Franklin nodded in approval as Joe called the cops. While the accountant felt that problems such as these were better dealt with by 'professionals' such as the group, once the bad guys were apprehended it was better to hand them off to the law enforcement authorities so that the evildoers got their fair day in trial. It wouldn't do to get a reputation as reckless vigilantes.
The goblin shivers on the spot as Faith's pointy-ended friend takes a spot on his scalp.
"AM................................................. SORRY" he says, though his pronunciation is a bit weird (even with the generic goblin screechy-voice filter); his Common isn't good.
The cops arrive about a half-hour after Joe's call in a pair of cruisers; a couple of humans, a dwarf, and a tiefling with broken horns, each bedecked in blue-tinted chainmail with "POLICE" spelled out in silver links on their chests. Each of them has a longsword on one hip and a pistol on the other, aside from one of the humans-- a human woman with blue full plate. She wears a greatsword and a musket crossed upon her back, and a dagger on her thigh.
She holds out her hand to Joe as she arrives, casting an eye over the rest of the group; her grip is firm and professional.
She introduces herself shortly as Lieutenant Birg, as her subordinates get to checking on the scene. One checks the manacles on the goblin (who is standing very still), the tiefling seems to be taking the giraffe under control fairly easily-- a nature worker, most likely-- and the dwarven woman is clapping manacles on the Urgathoan as he regains consciousness.
Said dwarf interrupts the group's debriefing with a nudge. "This one'a yours?" she asks, holding up the glowing dagger with Franklin's blood all over it.
She introduces herself shortly as Lieutenant Birg, as her subordinates get to checking on the scene. One checks the manacles on the goblin (who is standing very still), the tiefling seems to be taking the giraffe under control fairly easily-- a nature worker, most likely-- and the dwarven woman is clapping manacles on the Urgathoan as he regains consciousness.The cops arrive about a half-hour after Joe's call in a pair of cruisers; a couple of humans, a dwarf, and a tiefling with broken horns, each bedecked in blue-tinted chainmail with "POLICE" spelled out in silver links on their chests. Each of them has a longsword on one hip and a pistol on the other, aside from one of the humans-- a human woman with blue full plate. She wears a greatsword and a musket crossed upon her back, and a dagger on her thigh.
She holds out her hand to Joe as she arrives, casting an eye over the rest of the group; her grip is firm and professional.
"Hello, Lt. Birg", Joe says with grin. The cleric goes into detail what happened and when, making sure slow down from being excited so the policewoman can get the detail right.
Said dwarf interrupts the group's debriefing with a nudge. "This one'a yours?" she asks, holding up the glowing dagger with Franklin's blood all over it.
"The blood belongs to our monk, the blade is the urgathoan," the caydenite explained.
Birg produces a notepad and a pen, which begins writing without her direct intervention as she listens to Joe.
The dwarf nods and drops the knife into a sack marked “Evidence.” ”’Preciate it.”
Birg, however, looks concerned. ”How’s your group’s injuries? Do you have a healer?”
The Tiefling produces a wand, looking over curiously.
"That would be me, officer", Joe says with his hand raised. Walking over to Franklin, the cleric apologizes. "I'm sorry,, Franklin. That last act was a nailbitter, eh?"
The caydenite placed his hand near Franklin's wound and cast two healing spells.
As Joe places a hand on Franklin’s neck and shoulder, the wounds dissipate; his shoulder flesh knits together, though the hole in his shirt—and the blood all over it—remain.
Meanwhile, the gray veins that branched their way down his chest fade and disappear.
The Tiefling pockets the wand again.
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"So, Lt. Birg" asked Brother Joe, "do you verify that our guild completed the quest or do we need to get a case file from you? How does it all work?"
As the Goblin was secured Faith smiled serenely, and called Flicker back to her shoulder. She moved to her fellow Tiefling - always fun to connect with others, and she was moderately curious about the horns - and asked, "Hello, Officer. What are you going to do with the giraffe now? I kinda assumed it was the Goblin's companion, and I know the Bond can make things different."
"Well, first we verify the details of the case with the evidence--" she says, gesturing to the dwarf, who has stowed the evidence sack in a bag on her hip and is now inspecting the broken glass. "And once we're reasonably certain you're not making things up for clout and coin, we'll get it submitted under your team name. All those apps connect to kind of a central database, so it should update on whatever you're using."
She tears off a strip of paper from her notes and hands it to Joe; on it are a few case details (an incident number, the address of the Toys R Us, and contact information for the precinct). Her personal extension is listed as well.
"Call me if you have any questions."
It is unclear if she's flirting; she's definitely the stony type.
