"Uh, actually, we do," Kali says looking pretty sheepish. "I got laid out earlier today and had to ask the local temple to get back to where I can fight."
What am I doing?! I don't know these people! How do I know what their like? What if they're like Laetitia?
As the attention focused on him for a brief moment, Irian flushed crimson, stammering over himself, "Wha? No, I ummm, I meant, not like that!" He flashed an apologetic look Median's way...it wasn't that she wasn't easy on the eye...it just hadn't been a thing. He was pretty sure of that, at any rate.
As the cleric recovered from their deal with aplomb and started verbally sparring with the taller attractive woman, the mercenary breathed a sigh of relief as he tried to recover. He did remember an elf with shamefully low cut clothing. Although was it considered shameful if a man was wearing it? Irian shook his head, leaving that debate to the philosophers.
He re-entered the conversation as his 'companion' finished her tirade. Now that he thought about it, going into a closet with someone he barely knew seemed more likely after a night of drinking than a beginning to a mystical adventure. But here they were...or was it over already?
"Oh wait, we're done?"
As Kali says they are needed, Median briefly touches Kali's chin to pull her face up so she can get a good look. Then she nods to her.
Then she steps back beside Irian and wraps an arm around his shoulders.
Aside, to Irian, but with no attempt to hide what she says, What do you think, Irian? Let's stay. This could be fun. Such a diverse, and... <She stops and looks pointedly at Laetitia> ...frankly gorgeous, group. Are you claiming that one, or can I have her?
As Lia steps up, Median breaks the pose and, with a grin, goes to meet her. She listens to the introductions and looks at each of the people as they are introduced, raising an eyebrow at the description of Laetitia, and giving her a nod of the head when it comes to her. Her lip quirks at the curtsy, and she slips into formal mode, bowing low.
Truly honored to meet you, Lía Emmalia Neve. I am Median Zeroux, Cleric of Hathor. This is my very good friend Irian, who is handsome and strong, and who even smells nice up close, but unfortunately that is the extent of my knowledge, since we met only briefly before entering a closet together. He will have to add the more pertinent details. She winks at Kari.
A carnival sounds fun, although Laetitia mentioned deaths? And a Sphinx? And Kalisuel mentioned being wounded and needing to fight. So, is it maybe a death carnival? I'm very adaptable, but that does sound a little less fun.
She looks tired. We need to get this group off to bed, I think.
Irian glances at Median as the cleric pulls him close in a companionable way. He smirked at her 'private conversation', glancing at the other four before replying. "No one else has come up to claim our services, so I suppose we should stay. Maybe further clarification will come later."
His eyes drifted to Laetitia, his expression wry, "Many of nature's most beautiful creations are also its most deadly. Or so my father said. In this case, I think I'll listen...she's all yours."
At Lia's introduction, Irian placed a fist on his chest and gave a shallow bow...more a nod of the head and dip of the shoulders. A gesture of respect, but not subordination. Although...the dynamic between this one and the viper was interesting. He sensed a possible ally against the sharp-tongued one here.
Purposefully ignoring the wink between the two women, he stated, "A pleasure, Lia. As my very good friend has said, I am Irian. Irian Davies. Ummmm...traveling swordsman." He looked each of the others in the eye before continuing. "A pleasure to make all your acquaintances, as well." I hope so, anyway.
"A Sphinx? What's that? He relaxed as Median sauntered towards Lia, her proximity having been making him uncomfortable.
Well this was a decidedly disturbing development. Owl had privately assumed Desoran kept tabs on them somehow. But he figured it might be a local informant or, since he was a wizard, maybe some magical spying. He runs a critical eye over the newcomers and realizes it was obviously much more intense scrutiny than he expected.
The woman, Median, described herself as a cleric. She didn't appear to have the physical robustness of a fighter so that fit. And he spied the silver holy symbol. Hathor was an obscure god. Had it been one of the more common gods, he might have been more suspicious of her. But she seemed to be here as support.
