Yes she does

{if Rosa Met = true} As Alice navigated the maze of tables, she felt the occasional hand brush against her waist and butt, quick and fleeting. Every time she turned to catch the culprit, they've already made a retreat. Eventually, she got herself all the way up to the bar, where gruff, dark skinned man was wiping away at some dirty cups with an equally dirty rag. She had already scanned the crowd earlier, and couldn't find her man, so hopefully he can be of help.

"Good afternoon," she began, receiving only a grunt in acknowledgement. Annoyed but not discouraged, she pressed on. "I'm looking for someone in this fine establishment of yours. An Easterner named Crow?"

The stoic barkeep pointed to the back, a section of the tavern Alice hadn't noticed at first, tucked away behind a corner as it was. She couldn't see anyone sitting in there, thanks to the alcove obstructing her vision, but it made sense for an assassin to be away from others. She nodded and tipped the bartender in thanks, turning to head there, but was stopped when she heard the man speak.

"I'd be careful if I were you lass. That man is dangerous," the barkeeper rumbled in his deep voice. "I don't know what business you have with him, but I've seen his type before. You can't control him."

"I appreciate the warning my friend," Alice replied coolly without stopping, determined more than ever to meet this enigma. "But that's precisely why I need him. If he is a loose cannon, then all I need to do is to point him in the right direction."

With those parting words, the princess once again pushes past the crowded tavern, and the further she goes, the rowdier it is. Waitresses dressed in their skimpy uniforms run about, doing their business, endearing themselves to their customers by allowing for certain liberties to be taken. More than once she saw coins get stuffed down their cleavage or into their skirts, and they weren't even gold coins either. Perhaps it is desperation that drives both ends of the interaction, desperation for companionship and desperation for riches. Hopefully, she won't have to return here any time soon. Seeing the citizens of her kingdom driven to such a brink leaves a bad taste in her mouth.

The little alcove is empty, but a cup of half finished ale tells Alice that someone was just here recently. Presumably, he'll be back to finish the other half, so she takes her seat next to the window, relishing in how quiet it was here. It felt like the chaotic environment just beyond the corner was another world entirely.

"So, you're the client then?" She hears, and upon whirling around, she sees a man sitting right beside her, trapping in her seat between himself and the window. As described by Katherine, his hair was colored like ink, and he had the soft features that Easterners were well known for. A slender build, befitting an assassin, with plain, nondescript clothes that would allow him to blend in amongst civilians.

Getting over her initial surprise, Alice didn't even bother asking how he snuck up on her. Trade secret, she assumed. "So, you're Crow?" She asked, already knowing the answer. "Because I am indeed your client. A prospective client, more specifically, pending a discussion about your rates and your skillset."

"Crow?" He asked, a hint of confusion before clarity strikes. "Ah, I see. Your maid might not have gotten my name right. It's Kuro. Anyways, as far as my skillset goes, I specialize in infiltration, but I'm also a capable poisoner and thief, if those are what you need. Rates are decided on a case by case basis."

"My apologies about your name," Alice said, "It seems the barkeep knew you by that title too, so perhaps we here just don't associate with the East very much. As far as potential jobs... How much would you charge if I was to ask you to hypothetically ask you to kill a crown prince?"

The man's left eyebrow shot straight up at the mention of potential regicide, and Alice can see a small gleam of excitement in his eyes as well. "For Jamis or Del? 4000 gold. Blake? 2000 gold. The former two are better protected and have bodyguards around them at all times."

{If@ Church Secret = true} "I see. How about an investigation into the church's activities. No killing, just a quick in-and-out to see what you can uncover, because apparently they're harboring a massive secret of some kind," Alice suggests. Having a professional investigate this matter would be much safer than doing it herself.

"In that case... 500 gold. I don't think there's much risk to my life, and gathering information is far easier than offing someone," he replied, not looking too enthused. Perhaps he liked the idea of killing better? A troublesome thought for Alice, but she didn't verbalize it. {endif}

"I see, that makes sense," Alice murmured, running calculations in her head. 4000 gold was a king's ransom, and paying that twice was practically impossible. She'd have to ransack the treasury to be able to afford it, and even then it might not cover it all. There was no need to be too hasty with this decision. Her father is still alive, the coronation is still far. Best she hold off and consider other avenues of attack for now, instead of drawing attention to herself.

"How about important government figures? Arch-bishop Currell or general Kurtis?" Alice suggested next, curious to see his prices. They weren't high priority, but removing them could throw a wrench into Del's well laid plans. {if@ **** = true} Plus, that bastard Currell had **** her. Just for that, she wanted him dead. {endif}

"Those two? I'd say 1000 gold for either," he replied, working out the math in his head. "They've got some security, but not too much. Shouldn't be too difficult."

1000 gold was affordable. Not easily, of course, but doable. Perhaps that could be something to look into... But first, she needed to test his skills, because if he was captured and her name spilled out of his lips, then all hope was gone. She had to be sure he was capable...But how?

{else}As she crossed the street, Alice pushed past the multitude of prostitutes, displaying absolutely no interest interest in their garish makeup and outlandish attire. Some were more attractive than others, and a particularly striking redhead stood out from the rest, but they were important enough to warrant a second glance. Leaving them to their business, she stepped into the tavern, making sure her hood covered her face adequately. The inside was as chaotic as she imagined, and filled with sounds of chattering, glasses clinking, and the hurried footsteps of the waitresses as they ran about trying to fulfill orders.

