MERC XVII: You Can't Take the Pay From Me

[Shadowcaller]

[Guest Room]

"Please don't take it as a insult. It takes a lot to kill another person and move on. I've killed a few people in my days, which is why I'm here right now, and it might be why you are here too. We can't control what fate we're subjected to, we can only survive it." She argues, followed by a longer pause. "But... perhaps I should consider means to find your soul. Probably taken up too much of your time already, you must feel so lost right now and here I am blathering on."

[Artemis97]

[Guest Room]

"No, please, it's fine." Raril assures her. "Makes me feel a bit less lonely. I don't remember anyone. Aside from Miss Electra, you're the only person I know."

[Gullara]

[Entrance]

Kirk and Dena had left earlier that evening, and much later they return. Kirk bursts through the door, absolutely stinking of alcohol and haphazardly dressed. Even drunk out of his mind he usually has more composure than that. It's not hard to tell that something is terribly wrong, however. He nurses his left hand close to his chest and just stands there looking lost for a moment. Perhaps sober he'd know what to do with himself right now, but in the state he's in he's almost falling apart.

[Zefir]

"What evidence would that be?"asks Jacob.

[Astrana's Office 2]

"I'm sorry, but I will tell you after I proofed my point." Fade says. "I don't want you to run off again."
Fade looks at Astrana.
"You got the name in head? I might have someone who knows the name."

[Dipsnig's Office]

"Interessting." Fade says. "Do you have a name?"
"Nadas just found a tracking device which belongs to an intelligent spider. right now it seems Illophen didn't got to hunt her, because she allways knew where she is. That means she knows MERC is involved."

[Morty]

[Dipsnig's Office]

Dipsnig's ears twitch.

"I can't remember its name, no. But if Nadas wants to escape Ilpholin and you found a tracking device belonging to an intelligent spider... it would be a huge coincidence if it wasn't her spider. Which does make our job harder."

[Shadowcaller]

[Astrana's Office 2]

So now that guy was ignoring her in her own office, figures. "I could write it down, though I'm not sure it would make much sense to you." Astrana tells Fade. "It contains a lot of apostrophe's."

[Guest Room]

"Oh. I suppose you could be with me while I prepare if you don't want to be alone. Its just going to be a lot of dancing though." Astrana replies with a smile.

[Entrance]

Dena follows him inside, better dressed but reeking as much of alcohol as her fellow lieutenant, walking in complete silence until it seems clear Kirk is plagued by indecision. "Get some sleep, Kirk." She orders.

[Artemis97]

[Guest Room]

Raril smiles back. "I like dancing." He frowns, indecisive. "I think. Either way, I'd rather be with you."

[Shadowcaller]

[Guest Room==> Astrana's Office]

Astrana gestures for Raril to follow. "Come along then, the full-moon isn't until tomorrow night after all, so I see no reason you should be alone while having an assassin after you." She will then lead him back down into her ritual chamber/office. "I think you could help me when I think about it, it would require you to be inside the circle however. Think you can do that?" She gestures at the circle of runes in the middle of the room.

[Artemis97]

[Astrana's Office]

"I can do that." Raril says, before stepping into the circle. He stands at its center, facing Astrana. "Now what?"

[Shadowcaller]

[Astrana's Office]

"Now just stand there a while, I'm using you as a focus to locate your soul, possibly even calling it back to you if its willing. It might be trapped somewhere though or it might already have returned, we'll see." She walks behind her desk and starts change out of her clothes. Apparently she has a whole dance outfit in one of her drawers. "You ready?" She asks once she is done, now dressed in clothes that don't restrict her movements as much.

[Gullara]

[Entrance]

Kirk turns toward her, his eye focusing. "Sleep? How can I sleep? You know how ****ed up this feels?" He holds up his left hand. It's solid jade and totally immobile. "It's... it's just dead weight hanging off the end of my wrist." As much as he's freaked out, he does look dead tired, too. The shock of it all has taken its tole.

[Shadowcaller]

[Entrance]

"I don't." Dena replies as Kirk shoves his jade hand into her face. "But you look exhausted, Kirk. Just lay down and try, then you can scream at me how much you want." She wants to look away, but forces herself to look at Kirk despite what had just happened. Once you let these things get to you, you lost. The only way was to move onward, no matter how hard it was.

[Artemis97]

[Astrana's Office]

Raril averts his eyes when Astrana starts getting changed, but those red orbs drift back after a moment. She hadn't asked him to turn around or anything, she just started getting changed, like it didn't matter. Maybe it didn't matter to her. Or maybe it did and she wanted him to look. Either way he was looking, now. Not staring, but certainly appreciative.

[Shadowcaller]

[Astrana's Office]

The tiefling just smiles at Raril, once it is clear he isn't listening. "Raril? I was asking if you're ready." She doesn't seem to mind his lingering gaze at least.

[Artemis97]

[Astrana's Office]

"What?" Raril's eyes go a little wider when he realizes he's being talked to. "Ready? Yes, right. Totally ready. Completely ready to start. Uh... what should I do? Just stand here?" He asks. Though it can hardly be seen through his dark skin tone, he was definitely blushing.

[Shadowcaller]

[Astrana's Office]

She lets out a giggle. "Yeah, just there is fine." She assures him with a slow nod. "I'm just gonna do a chant and a little dance, then we'll find the location of your soul, alright?" Without waiting for a reply, he steps back to put on a stereo, playing some kind of ritualistic drumbeat.

Then the dance beings.

