RP:Boats, Booze, and Brawls

Part of the Once Upon a Midnight Dreary Arc

This is a Rogue's Guild RP.

Summary: Quintessa is introduced to Eleanor and Leoxander, further plans are made as to how they will deal with these slave traders.

Smuggler's Keep

Meri :: Notes were sent out, but this time they were not identical notes. The one that Quintessa receives from Meri is considerably more vague than the one that Eleanor receives....Yet neither discloses the full story, what sort of rogue pens all of the details to their schemes? For Quintessa, she is asked to meet at particular date and time, a time that is quite late into the evening. All shady business is best conducted in the shadows. Eleanor is given a letter that is similar to Quintessa's, except in the note sent to the spellrogue, Meri is curious to know if she might have access to a couple of rowboats? What Meri might want these for is not specifically mentioned in the note. While it might make more sense for them to meet at the front entrance of SoulsKin? Which brings us to the location. In both of the notes that were sent out, a crudely drawn map was included highlighting a particular spot on one of the southern beaches of Rynvale. It will be there that Meri waits. In many circumstances, Meri would have probably seen fit to attempt to conceal her position...but the blonde does not feel that her waiting on the beach is entirely out of place, all things Rynvale considered. Quintessa and Eleanor would not have any trouble locating a certain tattooed woman. Meri is intent on taking both of them through the back way, through the watery tunnels that lead to the Smuggler's keep beneath the tattoo parlor, once they both arrive.

Quintessa || Luckily for all involved, Quintessa was quite the night owl. Growing up in the constant shade of Vailkrin’s Dark Forest did nothing to inspire a love for the sun, which stung her mismatched eyes every time she went abroad for whatever reason. Unfortunate for the dark fea was the necessity to catch a ride to Rynvale and venture across the ocean that filled her with dread whenever she laid her gaze of blue and hazel upon their waves. With the journey behind her and her task laid out, the changeling strolls along the beach with her crude map in hand, a trail of clove-scented smoke drifting behind her as her cloak billows in the night breeze. It wasn’t long before Quintessa spotted Meri, her hag-borne eyes aiding her vision in the unlit sands of southern beaches. The strange woman was silent as she approached, her map tucked away inside her cloak as heeled boots left a trail in shoreline. “Evening,” Quintessa spoke with a flick of her ashes, her sapphire and topaz eyes gleaming in the light of the rising moons as they gazed around them from beneath black lashes. “Nice place… Very secluded. You aren’t planning on killing me are you?” A smirk accompanied her joke before she took a final drag and flicked the cigarette away from her. “So, what’s the plan? Your letter was kinda vague so my imagination has been filling in the blanks with any ol’ nonsense.”

Eleanor had not been anticipating the letter, but once it arrived, it was very fortuitous that the spellrogue should already be in Cenril. There, said rowboats had been stowed away for months, in dire need of purpose. Getting them to the island had been the easy part, which meant the hard part had to be ahead of her. Rynvale was not her territory, not yet, anyway. She wasn't going to underestimate Meri, either. Thus, the rogue leader approached this venture with due caution and dressed to her teeth in rune-threaded black leathers with her usual repertoire of hidden blades and wands, minus a particular cursed stick. A nondescript yet heat-disguising cloak hung from her sculpted shoulders. Around her neck hung a silver chain with a simple disclike medallion. Yet, as she stepped into a rowboat further along up Rynvale's harbor, her gloved fingertips brushed the pendant. She was instantaneously enveloped in another hooded cloak, shadows writhing around her figure and obscuring her identity from any port authority who risked glancing toward her for too long. Joining her were two tall, sinewy elves draped in equally black leathers. Taking the rogue leader's gesture as their cue, they faded into the shadows afforded by their own guises and climbed into a second rowboat. With careful, measured strokes, two sets of oars dipped through chilly waters, guiding the watercraft along the coast in near silence. Coming into view of the well-known tattoo artist, Fox's boat came into the mouth of the tunnel, and she rose into a stand. The boat rocking beneath her, but her stance held steady. "Hullo," she called out, shadow-shielded gaze shifting from Meri toward the familiar-seeming Quintessa and back again. Pulling the folded map out of a concealed pocket, she added with a faint snort, "Ah thooght ye waur supposed tae be an artist?"

