Voidus

Looks good. Approved.

Whisper kept a stoic expression as the Lady Verity began describing what little she knew of the creatures in the house. That you should avoid looking back was of course expected, the very first thing anyone was told when entering the Alleys was usually not to look. Beyond that, Whisper did not intend to take any minimalistic verification that had been performed up until now. The Lady had neither the time nor the manpower to conduct a proper scientific investigation of matters, it would be best to assume the worst in all scenarios. But useful to keep in mind the extent of what knowledge the others have. She reminded herself. Easier to play the part, and easier to play off of those assumptions. Almost she smiled, but with a placid face she turned towards the entrance, ready to begin this venture the sooner to end it. She gave a frown as one of her pockets dragged slightly, heavier than it had been when she arrived. Her eyes flickered towards Byron with some annoyance. Aluminium spikes were a must have, they could be remarkably useful things, if slightly wasteful. She almost asked him simply to stop burning cadmium if it was going to cause problems, but given some of his claims it seemed likely that he would not be able to. Or at least not for long. But likely the house would remove that problem for her before too long. Perhaps she would even give it a little assistance, ensuring that if casualties were to be had they would be those that benefited her the most to begin with. But there would be plenty of time to consider that later, they would need to spend quite some time together it seemed. Best not to be too hasty. And most ideally of all would be if she could bring everybody out alive, and enlightened from their experience.

Whisper gave a nod of her head to the steward, making a mental note to remember to act surprised or scared when these changes started. It was difficult to remember sometimes when in the familiar embrace of the Alleys that some people found them disconcerting. It would also likely provide an appropriate time to set up some more Lightweaving while others were a little more distracted. I look forward to seeing how well the girl manages. She thought idly as she moved to pick one of the packs mentioned. She seems well trained enough. And personable enough given that last exchange. But how will she do under pressure? Children often failed that test, but then so did adults, and there were some rare children who performed unexpectedly well. A surprising number of successful denizens had joined the DA from a very young age, including Whisper herself. Perhaps it was simply a matter of acclimation, or just more experience. But this Vivi might be a potential future asset, which meant some modicum of attention may be validated here. She picked a second pack, shouldering it as she crossed the room back to Vivi and presented it. A small gesture, and not accompanied by so much as a smile but just a small nod of the head. She also used the passing to brush the back of the girls hand, watching carefully in her periphery for any disturbance of Light that might indicate an illusion. It was best to be sure after all that it wasn't simply someone using Whisper's own tricks.

Laurelai, Hathsin, Mistkeep Laurelai gave a small startled noise as Lita grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her, gently but still suddenly, over towards the dance floor. Her surprise gave way to an amused pleasure and smile as they arrived, the crowd of bodies parting naturally around the two to allow them passage. The conversations and sounds of feet moving rhythmically against the floor began to blend together into a comforting blanket of background noise. The music swelled and surrounded the pair as they drifted out together, an unfamiliar style to Laurelai, either recently imported to Scadrial or else originating from elsewhere. It is nice to be in a crowd like this. She thought, taking her time as she moved opposite Lita and began moving gently with the beat, getting a feel for the music. Her mind flicked instinctively through a list of well-practiced dances, most of them formal dances for Scadrian ballrooms, but she gave a small shake of the head to drive the thoughts away. Dancing like this was best enjoyed in the moment, a different sort of enjoyment to the other. "Thanks Lita." She began voice elevated slightly to be heard but not so loud as she would if talking to someone other than a tineye. "I-" She looked up, smiling with relaxed joy and caught the green flash of Lita's eyes staring back. She was a little taller than usual, Laurelai's shoes not elevating her height quite so much as Lita's did. And the shift in angle caught her suddenly by surprise, staring into Lita's eyes, to the joyous smile on her lips, the ease and comfort with which she moved her body... Pulling her eyes away and freezing the smile on her face to prevent any rising flush, Laurelai scanned the rest of the room trying to find something distracting. It took a moment to realize that her mouth was still partially opened, having begun to speak and never finished. "It's nice to get out of the office." She said, in a hopefully calm tone. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Voidus, the Cauldron "I'm not sure of the specifics." Voidus replied, honestly. "I would have refused to come but... well we have been the cause of some recent upheavals. I imagine that's probably the core of what they wish to discuss. But as for what manner... well I probably will not get my hopes up for a thank you." The briefest flash of tired irritation crossed his face before settling back in passivity. Those flashes were coming a little more frequently lately, ever since the Forgery. Having lived a more normal life for a time had perhaps put Voidus a little closer to such emotional foibles than he usually was. But, then again, there were certainly benefits to be found as well to having regained a little of the humanity he'd thought long lost. A feeling of life that the void had stolen from him all those years ago. "Let us hope at the least that they do not complain too much." He said, trying to smile reassuringly. "I would hate for them to spoil our evening. Not that I think they are in any way capable of such a thing really. You bring me far more joy than they do irritation." He gave a small wave at the uneaten ice creams, folding space around them and causing them to vanish, stored for a later occasion. Or perhaps experimentation, Voidus was not actually certain that he'd made ice cream before. Perhaps some new flavours could be developed that he could share with Viv? @ZincAboutIt

