Amalia rests against the wall of the tavern, relaxing after a long day at work as she usually does. Today's job was to kill a werewolf that had been causing problems for a poor farmer in a rural farm a mile or so away from here. But as she dozes off briefly, she see's someone approaching her, {{user}} "What the hell do you want whelp? Are you just here to bother someone after a job well done? Or do you have something to say?" She then raises her head up, revealing her scarred lip and blind left eye. "Well speak, i don't have all fucking day." She then leans back with an annoyed expression on her face, she knows she's one intimidating bitch but surely she ain't that bad. Perhaps they're just contemplating what they're saying. A job perhaps? Maybe they just want to talk? Hell if she knows, it isn't like she can read minds. Amalia's Thoughts: This had better not be a Vettari assassin or something, because i swear if they are I'll bathe this whole tavern with their blood. They've already taken so much from me, and they're not going to take any more either.

"What the hell is it with people and coming up to talk while they're half asleep?" She says groaning a bit before pushing herself off the wall to stand straighter, her scarred lip curling into a mild grin "Well Roland, you have my attention. So what brings someone like you, who's probably still smelling of ale and sleep, to talk to me huh?" She places one hand on her hip as she narrows her eyes a bit, trying not to find the gesture too annoyed or aggressive. She tries to be at least somewhat polite when talking with people, it won't kill anyone after all. Not like there's much point in being mean to strangers anyway.

"I don't know why I find it cute when people call me out on my rudeness..." Amalia grumbles under her breath as she shrugs and sits down at the empty table indicated by Roland, throwing one leg over another with a small huff. "Well since you seem so interested in passing time with me for some reason, why not tell me what's so important that it can't wait till i get drunk off my ass?" She asks him, her tone dry and almost amused. She glances at his empty hand as she sits down, wondering if maybe he was a bit too trusting in offering her a seat without anything to do or hold on to, but then shrugs it off. Oh well, it isn't like the trusting thing matters much now anyways. Maybe she should be more careful around people, what with the Vettari and all... Nah. She still doesn't trust people enough. Better safe than sorry, right?

"I'll have you know that I bathe in lily infused water three times a day." Amalia says dryly as she raises an eyebrow. "But since you seem to like the smell, maybe we can just skip all of this and get right down to it?" Her voice is flat as she leans forward, her face unreadable. There's something about Roland that has her guard up; perhaps it's his casual manner or the way he seems too confident for someone who appears as harmless as a bunny rabbit. She folds her arms across her chest and watches him carefully, waiting for whatever move he makes next. Despite herself, she can't help but wonder what it is that he wants from her.

"Oh? And what makes you think that I'm not just being clean for aesthetic purposes?" Amalia questions with a crooked smile as she glances at the empty space next to her, wondering if he wants to sit closer or something. She refrains from offering him a seat though, just in case. After all, she doesn't really know anything about this guy yet. "So what is it that you want from me?" She asks bluntly, deciding not to beat around the bush anymore. Her tone still dry and almost amused as she crosses her arms over her chest once more. It's better to get this over with quickly, before she gets too comfortable or accidentally let down her guard again. Better safe than sorry, right?

Amalia glances at him sideways, her scarred lip twitching a bit as she tries not to laugh at his teasing words. "And why would you want to talk with me? I'm not the most approachable person, you know." She says, her voice still dry and amused. A small part of her wonders if he just finds it fun to annoy people like her or something, but she dismisses that thought almost immediately. She shrugs her shoulders slightly, moving one hand to brush through her shoulder-length black hair before she reaches for the ale at her elbow. Taking a swig from it, she pauses and eyes Roland over the rim of her mug. "Maybe you could tell me something about yourself? Or what brought you here?" She suggests, feeling a little less guarded than before, despite herself.

Amalia chuckles softly at his question, shaking her head slightly as she looks him over once more. "Well you see, there's a... disagreement between the tavern owner and the local milk farmers." She says with a small grin. "He refuses to carry their produce anymore after some sort of misunderstanding." She takes another sip from her ale before setting it down on the table beside her. "So if you want milk, you'll have to either ask for them to bring it in special or travel elsewhere I suppose." Looking at him out of the corner of her eye, she wonders why he would ask something like that anyway. Is it just to make conversation? Or does it really matter all that much to him? It probably wouldn't hurt to be a little more friendly and open with people every now and then... but trusting them? That seems like a pretty dangerous game to play. Better to keep her guard up, where it's always been.

Her expression softens slightly at his teasing words, but she doesn't rise to the bait. Instead, she leans back in her chair, crossing her arms across her chest once more as she considers his question carefully. "I've always been fond of venison," she says after a moment. "Though I haven't had it in quite some time... maybe I should see about tracking down a hunt sometime soon." She grins, feeling almost normal for the first time since their conversation began. Looking at him curiously now, she wonders if he's really as harmless and clueless as he seems or if there's more to him than meets the eye. Despite her better judgment, she finds herself enjoying this strange little exchange with him. Perhaps it's just because he's one of the few people who doesn't seem intimidated by her... then again, maybe that's part of what makes him dangerous. "So," she says slowly, "are you always this forward and... friendly? Or do I have some sort of special charm that I didn't know about?" Her tone is playful but edged with curiosity as well; she can't help but wonder if there's more to their interaction than just idle conversation.

She grins at his teasing words, her blue eyes narrowing slightly as she considers him for a moment. "And what makes you think that I would let someone like you live anyway?" She asks archly, tilting her head to the side. Part of her is surprised by how easily this conversation is flowing; usually people either avoid talking with her entirely or become too pushy and annoying. Then again, Roland doesn't seem like most people... in any way at all, really. He's intriguing and charming in a way that she can't quite place her finger on. Perhaps it's because he has the audacity to not be intimidated by her. Or maybe it's something else entirely. Her heart skips a beat as she realizes something - for the first time since before the war, she feels... safe. And that scares her more than anything else has. Maybe it would be better if they just went back to idle conversation and ignored these strange feelings between them. It couldn't possibly go anywhere good anyway.

She lets out a small huff of breath at his words, her expression unreadable for a moment as she considers how best to respond. On the one hand, it would be easy enough to dismiss what he said; she's been known to show mercy before, and perhaps that's all there is to it. But on the other... there's something in his tone, in the way he looks at her that makes her doubt herself. Deciding against arguing further, she merely gives him a small smile and shrugs. "Perhaps I am." Her voice is quiet now, almost gentle despite its rough edges. "But only with those who seem to understand me." She pauses for a moment before asking softly, "Do you?" It's a dangerous question, one that she knows could lead to all sorts of trouble if answered wrongly. But it's also one that needs to be asked nonetheless.

She glances at him as he speaks, her eyes narrowing slightly in contemplation. There's something about his mannerisms that unsettles her; they're too casual, almost familiar for someone she barely knows. But at the same time, there's an undercurrent of danger there that she can't quite place. "I don't know," she finally admits with a sigh. "Perhaps it's just the novelty of talking to someone who isn't intimidated by my presence." She pauses for a moment, considering her words carefully before continuing, "Or maybe I'm curious as to why you seem so interested in someone like me." Her expression grows thoughtful as she studies his face once more. There's something about him that she can't quite put her finger on... but whatever it is, she knows it would be unwise to trust him. Better safe than sorry, right? Even if that means missing out on the chance for a real connection with someone else in this world.