[hr][center][h3]Neir Slums — Guardhouse[/h3]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/JhorTIT.png[/img]
《 Level 1 Liar 》
[@ERode][@TheMushroomLord][@PKMNB0Y][/center][hr]
"Alright, son, here's how we're gonna do this---"

"Peter Parker; a little village up north, you probably haven't heard of it; vagrant, but I'm gonna be a Hero when I grow up, buh-leev it---"

"Whoa, whoa there!" The guard held up a hand as he looked at Connor with a raised eyebrow. The young man was clearly shaking like a leaf. "What are you talkin' about? We just want---"

"To ask me a few questions? Name? Where're you from? Occupation? What I'm doing in the city?" The blue haired man looked at the other guard who stood next to the door. The lawmen exchanged glances only known by those who have dealt with drug addicts, belligerent drunks, and stupid people far too many times. "I was squatting with the elf, he left, the guy in the hood barged in, I hit him---or, wait, I [i]would've[/i] hit him, uh, unless you guys don't have stand your ground laws?"

"..." The first guard scribbled something with a stick of graphite in a leather bound notebook. Connor audibly gulped.

"Did you come into contact with the package?"

"What package?" Connor blinked in genuine confusion. Another scribble was added to the pad.

"Do you know the man who attacked you and your friend?"

"No---wait, Cassius got attacked too?" Again he looked towards the other guard, eyes wide. "Is, uh...is he okay?" Then he sucked air sharply through his nose. "H-how many of those guys [i]were[/i] there?"

"Just the two, so far as [i]we[/i] know. And this Cassius pal of yours is being treated now." the guard holding the notepad continued to scribble. He watched as Connor breathed a sigh of relief. "Is that for your friend, or because no one else is going into that shack?"

"Um, both. Yeah. But it's---I left our other friend back there, and they're...not much of a fighter, I guess?" The two guards exchanged another look, and the one in the doorway started to move, until the first shook his head. Connor gulped again---he'd almost said something like [i]"they can't move right now,"[/i] but that would've raised questions about whether the slime was hurt, or needed help, or to be moved. Or at least, he thought it would have.

"So you claim that your friend stepped out, then this hooded man entered the shack you were in. We know he was running from an adventurer---do you think he was after you, specifically?"

"Unless it was his shack, I don't suppose so." Connor shrugged, then blinked and hastily added, "Uh, it was empty when we got here and there weren't any signs of habitation. We weren't, ya know, intentionally trespassing..."

"Uh huh. So the adventurer cuts the guy up, and tells you to drag him to us? Do you know her?"

"No."

"And were those [i]your[/i] knives?"

"They are if I can keep them. And the board too, please."

"...Why do you want them?"

"In case I get attacked by other guys in hoods and a catgirl with a claymore isn't around." The guard by the door actually snorted at that. "I mean, is beating up bandits and taking their stuff not what most adventurers do on a daily basis?"

"Mh." The first guard stood. "Okay then...Peter. You're going to stay in town for a while?"

"I guess?" Connor scratched his head. "I, uh, had planned on trying to find a decent inn and a local chapter of the Adventurer's Guild?" He looked towards the guard that had laughed at his half-intentional joke. "Would you guys know where that is? Oh, and Cassius?"

Whether they gave him the information or not, it seemed like the interrogation was over. Connor's items were returned to him, and he was given directions to the room they'd turned into a makeshift infirmary for Cassius. The two guards watched him go, like a newborn fawn with knocking knees.

"Must be some noble's kid tryin' to run away to 'live their dreams,' huh?" one muttered to the other. "You didn't ask him about his weird clothes?"

"Afraid he'd give me the damn threadcount. Seen a few like that before---they act shifty, but it's cause they ain't never been in real trouble before. He's pissin' his pants at the idea we'll tell his poncy daddy all about it." The guard with the notebook reviewed his scribbles, then snapped it shut. "I think it checks out. Noble kid and some friends or mercs or somethin' he met on the road drift into town, get picked as easy marks, end up slummin' it for a night or two. Meira happens along, they ask her for help, but then our perps show up. I'd be willin' to bet they had that particular shack eyed out as a rendezvous point or somethin'..."

They headed off to do whatever else it was they needed to do regarding the strange package and the mysterious men who wanted it so badly...
[hr]
Connor walked in just as Meira was asking the elf if he wanted anything. [i]Of course, she's got to make [u]his[/u] stay as comfortable as possible.[/i] The younger man micro-grimaced, then blanked out his expression before drawing the other two's attention.

"H-hey." he managed, with an awkward raise of his hand. "S-so, uh...Well I started to ask "anybody hungry," but we don't have any money, do we?" He looked at Cassius, then at Meira. "Um...any chance there's something easy like...gathering herbs or mushrooms or something, that we could get paid for before sunset?"

[i]And possibly feed to a Slime to see if it could internally disassemble or purify valuable alchemical reagents...[/i]

[hider=CONNOR'S DISCOVERIES][list][*][b]Acquired "Shitty Cloak!"[/b]
[*][b]Acquired "Knife Bandolier!"[/b]
[*]"Caliboard, the Holy 2x4."
[*]Learned "Push!"
[*]Learned "Cut!"[/list][/hider]