Greetings denizens! Our old guide to the Alleyverse thread has fallen a little out of date so I'm adding this to give some additional information on the various districts and locations that have been established around the city. We do have a collaborative Google Doc which is where this is sourced from and will probably be kept a little more up to date, PM myself or one of our other lovely mods if you'd like a link. We also have a thread on our Discord for people to discuss worldbuilding so if you'd like to help build the details of the city or the wider Alleyverse pop by there. This is a work in progress but hopefully people can use some details from here to help flesh out both their scenes and their backstories. City Districts Nalthian District Name: New Hallandren Scadrian Districts Name: Mistkeep Name: Smokestack Name: Mistwarrens Rosharan District Name: The Sphere Taldain District Name:Drydock Selish District Name: The Dominion Other Districts Name: The Bindpoint Name: The Corridor Description: The corridor is a long, thin district that separates the two Scadrian districts from each other. Name: The Cauldron Name: Charred Heights Name: Scholar’s Court Locations Alleycity University Name: Alleycity university Einladung Hospital The Boarding House Alleyharbor The Forge Hall of Legends The Beers of Edgli West and Carson’s The Grand Hotel Ivenspark (Ivens-park, not iven-spark) Cemetery

Whisper gave a small, unconcerned shrug to Byron's reply. If the Pulser wanted to rush ahead and get himself killed it was none of her concern. Nothing in either the request from the DA nor the Lady's mission required keeping everyone alive. She had made some pretense of concern and caution already, that would have to do for now. Once they were in more dangerous circumstances it would be easier to pretend she felt some sense of camaraderie. You may call me Willow. She wrote again, turning it for the room this time instead of just for Vivi. Looking around once more at each of those here, she began checking over her series of knives once again, both those visible and a few still unseen. It should be enough, if only barely. She had not brought any of cadmium but fortunately enough the two with temporal Allomancy also both had feruchemical abilities. The trick would be in ensuring that as few people as possible were killed outright immediately. Depending upon circumstance she may even be able to pass it off as a mercy, a hard but necessary decision to avoid needless suffering. After all the only person present who might have some ability to heal others was the potential Forger, and that was not the quickest of crafts. Or at least, not for most of them. The ghost of a smile fluttered across her expression as she surveyed the room, resting on the Lady Verity and the steward Cobalt for just a moment longer than the others. The lady would not be joining them certainly, that was the point of their hire after all. Would she send the Steward to keep an eye on them? And perhaps with some secret mission of his own? He would be more aware of the dangers than any others here were, and more on edge after having to endure them already. Plenty of ways for her to manage that as well. We should perhaps prepare. She wrote. Unless there are further questions? @Ashbringer / all