Leoxander was entirely prepared to crash ladies’ night if he was not expected to be present. Often in the company of the leader of rogues, he was aware of the letter and the request that separated the two until darkness fell, and had patiently waited near the landing until nocturnal vision caught sight of the small boats breaking through shallow waves as hired muscle rowed them toward that underground chamber. Taking a drink from an old, dented flask, he tucked it away into the inner pocket of his hooded jacket and stood up from his seat on a large piece of driftwood, trekking down the sandy beach in black combat boots that made his steps on that terrain heavy but quiet. Clad in the usual full coverage of black, either Meri or Quintessa might catch the flash of wolf eyes in the darkness of that underpass before lamp light revealed his familiar silhouette and unkempt blond hair, recently cut to his jawline in a hasty and uneven trim. His first stop would be where water met sand, motioning to Eleanor and the two elves to toss ropes so the lycan could assist and haul them in slowly but effortlessly, all three at once with his enhanced strength, till each scraped the sand and parked. Once secure, he then turned his attention to jerk his chin in a rhetorical ‘whatsup’ gesture to Meri, and took in the sight of the stranger, Quintessa, without a word spoken to anyone, yet.

Meri trusted that Quintessa knew the answer to the question she was posing. Would Meri try and kill her? Naw, she wouldn't, but what fun would Meri be if she did not manage to troll just a little bit? And so Aunt Meri responds her darling niece with little more than a smile. When Eleanor and Leo arrive on the scene, Meri makes a gesture toward the two of them and finally speaks to Quitessa, "Maybe." That was a lie. Blue eyes come to rest on Eleanor, unable to help the lift of the brow that the spellrogues earns at the statement that she was an artist. "Artist has always only been one facet of the persona. Artist. Entrepreneur. Ranger. Adventurer's Guild Leader. These are all part of that public persona." Meri would do what she could to assist with getting the rowboats beached onto the shore, while also trying to take care of the whole matter of introductions. It was tricky, trying to figure out how to say enough while also not saying too much? The end result is Meri being far more careful with her words than she would normally be, lest she end up on the wrong end of a dagger for saying too much. Loose lips sink ships. "Quintessa here is my niece. Adopted, of course." The fae and the werewolf looked nothing alike. "I believe the request was made for me to introduce you two to people that I felt you could trust?" Well here Meri was. Doing just that. The blonde shifted her gaze toward Quintessa. "And this is Eleanor." She motions to the individual while speaking their name. "And Leoxander." Back to addressing the group, "And while we are trying to figure out how friendly we feel like being with one another?" Meri is hoping for considerably far less tension during this meeting than they encountered during the last little shindig. "I figure we can make a bit of progress on our goals with those slave traders. I think I have a plan." Involving these rowboats? Against an actual ship? What?

Quintessa found herself raising an eyebrow at Meri’s smile, her attention drifting to the two new arrivals as her auntie gave her the sly ‘maybe’ that made her sword arm twitch slightly. Would she actually try it? Would Quintessa mind? In her experience, people weren’t very close until they tried to kill you at least once. “We’ll have to see then, won’t we?” The changeling said to Meri as they crossed the distance between the others, half a pace behind her on her right side. Quintessa’s mismatched eyes appraised Eleanor first, and then Leoxander, her hands moving to pantomime a curtsy as Meri introduced her. With jet black hair and sharp, angular features adorning her pale face, she indeed looked nothing like her adopted family. “Evening,” the dark fae continued, flashing them both a grin that resembled one of a shark more than that of a human. With her hands returning to her hips, Quintessa allowed her gaze to flicker over to Meri, a slight frown tugging away her grin at the mention of slavers. “You mean…?” The changeling didn’t need to finish that question; they were obviously the traffickers the Syndicate of Shadows was after. With a wary expression, Quintessa let her eyes focus on the pair of boats Eleanor had provided. “Hmm, I think I see where this is going.” They were going back out to the sea, weren’t they? Why couldn’t the slavers have some sort of land-based operation? With a trickle of anxiety filling her stomach, Quintessa silently awaited the details of Meri’s plan.