The Tiefling looks down at their shorter cousin-- figurative cousin, most likely-- and smiles. "Always happy to help a new adventurer learn a bit about the process," they say, laying a gentle hand on the giraffe's leg. "Really comes down to what its rider is guilty of. If he was involved in the necromancy, most likely it'll be de-Bonded and set free in its nearest natural environment. Don't see a lot of giraffes around these parts, though, so that might be... I dunno. Montana? I'm not in charge of all that."
She tears off a strip of paper from her notes and hands it to Joe; on it are a few case details (an incident number, the address of the Toys R Us, and contact information for the precinct). Her personal extension is listed as well.
"Call me if you have any questions."
It is unclear if she's flirting; she's definitely the stony type.
"I'm sure I will, but not tonight", the caydenite smiled. "Tonight our guild will likely celebrate our first successful quest!"
Franklin couldn't help but sigh as his wounds sealed up under the divine gift of Cayden Cailean. He stared down in a bit of dismay at the stains and holes in his clothing, but altogether it had been a successful venture. As Joe responded to the stony-demeanored officer, the accountant nodded his agreement with the Caydenite, though he thought they probably had differing opinions on celebrate. Maybe it would be ok to let loose a bit...
"I suppose it would have to be a wild life park or some such," Faith commented with a sigh. "They're not exactly native. Which rather begs the question of how the hell that guy got this one."
The tiefling gives a big shrug. "Met a guy the other day who made samurai swords and spoke nothing but Japanese, lives right here in town. That's the thing about being a port city, I guess," they say.
"Of course, we could always sanction a quest for a group of adventurers to return it to the wild, if you're interested."
"I know," Faith said as she slowly considered, "But a swordsmith seems a lot easier to smuggle in and hide than, well, them." She gestured to the giraffe.
The Tiefcop bobs their head a moment. ”I’m not about to tell you how to do it, but it’s doable. Most likely this means they have some sort of backing, though.”
Their eyes turn to the goblin, who is being loaded into a squad car. ”Probably past a goblin’s capability, at any rate.”
"You'd be surprised with some of them," Faith said with a small smile.
"Well, Last Call", Brother Joe clapped his hands together, "I think we are done here. Earlier there was talk of tai food down the way. Shall we away to celebrate yonder quest completion?"
"I could eat," Faith said, managing to suppress the comments about who for poor Franklin's slightly more delicate nature. He'd done well on this job, and it would be rude to make him uncomfortable until he was at least two drinks in. "Crispy Veg tempura sounds nice."
"How 'bout elven soul food? I been meanin' to try that place."
Franklin tried to wrap his head around the possibility of returning a giraffe to its natural habitat. Weren't those things native to Africa? The accountant was uncomfortable with the idea of leaving the state, let alone the continent. Maybe doing so would help him shed his shell, though...so maybe it was worth considering. After a couple drinks, maybe.
Franklin stretched his arms and legs, as much to assess any joint and ligament damage as to make sure he was still in fighting shape. His hands went subconsciously to the holes in his shirt, feeling the mended skin underneath the drying blood. He had never been religious, but such a thing was downright miraculous.
"Thai sounds nice...we can hit up the Elven soul food tomorrow, I'm thinking."
"Well, if I'm the deciding vote, I vote thai", Brother Joe smiles as he looks around his guildmates, beaming. "Come on. Let's see if they're still open!"
"Mama Calanthiel's, here we come!"
Docta G is, unfortunately, outvoted! Last Call makes their way to the local Thai spot. It’s staffed primarily by Thai gnomes; the dim lighting goes a short way to making it hard to spot in which ways they’ve gotten “experimental” with the flavors and ingredients, but it’s generally agreed that they hit way more often than they miss, and they are willing to fulfill orders with no surprises so long as you specifically use the phrase “boring style” when you order it, and don’t mind a long white hair placed beside your chopsticks.
Brother Joe enjoy a large bowl of 'experimental' pad thai with some traditional thai rum. The caydenite talks at length inbetween bites about thailand's low cost alcohol, kept inexpensive due to very low tax and tariffs. The cleric fills up cups if they look low.
Franklin explains a few things, and with a few texts to Bibi, you get all the details you're going to have.
There's an old Toys 'R' Us that sits abandoned beside the Tide Light Rail, a public train that connects sections of the Hampton Roads area. It's not far from the residential area that Fang and Claw live in.
Of late, people have reported a goblin riding a giraffe moving late at night; no one thus far has followed them, so where or why they're moving about is currently unknown. Bibi was considering doing so herself... but has decided that it might be a good job for up-and-comers like yourselves. (She promises payment as well as any loot you can find is yours, and is forgoing any sort of "finder's fee.")
She suspects that this giraffe rider might be connected to the Blue Light Special, as well as a goblin duo who have taken the monikers "Sears" and "Roebuck."
Your job is to investigate and, if you see fit, take action.
Conveniently, there's a Light Rail station not far from the bar, and a stop not far from the old Toys 'R' Us.
