OOC: Well, I guess Aynsley stood around too demurely to be introduced. And we shall continue on to the graveyard.

Main Street Well

Everyone

A group consensus has been reached to visit the Ol' Graveyard while the morning is young. They share tidbits of their evening, but a renewed dedication to a shared goal urges them on. Impatient to start investigating you cut the sharing short and head on out.

Aynsley overhears this consensus, along with Bandit Queen captured, and desire to visit during the blessing this Sunday. Perhaps they are scouting out in preparation for the best staging spots to pick pockets? They seem worthwhile at least to pal around for some action and opportunity.
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Everyone but Aynsley

As the original 5 of you head on out, all of you feel very confident that this Old Graveyard mystery will be done lickety-split. Capable adventurers, proved your mettle yesterday, ready to right the wrongs of the world and profit from it. Alric pauses — where's your pal, Mal the Mastiff?

Looking about you have trouble finding him, must be the late morning crowds. Oh, at a pace along with Caden & Karnath, Alric spies his mastiff laying on his side enjoying the sun by the well. Apparently he has taken advantage of someone's patience and lounged upon their shoes. A lithe and moderately robust someone is a human male with dark hair and a playful smirk on his face.
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Aynsley

Lucky you! You have a massive dog lounging on your shoes. Don't know if it is friendly, let alone likes being surprised with a scratch behind the ears while napping. Might be a challenge to extract your shoes without notice, as animals tend to be more sensitive than humans. Who, and where, is its owner?

"Mal you get off that poor fellow right now" Alric wanders over to him while Mal ignores him, Finally Alric prods the pile of fur with his boot. "Git up you lazy pile of misbegotten slober"

Mal slowly rises with all the gear securely tied on. "Apologies Sir!" Alric offers his hand "Alric, born again adventurer and woodsman"

OOC: And Aynsley's Marcel Marceau impression is impeccable!

Ok, my apologies group. You 5 may continue on to the Old Graveyard as Mal gets up off the stranger's foot. The stranger maintains his silence and smirk, obviously lost in his own reverie.

"Well we tried boy, We tried" Alric comments with a rueful grin as he heads toward the Ole' Graveyard.

Main Street, Downtown

@10 AM

Alric, Bright Feather, Caden, Hanalee, & Karnath

Sauntering confidently abreast, all of you feel really good about yourselves. Passing the scene of yesterday's 'afternoon show' you note the dive saloons are trickling with customers even at this hour, but the dampened spirits about them speak to a depressing clientele. But that's not any of you! All of you are masters of your own destiny, off to bring positive change, to right the wrongs of your life and others!

/strutting

"Hanalee?! Is that you, baby? Come give your uncle a hug." A large, late-to-middle aged man in an Easterner three-piece suit approaches, a stunning contrast to the immediate surrounds. In a great bear hug he lifts you up and twirls around with you like the little girl he probably still sees you as.

"I'm up from Onerous, doing a little business for my employer. Came here to visit a friend for a nip, but think I may be in the wrong side of town —" whispering, "— or forgot how to dress right." Nudges you like he told a funny, especially since you knew he used to be in the metal smithy and foundry trade.

"Where are you going in a place like this? I can see my sister blushing now. You must be still working with my buddy, [your previous smithy master], so how the hell is the galoot?" Finally looks at you and your group and realizes he might be in the middle of something, "Are you in the middle of something? You're not in trouble are you. Was it that [your sweetheart]?, Didn't go off leaving you to marry someone else — I'll go rip their head off!"

Karni will lurk about the periphery of the group, not wanting to appear like she is listening in to Hanalee's interlocutor (even though she is).

Caden will stand about and fidget with his sword belt, he doesn't wish to interrupt.

Main Street, Downtown

@10 AM

Alric

Glancing about as Hanalee is catching up with a relative, your eyes rest with reminiscence upon Dive Bar C. A distant sucking in of teeth, and the sense of being stared at, draws your attention just by the bar's boardwalk entrance. You see a blond Easterner halfling, possibly a stout due to his robust frame, boring a hole into your head with his eyes. A straw is sticking out of his mouth and he's cleaning his nails with his dagger, his look never off you.

His eyes says he fucking hates you, and it is getting hard to return his gaze. Hold it another moment and it feels like something will go down.
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Black Feather

Relaxing from the conversation, you browse your surroundings, people watching. Wait a minute... in the middle distance across the street, those handle wrappings upon that bow grip and dagger look familiar. Heh, they belonged to that kind human fur trapper who was training his son out in the wilderness. Oh, he was one of those rare Eastern foreign humans who 'got it'. Trading and swapping stories with him was fun.

But this doesn't look exactly like him. Hair became a shade darker, fuller beard, broader shoulders. Though you could swear it was him. Oh, it was just like yesterday, perhaps what 15 or 20 years ago? He's going across the street to another dive bar.
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Caden

We could really be accomplishing something by now. Yet given last night's action, perhaps it's fine to enjoy this pace, if just for a moment. The promise of money to send back is so close you can almost taste it. And as a hero of all things? Who'd have thought to see you like this?

/pedestrian bumps hard against your side

"Fucking snitch coward," muttered under breath.