Irian had the cut and physique of a swordsman as he admitted. Naturally honest and straightforward it seemed but slow on the uptake. Two swords on his belt, one short and one long. Two-sword style or just versatile. A crossbow too. A weapon for each situation. That earned him some points.
But the alarming fact was that they were exactly what they were missing. A healer to get them back in shape and keep them there and some muscle to share the load. Owl discreetly looked around as if someone was watching but knew quickly it would be no use. He'd been outplayed. Deoran was obviously saying they weren't doing a very good job and through some extra bodies their way. As a show of power it was near perfect. It said he was always watching and was one step ahead at all times.
Touche.
"Median. Irian," Owl says putting the smiling mask back in place and tipping his hat to them. "Welcome. If Desoran sent you as help then why don't we bring you up to speed. Uh, first door on the left should be the dinning room I believe. Second is the kitchen. We can talk and eat."
Median looks around. Um, what? A dining room in ... where? The carriage? She laughs. ... then looks around and sees that they aren't joking. Oh. The carriage? Seriously? This I have to see!
She scrambles inside.
Desoran...the Wizard. Ok, so these folks apparently were their destination it seemed. Food sounded good, actually. Such surprising developments had left Irian feeling drained, and it would be a good opportunity to get to know these newcomers. Or oldcomers, since he was the newcomer. Irian guessed it depended on perspective.
The warrior sighed as he watched his comely companion's eager entry into the carriage. It will be an interesting story... For the second time in one day he followed Median into a small space, hoping for better luck this time around. Looking at the size of the carriage as he entered, he realized these people might be gluttons for punishment. Shadies...was that the name?
The party enters the carriage and through the impossible door. The living space is at a comfortable temperature and exactly as the group had left it.
Wow! It's... bigger on the inside! Do you guys sleep in here? Can I?
So it turned out the carriage was a house inside a carriage. Such a thing was impossible, so Irian decided not to think about it. He'd leave the discussions and explanations on dimension-folding and whatnot to the uppity wizards and scholars. So the warrior just wandered in with a blank look, like he'd seen it a hundred times.
He nodded at Median's suggestion of a room (hopefully he wouldn't have to bunk with any of these strangers. Or the almost stranger.) . If this was all just a weird dream he was ready for it to be over. If not, he was ready to proceed.
"Yep, right in here," Kali says as she follows the others and taps on the door that lead to the room full of pillows and blankets and quilts. After making supper and eating, she spends some time marveling at the state of her gear. Her blades are not even nicked anymore, thanks to the strange woman's help.
As everyone begins turning in for the night, She finds Median and asks to talk to her privately.
"I wanted to thank you for your help," she says softly, "you're one of the few people who have shown me kindness like that."
After a long pause, she asks, "Will you be sticking around with us after this? I don't know where our road leads, but... It'd be nice to have another person that I can be friends with."
Median allows herself to be led to the side, and listens to Kali's thanks.
You're welcome, of course, Kali. Helping others brings joy, both to you and to the one that you help... and I'm all about joy. She grins.
I don't know how long our paths will cross. I imagine that I'll stay as long as I am needed, and then move on. All we can do is trust that whatever comes, it will be okay, and work out the way that it should.
I always try to just focus on what good I can do right now, with the time in front of me. How can I learn to be happy now, and share that joy with others?. I think that's the only way to guarantee joy in the future. So, if staying is the best path to happiness, then I will, but if leaving is, then I will do that. And you never know what way you will get called. This morning I had no idea that I would end up here, in a magic carriage by a carnival, in the middle of wherever this is, talking to you. But here I am. It's a gift, and I'm glad of it. But if we both get called different directions tomorrow, there will be opportunities for happiness there too, and I will be glad of them as well. Does that make sense?
Median stops, not wanting to preach to the girl, but unable to reassure her further.
"Not really to me, but it's okay. I'm jsut glad that we're both here today," she says, "I nearly died and Laetitia's about to drive me mad enough to start trying to punch her in the face. I need someone to talk to, to keep me from going completely mad. It doesn't help that I'm hearing whispers in my head now and we've got a lot of pressure to figure out this whole murder mystery going on."
