Totally understandable. Please take care of yourself.
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Rosaleen snorted, "Why would we kill you when interrogating you would be much more fun? The more questions of ours that you answer, the less you hurt. It's quite simple." The alchemist pulled out three vials from her kit. "These will melt your face off. If you want me to put one of them back into my bag, start with answering why are you really down here?"
As gunfire erupts yet again as the rat catchers try to escape, Rosaleen suggests to the others, "Try to keep one alive to interrogate."
Rosaleen thought she was dying. She was doubled over in pain from the bullet wound. As she quietly whimpered due to the pain, she heard and felt Mohammad speak a word that seemed directed at her. Seconds later, she felt the bullet work its way out of her body and her wound began to heal. She felt almost as good as new and slowly got to her feet.
Rosaleen was in no hurry to start inelegantly beating the hoodlums with her stick; however, before she could react to the situation a bullet tore through her abdomen. She let out a grunt of pain before her knees buckled and she doubled over in pain.
What are the rules about dying? Rosaleen is at 0 hps
The hour of day was not lost on Rosaleen. These men were keeping refuse under control at this hour? Catching rats at this hour? Anyone down in the sewers in the middle of the night couldn't possibly be up to anything good, at least as far as she was concerned. Her eyes narrowed as she studied the scene and tried to figure out why they were really down here.
Rosaleen whispered loudly after Kita as she moved forward, "They seem to be looking for something or someone from the other tunnels as they search the garbage." She then readied her cudgel expecting the men to not take kindly to being questioned.
Curiosity winning over disgust at their present surroundings, Rosaleen follows along with the others. She's surprised to see a bunch of men with a boat and other equipment down here in the sewers. What were they doing down here? It almost seemed like they were looking for something. Did they kill those other two men?
Rosaleen motioned at the torso floating down what passed for a river in the sewer. "I don't think there's much left of that one to carry out. If you guys are insistent on taking them out of here then we should go back for a stretcher or blanket or something to help." She tried to decide if spending time in the sewers with corpses or in the streets with drunks was more desirable. She glanced around and wondered out loud, "How'd they even get down here? Or what were they doing down here? I don't see any evidence of them living down here." Her nose wrinkled, "Not that anyone would want to live down here."
Rosaleen didn't have much on her to examine the bodies and she had no desire to touch them. She knew how to make the bodies melt so that they would never be found but the thought of touching something dead that had been in the sewers made her stomach clench. She approached the corpses that Kita was already searching and poked one with her cudgel in an attempt to be helpful and turn it over. "This is not what I signed up for at all."
The alchemist looked around suspiciously at their surroundings. "Can we call this 'problem solved' or do we have to follow the sewer path some more? I don't see any more rats and if it wasn't the rats that killed these two then I don't particularly want to find out what did."
Rosaleen looked around the area as well as at what was found on the bodies to see if she could determine if there was anything interesting about their deaths or who they were in life.
Rosaleen found her big stick very inelegant but it was all she had to use at the moment. Even though her leathers had protected her from the rat that just tried to bite her, she retaliated by swinging at its head to make it think twice about trying to bite her again.
I'm away Thursday to Sunday. Please bot Rosaleen as needed.
Rosaleen pulled out her whacking stick but didn't advance on the rats. "And this is why I should have taken twenty minutes to mix more reagents. I'll hit them if they attack but I'm not going any closer."
Rosaleen rolled her eyes, "Whatever." She joined the others, "I guess walking through vomit in the sewers isn't any different than walking through it on the street. And Kita's right, the bonus is that we don't have to deal with the drunks if we chase the rats." "You lead, I'll follow."
Rosaleen knew more about flora than fauna but she thought back to her studies when she was younger to try to remember anything she could about rats. How they could dig through masonry and whether there was something better that could act as a barrier to the rodents. Really she was just trying to find any reason to not go into the sewers.
Rosaleen poked her head through the trap door. "I'm out of anything helpful other than the small stick they gave us and I am less than useless with one. Are you sure you want to crawl into the sewers? Can't we just patch the hole in the wall and call it a night?"
Anyone want to take a look? Rosaleen resolutely shook her head, "Nope." She looked over at Kita, "It did seem a little anti-climactic." The alchemist then turned her attention to the trapdoor, "Either the rats are super intelligent and are laying in wait after sacrificing a few to the acid...or the corporal can't count at all. Granted the rats may have returned to where they came from but then it's not our problem."
Rosaleen fished her last flask out of her pack and nodded at Nevitash, "Ready when you are."
