MERC XIX: Toss a Coin to your Goblin

[Ironsmith]

[Lobby]

Well, not a hovercar, exactly. Rose leads him out to the shuttle she arrived in; a vehicle that resembles a compressed airplane. As she approaches, a hatch on the side opens and comes down as a ramp to meet them.

"Vlad shouldn't mind too much if we borrow this." And screw him if he does.

[Deathkeeper]

Lobby

Krayger is certainly impressed how she managed to land it here.
"For the record, I'm not anyone that the gossip rags worry about much so no one should recognize me. But if you want me to get a different look we can stop by a boutique." The tabloids care far more about Kirk and Dena. It's one advantage to being less conventionally pretty than a bunch of elves.

[Ironsmith]

[Lobby]

"We'd probably better, just to be safe. I don't know how familiar anyone up in Skyside is with MERC personnel, but if there's a chance anyone would recognize you, that's better to be avoided." That, and she was curious to see what a botique for minotaurs looked like; the two concepts didn't mesh together very often. What did they have for beauty standards, anyway?

[Deathkeeper]

Lobby

"Well I can't really put on a hat like you can but you'd be surprised how little you need to get a disguise going for most people. Being this big only makes it a little harder."
This would have been easier if he could still be Kray when necessary but he doesn't really regret losing that power.
And Krayger shops at clothing stores for tall people. Species-specific ones are rather uncommon but finding clothes for someone 7' tall with a tail isn't that hard in a big city. Or even hats with horn-holes thanks to the tiefling population.

[Ironsmith]

[Lobby -> Skyside]

"All right. We'll swing by on the way and see what they've got for you." Rose says, boarding the shuttle. "Come on, beefcake."

[Arkhosia]

[Lunch Time]

"I dunno, maybe you'll get more out of it than you think. Having a home cooked meal once in a while is nice." Valerie navigates over to a table and takes a seat. "But I guess it's more fun when you can share it."

Leis nods in agreement as she follows Valerie's lead and starts to unwrap her own meal. "Yeah I feel ya, definitely tends to have a more pleasant taste to it sometimes besides." She chuckles. "I guess there'd be a perk or two to being a housewife there. Having the time invest in to cooking more involved things and seeing how folks enjoy it."

[Gullara]

[Lunch Time]

"Oh yeah, before I started working here I had a bit more time to practice. Only a bit, though. I kept busy otherwise." Valerie chuckles. "You know, if you're interested I could give you come instruction. Maybe we can meet up somewhere and do that after work one day."

[Demands of Snakes]

Kirk knocks on Dena's office door near the end of the day and steps in a moment later. Once he's inside and closed the door behind him, he turns to her. "Ready when you are."

[Arkhosia]

[Lunch Time]

"O-oh, well- sure, I'd be glad to!" The tiefling seems to light up a little at the offer. She's not really ever been great at coming up with offers or ways to hang out with people outside of work, so having that manner of olive branch extended to her is a pleasant surprise. She tries to play it a little cooler when she continues. "I could probably make some space in the kitchen of my apartment if you wanted."

[Gullara]

[Lunch Time]

"Hm, yeah that'd be a good idea. I have the supplies at home, but it would be pretty hectic to do it there. I can just bring what I need." Valerie agrees with a nod. "It might be a bit tricky to carry stuff on the train... I'll have to figure it out. I think we have a big tote bag somewhere."

[Shadowcaller]

[Demands of Snakes]

Dena let's out a sigh and then a groan. "Mind dragging me out of my seat? I feel like I'm not going to move otherwise." She seems go fegin complete powerlessness, leaning heavily against the back of her seat with her hands hanging off dangling in the air.

[Gullara]

[Demands of Snakes]

Kirk chuckles lightly despite his nerves. He steps over to her and offers his hand. "We could always do this alter if it's too much now." He suggests.

[Shadowcaller]

[Demands of Snakes]

Dena remains unmoving. Simply taking a moment to study Kirk as he offers her his hand. "Come on, Kirk. You're the one that's supposed to be pushing me to do this, not the other way around." She takes his hand and pulls herself out of her seat.

