I am the sourball in the candy jar of goodness! [Open!]

[Rhindeer]

"Uhhhhh..."

That was the only response Einin could give at first as she lay there on the net, which was still bouncing from their landing. After a moment, though, she took a deep breath (and was especially thankful for the cloth, now that they were in the sewers) and slowly sat up, rubbing her head. She was shaken and messy but otherwise unhurt, though her dress was singed in places to show just how close a call that had been, and her feet were cut. She held the breath and let it out.

That had been utterly terrifying and yet strangely exciting, and when that hit her, that the thrumming in her body and pumping of her heart wasn't all fear, she let out a startled laugh.

This was so crazy.

And with a pang of guilt she realized she felt more in her element now, in all this destruction and drama, than she had during the entire Ball.

"Well, that was rather exhilarating! What a party!" she said at last and, realizing her dress has hiked up some, yanked it back down. Ugh. This would be so much easier in breeches. "Ahaha, I'm fine, in any case. Never better! And what about you, Master Handelaar? I never realized merchants were so athletic."

Rising up onto her knees, she crawled to the edge of the net and offered him her hand to help him up. "My fiance," she said with a roll of her eyes, "on the other hand, doesn't seem to be doing so well. And now we're in a sewer. But I suppose things could be worse?"

[visualspice]

As the other two were conversing, Jarrett seemed to be elsewhere, or going elsewhere as he began to climb down a ladder that lead downwards towards the sewer floor where Figleo Bakk was still floating lightly atop of the two foot pile thick layer of sewer waters that waited for them down below. ANd it was kind of annoying, and a little bit hard to climb with only one hand, but he did it anyways, wishing, with each step on the rung, that he had a cigar right about now. His only cigar had been lost to the chaos. That made him frown before he stepped off the ladder and glance down at Figleo.

Ugh. The dead body was drenched and reeked. And now with a broken arm, Jarrett contemplated just how he was going to carry the corpse clean out of here. He supposed he could leave it and retrieve it later, but he had come this far, and damn it if he was just going to let his mark slip away after that. Though the man might have deserved to rot in the sewers, money was money and he still needed to eat. So with a sigh through his nose, he bent over and attempted to lift the man up with his only good arm, whihc, wasn't happening, so he had to use both, ignoring the pain as his face began to turn red and he began to sweat again before, one, two, three, a soggy, stinky Figleo was hefted onto his shoulder.

[Aeytrious]

Ryk Handelaar, wealthy merchant, employed an entire household of specialized servants, and even had his own house guard, that was nearly a personal army. Many of these servants, and bodyguards were Soot Wolves. They had been placed in his service by the Red Wolf. With so much invested in the Handelaar merchant contracts, it was important to keep an eye on Soot Wolf interests. The knowledge that some of his servants were Wolves was openly known to Ryk. Why shouldn't they be there to protect him from assassins or rival gangs. But Ryk being Rufus, he knew who all the Wolves on his staff were. They just didn't know he knew. So when a patrol came around the bend in the tunnel, probably drawn in by all the noise from above, it was no surprise that a few of the Wolves immediately recognized him. When he saw them approaching he threw Einin a wink and swung down to the narrow path that the Wolves were jogging along.

"Fear not young miss, I will protect you from these Wolves." Ryk walked toward the mix of Bloods and Shadows and used the bit of hand talk that 'Rufus had taught him for emergencies'. -Red Wolf Friend Merchant- The Wolves slowed and met Ryk with their weapons sheathed. "Sir, why are you in our sewers?"

"Hello Wolves," Ryk responded with a wide grin, "the fierce fire and collapsing structure above forced us down here," he glanced back over his shoulder before continuing in hushed tones, "Neither of my companions know that I am associated with you, and I'm sure Rufus would like to keep it that way," he reached into coin purse and pulled out the last red Wolf token he had on him, and handed it to the lead Blood. The few Wolves who didn't know his identity gave each other questioning looks, "L'isson, the man carrying the corpse there, doesn't know I'm aware of his identity either. He could use one of Chora's special potions, I'd prefer not to give him my last. Perhaps then you could give him some help getting his 'prize' out of here as well." Ryk smiled and waved to Einin to assure her that everything was going just fine. "The young Lady Einin Beirne and I could also use an escort to the nearest street access. I'd prefer we hurry as to cause as little distress to the large crowd gathered above."