Hi! Thanks for checking in, definitely looks like this might be able to fit in a little better just a couple things to discuss. Would appreciate a little more detail in some of these sections, most especially the merits section. You can refer to the OP of the Character thread for details but character should have one major merit, two normal and three minor. Can go under this if you want but we recommend filling in all sections to help flesh the character out a bit more. Merits should also be specific where possible (For example master swordsman/gunslinger rather than just good at fighting). Would also appreciate some details of their residence beyond just the city which is kind of assumed, give some thoughts to where they live and what it's like. Could be as simple as 'A small cottage on a street of Scadrians' or much more detailed. I'll be posting a list of the suburbs we have some Worldbuilding done for later today so that may be a good place to get some inspiration. Last point is just a small backstory quibble, a spiked sleeping pill doesn't feel very DA-appropriate. At least not during this era when we're going for a bit more serious of a vibe. Some possible alternatives would be a full actual recruitment by the DA, or possibly being coerced or threatened though in that case some thought may need to be given as to why this would happen. The DA has a whole lot of knowledge and raw power as is so they're not necessarily likely to just threaten someone into being a hitman for them. However if that person were in an influential position then perhaps. Or perhaps they have a more personal relationship with someone in the DA (Could be something to flesh out the relationships section) Do love the idea of the ticking heartbeat though, love the vibes for that which one of the other mods also commented on and wanted me to pass along. These kinds of little details are the stuff we absolutely love to have, really gives them some character.

SeKaan, the Bindpoint "That would be wonderful, wouldn't it? To be what I was built for..." SeKaan gave the other Kandra a pitying glance before ushering them down a side street. To not even be able to perform such a basic function as a Kandra... either someone had broken them terribly or this was not a Kandra from the Homeland. Did other worlds have them after all? So many seemed to have humans after all, perhaps some others had Kandra, Mistwraiths... "Through here, the little cottage with the painted door." They said, gesturing the two others towards the house. The roof had partially collapsed, made partially of tile and partially of stone. It was one of many such buildings that seemed to have been abandoned during whatever the chaos that had enveloped this city a week ago was. But an abandoned building, especially one with nobody looking to reoccupy it, served as a convenient location for a Kandra to work from. It was not the most comfortable such location they had found, but it was the closest and one of the ones they were most willing to lose. "This will do for now." They said, closing the door behind the trio. "Now, some questions for all of us I think? It did not seem that any expected to be in quite that situation today. Do you mind if I change as we talk? My True Body is here, and it is more comfortable to speak in my normal appearance." A lie of course, but a believable one perhaps. Many of their kind did precisely that, especially when talking with other Kandra. The stone bones SeKaan had here were a nice set, but only one of many favorites.

Whisper shifted as they were approached by the woman in the wheelchair. Thankfully in this guise she would not be expected to smile at people or play innocent, so she settled for a tiny nod of the head in greet. She also shifted her stance slightly so that she would be able to move more easily if she needed to attack or defend. One step forward and she could thrust with a knife into her chest. One back and she could be out of reach of a sword. One to the side and she would be able to face both her and Vivi should the need arise. "I'm a Pulser too. I've used cadmium for... a long time. I can carry the bubble with me and slow down time and do a few other things. Other than that... I can think pretty fast, and I'm good with knives." Another voice interrupted, one after another revealing the cards they held. Not that Whisper would trust them to speak true. A Pulser. Problematic. She noted mentally. Not a threat to her health as such, but Pulsers could be a problem in other ways. If she was delayed here for longer than expected... Well, best then to keep an eye on the exterior of the bubble when possible. Track how much time was lost and when. And if they were to be here for days then absolutely make sure to sleep as far from him as possible. Scouting ahead in a house that moves and shifts seems unwise. She wrote, turning it to face Byron. @Ashbringer