She doesn't let go once she's up however. "Yikes, you're tense as ****, Kirk." Dena gently places her other hand on his chin. "Which is exactly why we shouldn't delay this. Better get it all over with, yeah?"

[Gullara]

[Demands of Snakes]

"I'm not pushing you to do anything. It's your call every step of the way." He replies. How could it be any other way? He leaves her other remark uncommented on. It's disconcerting how easily she can read him sometimes.

[Shadowcaller]

[Demands of Snakes]

"Come on Kirk, you know what I mean. Don't think for a moment that I'm going to get cold feet. I'm just feeling lazy. Maybe you could carry me down into Astrana's office, huh?" She waggles her eyebrows suggestively. "That is why you're going to the gym all the time, right? To be able to carry me around?" She gently squeezes his shoulders.

[Gullara]

[Demands of Snakes]

"I don't doubt that I could." Kirk puts his hands on the small of her back. "I've never taken you for the type, though. Have I been making a mistake not sweeping you off your feet more often?" He smiles with casual ease. He may be tense, but the drow is good at compartmentalizing.

[Arkhosia]

In the Hall

It's been a busy day for Cantata. Between turning in a contract and preparing for a quarterly review, she's had a lot on her mind as she walks down one of the base's hallways. The fact that it's with Dena doesn't help her nerves either. The gorgon didn't seem too unfriendly when Fettina introduced the two of them, but the general results of the overall dinner are enough to color interactions with her all the same. So with all that in mind, Cantata might be a little too preoccupied to maintain as much focus as she should on her surroundings.

[Shadowcaller]

[Demands of Snakes]

"I think we've had made a mutual decision to not sweep one another of their feet out of respect, haven't we?" Dena didn't doubt that she could carry Kirk around, but she also didn't doubt how much that'd upset him. "But I feel that you've motivated me enough to take the trip now." Dena steps around Kirk while still holding onto his shoulder. "Huh, you know, there's something I think I deserve to know before we start all this." The gorgon wonders out loud as she slowly continues towards the door. "Have you slept with A-s yet? Considering we're trusting her with this ritual I feel that's important context to me."

[Deathkeeper]

Mountaintop

You know, when you live on a mountain it's weird if you never take a hike at some point.
And there's plenty to do on a mountain. Especially when it's summer and a lot of the snow is temporarily melted. So why is the mountain's face so little developed by MERC? Not sure, but that's not Krayger's problem. Today he's just putting on a shirt and looking for somewhere to fish or something because he just got back from a hell of a job and would like to do anything but think about work until Dipsnig calls to ask about that report he filed.

[Morty]

[Mountaintop]

It should be easy enough to find a still, quiet mountain lake with plenty of fish. Sadly, someone or something is already there. Three... small creatures. One of them looks like a raven, but with distorted body shape. Lanky, muscular, not like a bird at all. Its head is that of a rat and there's a rat tail behind it. The other is a wretched four-legged thing, long claws and skinny bones. It's hard to tell what animal its main body belongs to, but it has the head and wings of a pigeon, as well as small antlers on its head. The final one looks like a scraggly greyish black fox, but with wings in place of its front legs and a head that's... not quite a bird, due to the teeth in its beak, but clearly not something else either. They seem to be chattering amongst themselves, but raise their heads when Krayger approaches.

[Deathkeeper]

Mountaintop

Krayger gives the creatures a look alright. What in the seven hells are those things supposed to be? Someone better not be sending spy demons. Would that be the first? He can't recall if they've had to deal with spy demons before.
For now he skirts around the malformed creatures.
"Don't pay me any mind." he mumbles. He's glad he brought a hand axe, at least.

[Morty]

[Mountaintop]

The three misshapen creatures stare directly at Krayger.

"Are you our lord?" the pigeon-like one asks.

"No, he can't be. Our lord is much grander," says the rat-crow.

"But he's been marked by our lord. Are you a messenger from them?" asks the fox-critter.

[Deathkeeper]

Mountaintop

Oh no. More of this garbage. He’s had enough to do with lords for a hundred years.
”I’m no lord and I’m not friends with any.” Unless Felix has some title he didn’t tell his apprentice about
”If that’s all you have to ask, shove off.” Doubtless they’re minions of some infuriating entity he’s going to have to worry about.