Eleanor was satisfied to see Leo step out of the shadows to join their little party, and he might recognize the curl of her smirk under the veil of her shadowed cloak. Her expression shifted swiftly, however. It might, in fact, be an understatement to say that the rogue leader bristled at being addressed by her first name when she'd been working so hard to arrive as little more than a shadow-laced woman. She tried to recover quickly, a subtle narrow of one eye and stepped out of her boat onto dry land. As she did so, she let the hood fall back, shadows fading away from herself even if they remained shrouding the two elven rogues in her company. They leaped gracefully from their boat, allowing Leo to quickly draw the boats ashore. At the same time, they joined their unmasked leader, who snorted at Meri. "Och aye, Ah kent 'at, smartass," she carried on with a dry laugh, returning the map to its former position hidden within her disguising leathers. "Ah jist figured ye coods draw a better map." Her flaxen hair had been twisted into braids from both temples, and everything was pulled back into a ponytail, curled ends settled on her shoulder, but after removing the hood, she lifted a finger to carefully brush a few wisps into place. The gesture was just as much to further redeem her composure and subtly adjust her crown as well, the gem at its center a dull turquoise. The rogue passed her pale green eyes toward Quintessa with all introductions considered, and her attention stumbled over the changeling in open scrutiny. "Och aye, 'at we did." Eleanor's crimson lips spread into a wide grin. "An' ye brooght 'er. Ah main say, th' letter was unexpected, but thes is e'en better." She let her seaglass stare linger almost hungrily on the dark fae a heartbeat longer, before it darted toward Leo, brow rising. "Hmm? Shaa we tak' them tae their boat?" The spellrogue returned her attention to Quintessa as she appended, "An' see whit we can fin' out?"

Leoxander really had no intention of being intimidating or suspicious. Not on their last encounter nor this night. Sometimes his rugged appearance, hard-nosed demeanor, and that occasional flash of reflective, beast blooded eyes, shining like half rusted coins over intense blue, did the trick. Even though his own canines were a bit more distinct than the average human’s would be, Quintessa’s grin did catch him off guard slightly, a vague quirk of brow evident even if it was somewhat hidden by the unwashed blond that fell over part of his face. A distinct sniff and wipe of his nose on the back of his bandaged hand occurred for the fae scent he could (most likely) pick out of the air around the dark haired female, his enhanced sense and circumstantial history triggering a warning in his head. Better safe than sorry, he drew the black fabric of his face cover up over his nose for now, barely muffling his deep voice when it finally rang out amidst the tempo of tame waves nearby. “Jus’ Leo’ll do.” Like Eleanor, but for different reasons, he didn’t prefer the syllables of his full name spoken as an introduction, similar to how he avoided the sight of his own reflection when he could. “If that’s the plan.” He answered Eleanor with a shift of his gaze her way and back to Meri. “Though, ain’t we missin’ a few? Or you plan on scopin’ the situation fer now? Given you know where she even is. Ri’ mentioned they only dock the island here every new moon r’so.”

Meri :: Oh. Duh. Meri's map. Look, sometimes Meri can demonstrate that she's actually smart....Other times? She's clearly a blonde. It was like Meri could almost smell the anxiety that Quintessa was feeling, which is what prompted Meri to explain. "You can see where this is going, but it is not going there tonight." At least Meri had not started this with the intention of dragging any of them out to sea, yet of Leo and El had ideas of their own. The blonde points to the rowboats for a moment, "Those are not ready yet. We'd be sitting ducks out on the water with how they are now. Easily spotted, easily eliminated." Based on Leo's response, it seemed the two blonde's were closest to being on the same page, for Meri is next motioning around the party gathered. "And as has been pointed out, we're missing a few key people to this whole party." Meri smiles, "What I want is actually is quite simple. I want you two," she is pointing at El and Leo, "to make friends with my niece." She is now pointing to Quintessa. "And while we make friends? I would very much appreciate it if -someone- could work a bit of shadow magic on these boats? So that we're not blown to bits when we attack the Rose. Because I've got a plan? And it involves a far more stealthy approach then what is sitting before us right now." If Eleanor was the source of this shadow magic, great. If Quintessa was able to lend a hand? Even better. Those familiar with Meri's skillset already know that there is no way the psion is going to be able to manipulate the shadows. "And while I am sharing all sorts of information, I will just go ahead and say that Quintessa is particularly good at stabbing things. If anyone wants to give her a go? I bet she'll be amused."

