The Next Stage of the Game. (Blink, Elekta Kount, and If Thou Invited)

[Wrathwyrm]

With the amount of time needed to get the clothes cut down by a long stretch, there was just one question, for now: Where were they going and how would they set up?

"Apart from the lure, I don't know if anyone needs time to set up anything.  It looks to me like we're all made for straight-up combat and magic.  Unless you need to do something, Hangman.  Either way, it's more the lure and the fighting strategy that's the thing there.  As for where..."

He thought about it for a moment.  Sano knew Connlaoth's overall layout by heart, having walked about it so much in his youth.  Unpleasant memories, but ultimately useful ones now.

"Nowhere near the capital or Uthlyn.  Too much can be brought down on us too easily, because no matter how this goes down, it will be noisy and destructive when we fight."

"We can't take this into a town, then.  We might end up wrecking it."

"We can try a wooded area first, if you like, but I can almost guarantee you that it'll be the assassin stalking the streets at midnight that does it, and I think we should find the little fiefdom of some slave driver or corrupt noble that Keefe would want to go after, then make it look like she's planning just that."

[Elector Count of WAAAGH!]

"I have a few suggestions." Said the man in the overcoat. "There's this one man I've been meaning to pay a visit to... give him something. I don't think he would care much if we used his land, not after I'm done with him anyways."

"If ya confident laddy." Volkhard said looking around the table. "We move out tomorrow morning?"

[Blink]

"Tomorrow morning it is then."  This, of course, was the end of the meeting as far as Nashya was concerned.

Standing up she straightened up before glancing around the inn once more. It seemed things had died down again and she was happy for that. At least she would get one night before they left of not having to worry about the chaos they had all caused.

"See you all in the morning." And with that, she was walking away. Heading up to her room to wait for the rest of them to disperse.

[Wrathwyrm]

"You'll have to lead us to wherever that is, Hangman.  Otherwise, I guess the meeting's over."

"Good.  I could use some actual sleep."

So could I."

However, as others might be dispersing, Sano was actually acting on Rena's advice and was writing up a note to send out.  The only problem was...he didn't want to bring any attention home.  This meant that he was handling the message alone and quietly.  He wouldn't care if Nashya knew where Keefe lived, but he didn't need anyone else to know, for rumors to spread, and for pressure to reach her in the one place it was not suppose to go.  So, he headed out to go get a nightbird message out.

[Elector Count of WAAAGH!]

"Alright, I'll see you lads and lassies in the morning." Volkhard would remain there for the remainder of the night, ordering some drinks, but mostly polishing up his weapon.

Otto meanwhile just nodded, and just wandered out of the inn, disappearing into the darkness is of night.

[Wrathwyrm]

And so, we bid that eventtful night adieu.  No idea where it is that Otto would be sleeping, if he didn't have a room somewhere.  This town was a fairly large one, so he really could've gotten a bed anywhere.  Sano got back later and basically passed out into his bed, while  Nashya and Rena were probably asleep already.

Hours later, it was morning, come at last.

Rena woke up in her normal day clothes, as per her usual habits.  She got out from under the sheets, yawned, stretched, and ruffled her hair in an attempt to look like she hadn't slept in a funny position, which she had.  She stepped out of the room shortly thereafter and thumped Sano's door a couple times, searching for signs of life.  She got a grumble that sounded muffled by pillow, which she could understand.

"It's morning, guy.  Let's eat, gather the troops, and be gone."

She wasn't sure if the response was intelligable, but at least it was human.  Rena headed down to get some food and tea.  Maybe Nashya would get him moving.  After all, the two of them were clearly an item...  Rena idly wondered what the man they only knew as the Hangman did with himself.  Was he in the shadows now, even as we speak, or in plain view because he did not care?  Volkhard, of course, would be heard a mile away...because he was Volkhard.

[Blink]

While waiting for the rest of their group to finish up Nashya fell asleep, drifting off into the nightmarish world she lived in every time her eyes closed. It was no wonder she was always tired, not having had a peaceful nights sleep in what felt like ages.

As the sun rose in the sky Nashya stirred, stretching out on the bed as she rubbed her eyes to prepare them for the daylight. Eventually, she would sit up and then stand, straightening her clothes as she made her way towards the door. The morning was always such a wonderful time because with that... so came breakfast.

It had become quite normal for her to skip next door to Sano's room and wake him up, today would be no exception. However, with the new guests at the inn, she really didn't feel like running into any of them first.

Shadow travel, something she hardly used by was quite good at. Within a matter of seconds, she went from standing in her room to emerging in the corner of Sano's. He was still laying in his bed with his face buried in a pillow. She heard Rena's knock on the door and remained quiet for the duration, almost happy that it hadn't completely woken up Sano yet.

