[center] [img]https://i.imgur.com/PVXYWf6.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/qAakc1A.gif[/img][/center] [center] [color=7DBC89]Race:[/color] Yuan-ti [color=7DBC89]Class:[/color] Rogue Arcane Assassin [color=7DBC89]Location:[/color] Top Deck [color=7DBC89]Interactions:[/color] [@Apex Sunburn] Scratch and Val [@PapaOso] Bastion, Talis, & Gears [color=7DBC89]Mentions:[/color] [@princess] Korrak the Racist, Phia, [@Samreaper] Menzai, [@FunnyGuy] Wendel, [@Potter] Arya, & [@Tracxyx] Bobi [color=7DBC89]Equipment:[/color] [hider=Full Equipment List]🌸 A finely crafted katana 🌸 A concealed dagger laced with paralytic venom 🌸 Throwing needles coated with different poisons 🌸 Black silk combat outfit reinforced with hidden Mithril chainmail 🌸 Soft-soled boots that allow for near-silent movement 🌸 Smoke bombs and illusion charms for quick escapes 🌸 A set of forged documents under multiple aliases 🌸 A tea set and an assortment of teas 🌸 Incense[/hider] [color=7DBC89]Attire:[/color] [color=7DBC89]Gold Balance:[/color] 53 [color=7DBC89]Injuries:[/color] None currently, but has numerous faded scars on her body [img]https://i.imgur.com/phiFSQQ.png[/img][/center] Meiyu watched, expression carefully schooled into detached curiosity, as Vallena struggled against Scaerthrynne’s grip. The girl flailed, squirming with all the reckless energy of a child who had never truly needed to fight for her freedom. Her protests were muffled, then followed by a wild swing that connected hard with his jaw. Meiyu arched a brow. That was amusing enough, but the bite that followed—[i]that[/i] was funny. Scratch barely reacted at first, though the sudden cry confirmed he hadn't expected it. His hold loosened just enough for the girl to slip away like a minnow through fingers, triumphant in her small rebellion. Meiyu hummed thoughtfully. [color=7DBC89]“You should teach her how to properly break free,”[/color] she mused, golden eyes shifting to Scaerthrynne. [color=7DBC89]“For her own protection.”[/color] She’d seen enough in her time to know what happened to people who didn’t know how to [i]get free.[/i] How easy it was for a moment of weakness to turn into something far worse. Vallena was young, sharp, filled with an energy that made her seem untouchable. [i]That[/i] was dangerous. The young always thought themselves invincible, right up until they weren’t. A memory stirred. Too late to stop it now. [hr] [i]Meiyu had been much younger, no older than Vallena, when she’d been pinned. Not by bindings, not by weight alone, but by skill. One moment she had been walking to the mess hall to get food, the next she was on the ground, her breath stolen from her lungs in the chaos of the motion. A hand pressed down against her chest, just light enough to remind her of its presence. Another ghosted along her throat, two fingers resting just beneath her jaw. The Whispering Coil assassin above her sighed, a sound like silk being drawn over a blade. [color=forestgreen]“Faster,”[/color] he murmured, unimpressed. [color=forestgreen]“You were too slow. Tell me—do you know what happens if you don’t get free?”[/color] Meiyu swallowed hard, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of a reply, as she tried to work herself free unsuccessfully. He leaned in with a wicked smirk, and his breath ghosted against her ear, the same way his fingers had against her throat. [color=forestgreen]“Let me teach you of one of the many things that could happen to you if you don’t get free…”[/color][/i] [hr] Meiyu blinked, the present settling around her like a slow tide returning to shore, an icy chill filling her veins. Vallena was no longer fighting for her freedom. She was darting off again, full of boundless energy. [color=7DBC89][i]No.[/i][/color] She thought to herself, a rare moment of anger coursing through her. [color=7DBC89][i]No girl should learn a lesson in that way. Not like that.[/i][/color] She let out a slow breath, shaking the thought from her mind. It was a waste to think of such things here. The girl wasn’t hers to shape, nor did Meiyu particularly [i]care[/i] to. She was merely a curious thing, nothing more. Her gaze followed Vallena as she all but bounced her way into an unfortunate collision. A halfling passenger, one who clearly lacked any tolerance for the chaos that followed her like a storm cloud, wasted no time in berating her. Meiyu tilted her head, eyes glinting with mild amusement as she watched the girl bow and apologize, only to be met with further scolding. Then came Scaerthrynne’s voice, sharp and unyielding. The halfling turned, irritation flickering to something more uncertain. “Who’s she to you?” Meiyu was still watching the exchange when she felt the passenger’s gaze flick toward her. There was a pause. A moment where she simply looked back, unreadable, before realization dawned. [color=7DBC89][i]Oh. Did he think I was—?