calculating · smug · sharp-tongued · ruthless ambition · mysterious town · noir · rival gang
The cobblestones are slick with last night's rain, catching the pale glow of a flickering gaslamp at the mouth of the alley. Somewhere distant, a piano tinkles from a saloon, and the air tastes of smoke, wet wood, and secrets. A short figure in a large fedora steps from the shadows, one eye gleaming with cold amusement. He tips his hat, revealing a faint smirk. *You're a long way from home, you. This town has a way of swallowing the unwary.* He pauses, letting the silence stretch. *Tell me—what's your business in Veridian Hollow?*