corneredbliss

End + Sleep

Ah, thank you so much for remembering me! Unfortunately I'm going to have to bow out of the running, so feel free to release my spot to the wind. Best of luck with this journey - I look forward to reading up on the adventures! @Oddsbod

Omega Station / Boop!

Janetta was concerned about whether Gris may or may not have taken the doctor's comms device for himself... But she didn't mention the worry. If he had, there was nothing they could do about it at that point. Besides, it may help them locate and disarm him faster, which would be ideal, considering it would be one less enemy to sort out. She brought her device up to sight level and touched it, activating the contacts screen and selecting Ami's name.

It rang in her palm, and the noise was echoed somewhere a few rooms down from where they stood, off to their right. Jan's eyes snapped up to meet Ryobi's, and she let it ring once more to see if anyone would answer before promptly hanging up when nothing came. She didn't want to attract any more attention to them then they might have already done, and if Ami didn't pick up after the few moments her device was vibrating, she wasn't going to at all.

In a swift motion, she slid her device into her pocket and withdrew her pistol, holding it once more at the ready as she squinted her eyes down the short hall lined with rooms for patients, as if that might give her Kitt's scanner vision. The stark white of the walls surrounding them was starting to prod at Janetta's ever-flaring anxiety, especially in the silence that followed the comms' ringing. In an effort to assuage the tension that was amassing in her body, she found herself putting one foot in front of the other, heading towards the direction of where the doctor's comms had been heard. She wasn't sure if Ryobi was following behind her, or what his feelings on the proper reaction might be, but she was too paranoid to pry her eyes away from what might be waiting ahead of her.

She passed the first two rooms, which were both closed and dark, and didn't bother checking them at the moment, because it didn't take long for her to realize where her destination was. It was the second patient's room on their left; the door was open and the lights were on, and when Janetta finally shoved away from the wall on the left side of the doorway which she had been taking cover behind before entering the room, she simply stared.

"Ryobi," she breathed, by way of telling him to come look if he hadn't been following her. Her tone was strangely monotonous, unsure of how to feel about the sight. When her officer looked inside, he too could see that the doctor's device was laying by itself in the middle of an examination table at the center of the room.

neotokyo ⋮⋮ ネオトウキョウ

To be honest, the long periods of waiting have caused me to lose the muse for this, so I think I'm going to have to bow out at this point. Best of luck to y'all if you do continue on.

I suppose that means I'm taking @JBRam2002 with me, so... -quietly slips away with him into the night-

Beginner's DnD 5e Game - Group 2

In the time that it took Yvah to finish the frothy liquid, Araerys had replaced the hand on her wound and had made quick gestures with her free one, casting the healing spell on herself and immediately feeling its effects. Her attention was much sharper and the discomfort had completely gone, and she was rolling back her shoulders in a stretch as the hiccup drew the half-elf's attention back to the feline. It elicited an amused chuckle from the woman as she placed a hand on Yvah's forearm and repeated the spell, assuming she was in need of the help, as well. Then, remembering her words to the elf, she motioned for Ceria to reach out an arm, which Araerys took and employed the healing spell once more. When she was finished, she leaned over the counter and took the keys from the barkeep with a grateful nod.

"A warm thank you, sir. And let's see... Another round for Fuzzball over here," she said, jokingly taking a glance at Yvah from the corner of her eyes. The nickname was probably something kept between the two, but Araerys felt at ease playing with the girl. Then, nodding towards the paladin to indicate: "And a mug for this fella and myself, if you please." She took a gold piece from her belt purse and laid it out on the counter before turning to offer up the keys of the rooms to whoever wanted to take them. Some might have thought she was being overly familiar with the group much too soon, but that was just the way she was. Most of them still hadn't introduced themselves, and probably still didn't know her name, but Ary wasn't going to be shy after sharing a near-death experience with the lot. "Here," she announced to the rest of their company, turning her body sideways and holding out the keys with their tags in the palm of her hand. They were free to be taken by whomever. "I'm sure you'd all like some much needed rest... Thank you, once again."

Once the keys were freed from her possession, she turned back to find that Racchus was quick to provide them with the mugs, and after lifting her own in a sincere salute to the two beside her, she downed the ale with the ease of the tiefling himself. It was obvious she wasn't a stranger to the stuff, and it's warmth comforted her as she slid off the barstool and made to follow the group up to the rooms. Curious as she was about the rest of them, she figured she might as well recover tonight under a paid-for roof while she could. But she kept to the feline's company for good measure.

Bread rolls

Ary uses Cure Wounds on herself (11), Yvah (11), and Ceria (6).

@Ms Ravenwinter@Turbowraith@JBRam2002@The Harbinger of Ferocity@Mistiel@Ermine@Oraculum

Beginner's DnD 5e Game - Group 2

Araerys wasn't much too intimidated by the goblin's mug, all too accustomed to getting strange stares whether or not she had done something to elicit them or not. It was part of the territory, especially one like Bourgund where one encountered all types of travelers, and the landscape of company was perpetually changing. It did seem to spook her elven counterpart, however; Ceria suddenly jerking away from the group might have urged more glances their way, and Ary, feeling obliged to make this as painless as possible, moved from behind Yvah to take a place next to the feline at the counter.

