<div class="floatleft">(https://i.imgur.com/g4jgTrj.png)</div><strong>Name:</strong>Irene Vincent (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=334326.msg15915910#msg15915910)<br/><strong>HP:</strong>52 / 52 -<strong>AC:</strong>20 -<strong>Energy:</strong>40 / 40<br/><strong>Passives:</strong>Empathy: 11, Insight: 15, Perception: 15<hr/>Whatever Irene's reputation as a fierce bounty hunter, one thing had become humorously apparent.  She was an exceptionally sound sleeper.  Even with her movements firmly locked by the lustrous red strait jacket that was bound snug to her body, she'd slept unguarded, sprawled across the padded floor on her back with her mouth open, ever so lightly snoring.  It wasn't really until Aysha started bellowing that she languidly rose to a sitting position, yawning and trying to get the hinge of her jaw to click comfortably.  Through bleary eyes, she regarded the room around her, trying to blink the sleep out of her eyes.<br/><br/>Aysha, of course, caught her attention first, the only member of their crew bound up in knots and ropes, the ruddy crimson of her flesh dancing intriguingly as the steel-like cables of her muscles twisted and flexed in a desperate attempt to burst her bonds through brute force.  With the kind of detached awareness that someone struggling to full wakefulness can manage, she idly wondered if the half-dragon was even aware of the way her struggles caused the twining ropes to dig and drag at her flesh.<br/><br/>As her head swiveled, she took in the bound figures of the rest of her cohorts one by one, her green eyes slowly rolling over bared legs and hips in turn, slowly connecting it to the brisk feeling of air along her own exposed skin.  Though she couldn't see it for herself, the matching silver collars fixed around each person's throat helped her understand the slight tention around her own neck, and she gave out the softest little whimper as a slow, red blush started creeping its way from her cheeks out to the tips of her ears.  She didn't thrash or resist, instead shifting from being plopped on her butt to what she imagined to be a slightly more respectful kneeling position as she tried to work things out for herself.<br/><br/>Fortunately, the demands of the others gave her a little time to run through things in her own mind, and their captor/hostess seemed to enjoy at least the affectation of being pleasant and agreeable.  Still, their position didn't leave any doubts as to who was in charge of things at the moment.<br/><br/>"Well, maybe we should just consider it a cultural exchange for the time being." she mused to herself, shrugging her shoulders in a way that caused the strap running between her legs to dig in intimately.  "We were prepared for a lot worse than a night of private entertainment, after all." she reasoned, adroitly rolling with the situation.<br/><br/>"Excuse me, Ms Eri." she piped up, waiting to be acknowledge, "I'm Irene Vincent of the Freelancers Association." she added, dipping her head in a slight bow of thanks for being called on, "I was curious about the other group you're hosting.  Have they, per chance, mentioned the Brightband Association?" she raised her head back up to study Eri's face as she asked her question, her most professional smile gracing her lips.<br/><br/>It was a little more than a hunch, but if<em>they</em>were here as well, it was possible that Mel's discovery of the book had been something planned.  To what end, she couldn't be sure yet, but if she was going to dance like a puppet across someone's palm, she had to find the strings before she could determine who was pulling them.