Rosaleen rolled her eyes at the corporal's back as he left with Lady Bethel. So typical of a mindless soldier. As long as they had a pointy stick they would stupidly run head-long into whatever unknown danger there was. Once you were no longer a low-level soldier, you thoughtlessly sent others into unknown danger because it was no longer your own skin you were risking. She waited until she was sure the corporal was gone, even going to the door to check he wasn't standing outside in the street, before returning to the others and asking, "So are we listening to the one who ran into a house of unknown danger and was quickly overwhelmed and risk that the same happens to us? Or are we going into this with a solid plan and adequate resources?"
It would have been nice to know there were more before I threw the acid, Rosaleen muses internally. At Kita's question, Rosaleen checks her bag quickly even though she already knows the answer. She always knew what she'd made. "I have one more, that's it. Although I could make some more if you guys can keep them busy for awhile. But you really can't rush science."
Rosaleen watched the rats melt as a result of her concoction with a small amount of satisfaction. This also meant that she had something to look forward to when they got back to their bunks because she'd need to make more. She then heard Kita speaking and realized that they had gotten involved with the rats for a reason, to free an old lady. Turning around to face the woman and she asked, "Are you alright, ma'am?"
Rosaleen wiped a piece of rat pancreas off her cheek. She was used to getting questionable substances on herself as she mixed different chemicals but she wasn't a fan of the organics. Nevertheless she stepped over what was left of the rat and entered the building. She dug out a vial of acid from her bag and moved over to the door where the corporal seemed to be engaged with more rats. She lobbed the vial over his shoulder and into the room at the rats.
Rosaleen's eyebrows quirked up in surprise at the response of the arguing men to Mohammed's words. She had assumed that him quoting his scripture at a bunch of drunks would inflame the situation rather than diffusing it. Their sudden change in demeanour left the alchemist slightly in shock and she watched quietly as they did their religious thing and her brain processed what had just happened. Her head snapped up and towards the pie-man as he shouts. She hid a smile seeing that her initial thought was partially true, although she highly doubted that rats were in league with a couple of drunks to steal from a local food vendor. "Shall we continue with our patrol?"
Rosaleen watched the fog swirl around their feet as they walked. "This isn't creepy at all," she murmured as a rather large rat scurried under a cracked headstone. At least she hoped it was a rat. She lets out a sigh of relief as they make it through the graveyard and back on to the streets. The commotion at the pie cart draws an eye roll from the alchemist. Who argues about paying for something? It almost seemed like a scam to Rosaleen. Maybe they were trying to distract the pie-man so that a third person could steal something? She looks for anything untoward.
Sweet! Yay for alchemical supplies! I'll see if I can still edit my last post to reflect that but I may not be able to...
Rosaleen felt naked without her bandolier but thankfully the guards had overlooked her alchemy kit. The rigid views of law enforcement of what constituted a weapon had worked in her favour this time. She listened to Sergeant Addy's orders but was a less enthusiastic participant than others in their group. How are we supposed to take the drunks home when we're not familiar with the city? But she figured that her question would sound disrespectful so she kept quiet. She took the few items given them and put the copper badge in her pocket. She felt no need to display it. Her interest was piqued by the mention of patrolling the industrial sector because there could be possible chemicals laying about that wouldn't be missed but then Kita suggested starting with the graveyard. Rosaleen shrugged and muttered, "Whatever," before following. Just because she thought this was a waste of their time and talents, maybe they'd get lucky and something interesting would happen.
Rosaleen kept her ears open for suspicious sounds and looked for questionable shadows as she patrolled with the others.
Will you allow any non-lethal items to be kept on our person? Or would we need to do a sleight of hand to hide them? She will try to keep her thieve's tools if possible but will make the roll to try to get them past detection if they're searched before they patrol.
I would also like to know whether we have our own gear before I post. Rosaleen wouldn't have willingly given up her field alchemy kit.
Rosaleen's eyebrows shot up in surprise at the Major's solution to the issue. They had gone from probably being locked up in a cell to being given a badge and essentially locked up in the barracks. This was never anything she ever wanted to do but it didn't appear like they had any choice. She lowered her eyebrows and schooled her face to one of neutrality. Stifling a sigh she simply said, "Understood." The alchemist waited for more instructions as well as for the Major to introduce the sergeant who they now answered to. She couldn't imagine that the woman was thrilled with her new assignment, especially since it meant that she had been roused from sleep.