I think Laetitia is cool, personally. Probably just throwing up walls to defend herself. We all do that in different ways. You have to get through to the real person underneath before you can really know...
Wait, what was that you just said? ... You're hearing whispers in your head? ... Median suddenly seems a lot less jovial and instead of kind of half-listening and trying to deflect getting involved in interpersonal wars that she has nothing to do with, she becomes hyperfocused. ... What are they saying?
Kali winces as Median asks about the voices. She'd been to stunned by the kindness to watch her tongue, but it's too late now to take back her words.
"Yeah," she says meekly, "I think it started after I almost died, but they've been slowly getting more distinct. I still don't know what they're saying though."
Oh, well, if you can't really make it out, then no worries, right? Voices are only dangerous when we understand them. And even then, we can always say no. ... I don't think that you need to worry about your sanity. I've heard of voices in people's heads, telling them over and over to do something wrong, but your kind don't sound like the crazy kind. Probably just a price of the Gods. Sometimes when they give you a great blessing, they also give you a challenge to overcome. Makes you stronger. Those that have had the hardest lives are almost always the most blessed, though of course, they don't always realize it.
It sounds like things have been quite stressful for you lately, but you are plenty capable of handling it. I see deep strength in you. Now, let's get some sleep. Every day is a new beginning, and a good night's rest always helps you think better.
"Don't say that where Owl can hear you," Kali cautions, "any of it. I'm probably just dead weight to him now."
She looks away, her violet eyes dark and her shoulders slumped.
"I'd much rather believe what you said than what he said, but I can't. I don't know if there's enough of me left to hope anymore. I'm scared that I'm gonna wake up and Lia and Kari are going to hate me, that all of this was a dream and I'll be alone again," she says, grabbing her arms and looking as if she was trying her best to get even smaller.
Let's get one thing straight right now, says Median, yawning.
The only person who decides your worth is YOU.
Nobody else can take that away from you unless you allow them to. If Owl, or you, or anyone tells me I am worthless, I'll just laugh, because I know I'm not. You aren't either. You need to get that straight in your brain, or you're going to be controlled by others for the rest of your life.
Now, I'm off to bed. You go think about just what it is that you offer to the world. ... and get ready for tomorrow. I think it is going to be fun. She grins.
Median goes and crawls into bed.
Kali perks up some at Median's advice. before she can get more than a step away, Kali wraps her up in a hug.
"Thank you for not hating me," is all she says before letting go and following Median into the room that served as the bedroom of the carriage.
Irian frowns at the piles of blankets and pillows and general lack of privacy and separation. He had slept in his share of common rooms at various inns in his short travels, of course, and the guard had crammed many bunks into rooms, but he had expected an eccentric wizard to provide private rooms in his strange carriage-house. Irian shrugged, chuckling wryly to himself...how his friends in Magnimar would laugh to hear him complaining of sharing sleeping quarters with a quintet of fair women (and the man introduced as Owl), but they also hadn't had his day, either.
He waited a short time to see where the others gravitated, noting with disinterest the cleric moving to the side with the short warrior woman. As spots were claimed he chose his own, clearing the immediate area around of blankets (or shoving them aside if needed) to create a 'bed', an area of bare floor at least a couple inches across marking the perimeter. Once satisfied, he proceeded to slowly remove his armor, laying it beside his pallet before lying down, years of practice leading to his gentle snoring within minutes.
Kali moves to a small nest of blankets and pillows in the corner. The way it was constructed had allowed for a good bit of privacy. She pulls the blanket acting as a curtain aside and crawls in, letting the blanket fall back into place as she passed. A short while later, she's asleep in her pillow fort.
The next day the party wakes in relative comfort. the chaos of the "pillow room" is only matched by the fluff of the random assortment of blankets, sheets, and yes, pillows.
You gather round for breakfast.
Kali wakes before anyone else. After a moment to stretch out the kinks in her muscles, she starts making breakfast, pancakes with bacon, eggs, and hash.
Irian woke early, but not as early as he had when his whole day had been planned out for him by others. Sloppy. Still, it seemed a few of the others were still enjoying their restful state, so the warrior gathered his armor and weapons to take them elsewhere, trying to keep the clanking to a minimum.