[Morty]

[Mountaintop]

"But we see a part of our lord in you. Have they marked you? Made you an envoy?" The rat-crow insists. It seems confused and Krayger might get the impression none of these creatures are very smart.

"Can you tell us where they are? We've been searching for so long."

[Deathkeeper]

Mountaintop

Krayger blinks in surprise before giving a mighty groan.
”Is this about Rassa? Tall, scary, antlers? If that’s who you’re looking for they have an agent at the goblin market at the mall. I would be happy to never hear this subject brought up again.” He sounds rather angry. But that probably isn’t who they’re looking for…

[Gullara]

In the Hall

It's been a busy day for Cantata. Between turning in a contract and preparing for a quarterly review, she's had a lot on her mind as she walks down one of the base's hallways. The fact that it's with Dena doesn't help her nerves either. The gorgon didn't seem too unfriendly when Fettina introduced the two of them, but the general results of the overall dinner are enough to color interactions with her all the same. So with all that in mind, Cantata might be a little too preoccupied to maintain as much focus as she should on her surroundings.

[In the Hall]

After Cantata rounds a corner, she likely won't take too long to note that someone that had been coming the other way has stopped in the middle of the hall in front of her. The person is immediately recognizable; it's none over than Kirk. The drow has his arms crossed and is frowning at her. "What brings you here?" Yes, technically she's a license holder, but generally those spend less time at the base.

[Demands of Snakes]

"I think we've had made a mutual decision to not sweep one another of their feet out of respect, haven't we?" Dena didn't doubt that she could carry Kirk around, but she also didn't doubt how much that'd upset him. "But I feel that you've motivated me enough to take the trip now." Dena steps around Kirk while still holding onto his shoulder. "Huh, you know, there's something I think I deserve to know before we start all this." The gorgon wonders out loud as she slowly continues towards the door. "Have you slept with A-s yet? Considering we're trusting her with this ritual I feel that's important context to me."

[Demands of Snakes]

Kirk quirks his eyebrow at her, then shrugs. "As of a few weeks ago, yes." Then quite a few times since then. "You're not developing a jealous streak now, are you?"

[Arkhosia]

In the Hall

Cantata comes to a sudden halt as she notices Kirk, the loose fabric of her blouse swaying for a moment as one of her brows arches quizzically. She raises her left index and then stretches four fingers out in a crisp motion, before extending two on her right and pressing the thumb to her left palm. She turns them from 3 o'clock to 12, almost as if winding a clock in reverse.

Quarterly review, the woman clarifies through her phone after a couple of seconds, should Kirk not seem able to parse her signs. The saboteur plays it calm, studying Kirk with an unassuming gaze - but he can still pick up on the way her body tenses, the subtle glances around him as if looking for a way to slip past. Cantata's not frightened, but she's definitely a little uneasy.

[Morty]

[Mountaintop]

"Our lord does have antlers in their chief form."

"But Rassa is not one of the names they wear."

"Isn't it? Maybe it's a new name. One we lowly dregs aren't fit to know just yet."

Yes, those three critters really aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer.

[Deathkeeper]

Mountaintop

"I have no interest in names of lords. You'll have to figure it out on your own. Away with you." rumbles the minotaur, who is making a shooing motion with his hands at the critters. What loathsome creatures.
He's not sure he has the right person.
But if he doesn't this sounds like a wonderful way to mildly annoy an entity he dislikes and one he doesn't know but probably also will dislike.

[Morty]

[Mountaintop]

"Where may we find this Rassa? Perhaps they are actually our lord. Or someone who knows them."

"There cannot be many fey around who resemble our lord this much."

One gets the impression the three dim-witted monsters are holding on to whatever slim lead they perceive to have.

[Deathkeeper]

Mountaintop

Krayger resists temptation to remind them that he already said so.
"Go to the large city down the mountain and East. Ask any mortal where The Mall is and they will tell you. Once you are there look for the signs for the Goblin Market. Her minions were there last I was."
Of course all her minions were more...tasteful-looking hybrids. But that might have just been a front to draw him in.
He won't lie to himself and say it didn't work the first time.