SeKaan, the Bindpoint SeKaan considered, wondering whether or not they should show an Inquisitor and another Kandra to one of the few safe, quiet places they'd managed to find. But eventually they gave a small shrug and turned up the street, away from the center of the city and the dome that was visible there. People seemed nervous about that dome, and unwilling to get too close. Though why a city had been built around it in that case was a question for the scholars of the world. "Come along then, there's an abandoned house I've been using for storage not too far." They said. "I'll need to pick some things up from there anyway, Lord Valiert is going to have to be retired for a little while, shame." They grimaced a little in reluctance, their face already subtly shifting to be softer, less obviously the same. True only a few people would have been able to put the identity together and the chances of one of those few ruining the disguise in the future was minuscule, but such were the things that separated a Kandra from a human spy. Mistakes like that were not permitted for a Kandra. Better to let Lord Valiert languish unused for a time until he was forgotten here. "And you." They said, turning their head to the Kandra. "Would you please put in some basic effort at least? We are not all too common here, at least from what I can tell. Walking around and showing your True Body for all to see is going to attract attention. @Ookla the Archivist @Ookla the Nerdy Voidus, The Cauldron “This is real, isn’t it Nox?” Vivica asked, turning to look at him with large bloodshot blue eyes. He smiled, trying to remove the momentary flash of concern at the question as he looked back. He searched her eyes, not entirely sure what he was looking for, and took a short moment before finally nodding. "Real as can be." He replied gently, pulling her a little closer. "With or without ice cream. But since it's already here..." He gave another smile and directed them both towards the small cart, waiting patiently until they were at the front. He dipped a hand into a coat pocket though already realized the problem when he saw the woman in front of them passing a handful of chrysts over to the cart operator. Voidus did not have any with him, he rarely carried any forms of currency due to his general lack of any need to. And he had been a little too distracted prior to Alleytravelling to the city to remember to pick any up. "Some of everything please." He said, smiling only faintly this time as they reached the front. "My apologies I don't have any chrysts but hopefully this should cover it." The operator gave him a slight frown, already forming words of polite refusal when he looked down at the hand Voidus extended, initially he simply tilted his head in a moment of confusion, but then an instant later his eyes shot up, thick dark brows leaping into his hairline in surprise and shock at the handful of metallic beads. "Um sir.." The operator began, having to clear his throat several times. "Is that...?" "Atium, yes." Voidus replied, calmly setting it atop the cart. "It is worth something is it not? I hope that will be enough." @ZincAboutIt

Laurelai, Mistkeep Laurelai gave a pleased smile to the praise before following Lita's line of sight. The inviting sound of music called from within the church, enough for Laurelai to already begin relaxing. She had hoped that the entire day could have been sent recovering from the stress of a week in Records, and yet here she was just as tense as she had been yesterday. Giving a rueful shake of the head she looked the building over, gaze lingering on the stained glass windows, illuminated from within. "Mmm, looks quite lovely." She commented, not having been herself but quickly drawn to the ambiance. "And I'm never opposed to a little blasphemy. Especially not when it's attached to lovely conversation and something fine to drink." Following Lita's lead, Laurelai breathed a sigh of relief as they were enveloped by a wall of warmth and sound. The streets outside had not been kind to her decision regarding boldness today, almost enough to make her regret her choice. The number of stares she received upon entering into the building however, immediately satisfied her that she had chosen well. Giving a practiced and pleased smile around the room, she turned back to Lita just quickly enough to avoid prompting anyone's approach. "Drinks first or dancing do you think?" She asked, voice raised a little to be heard over the music. "Or would you prefer to avoid that given your recent... piercing." Mmm, yes those lingering glances were most satisfying. It was always a nice feeling to have chosen the right outfit for the occasion, especially when pairing it with the right smile for maximum effect. Laurelai, Alleycity 18 years ago There were only two options, but Laurelai agonized between the white and the blue dresses. They were the only two she owned that could really be called nice, one, a simple Scadrian white was supplied by the orphanage to wear when they were taken out, the other had been a gift for her from the Lamirir's when they'd... "Al-ethi" She said, shaking her head to dismiss the upsetting thought and repeating the words they'd used to describe it. She always seemed to have more trouble than other children with pronounciation but two years of practice had mostly helped. She could be understood now at least. "Ha-vah" She wondered which would be the best to choose, a pit of nervous worry was already forming in her stomach at the thought of the meeting that was to take place this afternoon. She could make no mistakes, she was already so lucky that someone was even meeting with her to consider taking her in. "Blue." She decided eventually, practicing the word and pulling the dress from her small cot. "Hello. My name is Laurlai. Laurelai. Laurelai Esserethel. I am wearing a blue havah." Practicing further as she changed, she wondered what these new people, the Vennit's would think. What would they look for in a child? They would want her to smile, she had learned that quickly enough. People were unnerved by children who just silently stared or cried in a corner. The Lamirir's had told her she had a wonderful smile when they first met her. She practiced, wishing that she had a mirror to see in. Quickly enough however she had to give up on smiling practice to focus on her buttons. They were so difficult, and she still wasn't sure why it was so important for her to button over one hand but not the other. It was much easier to put this dress on when someone could help her. Sometimes one of the adults would do that if they had time. Once the children had helped her, though they avoided her now. VeeVee would help me. She thought, recalling her friend from before the Lamirir's. She always helped me with buttons and words. She smiled in fond recollection, before remembering what had happened to her first and only friend with a sudden shiver. Her smile was lost instantly, tears springing to her eyes and only just managing to be held back. "No no no." She whispered to herself. "Happy happy. Smiling. Hello, my name is Laurelai. I am wearing blue. Hello Mister Vennit, hello Misses Vennit. It is nice to meet you." The smile was gone, with no way to retrieve it. She hadn't practiced enough, hadn't worked hard enough. Why had she thought about VeeVee like that? It was only going to upset her after all, best not to think about things like that. Not VeeVee, not the smell of rose-scented soaps, not fires and not the Lamirir's. But then what was there? What could she think about without getting upset? A soft, warm sensation spread across her scalp. A feeling of loving fingers tracing something into her hairline. She smiled at the feeling, her tears quickly drying and the tension and worry that had begun to consume her mind disappearing as it washed through her. It felt comforting, and caring, and affectionate. It felt like everything that Laurelai wanted. It felt like love. "Hello Mister Vennit, hello Missus Vennit." Laurelai said sometime later, smiling happily at the couple. "My name is Laurelai." "Oh isn't she darling?" Said missus Vennit, returning the smile as she crouched next to Laurelai. "What a lovely dress Laurelai, very fitting for such a lovely girl." "It is my blue havah." Laurelai said proudly, turning to better display the fabric and smiling even wider. She hoped that she'd chosen the right dress, the right smile.

