Graciela
*One would think that the Brinewater inn would typically be following it's typically quiet nature, especially at this time of night- what with the crisp mountain weather from the east starting to seep into the air, and forming a veil of frost over the poorly cut grass. Though in this case, one would happen to be very, very wrong.*

*Heidi covered her ears as the incessant noise coming from the bards never seemed to cease, and the rowdy stomping of joyous dancing could be felt in her bones. The city declared the coming of winter to be a celebration, and It would appear that of all things, she was god awful at timing her trips into town. Admittedly though, even the blandly colored papers and festive decorations couldn't turn her away. In truth she was only here to get drunk, and now her escape from this terrible curse of life was desecrated in the most inhumane way possible.*

"Stop it, stop it, stop it..." *She grumbled, pressing her thumbs firmly against her temples and covering her face with her palms as the bards began to die down, and the people crowding around them stopped their dancing, letting out rambunctious whoops and clapping to their heart's content. As if her splitting headache wasn't enough, it appeared that the bards had found a tune fitting to her misery. While her clearly aggravated expression could no longer be read, she was mere seconds away from turning the night into nothing but a scary tale for children who behaved poorly.*

*Having felt her stress, the older man behind the bar approached her, albeit cautiously, and set down another mug full of a light brown liquid.* "On the house, to keep your hands away from that... Thing." *The gruff voice had caught her attention, causing her soft blue eye to peek out from between her sliced up fingers, leaving her to stare at the man with an unspoken gratefulness. While she was confused at first, she came to the conclusion that he could only be talking about the crude weapon which loosely hung from her back. In this case, she would rather grab the mug than it's rotting, splintered handle.*

*Shuffling closer to the bar, Heidi did her best to stay as far from the bard's corner as she could get, unaware that the sound bouncing off of the walls wouldn't let her run from the noise. How horrible. Dropping her hands from her face she would cast a long glance over the people which filled the space, noticing how they also tried to stay away from her. While this never bothered her, her eyes would pause between individuals to meet their disgusted eyes, though they would only look to the ground when their eyes locked. This, bothered her a great deal. It was the same pejorative look everybody gave her, the same look which only caused her blood to boil... More than it usually is. She was given this same look when she was younger, scrounging the streets in Jeskan to find something to eat. The look of someone who thinks nothing of you simply because they're better off. Averting her gaze and gripping the mug, she would take a long drink of the bitter brown liquid, trying to soothe her nerves to avoid from acting out.*
James
Atlas pressed his shoulder against the door to the inn- Brinestone, as the sign above the door announced it. The golden light spilling out of the windows along with the choruses of laughter, conversation, and music, promised the interior would be a cozy and welcoming place. Stepping inside and nudging the door closed behind him, Atlas shrugged out of his cloak, being careful not to jostle the oilskin bag at his side. The cloak was still damp from a rainstorm that passed through a day before, and he was grateful for the chance to properly dry off by a roasting fire. 

The music within was lively, accompanied by a round of applause and cheers as the bards finished with a flourish and bowed to the semi crowded room. As Atlas expected, the place was well lit, and the smell of cooked food set his mouth to watering. Weeks on the road suddenly made him more homesick than ever, and the promise of a crisp ale and a soft bed- ah, he would pay a kingdom for that. 

A quick conversation with the barkeep had Atlas acquiring the meal special for that evening, and then he was taking up residence at a table nearer the fireplace but not so close to the band of musicians and the bulk of the evening's crowd. Atlas sighed and leaned back in the chair, taking a moment to glance around at the other patrons of the Inn. 

Aside from the usual crowd he had expected to find, and the group of musicians, Atlas found his attention drifting toward a young woman sitting by herself nearer to the shadowed corner than most others. Perhaps she was not young- though Atlas himself had seen many a person come and go in his years, but he doubted he had ever seen anyone quite like her. She kept her head down, wrappings around her arms looking almost... Like bandages? 

He kept his study of her discreet, even as a bowl of hot food and a mug of drink was placed before him.
Linda
"That... Thing." *Blue fox ears twitch at the sound of the unknown. From a table behind a column, semi-adjacent to the bar, Seth perks up after a respite from his trek to the inn. He looks around for anything, or anyone, not present a couple of hours ago. At a glance, a handful of people are different, including Atlas and Heidi. Seth notices the subtle glances Atlas was making towards Heidi as well as seeing the bartender walk away from her. On her back, he spots the unknown "Thing."*