As he exited the room, a delightful assortment of smells nearly overwhelmed him as his belly growled in protest at the amount of time spent waiting for its latest meal. The fighter followed his nose, finding the kitchen and the three women already present. He looked awkwardly at them for long moments...I wonder if I'm supposed to help?
Deciding against pressing his company on the trio of chefs, he instead took out his whetstone and started to sharpen his weapons. Not that they really needed it, he just didn't want to sit there like an expectant child waiting on his breakfast. So he sat there, trying to look relaxed, the very image of a hero getting his equipment ready for...well, whatever they were doing today.
Median wakes up at the sound of clanking, and realizes that many people are already up. She quietly kneels on the improvised bed she had made of piled blankets the night before, and prays silently, telling Hathor that her usual tour guide spells were probably not the ones she needed today, explaining the situation, and asking for whatever would be useful in her infinite knowledge.
Before they bed down and while the events are still fresh in his mind, Owl goes over the mission. The carnival hiring them to look into the murder, now murders. The events around Walder's murder. The suspect being the sphinx. The escalation of tension and a new body. Their current clues and assumption that someone is playing the carnival as the scapegoat. And so and so forth with input from the others as they see fit.
In the morning, Owl feels genuinely refreshed focused again. Something about a good nights sleep. "I've been thinking," he starts once everyone is available. "We could kill two birds with one stone now that there are more of us. Some could go visit the skulks and see what turns while the rest look deeper into the shiver that has now found its way into this tiny town."
Irian listens intently as Owl speaks, leaning forward in his seat as though conspiring. He grimaces internally as his armor creaks and groans at the shift in position, nodding at the other man's suggestion sagely.
Drug dealers or skulks? Talking to drug-addled crazies didn't seem like much fun to the warrior. Walking into a nest of skulks didn't, either, but at least he could defend himself with a clear conscience and not worry about killing poor Uncle Rufus who just had a problem he needed a little help with.
"I'll be happy to go talk to the skulks. Ya know, with other people. Specifically, some of you people. We ARE talking to them, right?" Irian's head hurt...why couldn't he just shut up and let them tell him what to do?
Median, a little reluctantly, says I can ... ah... often see through things, like walls and doors and containers, if I touch them. That might be useful in looking for drugs.
... I'd appreciate it if you didn't spread that knowledge around too much though. I would never abuse the power, but some people get a little ... er... touchy about their privacy.
Tish lies in her makeshift bed a while longer after she hears the last person leave the room, enjoying cool the rasp of silken sheets with every lazy shift. It was moments like these, with her eyes closed and the room devoid of other people, that she could almost pretend she was back home. No, not the Villa Corvus in the Ivy District, but the Pleasure Salon of Calistria. That had been the life. A generous income, plush accommodations and the attention of the various men and women of influence of Absalom. It had been an idyllic life, right up until greed got the better of Laetitia. Apparently stealing from one's clients was bad for business, and once word got around all the wrong circles about how one of the Salon's preeminent courtesans was ripping off patrons, well, Tish figured it was a good time to make scarce before she found herself at the wrong end of Calistrian vengeance. And now? Now she was forced to work for her living — actually work — and she had to rely on her wits rather than her body, no less.
Eventually, the realities of her situation begin to chase away her pleasant imaginings. There was only so long she could fool her sleepy mind into believing she was surrounded by the comforts of her old life. Despite having claimed the lion's share of the most comfortable pillows for herself from night one, the makeshift bed in no way compared to her old feather bed. So, with a weary sigh, Tish rises, preens, dresses, and, finally, joins the others for breakfast.
"Well, you all have fun with that," Tish says by way of greeting everyone 'good morning'. "I, on the other hand, was thinking about those vials we found last night. Whatever was in them, it seems clear to me we're after someone who has a fair knowledge of alchemy and the proper equipment to brew things. So, why not visit the alchemist? What was his name again? Armin?"