Turn to follow, that back, voice, and mop of hair, where have you seen it? And what the fuck was his problem? That dwarf goes off to an alley left, up-mountain. Oh, that job. Yeah, but better that fool friend of his in jail than you...
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Karnath

Listening respectfully you loosen your gaze into the far distance down the street towards the Downtown's edge. It is nice to see family is important to your other team members. Makes you miss your own. I wonder how much they appreciate their attachments.

A hand wave catches your eye, ah, it is a woman and a cradle-boarded child upon her back. She is smiling, and reminds you of that nice mother of Kimima. But her features are blurred by distance and morning sun, so it could be another mother from the Maiden's House. She seems far enough that she's just being friendly and not hailing you for anything urgent, you think.

"Shucks, Uncle Dondo!" Hanalee chuckles as the man swings her. "What sort of work brings you to the Lament? And no, I don't work with Cranagh any more. Me an' him are still on good terms, but...well, it's complicated, see. I kinda felt like it wasn't for me any longer." She decides to leave out the part about the astral spectre challenging her to seek out Destiny. Uncle isn't a metaphysical sort of man.

The warrior's expression stiffens at the mention Tamar, the only person she'd loved since the age of five. "No, Uncle," she whispers. "Tamar hasn't married anyone else. You remember, I told you...our deal."

She sighs deeply.

Karni, looking down the street, shades her eyes from the sun with her hand to get a better look, and if it looks kosher, she will wave back.

Main Street, Downtown

Hanalee

"Mmhph, so you two still playing at fairy tales then," his temper visibly settling back down. Apparently your family runs on the stereotypical side of red headed anger. But he was always one to quickly let go and sheepishly ask forgiveness, too. Sort of wish that ran more in your family instead.

"I tell you kiddo, I thought my strength wouldn't give out on me either, but I'm glad I settled down and had kids when I did." Pats his stomach satisfyingly, looking up in thought, "It only gets harder to wake up sore and sleepy in the morning as you get older."

"Which explains why I'm here dressed up like a dancing monkey. I'm now a Lead Ass-aye-er," playful comedic lingering upon 'ass' and 'aye', happily reminds you of home how his humor never changed. "Go up here, certify the ingot grades before transfer out to the big cities. And I do a little on the side for bank research, when they make loans for others to buy out a claims.

"Dreadful stuff. Indoors in clean air rooms all day surrounded by paper, soft living, rough clothes, stamping approval on the harvest of broken dreams. But the kids are fed, and someone else would just take my place." Looks in the direction where Cranagh's old smithy used to be. "Miss honest work and honest sweat. Reminds me to go see an old friend."

"So where are you off to my little fire-spitter? No job, off to find yourself, and passing up a sure-fire marriage. What's next, you're gonna tell me you're chasing death itself, running around graveyards looking for haunts! A-ha ha ha!" He has such a happy belly-full laugh...

Main Street, Downtown

Karnath

Shading your eyes with tactful brevity, so as to not break up Hanalee's reunion, you notice it's not Kimima's mom. But it is a face you recognize from the Maiden's House. She looks pleased, and seems to have a small, flower gathering basket.

If you remember correctly that was the mom of one of the babies crying frequently in the night -- you think it might be colic, or possibly a light ear ache. She's probably gathering something just out of town to treat that. But who honestly knows?, as you've only been here recently.

OOC: You'd estimate roughly a minute, 300', to walk over to her. But your insight into people suggests it might look rude to your companions to do so right now.

Main Street Well

Aynsley

Well that was just awkward, just spaced hard there a minute. But all those riches mentioned on the bulletin board! Mayor offering bounty for thieves, precious valuables! Captured Bandit Queen, who knows what stash she left behind! And another bounty about a missing claim holder!

Even a buttload of beads and wealth must be under the floorboards of each tavern here! Hell, a whole dowry from a broken heart AND a journeyman undertaker with poor marriage prospects! And who minds an undertaker rifling through -- and quietly disappearing -- the belongings of the dead? This town is easy pickings!

Oh, where were you? Those aren't the same ladies gossiping as before. And wasn't there a big dog around here awhile ago?

Quote from: Opaopajr;783339"So where are you off to my little fire-spitter? No job, off to find yourself, and passing up a sure-fire marriage. What's next, you're gonna tell me you're chasing death itself, running around graveyards looking for haunts! A-ha ha ha!" He has such a happy belly-full laugh...

Hanalee coughs nervously. "Heh heh--you know me, Uncle!" She shrugs. "But I'm glad to hear you have work out here, I'll likely get to see more of you. Let me know if your company needs some 'outside contractors'...I'm running with a crew now, a real capable bunch, who take on odd jobs. The odder the better. Heh."

"Also, if you look in on Cranagh...tell him I said hello, would ya?" she requests with a hint of nostalgia and guilt.

Quote from: Opaopajr;783340Main Street, Downtown

Karnath

OOC: You'd estimate roughly a minute, 300', to walk over to her. But your insight into people suggests it might look rude to your companions to do so right now.

After waving to her, Karni will remain where she is, and not approach. Getting side tracked on the way out of town isn't her plan.