World Tree MUSH

    The residents of Freedale weren't too happy to hear about what had happened to Archimedeus the Ochre. It was a pretty sad discovery after all. Nevertheless, it's a big city, and big cities tend move on quickly.
    Like that Lizardfolk girl. Just as mysteriously as she had appeared, she made a quick and hasty getaway accompanied by a squad of crowing kids fleeing from the wizard tower before the authorities could show up properly beyond just one constable.
    Today in Freedale it's... Just another day. The market's in full swing and people hustle and bustle about. Though there seems to be a bit of a commotion.
    "You damn kids! Get back here!" A merchant yells as a squad of smols breaks away from his stall carrying whatever they can. It's the biggest heist in all of ever. One of those kids even looks familiar.
    Considering Lether is actually sneaking away much more subtly from the crime scene in a different direction than the clear and obvious distraction her friends had made.

Neviah hasn't taught in awhile, but her experience giving lectures came in handy here - in a grim sort of way. She hadn't relished breaking the news to the children. The authorities were a little easier.

With no adventure close at hand, the former professor has set aside her somewhat gaudy armour-robe outfit in favour of a simple white sun dress and a pair of wedge heels, and she's found herself a comfortable spot on a porch at an inn overlooking the market, where she's settled in with a cup of tea. There's no need to leave the area just yet, she's decided. Even without Archimedeus to consult, it's clear to her that a connection to Faerun exists in this branch, and exploring it remains on her agenda.

Her train of thought is disrupted by children scampering. Looking up with a blink, Neviah nudges her glasses up her nose, watching the youths for a few seconds. Her attention drifts elsewhere--

Oho. Well well well, Ms. Lether.

"Oh no, they're getting away!" Neviah gasps as she quite deliberately yanks attention towards the distraction squad. "What's this world coming to?!"

Let it not be said that Neviah doesn't do her friends a solid sometimes.

    Dante has opted to hang around Freedale. The pizza here is something he can charitably call 'mid' without any problems, but he'll eat it anyways. While he was sniffing around town for potential jobs, Dante hears the sounds of kids running down the street where he is. He still has his red coat ensemble, cutting a stylish figure. Dante points towards the kids, "Get 'em, they're gonna get away!" He says with a laugh, winking at Neviah while spotting Lether sneaking off.

    Look at those kids go. What makes it worse for the poor merchant is when Neviah and Dante so ~helpfully~ aid in the pursuit of that ditraction that the kids *scatter*. Even with the help of the City Watch hustling, the poor merchant's stuff is as good as fenced now with those kids going everywhere.
    Someone else notices who's pointing attention in that direction too, though and Lether slows her already slow and completely and totally inconspicuous gait to stop by the mouth of an open alley, slipping into it.
    Before a flick of that scaled tail beckons Neviah and Dante over.
    "Heh... Didn't expect to run into you two again." She admits with a sharp-toothed grin, playing off the fact that she has made off like a bandit with the merchant's coin purse.

Things hustle along. Neviah sighs and cups a hand to her cheek, shaking her head. "Whatever is this world coming to," she murmurs as she slips away as inconspicuously as she can.

And down a particular alley.

"You have a way of getting yourself into trouble," Neviah remarks, though her tone isn't especially chiding. She moves over to lay a hand on Lether's head, aiming to give her hair a light tousle.

"You seem to have rebounded well enough from your experience in the tower. Feeling energetic again so soon?"

    Dante waves a hand when he heads down that alley way. "'ey there l'il gator!" He greets Lether with a cheeky smile, "Looks like another successful haul, huh?" It's certainly weird seeing Neviah around again, they parted on...less than great terms. Dante has no clue how to broach that topic.

    Neviah moves to headpat a gator.
    The low, guttural, deep and rumbling bellow that threateningly builds in Lether's chest is a polite warning of 'Neviah Younger your hand and or fingers are at risk if you attempt this endeavor' as the Lizardfolk girl flashes rows of jagged teeth.
    A successful haul though, well she's moving to hide the coin purse behind her back as she pointedly turns her head to eye a nice interesting spot on the alley wall.
    "Haul? I unno what you're talkin' about." She replies matter of factly and ~completely~ innocent.
    Before she's eyeing the pair.
    "The two of you ain't locals. So what're you doing in Freedale?" It's less accustory and more 'okay I'll bite, who the heck are you two?'

Neviah stops her hand a short distance away. Then she draws it back. Her fingers are fine where they are, thank you.

With a low sigh, she sinks back against a wall and crooks a heel up on the brickwork, folding her arms beneath the curve of her chest. "I cannot speak for Dante, but I'm a researcher. The world I'm from - many of us are from - has mostly been consumed by the World Tree. I came here because I hoped Archimedeus had some insight as to what of that world remains as part of this one. That ended... as you know how it ended." She winces slightly and looks off to one side.

A slow breath escapes her, expression growing more thoughtful. "It's like putting together fragments sometimes... like a puzzle with most of the pieces missing."

    "I go where the work is, kiddo." Dante shrugs a shoulder, "I hunt demons and other weird paranormal crap. Or I just investigate it, either or. Important thing's that I heard about the thing in the tower and figured I'd peek in. And that's how we met! So, what's your story? You some kinda sewer gator who just steals stuff?"