Quintessa ‘s magical nature was unmistakable to those who could sense it. It practically dripped from her body to intermingle with her aura, giving a slight air of foreboding even when she wasn’t trying to appear threatening. With curiosity rapidly replacing her feelings of anxiety, the dark fae girl began to examine El and Leo more closely, starting to piece together for herself why her aunt wanted her to meet them so badly. These were the -exact- types of people she needed for her clandestine operations, she could feel it. “And you can just call me Tessa. Save ‘Quintessa’ for more public affairs.” She was of course referring to her activities in Vailkrin, where she had propped herself up as Lady of House Dragana and Countess of the surrounding forest. For those who were privy to the rumors circulating the city of the dead, Quintessa’s name would likely ring a bell or two. At the mention of shadow magic, the changeling perked up, a long smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she began to theorize the best way to hide a pair of small boats. Clearing her throat, the hexblade spoke up, assuming she was the only one with a talent for it present. “Well, I struggle a little with the Black Tides, but with the runes I’ve memorized I could probably etch some kind of enchantment on them. Hmm, maybe we could even make one a focal point for a fog spell to mask your approach… but that would also make locating the ship- the Rose, you said? -a lot harder…” Quintessa was already slipping into mage-brain-mode, putting the brief education she received from the Xalious Tower to use. “...Maybe a globe of invisibility? Illusions aren’t my thing but I could perhaps-” She stopped pondering out loud suddenly, looking up at the rest of the group. “Can anyone else here use magic?” Her question hung in the air a moment before she gave Meri a cheeky smirk, flipping her cloak back over her left shoulder to show off the katana she had equipped on her belt, pale digits wrapping around her shealth to steady the weapon as if she were about to draw it. “And yes, I can fight. Violence is like a second language to me.” Mismatched eyes shine dangerously as her smirk grew into a grin that was far more sinister than the one she showed during her greeting. “Kasyr Azakhaer trained me when I was just starting out, but I think I could defeat him now.” She didn’t think so, she knew she defeated him when she was disguised as the Crimson Mantis during the Hero of Freedom Tournament, Quintessa just didn’t want to go blowing her own cover. With a flick of her raven hair, her right hand moves slowly to find the grip of her sword. “I wouldn’t mind a go if you’re feeling inquisitive.”

Eleanor 's gem had been behaving like a good little stone in her forehead when they had arrived. Still, as the seconds stretched by, a well-known thrum started between her temples. Every so often, it wanted to catch the light with the tilt of her chin. "Ye main caa me El, if ye must," she ultimately supplied with a sly grin. Flicking her gaze briefly toward Meri and back toward 'Tessa', she took a few exploratory steps further up the beach toward her. "Use magic is certainly one way ay puttin' it," came El's eventual but ever-cryptic answer. "Memorized many runes, hae ye? Whit kin', if Ah main be sae bold as tae ask?" However, she scarcely waited for an answer before she had another question ready on her crooked lips. "If ye dae hae such a skillset, we main, in fact, hae use fur ye ...? An' yer magic." Her gem wanted to flutter in response to the suggestion. "As fur yer violence, ah dunnae ken …" She trailed off with her expression turning coy and glanced sidelong toward Leo. "Who dae ye figure shoods be th' judge ay 'at?" The spellrogue had quite a few thoughts about how it should play out, yet the invitation was definition there for the Shrike to step up and see what Tessa was made of.

Leoxander wouldn’t be the one to be flaunting spells, that was for damn sure. And even though willingly fighting women with the smile of a blood-hungry piranha wasn’t on his bucket list, those more capable of useful, magical or mental abilities seemed to have a task to do. Not to mention, in Leo’s world, a good brawl was definitely one way to get to know a new acquaintance. Loathe to admit any other power that he may or may not possess, it was out of his control and would leave them without those necessary transport vessels, but one hell of a bonfire on the beach. So while the women figured out who would be painting it black, Leo shamelessly moved passed aunty and niece toward the actual keep part of that underground hold, murmuring and motioning a few words as he did. “Foxy o’er there’s pretty handy with runes, herself. An’ Meri an’ I ain’t gonna need to see once we get close enough to smell a bunch of poor souls stocked in the hold for days an’ days.” The reminder of both made him rub the center of his chest with a hand as he walked, whatever the reason concealed by his closed jacket. No reservations, although aware of traps or other means of security measures that may be triggered, his gaze swept across the cargo and merchandise with a low question called back just loud enough for wolf-sharp ears to hear. “Got anythin’ to drink in this place? I ain’t sparrin’ sober. ‘Specially if Kas taught’er.” The spellrogue had her answer. He had that backup flask but it was getting light after waiting the bells he had for Eleanor’s return.

