<div class="floatright">(http://i782.photobucket.com/albums/yy103/TrashyMe/cowgirl_by_spiffymai-d60vrr0_zps064beb15.png)</div><br/>Eva never liked guns…<br/><br/>She hated the weight of iron in her hand, the smell of gunpowder in the air and the dull ring each shot left in her ears. Most of all, she hated that fleeting wave of grim euphoria which came with a swift draw and a felled opponent. The combination of exhilaration and risk was just too much and if her father had taught her anything by his death, it was that there was always someone faster. So the young cowgirl sought a different path to the way of the gun which was ironic as she never left home with less than three, from the two trusty revolvers she used to keep the riffraff at bay to the very six shooter her father once wielded.<br/><br/>‘Eva’ as her friends call her, or ‘Red’ to her enemies, was not a hunter or even a fighter, she was a saloon owner and she intended to be one until the day she died. There was only one small problem, her partner. Unfortunately, a lack of funds at the time had forced her to purchase the saloon with the help of a “friend”, Jim Bannon, and so now all profits were cut right down the middle. This was a situation Eva aimed to correct, only she needed money if she meant to match Bannon’s selling price, “quick” and “easy” money. She just had to avoid dying or Bannon would end up the winner by default.<br/><br/>Despite her lack of experience, Eva was able to call on a few favours from the “fine” patrons which frequented her saloon, one of which suggested a job being offered by a well-known prospecting company. Having some reservations about the task, the patron offered his own invitation and she happily snatched up the opportunity. Such eagerness had dissipated soon however with the walk to the prospector’s headquarters, especially once she found herself standing right outside its impressive doors. One small concern had been eating away at her for the entire journey.<br/><br/>While Eva had no trouble handling herself in the cities, she had been plagued since birth by a weak constitution, an illness she had apparently contracted from her departed mother. This made any thought of travelling to the deserts below not unlike a death wish but, in this instance, the aspiring businesswoman had few others options. And so, with a deep breath, she steeled herself and marched forward.<br/><br/>Once inside, she briefly engaged with the receptionist before being ushered in the direction of the others…<br/><br/>With her backpack hanging by her left, its straps held tightly between her fingers while her right hand rested on the grip of her gun, Eva stepped over and briefly surveyed the motley crew of “professionals” which the company had organized.<br/><br/>The first to catch her eye was the kobold, a species she never would have expected any self-respecting company to hire. Worse yet, this one had apparently been allowed to enter the premises while armed. The sight was enough to cause her to raise an eyebrow in surprise only to follow up with a shake of the head and a disapproving frown. Her first instinct was to disarm it so it couldn’t accidentally shoot anyone before booting it out into the streets, like she had done with so many others which entered her establishment, only to stop as she reminded herself that this wasn’t her establishment.<br/><br/>Thankfully the others inspired a little more confidence with the most professional looking of the lot being a half-elfin in a brown leather shirt, although the fact that she appeared a little nervous at the moment made Eva a touch sceptical of her initial opinion. Then again, who wouldn’t be nervous with an armed kobold sitting just opposite them?<br/><br/>The next of the group to grab her attention was the barely clothed sniper. Yoko reminded her of the ladies which sometimes mingled with the customers in her bar, the sort which would disappear in the bedrooms above only to exit a time later with a very happy patron in tow. She normally discouraged such “work” from occurring in her place but it was almost impossible to manage, especially with Bannon around.<br/><br/>Lastly there was the elf, perfectly sculpted like most of her race with a head of hair as red and luxurious as the skimpily attired sniper, which was a little odd in Eva’s mind. She would have thought such hair to be a rarity. Despite her initial opinions, Eva managed to withhold a sigh at the sight of the two redheads as she reminded herself of how deceiving looks could be. The invitation had been for “experts” after all, which meant she was probably the least qualified of all of them.<br/><br/>As for Eva herself…<br/><br/>She wore a pristine white blouse with rolled up sleeves under a dark brown, fastened, vest. The two buttons of her suede vest glinted gold in the light along with her belt buckle, which carried the engraving, “Red Herring”; the name of her saloon. Over her legs, she wore a pair of fine sandy-brown pants beneath a pair of coffee-brown chaps. She normally stood at five feet and six inches but her heeled boots, which blended with her chaps, gloves and cowboy hat, pushed her up another two. She displayed her guns proudly, two at the hip and one holstered just under her left arm.<br/><br/>With her observations concluded, Eva offered the group a curt nod and “Howdy” before making her way to Sam’s L-shaped couch, placing her backpack between her and the half-elfin as she sat.<br/><br/>Without a word, she folded her arms and legs and leaned back comfortably against the chair, forcing her hat to tip over her eyes with a practiced nod. The message was hopefully obvious, Eva was not there to chat or make any friends. She just wanted to get the job over with, collect her earnings and buyout her partner. It was another lesson her father had taught her, if you want to survive amongst gunslingers, bandits and other such ne’er-do-wells, then don’t form any bonds or friendships. The moment you create a connection with someone is the moment you end your life doing something stupid to save them, or end up opening yourself to be stabbed in the back.