Tish eyes Median with curiosity and not a little amusement as the woman gives her confession. Her amusement grows when the divine seamstress professes how she would never abuse her power. "No, of course not... But I suppose it depends on your definition of 'abuse'. After all, a free show once in a while never hurt anyone. Right, Kali?" Smirking, she gives the tiefling a wink before tucking into her meal.
As Kali serves up breakfast, she snickers at Median's pun. She turns to Irian as she sits down.
"As much as I'd like to talk to them, the way those other two we found acted makes it seem like we'll be having to fight them. We could split up, some of us searching for the shiver and the rest going through the Skulks, but I'd rather not split us up. After all, I might miss Tish's show," she says, smile on her face and her violet eyes bright with laughter.
What's going on with me? Is it because of Lia and Median? Or is it the whispers? I'll worry about that later. Breakfast turned out pretty good!
She tucks into her stack of pancakes with gusto. Today was a new day, and it seems things might be looking up for the young tiefling at last.
Irian listened to Median's suggestion and Laetitia's comments with his eyes on his plate, 'busy' stuffing his face with the delicious meal. Unlike other men in the guard, he could think and eat at the same time, but he had nothing to add to discussions about seeing through things. It seemed like a power he'd have wanted several years ago as a teen, but now it just seemed like trouble. Tish's comments drew his overt interest no better, though the warrior was keen to see how the others of the group reacted to her disruptive behavior.
At Kalisuel's response to his question, Irian looked up at her, blinking slowly once. It appeared she HAD been talking to him. At least the young woman seemed to be in better spirits this morning...maybe yesterday was just a bad day. Now that he wasn't busy trying to process a scene like from yesterday, he was able to appreciate the cuts of muscle and sinew on her arm, the callouses on her palms. He wasn't sure what role the others played, but this one was a warrior. Feeling pleased with his tremendous insight, Irian returns the young woman's smile with one of his own. Realizing he had bits of bacon and pancake still arranged on his pearly whites, he licked them clean quickly before beaming his smile once more.
"Soooo...just fighting then, you think? We could cover more ground separately, and this Spinks' days here are numbered if we don't do something soon. Although walking into a potential fight undermanned is never a good option, either." The warrior's brow furrows in thought for several moments before his eyes light up.
"Hey! How about we can all go to the skulk lair, then if we don't find out anything after busting a few heads we can split up to talk to the alchemist and drug people."
What show?
I'm game to try Irian's idea. Then if it turns ugly, I can be there to patch people up as needed.
Owl did some quick mental gymnastics, gauging the threat to life and limb between the three choices. The Skulks were greatest so splitting a group of six three ways put one in significant danger. The skulks might offer a new lead anyway, one less dangerous. Or they could obviate the need for the other two completely. "No. I like Irian's idea. Gives us a chance to bond over adventure," he says with exaggerated enthusiasm. "Who votes for all," he says, giving Laetitia a maniacal grin, "of us going to see the skulks?" He raises his hand as if calling for a vote. He was probably going to pay for it later but it was worth her annoyance now.
Besides, the pancakes were delicious and he felt he needed to defend their, and their makers, honor.
"I'd rather not split us up," Kali says, agreeing, for once, with Owl.
Irian continues to eat, his heavy frame demanding a generous portion of Kalisuel's hard work. His eyes drift to Median, then Owl as they chime their agreement. The other man's call for a vote had Irian hesitantly raising his hand...after all, it had been the warrior's suggestion. He quickly lowered the offending limb as it became clear no one else was going to 'raise hands' and that Owl had simply been trying to goad the lovely viper.
It seemed settled, in Irian's mind...4 votes for the skulk lair, which meant that only 3 could vote against it. Assuming the assistant got a vote. Math made the fighter's head hurt, so he promptly stopped thinking about it. After eating, he finished packing up his things, arranged his small arsenal upon his person (flushing with every jarring clank as he twisted this way and that), and waited for the signal that everyone was ready to go.
Laetitia's fork clatters noisily against her platter at Kali's unexpectedly brazen response. That wasn't how she was supposed to react. She was supposed to blush and fidget uncomfortably in her seat. Then Tish would have a good laugh, satisfied by the tiefling's prudish humiliation, and then would go about finishing her breakfast while pretending Kali didn't have a hand in making it.
