[ This is so not his scene, his forte, his area of expertise - his anything, but here he is, regardless. After chasing the Shady Man's associates all over Olympia, this is the only real lead he'd been able to come up with, and everything else he'd heard - true or otherwise - has only served to frustrate his conscience further. It's probably a bad idea - no, it's definitely a bad idea - to get tied up with this guy, but...he has some things he has to know.

So he'll sit across from Cree, tight posture forcefully relaxed as he leans back in his seat, knees bouncing wildly. This is going to be...something, he can tell. What's with the bird? ]

Weeellllllll, full disclosure: I'm totally winging it right now. [ When in doubt, employ puns. ] But I-I'll make it worth your time. This place gives me the heebie-geebies, anyway.

[ So, he'll try not to mince words. Keyword being "try" - his nerves are not kind to the way he runs his mouth. ]

So...you know a lot about all this - [ he gestures vaguely ] - all this? Heard some pretty, uh...interesting things before we left Olympia. About...about Ashti.

[ He swallows hard. Ashti is someone he'd looked up to, someone who had given him a chance to prove himself without too much scrutiny. He'd thought it generosity at the time, but after the last few weeks...he's not so sure anymore. ]

So - what's her deal, anyway?