    A researcher and a paranormal asskicker. Lether looks from Neviah to Dante and back.
    And that is, in fact how they met, indeed, though the girl flashes Dante a razor scowl for a moment at his assessment.
    "Well." She considers for a beat. "Grandpa Archie had a lot of books. You could probably maybe... Ask to go back in the tower and read 'em but."
    But we all know where that got the old wizard.
    "That thing was mutterin' some stuff about 'fay-roon' and 'Toril', though the whole time we was playin' cat and mouse." She considers.
    To Dante, though...
    "... I mean yeah tha's pretty much it."

"/Dante,/" Neviah chides sharply, fixing the demon hunter with a scowl. "That's a cruel thing to say."

Little Lether has her own tales to tell - about books, and about wizards who delved too deep. Neviah sigh, shoulders coming up, then falling again. "I know some were damaged... I think I might be safer than Archimedeus, though. Wizards draw their magic from a different source than clerics...."

    'fay-roon' 'toril'

Neviah blinks sharply. "Faerun is the place I originate from, yes. It was a continent. Toril is, I think, a larger subset. An entire world, perhaps, or a supercontinent. If that's what the creature knew, then perhaps I should go back and sort through what's left of those books."

    Dante shrugs helplessly! He's not known for being the most sensitive of people. But when Lether brings up those words, he does perk up. "Think we can get back there? City watch is bound to be swarmin' there." He points out, not because he thinks Neviah or Lether have issues with the prospect, but just reminding them they won't be walking right in.

    "Ah." So fay-roon and Toril are a place. Lether purses her lips thoughtfully, one little fang poking through to pinch her lip as she does. She's eyeing the two kind of dubiously still for a moment.
    "Prolly crawling with the Watch. Prolly not worth it." She mutters more to herself than to the pair, tail twitching almost agitatedly before she huffs.
    "Well if they don't let you in... There are other ways of gettin' in, if you catch my drift. Or ways of gettin' what you need from in there, savvy?"

Neviah furrows her brows and pushes a curl away from her cheek with an idle sweep of one hand. "I wouldn't want a confrontation, no," she murmurs. "But they're not going to find out much more than we already know. If they don't know anything about Nothics, at least...." She trails off before something Lether says registers on her consciousness.

Her eyebrows lift, and she looks down at the tiny lizardgirl.

"If there is another way in," she says with a small, interested smile, "then if you were to show it to me and help me get in and out unnoticed, I would see to it that you were rewarded."

    "Then let's do it." Dante nods in agreement. He's the last guy to complain about a little hoodrat funtimes, especially if there's cool shit to uncover. "So let's go see this secret entrance."

    Once again Lether looks between Neviah and Dante. Dante says 'let's go' but it is *Neviah* who says the magic words.
    "Aite." The Lizardfolk girl says. "There's a window in the back... It's kinda high up but if you can climb-- or know *someone* who can climb up and bring a rope with 'em, well..." She trails off, flashing a sharp grin.
    "It leads into the back of the lab. From there jus' gotta go across the hall and hope no cops are in the library when you sneak in." She sniffs and swipes her thumb across her nose.
    "I happen to be the best climber in these parts. So... Realtalk, what kinna reward we talkin'?"

Neviah admits, "I cannot climb."

Lether, at least, knows the right route. "I'll have to come with you, I think. There will be a lot of books, and not all of them will be useful. I'll know what to look for when we get there."

The magic word, however, was said. The once and former professor twirls one finger, wrapping a curl slowly around it. "As it so happens," she muses, "in the course of my research I have come across my share of, ah... shall we say treasures. I don't have room for everything I've discovered. I would be more than happy to give you some of it in exchange for your help."

She flicks her hand. There's a small puff of displaced air as an elaborate-looking gold bowl appears atop her upraised palm. "This is from Mulhorand in eastern Faerun - very rare nowadays considering Faerun barely exists anymore. There's more where that came from."

    "May fetch you a nice price." Dante offers when Neviah produces the bowl. "Lucky for the both of you, I can Jump Good." He grins cheekily. "I'll just keep watch, but if the guard finds us we'll need to skedaddle. I'll think of somethin' to get the heat off you two."

    The bowl appears, shiny and gold and resplendent.
    Lether's pupils *dilate* at the sight of it before they contract once again into thin slits.
    TThat clearly has her attention.
    But she forcibly clears her throat and acts casual.
    Even if she is staring a bit.
    "Not tonight. It's too hot. Let the heat die down and we go in when the Watch's gotten lazy. I get you in, he keeps watch, you pick what books you need, we bail."
    It's a simple but effective plan.
    That said...
    She's making 'gimme' hands for the bowl.

"Helpful as ever, Dante." This time, Neviah sounds like she means it, and the appreciative smile all but confirms it.

Casually, she leans forward and deposits the bowl in Lether's hands. "That's an advance payment," she explains with a Cupid's-bow smile. "There'll be more treasure in it for you when we're finished. But you're quite right. We'll wait for attention to fade a little before we try this."

    Dante flashes Neviah a huge grin and thumbs up, "Just like always, right?"