As the group made their way to the Thai place, Franklin sent out a text to Bibi.
Bad guys taken down. Goblin in custody of authorities, working with some kind of necrophiliac creeper (human, also in custody). There were several dead women who were animated.
When the party was seated and orders were taken, Franklin opted for Thai chicken stir fry, though he softly said 'boring style' just as the waiter/ress was walking away. The accountant listened with interest as Joe spoke about the alcohol trade in Thailand, his eyes lighting up as the Caydenite spoke of tariffs and taxes.
"A few friends of mine went down to Mexico after we graduated. They said the tequila down there was cheaper than the water. I had an accounting technology conference my parents sent me off to, so I couldn't make it." Franklin grimaced as he took a swig of the rum, the taste foreign but the burn pleasant. He suspected it wouldn't take too many of those to loosen him up beyond repair, so the young man sipped slowly.
"Well, yeah. But I heard it's the low-quality tequila that's so cheap", Joe interjected, "you know, stuff to sell the gringos. I've had some really top-shelf tequila made on farms deeper in the country!" The cleric swooned. "Ah man! Dangerous stuff! So smooth you don't realize it's tequila until you're too far gone! Praise Be to Cayden for helping me survive the night, I tell you what!"
Bibi's response (or responses, rather-- she's a multi-texter) comes soon enough:
Good job.
Also: ew.
I can do some information gathering on the creeper.
That's a questionable line, though. Toys 'R' Us and animated undead? What's that connection?
Where a kid can be a kid! FOREVER!
The food arrives before too long, although the gnome waiter bringing Franklin's food makes a big show of dragging his feet and groaning like a zombie before sliding the plate in front of its recipient. He plucks a long white hair from his head and lays it beside his utensils.
Given the group's most recent adventures, perhaps the zombie-shuffle is in bad taste.
Those who ordered it experimental, however, are given a bit of a shock. There's an underlying sweetness to it, and the color of the sauce has an almost acidic-green.
As the food arrives, Brother Joe realizes he's more hungrier than he thought. The cleric shovels his food into his mouth, trying to slow down.
"So?" The caydenite posed a question inbetween the pad thai and rum. "Do you guys have an opinion of Lt. Birg back there? She passed me her personal number." Joe said with raised eyebrows.
Brother Joe notices the distinct flavor of Jolly Rangers in the sauce.
Weirdly enough, it works.
Faith grabbed the experimental dish, because she was always up for a new experience, with a side of spicy veggie tempura because sometimes you wanted something you knew you could eat. She saw no reason she couldn't have both.
Whatever was in the sauce seemed tasty enough. Faith dipped her tempura in it, because why not no one could stop her. She was an adult.
Mostly.
Franklin relays the information Bibi had sent to the others, replying, Thanks for the help...very interested in knowing what his angle is. Maybe it was just big enough and out of the way enough to suit his purposes...can't imagine what he might have been up to. Which was true, in Franklin's boring, squarish mind, he couldn't comprehend what could cause a person to do something like that.
The young man blushed as the gnomish server made a show of giving Franklin his plate. If he had to do it over again, he would have changed his mind and taken his chances on the food. As the conversation progressed, Franklin quickly learned that his own life experiences were inconsequential to the broad breadth of life-learning that his compatriots had experienced, so he mainly listened, curious about his new friends and what had driven them together in this strange adventuring gig.
When Joe mentioned Officer Birg, Franklin shrugged, "Seemed like a decent person, a by the book sort." In Franklin's mind that's the sort you wanted in law enforcement. "Oh really? We should call her tomorrow and see what they've found out. Maybe it's part of something bigger. With the excitement clearly evident on his face, it's clear what his preference is.
Docta G obviously orders the experimental, and with a few words in Gnomish also ends up with a thai iced tea with swirling blue patterns and a healthy dollop of something that almost tastes like savory whipped cream.
As he sips his confusing beverage he says, ”I dunno bout that cop. If there’s one thing I learned ‘bout adventuring from OutCast, it’s that 12 don’t like us too much.”
"They seemed fine, as far as cops are concerned. They didn't try and make it all our fault or plant anything stupid. That's probably a win." Faith shrugged slightly and sipped her drink. "I know none of this makes sense, but I hope it's not part of something larger. That was enough dead women for one job." She really should have taken the chance to 'accidentally' hit that creature in the groin with a burning sword. Some things demanded more active revenge, but sometimes just beating them senseless and making sure they'd never see daylight would have to be a start.
And speaking of appropriate revenge...
Leaning over to Franklin she said, "You don't deserve that guy giving you crap because you ordered what you wanted, not after the job you did putting those bastards down. Want me to explain the errors of his ways to him?" Now that she knew she could get a box of wasps teleported in at minimal cost the sky truly was the limit. She was thinking maybe this time spiders. Angry, bitey spiders.
