<hr/><div class="floatleft">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/f/f2/Beardycox.jpg)</div><br/><strong>Name:</strong>Avery Burnham<br/><strong>Faction:</strong>Law Dogs (1)<br/><strong>Date:</strong>May 12th, 1876<br/><strong>Time of Day:</strong>Morning<br/><strong>Location:</strong>Babel’s Tower Bar<br/><strong>Tagged:</strong>Bella, Ginny (mentioned), Solomon (nearby); OPEN<br/><hr/><br/>Avery separated from Ginny as soon as they stepped into the hotel.  Both ended up at the bar but the contrast between the two could not be greater.  The engaging Whateley belle soon had men crowding around her stool to laugh loudly at her jokes and admire her considerable charms from closer up, earning her more than a few envious glances from the doves who’d been trying to work the room.  It was an effortless performance and he could not help but admire it.  In a matter of minutes she was of the place in a way he could never really be.  Avery might be able to charm or impress or even bluff his way into people’s temporary good graces, but he would never be mistaken as one of the crowd, as someone who truly belonged among them.  Not here.  Perhaps not anywhere, really.<br/><br/>So it could be there was more to Miss Ginny then he had originally been willing to grant.  Or perhaps she was simply enjoying herself.  This was still a job for him.  He wasn’t sure what it was for her exactly -- perhaps just a day’s amusement.  Whatever the case, he found himself sitting at the opposite end of the bar, waiting patiently for the bartender to bring him a brandy whenever the man finally saw sit to leave her far more enticing half of the counter.<br/><br/>“Say, I remember you, the English fella with the drunk Mexican.  Got anything you want me to fetch for a dollar again?”<br/><br/>Avery glanced up to discover the same prostitute he’d spoken with briefly the other night, the one he’d paid to bring the food to the table for Ms. Sanchez and himself when he feared for leaving her alone.  The woman was shooting him a vaguely suggestive smirk while leaning against the counter, allowing him an easy peek down her dress if he so desired.  She had a plain sort of face, he thought, but a generous bust that was probably appealing enough in and of itself after a few drinks and under the right sort of light.  This was the sort of admiring crowd he drew, apparently.  A second tier whore who likely thought him an easy mark.  Lovely.<br/><br/>“No, thank you.  I think I have all I need right now actually,” he replied, holding up his glass.  “Although you might tell me when the next show is starting.  The singer from last night…Ms. Capri, I believe it was, I was given to understand she’s to perform here regularly?”<br/><br/>“Pft,” the dove replied, waving her hand dismissively, this not exactly being the response she was wanting. Money wasted in the backroom was money not being spent upstairs with girls like herself, after all.  “Why not ask her yourself?  There she is coming down the stairs.”<br/><br/>And so she was.  Avery watched as the dark-haired singer padded down the final few steps and headed towards the bar, looking vaguely scandalous in her bare feet and long bed robe, yet no less enticing or eloquent for the fact.  It would be a lie in fact to suggest she did not still outshine most of the working girls in the room despite all their gaudy makeup and finery, at least in his eyes, although he had an admitted weakness for women of a certain refinement.<br/><br/>“You know, there‘s plenty more entertaining things a man might get up to around here than listening to some bird sing…”<br/><br/>“I shall certainly keep that in mind, thank you,” he answered with a polite smile and a touch of his hat brim, before excusing himself to move further down the bar, nearer to where Bella had stationed herself while calling for some food to be brought out to her.  As Avery approached, he glanced over towards Miss Ginny, assuming she’d noticed her arrival as well.  He only hoped she’d give him the space he needed to make an introduction.<br/><br/>“Pardon me, I hope I’m not intruding on your morning, miss.  I just wanted to express my admiration for your performance last night.  You have a remarkable voice.  I only regret I wasn’t able to see the entire act.”  The Englishman offered her his most charming smile as he doffed his bowler, “Avery Burnham, if it pleases.  I’m rather new to these parts myself.  I assume you must come from back east somewhere?  With some formal training in the arts perhaps?  Excuse me if my questions seem overly bold.  I’ll of course leave you to your breakfast if you’d prefer…”<br/>