"Hey" she whispered, slowly moving towards the edge of his bed. It almost sounded as if she were attempting to awake him in some sweet and soft way, this was not the case.

Standing at the edge of his bed Nashya gripped the sheets covering him and pulled at them in an attempt to remove them from his sleeping corpse.  "Wake up sleepy head!"

[Elector Count of WAAAGH!]

Volkhard and the man in the overcoat were sitting dantly at the same table, both of them had plates and a cup in front of them. The man in the overcoat's plate and cup were empty, while Volkhard's plate was filled with breakfast food.

Volkhard was busy cutting a piece of food with a meal knife, before placing the piece of food into his mouth with a fork. The man in the overcoat,meanwhile, waa leaned back in his chair and had his plates pushed to the side, with two pistols out; one was laying on the table, the other he was cleaning.

The man in the overcoat just glanced at Rena, before he went back to cleaning his pistol. Volkhard meanwhile wave the girl over with his fork.

[Wrathwyrm]

For the record, the words that issued forth from Sano's pillow were not actual words, so even if Rena heard them properly...they just weren't words.  The young Ferromancer was recovering from the even-later-night-than-everyone-else, and thus he was also unaware that Nashya had come directly into his room.  Perhaps if he'd heard the latch, he might have reacted, but the lady had earned herself a surprise round, and used it to yank off sheet of Sano's bed.

Pity he was sleeping on top of them.

"Yahhh!"

THUMP!!

Sano fell out to one side of the bed, landing on his back.  He reached up and grabbed the edge of the bed to sit up, his red eyes searching for the culprit and finding the dark-haired woman with a white sheet in her hands.  He gave her a 'Seriously?' look now.

"Didn't I just get a wake-up call?"

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Apparently, they were already here, and had either eaten or were in the process of doing so.  Hangman was cleaning his gun, a little Connlaoth invention that Rena had had little time to really look over, save for moments where someone would pull one on her.  Getting her food and morning tea, she set them down and began her routine.

"Our man will probably be up soon.  I checked on him and..."

She then heard something, followed by a heavy thump from upstairs.  Rena smirked after that.

"Guess he's up now, anyway."

[Blink]

"Well, I thought you needed another one" she joked as she sat at the edge of the bed.  Her eyes then flicked as she focused her attention downstairs, getting a status update of her own.

"Rena, Volkard, and Hangman are already downstairs eating. You're the last one up."

Nashya then balled the sheet up in her hands and placed it on the bed. While they were gone she was sure the innkeeper would come in and tidy up anyways.

"May God have mercy on her soul..." Eye flick followed by a giggle.

"By the way, after talking with Demagogue I decided I am just going to travel with you. I can't remember if I told you already."

Nervously Nashya then twiddled her fingers, not having had a chance to tell him what transpired between herself and her partner the day before. He hadn't taken the news as well as she would have liked and in the end, it led to her storming out of his office while he brooded over paperwork.

"So this means we get to spend even more time together."

"Oh yay...." Eye flick.

[Elector Count of WAAAGH!]

"What on earth is that boy up to?" Volkhard said as he began slicing another piece of food. "Speaking of, you know anything about that lass with the shadow? Haven't seen her this morning."

The man in the overcoat was done with his maintenance with the pistol in his hand, spinning it slowly as he inspected it in the light.

[Wrathwyrm]

Yup, Sano was the last one up.  In fact, he was only just getting up now, trying to work some of the stiffness in his joints out while Nashya put the sheets down.  That was when she pointed out that she was going to join them on the entire journey, which he couldn't remember if she mentioned before either.  Something...seemed to bother her about that.  Nashya had explained enough about Golden Gear for him to get that this very thing might get her into trouble.  Well...they'd cross that later.  As she said, they get to spend more time together.

"That's good, because I remember you wanted to meet Keefe, and thanks to this Meeting Place, we can."

Strange how these things work out.  And yes, he had been noticing the eye flicks.  Someone didn't approve.  Well, that someone was in for alot of disappointment.

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"Yes, I know some things.  For instance, I'm pretty sure she's gotten him up."

She smiled knowingly and continued her meal before glancing at the other man.

"I guess you DO have a room then, Hangman?  You don't look like you slept outside."

Someone with an eye for detail like her would know.

[Elector Count of WAAAGH!]

"I'm used to sleeping outside." Was the only thing the man in the overcoat said, before he holstered the pistol in his hands and picked up the secound pistol, beginning it's maintenance.

Volkhard only gave a glanced at the man in the overcoat, before his attention turned to Rena as he placed another piece of food into his mouth.

"Didn't know they were that close." Volkhard said in-between bits. "But I suppose it's no differnt from most young people I've seen; I suppose it would relax the lad, a bit too tense that one is. Though I do hope she's not that rough with him, given you know..." Volkhard was more or less indicating to the side with his head and good eye. He seemed to be indicating at his own shadow for some reason...

