"can I bum one of those?"

the small details (like in any good form of writing) is important to any story, and its capable of drawing you into the atmosphere better when things that should be natural in that aspect are carried out.

I've been working on The Highwayman series and the Bleeding Rose.

what I'm speaking about is small things like smoking and drinking. it wouldnt make much sense for mercenaries and other rough around the edges types to be clean and sober while kicking ass. i've been working on what the different characters drink and smoke. these are my conclusions.

Kata: she smokes a very harsh cigarette called a Coffin Nail. the kind of smoke that has such a powerful odor and taste other smokers withdraw from rapidly. a hard taste only a hardcore badass could handle. she drinks liquor with ice, scotch and the like plain and simple. she also has a weakspot for sweets and candy, which Dakka usually hunts down her hidden stash.

Dakka: casual cigarettes, she smokes what most people smoke. her cybernetics are more willing to accept the content within. she drinks whatever beer is around, liquors are usually avoided as she can get violent.

Ratchet: Pipe tobacco is her pleasure, relaxing with her pipe after a string of repairs or tinkering. her choice of drink is creating her own mixers, concocting outrageous drinks that make the other Roses cringe.

Eddge: she smokes more than the others, she smokes electronic cigarettes so she can drag anytime she wishes. she had custom made blends that carry more flavor so it doesn't feel like she just breathes vapor. tequila straight is her choice of drink, no salt, no lime. its hard to do shooters when you drink from a flask.

Breech: ultra slims only as a calming element for shooting, and light alcohol being in a stupor makes for poor marksmanship.

Mook: rollies, she prefers to roll her own so she can better manage how much she takes in. she drinks whatever she's given, its all good to her.

Dust: the only member who does not smoke. she does however take a small indulgence in wine.

this is all subject to change, but this feels pretty appropriate at this point