If their builds and manner weren’t enough of a giveaway, their outfits completed the picture. The Pervect, Pookie, was wearing one of her favorite action leather jumpsuits with multiple zippers which both insured a skin tight fit and held the tools of her trade. The Klahd, Spyder, was still working on her look, but today had settled for calf-high boots with fishnet stockings, a dark plaid mini-skirt, and a sleeveless black leather halter top which left considerable portions of her mid-drift bare. All in all, she looked like a parochial schoolgirl gone Goth gone biker slut. What united their outfits were the accessories, which was to say the weapons. Throwing stars and knife hilts jutted from their sleeves and belts, along with various mysterious instruments a viewer hoped they would never see close enough to examine carefully.

The fact that this mismatched duo and their weaponry went practically unnoticed was an indication of the normal atmosphere and clientele of the tavern they were ensconced in.

“If I’m not slow, then why is it taking me so long to figure out this whole adventurer thing?” Spyder countered.

“Well, not to make too big a thing of it,” Pookie said, “for one thing you’re still young. I’ve been at this game for a couple centuries…we’ll not dwell on exactly how many…and you’ve only been at it for a few months. It takes a while to get the hang of anything new. Just be patient and listen to your big sister.”

“I guess it’s just not what I was expecting is all.” Spyder said, almost to herself.

“Really?” her green companion said. “Maybe we’ve been going at this backwards.

This time, why don’t you explain to me what it was you thought adventuring involved.”

“I don’t know. I was thinking we’d be doing bodyguard work or something.”