Meri finger snaps toward Tessa when the young woman cooks up the idea of a fog spell to show that tattooed blonde happens to think that would be a brilliant contribution to the entire affair. In the end though, this was between Eleanor and Quintessa, and it seemed as the two might be speaking the same language. Meri did not understand it. It might be easier to think of what the psion does as magic? Yet, she was not. She could not even sense one bit of Quintessa's magical aura, the same would go for Eleanor as well. The request for alcohol was heard, this was one aspect of the current discussion that Meri could actually understand. She was also happy to oblige, locating a nearby crowbar and prying off the top of one crate in particular. The big question is, would it be something that Leo approved of? What they would find inside would not be the worst of the worst, but it was not hard alcohol either. Just a few bottles of port. The blonde motions for Leo to help himself, an offer that is extended to everyone...but only after Meri claims the first bottle, and then plops down onto the earth with the hope of catching a good show. Her full attention was not on Quintessa and Leo though, the blonde continues plotting with Eleanor, "So once we're finished with the preparations with them boats? We'll get the team together again. And attack. By sea. Take the ship from them. By force. No need to mess with intercepting trades." Meri is motioning toward Leo via the hand holding the bottle. "And since the pirate wanted to know what we're doing with the ship once it is all said and done? Consider it a thank you. Our primary concern is taking out these traders, and I don't have need for a ship. Sell it if you want to. I don't care." Meri shrugs. "The only thing is...We'll be inviting a mermaid along to cause a little chaos on the ship before we board. As we board. Something for Leo to consider. I hear them boys do like that pretty song of theirs."

Quintessa couldn’t help but focus her grin at Eleanor when the subject returned to runes, and the changeling made a quick gesture at her goggles, cloak, and boots as she explained. “I’ve made lots of my equipment using runes. On my goggles I transcribed enchantments to help me see the unseen- magical marks and auras, for example, and my cloak can grant me invisibility when I call upon it.” Quintessa’s blue and hazel eyes followed Leo when he walked past her, her grin becoming a bit more sly when she considered how she would try to impress them. She never held back before, why should she start now? “And my boots allow me to shadow step almost as well as my adopted mother, Khitti, although she doesn’t need the assistance I do.” Quintessa turned to face Leoxander, her head tilting to the side as he alluded to his senses sharp enough to smell the sailors before they could see them. “Perfect.” The hexblade cooed, inhaling slowly as she reached deep into her reserves of mana in preparation for a spell. “For the fog spell we need to inscribe the magical imprint of this: Niwl rholio…” As Quintessa spoke the mystic phrase her aura reacted, the dark forces that snaked around her transformed into a thick, black mist that expanded outward low to the ground, spreading until this entire section of the beach was obscured. “Cuddio fi.” With the last of her spell uttered, the fog reached upwards and around them, shrouding the light from the moons as the changeling began to stalk closer to the lycan within her sights. “Anweledig.” This next word was the appear command phrase for her cloak, her form melding into the mist and out of sight as the illusion of invisibility wrapped around her lithe frame. Quintessa doesn’t hesitate to break into a sprint, her footprints in the sand appearing in a straight line for Leoxander until a third phrase was whispered, “Cysgod.” A burst of dark mana erupted from the runes on her boots, creating a vortex that yanked the changeling into the shadows before spitting her out on Leo’s flank. The only warning the lycan would have to her sneak attack would be the scraping of sword against sheath as she drew her blade in a single horizontal strike behind him, enough force behind the attack to cut-down a lesser being. Werewolves were quick thought right? Quintessa at least hoped Leo was fast enough to dodge her.