"We're thankful for your help, sir," she said sincerely, "How much more is needed to cover the group's safe stay?" Her hand found belt pouch at her waist that contained her coin and fingered it idly. She wasn't really one who enjoyed parting with her money (then again, who was?), but today was proving to be an exceptional day. Still, Ceria had already put down plenty of gold, as did the paladin, and Ary was hoping the difference that remained wouldn't be too excessive. As she waited for the barkeep's answering, the woman tried to catch Ceria's eye, and if she did, she would offer a little smile and calming eyes.

Beginner's DnD 5e Game - Group 2

Ceria's words echoed in her ears as she made her way towards the tavern with the group. She was correct; they had only known each other for the grand total of a few minutes, and within those few minutes, she had managed to get them all nearly killed in combat. And yet, Araerys was already using collective pronouns. Perhaps she was a bit starry-eyed from previous experiences, believing that the bonds of an alliance in a fight held great importance, enough to merit at least a drink or two together. Ah, well - if anything, she would sit for a short while with this varied group and exchange stories before taking her leave, if they insisted.

Having lived in Bourgund most of her life, Ary was familiar with The Homely Kobold, though it wasn't a frequent of hers. Mainly because of the strange opposition towards elves that seemed to be a subtle thread in the air of the establishment, exhibited by the angry scratches covering the Elvish on the sign. She knew Ceria noticed, though she made no comment about it as they entered behind Yvah. Still holding the wound in her gut (mostly to prevent others' discomfort at the sight), the half-elf was quick to take stock of the patrons in the tavern before letting her attention rest on the interaction between their kurjian companion and the tiefling that approached.

Araerys simply followed the feline's lead and offered the tiefling male a grin, and then a few hearty chuckles at Yvah's playful chiding. Aware that this was wholly the woman's audience, and not wanting to rub anyone the wrong way just yet, she kept her mouth shut for the time being, merely observing and presenting a polite face. There were a few familiar faces in the room, though none that might bring her any more trouble for the day. In a normal tavern, she would have been picking out who her next group of fools might be. But this didn't seem like a normal tavern, and all Araerys wanted in the moment was a chair and a drink.

Omega Station / Boop!

Janetta lowered her gun a few beats after Ryobi confirmed that it was clear, oddly paranoid about the phenomena that was happening. Burchill, Gris... They would never lay a finger on a fly. And now they were murdering their comrades? It just didn't add up.

"Where to next, Cap?"

Yet another million dollar question. "Well... We saw Ami leave her office, so she probably isn't there anymore. We might go check there anyway? Maybe we'll find clues as to what the fuck is going on in there... With Davis's body...?" Jan scoffed at the anxiety creeping into her speech pattern. She sighed heavily and wiped nonexistent sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. "Or we can just go ahead and try and find the doctor - somewhere. At this point it's just a fucking game of hide and seek, goddammit."

Beginner's DnD 5e Game - Group 2

The witch interrupted the round of introductions to instruct - or more exactly, demand - that the rest of them join her in disarming the goons. Araerys, somewhat off-put by the woman's disdain for their 'lack of effort', made no obvious expressions as she took inventory of the group, her gaze jumping quickly from person to person until they landed upon the feline that had made her way over to make her acquaintance despite the deterring words. "Yvah," Ary repeated, reaching out her own hand for another introductory handshake, "another lovely-" Her statement was pleasantly disrupted by a poke on the nose, and while normally the half-elf would have been floored with indignation at her forwardness (even though she was fairly forward herself), it only resulted in a bemused smile that grew wide across her face. "Name. Heh. Very well then."

She was moving to follow the kurjian to help with the bodies when Ceria spoke again; she answered her sheepish request with a low chuckle. Ary was the last person to judge anyone on thievery, but she figured the merchants had been put through enough for the day. Waving a dismissive hand, she replied, "None of that 'Miss Talbot' business, love. We're all equals here, eh?" The girl's shyness was endearing, and Ary couldn't help but give her a quick little caress on the chin with her thumb. "Tell you what: looks like we're heading to the tavern for a bit of a break. I'll help patch you up in there. Sound alright?"

Araerys approached the body of the goliath, but being fairly slight and therefore probably unable to heave even the lightest of them without looking completely inadequate, she instead changed directions smoothly and made to continue following Yvah. She paused a few feet away from the rest of the group to call out to them, as they seemed to still be busy. "To the tavern then, yeah? Could use a pint. Or two."