The tiefling starts a chant in a language Raril probably doesn't recognize before she starts dancing to the slow rhythmic beats of the drums. There isn't much movement at first, just the sway of her hips and movement of her arms as she chants. Then she suddenly throws her arms towards the ceiling and then quickly bends down again as if bowing before someone.
Astrana then gets up again, now starting to move around the circle to the rhythm of the drums. The flow of the dance is still slow and rhythmic, but her feet moves a lot faster now, kicking the air in front of her. As she has gone a half-circle around the ritual-circle, she slowly throws her head backwards, and arms upwards to chant what sounds like praise to something.
She then continues in the same circle movement, once again repeating the gesture of praise once she come full circle. But then she suddenly change direction, swaying back to the position she was in earlier where she repeats her praise.

At this point Raril might feel it getting strangely warm inside of the circle as Astrana's swaying form continues dancing around him. She now moves faster as the dance appear to be building up to some kind of climax, her hip moving faster and faster as she stretches her arms into the air and slowly moves them to her sides, forming a circle with them. Once her hands has reached her hips, she suddenly gets down on one knee and holds out her hands as if accepting something as she continues her chant.
Then she suddenly stops chanting and takes a deep breath. Yet, strains of her long black curly hair hangs down in front of her face, all matted and unruly, and there is still this wild look in her yellow eyes even as she is starting to calm down.

[Artemis97]

[Astrana's Office]

Raril watches Astrana dance, finding the movements to be very interesting. As it starts to get warmer, he tugs at the collar of his blue silk shirt. Why was he getting so warm? Was it the magic? or... other things?

Astrana may be surprised to find that Raril's soul is still in the Black Dragon's Den.

[Shadowcaller]

[Astrana's Office]

Raril should feel that the warmth is slowly disappearing now... or at least the unnatural heat.
Taking another deep breath, Astrana raises from the floor with a exhausted smile. "Raril... your soul is located in Black Dragons Den. Perhaps whatever the assassin did caused it to separate from your body. We might be able to go there and collect it."

[Artemis97]

[Astrana's Office]

"That's amazing!" Raril says, grinning back at Astrana. "I can't believe you found it so quickly. What do we do now? Should we go there and get it? How do you even get a soul? How are you going to put it back in me? Do you think I'll get my memories back?" Full of questions, the drow was.

[Zefir]

[Dipsnig's Office]

Dipsnig's ears twitch.

"I can't remember its name, no. But if Nadas wants to escape Ilpholin and you found a tracking device belonging to an intelligent spider... it would be a huge coincidence if it wasn't her spider. Which does make our job harder."

[Dipsnig's Office]

Fade's shadow nods.
"Yes." he replies in his echoing voice. "We might need to change plans. Illophen might be awar of the anti assassination rule which makes a fake death even harder."
"Also I should tell you that Astrana will need more animals for her rituals."

[Astrana's Office 2]

Fade isn't ignoring her. He just kind of cares for his stuff.
"It might not be nessesary. He doesn't know the name. Still he proofed that Illophen got a creature you described. Thanks for your work." he then turns to jakob.
"Illophen got a tracking device on Nadas and you should tell Astrana why you are here."
He will then head out of the Office.

[Gullara]

[Entrance]

"I don't." Dena replies as Kirk shoves his jade hand into her face. "But you look exhausted, Kirk. Just lay down and try, then you can scream at me how much you want." She wants to look away, but forces herself to look at Kirk despite what had just happened. Once you let these things get to you, you lost. The only way was to move onward, no matter how hard it was.

[Entrance]

Kirk just stares at her a while longer. For the moment, he resigns himself to his situation. He turns and leaves without further comment. Unless interrupted, he's going to go collapse on his bed.

[Shadowcaller]

[Astrana's Office]

Astrana has to sit down on the floor again, overwhelmed by Raril's series of questions. "Souls are complex things, they do not leave the body before death often, and when they do, they need to be convinced to return. You might have to give it, or him, something in return." Astrana explains. "I cannot tell you how your memories are going to be returned as I've never seen this kind of case before, but they will return, I'm sure of it." She leans back, pressing her hands against the floor as she slowly calms down.

[Artemis97]

[Astrana's Office]

"That's great news." The drow was still smiling, but concerned touched his eyes when Astrana sat down. "Can I get you something? Water? A cushion?" He looked around. Maybe there was a glass near the sink she had used earlier?

[Shadowcaller]

[Astrana's Office]

There are no cups or glasses in sight, but Astrana gestures towards a cupboard above the sink she used earlier. "Just a glass of water please. It was just exhausting, that's all." She replies.

[Artemis97]

[Astrana's Office]

Raril goes to the cupboard as directed and retrieves a glass or cup and fills it at the sink. He then brings it back to Astrana. "Thank you for doing all of this for me. I don't know if I've said that yet, and I want to make sure I do."

[Shadowcaller]

[Astrana's Office]

Astrana takes a drink, emptying the glass in one long sweep. "Ahh... it is not a problem, Raril. I'm only doing my job after all, and you are paying me." She replies with a wry smile. "Hopefully you will remember all this after your soul returns."

[Artemis97]

[Astrana's Office]

"Still, you've been very helpful to me." Raril says. "I hope I remember this too."

[Morty]

[Dipsnig's Office]

"She's certainly aware of it," Dipsnig says. "If she connects Jacob to us, the fake death will likely not work. Are the demon sheep not enough for Astrana's purposes? I know some of her rituals demand specific species."

[Shadowcaller]

[Astrana's Office]

"Don't worry about it too much, I'm sure I can remind you somehow if it happens." Astrana gets up from the floor. "If we see one another again, that is. You owned the Black Dragons Den, did you? I've been there once..."

[Artemis97]

[Astrana's Office]

"So they tell me." Raril agrees. "I didn't get a real good look at the place, what with all the dragging me about and the explosion and such."