In response to the woman's inquiry.
Yes it is, and a bit more than I am used to
"Indeed. I have never been very comfortable in large, loud crowds."
Nor have I He shakes his head ruefully.
"Marianna," She says extending a hand.
Jonah, and a pleasure to meet you
He takes her hand, and gently shakes it.
She smiles warmly, followed by an awkward silence. After a moment she says, "So, the rumor going around is that your friends and you fought a horde of giants, or was it ogres, in Fallen."
"Well that's the thing, I may be a Lady, but I'm not that much of a lady except when I need to be." she says with a grin. "I find a lot of the trappings of nobility to be...well a bit of a trap....bloody hell I'm ridiculous with the puns tonight. Must be how amazing you smell leaving me dizzy." she says leaning into Jess slightly as they walk.
"I don't really think of it as slumming, just....living. After the war I realized I couldn't deal with lounging around in lace all day or handling the paperwork of a mercenary company. Lucky for me, my mother had done a bit of adventuring when she was young and understood. I can handle that life in small spurts but I prefer doing things that actually have a point, meeting real people....." a slight flush appears in her cheeks and down her neck. "And on rare occasions that can be the best part."
"...bloody hell I'm ridiculous with the puns tonight."
Jess chortles up at the night sky. "I think it's cute. Charming. And can I just say that you smell and look absolutely amazing yourself." She slides an arm around Akasha's waist to pull her in closer.
"...paperwork of a mercenary company."
"A mercenary company? Oh what fun. This is your company you're talking about?"
"I prefer doing things that actually have a point, meeting real people....." a slight flush appears in her cheeks and down her neck. "And on rare occasions that can be the best part."
Jess stops walking and turns Akasha around to face her, she smiles and is just about to lean in to kiss Akasha when you both hear a scraping sound followed by a very wet sounding cough and a groan of agony.
"@#$%$! Is i too much to ask for just one night without some crazy $#!+ happening? I know that sound.....I hate that sound." Akasha mutters, drawing her sword and putting herself between Jess and the direction of the noise, looking around for it's source.
Jess draws a dagger, you're not sure where she had that hidden but she seems to know how to wield it she seems to spot the source before you do, though as she says suddenly, "Pax? Oh by the gods, Pax is that you?" She runs towards a figure your eyes finally pick out in the darkness. There is a person, pulling themselves out of the shadows from behind a building.
Dashing after Jess, Akasha casts a brief light spell on her bracelet illuminating the scene.
The heat of passion soon clears for Akasha and she stands looking down on a very badly beaten woman. Jess brushes the other woman's hair out of her eyes and says, "Pax, what happened? Who did this, I'll kill them!"
The woman, apparently named Pax, coughs and blood is clearly visible in her spittle. Her dress is torn and she's cradling her abdomen with each pained movement. "It's my fault," Pax says quietly. "I thought he loved me enough. I showed him."
Jess makes a hissing sound as she sucks the air in between her teeth. She stands back up and looks at Akasha, there is a wild fear in her eyes as she says, "Just stay with her, please? For just a minute while I go get help. Don't, uh, don't be upset if she... just please keep everyone else away from her? Please. I'll explain later." She takes off running back towards the inn.
Nodding in response she yells to Jess. "Get Jonah! He's a healer." she says taking a hold of Pax' hand. "It's ok, we'll get you all fixed up. How badly are you hurt?"
The woman cough up more blood, tears start to slip down her face, "I thought he loved me and it wouldn't matter." She doesn't seem to be able to focus on Akasha. "I thought... I thought... I..." She grows quiet and very still, just as her eyes begin to glaze over her body begins to shift and change, muscles and bones move, undulating beneath her skin. Her dark hair fades to a lifeless white, her skin looking as pale as any corpse you've ever seen... her features dissolving away. Pax's white pupil-less eyes stare up at the night without seeing. Her chest no longer rises with breath. When it has finished, it is no dead human laying before you on the street but a dead changeling. Perhaps you've met one who was in their natural form once or twice.
-----
Ava smiles, "I suppose it is I who should be asking you that question Lord d'Thuranni. Alas, I am not here on House business but here for my own entertainment."
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Silian waves his hand in dismissal. "I haven't the time to be bothered with House business when there are so many... wonderful sights to see in Sharn." He winks. "Though my companions and I have found our stay here interesting, to say the least. I would not recommend the lower levels if you can avoid them."