Rosaleen was still processing the information Vicky provided when the woman appeared oozing authority. What exactly did the title queen mean in the world of steamjacks? And what did it mean for it to be an 'experimental' warjack? Her eyes followed Erryll as he approached the woman and they widen slightly when he bowed. She caught Kita's reaction out of the corner of her eye and realized that she was not the only one standing there in disbelief. The air in which the woman carried herself gave Rosaleen confidence to know that their rag-tag group has dodged the proverbial bullet. Vicky may have swayed the Major to leniency but only this woman could ask for their release and expect it to happen. She had no idea that Erryll had such powerful allies. Even though the alchemist was fairly certain that their release was imminent, she wasn't about to get her hopes up. Her gaze returned to the Major as she waited to see what he'd say.
Rosaleen watched quietly, hoping that the others would be able to explain what had happened because she wasn't quite sure she understood it herself. It was hard to accept that she was in such trouble for something she hadn't directly done herself. She had thrown one grenade and it wasn't even a lethal one but a deterrent. In that moment, she found herself contemplating what she would do if this didn't go well. Considering she had only met these people a few days ago, she had to be honest with herself that she would probably sell them out if it meant saving herself.
Rosaleen's body had been tense, ready to react should the hoodlums attack. She stayed quiet, knowing that there was nothing she could say that the others hadn't already voiced to their would-be attackers. There was no opportunity to relax between the goons melting away and the appearance of soldiers. With a sense of dread mixed with a small seed of hope that this misunderstanding could be cleared up, she moved her hand slowly away from her bandolier and raised her arms up. "I'm not resisting." Not yet, at least.
Rosaleen glanced at what the youths were posting and her eyes widened in genuine surprise. She then made sure that she and the others didn't stand and stare at it, her thoughts whirling. This seemed like an extreme response to a single death. For the first time, she wondered what she had gotten into in traveling with these people. She was now reaping the consequences of being with people that responded first and thought after. But then again, she didn't know all of the laws surrounding steamjacks. She had never been to Corvis before or else she may have had a safe house in place that they could use. As it was, she could help with disguises but the first thing they needed to do was get out of the street. She pulled her hair inside her jacket and pulled the collar up to hide the profile of her face. "We need to get out of the street. Even if it's just into an alley away from more prying eyes and decide where to go because Nevitash is correct that getting out of the city gates will prove difficult. We need to find help in clearing this up or we need to find an alternative way out of the city, maybe by water?"
Agreed
I'll be camping from Sunday to Thursday and I'm not sure what my cell coverage will be like. Please bot Rosaleen as needed.
While the others attended to the steamjack, Rosaleen began to search around for what they needed to get it up and running. The sooner they could leave this place behind them, the better. She found something covered with a tarp on the other side of the shed. Peeking underneath, she quickly threw back the edge to reveal a cart. If they couldn't get VIcKy mobile then at least they had another option. Considering the cart contained coal and some water as well, she wondered if it belonged to the steamjack. Poking her head around the side of the shed, Rosaleen focused on the more muscley members of their rag-tag group. "There's a cart over here with what you seem to need. We can move it closer to VIcKy if someone gives me a hand." Rosaleen can't help but smile at Erryll's enthusiasm, both at her find and his concern for VIcKy. She was still trying to figure out if him calling her a Lady was teasing or just trying to be respectful or an interesting quirk. Whichever the case, she decided that she liked it. She did what she could to help, not afraid to get her hands dirty. She also found the mixture of science and magic mentally stimulating which she always enjoyed, She was still amazed that Nevitash had heard VIcKy from back inside the inn. She watched the Ogrun work thinking that the steamjack had somehow imprinted itself on him and he just intuitively knew how to help it. The alchemist watched the steamjack slowly come to life as the fuel was added. "Do we need to put VIcKy in the cart or will she me able to move on her own? I guess we can also take whatever is left of the resources and get moving."
"Don't kill the trollkin." Rosaleen nodded, "I agree. The locals are mad enough as it is. Although we may want to get out of here before its back on its feet." She hadn't seen a steamjack up close in awhile, especially one in such poor shape. Turning to Nevitash she asked, "So you heard VIcKy when you were sitting in the inn? That's fascinating." Being familiar with chemicals and knowing what substances would burn well, Rosaleen searches around the shed for possible sources of fuel. Barring that, the alchemist also kept an eye out for a possible method for transporting VIcKy because one thing was certain, they wouldn't be leaving the steamjack behind.
Rosaleen glanced back and forth between Kita and Erryll, "Regardless of who is in the right, I'm with Kita. It's time to book it and be off since the locals are restless. Grab or help whatever we came to get and let's be off before more blood is shed."