[Blink]

Keefe... the woman responsible for bringing Sano to Nashya's doorstep. If it wasn't for her getting hurt Nashya probably would have never met him. Not to mention this woman was who raised him and made him into everything she loved. Of course, she wanted to meet Keefe if only to thank her for everything.

"Is she going to have a problem with what you are doing?" Nashya was, of course, refering to Sano gathering a band of people to go kill this monster.

"Does it matter" Eye flick..

"Of course it matters." Nashya sighed, rolling her head back as it was just simply too early to be fighting with herself already.

[Wrathwyrm]

Of course it matters!  Sano shook his head at what was obviously an unwanted comment from the shadow.  Irritating pain in the ass...  You'd think she'd be looking forward to a vampire slaying.

"Keefe might have an issue or two, but a part of her is gonna want this taken care of too.  She'd even want to help, if she wasn't injured, but the point of this has always been to keep her out of danger.  After all, if she were there with us and the vampire found out too soon..."

You can imagine what would happen.  He would attack when they weren't prepared, putting them at severe disadvantage.  Sano now motioned to the door.

"So, shall we join them, then?"

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Hangman's assertion that he had been sleeping outside gave Rena pause.  The half-elven woman had sharp eyes, and she didn't see any telltale debris or foliage on or near him.  If he was doing it, he was cleaning himself about as immaculately as those guns.  She smiled at Volkhard's comment.  Sano did seem tense and on-edge.  Then again, so did Nashya, at least to her.

"Well, if they really love each other, they'll overcome each other's problems.  That's generally how it's suppose to work."

Of course, she had meddled prior to give the man a hand in matters, bur we need not go into detail over that with these two.  One wouldn't care and the other might get too curious.

[Elector Count of WAAAGH!]

"Having someone to ground you is good, keeps your head from floating too far into the clouds." The veteran said as he wiped his mouth.

The man in the overcoat still said nothing as he began to insert a rode into the barrel of his pistol.

(I've got nothing to add till you two are done.)

[Blink]

Nashya nodded, not only to what Keefe would think but also to joining the other misfits downstairs for breakfast.

Standing up from the bed Nashya shot Sano a smile before making her way towards the door. "Perhaps you should get dressed first? I'll meet you down there." And she was off, letting the door click behind her as she prepared herself for conversating with those down below.

Once downstairs Nashya strolled up to the table, pulling out a chair and opting to sit next to hangman... at least he was quiet most of the time.
"I hate him" Eye flick.

"Well then I guess it's a good thing that your opinion doesn't matter does it?" Nashya crossed her arms over her chest and raised a brow, declaring her little comment a miniature victory. Well, that was until she realized she had just said that out loud in front of the three of them. She was sure at least one of them may think she was talking to them.

"Uh-" Nashya's cheeks flushed as she grew more embarrassed with each passing second.

"I think after this your opinion won't count for much either." her darker self-taunted.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean that I uh-" Unable to handle the pure agony of them looking at her Nashya then covered her face with her hands as if that alone would render her invisible to the world.

"Just pretend I'm not here.." she whispered, sinking lower into her chair with her eyes still covered.

[Wrathwyrm]

Dressed?  But he thought he was...oh.  Okay, not entirely so.  Pants, yes.  Socks, sure.  Shirt, no.  Sano smiled sheepishly as Nashya left to get breakfast, finding a simple shirt to use before they packed up and got out of here.  True, Nashya could do that instantly, with her powers, bur Sano didn't pack-mule until he was ready.

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In the meantime, Nashya had just come down, took a seat, and then - while the others were eating breakfast or cleaning a gun - informed someone that their opinion didn't count.  She then, as at least Rena had an eyebrow raised, ask them to pretend she wasn't there, as she was embarrassed.  Rena decided to speak.

"Uhh...we were just...talking about how it was good that you were along for the mission.  I kinda' doubt you'd be disagreeing with that."

She couldn't have been listening in just now.  She had to be referring to something else.  Just then, Sano came down, got some food and drink...and then paused as he came upon this scene.

"Did I miss something?"

"I think so, but I'm at a loss as to what."

[Elector Count of WAAAGH!]

The man in the overcoat just glanced up, before he wen back to cleaning his gun.

Olkhard just raised an eyebrow, taking a sip out of the cup next to his plate, then set i down. "Hope it hadn't anything to do with you two taking your time. After all such a thing is only nature."

[Blink]

Her embarrassment only grew when Volkhard hinting at something else. "Oh, gods why?" she muttered, keeping her face buried in her hands.

Sitting up a bit she then peeked through her fingers at Sano, hoping maybe he could help explain the situation a little better. "I was talking to her and it sounded like I was talking to them and now they are assuming things and..." Closing the small gap in her fingers she sunk again, embarrassing herself even more as she spoke.

"Sano help me."