Marianna, the main thing with rumours, is that for the most part, they are usually wrong.
He gives a quick grin at her
We did not fight a Horde of either giants or ogres in fallen, but we did end up fighting a large amount of ravers.
Akasha understood what was happening even as she tries to comfort the woman, kneeling down to take her in her arms. "Just hold on, I...." she trails off as Pax goes completely still. Though the change is a surprise, Jess' warning helps her to adjust more swiftly as Pax's changeling nature becomes apparent. Quet,y she holds the changeling's body as she passes, hoping that she was aware enough to know she wasn't alone in her final moments.
Ava laughs, "Oh my, Lord d'Thuranni I can't say it is easy to imagine you mingling with the lowest of the low. Do tell?"
Marianna gives Jonah a fake pout with a twinkle in her eyes, "I was so looking forward to hearing about the giant ogers. Ravers, though... the mandmen of Fallen?"
-----
Less than two minutes has passed since Jess left when she returns running with an older elven man behind her. She skids to a stop in front of you and looks down at her friend, seeing her body limp and in changeling form Jess crumples to the ground, "No, oh no, no, no. Pax no, please no."
The elven man kneels down next to Jessamin and begins looking over Pax, feeling for signs of life and praying beneath his breath. Finally he looks over at the sobbing Jess, and then to you where he gently shakes his head.
Sighing softly, Akasha takes Jess into her arms, holding her as she sobs, offering silent comfort. Looking at the man she asks quietly. "Can you tell what was done to her?"
"She suffered many internal injuries, it appears she was badly beaten."
Jess sobs in Akasha's arms until the conversation starts up. "It was that gods be damned boy she was seeing, Jacob, she said she showed him because she thought he loved her." Suddenly Jess is on her feet, "I'm going to find that sonofab!tch. I'm going to kill him." She turns and is headed back to the inn. The elven man rises to his feet and says, "Nim. You must help me, we are not through."
Jess pauses midstep and turns around a rebuttal clearly building on her lips when the man says, "He is most likely long gone from this place. We will find him, we will have our revenge for Pax. For now, it is time to honor her by not letting her be exposed to the world when it is not her choosing."
Jess' drops her arms to her side in defeat, she nods her head and comes back. "Akasha, listen, I'm sorry but please you can't tell anyone about this."
Brushing a strand of hair away from her face, Akasha looks into Jess' eyes seeing the sorrow and anger there. "Not a word I promise." she says leaning forward and gently kissing Jess' forehead. "I'll help you find the bastard responsible for this and make him pay." she continues, her eyes glittering with violence. "Is there any way I can help right now?"
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"Oh just fighting off vicious blink dogs and rat-infested..." Silian pauses as Jess runs into the bar looking frantic. He leans down and kisses the back of Ava's hand. "I am afraid my companions need my assistance. We shall have to finish this later, my dear." Silian's smile fades as he looks for the stoic gargoyles and the tin soldier. "Vannevar, with me. Bring the scrap heap." Silian dashes out of the Cracked Mirror on Jess's heels, silently cursing the lack of time to grab his armor and weapons.
Pleased to feel useful, Garotte turns slowly back to scan the crowd, getting lost in the menagerie of strange patrons and stranger costumes.
Vannevar moves through the crowd to Garotte. "Come with me, please." He says simply before following after Silian.
He chuckles slightly If we run into Ogres or Giants, I will return to talk about it with you.
Ava seems disappointed with Silian's sudden need to leave, but is pleased with the kiss he gives her hand.
-----
Jess looks up at the sound of footfalls as the those that followed her out of the inn catch up to her. She whispers to Akasha, "Please, keep them back for just a moment longer."
She then pulls her gown up over her head, leaving her wearing nothing but a sheer slip. Together with the elf, they wrap Pax up with the gown and then lift her up to carry between the two of them.
With a quick nod, Akasha whispers a cantrip , touching Jess briefly, the sheer shift turning an opaque black, before she rises and goes forward to meet her companions, stopping them before they get too close. "A dear friend of Jess' has been....murdered." she says solemnly. "Please....let them attend to her. We can help by making sure no one bothers or interrupts them, then check out where she came from to find the mother@#$%er responsible."
