exactly. But he had no idea of ever knowing unless she told him, of course she'd doubtless lie like he was having to. The difference was he had to lie, whereas he somehow doubted she really had such a pressing need as he.
"Rarely can my beliefs be swayed," he commented truthfully, the Ministry had tried and failed utterly, only those he cared for had any real infuence over him, his morals and values had been isntilled at birth but had changed slightly overtime given his circumstances, yet they were still intrinsinct to who he was. They were his basis still.

Her enthusiasm was extreme at the game, either she was an avid sports fan or she reported the events, he always had to check for the darkest reason though, she could even be a Ministry worker in the Magical Games and Sports department, he'd met many of them and they'd all shared such infectious enthusiasm for wizarding games, some had been utterly immersed in their jobs and had been able to accurately guess, soem would say forecast who would win what game. He'd always found that amusing the way people squandered their money on bets rarely receiving any return. They had to have plenty of cash in the first place if they could afford to continue such an expensive hobby. Good wages were offered by the Ministry, again he found himself deeply mistrusting of her; he had to be for his own safety.

"Maybe it was just bad luck that they lost?" He supplied his guess, not much caring if they'd lost at all, he had far more important things to worry about, rather than games.

[mayella]

May took another cautious sip of her drink before she set it down and stared at him. She pursed her lips in thought before she made her next comment."That's a good aspect to have, for a fickle heart has no path." She scowled a bit, a facial expression that she had never used until her ministry days. There were days where she found that she had little control over it and she scowled out of natural habit. Ministry changed people, and it made her simply sick. She didn't sign up to be hated by the world, she signed up to get to do what she loved in the field of games.

"Luck, destiny, divine retribution? I really doubt that beliefs like that have a place in the world of sport." She scoffed at that idea, sports were more scientifically based than just luck. They had basis on skill and body composition; the only reason the worst teams beat the best were because they were too arrogant, not because they were lucky. "Ah, I think it was more of just a bad call on my part. Found out a while later that their best beater wasn't going to play that day." May continued to scrutinize the man. Her trust for him was minuscule in comparison to her suspicions. What was stopping him from taking her out like he did the other ministry man? Was he unsure of which side she stood on, or did he have a shred of gentlemen left in that rogue shell and knew better than to attack a lady?