Purge B****es, Get Money (Thaloyss)

[Richard Blow]

54th of Spring, 515AV Richard Blow was a happy man. He'd recently advanced his work in a new, equal parts sexy and terrifying way, he finally finished changing the plaque outside of his apartment ("We Do Monsters"), and it was still technically morning when he woke up. As the Spiritist pulled his clothes on, ate breakfast, and opened the door for some fresh air, he felt like the day was going to go great. He was immediately hit in the crotch with a weighted scroll. "Sorry mister!" squeaked an orphan on the other side of the street carrying a bundle of papers with rocks tied to them under his arm. "Message for you!" "Thanks..." Richard groaned from the floor as he heard tiny footsteps fade into the distance. After a chime the pain dulled enough for the wizard to get up and read the letter. He read it bemusedly at first, then he got to the where, what's, and most importantly the pay. He stood there in shock, jaw slack, for a good four ticks, then sprinted back inside, threw his shoes on, and ran to get Thaloyss. It was about a block and a half in that he realized he wasn't sure where she lived. "Great job Richard. Ya get a hot Myrian-like deputy, and you don't even ask where to find her." Luckily for him, a six foot antisocial woman with super strength and a hiss wasn't too hard to track down. Following the trail of letters, he caught up to the delivery orphan, asked for the scary snake lady, and after three tries and a cat chucked at his head, he somehow managed to knock on the right door. "Loyss! I hope it's you an' not a forty year old gator wrestler this time! Ya gotta see this!"

[Thaloyss]

Thaloyss slowly awoke to the rapping on her door and tasted the air. She always slept in her snake shape, because for some there was nothing scarier than a forty-foot snake spreading its scales across the floor. Occasionally she'd pick her Dhani form, if she was feeling particularly threatened, since it was easier to bend people when you had arms.

The snake's coils rippled and her spine shortened, black scales and white rosettes melting into smooth bronze flesh reminiscent of a Myrian. Supple limbs parted from the main trunk and the head rounded into a more human appearance. In thirty ticks she was sprawled across the floor of her apartment with messy hair.

She slung an arm out to grab at her clothes, tiredly pulling them on. She managed to get her legs under her and brush most of her hair out of her face, though her bangs still covered her forehead. The barefoot woman opened the door and looked down at Richard, her -- unfortunately -- new business partner.

"Wha' d'you want, Richard?" she asked sleepily, rubbing her eyes, "An' I might as well be a 'gator wresstler', as you put it. You offered me the job because I am sstrong, I can probably wresstle an alligator."

She wondered what could possibly bring him to her door at such an hour. It wasn't exactly early morning nor was it midday, but the Dhani was still partly in Nysel's realm. With a sniff and a hand run through her hair once more she fixed the Spiritist with a hard look -- or the best she could muster right after rolling out of bed.

[Richard Blow]

Thaloyss' question was answered by the letter thrust in front of her. The passages about strange behavior and the Muted Maiden were not likely to be of much behavior, but the figure near the bottom denoting the reward for success would be of great interest to her. For Richard, who had one of the most lucrative jobs a man could have as a wizard, the sum was impressive. For someone used to making less than five mizas a day, it bordered on ludicrous. "Really, I should be asking you if you want curtains or drapes in your shiny new apartment if we can crack this mother. Y'mind if I come in?" Thaloyss might have noticed a couple new features on the Spiritist- one of his dreadlocks appeared to be missing, and he was now sporting a heavy-looking necklace of iron beads and coarse hair. He seemed equal parts hyped and worried.

[Thaloyss]

The Dhani couldn't read very well, but she did know what the numbers looked like. She took the letter gingerly and scanned it for any familiar words. Nothing that jumped out at her... except for the numbers at the bottom. Her normally composed countenance was shattered as her eyes went wide and she took a step back, holding the letter away from her body. She brought it close to her face and squinted at the neatly-printed digits.

"Holy Ssiku, iss that right?" It was, of course. She let out a low, impressed whistle and handed the letter back to Richard. "Yeah, come in. Godss, what iss the problem over there?" she asked. Her stoic air had been replaced by a far more casual woman, and she was totally awake now. Now that she knew she couldn't really eat him, she'd let down her guard a bit.

Thaloyss caught something out of the corner of her eye and swung around as she closed the door, grabbing the Spiritist's hair. Yes, there was a severed dreadlock. And the necklace, of course. "What iss thiss?" she asked, tugging on the necklace lightly.

"And what happened to your hair? Why are you sso... nervouss?" It was the best word she could come up with for the aura he gave off. She put her hands on his shoulders in an attempt to still the jumpy man, sitting on the bed that seemed to be perfectly made even though she had just woken up.

Her shoes looked as though they had been kicked off into a corner, one even flipped over. The rest of the room was a mix between neatly-kept and carelessly tossed about, contrasting sharply with each other. She motioned for Richard to sit beside her. "Tell me what iss going on, I can't read well enough to gather what iss on the letter."