Leoxander wasn’t sure at first if he was disappointed or not. Any wines or ales or beers were not typically on his agenda for a proper buzz, but maybe it was for the best that he not be totally off balance for a new… dare he say recruit? Seemed to be the end goal in the meaning behind this introduction. Despite the months surviving on his ability to hunt, even in desolate locations like a desert, he hadn’t actually had a fight in his true, human form in a long while. Unless one counted the destroyed furniture in a certain office. As Meri pried that lid open he heard the gibberish in the background, and also just happened to notice with his susceptible hearing that the last of those unknown words seemed to be closer, if only by a small margin. Even if the cloak didn’t make noise, even if her footsteps fell in silence, unless she was literally above the sand blending into dirt, he’d see each hastened footfall through peripheral vision veiled with bronzed strands. The whisper to follow was clever on her part, and the shadow step to his vulnerable angle definitely impressive, but he already had the lid of said port container in hand. He managed to jerk his position flexibly to the side and raise the thick wood with it’s criss crossed and framed beams into her target mark, and it may even split in half for her force, but would barrier enough for him to duck, spin on that momentum, and aim an impact of that very same squared board into what he thought might be the back of her head. Impact, or miss, he grumbled a few words. "Yer lucky she ain't got nothing shot worthy on hand."

Eleanor tried to conceal a sharp glance in Leo's direction when she caught him fussing over something hidden under layers of clothing, the corner of her mouth twitching between smirk and frown. Notwithstanding, she fixed her attention on Tessa once more, favoring the smirk however forced it might be at that very moment. Her pale green eyes swept over the changeling again as she illustrated her runic accouterments, but El couldn't help a small tsk, "Och, sae yoo're jist covered in them, 'en. Very interestin' yoo'd choose tae display them loch 'at." Where a sticky-spelled thief might commandeer them for more appropriate usage. "All out in th' open." Of course, if what the hexblade said was true, she'd likely see that El was literally full of magic — just not necessarily her own. Some of it might be. Some of it might not. Most of it was subdued under other shielded inscriptions, further muted by the iron band around her head. If anything was going to show up on the changeling's unseen-seer, it was going to be the gem at its center. Meanwhile, El was ever disappointing with her vague answers, and she went on to add, "Ah'm afraid Ah dornt hae shadaw magic specifically, but Ah hae magic 'at happens tae be shadows, when Ah need it tae be." That just happened to be a lot. It suited her narrative, after all. Following Leo's example, she roused through the humble offers Meri presented, taking up a bottle of her own before settling alongside the other tattooed blonde. Tipping her own drink back, she leveled her gaze toward Tessa once more, and her smirk faded again. It was taking the spellrogue a little effort to keep herself from reacting to the magic displayed by the fae; as full of magic as Eleanor was, the hungrier for more that she found herself. She was at least glad she had found her drink before everything got foggy, but her elven accomplices were not so lucky. One of them gesticulated in the air, surrounding himself with a bubble of protection from the mists, and the other faded even deeper into the darkness and waiting shadows, stalking the perimeter of their makeshift camp in a spiritlike vigil. Leaving Leo to defend himself, she directed her attention to Meri. "Ah'm sure atween us," she jerked her chin toward the shadow-stepping changeling, "we can fin' th' reit speel wi' which tae brand th' boats. Thaur ur four maur Ah can hae delivered haur, too, identical tae these." El took another swallow and considered the bits of the plan that had been laid out already as well as parts that were still swirling around in her head. Lifting a brow in guarded curiosity, she added, "Ah dornt suppose Ah am gonnae ken thes mermaid's name?"

Meri made no move to intervene in the fight in any fashion, with was Quintessa's moment to display her skills and the blonde knew that she was more than capable. This is why she was being presented to Eleanor and Leo, after all. The blonde is mostly content to remain seated on her rear, engaging in conversation with Eleanor, and sipping from her bottle of port. She was not entirely sure what the spellrogue was getting at with her vague answer, but this was how it usually worked out when anyone attempted to explain these things to Meri. Just in one ear and out the other, mostly because the blonde had no solid understanding of magic. It was just beyond her. As for the name of the mermaid that they will be inviting along? Meri is silent for a long moment, but it was not because she was contemplating if she should tell Eleanor or not. It was just that Meri could not for the life of her remember. "I...only remember that she is some friend of Khitti's." Meri furrows her brows for a moment, but then shrugs off the matter entirely. No luck, she can't recall. This brawl was more interesting anyway.

