Inside 65: A Very Busy Intersection

[Peppered]

32D Highwill Road

Meredith frowns, "that sounds risky, Orion. What happens if you can't get it to work?"

It occurs to her that she could probably use the cloak for invisibility. But that would only work on one person and they'd need to all get in there, and then smuggle out the murderer. "Maybe we should go scope it out ourselves first before making the final decision."

[Lazorath]

32D Highwill Road

Despite Orion's capabilities he never truly learned the art of mastering his emotions which put the entire mission at risk. The weight of him failing weighed on him, but showing doubt would just ruin his chance to rise to the task.

"If I try and fail I will handle the consequences," his voice and face remain unusually calm despite knowing that he'd potentially be facing over twenty people at once, "if the worst happens I would...take matters into my own hands," he chooses to remain vague on the details, "I'll be able to hold them off, and kill many in the process, but I would need you to successfully get the murderer out of there while I distract them. All the better if the chaos manages set the slaves free in the process. We could organise a rendezvous point, and I could meet you there once I manage to escape from them."

"But there is one more issue that's weighing on my mind. I doubt the murderer will willingly let us take him to custody. As the council said, his abilities are foreign and unknown. If he is somehow immune to your control, but pretends to be, and waits till you get him away from the camp where it would just be the two of you...I'm worried what he might do, Meredith. Would you be able to hold him off on your own?" He begins worrying for her safety.

"Then again, we might not need invisibility for the entire duration of the operation. We could use it to infiltrate their base then hide, and lure two of their guards. Once we murder them we could change into their clothes, and use the masks to look exactly like them. It would give us complete, and easy access into their base without having to worry until we get a hold of the murderer. Once we do we could simply turn invisible again, and make our way out," his horrific face smiles wider than ever before as he manages to come up with the idea on the spot.

"We can decide what's best once we scope it out, but I think this could work."

[Halae]

[Rooftop]

"Some opportunity," Wenomir quips. "All I know is that she stole a big load of adamantine. I'll hire MERC to look for it, maybe they'll turn up something. Big, dumb warrior Wenomir rushing off on another wild goose chase," he says, with a strange pitch to his voice. As if he's imitating someone else.

[Rooftop]

"Who said that? Between the two of us, I'm the dumb one." Harnetta says, smiling, "You've always had more clarity than me."

[Morty]

[Rooftop]

"Sometimes it feels everyone says that," Wenomir says, slumping. "And if they're not, they're buttering me up for something. Like those damn reporters, trying to make a buck off us. Or people who expect us to fight their battles and care about their petty feuds. None of them take me seriously, unless they want something."

[Artemis97]

Time for Cait's favorite active, lying about her family. "Yeah not really. My dad died before I got to know him. Some wishful thinking there. "My mom was always in her own world, and she passed when I was barely a teen. I lived with an aunt, but we were never very close. And no siblings. A pretty sad excuse for a family."

[Delmah Phor - Xar'Cha Palace - Gardens]

"Ah," Sornnolu says quietly, "I am sorry for that. I sometimes wish my family were small and simple like that, however. Just my sister and I, our mother."

Market Street

"Well, that sounds like something you leave to professionals. So maybe we should just go tell the cops, huh?" suggests the teenager, hammer-arm shaking.

"We are professionals, kid." Brie says, scowling. "And I don't trust those iblith dhaerow to do a decent job of investigating. They'll probably try to use the thing, instead of destroying or containing it."

Ciar kneels down, examining the bodies nearest to the entrance of the alley. "Whatever killed these people used a heavy blade to do it. A cleaver? A greatsword? Something thick."

"Well at least it's not a scythe." The red headed woman says, false cheeriness in her voice.

"Wouldn't rule that out, but I know what you mean." Ciar replies, standing.

[Ashen Lilies]

[Market Street]

"If there are relevant city authorities who have legal jurisdiction over this matter, they should still be notified," argues Kalya. "Though if you insist on conducting your own investigation... I would be willing to assist. Such is my duty as well."

[Halae]

[Rooftop]

Harnetta drinks more, "Can't say I'm surprised. To them, we're just the schmucks with swords; the 'dumb brute' stereotype is strong in every world," seems Harnetta's dealt with this a few times as well, "The trick to dealing with it is perspective, I've found."

[Morty]

[Rooftop]

"What sort of perspective? I'd be willing to try just about anything," Wenomir says.

[Halae]

[Rooftop]

"Know thyself, right?" Harnetta smiles, "You know better than anybody what you're capable of. But if there's anything I learned in the past two years, it's that image is as much a tool as anything else is. I'm smart right? I notice things, I can predict moves, and I have skill. But I have tunnel vision, and I don't always consider the consequences of my actions. People assume that means I'm just dumb all over, and I can go out of my way to defy expectations; it gives me an edge when I need it, because people believe they can force me into something."

[Morty]

[Rooftop]

"Play the part and use it to my advantage? I could see it, I guess," Wenomir muses. "I'm not good at approaching situations I can't cut to pieces with a weapon, I'll admit that." He takes a long gulp. "You and I are both warriors, and that's just not a well-respected profession around here."