[Richard Blow]

"Yeah, I thought the same thing." Richard chuckled as he stepped inside. "I'm guessing hostile ghost's ruining business. As far as I know, there's only two Spiritists in Sunberth, and the other guy doesn't give a petch about the common man. Just sits in his graveyard all day and jerks off." The wizard said this with the same look and inflection as someone describing disposing of a rotting animal. "So the market's pretty tight." When Thaloyss pointed out his new digs, the smile came back. "Ghostbeads. Lay 'em on the ground, ghosts can't enter the circle. They work best when y'use your own hair. What, did ya think these dreads were a fashion statement?" he said wryly as he plopped down next to her. "Naw, 's just convenient." With that said, Richard flattened the letter out on Thaloyss' thigh and tapped the relevant sections as he spoke. "A'ight, so the job's in the Muted Maiden. 'S a whorehouse for the really nasty. Y'could probably pay to eat someone alive an' the owner wouldn't blink an eye. Apparently some of his whores are acting strange. Screwing with his money, creepin' out customers, apparently two of 'em held an old patron down an' stabbed him to death. He wants us to find out what's up and put a stop to it. He killed a couple of the whores an' it didn't do anything, so he's guessing- correctly- that it ain't them." Done with his explanation, Richard looked up at Thaloyss. "Y'follow?" Upon getting confirmation, he continued. "I'm nervous 'cause the Muted Maiden's in the Riverside. Now, you might know Sunberth in the sense that you can find your way around, but you might not know Sunberth yet, if y'know what I mean. The gang in charge of the Riverside's the Night Eyes; bunch of sneaks with a penchant for making people they don't like disappear." His tone started mostly casual and informative, but slowly got more irate and disgusted as he went on, his hand clenching and unclenching to release tension. "Now, all the gangs are kinda crazy, but at leas' with the other two, y'know where you stand. Night Eyes, you don't even know if you're speaking to one. They jus' take their little notes or something in their head, never give you any indication of what they think of you or what you're doin' t'change that, an' if you pass some sort of bitch threshold then one night y'go missing and no one ever sees you again. Place gives me the heebie jeebies. Th'owner of the Muted Maiden's kind of a slimeball too. I mean, you ate a few slimeballs in your time, but this guy's like the slimemaster. Guy makes a living catering to fellas so sick, friggin' Brega couldn't stand 'em, and lemme tell you, if Brega can't stand you, you have gone wrong somewhere in your life. Still- I've been in the Riverside before, and the pay's amazing even by Spiritist standards. Could be worth a shot. What d'you think?"

[Thaloyss]

Thaloyss' brow furrowed. Jerkss... off? That iss not... What doess that mean? she wondered. It was probably best not to ask. Probably something lewd, judging by the tone of the Spiritist's voice. His explanation of his missing dreadlock was good enough for her. Evidently she had a lot to learn about his craft, even though she wasn't his apprentice.

She perked up at the mention of eating someone. She was getting a tad hungry... Could the living eat ghosts? Probably not. Even so, the dead's spirits probably weren't very nutritious. She nodded at his question, listening in silence.

"Night Eyes," she repeated, storing away the information. Richard spoke strangely, using phrases she'd never encountered -- or if she had, she didn't remember them. Heebie jeebies was unfamiliar. Was it a word for the sensation of things crawling under your skin? Every new phrase filled her head with question marks. Not questions, just question marks and confusion.

"I... Can I eat him? Ssince he iss a sslimeball, as you ssay? Or, really, sslimemasster? I mean yess, he iss our employer, but one lesss sslimeball in Ssunberth makess it better, yess? Alsso, how am I to travel the sstreetss? Do I take my Dhani form? Or do I walk alongsside you as a human?"

It was probably a good idea to clarify whether he wanted her as a Dhani or a human. While a massive snake would also be scary, she also risked her tail being trampled and that was not fun. A massive Dhani was far more intimidating, and would clear the streets faster. There was the chance of being targeted though, sadly.

"Alsso, who iss Brega? I do not frequent these brothelss you sspeak of."

[Richard Blow]

"Best not." Richard said gravely. "I'unno if he's a member of the Night Eyes or not. If he is, eating him'll put us on their hit list for sure, an' I don't think either of us are ready to die just yet." The Spiritist sighed mentally- for someone who had been in Sunberth for a season, Thaloyss had a long way to go before she could navigate the streets without risking a shank in her future. That was okay, though! He'd just need to keep an eye on her so she didn't get them both killed. "Stay human, an' keep a low profile. I really can't stress how important it is we don't step on any toes while in the Riverside- there's no way t'tell if the guy we spooked is going to come back for our hides with twelve of his buddies or if it's jus' some sod. Jus' stick with me an' let me do most of the talking." When asked about Brega, Richard grinned and sighed happily, "Brega's the sweetest woman in the whole a' Sunberth. We got lotsa whores, but Brega's the Whore. People sing shanties about Brega! Won't find a kinder soul in the whole city. So if y'disgust her, y'know you're petched up." he added with a bemused smile. "Anywho, before we go, we gotta do a bitta prep. Y'got any blood?"

[Thaloyss]

Thaloyss pouted. If she couldn't eat the slimeball and she couldn't eat the slaves, who was she supposed to eat? She definitely couldn't eat Richard. Her hands went to her stomach as it growled and she looked at her partner pitifully. She hadn't eaten in a day. "Can we catch ssomeone afterwardss? I am hungry," she complained.