Leoxander had a moment as the maple crumbled from his hands, and he took that split second to shrug the hood-down jacket back onto his shoulders, a bit, finishing at her pivot. No weapon had been taken beside the makeshift shield, so far. Her rush was intimidating even in his eyes, particularly black on a black background with only some light catching hilt sparkling like a flickering, shooting star in his direction. Not much luck in avoiding it, so he opted for another improvised tactic that would cost Meri some profit. A full barrel of what might be black powder, because it was a valuable currency in a smuggler’s lifestyle (Though it might just as well be fine ground flour for a bakery’s benefit), was lifted at random and thrown forward onto to possibly hit her at the very last second, unless that speed skilled her to dodge. With her jab tactics already in mind, it might just substitute as a ‘fog screen’ of his own, but at the cost of not entirely dodging her charge - looked like he’d have no spiced rum reward. A rip of leather, cloth, and skin to those even more attuned sounded as she caught him between lower ribs, and naturally the lycan grunted in surprise and pain. It was just a pirate’s luck that it managed not to be an organ strike, and he masochistically used the wedge of tough bones to jerk his frame and sever more tissue to lock the business end of the serrated blade in there, taking the opportunity to grab her wielding wrist in a bone crushing grip. He was bleeding, but if the routine went according to his spontaneous plan, she would be thrown against one of those earthen walls and disarmed of her lovely Jubaki no Kijo. Of course, some weapons just loved their keeper too much to stay away. Leo shrugged his jacket off if he happened to earn the moment, more interested in sparing it another stitch.

Eleanor had no immediate intention of calling a stop to the fight, nor would she expect Meri to—it would be up to Leo to determine where that line was. In the meantime, the rogue leader was content to sip her sherry with Meri, eyes dancing with satisfaction over the combatants even as she considered the Kingfisher's response. It was the least she could do not to show her displeasure over those words, and eventually, she slid a gaze sidelong toward her companion. "Ay coorse she woods be." Against her best efforts, that started to dredge up the unpleasantness she'd been trying to avoid all night. "Ah woods ask ye whit -that- was aw about," brow lifted in thinly-veiled curiosity all the same, "but Ah'd raither nae ruin a braw buzz." Fate had plans to ruin it anyway, though, as the fight's impact on the wolf drew her to her feet. She sucked in a breath as her gaze honed in on the blood soaking through Leo's clothing, grinding her molars so hard her jaw feathered in response. As she surged forward, her expression shifted as mercurial as ever, an insidious grin slowly spreading into dimpled cheeks. "Ye hae quite a few wee tricks up yer sleeve, dornt ye, loove?" Her tone carried interest as much as mischief, and she snapped out her right wrist in advance of her stride. "Sàmhchair," rolled out of her like a tide, and she yanked her hand back, curling fingers into a tight fist to punctuate the silencing spell directed at the changeling. Eleanor's celadon eyes flashed ocean blue for a heartbeat, whether the spell was effective or not, but her gem stayed intrigued by the activity. "Ah hink we've seen enough, nae need tae gang killin' each other—" She paused to slide a dramatic and mostly jesting eye in Meri's direction. "Unless 'at was yer actual plan tonecht?"

Meri :: As much as Meri would like to be able to sit and watch the rest of the brawl, to see if Quintessa would end up meeting the approval of both Leo and El, and to learn if she would be the newest member of the Rogue's guild? This is not something that Meri would be able to so. Nevermind the ruckus that Leo and Quintessa were creating below grounds. There was some sort of noise occurring above too, though it might be hard to discern. Meri though? Being the lycan that she is? It's not a detail that escapes her attention, it also does not seem like something that is particularly alarming to Meri. It wouldn't be the first time that some drunken sailor does not understand the meaning of the "CLOSED" sign on the tattoo parlor above. Meri cracks a grin toward Eleanor as she pushes up to her feet and travels away from her fellow rogues, up the stairs leading into the tattoo parlor. Before she is out of sight though, she leaves Eleanor with the parting words, "Oh, well. I have a strong feeling that she might if you don't tell her to stop. Surely you don't think that I brought her to you for no reason, mmm?" Meri already knew that Eleanor did not think this, this was a joke. "Excuse me a moment." And by a moment? Meri evidently means she won't be returning. Whatever is happening above must prove to be a distraction. But worry not! It doesn't sound like Meri's screaming for help, so she's fine.