Her wide-eyed glance shifts from the suddenly emboldened Kali to glower at Median. Hasn't even been here one day and she's already breaking things... Owl's rejection of her plan and subsequent call for a vote earns him her dark glare next. Irian playing along with Owl's little game, as well as being so keen on entering the skulk lair in the first place, has Tish giving the man a look that promises a world of unpleasantness if his plan should go awry for her.
Once Tish has, for the most part, given everyone sitting around the breakfast table a black look, she breathes out a beleaguered sigh before saying, by way of relenting, "If you all are so eager for my company, you could have come right out and said it."
Laetitia, would you be so kind as to accompany us to Skulk Lair? I'd love to have more time to get to know you. Median says, with laughter in her eyes, but she doesn't seem like she is mocking... just enjoying the banter.
Irian knew better than to look at the woman, as comely as she might be, and his reservations proved right as Tish gave him a withering glare. His eyes widened at Median's response to Laetitia's obvious ploy to save face by suggesting that they had asked her to come. Was the woman trying to stir the hornet's nest?
He glanced back and forth between the two a couple of times, then nodded to himself as he cinched a strap connecting his greaves to his thick thigh. One of his comrades in the guard had once remarked upon how a woman's attractiveness was only matched by her craziness. If that was the case, there was a lot of crazy in this room. Irian would have to just put his head down and listen and get the feel for how he'd have to interact with this group, but the more he listened, the more it seemed they genuinely enjoyed verbally jabbing at one another. Not exactly his strong point.
He supposed it could be worse...it seemed like there was action up ahead, and that's what he had been seeking, after all. And his companions were easy on the eye, as well, so there was that. Although at the moment he kept his eyes above neck level...he had no desire to become the object of anyone's derisive comments.
Thinking about extending an olive branch to the sharp-tongued one, he rejects that idea, instead leaning against the wall near the door, waiting for the others to get ready.
"Good luck. Beyond the obvious, she and Owl haven't really said much about themselves," Kali says after finishing the last of her breakfast. She cleans up the kitchen as the others finish preparing, or polishing off what's left. Despite the extra work, she's still one of the first ones ready to leave.
"Looks like it's the two of us up front," Kali says as she sees Irian geared up and waiting by the door. Her gauntlets are mismatched, but thanks to Median's care, they look new, as does the rest of her gear, save the long blade she wears. She hadn't worn it while in town, and it's clear that the battered and nicked weapon is only in usable condition because someone had taken the time to make sure it was.
"How did you get involved in this with us? I hope it wasn't as, ah, exciting as what happened to us," she says after a moment.
Irian smiled companionably at the dark-haired young woman, unaware of the scrutiny of the sorceress or her attendant. This was something he couldn't foul up too badly. "I've heard it called the Meat Shield, which seems a rather crude way of speaking of someone's defenders." The warrior chuckled for a moment, glancing discretely at Kali's mis-matched conglomeration of equipment. As his gaze rests on her sword, he thinks of calling to Median to fix that, too. He decided to let her take care of it herself if she wished, since she could take offense at him scrutinizing her equipment. Eyes up, fool.
Irian's gaze returned to Kali's eyes, and he shrugged with a hapless grin. "I guess it depends on your idea of exciting. All I really remember about it was agreeing to help a half-naked wizard and going into a cramped space with a woman I barely knew." At this, he blushed lightly, looking off to the side. "I was...am eager for adventure, and entering the service of an eccentric wizard seemed as good a road as any."
His eyes swiveled back to Kali's. "So I'm taking it you four didn't start out in a closet?"
If Kali notices the scrutiny, it appears that she bothered by it too much. She's petite, though well toned. Her hair is silky and her eyes are a rich violet. She's been smiling more this morning, a very pretty smile that could light up a room if she wanted.
"No," she answers, "the reason Tish winked at me when she mentioned a free show was because, with the exception of Owl, we started out getting thrown into a cell in Riddleport after having to strip naked."
