A dejected little huff left Alexei’s lips as he finally found the page he was looking for… only to realize it contained very little of interest. It wasn’t like him to be so idle-minded especially when doing research, yet as he pondered the situation he slowly began to recall his state of mind that night. Yes, he had been rather flustered, feeling a bit guilty after he knocked a flowerpot off a windowsill and- …Ooh, that wasn’t a pleasant memory, shouldn’t have thought of it… That poor little cat...<br/><br/>That being said, for the time being it seemed the lupine would have little to offer the group apart from his knowledge of military strategies. Nonetheless, he didn’t seem too bothered with having to take a back seat this time around, reaching to grab the bottle of wine Veryn had delivered for him. Despite the intellect he liked to believe he had, he knew he was young. There was no way he could know everything worth knowing with the experience he had, and there would be times when he would have to concede to the expertise of others. This was one of those times, and he willingly took a back seat to the advice Brady and Xali had to offer.<br/><br/><blockquote class="uncited"><div>“There is a vast number of undead creatures in a necromancers arsenal. A number of the more powerful creations have the ability to perceive creatures through their life force rather than by sight. Invisibility will likely get a number of us past the lesser ghouls and skeletons, though if we encounter one of the more powerful creations we may find ourselves flanked on both sides if they can get a warning out to those we sneaked by”</div></blockquote><br/><br/>…and Vendra as well, it seemed. A small grin crossed the wolf’s face when the cleric made her interjection, glad that she had the chance to show what she could offer the team. However, it wasn’t long before his good spirits were overshadowed by the particularly dark reaction of one of his companions.<br/><br/>It had only been an innocent flick of the eye towards the leopardess, but in the moment their gazes met he could make out the unmistakable glimmer of anger. Had Vendra done something? As far as he knew, she had done little more than make a suggestion, yet Xali acted like she had just been called the worst of insults in public. It didn’t occur to him that she may have felt one-upped by the cleric, given his approach to tactics and knowledge. All he could really settle on was that the situation had become decidedly uncomfortable, and he wanted to diffuse it while it was in the realm of unpleasant glares.<br/><br/>“I agree it would be a good measure to pursue!” he noted jovially upon hearing her mention of locking doors and blocking pathways. “But we must make sure we don’t end up trapping ourselves inside. If we can, we should attempt to procure a floorplan or layout of the crypt so we can plan for potential problems. If that is not possible, though, we’ll just have to settle for being vigilant of escape routes.” In hopes of placating the leopardess further, he grabbed an open bottle of port and took over refilling her glass, whether it really needed refilling or not.<br/><br/>As he set down the communal bottle, however, his other hand grasped his own and lifted it from the table. However, instead of opening it and pouring himself a glass, he performed yet another cryptic act. With his bottle, he disappeared under the edge of the table, and the others would hear the rubbing of leather as he undid his backpack. When he came back up his hand now held an empty bottle, although one could easily tell from the label that he had not simply downed his beverage in an instant. It never crossed his mind how odd his exchange was, having become a force of habit of his over the years. Placing the empty bottle on the table, he hummed to himself before scooping up some of his dessert with his fork and having a taste.<br/><br/>“My!” he stated genially. “This is marvelous! You have quite a touch for sweets, Miss Chelsea.” He turned his warm grin to their server, his delight clear in his slowly waving tail.