[Halae]

[Rooftop]

Harnetta takes her own drink, thinking, "So, what are you thinking about doing? I know you. you've got a plan rolling around in your head, or at least something you maybe want to do."

[Morty]

[Rooftop]

Wenomir sighs.

"I don't have a plan. I'm going to keep running Vigil and fighting the demons, or whatever else rears its head. I'll train my students. I'll keep looking for Kr. I've hired MERC to help me. But I don't know how to change people's minds. Maybe I need to accept that I can't."

[Halae]

[Rooftop]

"Those are goals, not a plan. I mean, what do you want to do now? Sleep? Go for ice cream? Maybe find a girl to spend the night with?" Harnetta keeps drinking. There's an unusual emphasis on that last one, but it's doubtful Wenomir is sober enough to notice.

[Morty]

[Rooftop]

Wenomir stares off into the distance.

"Have I focused so much on goals, objectives and duties that I forgot how to make short-term plans for myself? I don't really know. I guess I could do... anything. Except the girl part. You know that's not me."

[Halae]

[Rooftop]

"I mean, it could be." the half-dragon says, "It's not like there's anything wrong with it, outside of your own hangups. and I'm certain at least some women have been interested in you."

[Morty]

[Rooftop]

"Some have. Like Cessie's grandmother," Wenomir says. "She tried to hit on me when I came by to visit. Can you imagine that?" He shudders. "Besides, I don't have hangups. I just... don't want to two-time Kr while she's lost Riddle knows where."

[Halae]

[Rooftop]

"And you two have been separate how long?" Harnetta asks leadingly.

[Morty]

[Rooftop]

"At least a year now." Wenomir sighs. "I don't want to give up on finding her someday, you know. And now I know I've at least got a chance."

[Halae]

[Rooftop]

"Look, Wenomir, you can make your own decisions, but you really need to start thinking more of yourself. Life isn't some mirthless grind that you have to press your face into until your head's worn away. There's... women interested in you all over, you know?" Harnetta sighs. She didn't actually mean herself initially, but now that she's giving it some serious thought, the idea has its appeal.

[Morty]

[Rooftop]

"Maybe you've right," Wenomir admits. "I mean, if I do find her... it'll be like beginning relationship anew, after a long separation. Maybe I should allow myself some... fun in the meantime." He appears entirely ignorant of Harnetta's other meaning. "I don't even know if she'd take issue with it. It never really... came up when we were together."

[Halae]

[Rooftop]

"So you'll take some time to consider it if a girl's flirting with you?" her tone is amused. Almost snide. She takes a long drink from her wine.

[Morty]

[Rooftop]

"I guess so," Wenomir says, blissfully oblivious of any hidden meanings. "I won't rule it out, at least. If an opportunity comes by."

[Halae]

[Rooftop]

"Wenomir, I think you've missed several opportunities already." Amusement slipping out of her voice! Harnetta turns on her seat in order to face Wenomir rather than the sky. Just what could she be hinting at? What?!

[Morty]

[Rooftop]

Wenomir turns around, slowly, and blinks. Is she- what?

"Do you mean- oh, Riddle. Am I this bad at taking a hint?"

[Halae]

[Rooftop]

"Oh good, you've finally noticed," one can imagine that, if her face wasn't already red due to the scales, she'd be blushing right about now, "I did tell you I'm attracted to men before. I mean, why not? We like and respect one another. I'll..." she breathes out, "I'll understand if you're not into scales though."

[Deathkeeper]

[Market Street]

"If there are relevant city authorities who have legal jurisdiction over this matter, they should still be notified," argues Kalya. "Though if you insist on conducting your own investigation... I would be willing to assist. Such is my duty as well."

"We are professionals, kid." Brie says, scowling. "And I don't trust those iblith dhaerow to do a decent job of investigating. They'll probably try to use the thing, instead of destroying or containing it."

Ciar kneels down, examining the bodies nearest to the entrance of the alley. "Whatever killed these people used a heavy blade to do it. A cleaver? A greatsword? Something thick."

"Well at least it's not a scythe." The red headed woman says, false cheeriness in her voice.

"Wouldn't rule that out, but I know what you mean." Ciar replies, standing.

Market Street

Isaac gulps and begins backing away. "Well, power to you. I'm just a teenager with elephant powers, no need to be in the same zip code as this..." he mumbles.

[Morty]

[Rooftop]

Wenomir stares into the bottom of his bottle. What does he have to lose, really? He just spent a while overcoming a lot of hangups.

"I didn't think I was, buuuut I just spent a while being persuaded to try something new," he says, shifting closer to her.

[Halae]

[Rooftop]

Harnetta slips off her seat, and moves over to Wenomir, her hips swaying. she seems unsure of herself, however, when she leans down and graps his shoulders, to bring their lips together for a kiss.

[Artemis97]

[Market Street]

"Run for the cops, then," Brie advises. "I don't think they'll be much help, but who knows?"

"I think it might be a good idea to involve them," Ciar says. "More eyes watching out for it. Drow or no."

Brie simply frowns.

[Morty]

[Rooftop]

Wenomir gets up, goes to wrap his arms around Harnetta and kiss her back. Once he's settled on this course of action, he won't back down.