The Blood holding the token, who happened to be one of Ryk's house guards, looked down at it then back at his companions, and grinned. "No problem Mr. Handelaar. We'll take care of it for you." Two Bloods hopped down into the sewage then and approached Jarrett, while a Shadow dashed off to scout the shortest path to the surface to be sure it was clear. Ryk turned back to his Einin then and called out nice and clear so that Jarrett would hear as well, "The bribes been paid, our new friends have agreed to help us get out of here."

As the two Blood Wolves approached Jarrett, they gave the message that all Wolves were instructed to give the assassin should they ever cross his path. After running into him two nights in a row himself, he thought it best that all the Wolves be prepared to see him. "Canis Rufus sends his regards Mr. L'isson, and his hope that he can continue to welcome your presence in the city." One offered the assassin a potion, "This will mend all your wounds, and then we'd be happy to help you remove your mark from our sewers."

[visualspice]

Jarrett L'isson was no fool, and never a man to have to take the escape route of a sewer, lest, you know, his life was now hanging in the precarious balance with a collapsing flaming manor home over top of him. Then...well, you know how it is, desperate times call for desperate measures.  But ti was a shame, really, his nice wine colored suit was now destroyed,a nd he had Figleo Bakk to blame. Good thing the man was dead.

But as he shifted the weight of his corpse upon his shoulder, grunting lightly, he began to look around, blinking as he did so as he began to realize, there was not just one lattice system and one net... but several that hung around beneath the ground at open man holes.
Interesting..
and the sight of a few scouts from the wolves only confirmed what he had a hunch.
So... these sort of wolves loved running around ... you know, in the stinky dark. Though he hadn't expected the approach, or the gesture, so when the wolves spoke to him, Jarrett only stared back at them, the corpse still on his shoulder, and made no move or gesture, nor a voice other wise that stated if he was happy they were there to help...
or not.

[Rhindeer]

As Ryk handled the Wolves and Jarrett climbed down to the...now sewage-covered body...Einin settled back on the net and tore more strips from her dress. It was ruined beyond repair now, anyway, so may as well put the thing to some use!

She used the torn strips to bind her feet, and though the material wasn't exactly strong or durable, it would work in a pinch. By the time Ryk had finished and called up to her, she was done, and she leaned over the edge of the net and waved to show she heard. "Wonderful! Be right down!"

Locating the ladder Jarrett had used, she started to go for it--and then froze with her hand on a rung. Wait. Riiiight. She was Lady Beirne right now. Lady Beirne didn't do these things. Lady Beirne didn't climb ladders or slog around sewers or get dirty. It was Owl who didn't fear heights, and she'd probably already done too much today as Lady Beirne, climbing up onto the roof and all, but at least that could be hand-waved as being manic with terror for her "fiance" or something. Probably the last people that needed to know her identity were the other Wolves.

With a low sigh, she pulled her hand away and let her shoulders slump, sitting on her knees by the net's edge. Gods, she hated this. The role of helpless maiden was not one she took to naturally.

"Oh dear. However will I get down? It's so high and I might fall!" she said loudly, hating every second of it. She could have been down there already! She rubbed her temples. "Gods, I feel a little dizzy!"

[visualspice]

Jarrett looked up at Lady Einen. ANd stared.. and stared for a good long moment, one eye still hidden behind the normal leftward swooping bang of his hair.
"You can use the ladder," he said simply. Then he pointed at it, with his good arm, as he shuffled Figleo's weight upon his shoulder. "It's right there."

[Rhindeer]

"Yes, I'm aware it's right there," Einin said, folding her arms over her chest. "But my feet are bare and there's a lot of men around and I don't want you peeping up my dress!"

