<div align="center"><strong>-= Griff - Oxhorn Saloon - Buzzard Gulch - Avalon, moon orbiting Albion =-</strong></div><br/><div class="floatleft">(http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z466/Corvus269/Characters/griff-2-headshot.jpg) (http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z466/Corvus269/Characters/Griffabs.jpg)</div><br/>The fact that the saloon was playing host to what looked to be a squad of purple bellies put Griff on edge, though he kept his calm as he was well known for among his crew... the the exception of recent months. In a very casual and nonchalant manner, Griff positioned himself so that he could keep an eye on the raucous group of soldiers while putting enough bodies between his position and theirs so that he would very difficult to single out should one of them happen to glance his way and recognize him. Save for Sasha and Si, neither of which were currently even with The Gamble, knew of his past with the Alliance, only that he didn't like them none. Unfortunately neither Sasha nor Si were with him to have his back, and he found himself missing the presence of both, though the thought of them both quickly brought back the image of a half naked Sasha laying on top of Si in her bed. Taking in a deep breath, he put the bottle of whiskey to his lips and leaned his head back, taking a long, healthy swallow of the dark amber liquid, as though it would help purge that memory and the feelings that came with it.<br/><br/>Glancing up to Annabel, his expression remained stoic as she declared her non-relationship with 'Small Fry', her tone all but reprimanding him for leaving<em>"girl like that"</em>alone, as they she was his responsibility. Not wanting to cause a scene, he let the girls assumption go unchecked, watching her quietly as she stood up and moved towards 'Small Fry.' The faintest of smiles curved his lips when Annabel checked with 'Small Fry' that she would be safe with Griff, reminding the stow away of her words of caution.<strong>"Well, she seems... meddlesome."</strong>He noticed how close the strawberry blond had moved and, in light of the unintentional insinuation Annabel had made, Griff couldn't resist the temptation to comment.<strong>... "<em>A girl like that, huh,</em>"</strong>he smirked, leaning back to get a good look at her curves, though the lose fitting dress did little to compliment her figure.<strong>"And just what kind of girl <em>are</em> you, 'Small Fry,"</strong>he asked before sliding a shot glass towards her. He took another shot himself before turning to watch Annabel as she moved towards the door, greeting a petite woman of oriental persuasion. He kept his eyes on the two women, curious as to their conversation though he could only pick up bits and pieces over the busy din of the saloon's patrons; something about<em>"Grant"</em>,<em>"interfering in business"</em>, and<em>"ain't safe"</em>. It was enough for Griff to deduce that the young oriental girl was probably in a bad way, her blond friend playing the good Samaritan yet again, looking out for the well being of another.<br/><br/><strong>"Of course it's the real deal,"</strong>he replied to the man's query regarding his offer of a free drink.<strong>"Nothing but the finest for Mrs. Kingston's baby boy,"</strong>he quipped. It was saying that he had picked up from his old squad during his time with the Alliance military. His own mother had passed away when he was only twelve years old, but the saying had taken hold among the camaraderie of his former fellow soldiers, most of whom were now dead, casualties of the Unification War.<strong>"I done told Hank before, that swill he serves is gonna start another war, but he ain't right smart. Do you want some or not?"</strong>He never took his eyes from the oriental woman and her blond friend near the door, noticing the look of concern on both of their faces as the spoke. Grabbing a few of the empty shot glasses left on the table, he poured a few, careful not to spill a drop.<br/><br/>His attention was pulled away from the two young women when he heard a familiar feminine voice mention trouble coming into the bar. His small smirk pulled into a grin as he turned to confirm the identity of the woman.<strong>"Ta shi suo you di yu de diao zi de ma,"</strong>he said through his grin,<strong>"If it ain't Kaela Moon,"</strong>he said, tossing back a shot glass as he openly looked her over, noticing her hand poised out of sight at her side.<strong>"Looks like trouble's been here a while already."</strong>'Small Fry's' movement between himself and Kaela hadn't gone unnoticed, though she masked her intent well as Griff only viewed it as a slight inconvenience and obstruction of his view. Leaning to the side to keep Kaela's hand in his sight, he gauged in his head how quickly he could get the derringer into his palm. He didn't didn't think that Kaela would draw on him, but he had learned long ago never to trust anyone; a rule he rarely ignored.<strong>"You shouldn't talk about my boat like that, Kaela... you know it hurts her feelin's. Don't make me smile none either."</strong>Ignoring her question, he focused on her hand at her side once again, the uncertainty of what she concealed and her intentions made him uneasy, especially with a squad of feds just across the room.<em>Has she figured out I have a bounty on my head and she's thinking to collect,</em>he asked himself.<strong>"Kaela.... is that a gun in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?"</strong><br/><br/><br/>******<br/><br/>Ta shi suo you di yu de diao zi de ma = Whores in hell