Rosaleen sighed before answering Kita, "You and me both. I'm not used to traveling with others who prefer to 'fight first and kill everyone so there's no one left to question' rather than 'use every deceptive manner possible to find out everything possible then kill them quietly'." She shrugged, "Not sure which method is better. I think I'll often be feeling outclassed if we're just measuring things by fighting." She strained to catch a glimpse of whatever was in the shed, "I hope all the bullets and blood are worth whatever is inside."
Rosaleen cursed under her breath as her grenade seemed to not have an effect on the trollkin. That means that things would escalate quickly. The swift exchange of bullets proved the alchemist's hypothesis. She drew her dagger from its sheath and prepared to throw it at the trollkin should it somehow manage to dodge her companion's bullets.
Rosaleen leaned towards Kita and asked, "Can you use Ogrun to tell the others to shield their eyes?" Then she muttered, "Although maybe to de-escalate this the others should be blinded too..." As soon as Kita called out the warning, the alchemist activated her flash bang grenade and threw it at the two aggressive strangers in order to blind them.
Rosaleen joined Kita in her attempts to get the looky-loos to back away but she chose a more intimidating approach. Drawing one of her flash bang grenades, she displayed it saying, "Better back it up if you don't want your eyeballs fried like those two looters are about to."
Rosaleen sighed when she didn't get a verbal response from Lily to her question before the young woman left the common room. Being the last one in the room, she got up and followed the others outside. Raised voices were rarely a concern these days after the fighting that had torn lands apart but Rosaleen was still on guard. Her attention, like everyone else's was drawn to the shed.
Rosaleen flagged Lily down as she returns looking somewhat disturbed. "Lily, is everything alright? What's going on?"
After making a sandwich for Kita, Erryll gets busy making one for Rosaleen as well. He thinly slices some chicken, selects several vegetables, and then with a soft glow in his eyes, a conjured seasoning falls evenly across his masterpiece. Slicing on the bias, Erryll then floats the plate across the table to the young woman, "With my compliments Lady di Henryn." The young elf smiles, "The flavour should have just a hint of Ios to it: the spice blend I conjured for you. I hope you like it." Rosaleen holds out her hands to accept the floating plate, "It's been awhile since a meal was so entertaining." She holds up one half of the sandwich like one would a wine glass to toast, "And I appreciate someone who knows how to properly cut a sandwich." She takes a large bite and chews thoughtfully as she nods her appreciation, "You conjured this flavour? Impressive. It's delicious. I've never been to Ios so I'll take your word for how it's supposed to taste. Any chance you've tasted food from Llael? It's been awhile since I've had a taste of home." He motions his spoon at the whole room, to take in life, the universe, and everything. "I dare say I would rather die doing something unknown and risky than live doing something known and safe. Ah, but then wouldn't we all? That is why we are here, is it not?" Rosaleen took another bite of sandwich before giving a small chuckle, "I prefer to question nature and uncover its secrets rather than questioning the whys of human behaviour so I'll leave that to you. Either way, it was well said, Agnar." A bed in the common room goes for another 5 Shields (sp) each, but I'll tell you what. I will give you it all for a Crown (gp) each! Whatcha say?" Rosaleen couldn't help but notice Kita shift uncomfortably in her seat with the mention of the cost for a night. She knew what it was like to struggle for basic comforts and was fortunate enough that she was currently in an ok place at the moment that she could pay it forward. She dug out two coins and handed them over to the young woman, "This is for me and her," she said motioning at Kita. "You've taken such good care of us this evening but I never caught your name. My name is Rosaleen. My compliments to whoever made our food."
Rosaleen's eyes light up at Agnar's last word, "Now you're speaking my language. There is no end of things to learn when you're curious enough to search for answers."
Rosaleen thoughtfully regarded Agnar, part of her believing that he was expecting a more profound answer than she was prepared to give. "One cannot change unless they truly want to change. If one does not desire to change, who they are bleeds into who they pretend to be regardless of how they may disguise their appearance. So I guess to answer your questions, only we can change ourselves. Yes, we are influenced by what happens to us but it is us that ultimately choose how it affects us." --- Rosaleen began to tuck into her bowl of hearty soup when items began moving themselves around the table. She looked up to see a knife floating into Erryll's hand. She smiled and murmured, "Fascinating," before spooning a large piece of white fish into her mouth. Once she'd swallowed as added, "I'd take a sandwich." |