Alright, so that last bit was at least a genuine concern.

[visualspice]

Jarrett kept his neck craned.
And stared, and stared.
"Oh.. so I can."

You know, see up her dress.

[Rhindeer]

Einin flushed red in earnest and quickly tucked the fabric between her legs. "Stop that!"

[visualspice]

Jarrett kept staring, and after a while, he simply asked, "Where are your shoes?" As if just realizing she was shoeless for the first time.

[Rhindeer]

Einin shifted uncomfortably, keeping her dress bunched up protectively and her legs closed tight. Gods be damned. Maybe next time she could wear breeches under the dress? "I said knock it off, you perv--huh?"

She blinked at his question, and was about to answer with the truth--that they hadn't been practical--but since she was the helpless noblewoman, she shrugged. "I, ah...lost them in the fall?"

[visualspice]

Jarrett kept staring, that was, until he felt his neck growing stiff. He shuffled the weight of Figleo on his shoulders, then stared over at his feet...
Hey.. Figleo was wearing shoes..
Clearly the corpse didn't need them. Dropping Figleo on the ground, he set to work prying the shoes off his feet. What the hell- they were almost glued on there. Grunting, he finally yanked them off with some success, shook his head to move his bangs out of the way that had fallen over his eye then proceeded to climb back up to Einen. He offered over the shoes.

"Here." he then moved them closer. "You can wear his."

[Rhindeer]

What was he...? Was he...no. He wasn't. He didn't actually think...?

But then he climbed back up to the net where she was and offered her the shoes, bringing with them a fresh, ripe stink that the cloth over her face didn't protect her from.

She stared at the shoes in horror, recoiling from the sewage covered corpse shoes and covering her mouth as they brought on a gag.

"I..." She coughed, turning away. "No way. Uh uh. I am not wearing those!"

[visualspice]

Jarrett's face went long as he stared at her, then down at the shoes, just as a goop of sewer grime slipped off...
and fell with a splat onto Figleo's ass. Jarrett frowned, and adjust his weight upon the ladder rungs. Gods, did his arm ever hurt.
"But you don't have any shoes." He stared at her feet. "Do you expect to just walk in the sewer with those?" And he pointed to her bare feet, with just a limp piece of torn clothe bound around them. He then set the shoes beside her, shrugged and moved to climb away. Frankly, he'd rather not be traipsing around in the sewers either, but hey, at least he had shoes on. Then again, as he began his descent down the ladder, he felt a squish inside his shoes and frowned.
That was.. definitely sewer slime in there. Internally, he sighed.

[Aeytrious]

"A lady does not wear the sewage covered shoes of a man who broke his neck in the fall," Ryk said. Hopefully that would be enough to cover the fact that he knew Bakk was dead and that he wasn't troubled by it. The two Blood Wolves, in the mean time hoisted the corpse between them and continued to offer a potion to Jarrett.

"Drop down and I shall catch you," Ryk smiled up at Einin, "I'll be happy to carry you to the exit my dear."

[visualspice]

It wasn't until Jarrett was at the bottom of the ladder did he turn around to notice...
The damn wolves were touching his corpse! His eyes went wide, but he, simply remained standing there, glancing down at the potion, then over to them. If he had his cigar between his lips, it would have fallen clean out.

"Get the hell off of my corpse," he said, pushing between the pair of them, ignoring the potion and moving to retrieve Figleo.

OOC: loool

[Aeytrious]

The two Bloods looked at each other with bewilderment. The assassin apparently did not desire any aid. The first one asked him then, "how do you intend to carry him up a net and out of here discreetly with all of your injuries?"

The second Blood nodded and added, "the nearest ramped access that you won't get stabbed trying to exit through, is nearly eight miles of tunnel away from here. Are you sure we cannot assist, or at least offer healing?" He held out the potion again.

[Rhindeer]

Einin sighed. Acting a lady was a lot easier when she was in duller situations, and being carried around like a damsel wasn't her idea of a good time. But alas. She had to play her role, as Ryk was playing his, and Jarrett was...uh...doing something. He wasn't playing his role very well here.

