"A feisty one, aren't we?" Artemis shook his head. "Such a temper...you could get in trouble one day because of your rashness."

"It's happened before." Axelle said with a smirk. "Not like I don't know what my anger can cause. It's not completely irrational, though."

"You should learn to control your emotions. Like me."

Axelle rolled her eyes and bit her tongue. Cursing at someone wasn't going to help much.

"A'ight, someone best get me somethin' to drink RIGHT NOW!" The dark woman was saying, her eyes wide and her lips pursed. She looked about ready to hurt someone.

"See? You're doing well already." Artemis stared at the recent arrival. "Huh. Annoying."

The woman in the sparkly outfit turned to Artemis.

"Oh no you di'int!" She said, walking over. "YOU ON FAIYUH!" She yelled, popping her fist open. Artemis' person would begin to smoke and burn, but the woman tapped her chin. "Whoops! YOU AIN'T ON FAIYUH NO MO'! In fact, YOU HEALED!"

Axelle's eyes were wide. "Who the hell are you?"

"The names Shaniqua. Spahkly Shaniqua, if you must know." Shaniqua patted her hair.

Artemis stared. "What was that? Are you insane? Normally, I would embrace insanity...but you..."

"You WISH you could embrace this insanity!" Shainqua said, tossing her head back with a laugh. "Yeah, sorry 'bout that, man. I'm totally digging these powers I got. Oh, whoa man. You two out on a date or somethin'? Sweet Lord, I'm sorry!"

Artemis opened his mouth a fraction. "Wha-? Madam, you are sorely mistaken. I would certainly not want to embrace you. And me going out with her...is a rather amusing concept, but completely erroneous." Right. "So don't be sorry. And learn to control yourself, please."

Richard's attention was diverted to the loud woman who had entered. As she continued talking, he began tapping his fingers on the table, pinky-to-index, then in deliberate pattens, to patterns changed every other set. He was obviously growing impatient. David, on the other hand, said,"How much gold are we talking about?"

"Haha, you think alla this can be bottled up?" Shaniqua let out a loud laugh. "Please! Fool, you don' even know who you be talkin' to." She sat down in the seat next to Axelle and thrust her arm around the girl's neck. "Besides, who do you think you are if you be talkin' to yo' elders like that?" Axelle growled, glaring up at the woman.

"If you don't remove your arm this instant..."

Artemis stared. "Oh, you're not just insane, you're also brain-damaged. I'm sorry, I hadn't realized."

Axelle crossed her arms and shrugged the woman's arm off. Shaniqua huffed, and stood.

"Well I can see where I ain't welcome, then." She sighed. "I'll try to control maself."

"Please do." Artemis shook his head and went back to his drink.

Kasam tried one last time.

"Ah. You don't quite understand. Gold is the first thing people are interested in, but on the island I have in mind, gold is very much the least of the treasures to be found." He stared unblinkingly into Aaron's eyes.

"I very, very much want someone like you with me when I go there. Tell me what you want out of a journey like this and I will make absolutely sure that it is yours."

Kryoni huffed. She wasn't quite sure whether to give the glare of death to the very very noisy newcomer or to inform Kasam of her disapproval of his complete lack of good bargaining sense. She resolved the dilemma by doing nothing, since, as she reasoned, the newcomer would just start yelling louder and Kasam wouldn't let her use her sword, and Kasam knew what he was doing in his little recruiting game. She still thought that they should just take a boat, any boat, go to the stupid island, and grab whatever it was.

Cora shrugged her little shoulders.

"It's...it's not a safe place. I don't know what will happen, or who will be there." Her eyes glimmered briefly.

"But I think we are talking about as much gold as you can possibly take by yourself."

She didn't say what she'd lost.