Beginner's DnD 5e Game - Group 2

The paladin had been mere moments away from healing her when he was suddenly interrupted by the appearance of guards who - quite rudely - leapt to conclusions and moved to arrest the sunny feline of the group. Araerys, irked by their intrusion and now bubbling with defense and resentment at their sudden accusations, opened her mouth to reply with persuasion but was beat to the punch by the witch and the paladin beside her. For a moment, the half-elf glanced up at him in surprise, momentarily confused by his straight-forward admission of the murder. It was either really admirable or really stupid, depending on how the guards decided to react.

Apparently the gods were feeling quite generous today, and the official ceded his advance on them at the confirmation of the paladin's word. Ary had time to hear the canine kurjian's words to the group and respond with a proud grin before the archer appeared beside her. Happy to oblige her friendly demeanor, the woman held her bloodied hand out with a somewhat apologetic bow of her head and would shake Ceria's hand with genuine warmth if she accepted it. "Ceria. That's a beautiful name," Araerys beamed. This one was of her blood, or half of it at least, and it comforted her all the more. "Ah, I have not yet mentioned my name. I figured there were more exciting things to focus on, at the moment," she joked, then continued, deciding to be honest as to follow in the paladin's footsteps. She hoped she wouldn't regret it later. "My name is Araerys Talbot. It is lovely to finally make your acquaintance."

Beginner's DnD 5e Game - Group 2

"Oh, thank the gods," Ary murmured to herself upon seeing the warlock reappear before them and deliver the final blow to their last standing opponent. The statement stemmed from an overwhelming relief, a mixture of her own guilt and his well-being, punctuated with a long sigh as she leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes. It was finally finished; and yet, for her, it wasn't finished, at all. She knew these few seconds would be the only respite she would get before the travelers would bound in on her for the trouble. Or so she thought.

In all honesty, this hadn't been the result she was hoping for. Well, yes, she was alive and mostly well. That was good. But the way in which they reached that result was probably not the most productive route. Araerys was merely hoping for some negotiations, an exchange of words to help dissuade the males from punishing her. Now, most of the group was injured, they had just caused a terrible scene in front of the common folk, and they had a death on their hands. Before she could answer the inevitable question fired at her by the witch, the woman she had initially approached addressed the crowd at the stalls. A big part of Ary was in agreement with the announcement; the public assembly probably now thought of them all on equal grounds with the villains they were fighting. Though she wouldn't have gone so far as to apologize to a corpse, the one aimed at the general population may have been in order. Any bloodshed at all might have been avoided if the woman who then opposed the apology might have waited and allowed the group to talk it out. She was the one that had initiated the fight in the first place when no one had even uttered a word about the thought.

Granted, the ruffians didn't exactly seem like the negotiating type. In any case, there was no use in griping about who started what anymore. It was over and done with. Furthermore, who was Ary to complain about the help, regardless of whether it was how she would have preferred it to come or not? She would just have to deal with whatever they threw her way, and hope that her joining them in combat instead of fleeing might be enough for them to forgive and maybe forget. So yes, the nature-witch could loot the men as much as she wanted. Normally, Araerys would have joined in to search for pieces of gold - but that didn't matter to her at the moment. Their adversaries were finally out of commission, and that was what mattered. At least the tavern would have four less swine to house in the evenings.

In any case, Ary chose the words of her response carefully, taking care not to point out that the men might have not tried to kill any of them had they simply just stepped aside and let them pass. The half-elf was also unsure of how accepting they would be of her trade, and didn't think it the right time to bring it up. So she settled on a very fundamental explanation of the truth. "These ruttish brutes thought it a good idea to bedevil the ladies down at the tavern last night. I wouldn't have it, not in my home town - I decided to give them a taste of their own medicine." A nasty stinging from the wound at her gut paused her and she inhaled sharply through her teeth before continuing. "They did not take too kindly to it, the hypocrites. They tracked me down and gave me chase."

Again, she paused, though this time it was to listen to the others speak, and watch as the paladin moved the unconscious drifter closer to the group. "Rest, yes. That sounds wonderful," she said in reply to the feline as she made her way towards the male who had offered to heal them. The kurjian was as bright as she must have been before the battle started, even sustaining the wounds that she had. Araerys admired that, and gave her a tired, yet warm smile. It remained on her face as a sign of peace while she glanced around at the merchants who were recovering from the shock of the battle. Once she had arrived before the paladin, she cleared her throat and straightened her posture as much as she could with the throbbing laceration in her lower torso.

"I humbly express my gratitude for all of your help. If that was to be the way they were to handle me once I had been caught, I would be a bloodied pulp on the ground." And as if it weren't dramatic enough, the bard made sure to make eye contact with each of the group - even the woman who had stepped out of the sidelines to rap her stick on the rat's head. "I would say it a thousand and one times, though I'm sure you would probably finish me off before I could get there out of sheer annoyance, so I will say it once and be done with it: thank you." Ary stopped herself before she outright pledged loyalty to the group, though she really could have done so from the attachment she was beginning to feel for them. But that wouldn't have been prudent; she barely knew them, and vice versa. She was a sentimental women, and it had gotten her into trouble many times before. Still, she made sure to convey through her gaze the sincere thankfulness she felt.