The Nexus

[Tattoo Examination]

"Well, it worked. They're pretty amazing." Olvisin reaches out to touch the tattoo Cassidy is indicating. "I could probably spend a while reading them."

[Map Room]

The goblins look at each other.

"That would be an intriguing challenge, but I don't think it fits into our timeframe. Not without knowing what we're looking for," Zaalmin says and the others nod.

[Tattoo Examination]

Cassidy grins and leans down to make touching easier for Olvisin. "You could, theres a lot to read." Then, she leans just a little closer, her voice dropping in volume. "And you've got all night to absorb all the details you want."

[Tattoo Examination]

Olvisin's hands keep tracing Cassidy's tattoos as the curtain falls on the two. Cassidy will see that Olvisin's got a lot of enthusiasm in a short body and that she likes to nibble or lightly bite her lovers.

Map Room

"So that's probably a task for another day, then." And with that, Earl thinks they're all set up? At least to go quiz people about what to expect from the shadow stalker-like beast.

[Map Room]

Olvisin nods.

"That seems to be about as much as we can plan for now. Let's head to Skyside and see what we can find."

Map Room

"Right, then let's get going." Sian came here from Skyside, so she's probably got some kind of suitable vehicle for the journey back. Let's say an old helicopter with a welded tube tail boom and bubble glass canopy.

[Post-Tattoo Examination]

Olvisin will find that her energy and enthusiasm are returned in spades by Cassidy- and maybe find a few marks of her own here and there.

Early the next morning, Cassidy is lacing up her usual combat boots, having dressed in her normal clothing. The only notable exception is her leather jacket, which she left at home. "You know, now I almost wanna say not to paint those arms up. They look pretty nice the way they are," she says, with a smirk and a wink.

[Post-Tattoo Examination]

Olvisin is still sprawled half-dressed on her bed, though she has made some effort to put her clothes back on.

"You think?" she asks, examining her arms. "They do go well with my skin, don't they? Maybe I can start with my back when I get around to having tattoos."

[Post-Tattoo Examination]

Cassidy straightens out a few of the wrinkles from her tanktop, but it's rather slow going, for some mysterious reason. "Oh hey, you could get one of those dragons from some of the old trids I've seen. Or some other big scene like that. Straight into the deep end's the best way to go, right?"

[Contract Board]

ck-tnk!

Goes the stapler, at the rather unceremonious posting of a totally-normal job posting being added to the board.


A cursory inquiry will turn up that the most popular shipping route between Locura de Adan and Butterfly Bay has had three ships (all merchants) go missing along it within as many months, and there seems to be an increase in pirate sightings in the area. The obvious conclusion is that the captain of the Hook is worried about the possibility of being raided and wants mercenaries to protect his cargo... but he doesn't seem to be willing to part with too much money for it (he's offering the equivalent of around $50 per day). Not an especially glamorous or lucrative job, but someone's probably got to do it.

[Post-Tattoo Examination]

"Go big or go home, huh? My kind of thinking." Olvisin does finally get off her bed and starts putting clothes on. "Want to get something to eat before you head out? Our cook is really good. Don't know if you met him when you still worked here."

[JaahlynQuest]

The doors to MERC's Riverside office swing open with energy as a sickly-looking teenager strides in with a frankly stunning exuberance, the curls of her strawberry-pink hair bouncing with each limping step. The girl is tall, lanky and frightfully pale, a faint shadow of sleeplessness below curled lashes and shining eyes of electrified ice.

"Hellloooo!" Dulcie declares, heading directly towards the receptionist's desk with a dazzling grin. "I would like to talk to Dipsnig Razortooth, the CEO of your organization. It's rather urgent - I'm dying, you see~" She raises a hand to her chest, fingertips pressed against the warm fabric of a fashionable lilac overcoat.

[JaahlynQuest]

Dulcie will be met with an unimpressed look from a bald hobgoblin woman currently seated at the reception desk.

"Can you state your reason for wanting to see Mr. Razortooth?"

The question "why should he care if you're dying" is implicit but unsaid.

[JaahlynQuest]

Dulcinea blinks, and there's a flicker of annoyance in her eyes, but she keeps up the sickeningly sweet façade. "Well, if you must know, I am looking for someone named Jaahlyn Hesperos, and understand he might just be able to help me locate her."

[JaahlynQuest]

The hobgoblin sighs.