Quintessa was already committed to the charge by the time Leoxander lifted up the barrel of black powder and lobbed it at her, causing the first of her thrusts to instead penetrate the container, sending a plume of course dust right into her face. Trying to maintain focus as she choked and coughed out the black powder, she was unable to avoid the lycan’s gambit and growled in defiance against his crushing grip. She was loath to let go of her weapon, but as her body slammed into the earthen wall she couldn’t maintain control and she unwillingly relinquished the Jubaku no Kijo to her foe as she cried out from the pain the sudden impact brough her. With a few more hacking coughs to clear her lungs, she scrambled to her feet, feeling for the mithril scalpel she had attached to her alchemist belt. The changeling, however, opted not to draw it, her fingers tracing over the vial of silver-laced vampire blood she kept on her for dealing with ferals instead. “Alright, I think I proved my point,” the young woman mouthed, not yet realizing she’d been silenced by Eleanor’s magic as she left her poison where it belonged. She wasn’t trying to kill him after all, she was just having a bit of fun, however, when she discovered that she couldn’t hear her own voice, much less provide verbal components for spells, a spike of panic surged through her before evaporating as quickly as it came. Her eyes flickered to the spellrogue, legitimately surprised her spell was so effective on her. Nobody had ever used a silence spell on her, but she’d be remembering this tactic you use on someone else in the future. When her hands revealed themselves from under her cloak, she held a silver flask anyway, unscrewing the cap before taking a drink. “That’s gonna heal alright, isn’t it?” She tries to communicate to Leoxander, pointing to his wound before providing an exaggerated shrug. The changeling seemed at least somewhat concerned as she held up the flask for him to drink from, hoping he’d trade her weapon for it. If that was all said and done, Quintessa would focus on providing the etchings to the boats, gifting them with a rolling fog enchantment that could be activated with a simple command phrase. The changeling would have no issue teaching it to Eleanor, nor would she try to hide the runic language she utilized for it. As far as she was concerned, if El and Leo were allies of Meri, then Tessa would treat them the same way.

Leo extracted the blade from his body, gruesomely. Because it wasn’t pure silver, he’d been lenient to the attack, but also, Quin had skill. He hissed a breath for the jagged pull the edge of the sword had on his insides, but nodded, almost with a smirk. “It’ll remind me not to doubt you.” Another scar to ink over, in time. He was a bit spoiled with this newfound regeneration that came with several turns of the season in lycan form, where his blood ran hot and quick and his innards mended faster than the rest. Spinning the blade in well known blade-user fashion, he approached the changeling, bleeding and still solidly upright. “You’re in. And under my command, as far as I’m concerned.” Eleanor had assisted, true, but for some reason he judged the fae in his league when it came to the flock. He didn’t look to the leader for permission, but held his hand over his wound as he moved toward Inks and the Fox. “I’ma need somethin’ stronger than that brew…” He tilted jaw toward the crate of port and did his best to hide a wince. Quintessa had definitely passed a test. “Let her go.” Somehow aware of the obvious silence that had occurred near a conclusion. Finding a seat on a crate or chair with his jacket in hand on the way, he slumped down like it was just another day, retrieving a flask from coat pocket to finish off the rest. Then, he spoke again. “The sooner we make this happen, the better. We got a lot of work ahead of us in the future, and you should know I’m expectin’ this team to work together in the long run.”

Eleanor smirked at Meri and her opportunistic withdrawal from the scene. Keeping her attention on Tessa, however, she clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth before abruptly unclenching her fist, releasing the spell and the changeling's vocals. For a brief moment, bits of brilliant azure light filtered through the seams in her glove before she lowered her hand and moved a few paces toward the duelers. She passed her sharp gaze over the wolf before addressing the changeling, a smirk pulling her mouth crooked. "Weel, ye hae certainly won ower these tois, huvnae ye?" her rolling brogue came out in lofty airs, and she seemed to be considering the recommendations presented to her. In the end, she chose not to commend on her own judgment of the would-be recruit, although she sent a jerk of her chin toward Hound. "Help 'er fin' a name an' a place." The rogue leader grinned, leaving the task of induction to the newly-appointed King of the Shrikes. After that, she took the time to go over the runes with Tessa, adding at least one of her own in twisting D'Vainese to further muffle the boats' sound, a spell similar to that used on the new rogue tonight. She didn't linger long, however, to sort out the rest of the symbols tonight. As the moon stretched into the night sky, she produced a disclike medallion on an enchanted silver chain, handing it over to Tessa with a demonstration of how the shadow-laced disguise worked (or at least, one of its uses El was willing to share, allowing Tessa to figure out the rest on her own). After that, she intended to lead Leo off in search of some better liquor options until their next meeting in the shadows.