"I'm not as helpless as they think." Vivi replied, a hand on her rapier. Whisper gave her second small smile of the afternoon at that. She wondered if the light in Vivi's eyes was defensive, a desire to be respected and have her efforts appreciated, or did a darker emotion perhaps swirl within her heart when she was dismissed? Whisper had exploited such assumptions of defenselessness countless times herself, and while she generally felt very little about it one way or the other, there was a certain satisfaction in plunging a spike into the heart of a Radiant who had thought you an innocent and incapable child, in need of protection but not wariness. "Do you have some information about the manor?" Vivi nodded towards the blueprints. "To be honest, the lady sounds as if she doesn't expect us to succeed. Or if we do, she suspects that some won't leave again." Whisper inclined her head in agreement at that, the odds of everyone here remaining healthy through this endeavor... perhaps not zero, but far from promising. Whatever was happening in this house, it was related to the Alleys but disconnected from those the DA made use of. Which likely meant all of the usual danger with none of the established paths of safety. Little I can tell for sure. Beyond the obvious. She wrote down, casting a wary eye over the others. It will be dangerous. And likely the type of danger that is not so foolish as to spare someone simply because of their age. Pretending to wipe her board clean once again, Whisper feigned writing out, wondering already if she should simply abandon the charade and reveal her Lightweaving. But it was too soon, too much lost opportunity. No need to rush things simply for convenience. If changes occur at sundown then it would seem advisable to leave before then. She noted, turning the board this time to show it to the rest of the room rather than just Vivi.

SeKaan, the Bindpoint "Are you just keeping a rusting eye on me? Or...are you going to try to take me back?" The Inquisitor asked, a fury conveyed by the lowering of a brow rather than a glint of the eye but no less threatening. "To keep an eye on you?" Lord Valiert replied, placing a hand over his heart in offense. "Why lady Inquisitor I have no idea..." His eyes followed the direction her head had tilted, catching sight of translucent skin, metal glinting as it caught the sunlight. One of the Faceless Immortals, here along with an Inquisitor! What an auspicious day. But the two seemed to have no relation, was there perhaps some friction that had gone forgotten by mythology? "Apologies." SeKaan replied, shaking their head to remove the remnants of Lord Valiert from their mind. "Little hard to slip back out of the role sometimes." There was little point to trying to maintain a ruse, as soon as her head had turned to follow the Kandra that they had noticed they knew it would not be long before those same eyes of steel would be turned to them. An Inquisitors Steelsight was a formidable concern it seemed. They would have to be more careful with the placement of their spikes in the future, perhaps think of some countermeasure. "I assure you that I had no ill intent in my approach." They continued, holding both hands up to show them as empty. "I actually had no idea that I would find you here, nor any other of my kind..." They turned, still keeping the face of Lord Valiert for now, given that there were more than just the three of them present on the street, to look towards the other. The translucent Kandra who had given themselves away by stepping into the light. They were... unfamiliar to SeKaan, though it was hard to tell from this distance and without knowing if that was their usual bones or just a borrowed pair. "Shall we perhaps adjourn for somewhere less public, Lady Inquisitor?" SeKaan offered, hands still raised. "Somewhere of your choosing if you are still concerned of a trap."