*Focusing solely on Heidi's weapon, Seth tries to inspect it from afar. He is having a hard time getting a good look because of all the fidgeting Heidi seems to be doing. Wondering why, he gives her a once-over and notices the head rubbings and tensing at the music. Seth picked his table behind the column precisely to protect his ears, "But perhaps that lady needs it more," He thinks. Not wanting to yell to talk to someone already having a headache, Seth writes a note:* 

```Miss,

 I asked the bartender to bring you this note and an ale. I have a table beside the bar, on the other side of that column. I noticed you might like a reprieve from the music and singing, and the column helps block the sound for my ears well enough. I wouldn't mind sharing the table, so come on over if you please!
 
Regards,
Seth Icebow
Blue Fox Guy

P.S. Do you know that well groomed dwarf near you? Curiously, he keeps looking at you with interest, not disdain.```

*At the bar, Seth orders a mug of ale and asks the barkeep to deliver both to Heidi (*"The lady with the interesting cleaver on her back" *He says). Going back to his table, he waits, looking in Heidi direction, in hopes to catch her eye and wave her over.*
Graciela
*It didn't take long before Heidi had finished her drink, grimacing as the bitter taste lingered on her tongue. After setting the mug down, her pale hands reached up to her neck, pulling the worn leather hood from her torn cloak over her head. She couldn't explain it, but she could feel a pair of eyes on her. In a moment of panic, she subtly looked back towards the crowd- though it seemed that the people she was here for were as oblivious as ever, continuing to mingle and speak amongst themselves... But then, who was staring at her?*

*The sound of a mug being set down against the hard wood counter made her jump, quickly turning her head to face forwards while her hand shot down towards her hip, and onto the poorly made leather sheathe which hung from her belt. Of course it was just the bartender, but he couldn't help but jump back at her erratic movements, in turn causing half the inn to quiet down and turn their attention towards her. Sneers and looks of suspicion briefly washed over the crowd, but they were rather short lived as the bards seemed to drag the attention back towards themselves. She was lucky this time.*

"Sorry." *She broke the awkward silence, bringing her hand back up to the counter to keep it in view, and maybe calm the poor tender's nerves. While he didn't say anything, he did nod towards the mug, which had been placed atop a letter. Well, at least he was telling her to leave politely. Sighing and pushing the mug aside, Heidi kept her head down as her fingers scraped against the counter, struggling to pick up the letter- how embarrassing, at least for her. Only a few moments of trying later, she would pin down the letter with her right hand, using her other hand to open the letter so she could peer over the counter and read.*

*Naturally after reading the letter, she would look over her shoulder towards the corner, just barely spotting the 'blue fox guy'. The last thing she wanted to do was socialize, but after locking eyes with one of her targets, she knew she had to move. With a barely audible groan, Heidi grabbed the mug and stood, turning and limping over to the table with her head down. She approached cautiously, taking a moment to stare at his ears before taking a seat as far from him as she could get. Heidi had no interest in small talk, rather keeping her attention on the group of religious-looking individuals across the room.*
James
*The young woman- yes he was certain she was young now- appeared as startled as a newborn colt. No doubt the noise. Atlas split his attention between her and the meal before him, fingers itching for the small notebook and charcoal pencil tucked in his pocket. 

When the hush fell across the room, he did not have to look to know she was the source. Hooded as she was, it did little to stop the ripple of unease that passed through the room- barely distracted by the presence of bards. Curious, Atlas noticed the scrap of paper in her hand, peeled from the bottom of a fresh mug of ale. Perhaps she had an associate mixed in among the other patrons. Or he was witnessing a secret rendezvous! 

Careful to keep his voice down to the lowest of whispers, Atlas shook his head. "Now, now," He muttered, chuckling. "You've had too much excitement for one lifetime. And not enough as of late." 

Though he had seen powerful games move in humbler places than this, there was little point in imagining a daring intrigue happening here. Atlas glanced at the young woman once more and then turned back to his dinner. 

Not a moment later he heard the scrape of a stool, and the woman passed him by almost close enough to touch. Atlas eyed the wooden handles of her weapons, one at her back and the other by her side. This close, he noted the shape of the cleaver, the pale condition of her skin beneath the wrappings on her arms. 

"A Revenant," He breathed, pushing aside the plate and mug to flip open the small notebook. The charcoal nearly snapped in his hand, notes filling the page as quickly as he could write, though not fast enough. Atlas leaned back to see around the pillar blocking view of her trajectory, and his heart did a flip. Not only a Revenant, but a Kitsune as well! He grinned despite himself and beckoned the bartender over in order to settle his bill.*
Linda
*Watching Heidi come over, Seth took in what curiosities he could: her limp. "For one seemingly around my age," He thought, "Perhaps a bone healed wrong! I wonder if my water could fix it..." He writes another note:*

```I have Fae water magic and can heal or restore the body with it. Want me to try with your limp?``` 

*As she sits down, Seth waves hi and looks back towards the bards. Comparing their and Heidi's positions, Seth attempts to sit directly in the path. As a sanity check, he looks one more time and instead sees Atlas glance and smile in his direction. Seth waves at him.*

*Forgetting about giving Heidi the note in front of him, Seth instead tries to mouth and sign her the question,* "Do you know that man?" *Seth points at Atlas.*
Graciela
*After plopping down in the seat, Heidi made a rather obvious attempt to ignore Seth, keeping her eyes planted on what little she could see of the group. It was clear she was focused on something, and this left a little hint that her intentions were more sinister than coming to just 'grab a drink' and 'enjoy the music'. Only when Seth had started to wave and point would she even think of shifting her attention, briefly glancing over at the dwarf who had taken a seat by her earlier. In the moment she had thought nothing of it, but now that she had been forced to socialize, she truly believed this would just be Sihirisium all over again.*