As he sips his confusing beverage he says, ”I dunno bout that cop. If there’s one thing I learned ‘bout adventuring from OutCast, it’s that 12 don’t like us too much.”
Brother Joe smiled at the rap star across the table. "Your genuine concern is noted, Docta G. But I think I will call her tomorrow. Despite her professional demeanor, she was cute. And then there is the Universal Constant to consider; 'It's always the quiet ones'", the caydenite smiled mischievously.
Looking at the eager expression on Faith's features, Franklin shook his head. "It's ok, all part of the joke, right?" The young man smiled at Faith, clearly trying to convey that he was alright. And truly he was...the momentary embarrassment was quickly forgotten as he sank back into his chair and thought about their achievement this day.
With what would surely be a plus mark with local law enforcement, the group would possibly get more lucrative leads and maybe preferential treatment from Johnny Law, should it come to it. That might come in handy. "You should definitely call her."
Speaking of calling, the accountant started thinking about an excuse to use to call in to work the next day. He had a feeling he wouldn't be rising very early.
Faith smiled back at Franklin. "Your choice. I'm always open to unleashing havoc on the deserving." And the deserving tangential. Fire ants didn't tend to discriminate, she supposed.
Nodding to the others, she added, "She brings her own handcuffs, which is a start." She disagreed that it was always the quiet ones, but then she'd met a lot of interesting people. One girl she'd known tended to chatter during everything it was physically possible to talk through. She'd also been loud when she wasn't talking. But she was a lot of fun..
"Ayo, so what do you folks think 'bout hittin the town once we wrap up here? I got a couple bucks to spend, so drinks are on me."
Faith considered the dead women they'd just seen. "I could do with forgetting today in a haze of alcohol and public nudity charges, sure."
Brother Joe's smiles fades. "Yeah. That was more than a little fu<ked up."
"Bad things happen to ordinary people," Faith said philosophically. "|There was nothing we could do for those women. We didn't get the chance to save them. But we sure as hell got revenge for them and made sure that f**k up won't add more to there numbers. We did what we could. More, we did more than we had to. So we deserve a break. The good doctor's treatment plan is solid. Let's go do shots, do things we should probably regret but I won't, climb into someone's bed and feel like we're really, really alive because you can't help but wish otherwise after that much vodka."
Faith smiled in a way that suggested the Doc's bank balance would regret his generous offer.
Franklin's head buzzed as he thought about the other three's banter. His anxiety kicked in as the good Docta brought up hitting up the town afterwards. The accountant thought that THIS was the celebration of a job well done. Still, they had seen some pretty horrific sights, and while Franklin wasn't quite sure he was ready for a haze and public nudity, having a little fun with the others was in order. "I'm in."
It was said softly, but with resolve, fighting past the timid inclination to go home and get some rest so he could go bean-counting on the morrow. If he was going to do this, he was probably going to have to jump in if he wanted to do it well and make some money without dragging it out for months or years.
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Brother Joe pulls out his phone and after some research finds a possible bar to fit all Last Call's criteria. "It says the Showboat Saloon is open until 3am. Drinks, food, and entertainment. It's about 13.4 miles away."
"I hope someone on Uber has a big enough car," somewhat thankful that the twins hadn't come along on this adventure as she tried to app them up a ride, "It'll be a pain in the wallet to take two cars."
"One of my homies owes me a favor for crashin' at my place."
He sends a quick text to Jack Frosty, asking for a ride over to the bar. It would be a tight fit, but they could manage.
havem put aside a pad of thai for me dig? im good for it
It takes Jack Frosty about twenty minutes to arrive-- plenty of time to finish off what's left of the food and drinks and settle the bill. When he does, the rest of the party is alerted to his presence by a pair of hallmarks: a loud "Yo yo YO!" and a grin wide enough to show a set of teeth that look like they were carved from opaque ice.
"Dawg, is this Last Call? Hellllllls yeah!" Jack rocks his whole body as he stands, looking at each party member in turn; he moves like water, and the swirly blue tone to his skin and the literally-wavy texture of his hair mark him as an undine.
He dresses the part, as well. Tight white pants flow into an oversized, light-blue jacket.
"Jack Frosty, atcho service. Who we got here, who we got here-- das gotta be Faith, right?" she asks, leaning into the Docta's shoulder and pointing. "Girl, you foine. Love that we both blue. Yo, know that if you need a place to crash, I--" he starts, then pouts. "Well, s'pose I can't make that offer, what with my main man here technically owning the place an' payin' all'a the rent and sheeeeiz."
"An' one'a you is the good Brotha, right?" He looks between Joe and Franklin, overanimatedly stroking his chin between his thumb and forefinger. He points at Joe; "You look like a man of the hooch! It's the mustache, dawg. Sick."
He offers fist bumps to all, but sighs if a high five is requested. (He obliges, though.)