How far I have fallen without the Chapel. Whisper thought scathingly as the child approached her. Being pitied by a child, and not for an act of feigned innocence, over simple pain. Years of experience seemed to flee all at once, Whisper lost the muscle memory that would usually save her in circumstances like this. Instead she froze, wondering which muscles to put where in order to create a smile. Other people did it all the time, easy as breathing. And she had learned to do it, after a lot of practice. So why was she now unable to? Still staring stiffly she took the offered food mostly on instinct, unsure what to actually do with it. The child had still not dropped dead, nor broken out in any other sort of illness. Which meant that if the food was poisoned it was not with anything that would act particularly quickly. And if it was acting that slowly then there was really no risk at all to her, she could simply return to the Alleys. Eventually she managed a small nod of gratitude in the girls direction. Habitually she tilted her head up to display the thick scar tissue along her neck, though the girl was a little shorter than Whisper herself and could probably see it even without that gesture. Another thing to be grateful for. Whisper realized, slowly recovering herself. With her here at least people aren't mistaking me for a child. Whether a feature of the experiments from when she was younger, or simply some quirk of genetics, Whisper during her late teens was perhaps only a half inch taller than this girl. Vivi. Her mind corrected, supplying the information from a conversation she had only half payed attention to. Her name was Vivi she said. One of those born from the Forgery perhaps? Or simply forgotten by some quirk of its removal. Was there something familiar about the girl? Unlikely that Whisper had met her previously, given her usual activities, but not impossible. She was at the least a pleasant distraction, Whisper could feel the pain receding from behind the orbit of her eye already, faster than she could remember it fading before. Perhaps this job did not simply have to be a punishment due to invoking the head of Counterintelligence's ire. Perhaps Whisper might actually be able to scrape some measure of enjoyment for herself from it. Thank you. She wrote simply on her board. You hold your blade well. Hesitating a moment, uncertainly, Whisper looks around before smiling as she reads something from atop the blueprints she holds, and adds another line to her board. You may call me Willow. @Sorana

Whisper moved swiftly towards the pile of blueprints, taking a map for herself and studying it as further conversations developed behind her. The former layout did not seem to have any correlation to what she had mapped earlier, but that was to be expected. Such patterns were rarely so easy as to be seen at a glance, not even by her. Room by room she devoted the map to memory, trusting her own rather than a borrowed coppermind. This box... she considered, also devoting the lady's description to her mind. Worth delving further into or not? Unlikely that anything a random noble lady owns would be of interest, but then something is happening to this house. They are perhaps a more interesting family than they first appear. Her eyes flickered over the walls, looking over the decorations, pictures, trying to find portraits and family trees that so many nobles loved to display. But she quickly grew distracted by the question behind her. One of her new associates was a Seeker it seemed, though blessedly unfamiliar with Surges. That could complicate things of course, but for now it should not change anything overmuch. In the worst case there was doubtless some abyssal entity wandering the house that she could lure in to deal with anyone too problematic, or she could simply separate from the others. Continuing her lifelong wish of spreading her devotion was of course important, but it would not be too much of a problem if she needed to simply leave these few be. Odds are most won't make it back anyway. She reasoned. Mentally reviewing the rest of the information had been given, Whisper realized too late that her current guise should perhaps have acted more excited or greedy about the mention of pay. The sum meant very nearly nothing to Whisper, but an ordinary thief would be much more invested. With a slight inaudible curse she drew some of her attention back to the conversations and her expressions rather than devoting all to the problems. What should I do with it after? She wondered. Donate it? Seems pointless. Buy something? Even more... no, perhaps not pointless. That much funding... might be able to approach things a different way. Obtain a building. Perhaps a church? Plans formed and revised in moments, though Whisper lacked enough financial awareness to know how far ten thousand chrysts would stretch, but surely it would be enough for a start at least? Devoting one to all of her gods seemed like it would be impossible, almost nobody else understood the connections of perfection that ran between them. But perhaps one. Perhaps this was her chance to make amends, to regain some small measure of utility after the colossal failure that was the end of the Forgery. She winced, pain piercing through her eye and into her brain. Her muscles tensed immediately in response, far too familiar with the more extreme pain that would be following shortly after. But she could keep it under control for now couldn't she? Surely she had not become so utterly useless that she would fail so simple an infiltration due to some head pains.