[/i][/color] The idea was so far removed from anything she had ever considered that it didn’t immediately occur to her. It was only as she followed his darting glance—first to Vallena, then back to Scaerthrynne—that the implication settled. He thought [i]she[/i] was the mother. How… curious. Meiyu said nothing, merely arching a brow in response, before looking back to Scaerthrynne as he spoke to her. She let out a quiet chuckle, shaking her head. [color=7DBC89]“It’s an interesting choice, I’ll give you that.”[/color] Her gaze flicked to Vallena, who was now practically vibrating with excitement. The girl spoke in rapid bursts, her words tripping over each other as she relayed her discovery of a Warforged passenger, and then— The moment passed, and the world moved on. But the idea still lingered, the faintest wisp of amusement curling in the back of Meiyu’s mind. [color=7DBC89][i]Mother? Now there’s a first.[/i][/color] As Meiyu walked alongside Vallena and Scratch, she cast a sidelong glance at the young girl and smirked faintly. [color=7DBC89]"Your curiosity is boundless, isn't it?"[/color] she murmured, amusement lacing her tone. [color=7DBC89]"The curious mind is a blade—sharp enough to cut through ignorance, but just as likely to draw its own blood."[/color] There was no expectation of an answer, merely an idle observation as they continued forward. Her steps remained deliberate, measured, as they neared the bar. Meanwhile, she’d been quietly eavesdropping on the conversation between the dragonborn, shifter, and elven girl. The dragonborn’s growled insult toward the dwarf reached her ears, and something in her shifted. What had the dwarf done? He wasn’t even a part of the conversation it seemed. Without altering her pace, she turned her head slightly—just enough to let her gaze settle on him. A well-placed look, when done right, could unnerve more than a blade at one's throat. Meiyu understood this intimately. Her amber eyes locked onto his, unwavering, calm yet carrying an unmistakable weight. She held the stare with an air of silent amusement, assessing, unfazed, making sure he caught her gaze. Only then did her gaze flick briefly to the small girl at his side, noting the way she clutched the marble protectively, before returning to him once more. A slow, wicked smirk curled her lips, dark and unreadable. No words passed between them. None were needed. Then, as if dismissing him entirely, she turned away and continued walking. The atmosphere near the bar hummed with a different kind of energy—less overtly hostile, yet brimming with its own undercurrents of tension and curiosity. Her gaze swept over the tiefling girl briefly before moving past her, not lingering. She was the one Meiyu had observed earlier trying to hide and yet standing out to her because of it. She was curious of her secrets, but also didn’t care enough to engage her currently. Reaching the dwarf’s side, she stood with the sort of presence that did not demand acknowledgment yet was impossible to ignore. A quick scan of the area took in the large warforged and young redheaded woman who fell, their presence noted with a flicker of interest before she moved on. The gnome behind the counter caught her attention for a moment—standing near Gears—before her gaze settled fully upon the automaton. She met Gears’ eyes with something bordering on respect, inclining her head slightly before speaking. [color=7DBC89]"Something strong, when you have a moment."[/color] Her voice was smooth, composed, carrying neither urgency nor hesitation. It was a request made with quiet confidence, one that did not press but simply lingered in the air. Then, she leaned slightly against the bar, waiting, her expression unreadable yet entirely at ease within the moment. Her gaze flicked to Talis, noting the way she clutched her satchel almost protectively. [color=7DBC89]"You seem uneasy,"[/color] Meiyu observed, tilting her head slightly thinking back to when she first observed her earlier. [color=7DBC89]"Is it the company, or do you always carry something that makes you nervous?"[/color]