Her cheeks burn in humiliation at the memory, but she does chuckle a little as she continues.
"I noticed that Tish was making a show of it, and not a single guard seemed to be interested. I didn't see much because..." she stops speaking as she remembers yesterday, and all of the painful emotions and memories tied up in what happened after she woke up from almost being killed.
"Anyway, Owl had to break us out. I just hope I never have to go through that again," she says after a few moments.
I like your hair Median says to Lia, and then, turning to Kari, Are you staying to guard the carriage, or coming along?
Median also notices Kali's worn out sword, but chooses not to interrupt the conversation between Kali and Irian.
Noticing the small woman's quiet tone, Irian lowers his voice as well.
At Kali's speaking of Tish's show, "Wow, those were some steadfast guards...there were quite a few where I was stationed that would have been enticed." His eyes widen a bit, his voice stammering slightly, "Uhhh, not that you wouldn't have, of course. Been enticing, that is. Just, ummmm..." He ran a hand through his dark hair, scrambling. "I mean, she was meaning to get that reaction, you know?" He sighs, palm on his forehead.
"So, Owl broke you all out? Do you guys go back further than that? And what happened to you yesterday, anyway? You seemed pretty beat up..." His dark eyes rest upon her exotic orbs, fascinated at the color. The sword she wore was almost as big as she was, but she could obviously handle it well. Warrior women weren't a new concept for Irian, but he'd never seen one so dreadfully small before.
Kali laughs as Irian stumbles over his words as he tries not to offer insult.
”Tish made it very clear at the time that no one’s going to be paying me any attention with her around. I’ve had enough accusations thrown my way that I’m not going to get upset by an accidental implication. I hadn’t meet any of the others before that night. There were a couple more of us, but it appears that Otho and Jinx didn’t want to stick around Tish and Owl,” she says, a sad look in her eyes that only gets worse when she’s asked about what happened yesterday.
”It’s harder to subdue someone or something than it is to just kill them. There was a big lizard that go loose at the carnival the first night we were here. It was part of one of the shows, and we stepped in to help keep it from hurting anyone. It tore open my leg, and I hadn’t recovered when we were investigating the scene of a robbery that had happened sometime the night before yesterday. I was caught by a trap and hurt myself trying to get out. The skulk that ambushed us just tried to finish what the lizard and the traps started,” she says. For a long moment, she is silent.
”Irian, do you believe the gods care for us,” she asks softly.
Another surreptitious glance was thrown towards the lovely viper before returning to Kali. "No amount of beauty is worth the bite that one offers. Oh, so there were more of you?" Irian was not surprised...Owl seemed like a decent enough fellow so far, but the dynamic between the two mentioned would certainly strain a group.
The warrior's brow furrows slightly as the petite woman tells of the previous day's events, "Sounds like a string of bad luck got a hold of you yesterday. No worries, though...as my dicing friends were fond of saying, everything evens out eventually. You just got the bad out of the way up front." He chuckles softly, his smile disappearing at her earnest question about the gods.
He looks down as he contemplates his answer, taking several moments before replying as he looked back up into her amethyst eyes, "I believe the gods care for their followers the way a shepherd cares for his herd. They might protect them, might even have a little fondness for them, but ultimately they only care because the sheep provides the shepherd with what he craves, whether it be wool for clothing, coin from sale, or food from the slaughter. These gods squabble over men and women like children over toys, each wanting to lay claim to the best and most. While some are less antagonistic than others, they all pursue their dogma for the same selfish reasons."
"People should care for each other...those that always look to the heavens are bound to be disappointed, because the gods ultimately don't care about you as an individual. A trusted friend, a loved family member...they might let you down now and then, but their care is genuine."
"If you all are so eager for my company, you could have come right out and said it."
"Always and I did," Owl says waggling and eyebrow. If she wasn't going to be at least civil then maybe this would convince her to at least pretend to be. The greatest cons were the ones in which the target gave you what wanted willingly and smiling like an idiot. He packs away some alchemical ingredients that he somehow kept out of his food and walks out the back of their carriage.