"I am certain you have questions. Please, ask, and we shall do our best to answer you." The Lady Warren said, finally drawing Whisper's attention back to conversation with her arrival. She considered and dismissed a dozen questions out of hand, either too technical to be able to be answered by someone who had just fallen into this situation, or too revealing of her own interests to be worth stating aloud. And she was just beginning to pick through the much shorter list of questions which might be appropriate to ask when her thoughts were interrupted by someone else asking in her place. “why a help wanted poster? This seems to be a very specific job, with quite a mysterious nature. I feel like hiring specialists, or some sort of magical detective agency would be needed. And judging by the manor, you could surely afford hiring someone.” Whisper felt the corner of her lips twitch up in the slightest of smiles, far more expression than most would evoke from her. But there was only one place in the city with specialists that would be capable of handling this particular problem, and Whisper was quite aware of why neither Lady Warren nor any of her staff had asked. The Dark Alley was not precisely in the business of performing charity work, nor were they a mercenary company one could simply hire out. "What item specifically are we looking for? And... what should we do with anything else we find?" Another voice said, this one new to the conversation as its owner arrived late. Whisper spared him a quick once-over as well, a faint flicker at the back of her mind indicated she may have seen him before but was not so clear that she could place where. She shelved the thought as she nodded along at this, more practical question. It had been one of the ones that she had considered asking herself. Instead she moved a hand over her board as though wiping it clean of her previous scribblings and beginning to write anew, though actually she simply covered it with a Lightweaving to preserve the makeshift map she had started. What rooms have you been able to find? She wrote. And is there a map or a blueprint for the original architecture? She turned the board to display its writing just as the sound of a slamming door echoed from somewhere deeper in the house. Acting surprised was easy enough, a small little nervous jump that was quickly controlled. She had been mentally rehearsing the action ever since she placed the Lightweaving to cause the sound.

It was an interesting group to come together for a job, possibly a statement of the state of the city after the chaos of the Forgery. Altogether the group appeared nowhere close to as large or, if Whisper was being honest, as competent as the last such gathering she had attended when ACE organized an expedition into the caverns beneath the city. A child, one woman in a wheelchair, what seemed to be a blind man, though the presence of tinminds indicated that might not be as much of a hurdle as it would be for some, and, based on the small flecks of Soulstone under her fingernails, a Forger. And then Whisper herself, a mute thief by all obvious observations. The newcomer, Rosharan? She was perhaps the closest to a promising member that could be seen at a glance. Not precisely a group to inspire confidence. She noted. But then who knows how many are concealing more beneath? Never trust what is only visible on the surface. Her watchful eyes departed from the people gathered in the room and began to roam the walls and hallways of the house itself. Certain parts certainly had the feel of Alleys about them, but then hallways could sometimes be like that. Some were closer than others. True masters of the Alleys could use something that barely even resembled an Alley at all to enter those strange spaces. But this is different. She realized, paying attention to the subtle twistings of reality. Not the usual patterns. Not the usual pathways. That was a promising start for her investigations. Promising and incredibly dangerous. If the pathways through the house were unpredictable even to a seasoned member of the DA, then they could end up in any Alley at all. With a frown she pulled her whiteboard out, beginning to sketch rough outlines with a shorthand notation. Almost absently she took another entirely unnecessary bite out of her illusory sandwich, thankfully able to dismiss it now that she'd gone through the motions of eating it piece at a time. The voices around her began fading into the background as her focus was consumed, the twisting patterns of space around her forming a new pattern, something far more interesting than simple spywork. In less than a minute she had filled one half of the space with what might to an untrained eye appear simply as a spaghetti-like mess of lines, with an occasional series of letters and numbers next to them.