"I'm going to call him. Sit tight." She takes up a phone and rings a number. "Mr. Razortooth, there's a girl here looking for Jaahlyn Hesperos. Says she's dying. The girl, I mean, not Jaahlyn... oh. Yes, sir." She puts down the phone. "Uh, Mr. Razortooth will see you now. Follow the signs to his office, please."

[JaahlynQuest]

”Oh, wonderful!” Dulcie smiles broadly, reaching for her cane. ”Now that wasn’t so hard.” Turning away, she heads off towards Dipsnig’s office.

[JaahlynQuest]

Dulcie will enter a dim office, the furniture having odd proportions. It belongs to a goblin, but one who receives human-sized people in his office daily. It's located entirely underground and the light is provided by a lamp. The CEO of MERC is seated behind a desk, his eyes gleaming in the light and pupils dilated. There's a small, young wolf on a blanket near the desk, enthusiastically chewing on a toy.

"Welcome. Take a seat and tell me why a dying girl is looking for one of our people."

[JaahlynQuest]

Dipsnig's door creaks open as Dulcinea peeks in, brow shifting like a pair of scales as her eyes adjust to the lighting. Okay, this was a markedly different change in tone, very dramatic. And- hold on! Was that a wolf? Things were suddenly very interesting.

"Hello Mr Razortooth, it is wonderful to meet you," Dulcie greets, her usual assault of exuberance dulled to a subtle poison. Stepping forward with only a brief and wary glance, she takes a seat across from Dipsnig, swinging her cane to lie across her legs.

"My name is Dulcinea Antoninus Hortensis - and last night, I experienced a vision that was enigmatic, confusing, and positively unpleasant," she explains. "I have strong reason to believe that Jaahlyn Hesperos is the key for me to understand it."

[JaahlynQuest]

"Really." Dipsnig's eyebrows rise and his ears perk up accordingly. "What did the vision concern and why do you think Jaahlyn will help you understand it?"

The wolf pauses the mauling of the toy and looks up at Dulcinea.

[JaahlynQuest]

Dulcie's expression briefly clouds. "The contents of the vision are personal, and I do not wish to discuss them - but it was a vision of present events, and I need to know what the hell was going on with it urgently," she expresses, fingers toying with the wrist strap on her cane. "What I do know is that the vision was given to me by a dream spirit, and they told me if I had any questions to 'seek out Jaahlyn Hesperos'. Rather unhelpful, really," she pouts.

[JaahlynQuest]

Dipsnig steeples his fingers together, regarding Dulcinea quietly. His wolf goes back to noisily chewing on its toy.

"Dream visions aren't known for being helpful or precise. I can try calling Jaahlyn and see what she says."

[JaahlynQuest]

"Oh they certainly aren't," Dulcinea agrees readily. "And that would be delightful. I'm sure you can understand why I would want to verify all this." She's all too happy to wait patiently as Dipsnig places the call - though she does seem to jump a little and give a sidelong glance whenever the wolf's toy squeaks in its jaws.

[JaahlynQuest]

Dipsnig presses a button on his holographic bracer and a nearby computer screen lights up with the words "Jaahlyn Hesperos".

"Jaahlyn, do you have a moment? A young woman came to MERC and claims to have received a dream vision that pointed her towards you."

[JaahlynQuest]

It will take a couple of signals before Jaahlyn picks up. "Yes? I'm kind of in the middle of something..." A pause.
"Did you say 'dream vision'? Uh, could you tell her to call me on this number? Will get her out of your hair." She figured Dulcinea would get on the goblins nerves easily.

[JaahlynQuest]

Dipsnig drums his fingers on the desk.

"It does seem like a personal matter. And an altogether mysterious one. I'll tell her to call you."

[JaahlynQuest]

"It's more fey stuff. Job related." A beat. "As in my other job. The death one." Dipsnig would at least have been told that Jaahlyn was apparently a 'psychopomp'. Though whatever that meant where she was from had never really come up.

[JaahlynQuest]

"Ah, yes. Definitely doesn't sound like any business of mine." Nor does he want it to be. Fey business is something he avoids. The King in Rags is enough to deal with as it is. "I'll give her the number now. Stay safe out there." Unless Jaahlyn has more to add, Dipsnig will end the call.

[JaahlynQuest]

"Well?" Dulcie prompts as Dipsnig ends the call, leaning forward slightly with the air of someone who is definitely not trying to subtly listen into a conversation.

[JaahlynQuest]

"Rather difficult right now but I'll try..." Jaahkyn replies before ending the call.

[JaahlynQuest]

"You can call her at the number I just did." Dipsnig taps his bracer again and the number is projected above his wrist. "It seems she would rather speak to you in private."