"No. I don't." *Heidi rasped, keeping her voice on the edge of audible and indecipherable, which was a habit she couldn't break, not even after death. Besides, small talk is overrated and unprofessional. Taking the note from before, she would begin to roll it between her hands before using one hand to weakly squeeze and crush it into a tighter ball. Occasionally her knuckles would pop, gradually and one after another breaking the brief silence at the table. While this provided short relief from the aching pain in her hands, her scrunched nose and brows would act as a sign that the aches returned stronger than before.*

"Stay quiet. I'm not here for you." *She hissed, only taking one brief glance towards Seth. Despite the translucent film over her eyes, the anger seeped through all the same. The unnerving stare was followed by one final squeeze of the paper ball, which was accompanied by a slightly sickening crack in her hand, one painful enough to make her drop the ball, but not enough to make her flinch. Reacting only with a grimace, Heidi repeatedly stretched her fingers out then clenched her fist, simply making sure it still worked before hiding the hand under the table. The last thing she wanted was to be berated with a plethora of questions, which Seth certainly looked like the type to do so.*
Monty
*Atlas caught the flurry of motion- a wave, definitely directed at him, and then followed seconds later by a pointed gesture. The room itself was too noisy to make out what was exactly said, but he hadn't spent nearly a decade in the service of Cassidia merely as a pretty face. 

Tucking away his notebook and pencil back in his vest pocket and gathering cloak and bag, Atlas left the table to move closer to the pair now seated together. The woman had her back slightly toward him, hood drawn up and one hand clenched so painfully tight, he wondered if there were jolts of pain going through her limb currently. It wasn't until he was within earshot that he heard her hissed whisper.*

"I'm not here for you."

*Ah, so this was some sort of impromptu meeting instead of a rendezvous, contrary to what he had surmised. Given her hunched shoulders and the flexing of one hand, even if hidden beneath the table, Atlas did not think it wise to approach either of them, curiosity be damned. He shifted his trajectory to head to the stairs leading up to the rooms available, catching the attention of the closest barkeep. Atlas glanced at the seated pair, taking note of the woman's visage as best he could within the shadows of her cloak, and then to the Kitsune- making particular note of the ears and tail to sketch later. Atlas had never seen a true Kitsune, and to have the chance now! It was a crime not to at least make a note of it. Perhaps he could have the luck to find the young man later and ask a few questions. 

In passing them by, Atlas hesitated when he saw another figure immediately catching his full attention. The man sat in the far back of the tavern, and had likely been there longer than he and the two individuals of interest. Hood drawn, the man was bent forward with both arms resting on the table, crossed. Atlas could see nothing of his gaze, but a chill ran down his spine regardless. 

This man was here for him.*
Linda
*Acquiescing to Heidi's demand, Seth refrains from asking the many questions plaguing his mind. He could clearly hear the noises she made as she squeezed his first note into a ball, making his ears twitch with every pop and crack. While Seth was used to hearing most of those noises from the crafters back home, the last crack catches his attention.*

"Wha-," *Seth starts to articulate, stopping himself remembering he is to be quiet. Replaying the sound in his hand over and over, it reminds Seth of the first time he faced a bear in the forest. Reminiscing in the fight, Seth closes his eyes, acting out how the fight went, leading to a mishap. Rubbing one of his arms at the memory, an unexpected breeze goes by as Atlas walks past them.*

*"Why was that dwarf looking at this woman in the first place?" He thinks. "She doesn't seem to know him, and he didn't stop at our table, hmm..." More questions fill his mind at the infinite possibilities. "Maybe she's a long lost friend, or reminds him of someone. Maybe he fancies her!" With his mind wandering, he starts playing with his now-empty mug.*

*Encircling the rim with his finger, Seth remembers he hasn't drank anything since dozing off earlier. With one hand hovering over the mug, he starts producing water, filling up the mug. The tepid water Seth produced made it easy for him to drink half of it in one go. Now content, he resumes playing with the mug.*

*Seth watches Atlas walk further away from him, heading towards a hooded person. Trying hard to remember, he couldn't recollect if that person was there hours ago or not. Resolved in the inability to remember through his tiredness of a few hours ago, Seth reverts back to thinking about the crack. He pulls the remaining water up and out of the mug, making it into a hand. Squeezing his own hand, the water imitates it in front of Seth. He keeps this up for a little bit, continuing to explore the watery version of his hand's actions and movements.*

Time sped through the evening as other patrons tended to their drinks and conversations. At different times throughout the evening, Seth stole glances in the direction of both Heidi and Atlas, both unnamed in his mind. Largely unchanging visually, they as well as the hooded figure in the back started to bore him. He did end up sniffing the air subtly, picking up on whiffs of undead emanating from beneath the bandages Heidi wore. He may not have gotten to take a look at the weapon she carried, but it was pretty cool he *Kinda* Talked to someone undead. As far as he knew up until this point, all undead were mindless. He made sure to write a note about this short experience later. 

 Seth slowly got up, gave Heidi a silent nod, and put some silver on the table. He waved goodbye, and went to the room he already reserved for the night.