"I do not want to sstay human, but if you inssisst." The rest of his words were lost to the Dhani. She knew what hides were, but buddies? Sods? Those were unusual, but she assumed it meant other people.

"Brega iss... a whore? No, sshe iss the Whore? What iss the difference? They ssell themssel- Oh! You mean sshe iss the leader of thesse whoress? That makess ssensse. What iss a 'sshantiess'? You ssaid ssomething about ssinging them. Are they ssongss?"

She may have come off as some sort of monstrosity, but in reality Thaloyss was a big, naive ball of scales. She had no idea what he was talking about, the local jargon falling on deaf ears. She felt like a snakeling again, poking her head into the world for the first time.

"Prep... Preparation? And yess, I have blood. There iss not a living creature who doess not have blood. Why do you need it? Iss it ssome ssort of ritual? Ssome ssort of ssacrifice? We did thosse in Zinrah, to Ssiku. Iss thiss the ssame, but on a ssmaller sscale?" Surely it had to be a kind of sacrifice. Nothing that involved blood wasn't a sacrifice.

[Richard Blow]

Richard scratched his chin over this dilemma for a few ticks before saying thoughtfully "Tell ya what, we'll stop by the blood pits and enter you in your Dhani form for some quick gold and a meal on the way back." "Couldn't she just settle for some raw steak or something?" he thought sleepily. She was lucky there was a place in the city where anyone could pop in and do some murdering whenever they wanted. Richard bit his lip in a vain attempt to contain his giggles at Thaloyss' attempt to wrap her head around what Brega was. "Yes, and yes." he managed to sputter out. "Shanties are songs for when you're drunk or a sailor." Upon seeing that Thaloyss didn't have a convenient blood jar, Richard sighed and said "Naw. Spiritism stuff. I'll be right back." as he got up and went to the kitchen. A couple chimes later he was back with a wrapped left hand, a few vials of blood, and a mouth full of stuff he was busy chewing. After another half chime, he spit a glowing off-white gel into an empty waterskin he had in his coat, and grinned. "Y'know, you're a'ight when you don't have a broom up your butt. In fact, you're kinda cute. Okay! Let's go!" And with that, the Spiritist strode forth in case his remark meant he needed a head start. The Riverside was no better or worse than the rest of Sunberth, though Richard didn't seem keen to make eye contact with anyone as the duo made their way to the musty entrance of the Muted Maiden. The reception stank of dank wood, smoke and limestone, and the place was bathed in an orange glow from the crackling fireplace. Behind the wood counter was the corpulent Donovan Tavish. "Ah! You must be the Spiritist, my alienable man." he said with a wide grin and open arms. "Welcome!" "Was it the beads?" Richard deadpanned back as he cleared the doorway and rolled his shoulders. "And who's this sumptuous creature behind you?" purred the businessman once he caught sight of Thaloyss. Richard grimaced and shot her a look somewhere between "I'm sorry" and "Oh gods, it begins."

[Thaloyss]

So shanties were songs. Thaloyss briefly wondered if those who weren't drunk or sailors could sing these 'shanties'. Back at the bar the drunks would sometimes break out in song, but she paid them no mind because she thought of them as meals. "Sspiritism," she muttered. So that was why he was all weird. He dealt with ghosts and the dead.

She watched as Richard returned from his escapade into her dusty kitchen, noting the bandaged hand and blood. She grimaced as he spat into the waterskin. The gel was the same he'd spat in her face when they first met.

"Broom up my bu- What?" she asked, her head spinning. The Spiritist was already gone, though, and she pulled her shoes on hurriedly so she could join him. Halfway out the door she paused. Cute? Uh, okay. I prefer monsster, though. Not as... odd.

The tall woman darted after Richard, just barely following behind him. It looked like she was beside him, though her shifty eyes and careful steps said otherwise. She'd never really ventured into this part of Sunberth; most of her time was either at The Pig's Foot or home. Or sliding through back streets while in the middle of digesting, but those were only on the bad nights when she absolutely had to leave the tavern.

Even Richard was nervous, if his lack of eye contact meant anything. Yes, it was musty and yes, it wasn't exactly clean, but aside from that the naive ball of scales couldn't really see any danger. She'd almost forgotten she was walking about as a human.

There was a brief greeting between the owner of The Muted Maiden and Richard, one she ignored until she caught the disgusting man's attention. From his voice and the way he said the words 'sumptuous creature' and how he eyed her like a cut of meat he was planning something.

If she had been at the bar and working the patrons she would've flirted back in a way she despised, all gentle touches and sly grins. Luckily for her and unluckily for the slaver she wasn't employed by Merv any longer. Her eyes flashed and narrowed as she drew herself up and put her shoulders back, showcasing her strength with her posture. She fixed him with a hard glare and looked positively serpentine when she opened her mouth.

"Loyss," she snapped, remembering her alias, "and I am neither for ssale nor pleasure. Keep your eyess off me and on Richard. Do your bussinesss."