Even with her hood up though, her leather attire more than accentuated her curves, making her feminine graces obvious. As she navigated the maze of tables, she felt the occasional hand brush against her waist and butt, quick and fleeting. Every time she turned to catch the culprit, they've already made a retreat. Eventually, she got herself all the way up to the bar, where gruff, dark skinned man was wiping away at some dirty cups with an equally dirty rag. First, Alice the crowd, curious to see if this Crow was amongst the guests. Well, he was an assassin after all, so she doubted he'd be able to find him so easily. Plus, Katherine didn't really give a good description. All she knew was that the man was from the far East, so he's likely to have dark hair and fair skin. After not seeing anyone fit that description, she turns to the barkeeper.

"Good afternoon," she began, receiving only a grunt in acknowledgement. Annoyed but not discouraged, she pressed on. "I'm looking for someone in this fine establishment of yours. An Easterner named Crow?"

The stoic barkeep pointed to the back, a section of the tavern Alice hadn't noticed at first, tucked away behind a corner as it was. She couldn't see anyone sitting in there, thanks to the alcove obstructing her vision, but it made sense for an assassin to be away from others. She nodded and tipped the bartender in thanks, turning to head there, but was stopped when she heard the man speak.

"I'd be careful if I were you lass. That man is dangerous," the barkeeper rumbled in his deep voice. "I don't know what business you have with him, but I've seen his type before. You can't control him."

"I appreciate the warning my friend," Alice replied coolly without stopping, determined more than ever to meet this enigma. "But that's precisely why I need him. If he is a loose cannon, then all I need to do is to point him in the right direction."

With those parting words, the princess once again pushes past the crowded tavern, and the further she goes, the rowdier it is. Waitresses dressed in their skimpy uniforms run about, doing their business, endearing themselves to their customers by allowing for certain liberties to be taken. More than once she saw coins get stuffed down their cleavage or into their skirts, and they weren't even gold coins either. Perhaps it is desperation that drives both ends of the interaction, desperation for companionship and desperation for riches. Hopefully, she won't have to return here any time soon. Seeing the citizens of her kingdom driven to such a brink leaves a bad taste in her mouth.

The little alcove is empty, but a cup of half finished ale tells Alice that someone was just here recently. Presumably, he'll be back to finish the other half, so she takes her seat next to the window, relishing in how quiet it was here. It felt like the chaotic environment just beyond the corner was another world entirely.

"So, you're the client then?" She hears, and upon whirling around, she sees a man sitting right beside her, trapping in her seat between himself and the window. As described by Katherine, his hair was colored like ink, and he had the soft features that Easterners were well known for. A slender build, befitting an assassin, with plain, nondescript clothes that would allow him to blend in amongst civilians.

Getting over her initial surprise, Alice didn't even bother asking how he snuck up on her. Trade secret, she assumed. "So, you're Crow?" She asked, already knowing the answer. "Because I am indeed your client. A prospective client, more specifically, pending a discussion about your rates and your skillset."

"Crow?" He asked, a hint of confusion before clarity strikes. "Ah, I see. Your maid might not have gotten my name right. It's Kuro. Anyways, as far as my skillset goes, I specialize in infiltration, but I'm also a capable poisoner and thief, if those are what you need. Rates are decided on a case by case basis."

"My apologies about your name," Alice said, "It seems the barkeep knew you by that title too, so perhaps we here just don't associate with the East very much. As far as potential jobs... How much would you charge if I was to ask you to hypothetically ask you to kill a crown prince?"

The man's left eyebrow shot straight up at the mention of potential regicide, and Alice can see a small gleam of excitement in his eyes as well. "For Jamis or Del? 4000 gold. Blake? 2000 gold. The former two are better protected and have bodyguards around them at all times."

{If@ Church Secret = true} "I see. How about an investigation into the church's activities. No killing, just a quick in-and-out to see what you can uncover, because apparently they're harboring a massive secret of some kind," Alice suggests. Having a professional investigate this matter would be much safer than doing it herself.

"In that case... 500 gold. I don't think there's much risk to my life, and gathering information is far easier than offing someone," he replied, not looking too enthused. Perhaps he liked the idea of killing better? A troublesome thought for Alice, but she didn't verbalize it. {endif}

"I see, that makes sense," Alice murmured, running calculations in her head. 4000 gold was a king's ransom, and paying that twice was practically impossible. She'd have to ransack the treasury to be able to afford it, and even then it might not cover it all. There was no need to be too hasty with this decision. Her father is still alive, the coronation is still far. Best she hold off and consider other avenues of attack for now, instead of drawing attention to herself.

"How about important government figures? Arch-bishop Currell or general Kurtis?" Alice suggested next, curious to see his prices. They weren't high priority, but removing them could throw a wrench into Del's well laid plans. {if@ **** = true} Plus, that bastard Currell had **** her. Just for that, she wanted him dead. {endif}

"Those two? I'd say 1000 gold for either," he replied, working out the math in his head. "They've got some security, but not too much. Shouldn't be too difficult."

1000 gold was affordable. Not easily, of course, but doable. Perhaps that could be something to look into... But first, she needed to test his skills, because if he was captured and her name spilled out of his lips, then all hope was gone. She had to be sure he was capable...But how?{endif}