"You'll catch me?" she repeated, affecting nervousness. Not all of it was feigned. She was used to doing things herself, so trusting someone to catch her was another matter entirely; it was out of her control. "Um...okay..."

Retying her dress around her leg, which had come undone in all the action, she hoped that would be enough to keep her from flashing anyone below. And then she moved to the net's edge and carefully swung down until she dangled from the edge by her arms, peering down below at Ryk, and perhaps moving more gracefully and assuredly than she should have. Alright, then. Here goes nothing!

With a deep breath, she let go.

[Aeytrious]

True to his word Ryk caught the falling Einin with no effort. She was soft, but firm, and even covered in the smell of soot and surrounded by sewage, he could smell her sweet scent. The temptation to grope her, to kiss her, was there, but he was Ryk, not Rufus, and he contained himself.

"I will keep you safe, and clean," he smirked at her, and gave her a wink.

[visualspice]

Help him? Potions? Carry his corpse!?
Jarrett's head was spinning. This was just too much. Was he dreaming!? Was this for real!? He sure as shit wasn't about to let the damn wolves take any profit from his kill! Gods, did they even know how many CIGARS he could buy with the bounty!? Or that he needed it now to replace this damn suit!? (Since the Gods only knew that well, it was ruined after a day like today. He sure as shit wasn't going to wear it again!)

"No, here, give the corpse back to me and-" Though it hardly happened as ceremonious as he'd like, for as he grabbed the corpse, yanking Figleo into his arms, (and straining his already dislocated and probably broken shoulder and arm) he slipped a little and gave a yowl of pain and went gliding across the sludge of the sewer pool with a grunted gasp. And in doing so, his arms were pinwheeling into some sort of awkward dance step as he ever so gracefully, launched the corpse clean into Ryk Handelaar.

Corpse and man went sailing, knocking Ryk clean out of the way, which sent Einen into the air, leaving Jarrett sliding into Ryk's place, giving him barely enough time to collect himself as he was still slipping on the slippery sludge before finally coming to a halt. Sighing, the assassin now was doubled over, a hand to his knee, the other one out for balance as he remained, crouched over the waters and balancing forward on his heels as he looked down at his muted reflection in the grimy waters. Thank gods he stopped. He could have been eating that sewer now, face first.






But then a mere second later... he was.

Sewer water splashed everywhere as Lady Einen crashed onto his back. It took a while for his breath to come back to him, and he was positively gagging. Lady Einen hadn't initially missed her mark, but no thanks to him, his back was used to break her second, glamorous fall. Winded, Jarrett lay face first in the sewer, and his fine, wine-colored suit, a sludgy, stinky mess.
He thought he might vomit. ANd spat out... Gods... had he just taken some of the sewer water into his mouth!?

He began to dry heave beneath her, and continued to do so, because well, the nasty sewer water was just NOT getting out of his mouth. He had never tasted anything so vile in all of his life. And he was gagging for so long his face was turning purple.  He couldn't breath.

And he kept tasting the acidic repercussions of his almost vomitting that he jolted up from where he lay, tossing Einen clean off his back like a bucking horse, before madly dashing over to the soot wolves while clutching at his throat. His face was becoming all sorts of fun shades before finally, he yanked the damn potion from their hands. Even if it was poison, it'd be better than tasting the damn sewer water around him.
He knocked it back in one gulp, shivering as the thing went down, gasping at the after taste.

"Gods.." he made a face, dropping the bottle. "This almost tastes worst than the damn sewer." He  was still half keeled over as if ready to retch, but the moment soon passed, a calming washing over him as he shivered a second time. Then, righting his posture, he lifted his sleeve to his mouth, wiping it across his lips before he turned to Einen. He placed his hands onto his hips.

"So.. "he said, recomposing himself again as normal color began to return to his face and he brushed his side bang away from his eyes. "Where are the shoes I got you?"