Holy water is actually not that effective against undead anyway It's like 2d6 damage and consumes the holy water, so that's gonna be a staff with some expensive upkeep. And hope they have somewhere watertight to keep it while sleeping. Most cantrips will outdamage this pretty handily and are effective against more than just undead.

Shape water is an amazing cantrip, one of my favourites. Just not quite that good most of the time

That is a very lenient DM

~Ember, Scholar's Court~ His form flickered indecisively as Ember waited on Temeria's shoulder. Rather than streak off into the air as he usually would when they were walking he stayed close for now, watching her with a frown equal parts concern and confusion. It was much easier to think now than it had been, but some things remained difficult. Some memories returned quicker than others and some Ember wasn't sure he'd ever even had to begin with. Humans remained very confusing, perhaps because he hadn't seen inside enough of them yet. Temeria had been broken, that he was quite sure of by how she was acting. But it was a strange kind of breaking that didn't let him see inside her as easily. No. He realized as he thought the matter over. It does, I'm just not looking in the right way. "Temeria-" Ember began, uncharacteristically somber. But before he could finish he was jolted in place as Temeria had to shift suddenly to avoid careening into someone else. At first Ember ignored them in favour of ensuring that Temeria was okay. But an instant later he flared brightly, sword appearing in hand and held defensively in front of him. Such a weapon would do little good in this situation, Ember's instincts told him, but it was always best to fight if you had to. Dangerous. He realized, looking the man over and realizing he recognized him. This is the one from... before. Before I could remember properly. ~Voidus, the Cauldron~ Stepping from a darkened alleyway, Voidus held Vivica loosely against him as the two arrived onto the streets of the city proper. There was still some time before the meeting started, and it would not cause any problems were he to arrive a little late anyway. Plenty of time that the two could take in the city together, enjoy a rare afternoon where he had no more immediate matters that needed attending to. "The city is busy today." He noted aloud, giving a relaxed smile to Viv. "Shall we take in the sights? What is something you always wished to do while we were in the Forgery?" Even the momentary tension at remembering the Forgery could not sour his mood, and was quickly shaken off now. He even gave a small nod of greeting to a few passersby as they stepped to the street proper. There were many more people than usual today, as he had mentioned, but perhaps it had simply been too long since he'd been out in the city in anything other than cataclysmic circumstances. @ZincAboutIt

Whisper's eyes flicked to a tall clock nearby when she saw the girl taking her first bite of food. Unless they'd planned for someone her age she would drop dead much quicker if the food was poisoned. Getting the dosage right for people that young was tricky. She might even be able to guess what they'd put in it if she had multiple people of differing weights to compare timings of. Right on time. She noted with an amused mental smile as the woman in a wheelchair got something for herself as well. For her own part Whisper went to collect a small sandwich from the other room as well, it would be best not to seem overly suspicious after all. Her Lightweaving shifted just slightly mid-turn to conceal a clever little piece of sleight of hand that tucked the real sandwich into a pocket while she now held an illusory one in her hand. A few feigned bites as she returned to the others, not quite so quick to eat as the young girl but perhaps someone who was hungry enough after a skipped breakfast. Whisper settled back into place a short distance from the last woman, still standing by herself. Selish, from the Rose Empire unless Whisper misplaced her guess? Whisper gave a small but friendly nod as she slipped into position next to her. She hesitated a moment, wondering if she were in a position where her abilities with Lightweaving might be expected enough that she could simply use that to communicate the easy way, but eventually settled on pulling a small whiteboard out and holding it tucked beneath her arm. Best not to reveal cards until we need to. She reasoned. And even a thief would tend to keep those abilities secret, nothing that would make someone suspect anything further.

Discussing this with the other mods at the moment, only question from me here now would be how a Singer ended up as a Rioter as Allomancy is genetic. Are they a hemalurgist?