The warforged turns to block the alleyway, ready to prevent anyone else from taking this route.
Unit Twenty-One reiterated the weakness of flesh. Two casualties in a span of hours. Possibility that the opinion of Unit Twenty-One carries merit.
"Physically she's fine but..no...she probably won't be for a while. Her friend was pretty much beaten to death and only managed to make it to someone she knew." Akasha replies a noble anger in her tone.
"Thank you," Jess whispers before they carry the body away towards a rear entrance of the inn.
"Did her friend name her attacker before she died?"
"Yes she did. She said his name was Jacob, apparently it was a bot she'd been seeing. One she was in love with." Akasha says darkly, as her mind plays through possible scenarios of seeking out the murderer.
Jonah continues to converse with Marianna
Ten minutes or so later, Jess returns to the group. She has changed her clothes and is now wearing dark pants and tunic, her hair is pulled back and she very clearly has daggers strapped to her thighs.
"Thank you, for trying to help. Unfortunately, we were all far too late to help her. I know where her lover lives. We're going to pay him a visit," She indicates over her shoulder where three people step out of the shadows dressed similarly to Jess. There is an elven man, not the same who was with Jess earlier, a surly looking half-orc woman, and a male changeling in his natural form.
She moves to Akasha, "She was our family, this is our responsibility. You don't have to be a part of this. You should go back to the party and enjoy yourself. I will return soon and answer the questions I'm sure you must have."
----
Marianna makes small talk with Jonah about where he is from and what her family does.
Tava is trying to cope with the onslaught of sights, sounds, and smells that she is so unaccustomed too.
Akasha looks back at Jess, the vengeance dwelling in her eyes. "I would see the bastard suffer for what he's done if you'll have me. Protection is in my blood, and it was too late to protect her. But if you need someone to cover your absence I understand. Going back to the party seems sort of frivolous after what just happened." the magus says quietly.
"If that's what you want to do. I doubt we'll run into much if any resistance but I don't suppose having more along would hurt in case we do." Jess says that last bit as she looks back over her shoulder at the others she has brought along. The elf nods, the half-orc grunts, and the changeling shrugs and twirls a dagger about his fingertips.
Jonah asks her about what she and her family does.
"Okay, we'll get our gear and meet you back here. I'd really rather not fight in this dress." she says, flashing Jess a brief grin.
Marianna tells Jonah all about her family's apothecary and associated services. She tells him where they are located in the Middle Wards and what their best selling services are.
Jonah grins at her. I guess I will have to look you up then on a day that isn't this party.
he then takes her hand and kisses the back of it. Until later
Heading back to her room, Akasha changes, laying her gown on the bed with a sigh. Less than an hour ago she'd had a very different ideas\ about how she would be removing her dress tonight. The attraction was both mutual and undeniable once she actually acknowledged it, and something Jess mix of bold irreverence and feminine charm stirred something in her.
While some small primal part of her still felt a pang of disappointment, it was dwarfed by the compassion she felt for Jessamin however.
Akasha was no stranger to losing friends, she knew the burning rage, and the cold need for vengeance that Jess was going through. The kind of emotion that if left unsatisfied could be destructive.
Donning her armor, she refastens her swordbelt heading out to meet with the others and bring swift punishment to the scum that would beat a woman to death just because of what she was.
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Silian strides into the Mirror, the facade of noble decadent plastered upon his form again. Finding Ava, he says lowly in Elven, "Mae'r gath ar yr helfa ar gyfer caneri, a rhaid i mi adael i chi. Byddaf yn dychwelyd at fwynhau eich cwmni cyn gynted ag y gallaf."
He goes to his room, carefully folding up his displacer beast costume and making himself fit for the night ahead. He grins as he slides the whip into its usual place on his belt, hoping to be able to draw out the pain when his friends found the assailant. Another average night in the City of Towers... if not for the oppression of society and industry one could almost learn to love it here...
Stepping back into the common room, he takes the time to find Jonah and Tava, informing the cleric that much has transpired while he was sitting idle. Silian is much calmer with Tava, and apologizes for leaving her without someone to explain things.
Jonah takes a couple of minutes to head back to his room, and pick up his gear, and store his masque.
He then heads unobtrusively to the front door to meet up with everyone when they come out.